ã€ŠFocusedã€‹


 The Unification of Humanity

    It had been a day like any other, people going to work and school, the smell of breakfast, and the chirping of birds filled the Earth. Some people slept in, others hadn¡¯t even gone to bed yet, the world was full of life and not a single thing was unusual about the day. It was just after lunch, around 1:30 in the afternoon when there was an earthquake, a literal earthquake. It wasn¡¯t just one city, one state, one continent, it was the entire Earth, scientists would later class the entire quake as a magnitude ten or higher. Older buildings and homes with lackluster foundation crumbled in a second. The actual quake lasted maybe ten seconds, but the damage looked like it had happened over a period of years.

    When the dust settled, people started venturing out of the previously civilized areas to look for clear areas to live in that weren¡¯t covered in debris, rubble, and ruin. The ones who left the cities saw them first, the Towers. They were impossibly high, looking as if they bent in odd ways when you tried to see the top of them ¨C which was impossible even with binoculars.

    Over the next few weeks, they were observed and tested, governments and the military, of course, oozed over it and created bases around the towers like they¡¯d been there for years. Everyone was still trying to figure out if they were a threat or not. Then, after a year of observation, something happened. While everyone was focused on the main Towers, smaller buildings appeared nearby, quite close to the Towers themselves and they looked like they were made of the same material. No one had seen when they¡¯d popped up, they just appeared.

    These structures were stone gray squares maybe 4000sqft, no windows or markings, there was nothing that stood out about them at all except the doors. The doors were ornate with rune-like script on them, the base of the doors were a dark ebony color while the runic writing faintly glowed yellow-white. It gave off a presence whenever anyone got close to it, it felt like hope and power.

    It took a month of probing before someone actually opened the door of the smaller building. The recordings of this event were shown sometimes in future schooling that focused on the new world they¡¯d found themselves in, it was one of the most pivotal, if not the most pivotal, points in recent history, it changed the world in more ways than one. The movie showed a man who would become known as the First Focused, The Liar, The Hero of the First Wave, the list was long, yet each title was well deserved.

    Lyle Dozer had been an average man before sneaking into the A.T.C. or the American Tower Compound. He was lazy, only serious when he had to be, he liked to goof around and have fun, he enjoyed travelling and, well, lying. His lies were light and fun, little white lies to people who he would never see again. When he travelled and met new people, he would give a false name, background, life story, he would create a completely new person just to see what he could get people to believe. He had been doctors of various practices, a vet, a soldier, a stuntman, you name it, Lyle had tried it. He didn¡¯t always get away with it, but he tried and enjoyed every second of it.

    In the video Lyle was walking in a uniform that fit him like he¡¯d been wearing it for years, he was whistling as if he owned the place. An officer walked by and he saluted crisply after being scolded over whistling. Then, as the officer left, the camera picked up the wicked grin on Lyle¡¯s face before he spun on his heel and went toward the building. He got to the door and started staring at the runes, hypnotized by their intricacy and faint glow. He just stood there swaying a little, the video only showing his back in front of the door which had started glowing a bit brighter.

    Guards came on screen followed by some men in white coats, they called out to him as he extended his hand and grabbed the center handle. He opened it and steam rolled out like a gentle wave, his footsteps disturbed the smoke as he took a step in. The door closed behind him, the rune light swelled then disappeared like it had swallowed the man and everyone outside went still like the video had been paused. Then, as if they¡¯d been given permission to move again, they rushed to the building. The scientists and soldiers tried to pull the door open ¨C it wouldn¡¯t budge.

    The video sped up and skipped through five hours of footage before the runes lit up red, then yellow, then dimmed again as the door opened outward this time. The video showed Lyle walking from the low steam, a face splitting smile plastered on his face and hands raised in surrender before it ended. This video only showed Lyle acquiring his Focus, as for his actual abilities, they were a well-hidden secret, most people believed that not even the Climber¡¯s Association knew the full extent of his power and how it worked.

    A lot of Focused kept their abilities a secret, but most had obvious effects ¨C a fireball here, strength there, maybe some laser beams. Lyles didn¡¯t really manifest until he was fighting and then it was as if he always had the answer to whatever they needed.

    After the first Focus was obtained governments started to realize what these devices could do and the potential of them for military and lifestyle innovations. Nations closed off from each other, again. Close allies stayed together and shared information, others becoming independent only to be swallowed by larger powers. A not so cold war started, spies sneaking into other Nation¡¯s and their towers to search for ways to sabotage it or if the Focuses in one were different form another.

    A year of hiding and skirmishing, with no one really making a true opening move, things started to settle into this state of mostly peace. Non-allies still didn¡¯t speak to each other and were hostile in certain scenarios, but those were rare these days.

    It wasn¡¯t until the Towers made their next move that the Earth really understood, as a whole, how badly they¡¯d fucked up. Doors that hadn¡¯t been there before appeared on the Towers, unable to be opened yet, but there all the same. The doors resembled the dark ones on the small building, the base was black, but the runes were different and glowed faintly green.

    These doors were studied just like the Towers were, studied as much as a stationary building and its unopenable door could be. One month after the doors appeared they morphed into large double door gates of metal, jagged and angry runes carved on them that screamed danger and stoutness. They looked to open inward, so the officers in charge started to assume the gates were there to keep something in and not out. So, although they were being created, the defenses weren¡¯t anywhere near complete when the Towers showed the Earth how ruthless they could be.

    They opened inward and monsters poured from them, beasts from fantasy, little difference in them from the lore Earth already knew, along with other gruesome beings no one had heard of or seen before. They tore through the defenses created to keep out humans and humanoids, some of the bipedal monsters having a hard time breaking through, but the larger monsters on four, six, and sometimes eight legs crawled over and plowed through walls letting the smaller monsters run rampant.

    It was as if Nations had gotten these Focuses and then forgot about the space scraping Towers that appeared before the Focusing rooms, it wasn¡¯t until years later that the Earth learned when Focuses started to be acquired a warning appeared on the doors. It had foretold the opening of the Towers; it warned of the monsters and how the Focuses were meant to save our world. Nations held this information tightly thinking they could handle whatever came out of the Tower.

    Not one Nation had thought about training these Focus users to fight anything other than other Focus users. The wake-up call was brutal and unforgiving. The years after the emergence of the monsters and their subsequent reign had been called the Decimation or the Dark Years by most. It took five years before humanity took back the areas around the Towers.

    During this time no new Focused could be created as the rooms were held deep in hostile territory. Before it was taken, however, the government funneled hundreds through the buildings to acquire every kind of Focus they could to study.

    It was found that only the person the Focus was given to could use it, sometimes the Focus was a tattoo or something unremovable. A Focus, they found, could be anything from a watch or ring to a set of clothing or full body tattoo. Size didn¡¯t necessarily mean strength only what the power affected. A ring could fire the most powerful lightning bolt ever known while a full body tattoo might just harden skin or grant strength.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Some monsters were able to be killed by Earth¡¯s weaponry, but many could not be. Their hides tougher than Kevlar, the bullets would simply sting the beasts making them angry. Hundreds of thousands died, Focused and non-Focused alike, for months humanity was pushed back, farther from the Towers, farther from the power they needed. They tried air dropping people in to get some Focuses and get out, but flying beasts took care of the sky, preventing this tactic. When the usage of the stronger monsters¡¯ parts started to be explored in hopes of crafting weapons and armor able to fight back more effectively, a scientist made a shocking discovery.

    Monsters that exhibited powers and abilities could have their cores harvested, these cores were a Focus in themselves and could be attached to anything to create a Focus useable by anyone on top of their personal Focuses. The war against the first wave finally came to a standstill, humanity strong enough to stop the push, but not enough to start taking back territory. It wasn¡¯t until they started pulling every Focused they had to fight in a desperate attempt to boost their power just enough to start winning after three years of losing.

    Lyle Dozer had been imprisoned for his actions, he had been in a cell for almost three years, questioned every day about his abilities; he gave them nothing. It took them months to even see his Focus, a tattoo that started on his tongue and poured down his throat like jagged lines of soup. He told them he had no idea what he could do, he had never tested it before being locked up. They brought him into different scenarios to try and gauge what he could do, most of the time he would just take the test and act completely human. Over time they realized he had to be lying as other people getting their Focuses were given a practice period in the room before leaving.

    It was for these reasons they let him rot for so long, his refusal to bend to their will, his apparent weakness that would only get him killed, they wanted him to break.

    When they finally let him out, he told them what he could do with three words, ¡°Win the war.¡± He said, ¡°I¡¯m strong enough to push them all back, trust me¡±. Some of the government thought that maybe he really was extremely strong, he¡¯d held out for three years without any sign of breaking. He had told them he was pretty good at boxing; at first, he didn¡¯t seem to be anything special but at the end of the war everyone had been wondering how he wasn¡¯t a world champion previously.

    The films of him ducking and weaving through monsters and shattering them with a single punch had been shown all over the world, it inspired humanity, it was the push they needed. Over the next year and a half Lyle had pushed the first generation of Focused to become such an elite fighting force they had started taking land without casualties, gaining back their homes. Among the first generation were ten who stood out, ten Climbers that could single handedly turn the tide of a losing fight. The Ten Titans became heroes and eventually the leaders of the soon to be established Climber¡¯s Association.

    When the war was won and humanity started to move back to the devastated areas that surrounded the Towers. All signs of civilization had been completely eradicated, buildings, stores, everything reduced to rubble, refuse, and monster dens. From the ashes of the nations that crumbled rose a single unified front of Humanity verse Towers. Everyone was finally working together toward a common goal, survival.

    Information was traded, training programs started, research on monsters intensified, and Focuses in general emerged and quickly changed the entire world for the better. Humanity learned much over the following years; they learned that with each monster kill a Focus would absorb part of the power held inside the core of the monster, this power would help the Focus evolve and gain strength allowing the ability to fight stronger monsters and climb higher in the Towers.

    As the Earth changed and people adapted, parts of the population emerged that didn''t want anything to do with the new world, other than the completely transformed utilities and technology that were more efficient and capable, of course. They wanted nothing to do with monsters and death, they wanted peace and stability. They moved into the central parts of the world that were far away from the Towers and walled themselves in to be protected by those who accepted the new world. This city, bigger than any two of previous Earth¡¯s combined, became known as Quondam, City of the Un-Focused.

    This did not mean there was no contact nor was there any enmity between the two, some of the older generation just didn¡¯t want to fight the monsters directly or chance another attack like so many remembered. Quondam reverted back to the way things used to be, but with much less hate. Everyone was united under the protection and peace they now found themselves in.

    New associations and secondary governments were created for the Outer Cities owned by the Focused - The Climbers Association, Focused Military, etc, making a sort of council where the heads of each branch met and decided on the next steps the Focused community would take.

    They worked together to make sure the relationship between new aged humanity and purist humanity stayed friendly. Years went by and the walls that grew around the Towers became so well defended and the Towers were so often explored and cleared that a monster hadn¡¯t escaped since humanity pushed them back into the Towers.

    In time, a decade after the Towers appeared, true paragons of power appeared and were given titles to match their accomplishments. The top one hundred climbers were given titles that would stay with them forever even after they retired. Like a Yokozuna of old, once the position was earned it could not be lost. The protection and knowledge gained from these veterans helped to create academies that trained the future generations of the outer cities, each class more knowledgeable than the previous. Of these one hundred active Titled, the top ten were known as The Titans.

    The Academies became the dividing line between old world and new, anyone could enroll, purist and new age alike. They would give you some basic training, Focus you up, then, if you wanted to stick around and train to climb? That¡¯s when the fun really started. Climbers became a little too good, reaching higher in the tower than ever before, creating newer and more powerful equipment with each floor cleared and new monster killed. It became the norm, people became complacent, all but the best and most devoted climbers started to just go through the motions.

    These climbers truly believed that, at the rate they were going, the Tower would do something to ¡°spice¡± things up again. They were too good at this now, survival for someone in the city was basically guaranteed, most people stopped training their Focuses and used them to make a living doing something safe. The Climber¡¯s Association was split, the higher divisions who knew how the Tower monsters could adapt and evolve in the middle of fights were adamant that the Tower would become more dangerous, it would scale with their power; the other, younger, half disregarded it and wanted to maintain the status quo.

    The heads of the Climber¡¯s Association may have been climbers once but the vast majority of those who worked in the offices now were the younger generation who were used to the peace as children and not needing to fight during the war, those who didn¡¯t remember what the Tower could do and what it had done.

    The office was small for the head of the Climber''s Association, but Oliver Kentwood wasn''t in it much, so he didn''t really care. It was only when he needed to have a private conversation as the room had been fitted with protections against spying and eavesdropping.

    ¡°I¡¯ve told you a hundred times, we are outvoted, we cannot take any more action than we already have. Shore up the Tower defenses and wait ¨C¡°the grizzled veteran climber spoke to the man and woman who were standing in front of his desk, too heated to sit down. The woman interrupted him while the man sucked his teeth dismissively at Oliver''s words.

    ¡°That¡¯s bullshit, Ollie, and you know it! The Tower will-¡°Oliver Kentwood, lead Climber of the Association cut her off now.

    ¡°By the Tower, Liza, what do you want me to do? Declare martial law?¡± the heat in his voice could be felt physically, Liza recoiled without thinking.

    ¡°Why not?¡± the man standing next to Liza asked. ¡°Who would stop us? Who could? Ninety out of a hundred of the active Titled are with us, all of the Titans are... who cares if the majority of the association tries to stop us¡±?

    Oliver let out a long breath, strands of his graying mane fell over his face as he put his head in his hands ¡°And if the Tower does what we expect while we¡¯re committing a fucking Coup, Dalton?!¡± He stood up and looked them both in the eye, ¡°Listen to me, and listen to me good. You are strong, we are strong, whatever comes will come and we will take it on then. All we can do is prepare for what we think is coming¡­¡± his face turned even more grim ¡°what we <u>know</u> is coming. Now get out of my fucking office, I¡¯m tired of listening to you¡±. They didn¡¯t have an official salute but after waiting a tense few moments the two nodded curtly and turned to leave.

    ¡°God help us.¡± ever since the Emergence, Oliver had faded away from his religion, but in times like this it was comforting to return to the old saying. He sat back down and stared up at the ceiling while reclining in his chair. ¡°We¡¯ll get through it; we did last time.¡± He was trying to convince himself as he knew that if the Tower wished it, it would send out horrors that the vast majority of Climbers couldn¡¯t even imagine. He looked over at the two-handed axe hanging on the wall across him and wondered if he¡¯d ever have to become the Floor-Splitter again.

 The First Test

    Today was the day, and Dorian couldn¡¯t be more excited. He was positively bouncing with energy and anticipation; literally he was bouncing on the balls of his feet in front of a guard who just gave him a knowing smile. He watched the boy for a few minutes waiting for him to calm down. Then he waited a few more minutes¡­ and a few more. The kid had a lot of pent-up energy, apparently.

