Entering the Tower - Moment Of Revelation

The group moved forward, each step cautious, deliberate.

Nathan, Samuel, Jace, and Ethan took the lead, their eyes locked on the monolithic structure before them.

The closer they got, the more overwhelming it felt—the sheer size, the eerie silence, the weight of something unnatural pressing down on them.

As they reached the massive door, Samuel turned slightly, his gaze meeting Ethan's.

A silent question.

Are we really doing this?

Ethan inhaled, then nodded.

No turning back.

He reached out.

The moment his fingertips touched the metallic surface, a cold shock traveled through his skin.

Freezing.

The door wasn't just cold—it was unnatural.

Like touching something that had no right to exist.

Ethan pressed his palm against it, applying the slightest force.

And the door moved.

Effortlessly.

Smooth as butter.

No resistance. No creaking.

It glided open—silent, seamless.

And then—

The inside came into view.

And everyone froze.

A shudder ran through them as their eyes adjusted to what lay beyond.

Not a single word was spoken.

Because what they saw—

Left them speechless.

The room before them was unexpected.

Not some nightmarish labyrinth. Not a monstrous den.

Just a room.

The walls were ancient, the air cool but not unsettling. It was like stepping into a place long forgotten but still intact.

A desk sat in the middle, and on it—

A large button.

It wasn't hidden. It wasn't subtle.

Just there. Waiting.

Against the wall was a long couch, worn yet untouched by time, adding to the eerie waiting-lounge feel.

Their muscles remained tight, bodies tense, waiting for something to go wrong.

But nothing did.

Not yet.

Slowly, as the moments passed, their guards began to lower—

And then—

A laugh.

Low. Amused. Cold.

From behind them.

A voice that sent a sharp, electric jolt through their spines.

"Now, this is interesting."

They turned.

And there, standing at the entrance—

Was Victor.

A smirk on his face, eyes glinting with something cruel.

He wasn't surprised to see them.

He was entertained.

The group froze at the sound of the laugh.

It was sharp, low, too amused.

For a second—a brief, gut-clenching second— their bodies tensed, instincts screaming danger.

But then—they saw him.

Victor.

Standing casually at the entrance, looking as if he had never left.

Their shoulders loosened slightly, but the unease didn't fade completely.

Milo let out a sharp exhale, placing a hand over his chest dramatically.

"Bitch, you scared the fuck out of me."

A dry chuckle slipped out of him, shaking his head. "Thought I was about to meet my ancestors."

Victor didn't react.

His eyes, dark and unreadable, scanned the group.

Riley's gaze lingered on him for a second—but he didn't say a word.

Lena, Alice, Harper, and Zara? They didn't bother to hide their discomfort.

Their postures were stiff, eyes flicking between each other, as if silently confirming, Yeah, I don't like this.

Ivy and Kacey, however, weren't unsettled—they were analyzing him.

Watching. Calculating.

Ethan and Nathan were still processing.

Victor had disappeared in the morning. No trace. No explanation.

And now—he was here.

Samuel's voice broke the silence.

"Where the hell were you all day?"

His tone was calm, but firm.

Victor just tilted his head slightly, that same unreadable expression.

Derek, Jace, and Toby stood nearby, arms crossed, waiting for an answer.

And for a few seconds—

Victor didn't give one.

Victor took a step forward, his presence alone shifting the air in the group.

Without hesitation, he reached out and patted Ethan's back—a gesture that felt casual yet condescending.

"Good job," he said smoothly. "Bravery like this? Coming all the way to the tower?"

His lips curled slightly, his tone a little too amused.

"I didn't think you'd be such a brave man… a brave 'leader.'"

The emphasis on "leader" dripped with mockery.

Subtle. Annoying. Intentional.

The group's expressions shifted—a mix of irritation, discomfort, and growing dislike.

But Ethan?

He stayed patient.

He met Victor's gaze with calm control, refusing to let him see a reaction.

"Thanks," Ethan said evenly.

Then, without missing a beat—he asked again.

"Where were you all day?"

The amusement in Victor's expression didn't fade.

Instead, he shrugged. "Exploring."

A pause.

"Wanted to see if this city had anything worth finding. Anything valuable. Anything worth my time."

His smirk thinned slightly. "Turns out? It doesn't."

The way he said it—so disinterested, so dismissive—made something tighten in the group's chests.

The discomfort settled in heavier now.

Like they were watching something they didn't trust, but couldn't look away from.

Then—

Nathan exhaled sharply.

He had enough.

Nathan's patience snapped.

His jaw clenched, hands curling into tight fists.

