Tower 1 — Floor Twenty, The Shrouded Forum (Combat Phase)
The shadow constructs lunged the instant the shadow snapped his fingers.
They were formless at first—
misty silhouettes of children, adults, monsters, and shapes that didn't belong to any species at all.
Then they solidified just enough to kill.
Ragnor roared and rushed forward.
"ALRIGHT—BRING IT—!!"
His fist passed cleanly through one shadow—
and the shadow reformed behind him, slicing downward.
"HEY—STOP DOING THAT—!!"
Aetherion yanked him aside with a gravitational burst.
"RAGNOR, YOU CAN'T HIT THEM WITH BRUTE FORCE—!!"
Ragnor yelled back:
"I KNOW—BUT I'M STILL TRYING—!!"
Lyra fired a triple-arrow burst infused with her Constellar Mark.
The arrows split into radiant streaks mid-air—
passing through one shadow and leaving glowing cracks.
"I can damage them—
but only if I hit the core!"
Iris stabilized her breathing, activating her chrono-ring.
"Slowing their movements—now!"
The shadows twitched erratically, time pulling at their limbs.
Aetherion seized the opportunity.
"Good—! Keep the distortion steady—!"
A shadow dashed past him, slicing across his arm.
Aetherion hissed.
"These things…
ignore physical laws…"
Ragnor charged back into the fray.
"What do we do then—?!"
Lyra pointed at Rio.
"PROTECT HIM!"
Rio stood behind them, gripping his staff tight.
"I—I can cast support—just give me—"
But the shadow appeared behind him.
Silent.
Too close.
Rio froze.
"You're learning,"
the shadow whispered.
Rio shuddered, breath catching.
Iris cried out:
"R-Rio?!"
Ragnor charged.
"GET AWAY FROM HIM—!!"
The shadow vanished and reappeared perched on a cracked pillar.
Swinging his legs.
Smiling like a child on a playground.
"I'm just watching."
Lyra aimed directly at his head.
"Why target him?"
The shadow tilted his head.
"Because he's the most interesting one here."
Rio recoiled, eyes wide.
Ragnor shook with rage.
"STOP PICKING ON HIM—!!"
He leapt onto the pillar—
and his entire arm turned to shadow the moment he touched it.
Ragnor screamed.
"WHAT—WHAT IS THIS—?!"
The shadow watched calmly.
"Don't touch other people's shadows.
It's rude."
DRM finally stepped forward.
Silent.
Barefoot.
Mask glowing faintly.
The room tightened.
Reality stiffened.
The shadow's smile widened.
"So you DO care."
DRM didn't respond.
Just stood.
Watching.
The shadow hopped off the pillar.
"Well then…"
He snapped his fingers.
Every shadow construct froze—
Then unraveled into drifting black dust.
The battle ended as suddenly as it began.
Lyra gasped for air.
Iris shook violently.
Aetherion healed his cut with a cosmic pulse.
Ragnor freed his arm from the shadow residue, panting.
"Wh-What the hell was the POINT of that?!"
The shadow drifted closer.
"I wanted to test something."
Aetherion's eyes narrowed.
"A test of what?"
The shadow pointed at Rio.
"That."
Rio swallowed.
"I… I didn't do anything…"
The shadow giggled.
"You did.
You always do."
Rio trembled.
Lyra grabbed his hand protectively.
"Leave him alone."
Iris stood at Rio's other side.
"Y-Yeah!"
Aetherion stepped closer.
"You're looking for someone, aren't you?"
The shadow paused.
Smiled.
"You could say that."
Ragnor glared.
"Are you done?!"
The shadow nodded cheerfully.
"For now."
The fog thinned slightly as the system chimed:
[FLOOR TWENTY — CLEARED]
[BOSS: NONE]
[EVENT: SHADOW TEST COMPLETE]
The staircase appeared—but the shadow didn't vanish yet.
Instead, he looked at DRM.
"Until next time."
Then at Rio.
Quietly.
"You're almost remembering."
Rio's eyes widened—but he said nothing.
The shadow dissolved into fog.
Gone.
No sound.
No trace.
No aura.
Just absence.
The group stood breathless.
Ragnor broke the silence.
"…I HATE this Tower."
Lyra exhaled shakily.
"He's… terrifying."
Iris whispered:
"He's not a monster…
he's something worse…"
Aetherion's voice was low.
"And he knows Rio."
Rio kept his head down, gripping his staff so tight his knuckles turned white.
"I…
I don't know him."
He lied.
Aetherion knew it.
DRM knew it.
But they moved on.
Up the stairs.
Toward Floor 21.
Toward fate.
A final message flickered behind Rio as the fog closed:
[SHADOW PRESENCE: RETREATED]
[NAME: ████]