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I'm not sure if I should start splitting chapters to milk for views. Some of these bad boys get longer than intended.
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On with the chapter!
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"That's weird…"
Hari looked at the downcast sky. Just a minute ago there wasn't a single cloud to be seen. The night sky was as clear as it could be.
And yet, gray clouds covered the once serene night. And it wasn't one either, like when a small cumulus would wander alone. An unkind mass of clouds were converging, rapidly.
And then a sharp flash of light crashed from the sky, followed by the reverberating sound of thunder. The nebulous mass of clouds swirled slowly, with concentrated bolts of lightning swimming within the whirlpool.
Hari recoiled when another bright flash bathed the world, then the distant rumble echoed off.
Why did everything seem so much darker than it was supposed to be?
Ah, the fog.
Hari held her hands to her chest when she saw a curtain of mist descend over the streets. The light from the streetlamps was hazy. An unsettling stillness fell upon her, accompanied by a nameless sensation that had her on high alert.
'How… How can I sleep like this?'
Was it a mere illusion of her eyes or was the fog moving closer?
Hari was restless. Being alone, in her room, certainly didn't alleviate her from the anxiety. Forget about sleep, she couldn't stay there anymore. Her senses were alighted as she crept through her hallway, keeping herself close to the wall. Maybe she was looking at shadows that weren't even there. Her own imagination was just running too wild to sleep.
With quick steps, she eventually found herself in front of a familiar door. Leandro's apartment. Except that she wasn't the only one who had the same idea.
Nari, donning a crop top and tight shorts, stood there, visibly uncomfortable but putting on a calm mask. Hari, being the landlady of the apartment complex, had a spare key to Leandro's apartment.
"Nari…?"
"Unnie…?"
"Uh…" Hari fidgeted. "You too?"
"It's, well, I was just thinking that maybe Oppa didn't like sleeping alone today, and that we should be here, right…?" Nari stammered, glancing at Leandro's apartment.
"Yes… right?"
A few seconds of awkwardness passed before a loud rumbling brutally reminded them why they were there in the first place.
Hari hastily unlocked the door, and Nari slammed it shut once they were inside, locking it for good measure.
"The sky is so eerie, what the hell." Nari muttered.
"D-Don't worry… it's nothing, just a storm." Hari's tone didn't exactly inspire confidence, but as the older sibling, she had to instill some sort of reassurance.
She puffed out her chest, appearing strong and reliable.
However, as soon as a streak of lightning lit up the living room, she yelped.
"Nothing? Unnie, the sky's weird! The fog is creepy!"
Surely, there must've been some perfectly logical and scientific reason to explain the phenomenon, but watching it happen from so close threw all of their reason out of the window.
"Uhhu…"
Hari shrunk a little. She stared in the direction of Leandro's room. Nari did the same. Barefooted, both sisters swiftly scampered towards it, and without waiting for any acknowledgement from the other side, barged in as quietly as possible.
Leandro was on the bed, meditating. Honestly, the sight of him alone calmed them down considerably, almost making them feel foolish for behaving so childishly.
Still, none of them thought of returning to their own apartments.
Nari felt her pride a little wounded at seeking refuge on Leandro's bed, but Hari did not have such issues. Like a frightened bunny, she hopped on the bed, prompting Leandro to crack his eyes open.
"Hari Noona?"
"L-Leandro, do you mind if I sleep here tonight?"
He chanced one glance outside the window. Understanding dawned on him. He nodded. "Don't worry, go ahead and get under the blanket." She did so without hesitation, burrowing herself under the sheets with a cozy smile on her face.
"..."
Nari wasn't as shameless as Hari, still…
"Aren't you coming?" Leandro asked, turning to stand up. He didn't look at her as he walked over the window. He carefully drew the curtains shut, casting a comfortable darkness in the room.
Even with the rumbling outside, being with Leandro reassured her considerably.
Nari climbed on the bed and tentatively snuggled Hari. A familiar scent crept up her nose as she hugged a pillow, begrudgingly sharing it with Hari. Outside, the rumbling continued. The wind howled. She could hear the rustle of the trees. The leaves being ruthlessly swept away. The thumping of their neighbors' tools toppling and falling.
Yet, for some reason, being in Leandro's bed, she felt like nothing could hurt them. Nari wasn't a religious person, nor one easily given to the supernatural. Yet, having a guy like Leandro around really made her feel like everything would be alright.
Curiously, Nari cracked one eye open to see what her Oppa was doing.
