The portal's pull was a dizzying whirl, my senses dulled from the System's latest price: Sensory perception reduced. Colors were muted, sounds muffled, the world around me a haze. I could barely smell the air or feel the ground beneath my feet. My mind felt detached, and the emptiness where Mira's memory should have been gnawed at me. I was unraveling, piece by piece, and the tower wasn't done with me yet.
I landed in a dimly lit chamber, the air warm and heavy with a sweet, intoxicating scent—or at least, I think it was. My dulled senses made it hard to tell. The walls were draped in silk, glowing with a soft, pinkish hue. At the center of the room stood a massive bed, its sheets shimmering like liquid gold, surrounded by a veil of mist. Vyrn landed beside me, his armor clanking, his expression a mix of fury and unease. Syl appeared last, her crimson dress catching the faint light, her smile as dangerous as ever.
The System flashed:
Seventh Floor: Lust Trial
Task: Face your lust. Resist the Veil of Desire.
Reward: Tını Points +200, Ability Upgrade
Penalty: Enslavement
Resist the veil? I barely understood the task before the mist around the bed thickened, forming shapes—figures that shimmered like illusions. One of them stepped forward, and my breath caught. It was Mira—or at least, a version of her. Her face was a blur, but her voice, soft and warm, pierced through my dulled senses. "Kael," she whispered, "come to me. I'm here for you."
My heart ached. I knew it wasn't real, but the longing was unbearable. I took a step forward, unable to stop myself. Syl's voice cut through the haze, sharp and mocking. "Careful, Sacrifice," she said, lounging against the wall. "Lust isn't just about the body. It's about what you crave most."
Vyrn sneered, his sword already drawn. "I don't have time for illusions," he said, but his voice wavered as another figure emerged from the mist—a woman in armor, her face mirroring his own intensity. "You could have been a king, Vyrn," she purred, her voice echoing his deepest desires. "Power, glory… it's all here for you."
The System identified the threat:
Obstacle: Veil of Desire
Tını Points: 800 (Collective)
Warning: The veil preys on your deepest desires. Surrender, and you will be enslaved.
Vyrn's grip on his sword faltered, his eyes locked on the illusion. I forced myself to look away from Mira's form, my dulled senses a strange blessing—they made the illusion less vivid, less real. But the ache in my chest was still there, a longing for what I'd lost. I clenched my fists, using Starve Pulse to push back the desire, the gray energy rippling outward. The illusion of Mira flickered, but didn't disappear.
Syl laughed softly, her voice a distant echo in my muffled hearing. "You're stronger than I thought, Kael," she said. "But what about your friend?" I glanced at Vyrn, who was now walking toward the illusion, his sword dragging on the ground. The mist wrapped around him, forming chains of light that bound his wrists. He didn't resist, his face slack with longing.
I couldn't let him fall—not because I cared, but because I needed him alive. If Vyrn was enslaved, the trial might trap us all. I used Apathy Bind, the enhanced gray energy snaking toward Vyrn, breaking the chains of light. He snapped out of his trance, roaring in fury. "What are you doing, Sacrifice?!" he shouted, raising his sword against me.
"You were about to lose," I said, my voice flat. My dulled senses made it hard to feel fear, even as his blade hovered inches from my throat. The illusion of Mira stepped closer, her voice a siren's call. "Kael, don't fight it," she whispered. "We can be together again."
I wanted to believe her. I wanted it so badly. But I knew the truth—she was gone, and this was just the System's cruel game. I activated Humble Strike, the quiet force slamming into the illusion. It shattered, and the mist recoiled, forming a new shape—a towering figure with glowing eyes, its body made of swirling light.
Enemy: Desire Wraith
Tını Points: 800
The Wraith lunged, its claws of light slashing at me. I dodged, but my dulled senses made it hard to track its movements. Vyrn charged at it, his sword flashing, but the Wraith turned his desire against him, creating more illusions—wealth, power, glory. Vyrn faltered, distracted, and the Wraith struck, sending him crashing into the silk walls.
Syl watched, her smile never fading. "You can't fight desire, Kael," she said. "You have to reject it." I remembered the Gluttony Trial—starving the beast had worked. I used Starve Pulse again, focusing not on the Wraith, but on myself. I rejected my longing for Mira, for power, for survival. The pulse rippled outward, and the Wraith screamed, its form unraveling as my rejection weakened it. Finally, it dissolved into mist.
Task Completed
Reward: Tını Points +200, Ability Upgrade: Starve Pulse (Enhanced)
Total Tını Points: 910
Vyrn staggered to his feet, his face a mask of rage. "You saved me… why?" he demanded. I didn't answer—I couldn't explain it myself. Syl clapped slowly, her voice a faint echo. "You're full of surprises, Sacrifice," she said. "But the System always collects its price."
The System flashed:
Warning: A new price paid. Cognitive clarity reduced.
My thoughts grew foggy, my mind sluggish. I struggled to focus, to remember why I was even here. Vyrn's voice cut through the haze. "You're falling apart, Kael," he said, his tone cold. "The next floor will finish you."
A new portal opened, its pull dragging us in. The System's voice echoed:
"Eighth Floor: Despair Trial awaits."