The cold was the first thing Elias noticed. Not just the chill in the air but something far deeper, an emptiness that crept into his bones and wrapped around his mind like a heavy shroud.
He opened his eyes. The dim light flickered unevenly across a vast stone hall. The ceiling disappeared into shadows far above.
He lay flat on his back, the rough stone pressing against his skin through thin, worn clothes.
Slowly, movement stirred around him. Figures shifted and groaned, rousing from the same blank void he inhabited.
None spoke yet. Only the soft sound of breaths and the scrape of bodies against the cold floor broke the silence.
Elias pushed himself up, muscles stiff and trembling. The air tasted faintly of dust and something long forgotten.
Across the immense chamber, dozens of others began to rise. Each carried the same haze of confusion in their eyes.
There was no sound beyond the quiet rustling. No welcome, no greeting, no explanation.
Elias's gaze drifted to a figure nearby, a woman sitting cross-legged. Her dark hair fell in tangled waves, framing sharp, observant eyes. She glanced at him briefly before looking away.
Not a word was exchanged. Yet in that single look, Elias felt the weight of shared uncertainty.
Further off, a small group laughed quietly. Two voices threaded through the tension with light teasing, a brief rebellion against the emptiness surrounding them.
But laughter was fragile here. It died quickly under the weight of the unknown.
Elias's mind churned. Who were they? Why were they here?
His own name felt distant on his tongue. It was like a label with no story behind it, a book with blank pages.
A deep rumble vibrated through the floor, echoing in the silence.
A voice, steady and ancient, came from nowhere and everywhere all at once.
"Welcome to the Tower of Eons."
The words hung heavy, thick with promise and threat.
"Each floor will test your resolve, your strength, your truth. Beware who you trust and what you believe."
No one moved at first. Then a sharp breath broke the quiet.
Elias swallowed hard, glancing around at the now fully awake crowd. Some faces were tight with fear, others hardened with resolve.
A single thought pushed through the fog. This place was no ordinary prison, no simple trial.
It was something far more complex.
Elias's eyes found the woman again. She met his gaze, steady, unyielding.
"Whatever this is," she said softly, "we face it together."
Her voice was quiet but carried a strange strength, like a flame flickering in the dark.
Elias nodded.
The Tower waited, silent and patient.
And they had nowhere else to go.