The rain hadn't stopped, but Donghyun barely noticed. His mind churned tangled in regrets, bitter memories, and the flicker of something close to hope. His name on that screen hadn't just been a message. If he passed this time, he wouldn't have to scrape by anymore, he'd be rich. No more nights with an empty stomach and cheaper lies.
But the memory stung sharper than the cold the empty bed, the rasping cough echoing through nights where only silence answered. If he'd had money back then, maybe she'd still be alive.
He pushed himself up and stepped off the wet streets. The city lights flickered behind the haze, distant and cold. Home wasn't much just a cramped room in a crumbling building with peeling walls and a window that didn't shut all the way. It was where people went to die slowly. His mother just went first.
Inside, the stench of mold and dust clung to him like something alive. He moved automatically, grabbing a threadbare backpack. A change of clothes. A bottle of water. Bread so stale it cracked. And last, the locket small, gold, and stupidly light for what it carried.
Each item carried weight, but none heavier than the unspoken promise buried in his heart. This was more than a trial, it was his last chance to rewrite a story marred by poverty and loss.
As he reached, the Tower's colossal gates loomed ahead, towering spires reaching into the storm-gray sky. A steady crowd of Awakeners streamed inside, their armor gleaming, voices low and confident. Donghyun stood at the edge of the throng, soaked through but steady. His heartbeat matched the distant drop of rain.
But he wasn't meant for the grand entrance.
A stern-looking guild official stepped forward, his eyes scanning the group of seven non-awakened candidates. "This way," he said curtly, leading them away from the main gate.
Donghyun followed in silence, his steps echoing against the stone walkway. The crowd's cheers and chatter faded behind him. The official stopped before a smaller archway, almost hidden in the shadow of the towering gate. A faint blue glow pulsed from within.
"Your trial doesn't begin at the main gate. This portal will take you inside the Tower's hidden passages," the official explained, producing a small, smooth stone from his pocket. It shimmered faintly, like a drop of liquid night.
He handed a stone to each of the seven. "Hold this tight. When you're ready, step through. There's no turning back once you enter."
Donghyun stared at the stone, feeling its cool weight in his palm. The glow pulsed softly, syncing with the rapid beat of his heart. The rain dripping from his hair blurred the edges of the portal's entrance, and a strange hum filled the air.
He took a deep breath, tightening his grip on the stone. One slow step-then another-until his foot crossed the threshold.
The world tilted, colors shifting and blurring. A cold breeze whispered past, carrying distant echoes of forgotten battles and whispered prayers.
Then, with a faint pop, he was inside.
The moment Donghyun stepped through the portal, the world twisted.
Colors bled into each other like wet ink in water. His feet landed on something solid, but it didn't feel like stone more like glass. The air was thicker here, humming softly with invisible threads. Everything was dim, lit only by the faint blue glow coming from the same stones they'd been given.
He staggered forward, catching himself. The others were already appearing around him, one by one, blinking as they took in their surroundings.
It wasn't a room, exactly. More like a long corridor floating in darkness, the floor barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side. The walls shimmered faintly, translucent, showing shifting shadows beyond them too fast and fluid to identify.
One of the candidates scoffed.
"Tch. Figures they'd shove us into the backdoor trial," muttered a young man with dyed silver hair and a sharp jawline. His guild badge glinted faintly under his coat--E-Rank.
Donghyun said nothing. He knew that kind of tone. He'd heard it at job interviews, at school, at the hospital people trying to hide their own fear by stepping on someone lower.
Another girl gave the silver-haired guy a side glance. She looked calmer, older-maybe early twenties. "They said it's a special entry, not a pity exam. Don't start barking before the trial begins."
Silver-hair clicked his tongue but didn't reply. Donghyun caught her looking at him briefly, her eyes flicking to the soaked clothes he still wore, then away.
There were seven of them. Three talked quietly together probably knew each other from a guild. One of them had a dagger strapped to his thigh and was fidgeting, clearly nervous. Another sat cross-legged on the floor, arms folded, eyes closed, pretending he was above it all.
No one looked at him twice. Which was better than the usual, being looked through.
The girl who spoke earlier approached. "You the guy from the screen? The one who got picked without Awakening?"
He nodded slowly.
She looked at him, not mocking-just curious. "Didn't expect you to show."
"Yes."
She huffed something between a laugh and a grunt. "okay." Then turned and walked away.
The portal behind them had closed without a sound.
Donghyun glanced down at the stone in his hand it no longer glowed. Whatever protection or teleportation it held, it was done.
Up ahead, the corridor seemed to pulse with energy. A faint voice-mechanical, cold-began to echo through the air.
[All Candidates: Prepare for Phase One.]
[Proceed Forward ]
(Author's Note:)
Hey, thanks for reading this far. I know the pacing is slow right now, but that's intentional. I'm building something that hits harder because of where it starts. If you stick around, I promise the payoff will be worth it. This is just the surface-things get darker, sharper, and a whole lot more intense. The climb has only just begun.
Appreciate every read, comment, and tap along the way. Let's rise together.