    ¡°Listen kid, it won¡¯t go any faster because you¡¯re bouncing on your feet. It¡¯s better to just relax, center yourself,¡± he bent a little to meet Dorian¡¯s eyes. He was sixteen and currently in his growth spurt, but this guard was easily a head or two taller than him. ¡°it¡¯s a test, no one fails, true,¡± he continued with Dorian¡¯s full attention ¡°but the slightest hesitation at the wrong moment could change your future drastically¡±.

    Dorian gulped and looked at the guards¡¯ feet nervously, stopping his bouncing, ¡°What is¡­ what do I do in there¡±?

    ¡°No one knows really, every test is different, but it¡¯s usually a series of general things.¡± He stood straight and started to scratch his chin while he remembered his own Focusing. ¡°I had been an athlete in primary so I think it tested me more on my mental capability instead of that, it reads you and finds your deficiencies, matching you to a Focus that will help all of you grow and not just what you¡¯re strong at¡±. He pursed his lips and looked at Dorian, ¡°Well, that¡¯s what people think at least¡±.

    ¡°Great,¡± Dorian mumbled ¡°I¡¯m not good at anything¡­ can I get a Focus that helps me do¡­ everything?¡± He looked at the guard hopefully, the end of his sentence he said with emphasis.

    ¡°Everyone is good at something; you may not see it now but after your test you should have a better idea of what your strengths and weaknesses are¡±. He reached out a hand and put it on Dorian¡¯s shoulder reassuringly, ¡°just relax, you CAN¡¯T fail, there is no time limit, just keep it slow, think everything through, don¡¯t rush through words, make sure you understand the writing and its meaning completely¡­ if you have to read anything, I mean¡±.

    ¡°I, uh, ok, thank you I¡¯ll try and remember that.¡± The guard smiled, looking excited for Dorian and a little proud at calming him down.

    ¡°That¡¯s the attitude!¡± he reached out a hand ¡°my name is Guardsman Elliot Red, don¡¯t forget me when you¡¯re a top climber!¡± he laughed jovially, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a guard forever, this is just temporary, that¡¯s what they told me a couple months back.¡± The smile he gave now was a little less wide than the other.

    Too young and distracted to pick up on it, Dorian just acted normally, ¡°I don¡¯t know about a top climber but, I won¡¯t forget you, Elliot. I¡¯m Dorian Feldayne,¡± before Dorian could continue his introduction the guardsman squealed in an extremely childish way.

    ¡°Feldayne like The Feldayne Bakery? I LOVE that place, are you part of that family?¡± all traces of sadness gone from his eyes. Dorian didn¡¯t realize how much he needed this guardsman, he took his mind off the test, made him laugh, he was helping him more than he realized ¨C maybe that¡¯s why they kept him here, they recognized his talent.

    ¡°Yeah, my parents own it, my Ma specializes in sweets and my Pop makes the best bread on the continent¡±. Elliot looked at him with extreme jealousy, was that drool in the corners of his mouth?

    ¡°How are you not fat?¡± most people might find the question a little weird, but Dorian got it all the time, he laughed at it and told him the truth. He worked for them, moving boxes and bags of flour, trays of breads and cakes, Elliot couldn¡¯t believe how much a cake could weigh when Dorian told him of some of the larger ones they¡¯d made for special occasions.

    Dorian stopped for a moment to think about how weird it was for him to be so casual with someone he¡¯d just met. He wasn¡¯t a social kid really; he had a few friends he liked and didn¡¯t really pursue more. He wasn¡¯t awkward or weird, he just didn¡¯t like the hassle of trying to tiptoe around new people figuring out what they did and didn¡¯t like.

    The friends he did have, though, kept him pretty active. If it were up to him, he would sit inside all day and play games when he wasn¡¯t working. He loved to learn about fantasy lore, worlds created by others, the different creatures, loot, there was so much to learn. With the emergence of the Towers this knowledge became more mainstream because of the fact that these horrors, ancient ruins and maps, treasure, it was all real now and literature

    He played video games, board games, read books, and trolled the internet; when he got into one of those dark holes of web searching where he was up until four a.m. the only people that could stop him were his two best friends or his family. When he wasn¡¯t focused on one thing his mind ran a million miles a minute. One voice spitting all of his thoughts at him like he wasn¡¯t currently thinking them, another voice telling that other voice to shut up, a third trying to block out the song currently stuck in his head.

    The hours of reading and learning about what he loved paired with the simple act of being near his friends distracted him enough to keep him in the now. He did, however, complain when they dragged him outside to do something along the lines of training. They wanted to be top climbers, so they trained for it¡­ and they brought him along. More like forced him if he had to be honest. He wasn¡¯t sure why they liked him so much; he was kind of unmotivated¡­ ok a lot of unmotivated but, he could admit that when he was doing something he enjoyed he gave it his all and then some.

    He always thought that one of the reasons he didn¡¯t play sports more seriously was because he gave his all¡­ all the time. In practices when coaches would say half speed, he was not going half speed. He loved winning, LOVED winning, when he couldn¡¯t win or was told to not give his all, he avoided it. Not a great outlook on life he admitted openly, but it was the way he was.

    ¡°Dorian, you¡¯re up man, snap out of it.¡± Dorian heard something but was thinking about the time he broke his foot playing basketball because he refused to back down from people much better than him. That¡¯s the fastest way to get better, playing against people much more skilled than you. ¡°Dorian,¡± something touched Dorian¡¯s shoulder and he jumped, shaking his head. He focused on Elliot who smiled at him and repeated what he said, ¡°it¡¯s time, man¡±. All the nerves rushed back, and Dorian¡¯s mouth filled with saliva.

    ¡°Where can I throw up?¡± he said as his face paled. Elliot laughed but pointed over at a trashcan near the wall. Much to his dismay, Dorian threw up right there on his boots. Elliot closed his eyes and flattened his mouth into very thin line. ¡°I¡¯m.. I¡¯m sorry Elliot.¡± He said meekly, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, you just got my boots,¡± he said as he shook some of Dorian¡¯s breakfast off without looking at it. ¡°Now get in there and when you¡¯re done give me some bread to make up for this.¡± He nodded down without looking down, then he thumbed at the bathroom. ¡°Good luck, Dorian, I¡¯ll be here when you¡¯re out, of course¡±. Another forced laugh that Dorian didn¡¯t pick up on. In the bathroom he washed his mouth out with some water a few times then rubbed water on his face. He stared at the sink, the anticipation still making his stomach broil.

    Back outside the bathroom, Elliot had called for a janitor and when the janitor came in, they started talking. ¡°Another one didn¡¯t make it to the trash can?¡± he asked as the mop cart rolled squeakily.

    ¡°They almost never do.¡± Elliot lifted his boot to show the sick on it.

    ¡°Maybe we should move it closer.¡± He laughed, the mop bucket squeaking ever closer. Dorian emerged from the bathroom to sounds of laughter, but he didn¡¯t know why they laughed, he saw the janitor though and assumed it was something about him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just go in, then.¡± He moved for the door when Elliot called out to him and wished him luck one more time, the janitor giggled as he used the mop to clean off Elliot''s boots when he had turned away. Dorian pulled his gaze away and stared at the door; it looked like it would be heavy, but it swung open as easily as a hinge door from a cowboy movie. Through the doorway was just a stone hallway, nothing ominous or dangerous looking about it but Dorian was nervous all the same. Steeling himself, he took two steps over the threshold and the door closed behind him as if it were on a, well, on a hinge.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    The lights didn¡¯t change, the door didn¡¯t lock forebodingly with a thunk, it was just a dim hallway that went one way, straight, so, Dorian went straight. After a few minutes the hallway opened into an equally plain room with a little more light than the hall had had. There was nothing in the room except a plain looking bed. A sanded down, brown, wooden frame, thin mattress, white sheets that looked freshly cleaned, and a single pillow. Dorian was extremely confused; he looked around the room trying to see anything to indicate a direction he should go. There was nothing in the room except a bed and walls.

    He grunted and lifted an eyebrow as he thought. Obviously, he was supposed to lay down, but¡­ why? Did he need rest before the test? He smiled at the rhyme he¡¯d made unintentionally before returning to the previous train of thought. ¡°I guess I just have to take a nap¡­¡±. If he was being totally honest, he wasn¡¯t that mad about it. He felt crappy still and laying down might be nice, if the test came and he had to run or something he would most likely throw up again. He walked over to the bed slowly moving the pillow, then the sheets, and finally knocking on the frame to see if there were any surprises or traps. He found none for he took off his sneakers and laid down in the bed.

    Dorian had laid down and faded immediately, not fell asleep, faded away like smoke drifting into the wind. He didn¡¯t feel tired; he hadn¡¯t even shifted positions to get comfortable before he was just out. He opened his eyes and knew he wasn¡¯t on the bed anymore because the ground was hard, no sign of the bed he was on previously. He also noticed that he no longer felt sick, so that was a plus. He was trying to figure out what had happened when he realized the fact he was on the floor; which meant someone came in and moved him as he slept, or passed out? He wasn¡¯t sure.

    He stood up and looked around, immediately noticing the tables filled with objects on them, the tables surrounded him and the items themselves looked to be completely random, nothing alike about them in the slightest. He realized pretty quickly that there were Focuses. Each item was unique and correlated to a different power or ability that was chosen for the tester, it looked like Dorian had a plethora to choose from. This room was supposed to give everyone their first Focus which was formed for the user so perfectly it would start with a 100% bond rate compared to future Focuses that couldn¡¯t match that until the owner used it enough to increase the bond. Even then a non-natural Focus could get maybe 80% mastery. These Focuses could range from weapons and jewelry to mundane objects like a coil of rope and¡­ was that a cup of water?

    He was slowly looking at the objects as he walked closer seeing each item in detail. There were no descriptions but instinctively he had a general idea of what each did when he looked at them. It was an odd feeling, like scrolling over an item in a video game; he had the knowledge when he saw it, but it went away went he focused on something else. The water was¡­ amazing¡­ in the video game world it would be labelled as overpowered in an instant.

    When you drank the water, it melded into your body and let you use water in a certain area around you as a weapon. Dorian¡¯s jaw dropped at this, and he almost reached out to grab it when another bit of info mentally jumped out at him. When he chose one, he could test the powers out and decide, at the end, which he wanted. He thought he would take a test and then a Focus would just appear, he didn¡¯t know he¡¯d get options, he''d never heard anything about that before. The smile that Dorian grew was so wide the tops of his cheeks crept into his vision. It was going to be a long test, and not like the ones in primary school, it was one he was going to enjoy very much.

    Dorian didn¡¯t lose track of time; he lost all concept of time when he first started testing. The water he tested first was powerful but after the little beams he made passed a certain distance from him they fell apart pretty quickly, there weren¡¯t any bodies of water to jump in, but he was sure he could water walk or breath underwater with it. He created and carried out basic tests anyone would try and then outlandish ones that most people wouldn¡¯t even think of.

    He held rocks and created a quickly spinning vortex to erode it down, the rocks in the water he couldn¡¯t control but if he made the water hold onto them he could whip it and throw them like shotgun pellets. The water was put on his list of maybes, but he had found other amazing Focuses and started trying them as well. A shield with absorb and release capability, he could smash it against a wall and use that as a secret surprise before absorbing something stronger; he would have to learn to use a shield though. The rope on the table extended and retracted on its own and was extremely durable.

    The strength of Focuses like jewelry that granted things like night vision, stat boosts, and shields weren¡¯t really calculable until you had a Focus that measured it; then you could see a set of numbers to track your progress. How much damage your barrier could take, you state ranges, things of that nature. Skin hardening rings and amulets, elemental control items like the water, a necklace that gave him a powerful sonic attack almost got him before he saw another table in the back with only four items on it. He didn¡¯t know why he hadn¡¯t seen it before; he just knew he hadn¡¯t found anything he wanted yet, he hadn¡¯t found or seen anything that called to him. Everything he heard and read said the Focus would match the person, it would choose them, so why did he have so many. "I''m not good at anything so I need something that does everything" he remembered saying that to Elliot, he hadn''t found anything that would let him do it all.

    He had tried easily fifty different powers and liked some of them but didn¡¯t feel connected to any of them. He didn¡¯t really have a path he thought about following except helping his friends; so, these minimal range powers that he wouldn¡¯t be able to cover them with wouldn¡¯t work. It was as he thought this that he saw the newest table; with a slight inaudible call it pulled Dorian toward it. It was like waking up to freshly baked goods, the smell practically carried you to the confections, this was like being slowly dragged toward power.

    There were four items, a pair of void black, glass-looking, eyeball size orbs, a ball of what looked like yarn, a horn, and a black box maybe two feet in length. These items, when he looked at them, did tell him what they did but not in the same way as the others. These items were different, special, he knew that if he chose one that would be it, he couldn¡¯t test them he could only choose one. These Focuses were powerful, different than all the rest, they would bond themselves so deeply into the host you wouldn¡¯t be able to remove them. It was common knowledge that someone could use as many Focuses as they wanted as long as they were compatible, and they couldn¡¯t be in the same place as another Focus. With a larger Focus so deeply rooted into someone the use of other Focuses was basically impossible.

    He focused on each item taking in their powers and descriptions, reading each word very carefully. The orbs were¡­ eyes. They would be his new eyes and with them he would have the power to use any shadow he looked at as a spear. The possibilities were endless, defense, support, offense; he could instantly think of a dozen ways for each with this power. The limitations though¡­ if he couldn¡¯t see, if someone used light and got rid of the shadow¡­ he could find solutions to these problems, but he kept it at the fourth spot for now.

    The yarn was extremely strong wire that would merge with his body and let him use it however he wished. This was hands down better than the eyes in Dorian¡¯s opinion, that same number of options with way less drawbacks. He could think of drawbacks but without more details he wouldn¡¯t know if those were the only ones or if they were things he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about.

    The horn would let him summon animals and monsters. This was also very cool, but he put it in the third spot under the eyes. He would need to bond with the animals, it would take time to call them, they would need to be there to actually help him so if someone stopped him from summoning¡­ he wouldn¡¯t choose that one. He also couldn¡¯t have an animal he loved get hurt or die in front of him. When his childhood cat died, he was inconsolable for a week.

    The box wasn¡¯t open, and he didn¡¯t know where the items inside would go on him but the powers it said it would give him were definitely the best out of the four. Barriers. Whatever was in the box would let him create and manipulate barriers, he didn¡¯t know if they were translucent, how big they were, anything about them except he could create them. Even if the barriers were the size of his hand the uses were literally endless. Armor, traps, attacks, support, he could do absolutely anything. He picked it before realizing he picked it.

    The box opened up and bones flowed out of it shifting into the shape of a humanoid skeleton. Some kind of magic fuckery had to be happening because the box was definitely not big enough to hold all of those. Dorian watched, transfixed by the runes carving themselves onto the bones. They started to glow red hot and etched themselves into the pale-yellow leaving behind intrinsic black lines. Then, Dorian was lifted into the air by some invisible force, his arms and legs were pulled apart and he floated in the air in an X. He went from excited to extremely panicked so fast he got whiplash. ¡°Hey, whoa! Hold on, what¡¯s going on¡­¡± the bones started floating toward him and he tried to struggle against the immovable force holding him.

