The portal continued to glow in the awful floor that reached toward death and demise.
"Where does the portal go?" I ask a question that no one else seemed to ask.
Tenshi smiled, a small smile. "Back to our base on the first floor," she continued.
Rhy made the portal, Viri added.
I stopped, walking up to the portal, feeling it shift and move around, the mana pulsating with a powerful energy.
Viri and Tenshi slowly followed. The yellow hue seemed to glow in the darkness that enveloped this floor, although it seemed different.
Eli stayed behind with me. I looked into her eyes, sensing a sadness, but I forced myself to rely on what little strength I had left.
"Go," I told her, offering the smallest smile I could.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
"I'm sure," I smiled, trying to find some solace.
"Wait!" I yelled, grabbing her hand.
She turned, surprised. "What is it, Arden?" she asked, smiling gently.
"I…" My mind raced, thoughts that didn't feel like mine swirled through me.
"I'm not really me. I'm... an extension of mana."
Her expression softened.
"Can I hold your hand?" I asked quietly.
She smiled, just a little. "Of course."
I sat down beneath a tree, still holding her hand. The silence of the floor wrapped around us like a gentle fog.
Everyone's mana is raw and unique, like a personal code that tethered them to the world. Think of it like a binary signature. We shouldn't be able to copy someone else's. It shouldn't be possible. And yet…
I held her hand tighter.
What would happen after I died? After her mission was complete? How did I fit into her grand plan?
I am her, I thought.
Quietly, I channeled a trace of mana into the ring just enough to not be noticed by Eli.
Eli didn't seem to notice. She sat beside me, smiling, unaware.
"Sho doesn't trust me," I finally said.
"Sho. During our conversation… she brought up enchantments, how they're easily misused. How dangerous they are in the wrong hands." Eli continued . "Sho says things like that."
"I don't care," I said. "Not about what she thinks. He cared about you."
"That's why he did what he did," I mumbled. The pieces finally starting to fall into place.
The words hit her like a quiet wave. She looked confused.
I hesitated, then asked, "Why is Sho so interested in pushing other guilds to grow stronger when she could just do it herself?"
Eli leaned back, watching the treetops sway above us.
"She's young," she said softly. "At the end of the day, Sho hates being alone. She wants someone to overthrow her, even if she won't admit it. She makes terrible decisions sometimes… but…"
"But with Mr. Sato around, she's more held back," I finished for her.
"Can I tell you something?"
"Of course," I replied, eyes full of curiosity.
"You have to keep it a secret from Viri."
I nodded, more serious than before.
"Back on Earth," she said quietly, "I was an only child. My parents… they always looked out for me. We didn't have a lot, but they made sure I never felt the weight of it."
There was a small pause before I asked, "Did they… die?"
She shook her head gently. "No. They're alive. They live peacefully in one of the lower-floor cities. I try to visit whenever I can, but… it's better this way. Safer for them."
I looked down at the soft soil, my eyes drifting to Lillian's flowers still blooming in the field nearby. "I'm sure she's someone's parent," I murmured. "Always worried about their son or daughter, fighting. It's all the same."
The question lingered in my chest before it slipped out.
"Why allow this?" I asked. "Why allow children to fight for their freedom?"
Eli was quiet for a moment. "Magic comes easier to us," she said softly. "I mean… Tenshi already knows this game better than most. During the merge, people were confused. Lost. But most families spawned in close proximity to each other…close enough to survive together."
She looked up at the sky through the canopy.
"A lot of parents got used to peaceful living," she continued. "They built quiet lives in safer zones. Away from the towers, away from the fight."
"But we didn't," I said.
She glanced at me. "No. We didn't."
There was silence between us again, calm and unspoken.
Then I said it.
"Everything I did… I did for you. I'm sure you won't understand. It doesn't feel real… this tower. None of it. It feels like I already died for you."
Eli looked at me for a long moment before laughing quietly.
"Come on," she said with a smile. "We should get going before Viri shows up and starts yelling."
