The sky above the Verdant Tower shimmered for a final moment before dimming into twilight. That was the tower's farewell—not dramatic, not explosive. Just a shift in mood, like a story concluding a chapter.
Ren stood at the edge of the roots and stared north.
"Next is the Veil Tower," he said, voice quieter than he intended. "That's where it gets complicated."
Kael gave a dry chuckle. "Because healing a sentient forest wasn't?"
"No," Ren replied, "because the Veil Tower doesn't follow logic. It follows... perception."
Ilis nodded. "I've heard stories. The Veil feeds on illusions. On secrets."
Meka crossed her arms, thoughtful. "Then we go in with none."
They moved at dawn.
Travel between towers wasn't straightforward. It wasn't geography—it was will. The domain itself responded to progression. As they walked, the terrain subtly shifted from green and warmth to fog and quiet. Trees thinned. Wind slowed. Sound became muffled.
The system pinged.
Approaching Veil Domain
Trial Type: Revelation
Environmental Modifier: Perception Disruption
System Modifiers: Truth Sense / False Memory Drift
Objective: Face What You Deny
Ren flinched. "False memory?"
Ilis inhaled deeply. "It plays with what you think is real."
A path appeared, carved not in stone or grass, but mist.
They walked in silence. The fog grew so dense it swallowed shadows. Trees bled into the gray. Occasionally, Ren saw shapes—figures standing still, watching. But every time he turned, they were gone.
Then the world shifted.
Suddenly, Ren was alone.
The mist was thicker, and everything was wrong. The system interface vanished. No ping. No voice. Just... silence.
He spun. "Kael? Ilis?"
No answer.
Panic surged. Then, something moved ahead—footsteps.
A child walked out of the fog.
Brown hair. Torn tunic. Eyes wide with hope. "You left me," the boy said.
Ren froze.
He recognized him.
It was him.
Before the village burned. Before the world shattered. Before the system. Before the towers. The boy walked closer.
"You left us all behind."
"I didn't have a choice," Ren whispered.
The boy's eyes filled with tears. "You did. You just didn't want to feel weak again."
A sound like shattering glass echoed behind him. The illusion began to crack.
Ren blinked.
He stood in a field of mirrors—dozens of them, each showing a different version of himself.
One angry.
One broken.
One cold.
One laughing, drunk on power.
Another... content. Peaceful.
Veil Domain Trial Initiated
Rule: Choose the Self That Endures
Failure Consequence: Identity Drift – Memory Instability
He stepped forward.
Each mirror whispered.
The angry version promised strength. The cold one, clarity. The broken one asked to be left alone. The peaceful one reached out with warmth.
Ren didn't pick any of them.
Instead, he turned to a mirror that was blank—and stepped inside.
There was no reflection.
Only presence.
Only now.
A sound like a chime rang deep in his chest.
Trial Passed
Veil Tower Opened
Trait Unlocked: Echo Integrity – Resistance to False Memory
Seed Path Progression: 3/5
The fog parted.
And Ren was back.
Ilis was to his left, eyes closed, still breathing through a memory. Meka held Kael's shoulder while he trembled, teeth gritted. Whatever each of them had faced—it had left a mark.
Ren walked to the tower door.
This one wasn't made of stone or wood.
It was a veil of liquid light, cascading silently, humming like breath. He touched it—and the light split around his fingers.
No resistance.
Only permission.
They stepped through.
And the world changed again.