SFX: Wind shrieking, distant stone cracking.)
Shade stood at the base of the Astral Tower.
Its bone-carved door rose impossibly high, a spiral of starlight and shadows that seemed to breathe. Lightning arced through the storm above, but inside, the tower whispered—inviting him.
He clenched his fists, cursed energy flaring faintly around his fingers. Every trial he had faced—the shadows, the Nightmare Beast, the Sentinel—was nothing compared to the weight of this place.
(SFX: Low hum of the tower, echoes of whispered laughter.)
Step one: enter. Shade drew a slow breath and stepped forward.
The first chamber swallowed him. Walls of obsidian twisted, reflecting not his body, but his memories: a child failing at swordplay, his father's disappointed gaze, whispers of "hollow boy."
He staggered back, heart hammering.
The tower wasn't just stone—it was alive, feeding on his doubt.
(SFX: Soft chimes echoing, shadows shifting.)
Shade forced focus. He let cursed energy pulse through him. Silver-blue light expanded, burning away the first layer of illusion. The whispers screamed, fading into silence.
Beyond the chamber, a new hallway opened, brighter yet fragile, like glass stretched over fire. Steps echoed beneath him—but not all were his own. Figures appeared: Lady Maria herself, tall and regal, blade across her knees, eyes cold as frost.
She spoke—not aloud, but in his mind:
"Many come seeking the tower. Few understand its cost. I guard it… not to test your strength, but to see if you endure the truth."
The illusion shattered around her, revealing decades of hunters lost, bound to shadows, fighting endlessly in this realm. Lady Maria had been one of them—human, strong, driven—but she had sacrificed herself to the tower, becoming its Warden. Her throne, her blade, her judgment—all echoes of devotion and torment.
Shade felt a chill, understanding more than he wanted. This tower didn't merely challenge the body. It challenged the soul.
(SFX: Wind howling, distant clash of steel and shadow.)
Step two: ascend. A spiral staircase floated over darkness, steps appearing and disappearing beneath his feet. Shadows swirled in the void, whispering riddles, taunting him to misstep. One wrong move, and he would fall—not just physically, but into oblivion.
Shade's fingers burned as he gripped his silver-blue blade. He forced each step, trusting the pulse of cursed energy guiding him, resisting illusions clawing at his mind. The tower tested everything: memory, fear, instinct, willpower.
(SFX: Deep chime, echoing heartbeat of the tower.)
Hours—or minutes—passed. Shade emerged onto a platform midway up the spiral. Here, he saw visions of Lady Maria's final battle: shadow beasts swarming, her blade glowing, her figure unwavering. She had endured… and I must, too.
Step three: the Mirror of Remembrance. The map beneath his skin flared violently, marking the next challenge. Shade's heart pounded. The illusions had grown stronger, the tower's hunger more pronounced—but he could not falter.
He raised his blade. Step by step, he began the ascent, shadows twisting, the tower alive around him, and a distant echo whispered:
"Endure… or be forgotten."
(SFX: Crescendo of wind and whispers, fading into tense silence.)