Chapter 9 - Wanton Desires

The air was chilly, and the crashing waves made the island feel even lonelier and more tragic, save for the glowing tower standing tall in the center of the small parcel of land.

I stepped outside with the woman, facing both the mayor and the bandits. The mayor and his men were tied up, while his friends and relatives were being loaded onto a fishing boat.

"Hey, we missed a pretty face over here," one of the terrorists said, shamelessly leering at the woman beside me. She hugged herself tightly and leaned closer to me, seeking protection.

There were more of them now than before, and they were heavily armed, likely a precaution after their scouting team failed to return.

"There he is! I'm telling you, there are treasures in that tower. It's covered in precious stones! That crystal up there - it could fetch a fortune!" The bandit shoved a rag into the mayor's mouth to silence him. Honestly, I didn't mind that.

There were more than twenty people against one. Thankfully, the mayor's guards were also restrained, so I only had to deal with these pests.

"Do what you have to do, Vien," I said. That was her name. Her lips quivered, and she shook her head in refusal. "Well, you can say goodbye to your family, then," I added coldly. As I turned around, the bandits shouted, ordering me not to take another step.

She hesitated again. I reminded her that if she didn't follow the plan, saving her family would be impossible.

Finally, she gave in. Closing her eyes, she began performing one of those trendy, alluring ClikClok dances, instantly capturing the attention of every man in the vicinity. The adults covered the children's eyes, and the mayor fainted from shock.

As much as I wanted to watch and enjoy the show, I have a job to do.

While they were gaping at Vien's performance, I snatched a dagger from one of the bandits and swiftly slit their throats. It was easier this time, thanks to the distraction. One by one, they dropped to the ground, twitching and shaking like fish out of water.

When the others realized what had happened, they gasped and screamed in horror. Vien slumped to the ground, her trembling hands covering her mouth in disbelief. The children began crying and screaming, forever traumatized by witnessing death at such a young age.

"Don't forget your promise," I whispered to Vien. I left her to tend to her family and friends, deciding I would speak to them at noon after getting some rest. Hopefully, she would keep her word, or else I'd have no choice but to kick them all off the island.

••••••••••••••••••••••

I stretched out my body, savoring the feeling of a long and deep sleep, something I hadn't enjoyed in a while. It was refreshing and replenishing. Though the world was in turmoil, I couldn't help but selfishly think that the Chasm wasn't entirely bad. After all, its devastation had opened a new door for us.

I checked the time on my phone and realized it was already past lunchtime. After getting ready, I went to check on my family. They were all gathered in the room, eating a hearty meal my mom had prepared in the kitchen. She had made chicken, spaghetti, and lentils, along with fresh juice from the fruit trees in the garden.

My mom has always been a strong advocate of fresh and healthy food. She rarely fed us anything from cans or plastic packaging. While she wanted us to follow her lifestyle, my siblings and I sometimes sneaked out or made instant noodles in the kitchen while she was asleep. Still, we made sure not to overindulge, as we valued our health too much to ruin it.

Neil nudged me and asked about the "pretty woman" guarding the tower. He had seen the surveillance footage in the control room and noticed how Vien had been standing there for hours, warding people away.

I took a bite of the rice and chicken, it tasted heavenly. "I told her the tower is off-limits because I don't want anyone stealing the stones. I also warned her that if anyone, including her, gets within three feet of the wall, I'll send everyone away, male or female, child or not."

Neil laughed and patted me on the shoulder. "You could've asked her to do more, you know?" Mom swatted his head and scolded him for even joking about taking advantage of a desperate woman.

"It was just a joke," Neil said, scratching his head. "Liam wouldn't do that. You know how he is." I've always told my siblings that I dislike women who are too aggressive, but I also don't want someone who's overly aloof. Besides, back when I was broke and aimless, it didn't feel right to date anyone when I could barely keep myself alive.

Fae mentioned that she had asked her boyfriend to visit the lake. I raised my hand as I gulped down a glass of juice. "Hold up. The three of you should come with me first." I hadn't yet let Neil, Fae, and Zild discover their skills. I wanted to check if they, too, were favored.

Neil jumped from his seat, practically dragging me away from the dining table. He was beyond excited to find out what his latent powers might be. Fae and Zild followed as we made our way to the arcane tower.

However, skills are only bestowed to those who touch the tower from the outside, not within the inner realm. So, I asked Vien to inform everyone to move farther away and avert their eyes, or else I'd pulverize them. She shuddered and quickly jogged back to their camp.

I noticed they had cleared the bandits' corpses and taken their weapons and equipment. I didn't care what they did or how they did it, as long as they stayed out of my way.

Still, I needed to make the conditions of their stay clearer to prevent them from adding more to their numbers or getting any ideas of rebellion. I also had to destroy their jammers so I could stay updated on what was happening elsewhere in real time.

We moved to the back of the tower to ensure no one could see what we were doing. I asked Barry, our eldest, to keep watch in case anyone tried anything fishy. "If they do something out of the ordinary, you deal with them. Okay?" Barry was one of the rare ones with dual abilities. I knew none of them would survive if he decided to obliterate them on the spot.

Before I told them to place their hands on the tower, I asked them to recall their experiences over the past few days—even the saddest moments of their lives when they had wanted something the most.

After this preparation, they pressed their palms against the tower's walls, feeling the warmth and a strange glow enveloping them. Scrolls materialized in the air, and the three of them received their gifts.

I smiled, tears welling up in my eyes. I had unlocked one of the tower's secrets. The reason it hadn't worked the first time for Barry and my parents was that their desires hadn't been strong enough for the tower to determine what to give them.

It seemed the tower was sensitive to a person's wants and desires. All those people in the past who hadn't received skills weren't unfavored - they simply hadn't had the drive nor will strong enough to materialize them.

••••••••••••••••••••••

I sent my siblings back inside the tower and approached the mayor for a conversation. This time, he was far more cordial, almost to the point of sucking up to me, now that he knew what I was capable of. Honestly, I found him irritating, but he was still the mayor, and I figured he might be somewhat useful.

I asked him how he had discovered the tower. He politely explained that a memo had been handed down from the central government, instructing all appointed leaders to locate the towers and take refuge in them. They were strongly encouraged to take control of the towers and exercise their governing powers from there.

So my intuition had been right. Governments around the world already knew what was happening, and the corrupt leaders had chosen to prioritize their own self-interest over helping their citizens. Alternatively, they might not have fully understood the situation yet but had realized that monster attacks were less frequent near the towers.

Now that I had helped my family unlock their abilities, I needed to reach out to others who might be interested in joining me. I also had to return to the room where Markus had killed me in cold blood, the leaderboard room.