LEONA:
The air in the tower was thick—dense with something I couldn't place. It felt wrong, almost alive, as if the building itself were breathing, waiting. The floor beneath our feet wasn't solid stone or metal, but something smoother—like slick obsidian. Each step we took echoed, unnaturally loud, against the oppressive silence.
The walls of the tower were adorned with strange carvings—ancient symbols I didn't recognize. They twisted and shifted as I stared at them, never quite staying the same for long. The deeper we went, the more oppressive the feeling became. Every inch of the tower felt like it was watching us.
We reached a wide open space after a few minutes of walking. The floor split into ten paths, one for each floor of the tower. But each path was different, each one a corridor of uncertainty, leading into the dark.
"Which one?" Ibou asked, pulling up his device to scan for any data. It flickered with static as though the tower was blocking his signals. His face was impassive, but I could see his tension. This wasn't part of the mission. This tower, its dark power, wasn't something they had anticipated.
Olamilekan stepped forward, his glowing eyes cutting through the darkness. His presence felt more commanding with each passing second. "The one that calls to us."
He walked down the path closest to him without another word. Joshua, with his usual grim resolve, followed him.
"I think we should split up," Ibou said quietly, scanning us all. "We don't know what's ahead."
I hesitated, looking down the dark paths. The thought of separating—of being alone in this place—was terrifying. But something told me this was how it had to be.
"Agreed," Joshua said. "Stay in contact through comms."
I nodded, my heart pounding in my chest. I took a different path, following the others at a safe distance. The silence was unbearable, broken only by the soft shuffle of our footsteps. It felt like we were walking deeper into the earth, like the tower was sinking into the world itself.
After a few minutes, the hallway opened up into a cavernous space. The air was colder here, biting with an icy chill that made me shiver. I looked up and saw that the ceiling disappeared into inky blackness. And then I saw it.
A massive beast stood in the center of the room.
It was unlike anything I'd ever seen. Its skin was dark, rippling with shadows that seemed to move of their own accord. Its massive body was hunched, wings stretched wide, casting long shadows against the walls. Its eyes glowed a deep crimson, piercing through the darkness as it studied us.
The Devourer.
I could feel its power pressing against me like a physical force. Its very presence threatened to crush me under the weight of its existence.
"Leona," Ibou's voice crackled through my comms, "get out of there. Now."
I didn't need to be told twice. The air seemed to vibrate as the Devourer moved. Its massive head turned slowly in my direction, and I swore I could hear the low growl of its hunger.
I darted down a side path, my heart racing as I heard its wings unfurl with a sickening crack. It was coming after me.
My hands tingled with the familiar heat of my fire magic, but I knew better than to think that would stop this thing. The power radiating from it was far beyond anything I had ever encountered.
I glanced over my shoulder and saw the creature moving faster than I thought possible, its form blurring with speed. It was faster than anything that size should be.
I ran.
But the hallway stretched on forever.
My breathing grew erratic as I pushed myself harder. The walls seemed to close in, narrowing with every step. The temperature dropped, the cold seeping into my bones. The Devourer was getting closer. I could hear it—its claws scraping against the stone floor, its wings slicing the air.
I didn't know how much longer I could keep running.
Then I saw it.
At the far end of the hall, there was a door—an exit of sorts. I pushed forward, praying it was a way out.
The Devourer's roar echoed behind me, filling the space with a deafening sound. I could feel its breath on my neck, hot and heavy, as it closed in on me. I was almost there.
Just a little farther.
I reached for the door, pulling it open, and—
I stumbled into a massive, circular arena.
The walls of the arena were high and impossibly smooth, without a single mark on them. The floor beneath me was solid, made of some strange dark stone. It was almost too perfect, too pristine.
I glanced around, disoriented, trying to catch my breath. The door slammed shut behind me, and the world felt still.
Then the ground shook.
The Devourer's massive shadow loomed over me. It had entered the arena, and I had no choice but to face it. It circled around me slowly, its eyes narrowing as it studied me. My heart pounded. The overwhelming power of the creature crushed down on me, making it hard to breathe.
"You're not getting away," I muttered under my breath.
I reached out with my fire magic, but even as I summoned the flames, I could feel the Devourer's presence overtake me. The magic flickered in my hands, unstable and weak.
Suddenly, a flash of light cut through the darkness, and I felt a wave of force knock me backward. I landed hard on the stone floor, dazed.
And there, standing in front of me, was Olamilekan. His eyes were glowing brighter than I had ever seen, and his presence seemed to fill the arena.
"Get up," he said, his voice commanding.
I pushed myself to my feet, still dazed. The Devourer was in front of us now, its massive jaws snapping. But it hesitated.
Olamilekan stepped forward, his eyes focused on the creature. The air around him seemed to bend and crackle with energy. A strange aura surrounded him, something ancient and terrifying.
The Devourer roared again, but it was different this time. The beast's eyes narrowed, its body tensing.
It was afraid.
Olamilekan raised his hand, and a blinding light surged from him. The Devourer howled, backing away, its massive wings flapping wildly. I could feel the heat of Olamilekan's power radiating off him in waves.
"Get back!" he shouted, his voice filled with a strange authority.
The Devourer froze, eyes locked on him, as if it recognized something far older and far more dangerous than itself.
And then, in an instant, it retreated, vanishing into the shadows of the arena.
Olamilekan lowered his hand, and the light dimmed. The aura around him dissipated, and he turned to face me.
"We have to keep moving," he said, his voice calm. "The tower is alive. It knows we're here."
I nodded, still shaken by what had just happened. But I didn't question
him.
We had just encountered the first of many trials.
And the Devourer was only the beginning.