    He tried so hard to move even the slightest bit, but he didn¡¯t shift even a single iota. ¡°STOP!¡± he screamed ¡°Help me! ELLIOT!!¡± he screamed for his parents, Gods he didn¡¯t really believe in, imaginary friends that had faded away years ago. Fourteen years of primary school, one of ¡°discovery¡± and now in his sixteenth year he was going to die, alone, in the testing chamber. As far as he knew he would be the first to die in the chamber, he''d be remembered forever - he pulled his thoughts back to the present and screamed again.

 Ninety-Nine More

    The approach of the bones was slow and inevitable, they inched toward him like the tears that slowly rolling down his cheeks. When they got within a foot of Dorian, they started smoking and glowing red again, and he was slowly turned around so his back faced the bones. The bones smoke and the runes became bright like the sun - Dorian could feel the heat on his skin grow more powerful with every second.

    ¡°Noooooo, no, no, no¡± he frantically cried, his screams had never sounded so desperate, tears freely flowing like a river after rain. He couldn¡¯t see them, but he knew the bones were inches from him, he felt the heat pouring off them. He screamed even louder, gagging on his choked sobs, the intense heat licking his back through his shirt before he felt it start to burn the cloth away. When they made contact Dorian didn¡¯t feel anything at first; he heard a sizzle. He smelled a burning steak, and then it was cold for a moment, just one moment, before it hit him like a semitruck of magnificent heat and pure pain. The scream he let out earlier, which was a personal best, was shattered as the one he let out now made his throat bleed; it sounded like three people screaming at once. He felt the bones push into his skin like a blazing knife into butter before everything just shut off.

    He woke up, screaming and flailing until he fell off of something and hit the floor which shut him up as he brought his hands to his temples. He cursed at his own foolish mistake and stood up; the phantom pain forgotten for a moment before he started twitching. ¡°Just a dream?¡± he asked himself as he saw that the bed was back in the room and that¡¯s what he fell off of. It was then he realized he was completely naked. His eyes went wide as saucers and he knew it had been no dream, he had gotten his Focus and, from what he remembered, it was one of the biggest he''d ever heard of.

    He wondered how to use it before even wondering how to get some clothes, his priorities at the moment were a little skewed; if a bystander had been watching they would comment on how quickly he accepted the fact he''d just had a skeleton burned into him. He looked around for another table or anything really when he saw, not a hallway, but a door this time. He walked over to it and cracked it a little, looking into the room. It wasn¡¯t the way out and he didn¡¯t see anyone in there, so he didn¡¯t feel too awkward walking in naked. When he was all the way into the room, the door closed like the first one had, slow and quiet. The room brightened into a sunny afternoon level and Dorian could now see the entirety of the vast room he found himself in.

    The size of a non-focused football field paired with a high ceiling. There were tables on the sides with food, water, and clothes, a bed stood near it with what looked like a door to a bathroom on the other side of it. The far side of the giant room, in which he could now see had a line of mannequins, each one looked different, it seemed as if each was unique with a different equipment loadout. Heavy armor wearing tanks with an assortment of weapons, archers, some caster looking ones, light warriors. There were maybe a hundred of them and they intimidated the hell out of him. He could see a door on the other side of them but somehow, he knew they wouldn¡¯t let him just pass by them. He walked toward the tables without taking his eyes off of the mannequins, with his current luck they would be some of those mannequins that move when your back is turned.

    He got to the clothing table first and looked at it quickly before returning his gaze to the mannequins which had not moved an inch; he let out a breath he didn¡¯t realize he was holding. He pulled on some pants and a shirt, still glancing at the dummies slowly making his way to the food table. He felt like he was closing his eyes in the shower, and something was going to grab him whenever he blinked. The food was rations made to last, jerky, dried fruit, nuts, water, things like that.

    He was starving, vomiting up his breakfast then sleeping really made him work up an appetite. He picked up some water and drank that first, not too fast but quick enough to clear half the bottle before stopping for air. He took a piece of jerky and ripped off a chunk, thinking as he chewed. He took a few cautious steps toward the dummies, as he did, one stepped forward and took up a guard stance, Dorian stepped back and so did the mannequin.

    ¡°Hmph?¡± He pursed his lips and repeated the movement; he glanced down and saw a black line that stretched the length of the room. He moved along the line and stepped forward, a corresponding mannequin copying his movement and preparing to fight. ¡°Is this for training? Do I fight one of them¡­ all of them?¡± he mulled over the possibilities mentally and then answering himself aloud. It was kind of like having two people there.

    ¡°Only one stepped up at a time so probably not all at once¡­ does everyone get training like this?¡± he sat on the bed and thought, no longer concerned about them popping up in front of him when he changed his shirt or something. He sat there eating some almonds from the table, staring at the mannequins furtively. Blowing out a breath and putting hands to knees he stood up, ¡°well, I guess I just have to figure it out by trying it. Like skipping the tutorial and banging your head against the wall trying to figure out how to play a new game¡±.

    He chose a warrior in leather, one that didn¡¯t look like he would crush Dorian with one swing or burn his hair off with a fireball, that would really stink... literally. He had an axe and mallet, and when Dorian got close, he saw the axe was blunted and padded along with the mallet. He was about to charge the mannequin when he realized he still had no idea how to actually use his Focus and powers, he stopped paying attention and turned to head back to the bed when something crashed into his back. Shocked and in pain he gasped as he flew forward onto his face and heard something clunk onto the ground behind him. The mannequin had thrown its mallet at Dorian, who, as he stood, noticed the line on the ground¡­ he thought he knew what that line meant but he didn''t realize that as soon as you passed that line, you¡¯re fighting.

    It seemed to slow down its charge as it drew closer to the prone boy. Dorian crawled backward away from it as it bent down and picked up its mallet, turned, and replaced itself in line. ¡°If you get back over the line it leaves you alone.¡± Dorian murmured, mentally making a list of things he¡¯d figured out, laying on the ground and breathing heavy. He stared up at the ceiling letting the adrenaline drain away. He stood up, his hand reaching for his back which still hurt and started to plan his next moves. Before anything though, he had to learn to use his power.

    Some amount of time went by, having no clocks or windows made it pretty tough to tell what time it was, or if the sun was up; Dorian didn¡¯t mind though, he was locked in. Laser focused on learning his powers, defining how he would use them, then he would practice, practice, practice. He didn¡¯t know if you only had to beat one mannequin, but he decided he wanted to try and stay to defeat them all.

    The use of his Focus was more intuitive than he¡¯d thought, he didn¡¯t know how others worked but all he did was imagine the barrier forming in a spot he could see and there it was. They were translucent, not invisible; if you were looking for them you could see them pretty easily, if you didn¡¯t know what to look for, though, it might just look like an unfocused spot in your vision.

    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    He started forming different tactics and approaches to fights depending on his role, defense and support were no-brainers, there were almost too many possibilities for these two paths. But offense took a little more time. For offense he could place barriers in locations for ¡°attacks¡±, but he didn¡¯t really have anything seriously offensive yet and he couldn¡¯t think of anything. The barriers could be summoned in squares, the largest he could form at the moment was a 6ftx6ft square which could be constructed with not a little bit of effort. He hadn¡¯t tested their durability yet because he hadn¡¯t actually fought a dummy since learning his power.

    For support he developed a style that, if used correctly would cover all three aspects and then some. He started testing how quickly he could form and dissolve the barriers; little hand sized barriers could be formed almost instantly while the bigger ones could take seconds to build. He had thought of this particular style as soon as he¡¯d felt the description of the bones. He flinched at the thought of the bones; the pain had been so immense he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d ever forget it. He couldn¡¯t remember the pain itself just the memory of it, faint echoes of it that almost paralyzed just at the thought.

    After another chunk of time spent planning and practicing, Dorian stood and dusted off his pants, ¡°Oh¡­ shoes¡­¡± he looked at the table and didn¡¯t see any, he glanced at the mannequins and saw they all had boots. He grinned greedily at the thought of his first fight, first victory, and first pile of loot.

    His new method of ¡®fighting¡¯ was way, way harder than he thought it would be. ¡°Everything sounds easy in your head.¡± He groaned, wiping blood from his lip while he imagined the warrior¡¯s weapons skillfully dodging his barriers and striking his flesh with powerful thuds from his blunted and padded weapons.

    Dorian was trying to construct barriers in the trajectory of incoming attacks to block them while he moved freely, he could use this to protect allies from attacks, set up his own attacks; he could place them at opponents¡¯ feet to trip them up or at eye level for them to run into it. There were hundreds, no, thousands of possibilities, but he wasn¡¯t even close to being good enough to use this style effectively. After an uneasy first sleep, he kept thinking the mannequins would move toward him as he slept even though he knew they wouldn''t. He woke up and stretched, wincing at the bruises the mannequins left all over him, his sore muscles, an odd ache in his bones which he attributed to the phantom pain he kept experiencing after the initial bonding process. Overall, though, he felt much better than he thought he would.

    He had some water, dried fruit, and jerky for breakfast, throwing the occasional nut into the air and trying to dribble it on his barriers like a soccer player and a ball. He stared at the light warrior, it had to be him first, the dried blood on its weapons padding made it so.

    The problem was that he put a barrier in the way of one weapon and the warrior would just use the other weapon. It sounded like a simple problem but placing two barriers in two different spots in front of moving targets was, well, complicated as hell. When Dorian started trying to add the second barrier the asshole just started changing trajectories mid swing, he didn¡¯t think a human could do what it was without hurting themselves¡­ or maybe a Focused could? Whatever the case, it was bullshit and it was pissing Dorian off more than he wanted to admit. He walked out again, calmly, used to this by now; his opponent was emotionless as always.

    What had to have been days passed, the only thing Dorian had achieved was acquiring a record number of bruises and busted lips/noses/brows, he didn¡¯t think anything was broken but everything hurt so bad he really had no idea. He didn¡¯t know how he was actually still moving or how nothing was clearly broken. Due to his pain and injury he decided to stay in bed longer than usual, sleeping well into another day. When he awoke, he found that he felt noticeable better, again. Sore yes, but much better. He stood up and looked at the bed, under the pillow, lifting the sheets and mattress, then glancing under bed. "A-Ha!" The wooden frame had a soft pattern engraved into it, flowing like gentle waves rolling onto dry sand. Dorian assumed it was helping him recover at an advanced rate as he slept, there was no way he would be feeling this good otherwise. This room really was built for training, it had everything.

    He gave little thought to how long he¡¯d been there, after what felt like the first week everything blended together. In some of the video games and books he played/read there were little side dimensions where time moved slower than the real world, he imagined it was just like that. He ate another small breakfast while he lay in bed, strategizing. He wasn''t sure if the healing would work if he wasn¡¯t fully asleep, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to try. When he got up, Dorian stretched then crossed the line at a sprint, the light warrior charging right back at him in the inevitable robotic way Dorian had gotten used to seeing.

    When Dorian was almost in the warrior¡¯s range, he constructed two barriers like steps and ran up them flinging himself into the air. The faceless mannequin looked up without eyes and tried to jump backward only to stumble on a barrier at its feet. As it was falling backward it flicked its wrist and the axe flew up toward Dorian in a flash, a barrier appeared right in front of his left eye, so close to him that if he had been a second later the axe would¡¯ve cracked him right in the eye socket. He didn¡¯t flinch as it bounced off, his gaze locked onto his target, peripheral vision always alert waiting to show Dorian where his next barrier needed to go. Dorian made another barrier under the axe, catching it on the way down as he landed on top of the mannequin in a full mount.

    He made two barriers simultaneously as the mannequin tried to retaliate again but they were formed right over its forearms, they were small, so all the dummy had to do was shift its arms an inch up or down and he¡¯d be around them, but it was too late. The barrier that held the axe had disappeared as Dorian set himself, he caught it, and in one swift movement, brought it down on the dummy¡¯s face over and over again until the cracked wooden head rolled away. The axe fell to the floor and a triumphant shout filled the room. Dorian was yelling with all of his soul, a liberating yell that screamed victory and freedom.

    His smile was ludicrously huge, his lips cracked and bled slightly, but his manic greed for skill and power pushed every logical thing his mind tried to tell him away. His drive to get better oozed from him and he stared at each of the other mannequins in turn. He pulled the rugged leather boots off the defeated warrior, slipped them on and took a minute to feel how comfortable they actually were. He stood up with a content sigh and bent down to pick up the mallet, it would be much better for breaking these wood mannequins than a blunted axe. He walked back over to his living area and grabbed some jerky to eat as he walked to the bathroom. He had a small dinner, a quick sleep and then breakfast. He did his morning workout, a small routine he¡¯d created to stretch out his sore muscles which had then turned into a morning ritual with more bodyweight workouts mixed in.

    Pushups, squats, things of this nature before he spent the day fighting. He had lost all concept of time, not just because he didn¡¯t have a way to tell the time, but because he was having so much fun. He couldn¡¯t remember the last time he¡¯d had so much fun; it was how he felt when he gave his all in a sport and no one complained about it, he could be free to give it everything without feeling weird or being admonished for it.

    If he lost, he could get right back up, over and over again until he inevitably won. He looked at the mannequins again, his smile widening psychotically far as he stared at all the variants he had to beat still, he didn¡¯t even look at the exit. He couldn¡¯t leave until he¡¯d defeated them all. He locked onto his next target, an archer with a long bow as opposed to the one to its left with a short bow, ¡°Only ninety-nine more.¡± He said to himself as he charged over the line, mallet in hand, manic smile still adorning his face. He was alive, free, and unbound; he was himself.

 Reunion

    The bag that Dorian made from the cloth underclothes of some of the mannequins was completely full of, well, everything else they had been wearing. He took the things he didn¡¯t want or were too torn to wear, the stuff he did want, the little trinkets they wore that didn¡¯t have any use as far as he could tell. He had the padded weapons, which he found out after mannequin forty-seven, could be unpadded. He kept them padded however so when he did sell them, they were unchipped; someone could sharpen them from scratch. There was leather armor, well-made robes, boots, gloves, hoods and helmets, weapons and more, he took it all and walked out of there like Santa Claus.

    What he wore was a set of solid black pants with leather on the knees, the boots he¡¯d won off the first warrior he defeated, a rugged and durable pair he was used to. He had a loose white long sleeve shirt covered by a worn but well taken care of leather cuirass that extended onto the shoulders. Each side had a plain pauldron, worn but sturdy looking, and leather sleeves that came to just above the elbow; the left side went all the way down the arm and the forearm looked to have metal worked in it for defensive movements. He had a long cloak with a hood covering his features, a dagger on the back of his waist and a simple gold chain he¡¯d found on the last mannequin that he swore hadn¡¯t been there when he¡¯d started fighting it. The chain, compared to the other trinkets, felt different when he looked at it, he couldn''t figure out why, but it called to him.

