Rayn woke up to a bright morning. His gaze was flat, as usual. He reached for the phone lying next to his pillow and glanced at the digital clock on the screen.
"Hmm… it's already 10. I'm definitely gonna get scolded for waking up late," he muttered softly.
Panicking, Rayn jumped out of bed and rushed downstairs. But before he could reach the bathroom, his mother appeared at the bottom of the stairs—and immediately grabbed his ear.
"You! Already grown up but still staying up late! And just for playing games? Stupid!" she snapped.
Rayn stayed silent. Everything his mother said was true.
His father, sitting casually at the dining table, just glanced over and said, "Go take a shower first."
His mother let go of his ear and sighed. "Hurry up, take a shower, then eat breakfast!"
Rayn immediately ran to the bathroom, splashed water on himself quickly, and changed clothes. After that, he sat at the dining table and ate the breakfast his mother had prepared. Not long after, he went back to his room, grabbed his phone, and started scrolling through videos while lying down.
Ping!
A message from Kael came in.
Kael: "Wanna play PS at my house?"
Rayn quickly replied, "Who else is coming?"
Kael: "Noa and Ren."
Rayn: "Alright, I'm in."
Without thinking too much, Rayn ran downstairs again to ask his parents for permission. After getting the green light, he headed out to Kael's house. On the way, he saw Ren walking leisurely.
Rayn grinned. "Hey!" he shouted, startling Ren from behind.
"Damn it!" Ren jumped and glared at Rayn.
"C'mon Ren, don't be mad. Just messing with you," Rayn said, laughing.
"Who's mad?" Ren replied, looking away.
Rayn laughed even harder. Ren always said that even when it was obvious he was annoyed.
A few minutes later, they met up with Noa, and the three of them walked together to Kael's house. In front of the gate, they met Kael and his little brother, Zio, who was opening the gate.
"Let's play LEGO today!" Zio shouted enthusiastically.
The four of them burst out laughing. Kael nearly fell over from laughing so hard.
Rayn tried to hold back his laughter. "Zio, we're here to play zombie shooter, not LEGO…"
Zio pouted and said, "Then I'm joining too!"
Kael replied flatly, "Yeah, yeah."
But the laughter suddenly stopped when a cracking sound was heard.
The five of them instinctively turned towards the sound.
A huge crack appeared in the air—and it grew rapidly.
Before they could move or run, their bodies were sucked into a dimensional rift that opened out of nowhere.
Prolog Arc : The Unrecorded World
Rayn woke up first. His body ached, but what made him freeze was the sight before him: a massive tower rising high, surrounded by majestic mountains and a sky he had never seen before.
One by one, his friends started to wake up and were just as awed by the breathtaking scenery.
Suddenly, a woman's voice came from behind them.
"Hmm… done being amazed?" she said flatly.
The five of them were startled. Noa, seeing his friends step back, instead stepped forward.
"Who are you? And where is this?"
The woman gave a slight smile. "Relax, I'm not your enemy. I won't kill you. This place… is the Tower of Trials—a tower unrecorded in any history."
They all fell silent. Rayn felt panic rise within him. He stepped forward.
"Is there… a way home from this place?"
The woman tilted her head and smiled, as if amused by their panic.
"There is. But you must reach the top of the tower. This tower has 100 floors, filled with monsters and trials. You must conquer them."
Zio actually looked excited. "Like a fantasy story! We climb the tower so we can go home?"
Kael remained cautious. "Wait. Who are you? And why do we have to climb this tower?"
"Oh right, I forgot to introduce myself," the woman said casually. "You can call me… the Tower Guide. And now, what are your names?"
Zio immediately stood and pointed at each of them.
"I'm Zio. That one with black-and-gold hair is Kael, my big brother. The one with golden hair is Ren, he's a rule freak. The one with blue hair and a nerd is Noa…"
"What the hell?" Noa smacked Zio on the head.
Zio winced and smacked him back, but Kael quickly separated them.
Zio continued, "And lastly, the white-haired shut-in… Rayn."
The Tower Guide chuckled softly. "Alright. To help you, I'll grant you random skills so you can survive in the tower, along with a little guidance…"
Zio's eyes sparkled. "THE ADVENTURE BEGINS!!!"
The woman added, "Inside the tower, you'll face creatures unknown to you. But don't worry, in the early floors… if you die, you will revive. However, that feature will disappear as you climb higher."
Silence fell upon them. They all realized one thing: there was no turning back.
Kael nodded on behalf of all of them.
"Then we'll climb this tower."
The Tower Guide smiled.
A magic circle appeared on the ground beneath their feet, glowing brightly, ready to take them into a trial of life and death.
"Welcome to the Tower of Trials. I hope you survive long enough… to understand why this place was created."
To Be Continued...