Dawn Tower

September 15th, 2025, Clear skies.As usual, Jack sat in front of his laptop, typing out code that no one else would understand.After a while, he stretched and yawned."Mission accomplished!" he exclaimed.He had been working for months on a project to crack car electronic keys, and now it was finally done! This software could bypass vehicle security and start any car—though it wasn't exactly legal, it was profitable enough for Jack to feel satisfied.Jack stood up and pulled the curtains in his living room open. Having been cooped up in his room for so long, the sunlight outside felt blinding."This software will sell like hotcakes on the dark web. I can finally take that vacation I've been dreaming about," Jack said as he gazed longingly at the view.Ding-dong~ Ding-dong~The doorbell rang!Jack turned toward the door in surprise. Since moving in, the doorbell had never rung, and its sudden chime made him a bit uneasy."Who is it?" Jack asked cautiously."Delivery," came the voice of the delivery driver from outside."Delivery? You've got the wrong address. I didn't order anything," Jack frowned. He never bought anything online, and he took great care to keep his digital footprint minimal. So how could a package just show up?"Sir, the address is correct," the driver insisted."Alright, leave it at the door then," Jack said, still suspicious. For safety, he decided to have the driver leave the package outside.Jack watched through the peephole as the delivery driver left before opening the door.He brought the package inside and shook it. There was definitely something inside.After opening the small box, Jack found a black card. He studied it for a moment. It was made of some metallic material that he couldn't quite identify. The card had a spinning top-like design on it, intricately detailed, and on the back, a string of numbers: "6911.""ID 6911?" Jack muttered, reading the digits aloud.As he thought it over, he noticed there was also an envelope at the bottom of the box.Inside the envelope was a piece of parchment.The parchment read: "The end of days is approaching. Please take the card to the specified location."There was also a set of coordinates written on it—longitude and latitude.Jack sighed. "Whoever's behind this is really into pranks." He tossed the card and parchment aside. He was more focused on whether his software would sell on the dark web, making him rich and allowing him to enjoy a carefree vacation.But just then, something triggered a memory. About a year ago, he had bought a membership to something called "The Tower of Dawn" on the dark web. The product description read: "When darkness falls, the Tower of Dawn will be the last light."Price: 0.1 BTC.Cheap and tempting, he had clicked "buy" out of curiosity. But now, the situation felt... eerie. He hadn't entered any personal info when making the purchase. How had it come to him?Jack, growing increasingly curious, searched for the "Tower of Dawn" again—only to find that it had vanished from the dark web.A chill ran down his spine. The arrival of the mysterious black card was no coincidence.But vacation was still on his mind. He shrugged and figured he could go check it out. After all, what harm could there be? He noted down the coordinates on the parchment.Jack quickly took a shower and tidied up. Staring at his reflection in the mirror, he sighed. He was 25 but looked like he was already 30. Late-night coding sessions had taken their toll.After spending over half an hour on grooming, Jack packed up. His laptop, phone, clothes, wallet, and—of course— the black card.His food stash had already been exhausted, so he planned to grab some supplies at a store once he arrived.It was now 9 a.m. Jack took a taxi to the airport, bought a ticket, and boarded the plane. The flight landed at 1 p.m.Stepping off the plane, Jack looked around at the unfamiliar city. It was like a vacation, like an adventure, and yet it also felt like he was wandering aimlessly.Assuming the "end of days" was real—better safe than sorry—he stopped at a large supermarket and stocked up on food: ready meals, energy bars, chocolate, beef jerky, bottled water, etc. He also bought two rolling suitcases to carry everything.By the time he left the store, he was hauling two suitcases and a backpack—quite the sight. To any onlookers, he probably looked crazy, but Jack knew exactly what he was doing. Even if something went wrong, he would have enough supplies to last a while.He checked the map, pinpointed the location, and realized it was a public park. He grabbed another taxi to take him there.The driver turned around and asked, "So, where exactly are you heading with all this luggage?""Camping," Jack replied without hesitation.He wasn't about to tell anyone the truth. Not even he fully believed what was going on, and telling others would likely earn him some strange looks.When Jack reached the park at 3 p.m., he noticed a group of elderly people playing instruments, enjoying the warm afternoon. The park seemed normal—nothing out of the ordinary. Could it all just be some elaborate prank?As Jack hesitated, he spotted another man, about 30 years old, dragging a suitcase just like him. The man wore a black hat and seemed to be scanning the area.Jack felt like he understood something in that moment. He walked up to the man."Hey, are you looking for this?" Jack asked, holding up the black card.The man turned, sizing Jack up. "You believe in this stuff too?" he asked coolly.Jack smiled wryly. "Well, I had nothing better to do. Might as well treat it like a vacation. The name's Jack, and you are?""Call me Mike," the man replied shortly.Jack observed Mike closely. Despite the casual clothes, the man's muscular build and the way he carried himself hinted at military training. Jack could tell Mike was no ordinary civilian."So, Mike, any sign of this 'Tower of Dawn' yet?" Jack asked, glancing around at the ordinary park."Nothing so far. Let's keep looking," Mike said, clearly indifferent to Jack's presence.The park was situated on a small hill with ups and downs. Jack, already out of shape from sitting too much, was sweating from the effort of dragging his heavy luggage."Let's take a break," Jack panted.Mike glanced at him but didn't comment, simply sitting on the grass."By the way, Mike, how did you get your hands on the black card?" Jack asked between breaths.Mike gave him a quick glance but didn't respond, clearly not interested in chatting.After a short rest, they continued their search.By 5 p.m., they had scoured the entire park, but there was no sign of the "Tower of Dawn." No tower, no structure, not even an old temple. They had checked everywhere."Any other places we missed?" Mike asked.Jack stared at the map. They had checked every corner... except one.Wait. Could it be underground?"Mike! There's one more place we haven't checked," Jack said suddenly, his eyes lighting up."Where?""An underground shelter!"Mike's eyes narrowed. "There is an old fallout shelter here. Let's go!"With that, the two men made their way to the only underground shelter in the park...