"Are you serious right now?" Nathan stepped forward, eyes burning with frustration. "We've been busting our asses all day, making sure we're ready for this, and you? You just disappear without a word?"

Victor tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable.

Nathan wasn't done.

"You left us wondering if you were dead, and now you show up acting like you're some kind of spectator? Like this is all some joke to you?"

His voice rose slightly, his irritation bleeding through.

"And don't give me that 'exploring' bullshit, Victor. You didn't find anything? Fine. But you could've at least let someone know where the hell you were!"

Victor blinked slowly, his smirk never quite leaving his face.

Then—he laughed.

A short, quiet chuckle.

It was wrong.

Not amused. Not nervous. Just… off.

"Oh, Nathan," Victor sighed dramatically, placing a hand on his chest as if he was deeply hurt. "I didn't mean to upset you. Really."

His tone was mockingly sincere.

Then, with a slow, exaggerated bow, he continued, "My sincerest, deepest, most heartfelt apologies for not checking in like a good little teammate."

He straightened, eyes gleaming with something unstable.

"Next time, I'll be sure to leave a note. Maybe even a cute little message—" His voice dropped to a soft, eerie whisper, "'Don't worry, I'll be back soon… or maybe I won't.'"

His grin widened, watching for a reaction.

Nathan's breath hitched.

There was something about the way Victor said it—so calm, so detached—that made his stomach twist.

This wasn't just arrogance.

This was something else.

Toby exhaled sharply, stepping forward before things got worse.

"Alright, everyone. We don't have much time to waste." His voice was firm but calm, cutting through the lingering tension. "Now that Victor's back too, let's just stick to the plan and move forward, shall we?"

The group lingered for a moment, the weight of Nathan's frustration and Victor's eerie presence still in the air.

But then—Ethan nodded.

"Toby's right. We move."

One by one, the others agreed, shaking off the uneasy feeling Victor left behind.

As they began to step forward, Milo sighed dramatically, turning toward Jace.

"Dude, that was some next-level psychopath behavior. We really just letting that slide?"

Jace—as always—stayed quiet, barely reacting.

Milo continued. "Like, I know we got monsters and creepy-ass towers to deal with, but tell me that dude isn't a walking red flag."

Jace simply hummed.

Milo glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. "That's it? Just a hum?"

Jace shrugged slightly. "What else is there to say?"

Milo groaned. "Ugh"

But despite his words, there was a slight grin on his face.

Jace might not say much, but just listening was enough for Milo to cope.

And with that—the group stepped forward.

The group stepped inside.

Immediately, they realized—the room was bigger than it looked from the outside.

The walls were old, ancient, the texture rough yet eerily well-preserved. Some ran their fingers across the surface, feeling the cold, unfamiliar material.

Ivy and Toby were already analyzing the scene, their eyes darting across details others might have missed.

Alice's voice broke the silence.

"Look, there are stairs to go up."

Lena followed her gaze, spotting the winding staircase at the far end of the room.

"I wonder where that leads."

Alice's eyes sparked with curiosity. "Only one way to find out."

Milo, meanwhile, stayed behind Jace.

"Alright, bodyguard," he muttered in a playful but very real attempt to use Jace as a human shield. "You go first, I'll be your emotional support system."

Jace, as expected, said nothing.

Just walked forward.

Milo sighed. "Not even a smirk? A tiny chuckle? Damn, man, I'm trying here."

Jace remained silent.

Milo grumbled. "Unbelievable."

On the other side of the room, Riley walked near Kacey, keeping a slight distance.

He didn't say anything.

Didn't try to engage.

But it was obvious—he felt out of place.

After his earlier outburst at Ethan, it wasn't easy to just slide back into the conversation.

And then—

Toby pointed at something.

Near the button.

"Look—there's something written here."

Ethan, Nathan, Samuel, Ivy, and Toby all leaned in.

Their eyes locked onto the inscription.

The ancient engraving was etched deep into the metallic surface, its lettering precise yet eerie, as if carved by something far beyond human hands. The text glowed faintly, a soft pulse of unknown energy running beneath its surface, drawing them in like a whisper from the past.

And they read.

"Welcome to the Tower of Phases.

This structure is a nexus—a bridge between every phase that exists within this realm. From the very beginning, Phase 0, to the farthest reaches, Phase 9999, each floor within this tower is a gateway, a singular doorway to a specific phase. You now stand upon the first floor, a station that serves as a portal to Phase 0. At the center of this room lies a mechanism—a button. A single press will activate the teleportation process, pulling all who stand within its influence into Phase 0.

