Chapter 12

It had only been a few hours between my departure and the time I arrived back at the dormitory. I made my way to the second floor amongst the bustle of students who'd finally been released from their exam rooms. Many spoke loudly about their experience, asking questions and trying to best determine their results. Some were excited, others were nervous, and a few simply cried behind closed doors.

While I weaved my way through the crowd, I noticed something peculiar. There were many students carrying suitcases, their faces grave as they made their way to the stairs. Every one of these students had something in common, aside from their dour mood. Each of these youths was a Descendant.

Publicly, the families they hailed from were simply known as Noble Families. Behind closed doors, however, they were known as the Descendant Families. Each of these great families had some meaningful connection to the past, and their familial heads were some of the oldest Climbers currently living within the Tower. Aside from the Churches, there were no factions as powerful as the top families, while even the lower of the hundreds of families were considered almost as influential as the tenth-ranked Guild.

These young men poured from the flight of stairs leading to the third floor and swiftly made their way down the hall, ignoring the gawking students as they left the building. Then, I noticed a familiar face walking toward me as I fit a key into my bedroom door. He was a broad, handsome young man with silver hair cropped like a soldier's. Nathaniel Syward.

The mountainous young man's eyes turned slowly toward me when he caught my gaze, and he veered off from his initial path. Some of the other Descendants looked at him in puzzlement, while the many ordinary students quickly made to step out of his way. Nathaniel stopped next to me and glanced at the key ring still hanging from my door in apparent confusion.

"I suppose you living on the second floor is why I've never noticed you," he said, and it almost sounded like a question. "Anyway, have you prepared to leave? Once we've reached the Origin Floor, it will take some time to travel to the Hall."

I raised an eyebrow, "I'm sorry, lad, but what makes you think I'll be leaving?"

"What?" Nathaniel frowned, "Didn't your family contact you?"

"My family?" I thought about the last time I'd seen each of my parents, and my gut twisted. Even after so many years, there was some pain that didn't fade. Doing my best to keep my feelings to myself, I asked, "For what reason would my family reach out?"

Another group of Descendants passed, nodding to Nathaniel and, surprisingly, even me in turn. I responded in kind to each of the greetings while waiting for the bulky man's response.

Nathaniel's frown deepened, and I could see the confusion growing in his eyes. He looked me up and down before stepping closer and speaking softly, "If they haven't told you, the heads of the ten great families have called a meeting, saying it is of the utmost importance. If you haven't prepared, you are welcome to accompany me. We have a carriage waiting near the stairs."

My few doubts had been confirmed. Though Nathaniel may have looked like a brute due to his size, he was brilliant. He must have pieced together that I was completing the slayer tasks when he noticed I wasn't harvesting the wolves.

Calmly, I tapped my door with the head of my cane, pushing it open and giving the boy a sad smile. "I'm sorry, young man, but I believe you have me mistaken for someone else. Unfortunately, I have no family to call me anywhere."

"What?" Nathaniel's confusion grew further, and he spoke softer than before, his tone taking on a note of gravity, "Your slaughter in the canyon didn't go unnoticed."

I pondered that statement for a moment, unsure how I should react. Was he threatening me? No... that wasn't in his character from what I remembered. Did that mean... were there others with their eyes on me?

My face must have darkened briefly because Nathaniel added, "You have nothing to worry about from me, but keep your eyes open. I'll be going now."

I nodded in appreciation, "Safe travels to you, lad."

He scrunched his nose like I'd said something strange before nodding back and heading toward the stairs. I watched his back for a moment curiously before walking into my room and shutting the door. There had been multiple sets of eyes on us while we spoke, and I didn't have time for the drama our interaction may have caused.

With the door closed, I murmured, "It seems the time has come. I'll only have three days at the most to clear as many of the tasks as possible.

Galen frowned, leaning against his doorframe and watching the two youths speak further down the hall. His friends were sitting on the floor and bed behind him, chatting about their exam answers, as were most of the other groups in the dormitory. Unlike the others, he and his friends were confident that their results would be exceptional.

He watched Nathaniel step closer, the two of them talking in hushed whispers briefly before separating. Galen couldn't figure out what someone from the Noble Families would want with some poor loser like Rowan. First, Nathaniel stopped them from roughing Rowan up in the canyons, and now they were chatting like old mates..?

"What the hell does Wilder have that I don't?" His scowl deepened. If he wanted to form his Guild in the future, he needed connections. But no matter what he did, he couldn't get anyone from the Noble Families to give him the time of day.

Finally, the two parted, nodding at each other like they shared some deep secret. Nathaniel continued down the hall, and Rowan vanished quickly into his room. Galen couldn't stand it. He stepped out and blocked Nathaniel's path, doing his best to look humble.

