Astralis University wasn't built into a mountain.
It was its own floating continent.
From a distance, the campus looked like a massive spiral of towers, platforms, and city-sized structures suspended in the sky. A silent fortress of learning, untouched by weather, drifting just above the clouds.
The central university hub rose layer by layer, with glowing rings orbiting the tallest spires. Some moved slowly in fixed paths; others hovered still, pulsing with soft light that flickered with system updates and shield realignments.
Around that central cluster were dozens of floating cities, each one shaped differently. Some were sleek and industrial, all sharp angles and blinking lights.
Others glowed with softer colors, like garden sanctuaries or glowing temple districts.
A few looked like they had been pulled from underwater dreamscapes—domes made of translucent material that shimmered with rainbow-touched mist.