However, understand this:

The path forward is not set in stone. Upon completing the phase you enter, there is a 50% chance that you will return to Phase 11, the place from which you came. The other 50%? You will be cast into a random phase. A world unknown. A test unseen. And this cycle will repeat—exactly three times. Once you have been teleported to three consecutive random phases, the 50/50 chance ceases to exist. From that moment on, you will be thrown into random phases indefinitely. No control. No guarantees. If you wish to return to Phase 11, you will have to find it manually. The tower will no longer guide your way back.

The system does not favor persistence. It does not reward survival.

It only continues.

Choose wisely. For once the path is take, There is no turning back."

Silence.

A deep, suffocating silence settled over the group as their eyes traced the glowing inscription.

Ethan's breath felt heavier.

9999 floors.

His fingers instinctively tightened into a fist. "That's… impossible." His voice was quiet, but filled with disbelief.

Nathan exhaled sharply, rubbing his temple. "Nine-thousand… nine-hundred… and ninety-nine floors?" He let out a humorless chuckle. "Yeah, okay. Sure. That's normal."

Ivy's gaze was locked on the inscription, her mind racing. "The probability system… it forces you into an endless loop if you don't land back here within three transitions." Her voice was measured, but there was an edge to it. "It's not just dangerous… it's deliberate."

Samuel scoffed, shaking his head. "This isn't just a tower." He glanced up at the towering ceiling. "It's a goddamn trap."

Toby's eyes flickered with thought, his fingers twitching slightly. "It's not just a trap." He adjusted his glasses. "It's a system designed to keep people moving. If you don't get lucky in three jumps, you're lost. Forced to wander until you somehow find Phase 11 again—if you ever do."

Nathan's jaw tightened. "And the fact that it starts at Phase 0? That means this thing… it's been here from the very beginning."

Ethan exhaled, his gaze dropping back to the button.

9999 floors.

A tower with no guarantees.

A system that didn't care if you lived or died—just that you kept moving.

For the first time since stepping inside—

He wasn't sure if pressing that button was worth it.

The next section of the inscription revealed itself, glowing faintly as they read on.

"The Band of Conjunction – A Binding of Fate.

Those who enter a phase through this tower's teleportation system shall be granted a Band of Conjunction. This artifact serves a singular purpose—to ensure you and your chosen partners remain together. Upon receiving the band, a drop of your blood must be placed upon it. This act will forge a connection, binding you and those who share their blood upon the same band. As long as you wear it, you will never be separated. No matter how many transitions occur—you will remain in the same phase as those bound to you.

However, this connection is not absolute.

Should the band be lost, broken, or removed—its effect will cease. You will be cast into the system once more, subjected to the chaotic forces that decide your fate. There is but one exception.

Phase 55.

Within its domain, the Band of Conjunction holds no power. Even the strongest bonds can be severed there."

The weight of the words settled over them.

A means to stay together.

But also—a risk.

Lose the band, and you're alone.

And Phase 55? What made it different? Why was it the only exception?

None of them had the answer.

But they had a feeling—they didn't want to find out.

The engraving shifted again, revealing a truth far worse than they expected.

"The Echo Effect – The Final Moments of the Lost

The Tower is not empty. Those who have stepped into its depths before you—they have left their mark. Scattered across the phases, you may encounter echoes of those who came before. But these are not just whispers of the dead. They are bound to the phase in which they perished.

And when you step into a phase where someone has died, the Tower will force you to relive their final moments. For a fleeting, horrifying instant, You will feel what they felt.

Their fear.

Their pain.

Their last breath before it was stolen from them.

You will not know whose death you are reliving until it happens. And by then It may already be too late."  

The writing shifted once more, the glowing letters revealing another truth.

"Hidden Phase Doors – Paths Unknown

Not all who climb the Tower follow the path given to them. some find another way. Within certain phases, there exist Hidden Doors—gateways unseen, untouched by the Tower's standard teleportation system.

To find these doors, one must:

Solve the riddles of the past or decipher clues left behind.

Make a sacrifice—of time, of an item, or of something far more valuable.

Defeat the guardians who protect these forbidden pathways.

A Hidden Phase Door may lead to salvation. Or it may lead to something far worse. The Tower does not offer easy escape. And for those who walk through a door not meant for them, They may never find their way back. "

A heavy silence filled the room as the group stared at the inscription.

The glowing text faded, leaving behind only the silence of the room.

A silence that felt too heavy.

No one spoke at first.

No one could.

The weight of what they had just read sank into their bones.