Everyone hesitated.
Their minds raced, their bodies tensed. Fear crept through them like an unshakable force. But they all knew—they had to muster up the courage.
Because if they didn't…
They'd be left behind.
And no one wanted that.
More than the fear of death, more than the fear of the unknown, there was another unspoken terror lingering in their minds—
How would the others see them if they backed out?
Would they be labeled a coward? Would they be the weak link? The one who held the group back?
No one wanted to be the one who broke first.
Ethan stood at the front, his body still betraying his own nerves. His forehead damp with sweat, his hands trembling slightly, but still—he stood firm.
Alice watched him, understanding that Ethan wasn't fearless. He was just forcing himself through the fear.
And that's when Ethan noticed it—a glint in Alice's eyes.
She was scared too.
She didn't want to do this.
Normally, Ethan would have ignored it, avoided looking too closely, pretended he didn't notice. But not this time.
This time, he did something different.
He reached out and gently patted Alice's head.
The gesture was small, unexpected—but warm.
"I'm sorry if this isn't the decision you like," Ethan said softly. "But don't worry. Everyone will survive. I promise."
Alice's eyes widened slightly.
It was the first time Ethan had ever tried to comfort her.
For a moment, her fear didn't disappear, but something else eased inside her—a sense of warmth, trust.
A small, nervous smile spread across her face before she nodded.
Samuel, Milo, and Nathan weren't much different. They were scared.Who wouldn't be? But they had to face it now.
Nathan finally broke the silence.
"Alright. Enough pondering. Let's get moving."
Ethan and the others nodded.
Then, one by one, they started climbing the stairs toward Phase 5.
That's when they realized—
They had to manually climb.
There was no magical teleportation, no instant transition. The stairway stretched above them endlessly, spiraling upward into the unknown.
And then, just as they were about to begin the ascent, Victor's voice rang out.
"My fellow comrades…"
His tone was mockingly dramatic, like he was enjoying this moment far too much.
"There is an elevator that activates just before sunrise. It allows us to climb to higher phases without much effort."
Silence.
Everyone turned to look at him.
Milo was the first to react. "Oh! Finally, you gave us some good information!"
Samuel narrowed his eyes. "And you're just telling us this now?"
Victor tilted his head, his grin widening. "See? I can work with the team…"
Then his gaze flickered to Ethan.
"Right, captain?"
Ethan's breath hitched.
A sharp, unnerving chill ran down his spine.
His thoughts snarled in irritation.
"Why the fuck does he keep targeting me?"
Toby stretched his arms with a sigh. "Well, let's just keep climbing. We still have to wait, what—12 hours?—before we can even use that elevator or whatever it is."
He gestured toward the never-ending stairs ahead. "Plus, it makes sense that it only works for the upper floors. No sane person would climb a thousand floors or more."
The group nodded in agreement. Even Ethan, who was still processing Victor's weird fixation on him, knew Toby had a point.
With that, they started climbing.
The footsteps echoed softly against the walls, a rhythmic pattern of movement. No one spoke at first, too focused on the slow ascent into the unknown.
Then, suddenly—
Alice started humming.
A soft, familiar tune.
Lena's ears perked up. She recognized it.
With a small smile, she started humming along, matching Alice's rhythm.
The simple sound—calm, almost nostalgic—spread through the group like a quiet warmth.
Milo walked beside Ethan, hands in his pockets, glancing around. "Man, I can't believe we're seriously just walking up stairs right now. Feels weird after all the tension back there."
Ethan smirked slightly. "Would you rather be fighting for your life already?"
Milo dramatically shuddered. "Nooope. I take it back. This is fine."
Meanwhile, Zara was walking with Jace, her curiosity getting the best of her. "So, Jace, can you fight?"
Jace raised an eyebrow at the sudden question. "Huh?"
Zara grinned, stretching her arms. "I've always been interested in Muay Thai and boxing. Just wondering if you've got some skills."
Jace gave a small chuckle, shaking his head. "I know how to throw a punch, but I wouldn't call it 'skill.'"
Zara smirked. "Oh? So if we ever have to brawl, I shouldn't count on you?"
Jace shrugged. "If it's a fistfight, maybe. If it's some weird nightmare monster? Yeah, no promises."
Zara laughed. "Fair enough."
Further ahead, Samuel, Nathan, and Ethan walked together, maintaining their usual leadership role. But unlike before, there was a slight ease in the air. They weren't weighed down by fear—not yet.
Harper, Toby, Ivy, and Kacey had formed their own small discussion group.
Ivy grinned, turning to Toby. "So, math guy, how good are you really?"
Harper smirked. "Yeah, are you, like, a human calculator or just lucky with numbers?"
Toby rolled his eyes but smirked back."Go ahead. Try me."
