The spiraling staircase wound higher than the eye could see, its steps carved from obsidian glass that shimmered with trapped reflections—some of which weren't their own.
Each step Raze took felt heavier, like the tower was testing not just his strength, but his soul. With every footfall, a low hum vibrated through the walls—a sound that seemed to echo from a time before memory.
They had climbed for what felt like hours, yet the top was still not in sight.
Alira wiped sweat from her brow. "Is it just me, or is this place... watching us?"
"No," Kellen said. "It is. Look closer."
Raze paused and glanced at the walls. Tiny eyes—no larger than marbles—were embedded in the obsidian, blinking silently. Hundreds. Maybe thousands.
"They're recording us," Juno muttered. "Or measuring us."
Suddenly—
> [You have been marked by the Watchers]
[Judgement Floor Initiated]
A tremor ran through the stairs.
Walls formed around them, closing them into a narrow corridor.
Then the voice returned, cold and absolute.
> "A warrior's might is meaningless without conviction. Show us who you are, Raze Solarin. Or be erased."
The corridor began to shift. Mirrors unfolded from the walls, each one flashing a version of Raze—some younger, some older, some broken.
One showed him covered in blood, his eyes void of remorse.
Another—cowering, as a boy, while a monstrous figure towered over him.
Then one version of him stepped out of the mirror—real, tangible.
It spoke.
"You think you're ready for power? You can't even face your past."
The reflection raised a blade identical to Raze's.
> [Shadow Duel Triggered – Fight Yourself to Surpass Your Limits]
"Stand back," Raze said to the others. "This one's mine."
The duel began.
His mirror self was fast—too fast. Every strike Raze threw was countered perfectly, as if the opponent knew his every move.
Because it did.
"You hesitate," it snarled. "Still haunted by what happened in Kalden Hollow. You still hear their screams, don't you?"
Raze's grip tightened.
The Hollow. The day he failed.
He remembered the flames. The innocent lives lost. His voice, hoarse from screaming.
He had been weak.
But not anymore.
> [Emotion Surge Triggered: Willpower Overdrive +45%]
Raze roared and lunged, unleashing [Phasebreak Slash] mid-air, followed by [Blade Echo], a new combo technique he'd only barely begun to master.
His shadow self reeled, staggered.
Raze stepped in, blade to throat.
"I do remember. And that's why I'll never be that man again."
He struck.
The shadow shattered into smoke and vanished.
> [Trial Passed – Self-Awareness Achieved. Blade Precision +10%. Unique Trait Unlocked: Heart of Resolve]
The walls opened again, the stairs resuming their spiral.
But something had changed.
Not just in the tower.
In Raze.
Alira approached him cautiously. "That… thing. Was it true?"
"Yes," Raze said. "But I'm done running from it."
Kellen gave him a firm nod. "Then we move."
As they continued upward, a soft chime echoed in the tower.
> [You are being watched by a Higher Entity]
[A gate awaits on Floor 50 – Prepare for Class Evolution Trial]
Raze smirked. "Let them watch. I'm done hiding."
Juno, silent as ever, allowed himself the faintest grin.
And above them, just barely audible, something ancient… laughed.