Leandro had settled himself down on a chair next to the window, looking as serious as she had ever seen him.
"Oppa… aren't you going to sleep?"
The thought of sharing a bed with him made her heart flutter, especially after the meaningful conversation they had the other night. But this was a special circumstance, so it should have been perfectly fine and healthy.
Skinship was normal between family members, even if they were non-related and of opposite genders. Hm. Definitely.
Leandro stood up despite having just sat down. She shrunk a little when she saw him approach; he barely made a noise. He grabbed the top hem of the quilt and tucked it over her. With a slight blush on her face, she covered half of her face with the quilt, staring at him with twitching cat ears on her head.
He tilted his head, smiling, a slight, curve of his lips. Nari shrunk deeper into the bed. "Someone's got to watch over you." He brushed some hair off of her forehead. "Don't worry about me. You two should go ahead and catch some shut-eye. I'll join you as soon as I'm done meditating."
Her illusory cat ears twitched harder.
He continued staring at her.
She sharply turned around, sinking into his pillow.
••••
•••
••
•
Leandro watched over them for a few seconds before returning his gaze to the outside sky. 'It's starting…' Red. Orange. Blue. Green. The sky lit up with intermittent flashes of colors.
〔1 hour until the 'integration'.〕
The photons were slowly integrating themselves into the planet. If he closed his eyes, he could literally feel his skin absorbing photons through osmosis. It felt soothing, energizing him to the very core. Like a balm to his mind.
He let his breathing fall in accordance with nature. Deep inhale. Hold for 5 seconds. Deep exhale. The surging wave of photons swelled inside him, vaguely shining as they coursed through his veins.
Despite the cataclysmic sky, Hari and Nari didn't stir from their sleep.
As far as he remembered, this wouldn't be the only anomaly occurring to the planet in that one hour. He heard from some in the Monolith that the 'integration' procedure was the same in every planet.
Flashes of light. A earthquake. Nausea due to the radiation. And, inevitably, the rise of the Tower.
And, as the minutes trickled by, the raging sounds slowly tapered off.
That didn't mean that the worst was over. The temporary lull was a prelude to a more catastrophic change.
〔30 minutes until the 'integration'.〕
Leandro stood up—it was no use meditating right now. He'd need a substantial amount of time before seeing any noteworthy change.
His gaze lingered on the two sleeping beauties that currently occupied his bed.
They clung tightly onto his pillow, as if it were a raft in the ocean. Their only lifeline.
Their breathing was evened out, looking utterly peaceful.
Despite never voicing it out loud, it was obvious that they sought him out for safety, and he wholeheartedly intended to uphold his oath to them. His thoughts drifted towards his parents who were overseas. They should be fine, all considered.
Diego could be irresponsible, but Myeong knew how to keep him in check.
And the real issue was not even the Monolith itself. It was the sky drifts that would appear days after its appearance.
There was still time.
Leandro returned his gaze back to the sky. A slight tremor spread across the ground. A very low intensity quake that barely swayed the furniture in his room.
〔1 minute until the 'integration'.〕
The quaking intensified to the point where Hari and Nari were startled awake, watching as the very foundations of the building began strain and shake. He could only imagine the distress they felt in that moment. He hoped that his composure would help them calm down, if only a bit.
"W-W-What's going on?" Nari gasped, almost tumbling down as she scurried off the bed. Hari wasn't far behind. She immediately got close to Leandro, who stood like an unmoving rock amidst the chaos.
He could see the two shiver with apprehension. The sounds of the building groaning increased. The cars outside started beeping as their alarms were set off.
People hastily filed out of their apartments, grouping up on the streets.
"Oppa… what's going—"
Nari's eyes went wide open as she stared at the void in front of her.
〔The integration of planet K1B-X000, quadrant 41, named 'Earth', has begun.〕
〔We wish you all good luck and prosperity.〕
All at once, the tremors stopped. An inexplicable hush enveloped the world.
"What… What's this? Oppa, Unnie! Can you see this!?" Nari pointed a sharp finger at the air, her cat ears swiveling in alarm.
'She's seeing the screens.' Leandro reasoned.
Hari was still visibly shaken. "I-I can… what's this?" She tried to touch it, only for her hand to phase through. The screens were firmly lodged in her peripheral. Even when she tried to escape from them, they still followed.
She decided to hide behind Leandro, not that it did much.
Nari saw the wisdom in staying close to him as well.