    He didn¡¯t know how long it had been, but he knew he had gotten taller, facial hair was growing faster, and his body looked way more adult than it had. His muscles had become corded and lean, his movements and the way he walked screamed out that he¡¯d seen some kind of combat. He looked cautious and on guard at all times.

    He¡¯d never learned real martial arts so everything he did was self-taught; he was under no illusion that a master or real martial artist would have their way with him, but he also knew his unpredictability along with his skill with barriers would give anyone a run for their money.

    ¡°Come on Dorian, you can do this, just some people out there, nothing scary or dangerous about it.¡± He hyped himself up while not so secretly wishing for danger and scary instead of people. He tied the bag off and created a barrier for it to rest on as he mentally prepared.

    He grabbed the bag and pulled it along barriers he kept creating, they had to stay static even though he could control size he couldn¡¯t shift position after it had been made. So, he just kept making barriers and dragged the bag along them. ¡°Dragging all this out better be worth it, this bag is heavy as hell.¡± He complained as the door opened and for the first time in a long time, Dorian saw real sunlight. He took a deep breath; the air inside the training room wasn¡¯t stale or anything, but it didn¡¯t have that sweet smell that fresh air held. He stole another lung full before registering the noise he heard and preparing himself for the questions he knew would come.

    There was someone whistling nearby, a familiar tune from an old TV show. Dorian wanted to sneak out before anyone noticed him and could question him but the massive bag that seemingly floated in the air and the hooded figure that carried it. Who, also, conveniently fit the description of any thief that ever existed.

    Dorian groaned as the whistling stopped and a shout rang out, ¡°Hey! Stop right there!¡± the voice was weirdly familiar. Dorian turned to see Elliot, the guardsman who had talked him down before the test started¡­ how long ago? ¡°Who are you,¡± he eyed the bag, Dorian¡¯s attire, and the hood that covered him. Placing his hand on his own club he asked Dorian how a climber had gotten through the testing gate.

    Dorian realized what was happening, he looked like a tower climber with a bunch of loot coming from a good climb, but coming out of the testing gate from the Tower would be impossible. ¡°Did you steal that?¡± Elliot asked with a nod, toward the bag. His eyes were weary, and his hand loosely gripped his club.

    ¡°Where did you get that gear from?¡± not wanting to get into a fight, Dorian reached up and took off his hood showing a face that Elliot knew but didn¡¯t recognize completely. Elliot eyed the young adult, his face showed him to be eighteen or nineteen maybe, his dark facial hair starting to come in thicker, the boy needed to shave. His dark hair was long and needed a trim, it looked like it had just been hacked off over and over with a dagger.

    There were three scars about an inch away from each other on the left side of his face, one right by the eye, one next to the eyebrow, and the third at the top of the cheek. A metal gauntlet had caught him and cut him to the bone, the bed couldn¡¯t heal the scarring. Elliot squinted, taking in the cloak, face, and armor, he couldn¡¯t see anything else.

    ¡°Hey, Elliot, long time no see.¡± Dorian smiled at the guardsman who looked lost for another moment before visibly recoiling.

    ¡°I know you¡­ you were the kid¡­ Dorian? Dorian Feldayne! Is that REALLY you? How did you? We thought, well we thought you were¡­ I knew the testing room wouldn¡¯t have killed anyone, but it¡¯s been so long, what happened? Are you alright?¡± This is what Dorian didn¡¯t want to happen until he was home, he hated the awkward questioning and then needing to explain the same thing fourteen times. So, instead of answering he asked Elliot a question.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    ¡°What time do you get off, Elliot?¡±

    Elliot pursed his lips, I just got off, that¡¯s why I was whistli¡­ never mind that¡¯s not important, why do you want to know¡±?

    ¡°I still owe you some bread, right?¡± Dorian smiled ¡°I¡¯ll get you the bread I owe you and explain what happened to everyone all at once. If you¡¯re ok with that, that is.¡± He realized they didn¡¯t know each other, basically at all, and the only time they met he yakked all over the man¡¯s boots.

    At the mention of bread Elliot grinned greedily and licked his lips, ¡°say less, my friend,¡± Dorian didn¡¯t realize he¡¯d stopped making barriers and his bag now sat on the floor, so he was happy when Elliot grabbed one side of the bag and grunted as he helped Dorian carry it.

    Dorian could tell Elliot wanted to talk about what had happened but respectfully he walked along in silence. In the silence Elliot took Dorian in, he gawked a little as he noticed the boy wasn¡¯t struggling nearly as much as he should have been. ¡°What happened to you, kid?¡± he couldn¡¯t take it anymore, he had to ask.

    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Dorian chewed his cheek as they turned toward the auctioneer¡¯s building ¡°training I guess sums it up, the whole story, well it¡¯s long and I don¡¯t wanna tell it a million times if I¡¯m being totally honest.¡± He opened his mouth into an O shape and remembered something very important he wanted to ask. ¡°Oh, yeah, how long was I in there¡±? he asked Elliot with a smile; it was a happy one until Elliot told him.

    By the time Dorian registered the words, his body went numb. He dropped the half of the bag he was holding, some items rolling out. ¡°You¡¯re joking, right?¡± he pleaded ¡°A.. a ye.. a year and a half¡­?¡± he barely whispered it, so quiet you could hear his heart drop from his chest into his feet. He started to remember Elliot¡¯s ramblings from before, he said everyone thought he was something¡­ everyone thought he was dead. ¡°My family thinks I¡¯ve been dead for a year and half?¡± his voice rained down like shattered glass.

    Elliot was awkwardly picking up the items - Dorian hadn¡¯t moved an inch since he heard how long it had been. Without prompting, Elliot explained what had happened since Dorian walked into the testing tower. He started by telling Dorian about the longest test on record; it had been two weeks or so. After that time passed they gave him two more weeks, then another two before finally marking him as MIT, Missing in Tower. This was a first, no one had ever disappeared in the testing facility. Once the information had spread it had created a whole new curriculum at the academy. Students were trained in more survival and combat before they acquired their Focus to help them avoid Dorian¡¯s assumed fate.

    After the year had passed, they marked him KIT, Killed in Tower. Almost immediately after that announcement, the Feldayne bakery shut down for months. Elliot glanced at Dorian who was crying, not sobbing, but tears freely flowed from his eyes. ¡°When it finally opened back up it was only bread, your mother stopped making deserts, but that will probably change now!¡± he said excitedly, trying to spark a little joy in Dorian.

    Elliot saw a glimpse of the absolute pain in Dorian¡¯s eyes, he saw his heart shattering and the tears still dripping from his chin. ¡°Can you,¡± Dorian choked on the next words and cleared his throat ¡°can you take these to the auction for me¡­ I, ugh, I¡¯ve gotta go see my mom and dad¡±. Elliot didn¡¯t say anything. He put himself in Dorian¡¯s shoes and read back everything he¡¯d just said mentally.

    Realizing what he had been telling Dorian and how he said it so nonchalantly, he just blinked a few times in stunned realization before nodding and assuring Dorian he would get them to the A.H.. Then, Elliot¡¯s jaw hit the floor, bounced off the ground, and dropped again when he saw Dorian walk into the sky somehow, moving on something like invisible steps.

    When Elliot tried to make out what Dorian was stepping onto, he noticed squares of blurry air, they didn¡¯t look like they would be easy to move on, but Dorian made an art of it. He sprinted through the air toward home, the cool wind drying his face. He didn¡¯t even stop to look down at the city lit up at night, full of life like stars in the sky. He dashed over the bakery stacks, slightly smoking, the smell of the best bread in the world hit him like a physical force and he slipped in the air, fully crying now with the memories that accompanied that smell. He caught himself on a barrier and scrambled to get up and start moving again.

    He started making the barriers at an angle and slid down them like a slide toward the front door of his home located right behind the bakery. As soon as he was as close as he thought he needed to be he yelled as loud as he could, louder than he thought possible, his voice tore through the night like a gunshot.

    ¡°MOM! DAD!" -  It had barely been thirty seconds before the front door slammed open and his mother was there, eyes already gushing tears. Dorian hit the ground and scrambled from all fours into a sprint toward her, his father popping into the doorway as soon as she left it.

    ¡°Dori¡­DORIAN!¡± She got her hands on him; he¡¯d never been hugged or kissed so much. Everything was inaudible, there was crying that sounded like screaming, it was so loud neighbors started poking their heads out of windows, hands covering their mouths and fingers running under noises and eyes when they realized what was happening.

    Dorian¡¯s father walked over and helped his wife and son stand up, his mother holding her son so tightly Dorian didn¡¯t think his blood could make it to his brain. He was totally fine with that, at this moment every bone in his body could be broken and he wouldn¡¯t feel a thing except the joy of seeing his parents again. His mother just kept saying ¡°my son, my boy¡± and ¡°oh, Dorian¡± between sobs and his father was smiling wider than he¡¯d ever seen it, eyes sparkling with tears.

 Around the Table

    Waking up on something other than a bed that healed him was an odd experience but not a bad one, he felt well rested but the aches and soreness that would be lessened in the night were now present. His room was exactly the same, his mom kept telling him she knew he wasn¡¯t dead, so she didn¡¯t change a thing. When he talked to his dad he could see in his eyes that he had accepted the loss of his son but couldn¡¯t handle the thought of telling his wife. That didn¡¯t change how happy he was that Dorian was back; he had never been so glad to be wrong. There had never been so many tears in his eyes and he kept his hand on his son¡¯s shoulder most of the night as they all sat talking on the couch.

    His father had asked him for an explanation and before Dorian could answer his mother looked up at him, stopping him as she really saw the state of him. ¡°You need a haircut and¡­ do you know how to shave?¡± Dorian¡¯s face flushed and he glanced at his dad ¡°I, um, well dad¡­ I wasn¡¯t around for dad to show me¡­ and I didn¡¯t really have a razor or something, I-¡± he was rambling, he hadn¡¯t seen his mom in so long he felt like he was being reprimanded. ¡°Take that all armor off,¡± she said before making a face realizing what that kind of armor meant. ¡°You¡¯re a climber? You¡¯ve been fighting??¡± She had been holding onto him so long she must''ve not seen his face, she looked and the three jagged lines that split his face and started to tear up.

    ¡°Ma, I¡¯m fine, ok?¡± he smiled and laughed at her concern, ¡°I promise, I¡¯m ok. I¡¯m better than ok. Seriously, I¡¯m great¡±.

    She hesitantly acknowledged with a nod, but he could see the doubt in her eyes. Then, like it didn''t happen at all, she picked up her tirade over his appearance exactly where she''d left off. His mother then dragged him out back and leveled out the misshapen sliced up hair into something more manageable until he could get it cut properly. He let her take care of him, he thought it was odd to go straight for a haircut, but he didn¡¯t care, he had missed her random motherly quirks more than he would care to admit.

    She dusted off his shoulders, feeling the dirt on his shirt, "leave your clothes outside the door when you change". He nodded and stood up to go take a shower, his mother put her hands on his face. She had gotten so short, or he had gotten too tall, when she hugged him with another ¡°my boy is back¡± his arms wrapped around her so easily. She looked more than a year and a half older than when he last saw her, hair graying in places and more wrinkles, her eyes looked like they¡¯d been puffy every day since he''d been marked K.I.T..

    His dad stood in the doorway that led into the house holding some of his own clothes, happy smile unfaltering. ¡°Your clothes will probably be too short now,¡± Mr. Feldayne looked at the clothes Dorian was wearing under the armor, the loose white shirt slightly sweat stained, but the pants were in great condition. ¡°Take these and go take a shower. Are you hungry¡±? Thinking about the same jerky, nuts, and dried fruit he¡¯d eaten over the last year he shouted out a yes so quickly it didn¡¯t even sound like English.

    ¡°Haha, ok I¡¯ll whip something up while you shower.¡± his father said lightly.

    "I''ll whip something up for after." his mother followed up with a clap.

    As he showered, Dorian had realized another thing he¡¯d taken for granted¡­ real plumbing. The shower in the dungeon was freezing, even under the steaming water he shivered at the memory. He washed slowly and watched the grime swirl down the drain, he washed at least once a day in the dungeon, but it was basically just a rinse to get the sweat off; no soap or shampoo. After he washed, he sat down and let the hot water cascade down his body, pulling the steam deep into his lungs. He hadn¡¯t realized how tense he¡¯d been for the last year until it had started to melt away in the water.

    After a few minutes he turned the water off and grabbed the towel that hung next to the shower door. Wiping the foggy mirror, he took himself in; he hadn¡¯t looked in a mirror in a very long time and what he saw surprised him. He pursed his lips and nodded as if he was saying ¡°not bad¡±. His dark hair was a medium length, for now, until he cut it shorter, his face darkening with a budding beard; his father gave him his powered trimmer so he cleaned it up the best he could. He had never shaved let alone styled one.

    He barely recognized his body, chorded muscles that rippled when he flexed and moved in the right way, not a six pack but a toned torso, lithe like a stalking predator. His teeth needed some¡­ attention, they stung when he brushed them and much to his dismay he resolved himself to take his once a decade dentist visit.

    As soon as he stepped out of the soapy smelling steam filled bathroom, he closed his eyes and breathed in the greatest scent he¡¯d ever had the pleasure of smelling, a smell he used to enjoy every morning. Bread, roasted meat, and something sweet. He came downstairs to see his mother and father smiling and working together to bake and cook, his mother humming as she checked the personal apple pies in the oven. They were little hand-size pies that he¡¯d loved ever since he was, well, as long as he could remember they were his favorite. His dad kneaded dough, his wide back and thick arms worked the material with practiced ease. His Focus tattoos on his arms started at his fingertips and ended at the shoulders, red runic script that encircled both arms completely.

    He watched his mother use her focus, a tight bracelet around her left wrist, to slow time in a small area in front of her. When she was younger she was a very strong climber, she used this power to slow attacks and counter very effectively, but when she met a young man who used an extremely powerful fire focus to simply bake bread, the best bread she¡¯d ever had, she couldn¡¯t help but fall in love. ¡°Not just for the bread, but it was an excellent ice breaker.¡± His mother had always told him. Dorian watched his father put the dough in a bowl to proof and turn around to watch his wife as well, neither of his parents had noticed him yet.

    A lock of graying brown hair fell from his mother¡¯s ponytail, and she pushed it behind her ear as she smiled in triumph, asking her husband to lower the heat so they would stay warm but not crisp anymore. She stood up and dusted her hands together, his father looking at her just as happily as he looked at Dorian. Dorian remembered what Elliot said, this might be the first time she baked anything since he disappeared, he was sad at the thought but seeing her at it again made Dorian feel lighter.

