Pyrrhic Victory

As it turned out, the Citadel had several spacious underground levels. That only made sense, considering that the lake surrounding it was transient — it swelled when the Hollows were flooded and drained once the water flowed through the ribs of the dead deity into its titanic spine.

So, those levels were only situated below the ground level when the lake was full. Most of the time, they would actually be above the water, and so, there was another grand entrance situated lower than the vast hall where the ambush had taken place.

Sunny found the Gateway beneath a crystal dome situated not far from that entrance. 

He remained still for a few moments, bewildered by what he saw and felt there. 

There was a small grove growing behind the transparent walls of the dome. The walls were enveloped by scarlet vines from outside — however, there were perfectly normal plants growing inside.