[ … Those who wish to break the barrier between reality and their dreams, come to me and face my challenges. To those who prove themselves worthy, endless honors will be bestowed, along with powers that defy the divine… ]
I listened to the television with my eyes wide open, my trembling hand barely able to hold the TV remote.
Beep
I immediately changed the channel.
[ We are here in front of the Chinese tower together with specialists! ]
Beep
[ Apparently it is an archaic tablet from Mesopotamian times, dated to at least 3,000 BC! ]
Beep
[ The U.S. has begun invading the tower. Hundreds of soldiers have already been sent into the American tower, but so far none of them have returned. We remain in the dark about what lies inside. ]
Beep
[ Thousands of young people have already invaded the Brazilian Tower along with various curious digital influencers and bodybuilders! They promise to conquer the tower and bring us news! ]
"What the hell is this?" I asked myself, trembling.
BZZ BZZ BZZ
My phone wouldn't stop vibrating. I had ignored it until then, but now it was impossible.
I grabbed it and unlocked it with tension.
[ Urgent!!! The Antarctica Tower has been identified in your area. The army is on its way to deal with this unexpected threat. Please evacuate immediately and follow the instructions of the armed forces. ]
"One of those towers… is around here?" I wondered, getting up and walking toward the balcony.
My eyes immediately widened at what lay before me.
"Holy shit…"
I walked to the railing and looked across the street, where there should have been a convenience store.
Now there was an archaic tower.
"Hahahaha." I began to laugh in disbelief.
Until I suddenly stopped.
My eyes were drawn to a blond young man wearing a wide-brimmed hat in front of the tower.
He was waving at me.
Then he walked up the staircase.
"What the hell— shit!" I ran away.
BANG
I slammed the door shut and ran down the stairwell as fast as I could.
Soon, I was standing in front of the tower. The sight was breathtaking.
The tower had at least a thousand floors, with hundreds of archaic engravings covering its entire structure.
There was an ancient, wide staircase with several hundred steps that promised to exhaust anyone.
At the top, there was a giant archaic plaque with dozens of runes indecipherable to me—apparently the only clue about the tower's contents.
"They said something about it being Sumerian or Akkadian, depending on the place…"
My eyes continued up the staircase, analyzing everything around me, until they finally reached the door.
A colossal double door, made for giants and the largest of dragons. I wouldn't have been surprised if a titan had emerged from it at that very moment.
The door was always open, yet it was impossible to see what lay beyond, as a mystical mist concealed the interior.
Gulp
I took a deep breath. I had little time to act—I needed to meet that young man.
Immediately, I sprinted up the staircase.
Gasp, gasp, gasp.
My breathing grew ragged as my legs protested, but I kept climbing.
Thick sweat dripped from my forehead, my vision began to blur, yet I could already see the end.
Just a little more.
Just a little more.
"Look at that!" he laughed. "Look who showed up around here."
Gasp, gasp, gasp.
I leaned on my knees, trying to catch my breath. My body was trembling.
"What's your name?" I asked, and he chuckled softly.
"Yuri," he said with a wide smile. "And you call yourself Light, the delivery man."
Sigh
"And if I'm not Light, the delivery man, then who am I?" Yuri continued, laughing good-naturedly.
"That's not for me to tell you." He leaned on the staircase, looking at the world below.
Everything looked so small from up here.
"But I offer you the chance to awaken and discover it for yourself." He turned back to me. "Face danger and find your utmost limits, then you will awaken."
Then he turned to the staircase below.
"To everyone who wants it, I offer this opportunity."
"…"
I stared at him in silence, then leaned against the staircase, gazing at the scenery below.
"I feel death calling me," I said with a somber expression. "Is that what's in there?"
Yuri chuckled softly.
"Yes," he said bluntly. "If you are a humble delivery man, only death awaits you."
"But you said I'm not."
"But maybe I'm wrong, and you are."
He smiled broadly.
"That Wyvern said you aren't," he continued. "He was furious at the thought that the one he was waiting for could be someone so humble."
"But you know what? It doesn't matter."Yuri said, pointing at the door."Just go in and find out for yourself. I'm sure you'll at least like what you see."
"…"
Silence settled between us and stretched on. Yuri's smile struggled not to fade, while my expression remained serious.
"I'm not going in."
I pushed myself away from the staircase and looked directly at him, then at the giant door.
"My life isn't mine alone to throw away."
I looked into the depths of Yuri's eyes.
"I can't abandon those who depend on me in the name of what? Self-discovery? Social approval?"
Yuri was left speechless, his eyes wide open.
Then he scratched the back of his neck, slightly embarrassed.
"Well… the choice was always yours… I can't force someone to awaken…" he said shyly. "What a shame."
Sigh
"Maybe I made a mistake…" he said, turning his back to me and heading for the door. "Someone like that could never be him." His voice was barely reaching me anymore.
"Or maybe I didn't give the right motivation… damn, I need to review my grimo—"He passed through the mystical door, leaving me behind.
My eyes remained fixed on it.
I felt the call.
But I couldn't accept it.
I slowly descended the staircase before me. Dozens of soldiers were already running up the steps, soon passing me and glancing at me as they went by.
'What a terrible feeling.'
I went down step by step.
Soldiers after soldiers passed me, and before I realized it, I was at the base of the staircase.
"What is a damn civilian doing here?!" A soldier ran up to me and grabbed my arm. "Get out of here, you—"
"Let go," I said in a deep voice, glaring furiously into his eyes.
"W-what?"Complete terror crossed his face.
Thick sweat dripped down.
The atmosphere became heavier than ever before.
Hundreds of soldiers locked tense glances at me.
"A-as y-you w-wish..."
Trembling, he let go of me, breathless.
"Make way!"He shouted"W-we need to get this civilian out of here!Now!"