    ¡°Hey, Jed, can you go get Dori- ¡°she cut off as she turned and saw him smiling at them in the entrance of the kitchen. ¡°Perfect timing, let¡¯s eat!¡± Dorian made for the table which was already set and then asked what time it was and if they hadn¡¯t eaten already.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± his dad said, taking a loaf out of the oven, he must¡¯ve walked over to the bakery and grabbed some already proofed dough earlier and was making some to replace it. ¡°First family meal in a year, we wouldn¡¯t miss it¡±! It was late, Dorian could tell, but no one was tired, they ate and talked late into the night and early into the morning. He told them about everything that happened, he didn¡¯t want to repeat himself, but he couldn¡¯t say no to his parents.

    He told them about his testing and the training, all except the part where he was the one who chose to stay there¡­ he didn¡¯t want to tell his mom that just yet¡­ or ever. He told them about his powers, his Focus, his test; neither of them had heard anything like it before. The mental area for Focus choosing and testing had been done before but another table appearing after not choosing anything and then such a long training period after was completely unheard of.

    ¡°What were your tests?¡± Dorian¡¯s question to his parents was cautious, he didn¡¯t know why he¡¯d never asked before but could always tell his father hated talking about why he never used his Focus for anything other than baking and simple things.

    His mother answered first, ¡°Well, mine started the same as yours, but when I chose my Focus it put me in a room of moving objects, each faster than the previous, and I had to slow them down to catch them. Once I had all ten I placed them into a door and it let me out. It took me about a day, maybe¡±? She spoke with no hesitation at all, his father, however, looked very apprehensive.

    He looked at his wife with an unspoken question, she looked at him softly and told him that it was ok, Dorian was old enough. He coughed and cleared his throat before he told Dorian, ¡°In my younger years I was¡­ hot-headed¡± Jed couldn¡¯t help but crack a dad-joke whenever the chance presented itself. ¡°I used my fists to fix most problems, couldn¡¯t be bothered with anything but fighting and getting my Focus so I could start climbing¡±. Dorian¡¯s face must¡¯ve looked visibly shocked because his mother laughed at him, his father was one of the gentlest people he knew.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound like him at all, does it?¡± his mother grinned, leaning her head on his shoulder, his father had a slightly forced smile on his face.

    ¡°My test gave me only one choice,¡± he looked at his forearms and the tattoos covering them. Dorian had never seen the extent of them, but he knew they went up to the shoulders, down to his chest and then a line down his spine. The stronger a focus, the larger it is usually, this wasn''t always true but it was a good indicator. His father¡¯s was one of the biggest he¡¯d heard of.

    ¡°I was elated,¡± he continued grimly ¡°with it I¡¯d be a top climber for sure¡±. Once I¡¯d bonded with it I found myself in a large coliseum of sorts and it sent out things for me to fight¡±. He swallowed before speaking further, Dorian saw his mother squeeze Jed¡¯s forearm reassuringly.

    ¡°At first it was wooden creations, dummies like you had fought, but the Tower finds weaknesses you don¡¯t know you had and tests them. Eventually it set live beings at me, I burnt the monsters to death without remorse, smelled the burning hair, heard their non-human screams¡­ I didn¡¯t care. The blood burnt up so quick all I saw was ash, all I heard was crackling death. You only had mannequins¡­¡± his father said darkly ¡°why couldn¡¯t I get mannequins.¡± His voice was dark and jealous. "After nine waves the gate opened for the tenth time and four people walked out¡­¡±.

    Dorian gasped in shock, ¡°People? How did people¡±?

    His father shook his head, ¡°The Tower can create anything it wants, they may not have been born in the world, but their flesh and blood were real enough.¡± He kept on before Dorian could ask anything else ¡°It was two bandits,¡± he choked up ¡°and two children¡±. He closed his eyes, and the next sentences rushed out like a child trying to get out of punishment. ¡°I had never learned control, I always just melted everything in my way with extreme prejudice.¡± The tears Dorian saw his father shed now weren¡¯t happy at all, they seemed to be tearing him apart, a part of his soul in each drop.

    ¡°I tried to make small fireballs to hit just the bandits, but they exploded early and...  one of the kids¡­ the screams. After that the second bandit slit the other kids... I never took a second to learn control, I didn¡¯t I didn¡¯t mean to. I could''ve saved them". He had his face in his hands and Dorian¡¯s mother moved her hand to the back of his head and scratched it slowly to calm him. ¡°I could smell them for months after¡­ I felt like it was in my skin, etched into my soul.¡± He mumbled from his hands and sniffed deeply before wiping them and looking up at his son.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t used my Focus for anything more than basic necessity since¡­ I¡­ I got a job at a bakery and started to focus on my small-scale control, the smell of the bread helped me oddly enough¡±. He reached his hand back to grasp his wife¡¯s and held it, ¡°little did I know my bread making prowess would eventually let me trick the most beautiful woman in the world to marry me¡±.

    ¡°Oh, shut up.¡± she said with a flat face and an eye roll before slapping his shoulder playfully, Dorian was spaced out again thinking about something he¡¯d never realized before now¡­ he hadn¡¯t actually drawn anyone¡¯s blood, he hadn¡¯t ¡®killed¡¯ anything except mannequins. Would he be like his father when he did? Would the crunch of bone on barrier ruin climbing for him?

    ¡°Now let¡¯s eat before it gets cold!¡± Jed said, the words snapped Dorian from his thoughts, and he focused on the table. Roasted ham, fresh bread for sandwiches, some veggies and some fresh fruit had Dorian feeling like a new man. They talked all night until the sun started to come up, all sense of time gone like the food Dorian had devoured.

    As the pies were coming out some extremely panicked knocking thundered from the front door. The Feldayne¡¯s looked in the direction of the door simultaneously, each one showing a different expression of confusion. ¡°Who could that be, and why are they¡­ ah¡± she smiled like she knew something they didn¡¯t; which was usually the case with Momma Feldayne¡±.

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    The knocking stopped abruptly, and his mother put the pies on the table as if nothing had happened, Dorian looked at his father who grinned, got up to unlock the back door and then sat back down. As soon as he sat down, and his pie was pushed in front of him the door blasted open. A pair of huffing twins were crowding the doorway. The female, Tella, was flushed, her blonde ponytail fraying from her running. Her eyes were looking around wildly before they locked onto Dorian. The boy, Graytis, whose hair was a darker blonde, wasn¡¯t as flushed but still huffed for air. Their house wasn¡¯t far but a dead sprint from there to here would be tiring.

    ¡°Come on you two, I unlocked the door so you could-¡° Jed started.

    ¡°Hey guys,¡± Dorian started to stand before a yellow rocket tackled him to the floor, his chair flying to the side. ¡°Oh, ah, hey Tell.¡± He felt her sobbing before he heard it and put his arms around her to hug her tight ¡°hey, don¡¯t cry.¡± he laughed ¡°I¡¯m here, I¡¯m alive¡±. He thought about trying to get up before he heard ¡°eh, fuck it. Welcome back, dude¡±. Dorian looked up just in time to see Graytis in the air before getting squashed in the dog pile. Tella and Dorian both groaned loudly under the weight and Dorian squirmed to be a little more comfortable; he didn¡¯t even try to escape.

    ¡°Ughhh, damnit Gray, get off!¡± Tella shouted through a sob.

    He climbed off of Dorian and Tella laughing through a grin, he helped Dorian up and pulled him into a tight hug. ¡°Missed you, man.¡± Dorian returned it, squeezing him just as tight.

    ¡°Yeah, dude,¡± they pulled out of the hug with huge smiles ¡°I missed you too¡±. As if they¡¯d never been apart, they were already best friends again, not a word of explanation needed. Graytis saw Dorian¡¯s face and gave him an appraising and curious look, taking in the scars and his new body clearly wanting to know what happened¡­ and was that jealousy when he looked at Dorian¡¯s butting beard?

    ¡°Did you¡­ did you climb without us?¡± he asked, not mad but surprised, maybe a little annoyed, at the thought of Dorian taking the initiative and just leaving without them.

    ¡°Something like that,¡± he grinned, ¡°sit down I¡¯ll tell you about it¡±. His parents cut their pies in half and gave each of the twins a piece and they ate as Dorian told his story, again, with his own whole pie. Tella was abnormally quiet, eyes puffy but no tears. She stared at Dorian without saying a word, she just listened. Her brother, however, asked a question every time Dorian stopped for a breath.

    It was in the middle of his story that he¡¯d remembered something very important; he looked at the twins to ask a question of his own. ¡°Did you get your Focuses¡±? Tell did show a sign of life at this, an expression that Dorian couldn¡¯t read passed over her face. He got very scared for a moment, what if they didn¡¯t get Focuses, what if he had to climb without them? He didn¡¯t want to, but he¡¯d had a taste of combat, he got addicted to the fight and for the need to get better; he needed to get stronger, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to do that if he didn¡¯t climb¡±.

    ¡°You bet we did,¡± Graytis said. He stood and pulled up his shirt to show a skintight undershirt with sets of runes on it, ¡°it¡¯s extra durable,¡± he said as he picked at the shirt, ¡°but it also gives me sonic attacks. It will help my lungs expand for larger attacks, some people say shirt Focuses aren¡¯t great, but it never comes off and I don¡¯t have a problem with it¡±.

    Dorian wrinkled his nose, ¡°you don¡¯t wash it¡±?

    Graytis laughed ¡°it dries practically instantly, so I just shower with it on and wash it there.

    ¡°That¡¯s insane, you¡¯re insane.¡± Dorian admonished.

    ¡°Look, why the hell would I take off my powers? What if something fell onto me and the shirt would have prevented debris from puncturing my lung¡±?

    ¡°Well, you would take it off because you probably smell like dumpster.¡± Dorian tried to hold back his smile as Gray looked at him in offense. They both laughed and Dorian saw his parents chuckle along with them, but Tella didn¡¯t for some reason.

    ¡°Did you get a Focus, Tell¡±? Dorian said softly.

    She nodded and looked at him, brushing back the hair on her right side and showing light markings that went from her ear to right next to her eye, then she touched her back and said, ¡°I have sensory boosts and stealth¡±. This made Dorian a little confused as Tella was never the sneaking around type. Before he could ask, her brother explained with a teasing tone.

    ¡°She wanted to stalk around the tower looking for you, Dori.¡± The grin that Gray gave him threatened to swallow his own face and the heat coming off Tella¡¯s cheeks could¡¯ve cooked a marshmallow.

    ¡°She knew you weren¡¯t dead, either, don¡¯t either of you make fun of her.¡± The glare that Toria Feldayne gave her son, and his best friend, could have made even the most senior climbers cower in fear.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am¡±.

    ¡°Sorry Mrs. Feldayne¡±.

    They said these at the same time, Graytis still grinning and Dorian giving Tella a slight glance; she was looking at Toria with admiration and gratitude. The mother of the twins passed when she gave birth to them, their father was Dorian¡¯s father¡¯s right hand in the bakery and his godfather. Their father had gotten Jed his first job at the bakery and Dorian''s dad returned the favor ten-fold when he opened his own bakery. The twins were family and Toria treated them as such, giving Tella a mother figure to look up to as well as someone to teach her how to handle stupid boys.

    There was another knock at the front door, much more sedate and calm than the banging from the twins and it waited patiently for someone to get to the door. Jed stood, telling everyone else to stay there as he walked to the front of the house. No one could hear who it was, just the mumbled sounds of talking before the door closed. Jed walked back in with another man following him, ¡°I hear you promised this man some bread, Dorian¡±?

    ¡°Elliot!¡± Dorian shouted; he couldn¡¯t help being cheery at reunion of some of the few people he cared about and another person who had recently become a sort of friend. ¡°Come, sit, I guess I can tell the story for a third time.¡±! His father and mother brought over more bread and Toria used some of the leftover apple pie filling to make a sort of compote butter for it. They all ate more as Dorian told the story for a third time.

    ¡°Oh, that reminds me!¡± Elliot said as he reached into his pocket. He took out an envelope, it was thick and snow white with the insignia of the auction house on it, an ¡°X¡± with a coin on the left and right, one side of the coin showing on each, the top of the x had a gavel in it and the bottom had a pair of scales. The coins for money, of course, the gavel stood for all sales final, their authority¡­ probably had something to do with them using a gavel in the auction but Dorian wasn¡¯t one hundred percent sure, and the scales to signify equal exchange. The scales were for balance, nothing left without being purchased or traded for, it was a loose usage of the word, barely meeting the definition, but when you were of the largest auction house chain in the world you could make your emblems mean whatever the hell you wanted.

    He handed the letter to Dorian who took it and mentally marveled at the weight of it and wondered what was inside. He pulled it open and found three cards and a large, folded piece of paper. He looked at the cards first, one was his new ID for the auction house, at eighteen he could enter alone and now that he had goods on auction he would need an identifier to acquire his money. The other two were preloaded cards, Elliot had told him that they bought all the jewelry outright and put the armor, weapons, and clothes on auction. The cards were full, each had five thousand Tower Credits loaded onto them, each credit worth ten dollars of standard in the city when exchanged.

    A hundred thousand standard from just jewelry? It was the most money he¡¯d ever had by a long shot, and he still had more items on auction?? The letter was from the Academy, apparently last night after Elliot turned in Dorian¡¯s goods, one of his superiors had found him and asked where he¡¯d gotten all the loot. Elliot told him that Dorian, the boy who was marked KIT a year ago returned with all of it. He took Elliot to his office and wrote down two letters, one was to Dorian and the other was to the Academy; he asked Elliot to deliver them both, so he did. The letter for the academy he delivered that night and Dorian¡¯s the next morning.

    ~Hello Dorian, you do not know me, but I have heard of you. My name is Alder Glassus, the Academy''s Head of Focus Research. I have been told that you spent a year and seven months inside the testing floor. I''ve been told that you exhibited no obvious Focus. The guardsman explained how you made the bag of loot float but didn¡¯t lighten it at all and you weren¡¯t able to move whatever held it up. Very fascinating.

    At your earliest convenience, or tomorrow¡­ perhaps now if possible -  please make your way to the Academy so I may study you look into this further. At this time, I can also help you with enrollment and you could become a full-time subject student and learn to control your abilities more effectively.

    I would also like to learn about your time in the testing area, why did it take so long? I must know, please will you tell me when you come tomorrow, or tonight, of course, I am not there with you. HA! This is exciting, I look forward to studying meeting you tomorrow, please feel free to arrive anytime, I will be expecting you!

    Yours sincerely,

    Alder Glassus, Head of Focus Research ~

    ¡°What in the world?¡± Dorian said after reading the letter. He felt tired from reading it, like he¡¯d just had a very quick conversation and needed a breath after. ¡°Who is this guy, Elliot¡±?

    Elliot smiled sheepishly, ¡°He¡¯s a genius¡­¡± he winced ¡°an oddball that everyone kind of¡­ stays away from.¡± Looking at the worried face Dorian made, Elliot retracted and put his hands up, waving them trying to wipe away what he¡¯d said. ¡°Everyone except researchers and people with his interests, I mean, people who don¡¯t get what he''s talking about are, intimidated maybe? The way he talks to people is as if they should know everything he does. He doesn¡¯t mean to do it, but he treats a lot of fascinating people like objects to study. It¡¯s just how he is¡±.

