The two of us found ourselves in a place I couldn't quite comprehend the next second. The air was impossibly still, the surroundings pristine and oddly serene.
Everything looked clean and tidy, as if the space had been meticulously crafted. Yet, it wasn't solid—not in the way a room should be. It felt like it was made of clouds, soft and intangible, and yet somehow real.
"Sit," the voice commanded, sharp and emotionless.
I hesitated but sat anyway, dropping into the strange, weightless surface. My mind was a haze, the weight of everything pressing down on me. I couldn't shake the thought that I was just a pawn, a tool for someone else's amusement.
The truth of it settled deep into my chest, making my thoughts heavy and sluggish. Part of me wanted to give up right there, to let this strange room consume me. But I couldn't. Not yet.
Seok-Hyun stood beside me, unmoving. His face betrayed nothing—no anger, no confusion, no fear. It was as if he'd already made peace with everything. I wondered, briefly, what his story was. What could make someone so detached?
The voice spoke again, breaking the silence. It carried a calm authority that grated against my frayed nerves.
"The being who trapped you, who toyed with both of you, his name is Kailus."
Kailus. The name landed like a weight in the pit of my stomach, but I barely reacted. I leaned back, crossing my arms. "And?" I said, my tone flat, almost indifferent. I didn't have the energy to feign outrage, not after everything I'd seen.
The voice ignored my disinterest and continued. "I believe you two hate him as much as we, the supreme beings, hate him."
I glanced at Seok-Hyun, expecting some kind of reaction, but he didn't flinch. His expression didn't change. I huffed, shifting my gaze back toward the emptiness. "Hate him?" I muttered under my breath. "What's the point? Doesn't change anything."
The voice paused, as if considering my words, before continuing. "The only good thing is..."
A hand—or something resembling a hand—materialized and pointed into the distance. The air shimmered, and a structure began to emerge from nothingness. A tower. Its base was massive, stretching wider than I could see, and it rose impossibly high, piercing the skies.
"That's the tower," the voice said. "Mind you, it didn't grow just because I pointed at it. It was always there. I merely made it visible."
I let out a dry laugh, shaking my head. "Of course. A magical tower. Why not?" I muttered, sarcasm dripping from my words. I didn't care. None of this felt real anymore. The people I'd tried to save were gone. The world I knew was gone. What did a tower even matter?
"You'll climb that tower," the voice continued, undeterred by my attitude. "Earn rewards step by step. And at the top lies the ultimate secret: a power that rivals Kailus himself. A world where you can live without interference from any beings. Or anything else you can imagine."
I tilted my head, narrowing my eyes. "Sounds too good to be true," I said, my tone biting. "Why not just hand us this 'ultimate power' now? Spare me the theatrics."
The voice seemed amused, though it didn't laugh. "Because power without struggle is meaningless," it said. "You'll find that out soon enough."
Seok-Hyun finally moved, his arms folding across his chest. He didn't speak, but his presence felt heavy, as though he was silently absorbing everything. I wanted to ask him what he thought, but I didn't. What would it change?
The voice continued, unbothered by the silence. "Make it to the top, and you'll have your answers. I have no control over Kailus's gifts given to you and can't take it back, but I hope you never forget who made you suffer."
Before I could respond, the clouds beneath us shifted, and the room disappeared. My stomach flipped as the world reformed around us, depositing us at the base of the tower. The ground beneath me was solid again, rough and uneven, and the air was alive with noise.
Crowds of people surrounded us, each one staring up at the massive structure with a mix of awe and fear. Some whispered to each other, while others simply stared in silence.
I crossed my arms, my gaze fixed on the towering spire above us. "Great," I muttered. "Another game. Just what I needed."
Seok-Hyun stood beside me, his face as unreadable as ever. The people around us shifted nervously, their whispers growing louder, but I ignored them. I didn't care who they were or why they were here. My eyes remained locked on the tower.
If this was my fate, so be it. I'd climb it. Not because of some promise of power or freedom, but because I refused to let Kailus win. If reaching the top meant spitting in his face, then that was exactly what I'd do.
Seok-Hyun then turned his eyes and looked at me, his piercing blue eyes softened by a hint of curiosity, and asked, "Shall we walk through the gate together?"
I glanced at the towering structure before us—a colossal gate that loomed over the crowd, its surface etched with ancient, glowing symbols. No one else dared approach it. Fear was written on their faces, their whispers hushed as they observed us.
I smirked, the challenge igniting something within me. "Let's go."
Without hesitation, we moved forward, the weight of countless eyes on our backs. The gate, massive and foreboding, seemed alive, pulsing with energy that sent a shiver down my spine. As we crossed its threshold, the air grew heavy, charged with the promise of danger and opportunity.
And then it came—a voice that echoed through the void, resonating in our very bones, deep and laced with amusement.
"Ah, so you've chosen to begin. How delightful. Welcome, Seok-Hyun, the man forged from contradictions—ice and fire, chaos and calm. And Lira, the woman who mocks fate itself, hardened by a world that never spared her a second glance. You stand here as players, yet you think you're above the game. Let's see how far your arrogance takes you, embrace your new identities which suits you two the best."
The voice faded, leaving behind an oppressive silence. I clenched my fists, my smirk fading into a determined scowl. Next to me, Seok-Hyun stood calm, his hands glowing faintly—red energy in his left, blue in his right. He gave me a sidelong glance, his expression unreadable, yet there was something there—a flicker of trust or maybe understanding.
The gate groaned shut behind us, sealing us in. The world on the other side of the gate stretched endlessly, a labyrinth of shifting landscapes and unseen dangers.
"Well," I said, breaking the silence. "This should be fun."
Seok-Hyun chuckled, a low, almost melodic sound. "If we survive."
And with that, we took our first steps into the unknown. Together.
.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.|•
Here's a character description for the two:
....
First -> Lira:
Lira stood tall, her lithe figure draped in sleek black armor that hinted at both elegance and battle-hardened resilience. Her long, dark hair flowed like a raven's wing in the wind, streaked with silvery strands that caught the light, adding an ethereal quality to her presence.
Her sharp, determined features framed striking eyes—intense and piercing, as if she could see through the soul of anyone who dared meet her gaze. She carried herself with a quiet authority, every movement purposeful, her gloved hands gripping a weapon that seemed as much a part of her as her shadow.
Her demeanor was calm yet unyielding, a storm waiting to be unleashed. Lira gave nothing away—neither fear nor doubt—as if she had already weathered a thousand storms and emerged stronger each time.
....
Next-> here's an image of Seok-Hyun in the comment:
Seok-Hyun stood like a force of nature, his presence commanding yet strangely gentle. His white hair, wild and untamed, shimmered like frost under moonlight, framing a face that could almost be called serene if not for the sharp glint of intelligence in his piercing blue eyes.
His expression carried a quiet confidence, a man who had mastered power yet remained unbound by arrogance. In his hands, two orbs of energy pulsed—one blazing red, crackling with raw, destructive force, and the other an icy blue, swirling with calm precision. The energies danced and spiraled around him, illuminating his dark, flowing coat that seemed to shift and ripple with a life of its own. He was a paradox of fire and ice, destruction and peace, his very presence whispering of untold power and a history he carried like a quiet storm.
There was a gentleness to his aura, yet it was underpinned by an undeniable strength—a man who could destroy but chose not to. Seok-Hyun was not a being of chaos or malice; he was balance, the line between order and ruin.