Kael stood near the edge of the assembly circle, the early-morning glow of Floor I's false sky brushing his white hair with pale gold. Around him, fresh-faced climbers clustered in loose groups—some clutching gear, others wide‑eyed and shivering at the scale of the world they'd just entered. A hush fell as a tall woman in the sharp uniform of the Aegis Consortium strode into view. This was Maren, their Liaison–Sentinel.
Maren's voice rang clear across the stone platform:
"Welcome to Floor I. I'm Maren of the Aegis Consortium. Today's briefing will cover the major regions you'll encounter, and the hazards you must respect. Keep close, take notes, and—most importantly—trust your instincts."
She swept her arm toward a gigantic, weathered map projected into mid‑air, etched in glowing lines:
---
Floor I Overview
1. The Pale Verge
Role: Your arrival ground. Flat, open—ideal for orientation but offers no cover.
Caution: Stormlight can shift without warning. Stay aware of distant sound cues; safety in numbers.
2. The Quiet Lands (West/Southwest)
Features: Dense forests, ancient ruins, and shifting weather.
Watch For:
Packs of small, territorial creatures—camouflage masters.
Ruined towers that may collapse without notice.
Echoes in the trees that mimic your own voice—do not follow them blindly.
3. The Shifting Basin (East)
Features: A bowl‑shaped lowland with warped gravity zones and abandoned structures.
Watch For:
Sudden gravitational surges: one moment you'll weigh fifteen kilos, the next you'll float.
Unstable ruins—metal skeletons of old settlements that may shift or twist.
Electrical anomalies around fractured machinery.
4. The Sigil Fields (Bordering the Verge)
Features: Glowing fissures and erratic energy blooms.
Watch For:
Climbers here often become disoriented. Many who enter alone never find their way back.
Unpredictable energy spikes—carry insulated gloves and pace yourself.
5. Tower‑born Territories (Scattered Pockets)
Features: Hidden clearings and geometric voids where common Tower‑born dwell.
Watch For:
These beings learn from your actions. Do not provoke them.
If you must pass, maintain eye contact and move steadily—no sudden gestures.
6. Obsidian Ranges (North)
Features: Jagged, volcanic mountains with molten veins.
Watch For:
Frequent tremors and lava fissures.
Heat‑mirage illusions that can hide both passage and peril.
Elemental creatures drawn to geothermal vents.
7. Fractured Plains (Northeast)
Features: Terrain warps to reflect inner fears and memories.
Watch For:
Visual distortions—trees may become steel or the sky may ripple like water.
Danger of losing both direction and self; travel with a trusted partner.
---
Maren paused, letting the information settle. She met Kael's eyes for a brief instant—an unspoken warning that knowledge alone wouldn't save them.
"Stick together," she continued. "Plan your routes. Carry enough provisions to last two days beyond the Verge. And remember: the Tower rewards initiative, but it punishes over‑reach. Move wisely."
A murmur ran through the crowd as Maren stepped back. Kael folded his own map scroll, pulse quick with anticipation. Outside the safe zone, the path upward would test every lesson they'd just learned—and then some.
He glanced at Allen, then back toward the map's ghostly glow. Floor I was laid bare before them—seven regions, seven different trials waiting in living landscape. The real climb had only just begun.
The training field stretched wide and open beneath the dusky light of Floor I's simulated sky. Stone tiles gave way to sand patches and metal poles embedded into the earth—structures clearly meant for practice, drills, and testing limits. Around them, dozens of other new climbers stood in small clusters, the energy tense and uncertain.
Maren stood at the front of the group, arms crossed, her crimson-trimmed coat stirring faintly in the wind. Her voice, when it rang out, was clear and commanding.
"You'll be placed in groups of six," she said. "Each group will be assigned a representative of the Aegis Consortium. Your group is your lifeline. Learn how to work with them or be prepared to fail alone."
A flickering projection appeared in the air beside her—names arranged in columns.
"Group Twelve," she called. "Kael Faelwyn. Allen Solmere. Rorek Blackthorn. Caelindra Stormglade. Elowen Mareth. Soren Ashvale."
Kael stepped forward, then raised his voice just enough to be heard. "Kael Faelwyn."
Allen followed immediately after. "Allen Solmere."
A moment of pause, and then a tall, broad-shouldered man stepped from the right side of the crowd. His presence was quiet but firm.
"Rorek Blackthorn."
From the left, a slim figure moved up with a fluid, deliberate pace.
"Caelindra Stormglade," the Girl said, then quickly added, "Cael works too."
Next came a young woman with silver-blonde hair, her arms folded loosely as she stepped forward with brisk calm.
"Elowen Mareth."
Last was a boy with midnight-dark hair . He approached without hesitation, his gaze calm and unreadable.
"Soren Ashvale."
They gathered loosely before Maren, glancing between one another in silent appraisal. Strangers—unfamiliar and unsure—but bound now by the same group, the same climb.
Maren looked them over, eyes sharp.
"You're Group Twelve," she said. "From now on, you train, eat, and move as a unit. Whether or not you like each other doesn't matter. Learn how to function together. Fast."
She turned and gestured for them to follow.
"Your first stop is the general training area. No more talking. Eyes open."
Without a word, the six fell into step behind her, their footsteps crunching over the gravel-lined path. Kael felt the tension, the weight of unspoken thoughts, but also the strange sense of beginning—like a path just barely unfolding beneath their feet.
This was the first step.
The walk to the general training area wasn't long, but the silence between them stretched across every step.
