The sky was a dark purple color, with diamond-like fragments shimmering across it. The heat was immense, everything felt unbearably heavy, and breathing was difficult—as if they were underwater. Rodrigo felt as if his body might explode at any moment; the sensation was overwhelmingly uncomfortable.

  The landscape was anything but encouraging. As he flew with Epona’s help, he saw dry, cold earth with almost no vegetation. It was like a desert, but rocky, without sand dunes. Rustic houses were scattered along the ground.

  A massive red sun shone above them. Rodrigo had never seen that star appear so gigantic. Two reddish-yellow moons hung close to it.

  Looking carefully, he noticed a nearly invisible energy barrier shimmering across the sky.

  “It’s your first time on another planet, right, Rodrigo?” Epona asked as the boy grimaced in pain and discomfort.

  Rodrigo nodded.

  “The gravity of this planet is three times greater than Earth’s, since it’s a much larger world. A normal human couldn’t withstand this atmospheric pressure—they’d die instantly.

  “The temperature also exceeds 80 human degrees. You should get used to it as best you can,” the angel added.

  In the distance, Rodrigo spotted mountains with pearl-like structures built into them. It was strange to see mountains, given how flat everything else had been.

  “That’s the Silver Palace. I’ll take you there—your quarters are inside,” the malak said, pointing at the construction atop the tallest mountain.

  “And where exactly is planet Palas located? Do you know?” Epona asked.

  “The location of this planet is secret. Only Athena, Horus, and the third leader know its position on the celestial map. All of us arrived through the teleportation power of Lady Athena’s labrys,” the angel replied.

  “Labrys?” Epona asked again.

  “Yes, it’s a legendary weapon Lady Athena uses to protect this planet. When she activates its power, a labyrinth of trillions of pathways manifests, and only the leaders of Orniskem know the route to enter,” explained the malak.

  “What’s that ‘Orni’ thing?” Rodrigo asked.

  “That’s the name of Athena’s rebel group,” Epona answered.

  “So, if an enemy tries to enter this planet, the barrier will stop them. And if by some miracle they break through, they’ll have to cross an enormous labyrinth where they could wander for eons without knowing the correct path,” the angel continued.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  “Impressive,” Epona replied.

  “Yes. This planet is now home to several gods and malakim who refused to follow Lel’s orders. Not a very pretty world, honestly, but we make do,” the angel said.

  Eventually, Rodrigo and Epona reached the palace.

  It was a massive white castle with blue accents. Rodrigo noticed the architecture resembled the Arab-style fortress he had seen in Turtuxa. It had a circular emerald-green dome and several towers that reminded him of minarets, where Muslims recited their prayers.

  “Is this a mosque?” Rodrigo asked.

  Epona let out a discreet laugh.

  “No, Rodrigo. This is Greek architecture. You’d see similar structures in the great city of Constantinople in the Eastern Roman Empire,” Epona said, fascinated by the palace.

  “Of course. Hagia Sophia is tiny compared to this enormous structure,” she added.

  A group of malakim guarded the palace entrance, which was behind a massive wall. Rodrigo once again noticed the energy barrier covering the sky, now concentrated above the walls.

  The door where the angels stood was enormous—golden edges, a colossal wooden door that looked like cedar. Two columns flanked it, pure white, so polished Rodrigo could see his own reflection.

  “These are Lady Athena’s guests, although two more are still missing. They will be brought by Zephon,” said the angel who had escorted Rodrigo and Epona.

  The gate angels bowed, set their swords on the ground, and the door slowly opened.

  Epona and Rodrigo entered and bid farewell to the angel.

  Despite the barren world outside, the palace gardens were breathtaking. There were two statues—one of the goddess Athena and another of a falcon—both white as ivory.

  Fountains flowed, surrounded by abundant vegetation, with beautiful flowers and roses of many colors. Rodrigo noticed that the suffocating pressure he had felt outside was gone, as if the palace had its own gravitational force.

  “This is beautiful, isn’t it, Rodrigo?” Epona said in awe.

  The garden was enormous, like a forest. White houses with red roofs were covered in bushes and roses. Some malakim walked, others read, others trained.

  Butterflies with vivid colors fluttered through the air. Horses, deer, and even bears wandered around. Crystal-clear rivers ran through the garden, crossed by ornate wooden bridges. Without a doubt, it was far more beautiful than the gardens in southern Spain.

  At last, they reached the main gate, called The Beautiful Gate. White and gold, with a sculpted owl at the top, and below it, a falcon and a strange bird. The malakim opened it, and Rodrigo and Epona were transported to another dimension.

  It was a vast white hall. Malakim flew across the interior while other figures—gods, most likely—walked through the corridors. The chamber had multiple floors supported by ivory Greek columns. In the center stood a massive white obelisk with a golden tip.

  A malak flew toward them and said he would take them to their room.

  The angel flew upward, and Epona—once again carrying Rodrigo—followed. They arrived at a door on the fifth floor, made of cedar with golden accents. The angel opened it, bowed, and departed.

  Rodrigo and Epona entered and found a magnificent room. Comfortable couches, a large table with fruit and golden jugs, and several incense burners perfumed the air.

  Behind purple curtains were the bedchambers, each with cedar bedframes and soft, luxurious mattresses like a king’s bed.

  There was also a beautiful bath with a gigantic pool of crystal-clear, almost bluish water.

  “You won’t see anything like this in the human world, right, Rodrigo?” Epona said as she ran to sit on one of the couches and grab some fruit.

  Rodrigo walked into the bedrooms and saw that the clothes they had worn during the battle against the Nordic monsters were laid out, clean and repaired. He grabbed them, changed, collapsed onto the bed, and immediately fell asleep.

  He had experienced so many emotions in a single day that exhaustion finally overtook him.