Gray light slipped through the cracks in the stone window, catching the drifting dust in a soft, quiet glow.
Aura opened his eyes slowly, feeling his body finally relax after days of exhaustion.
Before he could rub his face, a familiar voice filled the room — deep and steady. Falco.
> "Wake up, Aura… your journey in this world hasn't even begun."
Aura lifted his head, trying to focus.
> "My journey? I thought it ended when we left the forest."
Falco let out a short laugh, his transparent wings flickering with faint light.
> "We left the forest only to start the real path. The forest was just a test of survival… but now begins the path of strength."
Aura sat up, confused.
> "Path of strength?"
Falco stepped closer, his glowing eyes holding a strange light.
> "In the World of Aelth, strength isn't given — it's earned. Weak souls fade into nothing, but those who seek power find their way to the Tower of a Hundred Souls. Each floor represents a stage of spiritual evolution. At the top lies what's known as the Core of the Higher Soul… it's the key to divine ascension."
Aura stood still, processing what he'd just heard.
> "So it's… a place to train?"
> "More than training," Falco said seriously.
"The tower tests the essence of your soul. Pain there is real. Death is possible. But those who survive… are reborn."
Aura stayed quiet for a moment, then smiled faintly.
> "Doesn't sound easy."
> "It isn't meant to be," Falco replied, spreading one wing toward the open window as the cold air swirled around them.
"But before you take the first step, you'll need a Mercenary Seal. Without it, no one will let you near the tower."
> "A seal?"
> "The Mercenary Guild controls everything tied to the tower. Without being one of them, you're just an intruder."
Aura stood, put on his cloak, and said quietly but with resolve:
> "Alright. Where do we start?"
> "At the guild, my friend… your first real trial waits there."
They stepped out of the inn, the cold air brushing against their faces. The city was just waking up, fog stretching across the stone rooftops.
Their footsteps marked the beginning of a road with no return.