Before this, Angel had actually seen a "Floating City" once.
It was called Liveseyd, a miracle said to have been imagined into existence by Ankewelt, the Imagination Dragon, one of the ancient gods.
Of course, what Angel had seen was not the original Miracle City, but a replica at the bottom of the sea of the collective unconscious in The Travels of Grosell. Although it remained magnificent and mysterious, it did not float in the air.
But this "Ghost Empire," this "Dream City," truly floated in the sky!
To make sure she was not mistaken, Angel continued waiting as the Ice Mirror serving as her "eyes" flew upward. Only when it reached an altitude of nearly a thousand meters did she get a clear view of the roughly circular "island," about half the size of Tingen City. It included the central urban district, rivers, lakes, and the surrounding forests and hills, as well as edges that ended abruptly in midair, with nothing beneath them.
It really is a floating city, and it's at least a thousand meters up. I can't even make out the sea below, only barely tell that it's an ocean... Angel's brow furrowed further. She was about to examine the surroundings more closely when she suddenly lost her view.
The Ice Mirror shattered... No, it vanished completely...
She looked up at the sky and discovered that the stars and crimson moon she had previously assumed were real looked blurry, as though viewed through glass. The Ice Mirror she had sent up had struck this transparent "boundary" and then vanished without a trace.
Already harboring a suspicion, Angel turned toward the two greeters who had been patiently waiting for her and addressed Cliff, who seemed more familiar with the situation.
"Do you know that your city was built...