The portal's pull was a violent storm, dragging me through a void that mirrored the emptiness inside me. The System's latest price—Emotional balance reduced—had stripped away every feeling I had left. Mira's name echoed in my mind, but it stirred nothing—no warmth, no pain, just a hollow word. My willpower was gone, my senses dulled, my mind a fog. I was a shell, moving forward only because I didn't know how to stop.
I landed in a circular arena, its stone floor cracked and stained with dried blood. The air was cold, carrying the faint scent of rust—or maybe I couldn't smell it at all, my senses too far gone to tell. The walls were lined with jagged spikes, and at the center stood a pedestal, a dagger embedded in its surface, its blade glowing with a sickly purple hue. Vyrn landed beside me, his armor clinking, his eyes burning with a mix of rage and greed. Syl appeared last, her crimson dress a stark contrast to the grim surroundings, her expression unreadable.
The System flashed:
Tenth Floor: Betrayal Trial
Task: Face your betrayal. Wield the Dagger of Betrayal.
Reward: Tını Points +275, Ability Upgrade
Penalty: Annihilation
Wield the dagger? I stared at the pedestal, the purple glow pulsing like a heartbeat. The System's words from the last floor echoed in my mind—"The Tını System judges humanity's darkness." I was a Sacrifice, chosen because of Mira's death. The tower thrived on blood… my blood. But betrayal? I had no one left to betray—or to betray me.
Vyrn laughed, a harsh, bitter sound, as he approached the pedestal. "This trial suits me," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "I've betrayed plenty to get here. But you, Sacrifice… who could possibly care enough to betray you?" He reached for the dagger, but the moment his fingers brushed it, a shockwave of purple energy blasted him back. He crashed into the spikes on the wall, blood trickling from a gash on his arm.
The System identified the challenge:
Obstacle: Dagger of Betrayal
Tını Points: 1200 (Collective)
Warning: The dagger can only be wielded by one who has faced true betrayal. Choose your betrayer wisely.
Syl stepped forward, her movements graceful but deliberate. "This isn't a trial of strength, Vyrn," she said, her voice low and sharp. "It's a trial of bonds—or the lack of them." She turned to me, her eyes narrowing. "Kael, you've lost everything. But the tower… it knows your past. It knows what you've forgotten."
Her words stirred something in my foggy mind, but I couldn't grasp it. My thoughts were too scattered, my emotions nonexistent. I approached the dagger, my hand hovering over it. The purple glow intensified, and whispers filled the air—my voice, Vyrn's, Syl's, and… Mira's. "You failed me, Kael," the whisper said, cold and accusing. "You let me die."
The accusation should have hurt, but I felt nothing. I knew the truth now—Mira's death had activated the Tını System, making me a Sacrifice. But had I failed her? I couldn't remember. I reached for the dagger, and this time, it didn't reject me. The blade pulsed in my hand, its energy seeping into me, awakening a new power.
Tını Resonance Activated
Ability Unlocked: Betrayal Slash
The dagger hummed with a dark energy, its blade whispering promises of vengeance. But as I held it, the arena shifted. The ground beneath us cracked, and three shadowy figures emerged—illusions, but painfully real. One was Mira, her face blurred but her eyes full of sorrow. Another was Vyrn, his smirk as cruel as ever. The third was… me, but different—stronger, confident, the version of myself I'd envied in the Envy Trial.
The System spoke:
Task Update: Face your betrayer. Strike with the Dagger of Betrayal.
Vyrn laughed, pulling himself free from the spikes. "This is too easy," he said, drawing his sword. "I'll strike you down, Sacrifice, and take that dagger for myself." But the illusion of Vyrn stepped forward, blocking his path. "You betrayed your own team, Vyrn," it said, its voice a mocking echo. "You left them to die for your own glory." Vyrn froze, his face paling as the illusion attacked, mirroring his every move.
Syl watched, her expression unreadable, but I noticed her hand tighten around the hem of her dress. The illusion of Mira turned to me, her voice a haunting whisper. "You let me die, Kael," she said again. "You were too weak to save me." The words should have broken me, but my emotional balance was gone—I felt nothing. I raised the dagger, ready to strike the illusion, but Syl's voice stopped me.
"Don't," she said, stepping closer. "That's not your betrayal." Her eyes flicked to the third illusion—the version of myself. "The tower doesn't care about Mira. It cares about you. You betrayed yourself, Kael. You gave up on who you could have been."
Her words cut through the fog in my mind. I looked at the illusion of myself—strong, confident, everything I wasn't. I had betrayed that version of myself by letting the System break me, by letting despair and apathy take over. I gripped the dagger tighter and struck the illusion of myself. The blade sliced through it, and the figure dissolved into purple mist, a scream echoing as it faded.
Task Completed
Reward: Tını Points +275, Ability Upgrade: Betrayal Slash (Enhanced)
Total Tını Points: 1660
Vyrn, still fighting his own illusion, roared in frustration as his copy vanished. He turned to me, his sword raised, but Syl stepped between us. "Enough," she said, her voice commanding. "This trial is over, Vyrn. You failed."
The System flashed:
Warning: A new price paid. Physical endurance reduced.
My body slumped, exhaustion crashing over me. I could barely hold the dagger, my limbs trembling. The System was relentless—every trial, every reward, came with a cost. Vyrn glared at me, his hatred palpable. "You're a walking corpse, Kael," he said. "The next floor will be your grave."
A new portal opened, its pull dragging us in. The System's voice echoed: "Eleventh Floor: Sacrifice Trial awaits."
But as we were pulled through, Syl's voice whispered in my ear, faint but clear: "The tower chose you for a reason, Kael. Don't let it destroy you."