"Well, here we are, guys..the Tower of Oblivion."
It loomed ahead like a wound carved into the sky, a colossal spire of obsidian shot through with veins of pulsing violet light. Its surface didn't feel built so much as grown, shifting in subtle ways that made the eyes ache if stared at too long. Enormous chains, thick as houses, dug into the earth to anchor it, as if the world itself fought to keep the tower from breaking free.
At its base stood a gate taller than any fortress wall, etched with runes that twisted and rearranged themselves in patterns no mind could hold. Black mist seeped from the cracks, curling outward like hungry fingers, and every so often the structure gave a low, thrumming pulse—like the heartbeat of some buried titan.
Far above, the peak fractured into crooked spires, arcs of lightning snapping between them as a swirling dark sun hovered overhead, feeding its endless hunger. Just standing near it made the air heavier, every breath thick with the taste of the Abyss.
Key, Sketch, and Gamble exchanged glances, a silent nod passing between them. The Tower wasn't just connected to the Abyss, it was the Abyss. They'd find out soon enough.
"What's with the faces? Can't be scared already?" Rose giggled, arching a brow.
"Never. Waiting on you." Key replied without hesitation.
"Then let's proceed."
As they stepped closer, a violet screen flared into existence, its glow bathing their faces.
[Welcome to the Tower of Oblivion]
[A Gate of Trials, A Maw of Souls]
[Rule One: Each floor must be conquered to ascend. Retreat is possible, but only from cleared floors.]
[Rule Two: Death within the Tower severs the soul. Corpses may leave, but spirits remain.]
[Rule Three: Rewards are bound by merit. The Tower gives only what is earned.]
The words bled away, leaving a final line pulsing faintly in abyssal violet:
[Do you wish to enter?]
But before anyone could respond, three swirling violet portals ripped open, spitting out broken bodies.
The first was a short, black-haired young man in ripped, bloodstained combat gear, looking like he'd crawled through hell.
The second was a young woman who dropped to her knees, clutching her throat, her body bruised, battered, and trembling with raw terror.
The last..was the worse.
A blond man, patches of his hair torn out, one eye gouged, his midsection ripped open and bleeding through shattered armor. His body twitched as it hit the ground, blood pooling beneath him.
Key, Sketch, and Gamble's eyes narrowed, tense but unflinching. The others recoiled in disgust and caution.
"D-Don't..go i-in…" the first boy rasped, so low they almost didn't hear it.
"Tch," Gio scoffed. "Out of the way. We have thin-"
"DON'T GO IN!!"
The boy erupted, lurching forward with sudden violence. Straight toward Key, who didn't move.
The shadows at Key's feet twitched, his Vampiric Void Tendrils ready to erupt and tear the boy into nothingness. But Key withheld them, purplish crimson eyes locked on the broken wretch.
"..What did the Tower do to you?" Key asked, voice low, heavy.
The boy froze mid-lunge. His head tilted at an unnatural angle, pupils dilating into bottomless black pits. When he spoke, it wasn't his voice anymore..it was hollow, echoing, filled with something vast.
"It knows you already. It waits for you. Every floor..it strips away what you are. Piece by piece. Until there's nothing left but silence."
The young woman suddenly shrieked, her nails raking bloody trenches down her neck. "The whispers..they don't stop! They're inside..they keep talking—!" Her voice cracked, splitting into laughter, sobbing, and laughter again, blending in horrific discord.
The blond corpse twitched. His single eye rolled toward them, glassy but aware. His lips moved slowly, blood bubbling up with every word.
"Climb..higher…"
A cloud of black mist poured from his mouth, rising like smoke, before his body slumped lifeless again.
Even the seasoned adventurers faltered. Isis clutched her sword tight, trembling. Rose's smirk faltered for the first time. Gio cursed under his breath, while Yin Ming's eyes sharpened, though he remained silent.
Key's tendrils rumbled beneath him, eager to silence the madness, but he let them sink back into the ground. His gaze swept to Sketch and Gamble. They nodded once.
His voice cut sharp through the tension.
"Step aside. We'll see for ourselves."
The violet prompt pulsed again, its glow like a heartbeat.
[Do you wish to enter?]
"..Yes."
Key pressed his hand against it.
The gate roared open.
And the Tower swallowed them whole.