    ¡°He¡¯s very nice.¡± Tella said, finally looking at Dorian, ears a little pink still, ¡°he helped me figure out why I got the Focuses that I got and which kinds I should look for next. He¡¯s just¡­ excitable¡±. She smiled reassuringly ¡°I can go with you, if you want¡±. Dorian was used to being alone but the thought of hanging out with his friends talking to weird people sounded like a lot of fun. When Elliot decided to say something, the back door opened, and the twin¡¯s father walked in.

    ¡°It true, Jed?¡±  A stout blonde man walked in with a brilliant smile, he started to look around when he found Dorian at the head of the table, a huge grin on his face also. ¡°Dorian! Come here, boy!¡± Ab stomped over to Dorian and crushed him with the same kind of bear hug his father gave. It wasn¡¯t as pressing as it was when he was younger, but he loved those hugs all the same. He would never say that out loud, though. ¡°Love you like one of my own, kid, I¡¯m happy your back. Tella and Gray talked about you almost every day¡±, he pulled back with his hands on Dorian¡¯s shoulders and took him in.

    ¡°What in the emergence happened to you?¡± He looked at Toria and Jed who were just enjoying their son being back and looking so happy.

    ¡°Training!¡± Gray shouted, ¡°We¡¯ll tell you later, Da, he just told it for the third time¡±!

    ¡°What if I want to hear it from the source! Toria, can I get some of that delicious smelling apple creation and bread?!" he was a happy bear stomping around the kitchen with people as close as family.

    ¡°Of course, Ab, our home is yours¡±.

    Ab turned to thank her and saw Elliot, ¡°Oh, hello there, guardsman, there a problem¡±? Ab got nervous apparently not seeing the happy smile Elliot had been wearing.

    ¡°He¡¯s a friend, Mr. P, he was actually the last person who saw me before I went into the training room¡±. Ab tilted his head intrigued.

    ¡°That so?¡±

    Dorian nodded, ¡°yup, see it went like this. After they took me back to the gate, you know mom and dad couldn¡¯t be in the room, I was there with Elliot, just calmly waiting to go in¡±. Elliot had an odd coughing fit that sounded like ¡°bullshit¡±. ¡°Ok, I might have thrown up on his boots, but that¡¯s neither here nor there¡±. The twins cackled, apparently not hearing that part of the story before. Ab sat at the table giving Dorian all his attention until the story was finished.

    ¡°Bone focus, aye? Never heard of one like that¡­ and so extensive. Are the scars bad?¡± Dorian reacted like he¡¯d been slapped then his gaze went blank.

    ¡°Scars?¡± his expression turned thoughtful then pensive. He didn¡¯t even look to see if he had scars on his back; granted he didn¡¯t have a mirror in the training room.

    ¡°Yeah, from the bones pushing themselves in. It¡¯s a mental testing facility but adding Focuses is a physical thing.¡± Despite his looks, Ab was very smart, he had the thought process of a Climber he just didn¡¯t like climbing. He went up to floor five in his youth then decided he liked baking more. You didn¡¯t have to fight with your Focus, you could do whatever you wanted with it and Dorian loved that about his family, they were strong but in their own way. ¡°So, let¡¯s see, I¡¯m curious¡­ ladies love a good scar, Dorian, my boy!¡± Ab was laughing but Dorian was slowly getting worried.

    His mom and dad noticed immediately ¡°Want to show me first, Dori?¡± his father said, Toria looking at him as well.

    Dorian stood slowly, a blank thinking expression on his face, ¡°Yeah, um¡­ yeah¡±. Tella and Gray stood slightly before their father told them to sit down immediately. Elliot stood and spoke before Dorian moved anymore.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to get going, I¡¯m stationed at the usual spot if you wanna come talk, Dorian, bring me some bread once in a while, yeah?¡± he held out his hand and Dorian took it, snapping out of his stupor and looking at Elliot with a genuine smile.

    ¡°I will, Elliot, I promise. And seriously, thank you.¡± Elliot smiled back and told him it was no problem. Before leaving, Jed and Toria forced a loaf and some compote on him which he, not upset about it at all, took.

    ¡°Let¡¯s give them some time, alone, you two.¡± Ab said while standing and wiping his mouth, ¡°you have classes today, you¡¯ll see him later¡±. They whipped their heads to look at him simultaneously.

    ¡°Dad!¡± ¨C ¡°Dorian just!¡± ¨C ¡°Nooooo, DAD!¡± ¨C ¡°Pleaseee!¡± these all came at Ab simultaneously and so fast he couldn¡¯t make out the end of any of it; he got the idea though.

    Completely unphased he took in a breath and let out a stern father voice to top all other stern father voices, ¡°Noooooope, time to go and get ready, move those butts.¡± with a groan they stood up and hugged Dorian. Dorian started laughing at the situation and hugged them back, promising them he would find them when he went to the academy that day. Tella swore to him that if he didn¡¯t, she would go to Glassus¡¯ office and wait for him.

 Numen

    When they were alone in the kitchen he looked at his parents who just stared back at him expectantly, not saying anything just waiting for their son to be ready enough to say something. He sat down and thought about what he would do if there were scars, nothing he guessed, he couldn¡¯t do anything, he remembered the feeling of his entire back exploding in pain for only a moment before everything went black; something that large? Would it make equally large scars?

    His mother started to clear the table just to stay busy and Jed went to wipe the counters. So, what if there were some scars, he reassured himself, no one could see them obviously because no one had said anything. He stood up, the noise the chair made as he slid back made his parents look up with gentle expressions.

    Without a word he took his shirt off and turned around, he heard the sharp inhale from his mother and knew it wasn¡¯t just some scarring, somehow he knew it was a lot. He turned and saw his mother quickly pulling her hand away from her mouth. His father had an odd expression and kept slightly bobbing his head in silent acceptance like he¡¯d been expecting it. He took his phone out and told his son to turn around again, he snapped a photo and handed it over for Dorian to look at; he took in a sharp breath as well.

    As he saw the extent, he undid his pants and pulled them down until he stood in his underwear and rotated to look at his legs. He¡¯d never noticed them in the dim dungeon, he¡¯d worn pants the whole time he was back; the mirror was too steamy from the shower¡­

    The scars started at his Achilles tendons and ran up his legs, meeting under his butt to form a single line. It ran up his spine, splitting onto his shoulders and down his triceps stopping on the outer edges of his forearms. It ran up into his medium length hair that covered it even after his mother cut it. It had been dark out and the scar was faint, the tattoos running out of them like roots bursting from the ground.

    The ones on his arms weren¡¯t very noticeable until you were looking for them. He was pale from no sunlight, his arm hair covered the signs that it ran up so far, and the other scars on his arms from his training made it look like just another scar even if he didn¡¯t remember getting one that big. He could¡¯ve passed out or something.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­ extensive.¡± Jed said trying to lighten the mood.

    ¡°That¡¯s definitely a word for it.¡± Dorian answered blankly, still looking at the phone.

    ¡°Just keep it covered if you don¡¯t like it, are you nervous about people seeing it¡±?

    ¡°Not really, I guess, I just don¡¯t want to explain what it is every time someone sees it¡±. His dad snorted a laugh, his son cared more about not wanting to talk to people than how he looked.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think anyone would have a hard time figuring out it¡¯s a Focus. Toria, you ok?¡± She was still quiet while Dorian pulled his pants back up.

    ¡°I know you told us it was a full skeleton¡­ but I didn¡¯t think it would be¡­ did it have a skull also?¡± Dorian bit his cheek trying to remember.

    ¡°Dunno, I would assume so though¡±. She hugged him tight as he answered her.

    ¡°I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re ok and you¡¯re home¡±.

    ¡°What will you do when he moves out, Toria?¡± Jed joked. The look she gave him could have shattered stone; Dorian noted internally that that was probably not the best moment to make a leaving joke. ¡°Well, should we get you over to the Academy?¡± Jed picoted quickly, Dorian looked at him oddly, like his father had said something insane.

    ¡°I know where it is, you don¡¯t have to walk me.¡± His mother gave a knowing smile, a twisted glean in her eye.

    ¡°We could hold hands also; my little boy can¡¯t go to his first day of school alone¡±! She tried to pinch his cheek, but he stepped back while laughing and holding his hands up.

    ¡°I¡¯m rich and powerful now, mom, I can¡¯t have you walking me everywhere¡±.

    ¡°HA!¡± his dad boomed, ¡°Hear that Toria, our boy is rich! He can retire us, I can¡¯t wait!¡± Dorian raised an eyebrow in response and smiled jovially.

    ¡°Then I¡¯d get murdered by all your loyal customers, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s impossible for you to retire¡±. Jed laughed again and clapped his hands together telling them that if he wasn¡¯t going to the academy he needed to head to the bakery and make sure his workers had started the ovens properly. Of course, it didn¡¯t matter if they had or hadn¡¯t, Jed could warm them quickly himself if need be, but his team was diligent and almost never forgot to light them.

    Toria walked him almost all the way with the excuse of going to the store which was conveniently located down the street from the Academy, he noticed her watching from the corner until he was on the property. Dorian would be annoyed by this, but she did just find out he was alive last night¡­ he stopped walking at a horrific thought, would the entire family be coming by for an explanation?? He turned and looked in the direction of his house like he¡¯d be able to divine some sort of answer from here. Store¡­ there was food in the pantry so she¡¯s buying excess¡­ he swallowed and groaned internally.

    The academy was massive, like a train station or an airport; it was more of a compound than a building. It was a mixture of encamped defensive positions, education center, and training facilities all in one. It was the only ¡®public¡¯ entrance to Tower Base, the city that had developed around the tower. When the Towers first popped up they, obviously, flipped the world on its head.

    Monsters, magic, medieval weaponry stronger than modern weapons, people becoming so powerful normal laws couldn¡¯t contain them, normal food and materials become useless to the normal population. Pretty quickly people popped up around the base of the Tower to buy and sell these goods, professions like blacksmithing and leatherworking became so relevant that new techniques were coming out practically every month. Pre-Tower blacksmithing was more akin to a hobby, many techniques lost to times. Chemistry evolved into true alchemy, everything fantasy related become, more or less, real life. All this was done out of necessity, out of human will to survive.

    Anytime anyone says monsters they think of some TV show, movie, game, comic, although they get the look and powers right most of the time; how easily they tear people apart. No one told anybody how terrifying it is to see the most powerful weapons of the modern age, once so feared by everyone, bounce off the stronger monsters in the later months of the Decimation. Massive walls were put up around the Towers that dotted the Earth, defensive structures, experienced fighters, and advanced weaponry created with materials from the Tower, and the climbers of Earth started to proactively clear monsters to stop them from escaping. They reached higher and higher levels trying to reach the peak of the Tower.

    These Tower Base towns quickly grew into cities of Climbers and their families, people that got their Focuses but didn¡¯t want to fight; it was the new world inside of the old world. In the early days of the Emergence, when the Towers started to appear, the monsters cleared huge areas of land around them. They destroyed buildings, harvested humans, reproduced and then did it all again in the same order. These destroyed areas were eventually cleared of monsters and debris and the land was the start of these tower base populace centers.

    On the outside of the walls was the rest of the city, the old world, where people knew what was going on but didn¡¯t let it change their every day. Sure, there was new tech, clothing and fashion; new techniques to do old things. But, there are always people who choose to be ignorant and can make an excuse for anything, setting their narrative no matter how idiotic or short sighted it might be; even if could mean their death.

    At the gates of the Academy, large black metal things with engravings covering them, Dorian approached two guards who stood near a guardhouse. One of them turned and looked attentive but said nothing until Dorian was a few feet away. ¡°Can I help you, young¡­ Climber?¡± he took in Dorian¡¯s lithe muscles, the scars, the way he moved and walked, it made it hard to tell that Dorian hadn¡¯t stepped foot in the Tower a single time. Made it hard to recognize him as a future student not an active duty Climber.

    Dorian smiled internally at the thought of already looking like a Climber, it was like when you¡¯re young and someone assumes you¡¯re older and treats you as such. It didn¡¯t last long though, Dorian had to give himself up, he really did need directions. ¡°I¡¯m actually here to talk to administration about enrolling¡± his grin showed no signs of awkwardness even if he felt a little. The guard¡¯s eyes opened a little wider in surprise before he answered, he pointed in a direction and told Dorian how to get there before signing him in and letting him go on his way.

    He looked at the campus as he walked, the area in the distance closest to the Tower progressively became more and more fortified. The buildings stopped resembling classrooms and dorms and morphed into training locations, walls, and encamped weapons positions. With the combined work of the Inner and Outer cities, weapons that harnessed Focus power could be made. Some Focuses that were geared toward crafting and those with them worked with the engineers of the outer cities to make weapons even non-Focused could use. They looked like machine guns, large in caliber, as the barrels looked thick even from afar.

    The buildings closer to him looked like university buildings, brighter colors and less defensive. Administration was exactly where the guard said it was, Dorian had no trouble finding it and didn¡¯t have to wait to speak to anyone as there wasn¡¯t anyone else in there aside from him and the two people behind the desk. It was two women, both of them clacking away on a keyboard, focused on whatever they were doing. Dorian let the door close softly and approached the desk.

    ¡°What is the issue, young man¡±?

    ¡°No issue, just here to enroll.¡±.

    She didn¡¯t even look up as she responded, ¡°Semester has started, it is too late to enroll unless prior permission is given¡±. Her tone was adamant, one hundred percent sure he was in the wrong place.

    ¡°I should have, last night a guy said he¡¯d inform administration about my¡­¡± she had finally looked up and gave him a motherly eyebrow like she¡¯d seen right through her son lying. ¡°Alder Glass or something, I¡¯m not lying!¡± his voice may have adopted a small bit of desperation. ¡°the head of Focus research sent a letter to my house last night, he said he would¡±. She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°You better not be wasting my time, young man.¡± She reached over to pick up a phone without taking her eyes off him until she dialed a number. ¡°Admin here, is Alder there?¡± she said curtly then waited. Dorian rocked on his heels nervously, had that guy lied to him? Would Dorian have to wait another year to enroll? ¡°Yes, Alder, I have a boy here who says you would give him enrollm-¡°.

    ¡°YES!¡± boomed from the phone ¡°YES LET HIM IN, I¡¯M ON MY WAY¡±! She had held the phone away from her ear almost like she had been expecting the yelling to continue, she put it down and smiled at Dorian.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get you enrolled before he gets here and kidnaps you, yes?¡± Dorian laughed at her¡­ joke? He ended with a nervous chuckle as she didn¡¯t even smile at what she said.. She had not been exaggerating; Alder nearly broke the door when it slammed open.

    He was breathing heavy like he¡¯d sprinted a marathon. The man was in loose clothes, a lab coat that almost looked like a robe. It was covered in stains and pockets bulging with devices and tools.

    ¡°Yes, the boy from last night, the one who was in the tester for more than a year, he came quickly, very good, very good¡­ not quickly enough but only a few hours of testing will be missed¡±.

