Chapter 1: The First Trial Begins
Eren jolted awake, his body pressed against cold stone. He had no idea how he had ended up here. His breath came in short gasps, a mix of confusion and panic rising in his chest. He sat up, trying to make sense of his surroundings.
The walls around him were smooth and metallic, a strange material he didn't recognize. The air smelled sterile, as though it had been artificially filtered. His hands were clammy, but his fingers clenched as he tried to gather his bearings.
He blinked, attempting to focus. There was nothing normal about this place.
Just as he began to rise, a soft hum filled the air. The ground beneath him vibrated slightly, and then, from the darkness ahead, a large door slid open. A pale, translucent light poured in from the threshold, casting a dim glow over the room.
With the instinct of someone who had been through far too much confusion in his life, Eren stood up slowly, his legs unsteady, and moved toward the light. The uncertainty clouded his mind, but he couldn't sit idly by. He had to understand what was happening.
Beyond the door was a vast, circular chamber. Strange glyphs and symbols decorated the walls, glowing softly as though watching him. At the center of the room, there was an altar-like structure, surrounded by eerie energy that seemed to distort the air itself.
"What is this?" he muttered to himself, eyes darting around for anything that could provide an answer. But the room was silent, save for the hum that echoed off the stone.
Eren walked forward, his heart pounding as he drew closer to the altar. As he stepped into the center of the chamber, an unfamiliar voice echoed in his mind.
"Welcome, First Climber."
His knees buckled slightly, and his pulse quickened. The voice wasn't audible—no, it was something in his head, a presence that somehow felt both distant and intimately close.
"This is the Tower of Trials. Only those who survive will be able to ascend. You will face many challenges. Should you fail, you will be erased from existence. Should you succeed, you will gain unimaginable power. The trials will test your every skill."
Eren blinked rapidly, his mind racing as the words of the voice echoed through him. He could feel an unfamiliar pull within himself, as if something deep inside was awakening. But what?
Before he could ponder further, a flash of light exploded from the altar, and a small, metallic disk appeared in front of him. It hovered for a moment before falling to the ground with a soft thud.
He knelt to pick it up, studying the token in his hand. It was small and heavy, engraved with intricate symbols. It had a soft glow that pulsed intermittently, almost like a heartbeat. His fingers wrapped around it, and instinctively, he felt that this was important—important enough to change his fate.
As he examined it, the voice continued, now quieter but still present.
"The token you hold is the key to your survival. You may exchange it for food, supplies, and rest, but its use is limited. Earn more tokens by completing the trials of the Tower."
A trial. Of course. He had no idea what he was getting into, but there was no turning back now.
Eren stood slowly, the weight of the token in his hand a constant reminder of the stakes. He looked around the room, his senses sharp. There were no doors, no obvious exits—only the strange altar and the glowing symbols on the walls. He could hear faint echoes of distant sounds, but there was nothing immediate that gave him answers.
He took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. The only way forward was through the trials.
A flash of light lit up the far side of the room, and a new path opened up—another door, this time larger and more imposing than the last.
Eren steeled himself and approached it cautiously, the glow of the token still warm in his hand. As his fingers brushed the edge of the doorframe, the symbols on the walls pulsed with a sudden intensity, as if acknowledging his presence.
The door swung open, and the air was thick with anticipation.
End of Chapter 1