Tower of god:Skybender

The night air was suffocatingly still, heavy with a silence that swallowed even the faintest whisper of life. The stars above, distant pinpricks of light, gleamed coldly, their pale brilliance a cruel mockery of the warmth they'd once offered. From the edge of a jagged cliff, Kael stood alone, a lone figure silhouetted against the sprawling darkness of the land below. The horizon stretched infinitely, the craggy terrain illuminated faintly by the silvery glow of the moon.

The cliff's rocky surface was uneven and brittle, crumbling slightly under the weight of his shifting boots. Below, the sea roared, the waves relentless as they hurled themselves against the cliffs, echoing like the frustrated cries of the damned. The sharp, salty tang of the ocean filled the air, mixing with the earthy scent of the cliffside. Every crashing wave seemed to mock his stillness, a chaotic mirror of the storm raging within him.

Kael's wings drooped lifelessly at his sides, their usual brilliance dulled to a muted gray-blue. He clenched his fists so tightly his nails bit into his palms, leaving crescent-shaped indentations that throbbed with every beat of his racing heart. The cold breeze ruffled his black hair, brushing it across his forehead, but the chill didn't bother him. It couldn't reach the fire burning in his chest.

The memory of the Underwater Hunt was still fresh—a chaotic blur of desperation, betrayal, and failure. Bam's voice echoed in his mind, soft and full of unwavering determination. He could still see his companion's outstretched hand, reaching for help that never came. The abyss had swallowed him whole, and Kael had been too weak to stop it.

"I failed you," he whispered, his voice a fragile thread swallowed by the relentless roar of the sea below.

The words hung in the air for a moment, tasting like ash on his tongue before dissolving into nothingness. His chest tightened, an unbearable weight pressing against his ribs. The memory of Bam's hope, his belief in Kael, was a knife twisting deeper with every breath.

"Why wasn't I strong enough?!" His shout pierced the silence, carried off by the wind as his voice cracked with a mixture of anger and despair.

His knees threatened to give way, but he stayed standing, his body trembling from the effort of holding himself together. He replayed the moments over and over again: Bam's determination, his trust, his sacrifice. He thought of the others—Yuri, Endorsi, Anaak, Shibisu—how they carried on, their grief buried under their own struggles. But for Kael, Bam's loss was a wound that refused to close.

He gazed out at the horizon, the stars blurring as his eyes burned with unshed tears. "You were the hope the Tower needed," he murmured, his voice breaking. "And I let you die."

His despair twisted into anger, a dark, gnawing rage that burned hotter with every passing second. If the Tower had taken Bam, Kael would take something in return. No, he would take everything.

"They'll all pay," he growled, his wings snapping open as he turned away from the edge. The cold determination in his voice was sharper than any blade.

The ground beneath his feet seemed to vibrate in response to his fury, as if the very Tower itself knew what was coming. He didn't want to climb to the top anymore. He didn't want its promises of glory or power. No, Kael would tear it apart brick by brick until there was nothing left of its wretched system.

Weeks later, on the 15th Floor, the air was thick with tension. The sprawling battlefield stretched before him, illuminated by the eerie, pulsing glow of floating crystal shards. Jagged stone pillars jutted upward like teeth, their sharp edges waiting to devour the unwary. Pools of shimmering water dotted the ground, their depths unknown and ominous.

Kael stood silently among his team, his gray-blue wings poking out of holes in his hoodie. His piercing gaze swept the arena, noting every obstacle, every potential threat. Around him, the other Regulars shifted nervously, their whispers carried on the breeze.

"The test," the administrator growled from his podium, "is called Pursuit of the Chaos Crown."

Kael barely listened. He could feel the eyes of his teammates on him—especially Sera, their Crown Bearer. She was sharp, wiry, and uncomfortably confident, her grin never quite reaching her eyes.

"You're Kael, right?" she asked, her voice dripping with curiosity. "You better not slow me down."

Kael offered no reply, his focus on the test ahead. The gong sounded, and chaos erupted.

The red team charged first, their hulking Crown Bearer swinging his massive cleaver with brutal precision. His steps thundered across the shifting platforms as he barreled toward Kael and his teammates. Behind him, two agile fighters darted forward, their movements synchronized like predators closing in on prey.

From the green team's corner, a volley of arrows rained down, their whistling trajectories unpredictable. The red team ignored the arrows, trusting their Crown Bearer to carve through the blue team before the green team could interfere. Kael's sharp eyes tracked the chaos, his muscles coiled and ready.

"Sera, get behind me!" Kael barked.

Sera hesitated, gripping the crown tightly, before diving behind a jagged column of stone. "Keep them off me!" she shouted, her voice both commanding and strained.

