Silence reigned supreme in the underground tunnels, like a heavy leaden cloak weighing down the atmosphere. The space, neither too narrow nor too wide, provided just enough room for several people to navigate through without difficulty, like shadows slipping through the smallest cracks. The rocky walls, uneven and grainy, seemed to ooze the moisture that saturated the air, like an invisible mist. Though the tunnels were plunged in near-total darkness, a faint glow persisted, barely enough to reveal the outline of the surroundings. This strange light came neither from torches nor lamps but from fine mineral veins embedded in the stone, radiating a small but constant glow, offering just enough visibility to move forward in this deep darkness.
But soon, the silence was disturbed by hurried footsteps, faintly echoing against the rocky walls. A young girl was running, breathless, her quick and uneven steps breaking the heavy tranquility of the undergrounds.
She was a small girl, her mid-length blonde hair simply tied, framing a face sprinkled with freckles. Her pale yellow eyes gleamed with a troubling intensity, though her face, neither particularly beautiful nor plain, radiated a certain determination. She wore a simple pink dress, paired with a brown long-sleeved shirt, while a red ribbon tied around her waist fluttered slightly behind her, adding a discreet touch to her modest appearance.
She dashed through the rocky path at full speed, showing no sign of stopping. Her movements expressed a resolute determination, as if an objective awaited her at the end of the tunnel. Each step seemed to bring her closer to her crucial goal, her eyes fixed straight ahead with intense focus.
While running, she cast a furtive glance over her shoulder, checking for the presence of her pursuer she seemed keen on avoiding. Not seeing him, she let out a sigh of relief before turning her attention back to the path in front of her.
"Finally!" she murmured, spotting an opening in the rocky floor from afar, barely visible from her position. Her eyes, filled with relief and determination, locked onto the large hidden door beneath the surface, like an inaccessible hope that would end her journey.
She approached cautiously, each step measured and attentive. Upon reaching the door, she inspected it more closely; a colossal panel, a double door adorned with intricate designs. These patterns illustrated a colossal tower, its summit bathed in the light of a radiant sun, standing majestically in the sky.
A sky she longed for so much.
She knelt before the door, gently placing both hands on the cold, smooth surface. Her eyes, filled with intense concentration, remained fixed on the sky the door promised to reveal. She waited patiently, hoping the door would open on its own, as if it would react to her fervent desire.
But nothing happened. The door remained motionless, showing no sign of opening, as if completely indifferent to the girl's presence.
The girl did not seem particularly surprised by this result, as if she had anticipated it. Yet it did not stop her from growing increasingly nervous.
Seeing that the door remained stubbornly closed, she gritted her teeth and began pushing with all her might against the ancient door. But no matter how much she intensified her efforts or the force of her pushes, the door stayed immovable, as though it were solidly anchored to the ground.
The message was clear; she was not deemed worthy to enter through this door.
But she refused to submit to this judgment. She couldn't accept the idea of being denied access to the place she longed for so deeply. This place represented the realization of her dearest dream.
Even though she was aware of her own insignificance, her ordinary nature, devoid of great strength or notable talents, and even though her presence paled in comparison to that of this monster which is much superior to her, she still remains determined to change that.
She no longer wanted to be that pitiful woman no one desired. She refused to let her fate condemn her to remain weak and pitiful. She could no longer bear the thought of being trapped in this cursed place that had marked her entire life. More than anything, she wanted to escape the presence of that monster.
She wanted everything to change!
Yet, no matter how much she yearned to become a shining figure in a world plunged in darkness, none of her efforts bore fruit.
She couldn't change the fate hat had been imposed upon her, a fate that was impartially unjust and cruel. A fate that, in her eyes, should never have been hers.
"Please, open up. I don't want this meaningless life anymore, I don't want to be worthless in the eyes of others," she whispered softly, almost inaudibly, her voice tinged with melancholy. But her sadness deepened as she collapsed, resting her forehead against the cold ground.
Her arms folded around her head, she found herself crouching, almost in a fetal position, on the hard, cold floor. Her knees were tucked beneath her, while her hands, clenched over her forehead, offered scant protection against the world that seemed to be crushing her. Tears trickled down her cheeks in small droplets, tracing winding paths on her pale skin. In this desperate position, she was overwhelmed by a wave of silent lamentations, her shoulders shaking with stifled sobs. Every movement of her body reflected the inner anguish engulfing her, slowly pulling her into an abyss of despair, where the light of hope seemed to fade, replaced by an overwhelming shadow of sadness.
