Alessio Leone's Perspective
The Black Tower wasn't a game built with invisible walls to contain its players.There were no flashy warnings popping up in midair, reminding everyone that fighting in safe zones was forbidden.No robotic guards magically appeared — summoned by an all-seeing system — to punish anyone who broke the "rules."
None of that existed.
The world of the Tower was brutally logical.If someone wanted to kill another player inside a city, they could try.The system wouldn't interfere.
But if the city guards caught you… that was another story.
And Alessio knew exactly what would happen if, after leaving three mangled corpses in an alley, he were captured by those soldiers.
Best case scenario?He'd spend hours detained, forced to explain every detail, begging for witnesses to confirm his version of self-defense.Would they release him? Maybe.But he'd lose the entire day.
And with his schedule already off track, that was simply unacceptable.
So his reaction was immediate.Without a second thought, he turned, strapped the axe to his belt, and bolted toward the exit.
The clatter of his armor echoed through the streets like a metallic drum, each step giving away his position.The sensation of being hunted by unseen eyes was suffocating.Guards? Players? It didn't matter.He just needed to disappear — fast.
But in the middle of it all, Alessio did something that even surprised himself — something reckless, entirely unplanned, purely instinctive.
As he passed the woman watching the scene — the same woman who, in the future, would be known as the Goddess of War — his hand moved on its own.He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her along, dragging her out of the alley.
When he realized what he'd done,for a moment he braced for resistance — expected her to rip his hand away, draw her sword, and make him pay for the audacity.But no.
More surprisingly, she let herself be pulled.
Sith — the Goddess of War, the warrior who would never kneel before any power — ran beside him without protest.Her steps matched the heavy rhythm of his armor, and together they crossed the street, disappearing toward the southeastern gate.
Alessio didn't have time to think about it.All he knew was that, improbable as it seemed, he wasn't running alone anymore.
He only stopped when the walls of Durnholde were nothing but a smudge on the horizon — a faint line between city and sky.
The air beyond the gates had a different taste: dry, cold, with dust rising at every step.His armor still creaked at the joints; the axe on his belt still vibrated with movement.
At least he was safe from iron bars — for now.
Still, relief didn't come easily.Distance alone wasn't enough to ease the tension.Her green eyes — still sharp, still predatory — were fixed on him, and it felt like as long as those eyes existed, he'd never escape their silent judgment.
For several seconds, they stared at each other — measuring one another.Seconds that felt longer than Alessio would ever admit, filled only by the rustle of clothes and the faint hum of the distant city.
He broke the silence first. He had to — staying quiet would mean losing control of the situation."I apologize for dragging you into that mess," he said, forcing composure into his tone. "My name's Aslan."
She watched him quietly for a moment that stretched just a little too long. Then she finally spoke, calm and steady."I'm Sith," she said. "And it's fine. I should be the one thanking you for helping me with that little problem."
Alessio shrugged, keeping his tone cool."No need. That wasn't a problem at all," he replied firmly. "Players like that should be killed every time they respawn."
Sith smiled — a short, unsentimental motion."I can't argue with that."
Silence fell again. Both adjusted their stance slightly, as if preparing for whatever came next.
She even looked ready to walk away."Well… I have some things to do…" she began.
But Alessio didn't let her finish. Hesitation wasn't in his vocabulary when opportunity presented itself."Wait," he said, straightforward.
He had to admit —there was something about her presence that unsettled him, something he couldn't quite describe.Sith was different from Eleanor.
Eleanor, in his past life, had been even more famous than Sith — her name constantly appearing in announcements of great raids and collective achievements. She'd been familiar, almost omnipresent in every high-level battle.And Eleanor had radiated a natural gentleness, the kind of person everyone could easily get along with.
Sith, on the other hand, was her complete opposite.She didn't radiate kindness — she radiated intensity.Raw, undeniable intensity.And Alessio knew exactly what that kind of intensity led to, because he'd seen it — countless clips of her in the future: swift, clean, brutal massacres where Sith annihilated players without hesitation.
That memory didn't help him now.Because even though he knew the woman before him wasn't yet the legendary figure from ten years ahead — just a beginner, three days into the game — Alessio had to keep his cool.He couldn't let echoes of the future cloud his judgment of the present.
He couldn't afford to let hesitation make him waste a golden chance to gain a powerful ally like Sith.
So he took a deep breath and finally acted.
"I've got a rather excellent opportunity," he said with a small smile, presenting his offer. "Would you be interested?"
After all…
The solution Alessio had found at Durnholde's gates to make up for his delay was none other than this:to take on the quest with an unexpected guest.An improvised partnership.
Sith — the future Goddess of War.
He believed that if they joined forces, everything would become smoother.More efficient.The long journey to his goal would be far easier.
He couldn't let her walk away.Letting her go now would mean throwing away a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity — not only to make his mission faster, but to turn the future legend of his past life into a powerful ally in this one.And beyond that… there were her prodigious twins, the ones who would one day study at the magic academy.
This was the kind of chance he would never forgive himself for losing.
So it didn't matter how much her predatory gaze might intimidate him.
He decided to face her head-on.After all, he was a tank.
And facing monsters — that was his job.