Chapter 1: Regression.

The stars shimmered in the endless void above, constellations stretching across the sky like remnants of a forgotten era. A lone figure sat atop a crumbling ruin, drifting aimlessly through the abyss of space. His dark, lifeless eyes reflected the celestial glow, their depths empty—hollow.

Around him lay the bodies of countless warriors. Some human, others… something else entirely. Blood and viscera soaked the cracked stone beneath them, a silent testament to the battle that had just ended.

And amidst it all, he was the last one standing.

If he could even call it that.

Kael's body was broken beyond recognition. His entire right side had been erased from existence, nothing but a void where flesh and bone should be. He was bleeding out, but at this point, pain had long since dulled into an empty, numbing cold.

Still, he had stayed alive for one reason.

To see it.

The end.

At the heart of the battlefield, impaled by countless weapons, lay the final boss—the Void Monarch. Its corpse, once a towering nightmare, was now nothing but an empty husk. A pair of twin daggers—Kael's—remained buried in its chest, the final blow that ended it all.

He had done it. He had cleared the Tower.

And yet, as he waited for the system to grant him his long-awaited freedom, nothing happened.

Then—

Ding!

The familiar chime rang in his mind as a translucent screen flickered into existence before his eyes.

[Congratulations, Challenger.]

[You have reached the End of the Tower.]

[Ascension Commencing.]

Kael's eyes narrowed. Ascension? That wasn't supposed to happen. He had expected a victory message. Maybe a portal back to Earth. Not this.

Before he could react, space itself twisted around him. The battlefield shattered, shifting and warping like pieces of a puzzle rearranging themselves into something new. His breath hitched as a vision unfolded before him—a vast staircase spiraling into infinity.

No way…

It wasn't a test.

It wasn't a prison.

The Tower was a threshold.

A gateway to something far, far greater. And he was the only one who had made it this far.

A surge of adrenaline pushed him to move. He had to see what lay beyond. But his body refused to obey. The numbing cold had spread, his consciousness slipping further away.

No. No, no, no—! Not after everything. Not like this!

[Final Reward Processing… Failed.]

[Retrying Process… Failed.]

[Unable to process final reward. Alternative reward will now be applied.]

[Restart Initiated.]

His vision blurred. His thoughts slowed. The system's final words echoed in his fading mind.

And then—

Darkness.

***

Click. Clack. Click.

The rhythmic tapping of keys filled the air. A bright screen flickered in front of him, illuminating an office bathed in fluorescent light.

Kael's eyes snapped open.

What?

Disoriented, he blinked, his vision adjusting to the sight of a computer monitor. The familiar hum of office chatter buzzed in the background. Around him, people were seated at their desks, focused on their work.

His breath hitched. He knew this place.

But this can't be…

His heart pounded as he staggered to his feet. His hands trembled as he scanned the room—gray cubicles, fluorescent lights, the faint scent of coffee and printer ink. He walked forward in a daze, his feet moving on instinct.

No. This had been destroyed years ago.

This whole world had been wiped out when the Tower first appeared.

His thoughts halted when he caught a glimpse of his reflection in a passing mirror. He stopped.

Then froze.

A young man stared back at him. It was him. But… younger.

His body was smaller, leaner—his scars, gone. His once-war-torn hands were smooth, untouched by battle. He reached up, trembling fingers brushing against his face, disbelief seizing his breath.

The pieces clicked together, but his mind refused to acknowledge it.

Just then—

A vibration came from his pocket.

His fingers moved on autopilot, pulling out a compact device. A phone. His phone. The screen lit up with a notification. It was an email from work.

But that wasn't what made his blood run cold. It was the date displayed on the screen.

March 25th, 2025. 14:27 PM.

Kael's breath caught in his throat. It was the day the Tower first appeared. His fingers clenched around the phone. His vision blurred, his pulse roaring in his ears.

"This… This has to be some kind of joke…"

"System, show me my status." His voice came out strained, desperate.

But nothing appeared. No interface. No notifications. No response. Reality crashed down on him like a hammer.

This wasn't a test. This wasn't an illusion. He had really… gone back in time.

"Kael? Hey, you okay?"

A familiar voice snapped him out of his spiraling thoughts.

He turned to see a work colleague with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes. A girl called Salia. He swallowed hard. She had died. He had seen her die.

His stomach twisted, a wave of nausea rising from the pit of his gut. His body moved before he could think, rushing past her.

"Kael? What's wrong?"

He barely made it to the bathroom before collapsing against the sink, his stomach wrenching violently. His body trembled as he gasped for air, his hands gripping the cold porcelain.

It was real. He had been brought back. His reflection stared at him through the mirror, his wide eyes betraying the storm raging within.

I've gone back in time…