They climbed in silence.
Six remained. Half the original group that survived the Greyy. Their faces were thinner already, skin pale in the Tower's sterile glow. No one asked where the others went. They didn't want to know. No one said their names. That part was done. They acted as if nothing had ever happened.
Caleb took the lead again. He always did. The others let him, because it was easier than arguing and safer than guessing. Authority filled the void faster than hope.
They reached the third landing. The stairwell ended abruptly this time, cut off by a circular platform suspended in nothing. It wasn't connected to walls or anchored to anything they could see. It just floated, surrounded by a void of soft blue mist.
In the center was a single pedestal. On top of it sat a sealed container the size of a shoebox.
Above it, text hovered:
FLOOR TWO
Trial of Trust
Time Limit: 30 Minutes
Group Objective: None
Individual Reward: All Around Permanent Stat Boost
That last part got attention.
"Stat boost?" The survivalist squinted at the words. "What does that mean?"
Soren read it twice. "No group goal?"
Dina crossed her arms. "So what, it's optional?"
Caleb stepped forward. "No group objective means no penalty for others if one of us fails. But it probably also means only one person can get the reward."
They all stared at the container.
The message shifted again.
Only one may open the box.
Choose.
That was it. No timer. No countdown. Just the six of them standing on an island in the void, staring at a box like it held salvation.
Soren stepped closer. "We take turns. That's fair."
"Fair?" The survivalist's voice cracked. "Like Caleb said, it's most likely only one of us gets rewarded."
The aged man with the broken leg shifted his weight. "I think we should all touch it at the same time."
Caleb watched them argue. He didn't speak. Not yet.
Dina turned to him. "You're quiet. You got a thought?"
He nodded. "I'm thinking if we fight over this, no one makes it to Floor Three."
"And if we don't?" she asked.
"Then we prove we're still people."
That answer didn't sit right with the others. You could see it in their eyes. The Tower was already working on them. Not with monsters. With options.
Caleb looked at the group. "I'll solve this."
He stepped forward and placed both hands on the box.
Before anyone could object, the screen above flashed:
Claimant Confirmed
Others Locked Out
Dina swore. "You said we could prove—"
"I said we prove we're still people. That doesn't mean we pretend everyone's equal."
He opened the box.
Inside was a vial of dark liquid and a card.
Reward Claimed: All Stats +5
The card disintegrated in his hand. The vial vanished the moment it touched his lips.
When he straightened, he felt it. His heartbeat slowed and strengthened. Movements sharpened. Vision adjusted like a camera lens locking focus. His body felt tougher, stronger, more lethal.
This place didn't reward trust. It rewarded action.
The others backed off without a word. Caleb saw the change in their posture. A crack had formed. Small, quiet, but it would spread. From now on, he wasn't just the leader. He was competition.
They reached the next door without speaking.
FLOOR THREE
Trial of the Eye
Group Objective: Identify the Traitless
Penalty: Group Reduction to Three
Reward: Calm Heart
That hit like a hammer.
Soren blinked. "Group reduction?"
The message clarified:
Only three may ascend. The rest will be removed. You must identify the one among you without a designated Trait. You have ten minutes.
Then something new appeared. A sixth sense. A flicker in the back of the mind.
Caleb blinked hard. Above each person's head, faint outlines glowed. Symbols. Words. Shifting too fast to read clearly. But something was off.
One person had no glow at all.
The survivalist noticed too. "What the hell is this?"
Dina's voice was tight. "We're supposed to call someone out? Based on what?"
Soren growled. "It's forcing us to vote someone off the island. Like a game show."
Caleb didn't laugh. "No. Game shows don't kill you for guessing wrong."
He moved closer to each person. Studied their glow. Subtle flickers, barely visible. His own mark burned faintly. He assumed the others had earned or been given something, even if he didn't notice when it happened.
Except one.
He turned to look at each of them carefully.
The girl in the back. Quiet. Pale. Seventeen, maybe. He'd barely noticed her before. She hadn't spoken since Floor Zero.
The aged man with the broken leg. Breathing hard but holding steady.
Dina. EMT training. Solid hands.
Soren. Coast Guard background. Alert eyes.
The survivalist. Twitchy but competent.
And the security guy. Corporate type. Clean shaven. Too calm.
"What's your name?" Caleb asked the girl.
She blinked. "Ellen."
"Trait?"
She hesitated.
Soren stepped forward. "She doesn't have one. That's it, right?"
"No," Caleb said calmly. "That's what the Tower wants us to think."
They turned to him.
He pointed at the security guy.
"No glow."
The man flinched. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Caleb's voice didn't rise. "Everyone has a glow. Everyone except you. That means you're either unmarked, or you're hiding your trait. Which one is it?"
The man's hand drifted toward Caleb's face, fingers curled.
That was enough.
The screen above flashed:
Correct. Floor Cleared.
The man vanished. Just gone.
No scream. No blood. Just removal.
They stood in silence.
Then the stairs opened again.
Caleb turned and climbed without looking back.
The others followed.
But not one of them looked at him the same way again. There was fear in their eyes now. Small but growing.