The hulking brute's cleaver came crashing down with a deafening roar. Kael raised his hands, shinsu swirling into Laminar Veil, forming a shimmering wall of cascading energy. The cleaver struck the barrier, the force of the impact sending ripples across its surface. Sparks of raw energy crackled as the cleaver bounced back, throwing the brute off balance.

Kael didn't waste a second. With a sharp motion, he twisted the veil into jagged shards and sent them hurtling toward the brute. The shards moved like guided missiles, cutting through the air with deadly precision. The brute roared in pain as they sliced into his exposed arms, forcing him to retreat a few steps.

The red team's two flankers capitalized on the opening, one leaping high with twin daggers aimed for Kael's chest while the other circled wide, attempting to strike at Sera. Kael's wings flared as he spun on his heel, releasing another wave of Laminar Veil. The shinsu coalesced into a spiraling dome, deflecting the daggers mid-flight and forcing the flanker to tumble awkwardly to the ground.

"Kael, left!" Sera screamed as the second flanker closed in on her position.

Kael pivoted, his hand sweeping upward to form a thin, vertical barrier. The attacker's blade clanged against it, the sound reverberating like a bell. Kael surged forward, dispersing the veil into a series of razor-thin ribbons. They danced through the air like liquid steel, coiling around the flanker's weapon and yanking it from his grasp. With a sharp thrust, Kael sent the ribbons slicing across the ground, forcing the flanker to retreat.

Above, the green team launched another barrage of arrows. One struck the edge of Kael's barrier and ricocheted harmlessly, but another grazed his arm, leaving a shallow cut. He winced but didn't falter.

The battlefield shifted again. Platforms groaned as they rose and fell, some tilting dangerously while others plunged into the pools below. One of Kael's teammates lost his footing and screamed as he plummeted into the churning water. Kael grimaced but didn't look back—there was no time for distractions.

Through the chaos, Kael's gaze locked onto something—something out of place. A door, black as void, nestled in the shadows of a jagged column. Its surface pulsed faintly, crimson veins writhing like living things. It seemed to beckon him, its dark aura promising something he couldn't yet name.

Kael's pulse quickened. Without hesitation, he grabbed Sera's wrist and pulled her toward the door.

"What the hell are you doing?!" she hissed, struggling against his grip.

"Trust me!" Kael snapped, his voice unyielding.

The hulking brute was already recovering, his roar echoing as he charged again. Kael threw open the door, revealing a swirling, grotesque substance inside—a living darkness that churned and bubbled like ink spilled into water. Its presence was overwhelming, suffocating, yet impossible to ignore.

Sera recoiled. "Are you insane?!"

Kael ignored her. The substance called to him, its whispers cutting through the cacophony of battle. His hand moved on instinct, reaching out to touch it.

The moment his fingers made contact, a searing pain shot up his arm, like fire racing through his veins. He clenched his teeth, refusing to cry out as the black substance coiled around his arm, snaking upward in intricate, chain-like patterns.

"Kael!" Sera's voice cracked with alarm, but he didn't respond.

The pain subsided, leaving behind a strange, cold weight. Kael looked down at his arm. The chains were etched into his skin, pulsing faintly with crimson light. They felt alive, humming with an ominous energy that made his shinsu feel sharper, stronger.

The hulking brute's cleaver swung toward them, forcing Kael back to the present. He stepped in front of Sera, his wings flaring wide. The chains on his arm glowed brighter as he summoned a new form of Laminar Veil. The veil erupted in jagged, crystalline shards that hovered like a storm around him.

The brute's cleaver struck the storm, but instead of deflecting, the shards converged on the weapon, shattering it into pieces. Kael thrust his hand forward, sending a wave of the shards toward the brute, who roared as the attack tore into him.

"Move!" Kael ordered, grabbing Sera's hand and pulling her out of the door's shadow.

"What is that?" Sera demanded, her voice tinged with fear.

Kael reached out. The moment his fingers touched the substance, a searing pain shot through his arm. He bit back a scream as black lines snaked up his skin, forming intricate, chain-like tattoos that coiled around his arm.

The pain subsided, leaving behind a chilling cold. The chains pulsed faintly, their presence heavy and alien.

Sera's voice was barely a whisper. "What was that?"

Before Kael could respond, the red team burst through the door. Their brute of a leader grinned, his cleaver raised high. Kael stepped forward, his wings flaring as shinsu surged around him. The chains on his arm glowed ominously, feeding the energy coursing through his veins.

The brute charged, but Kael didn't hesitate. With a flick of his wrist, he unleashed a storm of razor-sharp shinsu blades, cutting through the air with deadly precision. The brute roared in pain as he was forced back, his cleaver shattered.

Kael turned to Sera, his voice calm but firm. "Run."

She didn't argue. Together, they fled back into the shifting chaos of the battlefield. The black door vanished behind them, its presence erased as if it had never been. But the chains remained, a chilling reminder of the power Kael had claimed—and the cost it would demand.