Kacey thought for a moment. "Okay—what's 347 times 68?"
Toby barely paused. "23,596."
The group blinked.
Harper whistled. "Damn, that was fast."
Toby grinned. "Told you. Numbers just make sense to me."
Ivy shook her head with an amused smile. "Alright, showoff. You win."
At the very back, Derek walked beside Victor.
The silence between them felt heavy, uncomfortable.
Derek exhaled, finally breaking it. "Hey, uh… about earlier. The punch." He scratched the back of his head. "I… I got scared, alright? You were acting insane, and I just—"
Victor turned to him, still wearing that same unsettling smile."Why are you apologizing?"
Derek hesitated. "Because I lost my cool. You were pissing everyone off, but still… I shouldn't have hit you."
Victor chuckled, shaking his head. "Oh, Derek… I completely understand."
His tone was eerily calm, like he was genuinely amused rather than annoyed.
"Fear makes people do desperate things. You lashed out. It happens."
Derek's stomach twisted. Something about the way Victor said it… like he wasn't just talking about their situation, but about something much deeper.
Derek swallowed. "Right… well… just wanted to clear that up."
Victor smiled wider, his eyes never breaking contact. "Of course. No hard feelings."
Derek didn't respond.
He didn't know why, but something about Victor's reaction unsettled him even more than before.
So, he stopped talking.
And they kept walking.
Owen walked quietly among the group, his hands awkwardly fiddling at his sides.
He was scared too. Terrified, actually. But unlike the others, he didn't know how to voice it.
He wanted to talk to someone. To hold a conversation. To distract himself from his racing thoughts.
But where did he even start?
Just as he was debating whether to force himself to say something—
Zara noticed him.
With a friendly grin, she nudged Jace's arm before looking at Owen. "Hey, Owen, how'd you do during the whole supply-gathering thing?"
Owen blinked, startled. He wasn't expecting anyone to pull him into a conversation.
"Oh, uh…" He scratched his arm, trying not to sound awkward. "I think I did alright? I mean, I wasn't, like, super useful or anything, but I tried to help."
Zara smirked. "Tried? C'mon, give yourself some credit."
Owen hesitated, but the way she was looking at him—like she actually wanted to hear what he had to say—helped ease his nerves.
So, feeling a little bolder, he turned to Jace. "Actually, speaking of being useful, Jace here was pretty cool. He handled everything like a pro."
Jace gave him a side glance, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh?" Zara grinned. "Jace, are you secretly the MVP and just not telling us?"
Owen nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, seriously! He stayed calm, handled things efficiently… honestly, it was kinda impressive."
Jace blinked, caught off guard. He wasn't used to being complimented.
"Uh… thanks?" Jace said, his voice unsure.
Zara snickered. "Damn, Owen. Didn't take you for the type to glaze someone like that."
Owen felt his face heat up. "I wasn't—! I was just saying—!"
Zara laughed, and even Jace let out a small chuckle.
Owen relaxed.
For the first time since entering this place, he didn't feel like an outsider.
The time had come.
They had reached the 5th floor.
And in front of them stood the gateway to Phase 5.
A heavy tension gripped the group. Their bodies stiffened. Their breathing grew shallow. This was it. No more discussions, no more calculations. The only thing left to do was step forward.
Ethan took the lead.
For a moment, no one moved. No one spoke. They simply stood there, their fear weighing them down like an invisible force.
Then, slowly, everyone exchanged glances.
They weren't ready.
Ethan turned toward them, scanning their uncertain, anxious faces.
His voice broke the silence.
"Is everyone ready?"
No one responded.
Except Alice.
She always followed Ethan.
She nodded immediately, without hesitation, standing at his side like she always did.
But as soon as she did, she noticed something—no one else had moved.
The way they all stood frozen, the way they looked at her—she suddenly realized…
She was out of place.
Ethan sighed.
Well… understandable.
No one was ready.
Of course they weren't.
How could anyone be?
Ethan turned back around, his hands hovering over the button.
They shook.
His fingers trembled, refusing to stay still.
His chest tightened. His breaths felt heavier.
A memory flashed through his mind—
Karlos.
Phase 0.
That moment, when they both stood before the button for the first time. That feeling of uncertainty, the rush of fear, the sheer unknown of what would happen next.
And then—Karlos had died.
Ethan squeezed his eyes shut, willing the memory away.
A drop of sweat slid down his forehead, falling—
Dripping onto the surface of the button.
Everyone tensed up.
Preparing themselves.
Their muscles locked, waiting.
Alice and Lena closed their eyes.
Riley did too, along with a few others, as if bracing for impact.
The weight of the moment was crushing.
This wasn't just stepping into a new phase—this was stepping into the unknown.
Anything could be waiting for them on the other side.
And then—
Ethan opened his eyes.
He took a deep breath.
