Heart of Terra

The bell chimes as Cypher left the tailor and entered the busy street once again.

Unlike previously, he appeared different now. Gone were the bloody robes, replaced instead by a high-collared coat mirroring a traditional medieval style in elegance.

Its entire surface was a matte gray, with layered shoulders and long sleeves running tightly around his arms while every accent was lined with chrome silver embroidery.

The back of the coat trailed slightly on the floor as a stopwatch ticked, hanging from a small compartment in a breast pocket.

Beneath, a black button-up shirt clung to his skin, while a silver necklace hung around his neck, the visible emblem of the Eye of Endo hanging off its links.

Beside that, simple, straight black trousers and shining black professional shoes clicked off the ground as the reinforced steel soles touched the surface.

His attire perfectly matched his sharp features and gray hair, adorned with the new addition of a small silver cross hanging from his right ear, while an inverse cross hung from his left ear.

Some might see these crosses as strange symbols one might add to increase style, however, only he knew the truth.

They were a symbol of the faith he once followed, and later cursed, in his past life.

But, he wasn't here to lament past mistakes.

Making his way through the crowds that occasionally cast glances, he soon found himself back at the crossroads.

Ahead of him, a steel fence lay on the other side of the road, guarded by two knights adorned in perfect golden armor, their faces completely covered from sight.

Their swords were crossed firmly in front of a steel gate, a subtle threat of execution should anyone try to pass without permission.

"Not that anyone would." Cypher muttered under his breath as he noticed the pathway on the other side of the road was completely empty, contrasting the almost overflowing pavement he stood on.

With confidence, he stepped forward, making his way toward the two men on guard.

And they also took notice of him at this moment.

"STATE YOUR PURPOSE!"

"STATE YOUR PURPOSE!"

In perfect sync, both men shouted at the top of their lungs. It was slightly surprising how much tenacity they could muster.

"Stand down, I'm sure Clementine and the others informed you? I'm Cypher Ren, a guest invited by the Cardinal."

The two looked at each other.

Sigh...

"Deacon Ren, does it ring a bell?"

It seemed like a lightbulb had gone off inside those metal heads of theirs before they lowered their weapons and bowed their heads in respect.

One of them moved in ceremonial rigid strides, using a key and sliding it smoothly inside the lock mechanism of the gate.

The other continued speaking.

"Deacon, the saint has indeed informed us. Please, enjoy your stay in the noble district."

"I will, soldier." Seeing the gate swing open, Cypher quickly stepped forward, leaving the middle class behind and entering the pinnacle of wealth and prosperity in almost the entire empire's territory, High Thorn.

Almost immediately, his feet hit the polished marble surface that made up the pavement.

He noticed the black veins that thrummed between the cracks of these tiles, thin but neat like an entire wire network was weaved into the street.

Obsidian.

It was noticeable how quiet it was, that is.

There were not many shops in the noble district. Instead, the streets were wide, much more than necessary. In between the marble white pavement, an ornate and smooth, quartz-like material made up the roads.

Occasionally, one could see golden carriages pulled by the most thoroughly bred horses he had seen, glide along this surface without any sound - barring the heavy hooves striking the floor with their lean forms built for power above all else.

As he walked deeper, the overall structure of this area became clear. It was filled with either attractions meant for entertainment or the most unnecessary villas and estates no man could ever need in a thousand lifetimes.

Though golden-spiked fences separated the street from private homes or establishments, Cypher could still see inside through the gaps in the metal.

He first passed by one of the many villas, this one being at least seven stories tall. It was constructed entirely out of concrete slabs, arched windows in perfect rows across each of the doors while red curtains blocked anything from seeing inside.

Around it, there was a garden filled with amber leaves sprouting outwards in autumn beauty. Beneath, they protected a mix of orchids and poppy flowers neatly trimmed with diligence, likely from the surface.

It reminded Cypher of the old Roman Empire in its architecture, simply excellent on the eyes, unlike any other society.

And this was just one villa that took up a massive sum of land. There were many, many more on either side of the streets and beyond.

He looked towards a looming coliseum fitting snugly between these homes, its outer perimeter lined with arches embedded into its surface. In between each arch, an angelic statue lay in silence, like sentinels watching over all visitors.

"It lives up to its name."

It was true, and earned at that. This empire was not a superpower for nothing. It was not the commoners that made the empire strong nor the efforts of the middle class, but the nobles who birthed a lineage that wielded their own souls as weapons. Without a doubt, this district was a monument to that power.

And, as the streets weaved between each other, they all led to one singular location looming over the entire city in a grandeur that almost could not be described with words.

At the heart of the noble district, where opulence reached its zenith, loomed a structure so immense that Cypher had to crane his neck to take in its full splendor.

Terra Cordis, or better known as the Imperial Palace.

It did not simply rise above the city - it dominated it, a colossus of stone and steel that whispered of an age when gods and kings were indistinguishable. The very air around it seemed heavier, as if burdened by the weight of history and power.

Surrounding the palace, four titanic statues of knights stood as eternal guardians, their swords planted into the ground, blades longer than the tallest skyscrapers in modern society.

They were carved from a stone so ancient and weathered that their edges had softened into something almost dreamlike, their shadows stretching long across the polished marble roads.

And between them lay the Imperial Palace itself, an architectural wonder that defied comprehension.

Its spires clawed at the heavens, each one lined with intricate filigrees of gold that wove seamlessly into the weathered stone, like veins of wealth pulsing through the empire's very bones. Stained-glass windows, awash in shades of deep crimson and royal violet, stood as barriers to the interior within, casting spectral reflections across the cobbled streets whenever the lunar body struck them.

The palace stretched for acres upon acres, an unrelenting testament to the empire's dominion.

Every wall, every towering column, bore the marks of artisans long dead - elegant arches, carved reliefs of forgotten battles, and ornate balconies where nobility gazed down upon the lesser world beneath them, laughing at this very moment, clinking together their wine glasses as Cypher made his way closer, surely like a small dot to those above.

And at its very heart, atop the cathedral's mighty structure, a dome of unblemished crystalline glass sat like the crown of a god. It was perfectly cut, capturing and refracting the moonlight at any hour of the day, an eternal beacon of the empire's sovereignty.

Beneath its glow, the noble district seemed to kneel, as all roads, all lives, all ambitions led here - to Terra Cordis.