She whispered softly, with a note of supplication, "I just want to see the stars..." Her words were laden with despair, fading into the darkness as she succumbed to her sorrow, the tears flowing silently down her cheeks.
"Are you alright, Rachel?"
A sudden voice asked her from the shadows behind her. The tone, neither high nor low, was very familiar to the blonde girl known as Rachel, but the recognition didn't stop a sudden jolt, as if an electric shock had run through her. She straightened abruptly, the tears still glistening on her cheeks, and turned to face the person who had caught her in this moment of vulnerability.
Rachel saw the silhouette of someone she would have preferred never to see again. Approaching her slowly, the hooded figure moved with a measured gait. The dark cape, a deep brown, draped entirely over the figure's body, while the hood cast shadows that completely concealed their face. Though hidden under the cloak, the figure stood much taller than Rachel, possessing an imposing stature that contrasted with the girl's small frame.
Rachel wiped her tears, averting her gaze from the person she wished to avoid, though she couldn't help but admire, even in this situation, how the stealth skills of this young man remained as impressive as ever.
Even though a tinge of jealousy arose within her.
Without answering his question, she retorted, her tone showing her displeasure:
"What are you doing here, Baam? Didn't I tell you not to follow me and to stay in the cave?"
The mysterious figure, addressed by the name Baam, sighed with restrained exasperation at Rachel's mildly irritated reproach. His response betrayed obvious patience, although his face remained obscured beneath the hood that concealed it. Rachel's displeased words seemed to amplify the heavy silence that hung between them.
"I was simply concerned and curious about the reasons for your determination to enter this Tower," he finally replied, his gaze piercing into Rachel's. She, however, didn't seem convinced by such a vague justification.
Showing her frustration, she exclaimed in a firm tone, "I've already told you, Baam. If I can reach the top of the Tower, I'll have access to the outside world. I'll be able to see the blue sky during the day and the starry sky at night." She paused, letting her words linger in the air, then raised her eyes to the tunnel's ceiling, as if trying to pierce through the rocky ceiling to glimpse the stars beyond. "That's why... I'm going to climb to the top of the Tower."
Baam listened with a familiar weariness to the same words he had heard countless times before. He took a deep breath, then let out a sigh, marking his growing exasperation.
"I understand your wish to see the stars, Rachel, but I struggle to grasp what justifies the risks you're taking, the life you're putting in danger for it. I just want to understand what makes these stars so essential to you, to the point where you're willing to leave me here, in this isolated cave," he asked, his voice reflecting a mixture of weariness and frustration. Though he had heard this declaration many times, it still perplexed him, as he perceived this obsession as unreasonable. Nevertheless, his gaze showed sincere concern and contained sweetness ; after all, he was watching his only friend risk her life, and he couldn't bring himself to stand idly by.
Rachel slowly turned her head toward him, her eyes blazing with unyielding determination despite the shadow of irritation darkening them. "You still don't understand. This isn't just a wish or mere curiosity, it's a dream! The stars represent everything I've never had and everything I've always wanted. They embody the promise of a future I can only reach by climbing this Tower." She nearly cried out as she averted her gaze, her features marked by a melancholy she tried in vain to hide. "I have to move forward, even if it means leaving you behind."
She added, in a voice tinged with desperation, "I can't bear it anymore... living in this dark world."
"And you think you're the only one?" Baam declared, his fists clenched, a contained anger vibrating in his voice. "I'm tired too, of living in this darkness, alone, with no other solace than the dull gray ceiling that surrounds me every day. But you came, like an unexpected light in this monotony, like a breath of fresh air in this prison of solitude."
He took a deep breath, his gaze growing more intense as he continued, his voice betraying a mix of gratitude and pain. "You lightened the hellish cycle of despair that was consuming me. You became the only source of light in my dark universe. For that, I am deeply grateful. However, it seems unacceptable to let you go alone, while I also feel this overwhelming need to escape this darkness. I long for more than this life of solitude, just like you. I want to climb this Tower too!"
At those words, Rachel's expression softened, as if a wave of understanding and compassion swept across her face. She slowly approached Baam, and once in front of him, she gently placed her hands on his cheeks, her gaze filled with sincere melancholy.
"I'm sorry, Baam... I'm sorry..." she murmured with a poignant softness, her faint smile revealing a deep vulnerability. "Forget me, please... Forget me, so that I can be reborn." Her words, laden with regret and hope, seemed to implore for renewal, as if she sought to free herself from a burden to embrace her own destiny.
