Golden light enveloped Ethan as he crossed the threshold. The world twisted, bent, and then snapped into clarity. He found himself standing on polished marble, a faint mist curling around his boots.
Lyra appeared beside him in a flash of light. Selene followed next, stumbling slightly. Aeloria materialized last, landing gracefully as if she had stepped through a simple doorway.
Ethan exhaled. "Everyone okay?"
Selene swatted at the mist. "Sure. If you ignore the fact that my stomach is doing somersaults."
Lyra stepped forward, eyes wide. "This place… the mana feels balanced. Controlled. Like an artificial domain."
Aeloria nodded. "Exactly. We're no longer in the physical world. The tower creates these floors from pure magic."
As they moved deeper into the hall, Ethan noticed the silence. No echoes, no drafts, no distant rumble. Just the soft hum of energy surrounding them.
At the center of the chamber floated a sun-shaped crystal the size of a carriage, spinning gently.
[Floor 1: Hall of Beginnings — Trial Active]Objective: Reach the Radiant Core and withstand its guardian.
"Well," Selene muttered, "that sounds vague and ominous."
A sound like shattering glass echoed around them. Figures emerged from the mist—humanoid shapes made of light, their forms flickering slightly.
"Construct Sentinels," Aeloria said immediately. "Basic tower guardians."
Ethan drew his sword. "Then let's start strong."
The Sentinels rushed forward. Ethan met the closest one head-on, Mana Edge igniting along his blade. His strike cut straight through the construct, which burst into motes of golden dust.
Lyra chanted a soft spell, releasing spheres of blue flame that spiraled through the air, colliding with two more Sentinels and dissolving them instantly.
Selene landed behind another, slicing it in half with a swift scissor kick, her tail flicking triumphantly.
But then the ground shifted beneath them.
Runes ignited across the marble floor, forming concentric circles.
Aeloria grabbed Ethan's arm. "Don't step on the wrong sequence!"
"What's the right one?" Ethan asked.
Aeloria stared at the glowing runes. "I… don't know yet."
The runes pulsed again—and suddenly, copies of Ethan, Lyra, Selene, and Aeloria materialized. Mirror Phantoms. Each one slightly dimmer, but perfectly mimicking their weapons and poses.
Selene groaned. "Great. Evil versions of us. Because this wasn't stressful enough."
Ethan rushed toward his phantom. Their blades clashed, sparks of golden light scattering across the floor. His phantom moved almost identically to him—but Ethan had the edge thanks to Combat Insight. He anticipated its next swing and countered, breaking its form.
"Destroy your copy before the runes complete the next cycle!" Aeloria shouted.
Lyra's phantom hurled a dark imitation of her blue flames. Lyra narrowly dodged and retaliated with a blast of pure mana, shattering the copy.
Aeloria fought elegantly, each strike precise. Her phantom dissolved with a single sweeping cut of her glowing dagger.
Selene leapt over her copy, spinning mid-air and landing both heels on its head. The phantom burst like glass.
The runes dimmed.
Ethan exhaled. "Is that it?"
"No," Aeloria said quietly. "Now comes the guardian."
The entire hall trembled as the floating sun-crystal flared. From its light stepped a towering armored knight made entirely of radiance. A sword of pure sunlight extended from its hand.
Lyra whispered, "Guardian Luminar…"
Ethan readied his sword. "Everyone stay together."
The Guardian charged.
Ethan met its blade, the impact sending a shock wave through his arms. Selene darted to the side, trying to strike its legs, but her claws passed harmlessly through its luminous armor.
Lyra unleashed a blast of blue fire. The Guardian raised his shield, absorbing the flames.
Aeloria's eyes narrowed. "Its armor is pure light. We need mixed damage—magic and physical together!"
Ethan nodded. "Like the golem. Lyra!"
She placed her hand on his sword, channeling mana into the steel. The weapon shone with swirling blue light.
The Guardian raised its blade.
Ethan sprinted forward, leaping as the knight swung. He brought the charged sword down with a roar.
The impact released a burst of radiant energy.
The Guardian froze—cracked—then shattered into a rain of golden fragments.
The hall calmed.The runes faded.The Radiant Core lowered, offering a glowing orb.
[Reward Obtained: Lightborne Fragment][Stat Boost Applied: Radiant Blessing]
Lyra smiled proudly. "We did it."
Selene stretched. "Floor one cleared. Only… what, nine hundred and ninety-nine more?"
Aeloria glanced at Ethan. "This is just the beginning. And Ethan… the tower is responding to you. Strongly."
Ethan stared at the Lightborne Fragment glowing in his hand.
He didn't know why the tower had chosen him.But he intended to find out.