Arc 2: The Tower of Power
Nora
"You have ten minutes to eat and hydrate. Then we'll move on to the next floor."
Berbatov seemed a bit rushed for some reason—it was clear. Maybe he had another appointment.
"I've filled our canteens; I think it will be enough." Helena felt deep down that she would need supplies. Even though she was young, she had gained experience during her adolescence.
"Hey, you two, what do you think about forming a team? There will be many dangers on the next floors... Together we have better chances. The others are forming groups too." The girl in the red kimono approached stealthily like a ninja.
"Those eyes, that hair... I know you... Rebeca?" Nora asked, recognizing the face, hair, clothes, and eyes. She was a distant friend—or rather, a cousin.
"I thought you wouldn't recognize me. We're cousins, after all—we share 'almost' the same blood."
"I could never forget your face. We fought together in the border war. You're stronger than before, but still short." Nora teased lightly.
"W-what?"
Rebeca Shi: cousin of the Shisui royal family, one of the leaders of the Shi clan branch.
She was nicknamed "Lady of Devastation" by the soldiers of Goodard after burning alive more than five thousand Ferals who tried to invade the Ynadril continent.
Ferals: Races that emerged at the dawn of creation, before humans. Usually half feral animals (wolves, jaguars, tigers, lions, etc.) and half human. Originating from the continent of Vernéncia, they are cunning, fast, strong, and can shift into their feral form, which doubles all their primary attributes.
One clan stands out among the Ferals: the "Fever." The Fever have great influence in the Ferals' kingdom, "Normandia." The Ferals and the Fever hate the Shisui like never before.
The Ferals fought the Shisui for many years. A hatred between the two clans has lasted more than two hundred years, and no one remembers exactly how it all started. This gave rise to the most brutal war the world has ever seen: "The Border War."
In the end, the Shisui emerged victorious, and the captured Ferals were enslaved, sold, raped, and humiliated like cattle. Those who fled were left with nothing but hatred and the promise of a final battle.
"Calm down, everyone... Rebeca is right. With her, we can go further," Helena said while the two girls exchanged insults. Helena wondered, "Where does this rivalry come from?"
"Then let's go. I'm watching you."
"One day I'll make her kiss my feet," Rebeca thought.
Berbatov, who had entered one of the side rooms, appeared again.
"Everyone, gather 'round. I have something to say." Berbatov was serious; something important was about to be revealed. Once everyone assembled, Berbatov said:
"Ladies and gentlemen, starting from the second floor, I will no longer guide you, nor will there be any rest time. Yes, I tried to reverse this decision, but this order comes from the Twelve Majors—that is, the twelve group captains in the organization."
Are they trying to kill us?
Well, we're dead.
Where do I cancel my registration?
"Calm down, you worms!" Berbatov shouted. "In exchange, the floors will be a bit easier, I think..."
"Whatever. Let's get this started," said the elven mage.
"Follow me."
All forty participants walked together with Berbatov toward an elevator in front of the resting hall. The elevator wasn't very big but comfortably fit everyone.
As the elevator took them up, sunlight pierced through the gaps in the structure. None of them had any idea what awaited them.
Finally, the elevator stopped with a creaking sound of iron straining. The iron door ahead slowly opened, as if rusty and poorly lubricated, making an uncomfortable noise that practically made their ears hurt.
When the door opened, the dark elevator was replaced by a golden flash that blinded everyone. A vast landscape appeared before their eyes: sand dunes stretching from the elevator to the horizon—an endless desert.
"Cross it and find the exit. Good luck—you'll need it," Berbatov said, entering the elevator and descending.
Nora looked back and noticed there was no wall like on the forest floor—the elevator's structure stood in the middle of the desert.
"Magic... Does it have limits?" Nora wondered, biting her thumbnail.
"Where do we go?" Helena asked.
"First, we find north, then follow the wind," Nora replied, licking one of her fingers and holding it up so she could feel the cool wind on the wet part.
"To the right, let's go."
Unlike the previous test, participants formed groups on their own and took different, mostly perpendicular paths.
After three hours walking in the desert, Nora, Rebeca, and Helena found a small cave and stopped to rest in the shade.
"It seems endless, like... The desert expands with every step," Rebeca said, opening her canteen.
"Technically, we're in a closed place, so if there's wind, there must be an exit," Nora wondered.
"Let's keep going. Cover your heads with shirts or cloth, or you'll get heatstroke."
The three continued walking through the sand all day until nightfall.
"It's getting cold; the temperature's dropping faster than normal. We need to find shelter," Rebeca said, looking around for a suitable spot.
"It's ten degrees and still falling. What kind of weather is this?" Nora was confused.
After walking a few more minutes, they found another cave and took shelter.
"There's no wood anywhere to make a fire, so stay close to me—I can warm my body without burning you." Rebeca's skin was covered in a pink aura that radiated warmth. Near her, Helena and Nora felt the heat. Lying close together, they tried to rest after the long journey.
"I brought plenty of water. Drink some," Helena said, sharing the water she had saved.
Just as peace settled, Rebeca opened her beautiful mouth and said, "You stink..."
"Of course I do! I've been walking in the desert for hours, I'm sweaty, you mule!" Nora snapped furiously.
"Can I try to rest in peace? After we join the organization, you two can fight all you want. For now, shut up!" Helena yelled, fed up.
Silence gave way to laughter echoing throughout the cave.
"That reminds me of years ago," Rebeca recalled the times the three fought together.
"Yes. I never thought we'd fight side by side. Those times were awful," Nora replied.
"We fought for our family, right?"
"We didn't gain anything. We only took part in a merciless slaughter. Our father forced us into battle. We were only fifteen and had to grow up overnight."
"I was forced too. Actually, all the Shisui were, because of the blood pact. One day we will be free of this burden—and it will be the end of your family," Rebeca said softly, careful not to wake Helena.
"Alduin, Heith, Asura, and you will pay for all your sins."
Nora felt uncomfortable and, unsure how to respond, chose silence.
"Tell me one thing... How could your brother Parvari commit that abomination? Even if they were your enemies... That's unforgivable."
Rebeca remembered the attack on the city of Kilindrago three years ago. Kilindrago was located north of Vernéncia and west of the capital, Normandia. It was a peaceful trading city but important because of its location, which could serve as a base for troops.
King Alduin ordered his thirteen-year-old son Parvari to attack Kilindrago, killing and beheading all Ferals in the city, civilians and soldiers alike—except children. Later, he was ordered to place the heads on stakes around the city so everyone could see what the Shisui were capable of.
"I don't know... When I arrived, the city was burning, bodies of citizens were being incinerated. I searched for my brother all over the city. When I found him... He was no longer the same. He watched the bodies burn, emotionless. The smell of death was unbearable, but when I looked at his face, he was shedding tears without any expression. The next day, I learned he had killed himself."
continued...