"S-Sir," Galen spoke respectfully, "I'm sorry for my classmate Rowan's behavior. No one likes him due to his arrogance, so I'd like to apologize if he treated you rudely."

"Rude and arrogant, you say?" Nathaniel snorted, obviously annoyed though his face still held that flat, cold look that never seemed to change. Aside from when he'd just been talking to Rowan, Galen noted. "If anyone was being rude and arrogant, it was I."

"Eh?" Galen flinched as Nathaniel brushed passed him and walked down the stairs. Embarrassment showed on his face when he noticed some other students snickering. His eyes shifted toward Rowan's door, and his chagrin was replaced with anger.

"Hey, Galen!" One of his friends called from the bedroom, "We wrote down all our exam answers. Are you ready to go over them?"

"Fine!" Galen snapped and spat on the floor toward Rowan's room. He turned and slammed his door, demanding for one of the inhabitants to get out of his seat.

Further down the hall, back toward the stairs ascending to the third floor, another presence watched curiously from the shadows. Zachary Gray witnessed the interaction between the highly regarded Nathaniel Syward and that lowly Rowan Wilder.

He wasn't sure what to think of the exchange, but his mind traveled down dark roads as he considered the obstinate youth. Zachary's countenance didn't change, holding that bored look that he'd trained himself to keep when no one was speaking with him. The fake smiles, frowns, and other expressions he wore took years of standing in front of a mirror to master.

Zachary continued to watch after Rowan closed his door. Nathaniel was stopped by another of his classmates, that sycophant Galen who always tried to cozy up to those with wealth or power. Whatever he'd said didn't seem to go in his favor, and after Nathaniel vanished down the stairs, Galen spat toward Rowan's door.

"Fascinating..." Zachary mused, watching the anger on the young boy as he stormed into his room and slammed the door, "Very interesting."

Zachary's bored expression unnaturally shifted to one of cheerfulness before he stepped out from the shadows and mounted the stairs to ascend to the third floor. His steps scarcely made a sound as he climbed and muttered, "It seems it's time to make a new connection."

​

A familiar pulling in my mind forced me to awaken. I glanced at the watch on my wrist and found it was already late into the evening. It was time to complete the first of the secret tasks, and I had to steel my resolve to force myself out of bed.

This would be my fourth of the lesser-known achievements, bringing me one step closer to the completion of all eight. Along with the well-known ones on the First Floor and the few that were only told to seniors in the Academy... I will have finished this Floor with a perfect clear. In that case, I wouldn't be subject to the Tower's affliction... right?

I couldn't bear the thought of living another life with such poor health. If my Origin Card in this life turned out to be the same as the last... would I really want to live through that again? And all that, only to be butchered by some monstrosity in the end?

My thoughts strayed to a dark place... somewhere they hadn't been in many, many years. I shook my head and brought myself back to the present. This time would be different.

"I can't miss a single achievement..." I clenched my fists and hurriedly got myself ready. My pack wasn't necessary for this task, but not knowing exactly what I would run into, I decided to wear my leather armor and take two sets of throwing knives.

Cane in hand, and a bundle of keys jingling softly in my pocket, I left the room at a brisk pace. Many of the doors were closed for the night, but there were just as many opened with students mingling, likely too nervous to sleep after the exam that morning.

Gently, I shut the bedroom door and trod carefully down the stairs, doing my best not to draw any attention. When I reached the bottom floor, I peeked through one of the windows and saw the caretaker asleep as usual. As silently as possible, I opened the door and slipped out, hurrying toward the courtyard. Once I'd reached the gates, I let out the breath I'd been holding and looked around.

The Academy was dark at this hour, with only a few areas lit in the upper rooms, likely where the professors stayed overnight to grade today's exams. It was much too distant to provide light to the courtyard or for me to worry about being spotted. I stuck to the shadows, avoiding the few couples who'd snuck out for a late-night engagement or those few individuals looking for something a bit more exciting to get into. It was the end of the year, after all.

Once I'd made my way to the Academy doors unnoticed, I looked around one more time. Satisfied that no one would spot me, I reached out to turn the handle, and... it was locked.

"Hmm..." I hadn't been expecting this. The doors were usually open for students who wanted to reach the library for late-night study groups. They may have been worried that some students would try to break in to alter their exam scores.

I really hadn't planned to break in, but the stakes were too high for me not to. With a flick of my blade, I cut through the lowest glass pane, attempting to tear through the glass without causing a commotion. Unfortunately, I lacked the Dexterity Card needed to perform such an action, and the glass shattered rather than being cut in two.

Without hesitation, I reached through the opening and rushed inside, using my Dash to flee the scene as swiftly as possible. There was no way the guards hadn't heard that, and they would be upon me shortly if I didn't create some distance.

