Chapter 197: Welcome to the playhouse

The blinding light faded, leaving Zafron blinking spots from his vision. He clutched Matilda tighter, bracing for... well, he wasn't quite sure what. Another fall? Disintegration? Spontaneous tap-dancing?

'At this point,' he thought wryly, 'I wouldn't be surprised if we ended up inside a giant snow globe. Complete with tiny dancers and fake snow.'

But as his vision cleared, he found himself still standing on the vast, featureless platform. No snow globes in sight.

"Aurelia," he muttered, "please tell me something happened and I just missed it. Maybe a really subtle earthquake? Or a very quiet explosion?"

[I'm afraid not, my lord,] the AI responded. [The energy surge appears to have dissipated without any visible effect.]

Zafron sighed. "Fantastic. So we're still stuck in the world's most boring infinity room. With bonus toxic air." He glanced down at Matilda's unconscious form. "Any change in her condition?"