Eli hesitated but then stepped forward, entering the portal.
The skeletons, the dead corpses, were all that kept me company on this floor.
Eli. Her smile, her voice. I thought about how every moment with her had meant everything, and yet, now it all felt so fragile.
My mind drifted back to the pain of betrayal, the bounty that had hung over their heads like a shadow. Who had set it, and why? Was I truly just a pawn in someone else's game? And why had I kept pushing forward, despite knowing the cost?
I couldn't help but wonder, how did Pendant figure out my plan?
He chose them over her. He had chosen all of them.
But now... now it felt like I had no choice but to go through with it. In the end, our choices define us, not the ones we wish we had made. Every step, every misstep, every sacrifice... it's all part of the story we write.
I thought about the past. The orphanage, the years spent alone, without anyone to truly call family. We were born in silence, and for most of our lives, we lived in it. But finding each other... that was a sound I could never forget.
Aya, Hana, Ken, Leo, Mika, Nia, Tomas, Wakaba… and Roman. They were the first family He had ever known.
Roman… I wondered how he was doing now, wherever he ended up. He left without a word, and I never stopped thinking about him.
Mana carries your life story, it's etched into who you are. She knew everything about him. Which is why…
Could I back out? Could I abandon the plan, the one thing I had been working for all this time? A decision can only be made once, but it ripples last a lifetime.
But the truth was, it was too late to turn back. The plan had already been set into motion. I had to go through with it. I had to. I had come so far.
I had given her the ring.
I had made my choice. Now I had to live with it. And no matter how much it hurt, no matter what it cost me, I would go through with it. I had to, for them. For the reward.
The portal continued to hum, causing me to lose focus for a moment. I looked toward it, realizing they wouldn't need me on the next floor.
I got up and patted the dirt off my leather armor. I stepped through the portal. A bright light illuminated the room, and I found myself in Reyna's office.
The group was talking, oblivious to my presence as if I wasn't even there. The portal shifted behind me.
"Thanks for the help with the floor," Tenshi smiled, speaking toward Rhy.
Before Rhy could reply, Viri interrupted her. "I could've done it myself," she chuckled.
"Sure, sure," Rhy taunted. "What rank are you again?"
"You got lucky last time," Viri continued, her voice playful but firm.
"Let's talk when you're one of us," Rhy laughed.
Tenshi remained silent, her gaze fixed on Rhy as they bantered back and forth.
"I'll fight you anytime," she smiled, her words directed at Viri.
"How long before you've fought the 9th and 10th?" Viri teased.
"Soon," Reyna sighed. "We'll have to beat them one after another, but I think we've got a chance without any help."
"Why do we have to beat them one by one?" I asked.
Reyna answered, "It's due to the way the 10th floor works. If anyone uses a skill in it, it's basically impossible to defeat them. We need to be the first ones there."
That makes sense, I thought to myself.
Rhy glanced at me, her eyes filled with concern.
"Now that I've gotten a better look at you, I swear I've seen you before."
The light seemed to suffocate me. A weight in the air, but I held my ground, trying to stay calm.
"I used to put up fliers for joining guilds, so maybe you've seen one," I offered, hoping to explain it away.
"That's not it," Rhy said, her voice cold now.
I fell silent, unsure of how to respond. Reyna continued speaking.
"Well, we'll beat the boss on Saturday. We'll need you to enchant our items, Arden," Reyna added, her tone more businesslike.
"Of course, Guildmaster," I replied, giving a small nod.
"But you'll have a free day tomorrow."
I smiled, nodding in agreement. Then, I turned to Eli. "Want to go on another date this Friday?"
Eli smiled. "Of course," she said.
Viri chimed in, "I'm challenging Lyra and won't be able to go," she added, glancing at Eli, who nodded back.
A small grin formed on my face.
"Why?" I asked, confusion in my voice.
"So, she can't challenge Rhy again," Eli adds.
Viri winked as she walked off.