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    Manic muttering reached Dorian, the woman behind the desk, flinched slightly when she heard the end of the sentence and groaned as if she knew what was coming. She didn¡¯t warn Dorian in the slightest, she didn¡¯t have time. ¡°GOOD! Come quickly! Heather finish this will you? Call me if you need more information from him we must begin¡±! Dorian had already been dragged several feet from his position in front of the desk before he could manage to try and fight back. He wasn¡¯t sure if it would have mattered because Glassus was strong¡­ very strong.

    As the head of Focus research he must¡¯ve pushed his powers farther than most; Dorian wished he¡¯d had a better sense of estimating power levels. The mannequins he fought, some of them gave off a more pressured feeling when he walked toward them which Dorian believed was a budding ¡°danger sense¡± of sorts. He had read that high level climbers could guess power levels of their opponents; it was something developed over time and constant battle.

    Dorian pulled his arm free much to Alder¡¯s disappointment, he didn¡¯t stop following the crazed man which was the only thing keeping Dorian from being dragged away again. He had been staring at Glassus¡¯ back trying to sense his power, or anything really, when he realized Alder had been asking him questions. ¡°Huh, what?¡± Dorian shook his concentration free and focused on the words.

    ¡°Tell me, what does your Focus do?¡± he searched Dorian exposed skin to look for signs of it, Dorian was thankful that he¡¯d worn longer clothes and that he kept his back away from the man.

    Dorian chewed his cheek and eyed the man, both of them stopping. Dorian looked apprehensive and Alder expectant, waiting for the answer to the question he asked. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you why I was in the selection for so long¡­ but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m comfortable sharing my abilities or anything like¡­ that¡± ¡­ Alder¡¯s face flashed disbelief, anger, sadness, and greed.

    ¡°But you must!¡± he moved to grab Dorian again who was ready this time; Alder was surprisingly fast, but Dorian constructed a small barrier in front of the man¡¯s hand. It crashed into it with a crunch, Alder had been moving it with much more power than Dorian expected. Alder¡¯s hand recoiled, fingers bent back, a look of shock and pain filling his face. Then raging curiosity took the man and ecstasy bloomed on his face, the pain gone completely. ¡°WHAT WAS THAT?! My boy, my boy, what did you do? Some type of transparent force attack¡±?

    Dorian had deconstructed the barrier as quickly as he¡¯d placed it, Alder hadn¡¯t been looking for it so he¡¯d not noticed, but he would if Dorian did it a second time, so he dodged Alder¡¯s next attempt. This had all happened so fast, Heather, the woman at the desk barely had time to yell before Alder reached with one good hand and one crumpled. ¡°ALDER! Alder stop!¡± she shouted making the other woman look up sharply. Heather stood to stomp toward the two, the other woman picked up a phone and dialed three digits.

    ¡°Again, do it again!¡± Alder was saying repeatedly; was that drool coming from his mouth? Dorian made small steps hidden under his feet to jump at on angles, keeping them close to the ground and under Alder¡¯s gaze. They were like little bumps making it seem like he just had some extremely fancy footwork. Alder kept reaching and Dorian dodged for as long as he could, but Alder was faster, much stronger, and relentless.

    He grabbed Dorian roughly and pulled him close ¡°Tell me, boy!¡± the manic grin shifted to more diabolical and the man¡¯s eyes were drills. When they bore into Dorian¡¯s he saw lines in them, runes, and they glowed faintly as he focused more. The runes then lit and extended to his temples, going up into his hair and wrapping his ears to meet up and land at the base of his neck. A sensory Focus, Dorian thought. His brain raced for ideas, what could be do, he¡¯d been caught.

    ¡°Where is¡­ impossible, I can¡¯t see the Focus, it¡¯s hiding? Where are you, where are you? Dorian struggled as Alder held up his smashed hand that popped and cracked as it reformed on its own. His fingers started to shift into silver, and he pointed them like he was going to chop the air. All he did though, was slowly move it toward Dorian like he was aiming a bow and arrow, his grin growing hungrier. There was a smacking noise, Heather had hit the back of the man¡¯s head, and he barely reacted.

    ¡°ALDER, release that student at once! Alder, ALDER!¡± she watched the hand slowly get closer, knowing that it would part the boy¡¯s skin like a knife in butter. Then there was a loud cracking noise and Alder rotated head over ass away from Dorian. He flew a couple feet, then slid to a stop on the ground. Alder sat up and looked around angrily then paled, ¡°Ah¡­ yes¡­ Kentwood, you would be¡­ I guess they called you¡±. He glared at the two women now helping Dorian to his feet.

    ¡°What the fuck do you think you¡¯re doing to this student, Glassus?¡± he stomped to the man still sitting on the floor, Dorian felt each step physically, like bass in a song. It shook the air with every footfall, Dorian could tell this guy was very, very strong. ¡°When you got this job, when I vouched for you, you said you wouldn¡¯t do this shit anymore¡±.

    ¡°But, but, Oliver, he was in the training room for over a year¡±!

    ¡°I don¡¯t care if he came out of there as the top Climber in the world, if you grab another student like that again I¡¯ll fire you, we¡¯ll see who keeps the authorities off your back then¡±. Alder¡¯s head was down so he didn¡¯t notice the slight flinch in Kentwood when he mentioned how long Dorian had been in there. ¡°Do you understand me, Glassus¡±?

    ¡°Yes, Oliver, yes.¡± Then he looked up hopefully ¡°can I still take him to my-¡°he was firmly shutdown by Oliver, both women, and Dorian.

    ¡°Come with me, young man.¡± Oliver spoke to Dorian as he moved to walk next to him. ¡°Heather will you please give me his information; I will finish this in my office¡±.

    ¡°Yes sir, I will bring it up.¡± He nodded and smiled at her, gratitude and fatigue evident in his features. They took an elevator to the top floor which opened up into a room with three doors, each one having a nameplate on them. The one on the left was for Alder, Head of Focus Research, the knob looked dusty as if he hadn¡¯t been there for months¡­ Dorian guessed the man lived in the lab. Oliver Kentwood, Head of the Climber¡¯s Association, had the door in the middle, and on the right side said Evelyn Drydus, Emissary to the Unfocused.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t there be a military head also?¡± Dorian asked before he could stop himself.

    ¡°It¡¯s located closer to the Tower, easier for them to command in case of an attack from the Tower¡±.

    ¡°Dorian laughed, ¡°Nothing has escaped the Tower in years, why would you need it there¡±? his smile faded as Oliver didn¡¯t even look back, he didn¡¯t answer, he just walked into his office. Dorian couldn¡¯t see the man¡¯s face, but he felt the foreboding nature of the silence.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to beat around the bush,¡± Oliver said, groaning into his chair, he moved his hand over his desk and two pots, one tea and one coffee by the smell, and cookies appeared. Dorian had heard of high-level dimensional spaces that could hold organics in a static state until they¡¯re taken back out, they were rare, only found on upper floors of the Tower. He filled his cup with coffee, no cream or sugar, and leaned back waiting for Dorian to help himself. As Dorian poured he started again, ¡°your situation is not as unheard of as everyone thinks, rare, yes, but not unheard of¡±. Dorian recoiled, sloshing a bit of tea into his lap.

    ¡°But I¡¯ve never heard of-¡°

    ¡°No, you wouldn¡¯t have, we always cover it up, you just came out at an odd time with a guard who hadn¡¯t been¡­ well briefed is a good word for it. It¡¯s true no one has ever been in there for longer than a year, but our longest recorded is a month shy of one year¡±. He sipped again and looked at Dorian over the mug, ¡°the Tower gives these scenarios to those with particularly hard Focuses to master, special Focuses that grant obscure powers, laws of nature, pure ridiculousness all must be mastered before entering the main Tower¡±.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know, really. When we had the first person stay in there for six months, he came out with almost full mastery of his Focus, no life-or-death battle experience but refined movements and a style unique just to them, I¡¯m sure you know what I¡¯m talking about¡±. He sipped his coffee again and leaned forward to refill his cup.

    ¡°One thing we do know, however, is that each time one of these special Focuses enter the tower something unexpected happens. Everyone that goes into the tower with the Numen will hear a message in their head, ¡°A Numen has entered the Tower, a step toward Evolution has been taken¡±.

    ¡°E-evolution?¡± Dorian¡¯s cup was right under his lips, he had completely forgotten that it was there. ¡°Numen¡±?

    ¡°It roughly translates to Divine Gift, the Focuses labelled as such are all, I guess divine is a good way to put it. They¡¯re on a totally different level than other Focuses, that doesn¡¯t mean they can¡¯t be beaten but the difference is clear when you watch a Numen fight. The Focuses themselves are strong but it¡¯s like those chosen were also prodigies, they became so strong so fast¡­¡± his sentence faded away as he remembered something.

    He looked back at Dorian, ¡°currently all nine known Numen are a part of the top twenty climbers, five of them in the top ten. They climb the Tower as a group to figure out anything they can about the Tower. What the Numen are for, why the Tower is here, how it got here, who is making the Focuses? We know so little¡±. His frustration was clear, his eyes glazed over, lost not in memory this time, but a slew of hard questions.

    ¡°So, I¡¯m one of these Numen?¡± Oliver nodded. Dorian scrunched his face up in thought ¡°Hmph.¡± Is all Dorian could say as he sat there, Kentwood¡¯s gaze locked onto him. ¡°Do I, well, I guess what¡¯s next¡­ Do I just go into the Tower with them? I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m ready for all that, Mr. Kentwood, I¡¯m still a kid. I¡¯ve never even killed a monster or heard their screams; all he could think about was his fathers¡¯ story. He technically wasn¡¯t a child anymore, but he sure felt like one.

    ¡°Calm down, Dorian, calm down. I wouldn¡¯t send you in there without training even if you were with the Numen. You will go to Academy, how long you¡¯re there for is entirely up to you and your progress¡±. Dorian let out a deep sigh in relief, the adrenaline running through him slowed back down as he sat back and breathed in slowly. He was excited to go into the Tower but faced with the thought of going in without training was terrifying.

    ¡°Dorian can you, no, will you tell me of your time in the training room¡±? Dorian hesitated, not sure if he would say anything or not, Oliver picked up on this and smiled at him. ¡°This might help you trust me more.¡± He reached over and put his hands on one of his desk drawers, Dorian couldn¡¯t see what happened but there was a soft glow and a click before a drawer slid open and Oliver handed Dorian a manilla envelope. ¡°That cannot leave this room but take all the time you need to look it over¡±. Inside the envelope there was profiles and dossiers on the other Numen. Names, birthdays/places, dates when they received their Focuses. Their ages were there but some didn¡¯t make sense, one of these women was like seventy when she got her focus and that was years ago, she had to be in her nineties now and still active.

    Their power descriptions were general, things like ¡°Ice¡± or ¡°Sound¡± no further description of its power, where the Focus was, or what it looked like. It didn¡¯t even gauge the level of strength, Dorian assumed that was confidential or maybe the Numen hadn¡¯t told the Association that much. There was one here that made no sense whatsoever, everything was a question mark on this man¡¯s page, like a comically redacted file on some obscure military mission from a movie. He was one of the first people to acquire a focus, his previous job just said ¡°civilian¡±, and his Focus granted him something very obscure.

    ¡°What does ¡°Lie¡± mean under this guy¡¯s Focus?¡± Dorian asked as he looked at Kentwood.

    ¡°Ah, yes, him. Lyle Dozer, better known as The Liar. His Focus allows him to do some extreme things, incomprehensible things.¡± He laughed and shook his head. ¡°Before the emergence he was just an office worker who was bored with his life, he wished every day for something to do, something to burn the days away in a less benign way. So, he traveled whenever he could and when he did, he lied¡±.

    ¡°He lied? What does that mean? Who did he lie to¡±?

    ¡°Anyone and everyone. He told people different names, lied about his job, he simply lied about himself to see what he could get people to believe, and very often they believed him. Very rarely was he caught and called out, if he was he could just disappear. He never did anything malicious, but he was a total enigma¡±.

    ¡°So how did that turn into a Focus¡±?

    Oliver let out a breath tinged with resignation and mirth, ¡°no idea¡±.

    All the descriptions were vague, but things could be inferred¡­ a ¡°lie¡± though? ¡°Seriously¡±?

    ¡°In his early days that was a problem but now that he¡¯s been a high-level climber for so long his Focus has become extremely strong. As you probably know, each time you progress a floor in the tower your Focus ¡°levels up¡± thus increasing things like your bone density, overall durability, strength, increased senses ¨C Lyle being one of the highest climbers in the world makes him extremely strong even without using his power. No one really knows how strong he Is, or what his power actually does¡±. The old man chewed his cheek before continuing with a sour expression, ¡°His fame as the strongest climber allows him to get out of the inquiries that most Focused go through¡±.  Dorian nodded as if that did make sense, but it was still crazy. One man having so much power and clout to just say ¡°no¡± to the government.

    ¡°That¡¯s the¡­ but his name is ¡°The Liar¡±, is that just because of his past¡±?

    ¡°Like his power specifics, I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s what he told us to call him¡±.

    ¡°So, his Focus has got to be crazy strong, right?¡± his eyes glazed over as he imagined having the strongest climbers¡¯ Focus.

    Seeing Dorian¡¯s face, Oliver let out a guffaw, he clapped his hands together and leaned forward. ¡°We¡¯ll run you through some classes to see where you¡¯re at. Basic knowledge of the ins and outs of the Tower will probably be needed, your combat is most likely up to par or far above,¡± he winked at Dorian. ¡°and then finding a team for a few trial runs and you should be good to start climbing for real¡±. Butterflies riding a rollercoaster looped in his stomach at the thought. It was really happening; he was really about to become a climber.

    ¡°I, I think I already have a team, or some of one.¡± He said blankly, still noodling on the thought of seriously becoming a Climber. Would he like it, or would something happen to him like it happened to his dad?

    ¡°Oh? Old friends from before your bonding, I assume? If they were your age they¡¯d be in second year by now, no¡±?

    Dorian looked up on the edge of sadness, ¡°that¡¯s not a problem is it?? We¡¯ve been dreaming about climbing together since we were kids¡±!

    Oliver smiled at him, ¡°there might¡¯ve been one if they were year three or higher, but first years do mostly Focus acquisition and acclimation. Some basic info you can catch up on by yourself with some reading but if you do well enough on these early tests we could start you in the second year¡±. Kentwood smiled again at the clear relief on Dorian¡¯s face.

 Tests

    The tests were, in fact, very easy. Dorian had worried for nothing, regular kids running around with dreams of being a Climber would know or be able to guess the answer to a lot of the questions there. Some of the ¡°outside the box¡± thinking exercises for puzzles that could appear were tough but as far as basic knowledge, Dorian had it down.

