Kintsukuroi of the Silver Sword

Chapter 2 : A Leap into the Unknown (未知への飛躍)

"...Where am I?" she murmured, blinking her eyes in confusion.

Being devoured by the black hole-like entity, she found herself in a split second within a vast room, the abrupt transition leaving her disoriented.

She turned back in haste, her eyes widening slightly as she found a normal door in place of the ominous black hole. Frowning slightly, she surveyed her surroundings, searching for any clues as to what just happened.

In the grandeur of the room's architectural design, a peculiar contrast emerged. While the intricate details and soaring ceilings spoke of opulence, its surface bore a cryptic semblance to a mere storeroom.

The sheer magnitude of it all dwarfed her presence, every nook and cranny crammed with a seemingly infinite assortment of items.

She treaded cautiously, her footsteps echoing in the voluminous silence, until her gaze was drawn to an opaque colossal arched window that seemed to frame the world beyond.

A small indigo bird perched on the windowsill as it tended to its wings.

The bird tilted its head curiously as she approached but remained in place, showing no signs of taking flight.

After a brief pause, she hesitated before unlocking and pushing open the massive window.

In an instant, a brilliant burst of light cascaded into the room, like liquid gold pouring through the colossal arched window.

The explosion of sunlight compelled her to raise her hand as a shield and close her eyes for a moment.

Slowly opening her eyes, her breath hung suspended for a heartbeat.

Before her, the once hidden vista unfolded, revealing a breathtaking panorama that left her momentarily breathless.

Before her eyes stood a monument of opulence and grandeur, a colossal edifice that defied the imagination.

This circular marvel, with most of the walls composed entirely of one-way glass, presented an illusion of transparency while guarding the secrets within. It was not merely a building; it was an extravagant palace, a marvel that seemed to have sprung from the pages of a fairy tale.

"What...what is this place?"

Within the architectural wonder encompassing her, only a handful of locations boasted enormous arched windows reminiscent of the one in the storeroom. However, at this particular moment, every window remained shut, each serving as a guardian to the enigma concealed behind it.

The sheer luxury and beauty of this place were beyond comprehension. She was awed, never having seen something so grand and majestic, a testament to a level of craftsmanship and vision that must have surely spanned decades in the making.

She looked down at what what appeared to be an inner sanctum, a vast compound within the embrace of the building.

The architecture of this place was a mesmerizing blend of timeless elegance from vintage aristocratic design and cutting-edge innovation from modern structural aesthetics. It felt as though history and the future had harmoniously converged, giving birth to a living testament of architectural splendor that transcended the boundaries of time.

Despite the grandeur that suddenly surrounded her, the truth remained unchanged: she found herself in an unfamiliar place.

Reality struck her once more, and a hint of annoyance flickered across her features as her gaze fixated on a distant point, lost in contemplation.

Then all of a sudden something happened that startled her.

With a profound clarity, she could discern the minutest details and every soul within a room, as if the very fabric of reality had unveiled its secrets to her.