"Melvin… you made it back!"
As soon as Melvin heard his name, his reverie shattered and he recovered himself again. Then, he looked forward at his front and saw him.
"Principal Edrin," he called, dismissing his soul signatures, and began to approach the young, old man. After seeing the principal, relief washed over him knowing that he was back at Axiom Academy.
"You see, I brought back all my limbs, unscathed even. I consider that a successful field exercise."
"Indeed," the principal fully turned to him and nodded.
"Lest I forget," Melvin pointed his index finger at the principal as if trying to recollect something, approaching him more. "Is near-death trauma part of the curriculum? Or maybe you can make that an elective…"
The principal grinned at his words, trying to make out what Melvin was trying to mean.
"I'd be glad to sign up as an illustrator if there was one, you know," Melvin concluded.
Principal Edrin shook his head in amazement. He didn't know what the young boy had passed through in the trial zone, but he still behaved like the Melvin he knew.
On the other hand, Melvin sensed that his behavior had changed, unlike when he was still in the Opening Bastion. Maybe this was how someone felt after guaranteed success.
He paused in his steps and stared long at the neon ceiling of the hall, then scratched his hair with a thought.
'Let this feeling never stop.'
***
Melvin was now standing side by side with Principal Edrin as they currently admired a towering dark gray slab of stone, rising like a silent monument in the middle of the hall.
The stone carried faint veins of silver running through it, catching the light whenever some runes carved into it faded out.
These runes represented hundreds of names, belonging to…
"Are they the names of Climbers?" Melvin asked to be sure.
"Yes," the principal replied. "This stone slab automatically records the name of any Climber who has begun to ascend the Silver Spire. Look."
Melvin followed the direction of the principal's pointing hand, and they landed at the top of the list of names on the slab they were currently observing.
"As you can see, the names are arranged in orderly columns from top to bottom," the principal explained. "And by their sides is the representation of the step each Climber was currently in."
Melvin furrowed his brows until he saw clearly the name that was written on top.
"Ruven. Step 5," he stated, and then right before his eyes, a name that was immediately below it faded out.
His eyes widened at the occurrence and began to move down the list of names.
"So, Ruven was the only surviving Climber who was able to conquer the second step," Melvin noted.
Principal Edrin nodded at Melvin's understanding and began to explain again. But this time, his voice didn't carry satisfaction within it.
"You are right, and at the same time, you are not," he began. "Ruven is among the first set of awakeners who were detected to have flux flowing through their veins. Hence, it's agreeable he was able to ascend to this point of the Silver Spire."
"However, ascending the testament does not necessarily mean a Climber was capable of conquering the previous step."
'Huh?'
"Look," the principal moved closer, pointing at the centuries of names classified under the second step.
"If he had conquered the previous steps, according to our analogy and research findings so far, then these climbers should have joined him in the fifth step automatically."
Melvin stared at the list of names for a while, noticing a few names fade out, then returned his gaze to the principal.
"Why so? I mean, isn't everyone meant to face their own survival experiences until they find out the truth about how all these shits of mysterious changes came about?" the silver-haired boy asked.
The young old man patted the boy on the shoulder, once again admiring his sense of reasoning. However, the boy had judged the situation wrongly.
"A testament, especially an original one, can never be duplicated. For Ruven to conquer any of these steps, it means he must have found out some hidden clues that can be pieced together as time goes on. Until we solve this mystery we are in. In such a situation, the step shouldn't exist anymore since it can no longer serve as a guide."
"Slaying mythical creatures doesn't mean one has conquered a step. Besides, there's a safe way by which one can return from the Silver Spire, depending on their luck."
"And what is that way?" Melvin asked.
"As a climber explores each step, one of their ultimate goals was not only to find clues that can lead to solving this continent's mystery, but they also looked for special portals. Since you have awakened your affinity, this portal called Spatial Tears will now serve both as an anchor for entering the Silver Spire and as an exit point as well."
Melvin shook his head vigorously to gulp down the information currently provided by the principal.
"Are you saying that one does not need to fight monsters to escape that cursed place? Are you saying you can exit even without accomplishing many things?"
"Hmm," the principal sighed. "That is what our hypothesis is based on; this is not entirely a surety."
The young boy returned his gaze to the stone slab.
'Of course, there are always the lucky guys in life.'
For him, life was not fair at all. Because why will some climbers not have to pass through similar experiences like him? If what the principal said was true, he was sure some of them even appeared beside Spatial Tears and might laze about before returning.
Perhaps that's how this Ruven of a guy keeps ascending each time. But there was something that wasn't right. A concern was brimming in his mind.
"Sir, Edrin," he addressed the principal, with eyes still affixed on the stone slab. "How do you know all these?"
As Melvin asked that question, there was a brief silence.
Still not hearing from the principal, the boy turned again to him and narrowed his eyes inquisitively.
"All that you told me about conquering each step—how did you know all of it? If Ruven is the first to reach that height, how sure are you he didn't conquer other steps of the Spire?"
The boy paused and didn't wait for the principal to speak up before he continued.
"I mean, nobody, even the smart madmen, is supposed to know anything about the insides of the Silver Spire, except the flux carriers currently ascending it. Even your hypothesis is only based on their feedback, so how?"
The principal pulled a face, taken aback by the questions.
"You could have taken your questions one after another, you know," the principal said with a tone that hinted at ignorance.
'He won't give me an answer?'
"Look."
Melvin looked immediately at the stone slab, in time to catch a glimpse of a name that was currently fading out.
"Those names acting in that way simply tell us that the climber has left for the underworld," the principal stated, completely brushing away Melvin's questions.
Melvin shrugged. He thought as much.
But why was the principal trying to change the subject of the matter? Melvin tried his best not to put much thought into it, albeit it didn't fail to leave an impression on the young boy about the principal, but it was best to keep his reservations.
He brightened up, concealing his emotions perfectly before he asked again.
"But I've been assessing these names all over, but a name is missing. Don't all names here belong to all who have entered the Silver Spire, regardless of the step?"
The principal sighed. He seemed to be satisfied that Melvin didn't press on that matter. He, however, led Melvin to the second stone slab.
This stone sculpture was not as tall as the previous one, but its height overshadowed that of Melvin and the Principal joined.
"Here," the principal pointed at a single name carved into the slab.
Melvin nodded in realization.
"I see. So, I ascend alone."
After spending a few more minutes staring at the slabs, the principal turned away from the slabs and began walking deeper into the hall. Melvin hesitated for a while and soon followed him.
"It's time to tell us your experience in the trial zone," the principal informed Melvin, who trailed his steps.
Melvin scratched the back of his head and muttered. "Well, if the trial had involved something less slimy and more god-related, I'd appreciate it."