The afternoon sun hung low in the sky, casting long golden shadows across the streets of Velden. Nero and Khione had wandered through markets, painted pictures, stood beneath waterfalls. But there was one more place they wanted to see before leaving.
The tower rose from the center of the city, a lattice of red steel reaching toward the clouds. It was not as tall as the academy's spires, not as grand as the imperial palace, but it had a grace of its own—a slender elegance that made it seem to float above the buildings below. Nero had seen pictures of it online, a structure modeled after an ancient design from a distant continent. Now, seeing it in person, he understood why it was famous.
They walked to its base, where a small ticket booth stood beside a winding staircase. An old man with a kind smile sold them two tickets and gestured toward the elevator. Nero pressed the button, and the doors slid open.