Before the effects of my Dash ran out, I'd torn through the hall, up the flight of stairs to the second floor, and halfway up the next flight to the third. It was there that I felt the chill. Just like the previous night in the courtyard, the air grew cold, and bursts of steam surfaced with every breath.

The effects of the ghost's aura tried to play at my fears, and I managed to push it down, but not without wishing I had the Will Card necessary to thwart this influence. Once confident that I could handle the fear, I finished walking up the remaining steps to the third floor.

As soon as I stepped onto the floor, a small ball rolled toward me. It was just big enough that I couldn't wrap my fingers around it, with the exterior so faded that I could hardly make out the original brown color that it had been. Watching the ball inch its way closer, I could tell that it was older than me... much older.

The ball continued to roll forward, and it didn't stop until it came to rest at my feet. I picked up the oddity and examined it, finding nothing special besides its age. Yet, the air around me grew colder still, so I could only connect the ancient toy in my hand to the Academy's ghost.

Though there had been many reports of strange activity within the Academy over the years, there had never been any confirmed sightings. At least, if there were, no one had admitted it. Once the truth came out about the tasks in the future, there had been no additional information for this one outside of the instruction; Find the ghost of the Academy and hear its story.

I heard a shout outside, and the chill in the air suddenly dissipated. I blinked a few times as the effects of the fear waned entirely and found that when I opened my eyes, the toy in my hand was gone. Without time to consider the phenomenon, I peeked out a nearby window and found two guards rushing toward the double doors.

Luckily, guards weren't scouts, so they shouldn't have any type of tracking Card unless one of them regularly hunted the surrounding area as a hobby. The head guard likely would, but I could vaguely remember that he attended some political event at the end of every year in an attempt to raise his standing.

I watched as one of the guards yanked open the door and pointed to the stairs. It was high time I put some more distance between us. Wishing I'd nicked a Dexterity Card while I was at the merchant's shop, I activated Dash again and tore down the hall. From the corner of my eye, I noticed a light bit of frost forming on every window I passed.

"Oi! We know you're in here!" One of the guards shouted from the second floor, "Come on out, and we won't have to report you!"

The clanking of the metal armor worn by one of the men clamored as he rushed up the stairs. I assumed the other was waiting on the second floor, watching for any reaction. There were more clanking echoes in the hall as the second guard jogged slowly down the third-floor corridor.

While the two guards attempted to track me down, I had already turned a corner and found myself at a dead end. I jerked my head back and forth, looking for the stairs leading to the fourth floor. They should have been right here.

I glanced in each direction, looking for a space to hide, when suddenly, a peal of childish laughter filled the passageway. The laughter hung in the air, and the longer the laugh continued, the more it seemed to stack and echo down the hall. Soon, the chill returned, but this time the fear didn't set in.

The noise seemed to come from all around me. I turned in circles, searching for the source and forgetting the guards who'd been hot on my trail. Not that I had to hurry, though, as I heard the two men shouting over the raucous laughter.

"Wh-who's there?!" I heard one of the guards yell down the hall. "Come out this instant!"

The chill set in further, and I couldn't help but shiver. At the same time, the other guard spoke loudly, and I could hear the fear in his voice, "L-let's get out of here. W-we aren't getting paid to hunt ghosts!"

The laughter slowly died down, and though I couldn't see around the corner, I could hear the guards' armor shaking from their shivers, "C-come on, let's find this kid and-"

The guard was interrupted by the sound of a bouncing ball. From the sound, it seemed to be heading slowly and deliberately toward the two guards. The laughter came again, in much greater force and loud enough that I had to cover my ears. That seemed to be it for the guards. I could hear the loud clangor of metal hitting stone as the two guards stumbled down the stairs in a bid for their lives.

Without the effect of the fear in my mind, I couldn't help but chortle at the men's predicament. The laughter died down, slowly quietening until it only came from one direction. I turned slowly, following the voice, and found that where the dead end had been, there was now an old, wooden door with a busted window framed into the wall.

That was unexpected.

Curiously, I peeked through the window and could vaguely make out a transparent blue figure standing within. The glass was smudged and dirty, so I couldn't see the figure clearly, but by its size, what I assumed was the ghost couldn't be more than a mere youngster. When I spotted the child, the laughter stopped, and the door slowly creaked open.

With a deep breath, I stepped into the small room, knowing this was what I had to do. The chill in the air was gone, and the fear had vanished many moments prior, which helped urge me to move forward.

Upon stepping into the room, I found that it was filled with various items that didn't seem to have any purpose being in the room. There were pens and papers, gloves and shoes, and the occasional weapon... and I swore I even saw a young lady's undergarments.