"Oppa…"
"Leandro…"
He wanted to reassure them in some way, but he couldn't lightly reveal details of what was happening. They'd find out soon anyway.
A sudden vertigo assaulted everyone's senses, causing most of them to groan from the onset of nausea.
〔3…〕
〔2…〕
〔1…〕
Suddenly, their surroundings shuddered as if the whole planet had been gripped by an invisible force. In unison, people screamed as the very planet warped and cracked.
The light fixtures shook dangerously above him. Nari was glued to Hari as the former hid behind Leandro. Hari tightly clung onto Leandro's forearm. He wasn't moving an inch. The gravity of the situation struck them.
The world was ending, right? Hari was tense, trembling, like a tightrope walker high above the ground. They were about to die, weren't they? They'd die together, and she would never… never…
That couldn't happen!
She turned to Leandro, a blush on her cheeks.
"If… If that's the case… then… then!"
Hari's eyes lit up with conviction. Leandro furrowed his brows.
"Leandro!"
She shifted slightly, and Leandro was reminded of something similar happening just a few nights ago. On the tip of her toes, Hari gently cradled Leandro's face and eased her lips on his.
Leandro stared at her blankly, looking more surprised by the kiss than the apocalypse.
It was soft. A press of two lips against each other. Hari didn't deepen it, and not because she didn't want to, but her knowledge regarding intimacy wasn't detailed enough for her to initiate something more intense. Or maybe she was basing it all on those dramas she watched, and those things needed time.
Regardless, Hari was satisfied with that. She fell back down onto flat feet, looking content to simply rest her head on Leandro's shoulder, blushing, eyes sparkling, apocalypse be damned.
"Noona…?"
Leandro stayed still, seemingly out of shock or puzzlement.
Nari stared at her sister in momentary disbelief.
She…
Did she…?!
Why would…
H-How could... Unnie...
She ground her teeth together, her cheeks turning red in jealousy.
In a fit of obsessiveness, she was about to copy what she did, but–
Their entire world seemed to shake once more.
Outside, a black, towering structure pierced out of the ground. The plumbing underneath the concrete was broken, sprinkling water all over the overturned road.
The cars caught in the Monolith's ascension were not spared either. With increasing momentum, it swiftly elongated like an anaconda uncoiling from its slumber. Before anyone could even register its sudden presence, the Monolith had already penetrated the bulk of clouds, disappearing beyond it.
〔Welcome to The Tower — The Monolith.〕
〔Resources. Power. Wealth. It's all inside it. Free yourself of the shackles of mortality.〕
〔Conquer all the 99 floors.〕
〔There is no time-limit. The only limit is your potential.〕
〔But be quick, for the Tower is only a means to an end, the true challenge lies elsewhere.〕
〔Gates will soon appear, so do not tarry, and do not be scared. Come in, and prepare yourself for the hurdles ahead. 〕
〔Come forth, Challengers. 〕
A lot of people were woken up due to the commotion. The appearance of the Monolith and the floating screens was the spark that lit the match. Mayhem broke out.
Hari blinked at the screens, alternating her gaze between them and Leandro.
Everything looked fine.
The world was not ending? Uh oh.
Her rabbit ears lay flat at the sides of her head. Ah, what did she do?
She glanced at Leandro from the corner of her eyes, and when she caught his intense gaze and the slight tilt of his head, she hastily looked away, hiding her red face behind her hands.
Nari stared at her, flatly, arms crossed. However, she knew that it wasn't exactly the most opportune time to argue about such things. The world was changing rapidly, and they needed to understand what was happening.
Leandro, sensing the tension and confusion, decided to take charge. He moved towards the center of the room, where he could address both sisters clearly.
"Noona, Nari. We need to stay calm and think things through." He spoke with a calm authority that immediately grabbed their attention. His voice was steady—the only anchor in the chaos and screaming from outside. "We have to understand what's happening before we act. That thing out there… I don't think it's a random occurrence. That's why I'm going to check it out."
"Wh–What?!" Nari gawked. "You can't be serious, Oppa!" She immediately scurried forward to seize his shirt, staring up at him with a determined, albeit slightly red, face. She clung onto him like a newborn kitten would on their human, afraid it might be abandoned.
Hari also joined her sister, holding his arm in a protective grip. "Don't go! Let the others deal with it… stay with us."
The dual attack would have been very effective under normal circumstances. On his right, Nari was latched onto him with kittenish and watering eyes. On his left, Hari, face still a bit red from her earlier 'misunderstanding', had his arm nestled between her breasts.
