The sound was unlike anything Reika had ever heard. It wasn't a noise meant for human ears, but a vibration that passed through her entire body, resonating in her bones and rattling her thoughts. She dropped her bag and clutched her ears, but it didn't help. Around her, the world seemed to shimmer, bending and twisting like a heat haze. Each ring of the bell shook the Earth, pressing down on all living beings.

Then the bell tolled again.

She looked up. The orange glow of the sunset vanished, replaced by a blinding white light that swallowed everything—the street, the buildings, even the people.

In the next breath, she was somewhere else.

The endless white stretched in all directions. It wasn't a room, nor a field, nor anything she could describe. Just a vast, empty expanse with no walls, no sky, no ground—yet she stood, and so did the others. Thousands of people, all as confused and terrified as she was. Their murmurs built into a panicked roar.

"What's going on?"

"Where are we?"

"Is this… death?"

Reika staggered backward, her shoes making no sound against the invisible floor. She bumped into someone—a man in a suit, clutching a briefcase as if it could save him. He didn't notice her. His eyes were wide, staring at something only he could see.

Then the voice came.

[Welcome.]

The word didn't echo. It simply existed, filling the space with a cold, mechanical authority. The crowd fell silent as the voice continued.

[Your world has been chosen. You will climb the Tower. Survive, and ascend to greatness. Fail, and descend into eternal suffering. The choice is yours.]

Reika's breath hitched. She blinked rapidly, trying to focus. Was this a dream? It didn't feel like one. The weight of the voice, the oppressive heat of the air—everything felt too real. She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.

Then, in front of her, the air seemed to ripple. A glowing rectangle appeared—faint at first, then solid, floating just in front of her face. Words scrawled themselves across the translucent screen.

[Innate Skill Acquired: "The Oracle's Tome."]

[Description: Displays the precise objectives, secrets, and solutions for each challenge. Usage: Passive. No limitations.]

Reika blinked. The words didn't go away. They hovered in her vision, as clear as any textbook. Around her, others gasped and shouted, and she realized they were seeing something too—different screens, personalized to them.

"Skill? What skill?"

"What the hell is this?"

"Why can't I close it?"

Reika stayed silent, her gaze fixed on her own screen. As the words faded, new ones appeared in their place:

[Floor 0: The Trial of Wills.]

[Objective: …]

Her heart skipped a beat. The space next to "Objective" was blank. It wasn't a glitch—this was deliberate. The other contestants seemed to notice too, their confusion turning into panic.

"What are we supposed to do?"

"Is this some kind of sick joke?"

"There's no instructions!"

But Reika's screen wasn't finished. Unlike the others, hers continued to update.

[Survive for 24 hours. Seek shelter to endure the heat. A hidden cave lies five meters west of your current position.]

Reika turned instinctively, her feet shifting toward the direction the screen had indicated. Five meters west? But how did she know which way was west? She frowned, then noticed a faint glow pulsing in her peripheral vision—a trail of light leading to an invisible point in the distance. No one else seemed to notice it.

"Hey, what's happening?" a voice shouted near her.

Reika flinched. She glanced at the people around her, their fear mirrored in their frantic movements. Some were running, some crying, others arguing over what to do. No one was looking at her. No one seemed to notice the trail of light.

Her gut told her to move. She didn't know what this was—didn't understand why she was here—but something told her that standing still would be worse. She took a step forward, following the light. Then another.

The bell tolled again, and the world began to change.

Reika quickened her pace, her breaths sharp and shallow. The air felt heavier now, hotter, as if the space itself were trying to suffocate her. Behind her, the crowd erupted into chaos. Some people stayed frozen in place, unable to comprehend the situation. Others shouted, demanding answers from the voice that didn't reply. A few had already broken off, running aimlessly into the endless white.

But the world wasn't endless anymore.

Reika glanced over her shoulder and froze mid-step. The void had started to shift. The seamless white was dissolving, replaced by a burning red sky and an arid, cracked ground that spread outward like veins. The space distorted as the heat grew more intense, rippling waves distorting the people in the distance like mirages.

"What is this?!" someone screamed.

A man nearby dropped to his knees, clutching at his throat. Another stumbled backward, his face pale as he gasped for air. Around her, the first signs of despair began to show. And yet, no one seemed to notice the faint pulsing glow leading westward.

She swallowed hard and forced herself to move. Five meters, the screen had said. She counted her steps, her eyes scanning the ground for anything—anything at all that might resemble shelter.

[Two meters remaining.]

The words flashed across her screen, urging her onward. She stumbled, her foot catching on something buried in the ground. Squinting, she realized it wasn't just cracked earth—it was sand. Fine, dry, and scorching hot. Her shoes barely shielded her from the burning surface.

"Keep moving," she muttered to herself, her voice trembling.

Another step. Then another.

And there it was.

A fissure in the sand, barely large enough for a single person to squeeze through. It didn't look like much—just a jagged, shadowed slit in the ground—but the glowing trail led straight into it.

[Hidden Shelter Discovered. Enter for protection from environmental hazards.]

Reika hesitated. She glanced back at the others. Most of them were still scrambling for answers, yelling at each other or wandering aimlessly. A few had collapsed already, unmoving. She clenched her fists.

This isn't fair.

She thought about calling out, about telling the others what she'd found. But something in her gut stopped her. She remembered the earlier announcement—the warning that failure meant suffering. Could she really trust these people? What if they tried to take the shelter from her? What if—

A scream cut through her thoughts, sharp and primal.

She turned her head sharply, just in time to see a woman collapse to the ground. Her skin was pale, her lips cracked, her eyes glassy. People rushed to her side, but it was too late.

The sand shifted beneath the woman's body, and Reika's breath caught. A faint black mist began to rise from her form, swirling upward like smoke before vanishing into the red sky.

Then, a new sound: a low, guttural howl that seemed to come from beneath the ground.

Reika stepped back instinctively. Around her, the others froze, their fear now mixed with confusion.

"What was that?" someone whispered.

The ground beneath them rumbled, faint at first but growing stronger. Cracks began to spread across the sand, and Reika felt her stomach twist.

[Warning: Environmental danger increasing. Seek shelter immediately.]

The message blinked urgently in her vision. Without another second of hesitation, she darted toward the fissure, dropping to her knees and crawling inside. The space was narrow, the walls rough and jagged, but the air immediately felt cooler. She crawled deeper, her heart pounding in her ears, until the light from outside faded completely.

It wasn't much, but it was enough.

Reika leaned against the cool stone wall, trying to steady her breathing. Her vision still swam with the faint afterimages of her screen.

[Survive for 24 hours.]

[Time Remaining: 23:47:36.]

The countdown had barely begun.

As her breathing slowed, she became aware of a faint noise—whispers, low and indistinct, echoing through the narrow cavern. She turned her head, squinting into the shadows, but saw nothing.

"Hello?" she called out softly.

The whispers stopped.

Her skin prickled. Slowly, she reached out and touched the wall beside her, feeling the rough texture beneath her fingers. It was solid. Real. But something about the air felt… wrong. Heavy, like she wasn't alone.

[Hint: Remain quiet. Movement attracts attention.]

The message appeared just as the whispers returned, louder this time.

Reika froze, her breath caught in her throat. She pressed herself against the wall, her entire body tense. The whispers grew closer, turning into low growls that echoed through the cavern like a predator stalking its prey.

And then, silence.

She didn't dare move.

[Danger has passed.]

The words calmed her, but only slightly. This was just the beginning, she realized. She glanced back at the countdown.

23 hours to go.