The moment Abner stepped through the doorway of light in the dome, before he could even look around, a voice announced that Task 1 was complete and told him he could choose to return at any time.
So passing the "trial" was what counted as truly entering the "ruins"...
Somewhat reassured, Abner kept his guard up and surveyed his surroundings. He found himself in a palace that seemed to be made of coral.
Every detail was extravagantly ornate, and the palace as a whole was vast and magnificent. Yet it seemed to lie beneath layer upon layer of azure seawater. With no sky in sight, it felt dim and gloomy.
Inside, enormous coral pillars supported an impossibly high dome. Murals depicting the terror of storms covered the walls and ceiling.
Silver-white lightning roamed across the murals and coral along fixed paths as if alive, finally converging on nine steps inlaid with pearls, diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires.
Atop those steps stood two enormous chairs that seemed to be made of pure lightning. One occupied the center, like the sovereign of this palace and this world. The other stood to its left, far less conspicuous.
From this scene and what he knew of the original story, Abner tentatively concluded that this palace was the Elven Royal Court—or its projection.
Perhaps the elves who passed the trial back then were teleported straight to the Royal Court to receive praise from the Elf King and the Queen of Calamity... That obviously isn't possible now, so the temple activated a backup plan. After all, even in the Second Epoch, the Elf King couldn't personally meet every group that passed. When he had no time, a projection stood in for him?
Unfortunately, after his fall, not even his phantom remained...
Abner activated the Pure White Eye