Honestly…
Those two were another incentive as to why he had to do it.
Leandro softly placed his hands on their backs, moving in an upward motion that triggered some serious shivers from both of them. Slowly, he eased them off of his arms.
He backtracked, raising his arms in a disarming, calming motion. "Look, I know it's hard to believe, but nothing will happen. I'll come back as soon as the situation gets dangerous. You two wait here. Lock the doors. Close the windows, and stay together."
After all, being one of the first to enter the Monolith was also a test of courage the tower recognized. Leandro reckoned they had a week or so before the first outbreak would happen. For the first seven days—at least in his previous dimension—people would largely ignore the tower, with only military, government officials, and authorized personnel allowed to approach it.
If he didn't get there in time, there would hardly be another opportunity like that.
He had to be quick.
"W-Wait…" Nari tried to follow. Stupid gatita.
"Nari…"
He steeled his eyes, causing her to stop on her tracks. Soon, however, he softened his expression. "What do you have to worry about? You know me, kitty. Always true to my words." He lightly touched her nose, making her recoil. He smiled. "I'm merely going to investigate. Hear what sort of conspiracy theory has already spread. I'll be back before you know it. In fact, stay here with Hari Noona. Choose a movie; anything you want. And when I'm back, we can make fun of your awful taste in romance comedies."
"..."
Nari never knew that a smile so dazzling could look so terrifying as well.
With a subtle reddening of her cheeks, Nari acquiesced.
He was right. Leandro was always calm and collected—in any given situation, she trusted him to do the right thing, and to protect himself. She didn't like to rely on him as much as her Unnie did, but even she had to admit that it was... calming.
"A-Alright…" She stared at him, tilting her head slightly upward, arms crossed. "But if you take too much, I'll hunt you down. Got it?"
He nodded, exchanging one last look with Hari, who suddenly found the floor very interesting. As soon as he turned around, her eyes were back on him.
Leandro hurried outside.
He was already dressed; he had been prepared the whole night.
The streets were not entirely deserted. Groups of people had assembled to discuss their predicament, albeit a vast majority of them just aimlessly wandered and speculated about the Monolith. Almost everyone was staring at some intangible thing in front of them.
Everyone could now see the holographic screens.
Leandro didn't tarry—much like what the system advised. First come, first served.
Besides, once the police closed off the area, there was no way anyone would manage to get in.
After running for a good couple of kilometers, Leandro stopped right where the crowd was thicker, though all of them were watching from a safe distance. If the Monolith wasn't a hellish place, he'd quietly admire the polished sheen of its shell.
The Tower truly resembled its namesake. It rose from the earth like a colossal obsidian dagger to cut the heavens. The rectangle structure was a polished all-consuming black, absorbing all ambient light. It looked incredibly ominous under the night sky. But during the day, it'd be one of the most eye-catching structures around.
A shadowy fog enveloped it like a cloak.
Leandro began to slowly walk up to the Monolith. 'It's been so long… I've waited so many years for you… and now you're here.' Where everything started, and where it all ended. The cradle of all powerful entities. A staircase to godhood.
It didn't matter what you called it.
The Tower was whatever you wanted.
The bystanders around him watched in morbid curiosity as Leandro drew closer and closer. No hesitation, almost as if the Monolith itself had taken his hand and was now guiding him inside.
"What is he doing…?"
"Is this a prank? S-Surely, it must be one."
"Is it safe to approach it?"
The chatter spread out in hushed tones.
A suffocating presence pervaded Leandro.
A distinct difference that made him feel like an ant compared to it.
It didn't faze his determination much though. He put one foot in front of the other, his walking pace never decreasing or getting faster.
He maintained a neutral expression as he approached the base, feeling the slight tingling of Aura crawling up his skin as if trying to cling on.
His mouth became a taut line when the ominous blackness was no further than a couple dozen steps. Perhaps sensing his approach, the Monolith materialized an entrance.
The door itself could hardly be called that. Instead, it was as if glowing indentations were carved in an entrance-like outline right at the hilt of the giant tower. Leandro basked in its familiarity. There was no rush; he leisurely walked through the fog, which had graciously parted for him.
"He's… He's entering!"
"He's crazy!"
The gate automatically spread itself open, like the maw of a behemoth.
And Leandro walked right into its throat.
〔You have entered the Monolith. Fare thee well, Challenger. 〕