Eren stumbled to his feet, wiping the dust from his clothes as the lingering light from the monolith's explosion slowly faded. The floor had returned to its eerie silence, the blinding brilliance replaced by shadows that seemed to pulse in the wake of the energy burst.
His heart raced as he scanned the area. The monolith fragments hovered in the air, vibrating faintly, their once-mysterious energy now a constant hum that filled the space. Eren's pulse quickened. What did that mean? The Tower had clearly reacted to something—him. The flood of energy felt like a warning, but a warning about what?
"Flux anomaly detected… initiate sequence…" The Tower's words echoed again, leaving a chill in Eren's chest. It was clear now. Whatever this "flux" was, it wasn't just a title. He was connected to it, whether he understood it or not.
The question that plagued him remained unanswered—what was a flux? And why had the Tower singled him out? The answers weren't coming easy. Every floor brought him closer to understanding, yet every discovery seemed to open up more questions than it closed.
Eren walked cautiously toward the center of the room, where the monolith fragments floated, suspended by an invisible force. He could feel their energy now, humming beneath his skin. It was unlike anything he'd encountered before—raw, untamed, and almost… sentient. He reached out a hand, carefully brushing his fingers against the nearest shard. The moment his skin made contact, a jolt of energy coursed through him, like a shockwave that resonated deep within his mind.
Suddenly, his vision blurred, and he staggered backward, clutching his head. Pain bloomed behind his eyes, and he could feel his thoughts scattering like leaves in a storm.
"Get… a grip…" Eren muttered through gritted teeth, forcing his breathing to steady. The pain was intense, but he couldn't afford to lose control now. Not when he was this close.
The fragments pulsed again, this time in perfect synchronization. Eren's heart raced. What is this? Before he could ponder further, a series of images flashed in his mind, too fast to fully comprehend. A vast, endless expanse of stone and metal, the faint silhouette of something ancient, towering above. A system—a presence that felt as though it was woven into the very fabric of the world. And beneath it all, something dark, watching, waiting.
The vision was gone in an instant, but the sense of foreboding remained.
Eren swallowed hard. "What was that?" he whispered to himself.
A deep voice echoed in his mind, this time more distinct, as if responding to his thoughts.
Your path is intertwined with the Tower. The power you seek… will come at a price.
The voice was not the Tower's usual disembodied command, but something older, something deeper, reverberating with ancient knowledge. The words, though cryptic, were heavy with meaning.
The fragments dropped, scattering across the floor as the energy within them stabilized. Eren's hand instinctively reached for the Insight Fragment in his pocket. It pulsed in response, reacting to the disturbance.
The Tower is responding to me, Eren thought. But why?
He clenched his fists, determination settling in. There was no time to waste. The pieces were beginning to fall into place, but they were scattered, hidden in shadows. And he would have to be the one to gather them.
With a newfound resolve, Eren began to move, his eyes scanning the landscape, his senses heightened. The floor, though seemingly still, was filled with possibilities. Whatever lay ahead, he knew it wouldn't be simple. The Tower was throwing everything at him, and it was up to him to adapt, to survive.
He couldn't afford to let his guard down—not when he had so much to uncover.
Eren's fingers brushed against his weapon, a silent promise to himself. He would fight for the truth, even if the Tower tried to hide it from him.
The path forward was uncertain, but it was his to walk. And whatever came next, Eren would face it head-on.