And with one decisive motion—
He slammed the button.
Ethan's hand slammed the button.
The group braced themselves.
Waiting.
Preparing for that familiar pull of teleportation, the disorienting shift into the unknown.
But—
Nothing happened.
Instead, the button remained unresponsive. No light, no sound, no shift.
Just—silence.
And then—
Something shined.
A soft glow emerged above the desk, letters etching themselves into the surface as if being burned into existence.
Another inscription.
Ethan's eyes narrowed as he read the words in his mind.
"Only four people in one phase can be valid using this tower. More than four, and you will not be teleported."
His chest tightened.
What.
His hands clenched. His breathing sharpened.
What kind of rule was this?!
Before his mind could fully process it, before he could even think, anger surged through him—
And he kicked the desk.
Hard.
Pain shot through his foot instantly.
"FUCK—!"
Ethan staggered back, gripping his leg, his teeth grinding in frustration.
This wasn't part of the plan.
And now—they had another problem.
The sudden outburst from Ethan sent a ripple of confusion through the group.
Everyone's eyes darted toward him—toward the button that did nothing, toward the inscription that had appeared.
"What the hell just happened?" Nathan asked, stepping forward.
Ethan gritted his teeth, still holding his aching leg. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to swallow the pain and answer.
"It's the tower. There's a rule."**
The group stiffened.
"A rule?" Alice echoed, her voice uncertain.
Ethan turned back to face them, his expression dark. "Only four people can teleport at a time. More than that, and nothing happens."
Silence.
A cold, suffocating weight settled over the group.
It took a few seconds for the meaning to sink in.
And then—
Panic.
"Wait, what—?!" Milo's voice cracked. "Four people at a time? Are you serious?!"
"This is fucking crazy," Derek muttered under his breath, rubbing his face in frustration.
"No. No, no, no—" Riley shook his head, eyes wide. "At least before, we had each other! But now we're splitting up?!"
Lena clenched her fists. "This is worse than before."
Samuel exhaled sharply, trying to remain composed. But even he looked shaken. "The Tower is forcing us apart."
Harper bit her lip, glancing between everyone. "How do we even decide who goes first? And what if the first group gets in trouble? We won't even know."
Kacey ran a hand through her hair, frustration flashing in her eyes. "This shit just keeps getting worse."
Ethan's jaw tightened.
At first, they were all in this together.
Now—
Now, it was only three at a time.
Separated.
Vulnerable.
And there was nothing they could do about it.
The weight of the new rule crushed the group. The realization of being split apart, weakened, isolated sent panic spiraling through their minds.
But then—
Laughter.
Loud. Unhinged.
Victor's laughter rang through the stairwell, sharp and gleeful, as if he had just witnessed the most beautiful thing in the world.
He clutched his stomach, doubling over, his voice echoing off the walls.
"Oh—oh my God—!" he gasped between laughs. "This is—this is absolutely—magnificent!"
The others turned to him in disbelief.
"Lovely!" he continued, wiping a nonexistent tear from his eye. "Beautiful! Perfection! Oh, I couldn't have written this better myself!"
His laughter grew louder, more unstable, as he spun slightly in place, arms spread wide, like he was basking in the sheer cruelty of the moment.
"First, it traps us… then it dangles hope in front of us… and now—NOW it splits us apart! Tell me, isn't this art?!
He grinned wildly, his eyes gleaming with exhilaration.
"The Tower isn't just cruel—it's poetic!"
His cackling continued, his entire body trembling from amusement.
It was pure entertainment to him.
This wasn't fear. This wasn't dread.
This was Victor enjoying the show.
At this point, no one questioned it.
The panic, the fear, the frustration—it was all still there, but it had taken on a different shape. Not frantic, not desperate. Just sinking.
They had already accepted it.
Their fate was sealed.
It was like preparing for an exam—the kind where you haven't studied the whole year.
At first, you ignore it, push it aside. But then, the moment arrives—one day left.
Panic hits.
One day? That's not enough time—but maybe, just maybe, you can pull it off.
You tell yourself, "I can do this. I'm smart. If I just focus, I'll be fine."
Hope rises.
Then, you open the book.
And that's when it crushes you.
The weight of it all. The chapters upon chapters staring back at you, the sheer amount of things you need to know.
And just as you process the impossibility of it, in the background—
Your parents are screaming.
"If you fail, we'll beat the shit out of you!""We'll cut you out of the will!"
Lovely.
But by then—your hope has already been shattered.
You try to push through anyway. You study. You manage to learn one thing—but then another, harder topic appears.
And then another.
The time keeps slipping away.
You check the clock—the night is already here.
You start feeling dizzy. Exhausted. Your brain refuses to process more.
Until it finally hits you.
Oh, shit.Tomorrow is the exam.
And then?