Next, my eyes fell on the ghostly figure. He was smiling at me, amused, and seemed to be waiting for me to say something. Due to the nature of his physique, I couldn't make out the color of his hair or eyes, but he couldn't have been any older than ten and seemed remarkably cheerful. Unexpected for a lad who could induce so much fear.

"Hello there, lad," I bowed my head slightly and spread my arms in a polite gesture. Thinking of the items in the room, I pulled a single Essence from the small pouch on my hip and held it out to the boy. "I apologize for not having a more suitable gift. If I'd known about your collection, I would have come better prepared."

"Hahaha," the young boy laughed again but stepped forward and pulled the Essence from my grasp, the tip of his fingers leaving behind a frost as they touched my palm. His figure seemed to glow brighter as the shard melded into his hand, and he spoke, "You're funny, Mister. Why do you talk like such an old man?"

It was my turn to laugh, "Well, lad, I suppose I am getting a bit on in years."

The boy was silent for a moment as he regarded me. After a moment, he walked to one of the piles in the room and pulled out an old brown ball, much like the one I'd been holding earlier.

"Do you want to play with me?" He asked, smiling and sitting cross-legged on the ground.

I grinned back and imitated his posture, sitting directly across from the lad and placing my cane to the side, "I'd be happy to. What's your name?"

"David," the ghost answered, rolling the ball in my direction. "W-why are you here, Mister?"

I caught the ball and spun it a few times on the ground before pushing it gently back to the boy, "Well, lad, I heard that you had a story to tell, and I was interested in hearing it. Oh, and you can call me Rowan."

The boy froze, and the ball skirted right by him, only stopping when it hit the pile of items. He scrunched his eyes and looked at me intently. I couldn't help but be worried.

"What's wrong, lad?" I asked gently. "Are you alright?"

"Huh..." The boy looked at me, confused, and his voice quavered as he spoke, "Y-you want to hear my story? Do you mean it?"

"About listening to your story?" I asked, stroking my chin thoughtfully, "Well, I won't be on the Floor for much longer, and I have some time to spare this evening. So, yes, I would be delighted to hear you out."

For several seconds, the boy simply stared at the ball that had rolled by him. Finally, he turned his gaze toward me, "Are you sure?"

"I'm certain," I said, smiling brightly.

This time the youth's eyes brightened, and he began to laugh. It was an innocent laugh, one filled with joy and hope, two things I hadn't truly felt for a long, long time. The laughter was contagious, and soon I felt myself joining in, and neither of us stopped until tears had already formed in our eyes.

The Tower was a dark place, and it was a rarity to feel anything other than avarice, grief, or rage. Children begged for Essence on the street while most adults scraped by or risked their lives climbing the Tower for treasures and power. It wasn't even unusual to come across the skeletal remains of starved children or animals on the street. If it weren't for his mysterious benefactor, it was likely that Rowan would have suffered a similar fate.

But now, at this moment, Rowan felt like he was truly at peace. For the first time in over a century, his heart was calm, and he could see that there was more to life than his need to become powerful. All this because of the young, joyous form before him.

The two calmed themselves and looked over each other again, with David breaking the silence, "You know, it's been hundreds of years since someone listened to my story. You're the first to come to visit me in a long time. Most of the time, when I try to speak to someone, they just run away!"

Before I could respond, he continued, "I never understood why people run away. I've seen myself in a mirror and don't think I look scary... Mommy always told me that no one would like me if I kept being a bad boy. Is it because I took all of these toys to play with? I didn't mean to be bad..."

I watched as young David's shoulders drooped and his face saddened, and I couldn't help but ask, "Uh, David... Do you always try to make friends like before?"

His saddened eyes looked at me, confused, but his face became excited as he spoke, "Yes. Wasn't it fun? You were laughing when those mean men ran away!"

I couldn't help but scratch the back of my head, "Ahh... let's just say I'm a special case, lad. Most people are probably frightened by your abilities."

"Is that why?!" David gasped and looked thoughtfully at the ceiling, "Anyway, I'm happy that you're here. Even the one woman who listened to my story didn't talk to me like this. Being all alone isn't fun."

A thought suddenly struck me. What happens to this boy when those monstrosities break into the Tower? Will he cease to exist? Suddenly, my urge to help the young lad hit me like a sack of bricks. Only... I didn't know what I could do. For now, the most I could do was hear him out.

"Well, if you can find solace in the company of this old man, I'll be more than happy to spend the evening with you," I smiled and tried to console the boy. "And I understand. People used to run away from me quite often as well."

The boy wiped his eyes and nodded, "Thank you, Mister Rowan."

He then stood up and walked over, sitting again just before me. His eyes glowed a strange blue, and he reached out, touching one finger to the center of my brow. David's smile grew, "I'm so happy I can show you my story!"

Those were the last words I heard before everything turned black.