"Wait, Rachel, what does that—" Baam began, but he didn't have time to finish his sentence. A soft, glowing light began to emanate from the ground beneath them, catching his attention. The light came from the door, which, in an almost imperceptible movement, had slightly cracked open.
The golden light, now taking on an almost divine quality, started spreading, enveloping the space in a blinding glow. As the door continued to open slowly, the light concentrated around Rachel, irresistibly pulling her towards the entrance. The soft warmth of the golden glow mingled with a magnetic force that seemed to invite Rachel to step through the threshold.
As the scene unfolded before him, Baam, without a moment of hesitation, wrapped his arms tightly around Rachel's waist. Despite his hold, he could feel with growing anguish that the young girl was being inexorably drawn towards the golden light. His efforts to hold her back seemed futile, as if he were struggling against an invisible force pulling her closer to the door.
"No... NO, RACHEL! Wait, don't go!" he cried, panic flooding his words as he watched his friend fade more and more into the light. "I beg you... I don't want to be alone again..." His voice trembled with despair as he tried his best to hold onto her, tears threatening to well up in his eyes.
Before completely vanishing into the radiant glow, Rachel gave him a warm smile, imbued with a soft farewell. As he strained to grasp that final moment, the door slowly closed, leaving Baam alone in the darkness, filled with a mix of sadness and resignation.
'Again...'
That word echoed in his mind, repeating a painful truth. He was abandoned once more, kneeling before the imposing surface of the door, the only way to the Tower.
The same Tower he too wanted to explore after hearing Rachel's cherished stories, whose legends spoke of a magical place where everything one could wish for could be found, hidden in the unimaginable heights of the Tower's summit.
But unlike Rachel, who longed to gaze upon the stars, he wasn't entirely sure what he was seeking. At least, his own desires seemed insufficient to justify a goal as ambitious as entering the Tower.
So, he came to the conclusion that staying by Rachel's side would have been the wisest decision, rather than chasing after aims that seemed meaningless to him.
But wasn't that exactly what Rachel was doing by leaving him behind?
Just the thought of it stirred a resentment toward the blonde girl who, in a way, had allowed him to retain his sanity in this isolated cave, devoid of any human life except for him.
He wondered in his mind why she had abandoned him for a goal he deemed so trivial. Was he that insignificant in her eyes, to the point where she was willing to leave him behind just to admire a mere view of the starry sky?
Is he the one failing to grasp the true value of the stars, or is Rachel the one who doesn't realize the magnitude of what she's leaving behind? Perhaps Rachel is so absorbed by her dream of touching the stars that she doesn't realize how much her departure leaves him in a solitude even more painful—a solitude he had managed to escape thanks to her. Or maybe Baam, lacking a clear goal, is simply unable to understand why Rachel is willing to risk everything for such an ethereal dream.
He sighed.
In truth, he couldn't really blame Rachel for that. After all, she was the one who had found him in that cursed cave, not the other way around. She had supported him, both psychologically and physically, providing him with new clothes, board games, and books to pass the time. Not to mention her comforting presence.
It would be selfish and ungrateful of him.
But the thought of returning to that life of solitude was unthinkable to him, no matter how much Rachel had done for him; he could not accept an existence he considered worse than death itself.
If Rachel could risk her life for a dream he found uncertain, then why couldn't he also pursue a goal, however vague it may be?
"Sorry, Rachel, but it seems I can't listen to you, because I too... will enter this Tower," he said with resolve, gripping the surface of the immense door. And as if responding to his will, the double doors began to open slowly, revealing a golden light that spread once again, as if calling to his own desire to transcend solitude and discover what the Tower held within.
Yes, because Baam was determined to understand why the Tower obsessed Rachel and to see if this mysterious place could also help him achieve his own goals.
He was resolved to follow this path, convinced that the Tower would offer far more than the loneliness of a decaying cave.
Though he knew the journey ahead would be fraught with dangers, he was ready to face them, accepting the risks to find answers and a new path.
He closed his eyes as the golden light transformed into an ethereal hand, imbued with softness and warmth. This luminous hand enveloped him with an unexpected delicacy, drawing him inexorably toward the great double doors. The movement felt orchestrated with mystical grace, as if the Tower itself was inviting him to cross its threshold. The sensation of the light caressing his skin, pulling him toward the unknown, awakened within him a newfound determination. He let himself be guided, accepting the path laid before him, ready to embrace the adventure that awaited.
"Wait for me, Rachel, for I will prove to you that I, too, have a purpose in this life."