The wind carried dust and silence.
Ethan stood at the edge of the fractured bridge, watching the fog swirl beneath him like an endless sea. Mae lingered behind, her arms crossed, eyes following the faint flicker of light where Elara and Kenneth had disappeared hours ago. The air between them hung heavy, not from danger this time, but from something quieter. Something that hurt more.
He still saw it, Kenneth kneeling before Elara, her face unreadable in the half-light. It was burned into his mind like a cruel memory he couldn't unseen. Every time he blinked, the image returned. Every time he breathed, it felt like betrayal.
Mae noticed the way his shoulders tensed, the way he stared into nothing. She'd stopped trying to talk after the first few miles. Sometimes silence was kinder than false comfort.
"Ethan," she said finally, her voice soft but clear. "We should rest. You haven't slept in two days."
He didn't answer.
"Fine," she sighed, forcing a small laugh to cover the sting. "Guess I'll talk enough for both of us."
Mae lowered herself to a stone slab, pulling her knees close, chin resting on them. "You know, I had a boyfriend once. Back home. We used to think we could fix everything with words. Turns out, words are cheap when love's already cracked." She gave a dry chuckle. "Now I don't even remember what his last text said. Isn't that funny?"
Ethan glanced at her. "Why are you telling me this?"
"Because you look like someone who's trying not to remember something too."
He looked away. The Tower's horizon shimmered faintly, floating spires, inverted rivers, cities suspended like reflections caught in glass. "I don't want to talk about it."
Mae smiled sadly. "Then don't. Just… don't forget you're still human under all that guilt, okay?"
For the first time since returning, Ethan almost smiled. Mae's words didn't heal, but they anchored him. Somewhere, in this impossible place, she still managed to be alive, laughing, talking, trying. Maybe that was what he'd forgotten how to do.
Switch: Elara
Elara sat by the dim fire Kenneth had managed to spark from the scraps of glowing ore. Her sword rested across her knees, the edge catching faint reflections of the floating city's light far above. Kenneth hummed quietly to himself, a tune she didn't recognize.
He'd been quiet lately, too quiet. Every time she turned, she caught him watching her. Not in a way that unsettled her, but in a way that made her heart ache with the memory of Ethan's gaze, the quiet, unspoken kind of care she once thought she'd never see again.
"Elara," Kenneth said suddenly, breaking her thoughts. "Do you ever wonder if we'll actually get out of here?"
She didn't answer at first. "Sometimes," she said. "But lately… I don't know if I want to leave."
Kenneth looked at her, surprised. "You don't?"
"There's something unfinished here," she said, her voice softer. "Something I can't walk away from."
He nodded slowly, though his chest tightened. He knew what, or who, she meant.Still, he smiled. "Then maybe that's what we're supposed to do. Finish what's unfinished."
He stood, offering her a hand. "Come on. Let's keep moving. The Tower doesn't like when we sit still too long."
They walked side by side through the ruins, their footsteps echoing across the marble that glowed faintly underfoot. The floating city stretched beyond them, bridges crumbling into mist, buildings rising like inverted reflections. The air shimmered with energy, something alive, watching.
Switch: Ethan
Mae's laughter echoed faintly as Ethan trudged ahead. The Tower shifted around them again, streets folding in on themselves, glass corridors forming and breaking apart. He stopped suddenly when a soft hum filled the air. The mark on his wrist burned.
Elara.
The pull was faint but real, like a heartbeat tugging him through the labyrinth. Mae noticed his change immediately.
"She's near, isn't she?" Mae asked quietly.
He hesitated. "I don't know."
"Yes, you do," she said. Her smile wavered, but she forced it anyway. "Then go find her."
He turned to her, guilt flickering in his eyes. "Mae…"
"I'm not stupid, Ethan. You don't have to explain," she said, looking away. "Besides, if you find her, maybe you'll finally stop walking like the world's already ended."
Her voice cracked, but she laughed it off. "Just promise me one thing, when you find her, don't look back."
He nodded once, eyes soft. "Mae, I."
"Go," she said before he could finish. "Before I change my mind."
Ethan turned, running toward the pulse in his wrist. Behind him, Mae stood alone, her smile fading into the mist. When he was gone, she whispered, "Goodbye, Ethan."
Switch: Elara
They reached the edge of the floating courtyard when Elara stopped. Her mark flared, sharp and burning. Kenneth saw her stagger and caught her arm.
"Elara?"
She looked at him, eyes wide. "He's close. Ethan's here."
Before Kenneth could reply, she started running. The mark guided her, through broken arches, over crumbling bridges, past fragments of stone that floated midair. The air thickened with stormlight.
And then, she saw him.
Across the courtyard, standing under the arch of shattered light, Ethan froze. For a long moment, neither moved. The silence between them said everything they couldn't.
Elara's breath hitched. "Ethan."
He turned away.
Her heart cracked.
"Please," she said, stepping forward, her voice trembling. "You have to listen."
He didn't move.
Kenneth caught up, panting. He looked from Elara to Ethan and understood instantly. "You're him," he said quietly.
Ethan's gaze hardened. "And you're the one she chose."
"That's not what happened!" Elara shouted, her voice raw. "You saw something that wasn't what you think!"
Ethan's hand tightened on his sword. "I saw enough."
"No, you didn't." She walked closer, eyes glistening. "You didn't see me tell him no."
He looked at her, the hurt in his eyes breaking beneath exhaustion. "Why didn't you run after me then?"
"I thought… you didn't want me to," she whispered. "You left."
The silence that followed cut deeper than any blade.
Mae appeared at the far end of the bridge, watching the two of them. Her chest tightened, but she forced herself to stay silent. This wasn't her story.
Ethan's expression softened. Slowly, he lowered his weapon. "I thought you'd moved on."
"And I thought you stopped believing in us."
For a moment, the Tower was silent. Then Ethan took a single step forward. "Maybe we both made mistakes."
Elara's eyes met his, wet but fierce. "Then maybe we start again."
Kenneth turned away, his chest hollowing out. He'd seen enough. "You don't need me for this," he said quietly.
"Ken—" Elara started, but he shook his head.
"It's okay," he said with a faint, strained smile. "I think I've already found what I came here for."
He started walking, his figure fading into the mist. Elara turned to Ethan, her voice barely above a whisper. "He's a good person."
"I know," Ethan said softly. "But he's not the one I fell into the abyss for."
She blinked, and for the first time since the Tower began, she smiled.
Switch: Kenneth
The mist grew thicker as Kenneth walked. He didn't look back. He couldn't. The pain of what he'd seen pressed against his ribs like a dull knife, but beneath it was something else, acceptance.
He wandered aimlessly, until the air around him shimmered. A circle of light formed in front of him, humming with energy. A portal.
His breath caught. "An exit…?"
He stepped closer, the glow reflecting in his eyes. Then, from within the light, a silhouette emerged, a man's figure, tall and calm, eyes sharp as glass.
The stranger smiled faintly. "Leaving so soon?"
Kenneth froze. "Who are you?"
The man stepped into view. His presence carried the same oppressive stillness the Tower did, like he belonged to it. "Name's Rowan," he said smoothly. "And if you're looking for a way out… I can help."
Kenneth's blood ran cold.