Jaxon took a step to the side and smiled as we took in our new surroundings. We were at the top of a magnificent, dual winding staircase made entirely of black granite. The edges of the stairs and the rails were lined in what looked like—but couldn’t possibly be—gold. Silver was inlaid within the stairs themselves in extravagant designs; swirls and planets and all matter of the knowledge of mankind created a breathtaking montage. The flecks of color within the granite made it feel as though I were looking out into a vast galaxy with millions of stars. It probably cost more than the food rations for the entire population of my old dome. The wall to the right was covered in gold and silver cogs; intricate designs made with precious stones glinted in the light as they turned, casting mini rainbows on the floor. Brass pipes rose from behind the cogs and were bolted into place along the curvature of the cathedral ceilings. They angled back down to the ground in the center of the atrium to a fountain that was large enough to be a swimming pool.