You stop fighting.
You stop caring.
Not because you don't want to pass. Not because you don't fear failure.
But because you already know you've lost.
At that point, what's the use? Why struggle when the outcome is inevitable?
And so you let your fate be sealed.
You're still scared—but you don't complain anymore.
You just let it happen.
Ring a bell?
That was exactly what the group felt in this moment.
But infinitely worse.
Alice's voice was soft, hesitant.
"What now… Ethan?"
Ethan stood still.
His mind felt like it had run a marathon. It wasn't just exhaustion—it was the mental weight of everything that had happened. The past few hours had been filled with fear, calculations, decisions, regrets, memories.
And now?
Now he had to think again?
Had he ever thought this much in his life? Probably not. And now he had to keep going?
His eyelids felt heavy.
You ever pulled an all-nighter before a test, thinking you'd survive—only to realize your brain had already given up?
Yeah. That.
But Ethan couldn't afford to give up. Not now.
…
Ethan didn't say anything at first.
He just stood there, his mind grinding against itself, trying to function.
Then, finally—
He spoke.
"Let's just continue with the plan."
His voice was tired, but firm.
"Divisible by 4. There are 16 of us in total. We can explore 5, 10, 20, 25. If we divide ourselves into groups of four."
He exhaled sharply.
"Of course, we're skipping Phase 15."
That was all he could say. He didn't have the energy to explain it further, to map out every detail.
He was done thinking.
And the group?
They stiffened again.
Not out of defiance. Not out of disagreement.
They just didn't have the energy to argue back.
Instead, they just looked at Ethan, eyes heavy with unspoken hesitation.
"Is this really what you want?" Someone asked.
Ethan closed his eyes for a second.
When he opened them, his voice was quiet.
"No.
This is what the Tower wants."
The hopelessness had already settled deep within them.
But there was no time to waste.
No one wanted to stand around, overthinking it, letting the fear fester even more than it already had.
So they climbed.
With no other choice left, the groups were decided.
Phase 5 – Ethan, Lena, Milo, Riley
Milo had insisted on staying with Ethan. After that night—when he, Ethan, and Noah had talked their feelings out—Milo felt safer with him. There was an unspoken bond now, something that made him feel like he wouldn't be left behind.
But Riley had other concerns.
He didn't like the idea of Alice going with Ethan. "It's a bad idea," Riley had argued. "They'll make Milo feel out of place with their flirting or distract each other. It's better if we keep them separate."
Alice had immediately protested. "What? That's ridiculous!"
Nathan, however, kind of understood what Riley meant.
Alice wasn't happy, but ultimately, Lena ended up taking her place.
Lena had wanted to go with Ethan anyway. She didn't feel comfortable with most of the others—she wanted a sense of protection. And since Ethan had proven himself capable, he was the best choice for her.
Riley, on the other hand, wanted to go with Ethan for a different reason. He felt like he needed to discuss something privately with him during the phases. Something that had been weighing on his mind.
And just like that, the first team was set.
Phase 10 – Samuel, Jace, Victor, Owen
Samuel was the one who chose Victor for his team. Not because he wanted to—but because someone had to keep an eye on him.
He also asked Jace to join.
Jace was the strongest fighter here. If Victor tried anything—or if they encountered something dangerous—Jace would be the one person who could handle it.
Owen, on the other hand, volunteered himself. "I'll go with you guys. You might need a supply person."
Samuel had agreed. Owen wasn't the strongest, but he was reliable. And in situations like these, that mattered more than anything.
And so, the second team was set.
Phase 20 – Nathan, Ivy, Alice, Harper
Alice had wanted to stay with Ivy.
Not because she felt scared— but because Ivy was smart. If anyone could figure things out, it would be her. And since she couldn't be with Ethan or Lena, Ivy was the most solid choice.
Nathan had also insisted on taking Ivy.
Not just because she was intelligent, but because her medical knowledge was invaluable. If anyone got hurt, she could save their lives.
Harper had asked if they could join.
No one objected.
And with that, the third team was set.
Phase 25 – Kacey, Derek, Toby, Zara
The last four were the only ones left.
Toby, with his fast-thinking and calculation skills.Derek and Zara, both capable of self-defense and fighting.
And then there was Kacey.
She was injured. Exhausted.
Originally, her plan had been to stay out. She hadn't wanted to enter the tower at all.
But now?
Now, she couldn't leave anymore.
So despite her condition, she was going in.
And with that, the final team was set.
Everyone stood still, staring at one another.
This was it.
For the first time since entering this place, they were going their separate ways.
Even though they would still be in the tower, it felt like they were truly leaving each other.
The air was heavy.
No one spoke.
Until finally—
Ethan exhaled.
"Alright. Let's go."
And one by one, the groups stepped forward—disappearing into the unknown.