Chapter 17
The Watcher in the Dark
Miguel stood at the threshold of the Veil, his breath steady but his senses sharp. The illusion had collapsed, the shifting shadows and whispering echoes faded into nothingness. Yet, something remained.
A presence.
From the darkness ahead, the figure stepped forward—slowly, deliberately. Unlike the clones he had fought, this one did not mirror him. It moved with unnatural grace, draped in a flowing black cloak that seemed to ripple like liquid shadow. Its face was obscured beneath a hood, but the glint of piercing golden eyes shone through.
A system prompt flickered.
[Warning: Unknown Entity Detected – High Threat Level]
Miguel tightened his grip on his spear. "Who are you?"
The figure tilted its head, almost as if studying him. Then, it spoke—not in whispers, but in a voice that echoed from every direction at once.
"You are not like the others."
The words sent a chill through Miguel's spine. There was something… wrong about this being. It wasn't just another AI-driven opponent.
It was aware.
[New Trial Activated: The Watcher's Judgment]
[Objective: Endure the Watcher's gaze and prove your resolve.]
Miguel's body locked up instantly.
A pressure unlike anything he had ever felt bore down on him, as if gravity itself had doubled. His breathing became labored, and his vision blurred at the edges.
"What… is this?"
The figure took another step forward. "Your presence disturbs the Balance. You do not belong here."
Miguel gritted his teeth, forcing his body to move, but every step felt like wading through solid stone.
A second system prompt flashed.
[Warning: Mental Stability at Risk – Willpower Check Required]
The air shimmered around him. The world… shifted.
Miguel blinked, and suddenly—
He was home.
Not in the Tower. Not in the game.
He stood in his living room. The old couch. The worn-out recliner. The faint smell of his wife's cooking drifted through the air.
He turned and saw her—Marisol—standing in the kitchen, her back turned to him as she hummed softly.
Miguel's heart stopped.
"No… this isn't real."
His hands trembled. His instincts screamed at him, telling him to turn away, to run.
But his heart… it ached.
"Marisol?" His voice cracked.
She turned slowly, smiling, her eyes filled with warmth. "Miggy, are you coming to eat? You've been working too hard again."
Miguel staggered. The pain of loss that had settled in his chest for years resurfaced in full force.
The Watcher's voice slithered into his thoughts.
"You have nothing to prove. You have already won. Stay."
Miguel closed his eyes, shaking.
He wanted to. God, he wanted to.
But the moment he did…
The scent faded.
The warmth vanished.
The illusion cracked.
Miguel exhaled sharply, snapping his eyes open. The living room was gone.
The Watcher still stood before him, its golden eyes glowing intensely.
Miguel gritted his teeth and steadied himself. "You almost had me," he muttered. "But I don't run from the past."
A long silence stretched between them. Then, the Watcher did something unexpected.
It laughed.
Not a cruel laugh. Not mocking. Something else.
"You are interesting," the entity murmured. "You fight against what you most desire. Few can."
Miguel rolled his shoulders, the crushing weight starting to fade. "Is that it? Mind tricks? I expected more."
The Watcher's eyes narrowed. "Then let us see if you are truly worthy."
The darkness behind it shifted.
A gate formed—an ominous doorway leading deeper into the Tower.
Miguel exhaled and stepped forward—
And the weight of the world collapsed onto him.
---
Final Trial: The Watcher's Pressure
The moment Miguel moved toward the doorway, a new system prompt flashed.
[Final Trial Activated: The Watcher's Pressure]
[Objective: Endure the pull of gravity and reach the threshold.]
The force slammed him to his knees.
Miguel gasped as the air was crushed from his lungs. His body felt like it had tripled in weight. Every muscle screamed in protest as the ground itself seemed to pull him deeper.
He pressed his hands into the stone, pushing against the impossible weight. "No way…"
The Watcher tilted its head. "Endurance alone will not carry you forward. You must become the force that binds you."
Miguel gritted his teeth and forced himself to move. The closer he got to the doorway, the stronger the pressure became. His muscles burned, his bones felt like they were on the verge of shattering.
But he kept pushing.
He had spent his life carrying the weight of responsibility—for his family, his children, his wife. He would not break here.
His vision blurred. Darkness crowded the edges of his mind.
Then, deep in his chest, something shifted.
A pull—no, an understanding.
Gravity wasn't just weight. It was control. It was movement.
He wasn't just being crushed. He was connected to the force bearing down on him.
Miguel took another step forward—
And the force bent to him.
A new system prompt flashed.
[Affinity Unlocked: Gravity]
A sudden shockwave rippled outward as Miguel's body adjusted to the new force. The gravity didn't disappear—he controlled it.
With one final step, he passed through the threshold.
The weight vanished.
The trial was over.
The Watcher smiled. "Now you truly belong."
---
Outside the Game – Observation Room
The data analysts stared at the screen in absolute silence.
"Gravity Affinity?" one of them whispered. "That… shouldn't be possible."
Dr. Halloway exhaled. "Eos gave it to him."
A junior technician looked up in alarm. "Sir, the AI isn't just adapting… it's teaching him."
The room tensed.
And outside, the storm grew stronger.
---