The battlefield was silent.
Not the peaceful kind of silence that comes with the calm after a storm, but the suffocating stillness that follows devastation. The air, once alive with the clash of weapons and shouts of battle, was now thick with the stench of blood and the heavy weight of betrayal.
Kairo stood in the center of it all, his once-imposing figure now a shadow of its former self. His black armor, adorned with silver markings, was cracked and battered from countless fights. The regal cloak that once flowed behind him now hung in tatters, scorched by the very fires he had fought to control.
Around him, the remains of his former allies lay scattered—comrades, family, those he had trusted. His hand tightened around the hilt of his sword, the blade driven deep into the earth beneath him, as if it too had been drained of purpose.
The figures circling him were not enemies. They were his friends. His companions. And they were the ones who had come to bring him down.
Rei, his closest ally, and once his second-in-command, stepped forward, his face a mix of sorrow and resolve. "Kairo," he began, his voice thick with regret, "You were the brightest among us, but your light has become a blinding flame. You've outgrown us. You've outgrown your purpose. The tenth floor… It's not a place for someone like you."
Kairo's golden eyes narrowed, fury bubbling beneath the surface. "Blinding? Or is it your own weakness that clouds your judgment, Rei?"
Rei's expression hardened, anger flickering beneath his mask of sorrow. "This isn't about me, Kairo. It's about the bigger picture. The tenth floor holds something that none of us can comprehend. It holds secrets—secrets that could tear everything apart if they're uncovered. We can't let you reach it."
The words hit Kairo harder than any blade ever could. The tenth floor. The very place he had sought to conquer. The place that could hold the answers to all the mysteries that had plagued his rise. But it wasn't fear that drove his companions to stop him. It was jealousy.
He turned his gaze to the others standing behind Rei: Lena, his lover, whose tear-streaked face reflected the weight of their shared history; Darius, the stoic knight, his eyes filled with a quiet fury; Mira, the healer, her hands trembling as she clutched her staff.
"You all truly believe this?" Kairo's voice was a low, controlled growl. "Or is this just your fear of what lies beyond? Fear of what I might uncover that you are too afraid to face?"
Lena stepped forward, her voice soft but firm. "Kairo, we love you. But we can't let you destroy yourself over this obsession. The tower, the floors—they are changing you. Consuming you."
Kairo's heart twisted, but he steeled himself. "And what of you, Lena? Have you already moved on? Found comfort in the arms of another?"
Lena flinched, pain flashing across her face. "This isn't about us. It's about saving you from yourself."
Kairo's mind reeled. He had trusted them, fought beside them, loved them—but now, the truth was clear. They were afraid. Afraid of his power. Afraid of the way he had risen above them, leaving their ambitions and dreams in the dust. They had feared what he might become. And in their envy, they had betrayed him.
A tense silence descended, the weight of their unspoken words hanging in the air. Kairo's mind raced, memories flashing before his eyes. The battles they had fought together, the victories they had shared, the dreams they once held. How had it come to this?
Rei's voice cut through his thoughts once more. "Kairo, step aside. We can't allow you to go any further. Not to the tenth floor. Not to the truth."
Kairo's grip tightened around his sword, his knuckles whitening. "Then you'll have to go through me."
The battle that ensued was swift and brutal. Rei, Lena, Darius, and Mira—they fought as one, their movements synchronized by years of camaraderie. But Kairo fought with desperation, each strike fuelled by the weight of betrayal and heartbreak. He didn't want to hurt them. He didn't want to fight them.
But they had made their choice.
Despite his strength, the combined assault of his former companions overwhelmed him. His vision blurred as pain radiated from his body, each wound a testament to their resolve. Finally, with one brutal shove, Rei sent Kairo sprawling to the ground, his sword slipping from his grasp.
Breathing heavily, Rei stood over him, his expression a mix of sorrow and cold determination. "I'm sorry, Kairo. But this is for the greater good. For all of us."
Kairo's vision began to dim, his strength draining from him. He looked up at the faces of those he had once called family. Betrayal. Heartbreak. Regret. They never had my best interests at heart. They were always afraid of me.
As the darkness closed in, a blinding light tore through his fading consciousness, and Kairo was pulled from the abyss.
⸻
Kairo awoke with a start, his body jerking upright. He gasped, his hands instinctively reaching for the familiar weight of his sword—only to find nothing. His golden eyes darted around, searching for something, anything, familiar.
He was in a park. A normal, peaceful park. Children were playing in the distance, laughing as they kicked a soccer ball around. The air was crisp and fresh, carrying the scent of grass and flowers, and the world felt… normal.
Confusion swirled in his mind. The last thing he remembered was the battlefield, the betrayal, the pain. How could he be here?
A voice interrupted his thoughts. "Hey, mister! Are you okay?"
Kairo turned to see a young boy, no older than ten, holding a soccer ball, looking up at him with wide, innocent eyes.
"I'm fine," Kairo replied, his voice hoarse. He cleared his throat, trying to steady himself. "Just… a bit disoriented."
The boy grinned. "You look like you were in a fight! Were you a knight or something?"
Kairo chuckled softly, the sound strange to his ears. "Something like that."
The boy ran off, joining his friends in their game, but Kairo stood still, lost in thought. A knight? He glanced around, taking in his surroundings. The world was at peace. No gates. No monsters. No tower.
Was it all just a dream?
He looked up at the sky, the vast blue stretching above him. There were no rifts, no dimensional gates. There was not even an ounce of distruction and despair. The world was as it was before the nightmare had begun.
But something wasn't right. Kairo could feel it. The weight of the betrayal still hung over him like a shadow. Had he truly been sent back in time? Had his actions in the tower, his rise and fall, altered the fabric of reality?
One thing was certain: he had been given a second chance. A chance to right the wrongs. To confront those who had betrayed him. And this time, he wouldn't make the same mistakes. He wouldn't rely solely on his strength or the System. This time, he would be the master of his own fate.
But there was still one thing that lingered in his mind—the tenth floor. What was hidden there? His companions had feared it. They had been desperate to keep him from it. Why?
With each step, the world around him seemed to shift, as if his very presence was altering the course of fate itself. He had a second chance to climb the tower, to reach the ultimate level—the tenth floor—and discover the secrets it held. But this time, he would not be stopped. No one would hold him back again.
Kairo would reach the top. And when he did, he would uncover the truth.