Manchester, UK.
It smelled of wet concrete and desperation. The streets were soaked from a morning drizzle, the kind that didn't fall in drops but lingered in the air like a fog that refused to lift. Neon signs flickered above kebab shops and pawn stores, while buses belched diesel and brake dust into the air. Pigeons fought over scraps by a busted phone booth, and someone was already shouting at no one in particular across the street.
Theron Ashford zipped up his faded grey hoodie and adjusted the straps of his second-hand backpack. His sneakers squelched with every step as he left the temp agency. Another rejection. No experience, no qualifications, and too many applicants.
"Better luck next time, mate," the receptionist had said with a shrug.
Theron muttered under his breath, walking past the graffiti-laced walls that once bore campaign posters and now just advertised hopelessness. He scrolled through his phone, thumbs flying across an old screen. Job boards. Reposts. Ads. Nothing. Then his notifications exploded.
> [#Breaking] Tower appears in the middle of London! No casualties! No known origin! #TowerRises [LIVE] Government issues statement: Tower will be explored. Volunteers needed. Pay guaranteed. [Thread] Everything we know about the mysterious tower so far. (A long read)
Theron stopped. A cold wind blew down the alley and rustled his jacket. The tower—whatever it was—looked like something from a sci-fi film. Dark obsidian. Floating symbols. No monsters. No earthquakes. Just... there.
He stared at the recruitment banner on his phone: "PAID VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR TOWER EXPEDITION. HIGH RISK. GOVERNMENT BACKED."
He hesitated. Then clicked.
---
Somewhere else, a girl awoke with a scream lodged in her throat.
Arya Selene sat up in bed, her sheets tangled around her legs, sweat-soaked hair sticking to her back. Her breath hitched. Her heart pounded.
"I died..."
Tears welled up.
"I died, but I came back..."
She looked around the tiny studio apartment. A window showed the skyline, still untouched, still human. No gods. No blood. No screams. She touched her cheek. Alive.
She sobbed. Tears streamed down her face—not just from grief, but joy. Her fingers trembled as she opened the glowing interface hovering before her eyes.
> [SYSTEM ONLINE]
NAME: Arya Selene
RANK: GOD
TITLE: Blood Demon That Hunted the Gods CURRENT QUEST: Transfer memories to Theron Ashford
CONDITION FOR SUCCESS : Death PENALTY FOR FAILURE: Destruction of the World
Arya stared at the last line.
"I can't fail. Not again."
She opened her search app, typing his name in full.
Theron Ashford.
And there it was.
> [User shared: Expedition volunteer roster. MCR-TWR.]
He had signed up.
---
The inside of the government facility was all clean lines and fake smiles. Volunteers shuffled into rows like cattle. Theron waited, tapping his fingers against his jeans. His number was called.
"Name?"
"Theron. Theron Ashford."
"Age?"
"Eighteen."
They took his signature, handed him a badge, and moved on to the next.
He walked through the waiting area, eyes locked on his phone. Then he bumped into someone.
"S-Sorry—"
He froze.
The girl in front of him had silver eyes. She looked at him like she'd just seen the ghost of the universe.
Arya blinked fast and gave him a polite smile. "It's fine."
He smiled back awkwardly. "Didn't see you there."
She nodded, stepping aside. As he walked away, her heart cracked.
He doesn't remember. Of course he doesn't.
She swallowed back the lump in her throat.
Don't burden him. Not yet. Just… let him live. Let you live.
As she turned, the system window reappeared before her.
> [CURRENT QUEST: TRANSFER MEMORIES TO THERON ASHFORD] [CONDITION FOR COMPLETION: DEATH] [PENALTY FOR FAILURE: DESTRUCTION OF THE WORLD]
Arya closed her eyes.
She had one life left to make things right.
And this time, she wouldn't run from it.