Reis walked with steady steps through the long corridor leading to the dormitory building for first year students.
His bag swung lightly on his shoulder, and the sound of his footsteps echoed through the nearly empty halls after the end of classes and evening training.
The air was heavy with the fatigue of the long day, and distant sounds coming from the back courtyards whispered with traces of life that had not yet settled.
He passed by several large halls used for physical training and saw through their glass walls a few students who were still practicing despite the arrival of evening.
Bodies moved in a repetitive rhythm as if trying to keep pace with time itself.
He stopped in front of one of those halls and looked at the clock on his small, slightly worn phone.
The number five in the evening glowed at the center of the screen.
He remained silent for a moment, then decided not to return to his room yet.
He would spend a few hours trying to regain the fitness he had lost since opening his eyes to this world.
He entered the vast sports hall and walked toward the locker area designated for males.
The metal rows were neatly arranged, giving off the scent of cold steel mixed with industrial disinfectant.
He chose an empty locker in the corner, opened it with his electronic card, and placed his bag inside.
Then he opened the next locker and pulled out a black athletic outfit, its fabric flexible and comfortable, clinging tightly to the body.
He moved to the small adjoining changing room and stood before the mirror for a moment, examining himself.
Reis thought with a faint, ironic silence as he touched his stomach and weak muscles that it was time to rebuild his body, and that this place would be the true beginning of a new phase in his training.
He left the room carrying his phone and a small Bluetooth earpiece he had bought some time ago.
He walked into the center of the wide hall.
On both sides stretched long rows of equipment, treadmills, various weights, and machines designed to strengthen every part of the body.
He stopped in front of a large treadmill, placed his phone on the holder before the screen, which reflected his image clearly as if it were a digital mirror.
He turned on the music from his phone and chose an energetic track that matched the rhythm of his movement.
The notes began to rise slowly in his ears until they drowned out everything around him.
The screen before him started displaying a virtual model of a body performing precise exercise motions, accompanied by digital instructions explaining the steps of lifting weights and the recommended effort level for each training phase.
Reis did not hesitate.
He began following the steps one after another, his body moving steadily while his eyes tracked the numbers changing on the screen.
He did not look at anyone around him, nor did he care who entered or left.
All that mattered to him in that moment was the continuous rhythm between his breathing and the music filling his head.
...
Hours passed with a slow intensity until more than four of them slipped away without him realizing.
Fatigue began to creep into his muscles.
His breathing grew heavier than before, and sweat fell from his forehead onto the shining floor.
He reached for the towel hanging beside him, wiped his face and neck, then stopped the machine and looked at the screen before him.
His full name and academic code appeared alongside the training data automatically saved, allowing him to continue from where he stopped the next day.
He left the hall quietly, heading toward the attached rest room, removed his sportswear, and stepped into the shower.
Cold water washed away every trace of exhaustion from his body.
When he came out, he felt an unusual lightness in his movements, as if his body had become more responsive and alive.
He smiled faintly, a smile barely visible, not one of joy but of silent acknowledgment that he was walking the path he had drawn for himself.
He put on his academic uniform, picked up his bag, and left the hall toward the cafeteria, which was almost empty at that late hour of the evening.
He sat at one of the tables near the corner, eating his meal slowly.
The food had no real taste despite its warmth and freshness.
He ate without genuine interest, his mind somewhere far away.
When he finished, he stood up and left the hall after giving one last look at the empty rows of tables.
On his way back to the dormitory building, the time was nearing nine thirty.
He climbed the stairs with steady steps, entered his room, placed his bag on the table, and changed his clothes.
Then he sat on the bed, took out his phone, and opened some of the academy's educational websites.
He read for a long time about the shared worlds, their dangers, and how they changed every time.
He read about the risks and warnings surrounding the second floor, classified as a deadly zone for students, and about the many who had failed in their attempts to explore it.
The more he read, the more he felt his heart beat faster despite his calm appearance, as if something deep inside him longed to dive into those dangers without any clear reason.
When the clock struck twelve midnight, a faint warmth spread through his neck.
The heat rose gradually until it became clearly felt.
He raised his hand slowly and touched the spot where the chip for tower connection and immersion was implanted, sensing a subtle vibration running through his fingertips.
He stood up, walked to the locker, and put on his usual black outfit, the black shirt, the fitted pants, and the shoes with white edges.
He looked completely ready, as if his body already knew what was about to happen without the need for thought.
He reached his hand to the chip behind his neck and pressed it gently for a few seconds.
With each passing second, the light around him dimmed further until a layer of darkness began forming beneath his feet, resembling smoke that moved with steady precision.
That black haze rose gradually, spiraling around his body in silent motion.
Then, in an instant, everything vanished.
The sound of the room disappeared.
The light of the lamp faded.
His body was gone from its place as if it had never existed.
And in the next moment, his body reappeared at the center of the gathering arena within the Black Tower.
Reis stood there in deep silence, ready for whatever awaited him in another round of the tower's worlds.