Gravel crunched beneath their boots as the six new climbers followed Maren's steady pace. The training grounds ahead came into view—rows of open-air sparring rings, target dummies weathered by use, and climbers moving in synchronized drills.
It was Elowen who broke the silence first, her voice steady but not unfriendly.
"Well. I guess it's fair to say we'll be stuck together for a while."
Cael glanced over, one brow lifted. "Might as well get used to the sound of each other's voices, then."
Rorek let out a faint grunt. "Just don't slow me down."
Kael looked toward him, half-curious. "You speak like someone who's done this before."
"I've trained," Rorek said, tone clipped. "Not climbed."
"Still," Soren said softly, her voice like a brush of wind. "We all came here with different paths. There's value in that."
Elowen glanced at her with a small smile. "Poetic."
Soren didn't answer, only returned the look with a calm nod, her gaze drifting ahead.
Allen had been quiet, observing. When Kael glanced his way, Allen gave a small shrug.
"Feels strange, doesn't it?" he murmured. "All of us here, pretending we're not terrified."
Kael offered a dry chuckle. "I don't think most of us are pretending that well."
"You're not," Rorek muttered.
Elowen rolled her eyes. "Lovely. Can't wait for the trust exercises."
"You'll get over it," Cael said with a short laugh. "I mean, assuming we survive the first month."
Maren slowed as they reached the edge of the training area. She didn't turn to face them, but her voice was loud enough to cut through their conversation.
"This is where you'll sharpen your edge. And dull your ego."
She finally turned, eyes moving across the six of them.
"Your Aegis instructor will meet you here tomorrow morning. Until then—get to know each other. Figure out your limits. You'll need each other."
With that, she turned and walked away, her long coat flaring behind her.
They were left alone at the edge of the field.
Cael clapped her hands once. "So. Team-building picnic? Or mutual avoidance and quiet brooding?"
"Mutual avoidance sounds tempting," Allen murmured.
Kael shook his head, glancing between the others. "Maybe we don't need to figure out everything now. Just… enough to keep moving forward."
Rorek crossed his arms but said nothing.
Elowen stretched her shoulders. "Well, I'm going to check out the weapon racks before the others swarm them. Anyone joining?"
"I'm coming," Cael said.
"I'll go too," Soren added, quietly.
As the three of them headed off, Kael and Allen lingered behind with Rorek, who still hadn't moved. The sun-filtered glow of the artificial sky cast long shadows from the training pillars, softening the weight in Kael's chest—but not lifting it.
He looked toward Allen, who nodded faintly. They were here. Together, but still alone in many ways.
"Guess this is the start," Kael said.
Allen looked toward the others and back. "Let's try not to screw it up."
Maren stepped forward, boots crunching softly on the polished stone. The early light of the artificial sky spilled across the training field as other groups murmured and moved into formation.
"You'll begin with orientation," she said sharply. "Then drills. But first—introductions. Full name. Origin. One reason you think you'll survive this place."
She pointed to Kael.
Kael stood straighter, his voice steady. "Kael Faelwyn. From Wales. I adapt well—when things fall apart, I don't."
Maren gave a curt nod, then turned to Allen.
"Allen Solmere," he said. "Canada. I analyze situations faster than most, and I plan two steps ahead."
"Caelindra. You're next."
Caelindra flipped her hair behind one shoulder and grinned. "Caelindra Stormglade. New Zealand. I spent years hearing Tower stories from a veteran who passed through. I know just enough to bluff like I know more."
"Soren."
Soren kept his gaze forward, quiet. "Soren Ashvale. England. I keep my thoughts to myself and read others better than they expect."
"Elowen."
Elowen's tone was calm, clear. "Elowen Mareth. Ireland. I don't freeze. Not when it counts."
Finally, Rorek stepped forward, arms crossed. "Rorek Blackthorn. Scotland. I've trained in combat since I was a kid. I don't hesitate to strike."
Maren let a moment of silence stretch between them, as if measuring each weight of their presence. Then she turned on her heel.
"Follow me. First training session begins now."
Caelindra broke the silence first, nudging Allen lightly with her elbow. "So, Canada, huh? I half expected a moose or maple leaf to show up in your answer."
Allen gave a faint snort. "Disappointed I didn't ride in on a sled?"
"Only mildly," she said with a smirk.
Kael chuckled quietly from beside them. "New Zealand, though? That accent gave it away."
"I like the mystery," Caelindra replied. "Gives me time to make up a cooler backstory."
Elowen, walking a step behind them, tilted her head. "That would explain your flair for dramatics."
"Guilty."
Soren had stayed silent until then, but he glanced at Rorek, who kept pace with long strides, arms still crossed. "Scotland?" he asked.
Rorek grunted. "Aye. What of it?"
"Nothing. Just... fits."
"Means I don't mess around," Rorek replied.
Kael glanced over his shoulder at them, his voice light. "Nice to know I've got a human battering ram on my side."
"You get used to him," Elowen said, half-smiling.
Soren's voice was quieter, more thoughtful. "I think we're lucky. Some of the other groups... didn't look as balanced."
Allen nodded. "Yeah. If we keep our heads down and cover each other, we'll make it through Floor One."
"For now," Caelindra said, eyes glinting. "Let's just survive Maren's training."
At that, they all turned to look ahead—where Maren had already reached the arena's center, waiting with arms folded, like a lioness preparing to test her cubs.
Kael exhaled, squinting toward her. "We're going to regret saying yes to this, aren't we?"
"Already do," Allen muttered.
They stepped into the circle together.