    <ol>

    <li>Each fight makes your Focus stronger ¨C True, your Focus absorbs the killed beast¡¯s strength and empowers yours. Like experience in a video game.</li>

    <li>You must have a Focus to enter the Tower, if false explain why ¨C False, you can go in up to the third floor without a Focus as long as at least one Focused joins for every five un-focused.</li>

    <li>Pre-emergence weapons are useless against all Tower denizens, if false explain why. ¨C False, bullets can be effective up to floor three and explosives are a case-to-case basis dependent on beast, amount of explosive, etc.</li>

    </ol>

    Dorian didn¡¯t know if he should explain further on the question about an unfocused going into the Tower; rich out Wallers from Quondam like the thrill but didn¡¯t want to commit to a Focus. He¡¯d never understand the ¡°logic¡± in that. He shook his head to get back to the test. There were a few questions like these that Dorian flew through, he had never given such complete definitions in tests during primary schooling. It was the convoluted questions, however, like the fabled ¡°Veronica has 12 watermelons and sells two, eats 12, buys four more, then sells eight, how many does she have?¡± that tripped him up. He liked the riddle questions that came up, easy ones that would show up in early floors/

    Four knights charged forth, one broke left, another right. The Rain held back to cover her companions, and the Bulwark took the fore. A Sword from the left and a Hammer from the right, which knight was it that held back the blight? Staunch and stout these four fought, the only one surviving, standing on the top, three below sacrifice not in vain. With this riddle came four dials each one labeled ¡°Ser Kelt the Archer, Ser Elden the Paladin, Lady Trenna the Sword, and Kraytor the Indominable¡± respectively. These dials rotated in different directions which Dorian assumed meant he had to rotate the dials to the correct locations to finish the puzzle.

    Thinking about the riddle he took out the fluff and focused on the important stuff ¨C Four knights, one went in their own direction, each one using a different weapon. Only one of the knights has a title that relates so,¡± he rotated the Lady Trenna dial to face his left. There was no indication that he was right or wrong, but he was confident and held onto the answer as he worked on the rest. ¡°Paladins use shields¡­ Archers make it rain¡­ arrows, that leaves the Indomitable¡­ yeah that¡¯s a hammer wielder for sure¡±. He rotated Kelt¡¯s dial to point backward, Kraytor¡¯s to the Right and Elden to the front.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, those puzzle ones can get tricky,¡± Gray said as he sat down at the cafeteria table, ¡°I think I messed up two of them, I definitely still passed though¡±!

    Dorian smirked, ¡°who said I got any wrong? I just talked about how annoying they were¡±.

    ¡°Yeah they were pretty easy from what I remember.¡± Tella sat down as well as she joined their conversation.

    ¡°Ok miss ¡°I forgot there is no limit on how many Focuses someone can have¡±¡±. He made a face of triumph as Dorian raised his eyebrows and turned to her.

    ¡°I forgot the difference between restriction and forbidding¡­tion¡­ forbidtion?¡± she questioned her own made-up words then smiled as she saw Gray¡¯s slightly judgmental look turn into a huge smile and laugh. ¡°At least I didn¡¯t forget about the Focus Accords between the Inner and Outer cities or wet my bed until I was 11¡±.

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Graytis physically recoiled, ¡°I- wha- why- Tella!¡± Dorian roared with laughter, ¡°at least my first Focuses aren¡¯t based on a boy you are-¡°Gray started after her.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s time for your combat test, Dorian!¡± Tella yelled very loudly as she stood up and turned to head to the training rooms.

    ¡°Why was she so red?¡± Dorian asked Gray as they watched her leave in a hurry. He didn¡¯t notice the huge victorious, shit-eating, grin on Graytis¡¯ face.

    ¡°This is the start of a pretty good team, I think,¡± Instructor Telliman said as she stood sword-straight in front of the three. ¡°A scout - tracking, identify, stealth¡­ you¡¯ll need an offensive focus. Hmmm, You have a one-sided retinal and hearing enhancement, a back Focus for your stealth¡­ both tattoos so you can¡¯t move them. Look for an arm, hand, or leg Focus with an offensive capability, or two if you can swing it.¡± She rocked her head back and forth as she considered something. ¡°The academy will front it to you if you score high enough to prove you¡¯ll be able to pay it off after a climb or two and tell them I sent you¡±. Tella nodded with a smile and thanked the instructor, keeping quiet after that so her brother could get his advice.

    ¡°You use your sonic attacks well, you don¡¯t really need offense as Sonic attacks are extremely hard to defend against especially as it grows in the Tower¡­ look for a general durability, a tattoo if possible. I know your shirt covers your torso, but a leg focus for speed or some forearm strengtheners for blocking. I¡¯ll leave the specifics to you, a sensory enhancement or two might not hurt¡±.

    Gray nodded before asking his own question ¡°can I get a loan, also¡±? Telliman grinned and raised an eyebrow before giving him a nod. Then Gray went silent and waited for Dorian¡¯s assessment. When it didn¡¯t come they looked at Telliman again who just stared back at Tella and Gray in turn.

    ¡°Well?¡± they looked at her awkwardly, she sighed ¡°Get out of here and go look at Focuses¡±.

    Not expecting they would be dismissed without hearing Dorian¡¯s assessment; they still had no idea what Dorian could do. Before they could argue, Telliman told them again, finally getting them to slowly move backward as Dorian looked confused also.

    He turned to them and shrugged apologetically then turned back to watch the Instructor, his guard oddly shoring itself up, not knowing why she wanted him alone. ¡°So,¡± she said quickly. ¡°Another Numen¡­ I¡¯ve tested four of you before. Oliver doesn¡¯t like the outside world knowing of Numen abilities completely, so you¡¯ll show me only enough to prove competence, do you understand? Attacks, defense, and support, I will test all three. Do you understand?¡± Dorian nodded.

    ¡°Good. Defend yourself.¡± She whipped her hand forward like a blade slicing the air and a translucent edge flew toward Dorian. It broke against a barrier Dorian constructed immediately; his guard had already been up. This happened a few more times, her movements staying in a pattern. Should I just attack when I have the chance? Dorian wondered to himself, blocking these edges was easy and he ¨C bam! ¨C he backed into the wall in his defensive retreat.

    ¡°Work on your awareness of the surroundings.¡± She said as she dashed in close, a gust of wind forced Dorian flat against the wall, he couldn¡¯t move to dodge. ¡°I thought you were a Nu-¡°she swallowed her taunt as she stumbled forward on the two barriers constructed in front of her feet. Falling forward too quickly to stop she looked like she was going to faceplant right into Dorian¡¯s chest, but he created two more barriers at her shoulders to hold her up. He then constructed barriers all around her so closely she couldn¡¯t move, he knelt in front of her grinning face ¡°guess you are a little monster after all¡±. Her eyes glowed green for a moment and a huge explosion of wind shattered all of Dorian¡¯s barriers, he stumbled back onto his butt in astonishment; he felt powerless.

    She bent down and held out a hand, ¡°I think that shows me support, offense, and defense.¡± She was smiling wide, ¡°I¡¯m Stella, Stella Telliman.¡± That name sounded very familiar, like Dorian had heard it very recently¡­ or read it.

    ¡°The Daughter of the Wind??¡± Dorian spluttered.

    ¡°The very same.¡± Her smile softened ¡°I look forward to working with you in the future, Dorian. Grow strong and climb high ¨C we¡¯re waiting for you.¡± She started to walk away before stopping and turning to face him again. ¡°Oh, and you are cleared for year two¡±. A weight lifted from his shoulders and he thanked her, telling her they¡¯d be up there in no time.

 Bad News

    ¡°So, why did she make us leave? Did you get cleared for second year?¡± Gray asked as soon as Dorian walked out of the combat room.

    ¡°Yeah, she cleared me,¡± he puffed up his cheeks and blew out the air shifting his features into that of intense thought. ¡°she never told me what to do next though¡­ go to Admin¡±?

    ¡°You need to choose a specialization and choose classes based on that, aside from the general courses that everyone needs to take. Why did she make us leave?¡±. Tella said from his other side, bringing back the question Gray asked.

    ¡°What do you two specialize in?¡± he asked, dodging it again.

    ¡°Scouting and burst damage for Telly and control burst damage for me.¡± Gray answered for both of them ¡°what about you, any thoughts¡±?

    ¡°I only know about damage, scout, and support ¨C I¡¯ve never heard of those class types before¡±.

    ¡°Neither did we, we learned about it in party structure class. The ones you said are general groupings, the best parties match up like puzzle pieces, each one brought for a purpose¡±. He stopped for only a moment before continuing ¡°But they¡¯re able to shift roles if needed¡­ well for the most part. See me? I just do damage¡±.

    ¡°What about the ¡°control¡± part then?¡± Dorian asked

    Gray scratched his head awkwardly as he said it, ¡°yeah I kind of funnel them around with damage¡­ go this way for get hit, stay there or get hit, you know¡±.

    Tella made a noise, ¡°You never told us what you can do, Dorian.¡± She was trying to find a different way to ask why they were kicked out without asking why they got kicked out¡­ again. Gray had been talking so much that Dorian almost forgot she was there and winced when she brought it up again.

    ¡°Well, I can¡± he remembered the Climbers Guild¡¯s Director¡¯s words and choked his own back, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you guys later, I¡­ well I have to keep them a secret for now¡±. He quietly mumbled, looking around for anyone near him. It was weird, he didn¡¯t really get why he had to hide them, wouldn¡¯t being a Nu-whatever be a good thing? The way Kentwood looked at him though put the fear of the high floors in him.

    Gray raised an eyebrow looking around for whatever Dorian was looking for, seeing nothing he scrunched his face up, thinking. ¡°Alright then,¡± he said with a bit of incredulousness in his voice. Then, trying to put it behind him, he smiled ¡°head to administration I guess¡±? Dorian and Telly agreed, and they headed that way.

    He started his semester in the second year with his friends, the classes he had were a mixed bunch ¨C ¡®Special¡¯ Combat Training and Basic Floor Knowledge were his favorite by far, party structure was fun also. He got to fight in one of the classes even though he had to go to a special room and train with people that knew who he was, what he was, and not with the entire class. After a week of this he had to practically beg Kentwood to let Gray and Tella in on the secret. They tore into him EVERY day about why he couldn¡¯t train with them; It killed him to keep secrets from them, especially such big secrets that affected their future also.

    Oliver relented and had Telliman train them as a trio until two or three more members could be vetted and brought up beside them. After a discussion with some of the other Numen, one that Dorian was not invited to, even though it was about his own future. He thought that was pretty cool¡­ he didn¡¯t care about his own future or anything.

    They decided that putting together a team of people his age to mesh with his power would be the best way to get him used to using his powers and bonding with his teammates. That was his combat class, the ¡®special¡¯ combat class. He didn¡¯t know what anyone else in the school could do because he¡¯d never seen, hell he¡¯d never even met any of the other students. He didn¡¯t care to.

    Basic Floor Knowledge sounded, well, basic, and Dorian thought it would be boring, but he was delighted to find out that it was so much more. They learned about the different types of known monsters, weak points, their attacks and resistances, it was more advanced that the title suggested.

    They even showed the class what different kinds of monster poop looked like, what each one likes to eat and its sleeping habits for tracking. It was so much to take in and they hadn¡¯t even started the section on what the known floors looked like, their size, and which parts were unexplored. He looked ahead in some of his books and bought more on the subject. The floors were different worlds in themselves, each one unique with its own history, the thought of exploring them made his body tingle.

    Unique monsters and ruins, treasures unknown, booby traps to dodge and disable, countless sights to see. His heart raced faster and faster with excitement; his brain tried to keep up with the explosion of the images of landscapes he imagined he would see in person. He couldn¡¯t wait to start climbing and exploring. After daydreaming through another class, Gray, Tella, and Dorian had just walked into the combat room for training when they saw three people arguing animatedly, a mirage like haze around them.

    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Gray asked.

    ¡°No idea, they look like they¡¯ve got a privacy bubble on,¡± Tella answered. ¡°There are three of them and that looks like Instructor Telliman¡­ who are those other two though¡±?

    ¡°One of them is Alder Glassus¡­ I¡¯d never forget those hands, the way they¡¯re shooting around right now is exactly how he looked when he tried to grab me. The other must be Director Kentwood¡±. Telliman¡¯s lithe form lifted an arm and pointed, the other two stopped and Alder shot from the bubble.

    ¡°DORIAN! Dorian, my boy, my sweet Numen, come, let me-¡°he was moving way too fast for the way his legs stumbled over themselves. It was more a deranged scuttle forward than a run, his hands were shooting forward like grasping claws.

    ¡°ALDER!¡± Kentwood yelled as the bubble disappeared, he was putting a marble-like item into his pocket while striding forward after Alder. ¡°If you lay a finger on that boy without his permission I¡¯ll take your lab, do you hear me?!¡± he was spitting mad.

    ¡°Oh, Oliver, I wasn¡¯t going to grab him!¡± the manic look in his eyes told a different story, the way he could barely hold back his claws was also a good indicator.

    ¡°You can¡¯t send them in this early.¡± Telliman said sternly, bringing up the rear. Oliver closed his eyes and exhaled deeply.

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°It¡¯s over my head, Stella¡±.

    ¡°Oliver, are you serious? They¡¯re kids, they¡¯ve fought dummies and each other, decimation, man, we haven¡¯t even given them their combat mid-term let alone the final¡±.

    ¡°But the reports you¡¯ve written.¡± Alder¡¯s hands stroked the air in front of Dorian as if he rubbed the boy¡¯s cheek. ¡°They sound like he can handle himself; the first floor should be easy for these three. The twins are strong, Dorian shores up what they don¡¯t have ¨C¡° he paused for only a moment, ¡°a healer and someone to take hits from the front would make this team work quite nicely. Yes, very nice. I¡¯ll have to look at the registry¡±.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have the authority to pull the registry, for this very reason, do you remember? You used it to find Focuses that were intriguing and showed up at people¡¯s houses trying to KIDNAP them!¡± Oliver closed his eyes and took two very deep breaths. ¡°Alder, please, get the fuck out of here¡±. Alder didn¡¯t hear or didn¡¯t care to follow the order. ¡°Telliman, show Glassus, the door, please¡±.

    Stella grinned as manically as Alder and lifted an eyebrow in victory, when Alder seemed to register the words he froze and slowly turned to face the stern woman. ¡°Now, Stella, you don¡¯t have to ¨C I¡¯ll walk, so don¡¯t ¨C¡° he didn¡¯t finish his sentence as a huge gust of wind flung him away from the group, sending him rolling to the door.

    ¡°I do love when you let me do that, Oliver¡±.

    ¡°I know, Stell. Now, I will actually go look at the registry and see what I can do. A vanguard and healer.¡± Oliver shook his head in resignation as he walked away.

    ¡°What the heck is going on?¡± Gray blurted out when the intense awkwardness faded an iota.

    ¡°You¡¯re going into the tower.¡± Instructor Telliman said flatly, turning around and shouting at them to follow.

    ¡°Wait, what?¡±

    ¡°We haven¡¯t even finished half the year!¡±

    ¡°Why are we going in so early?¡±

    All three of them protested at the same time, making Telliman close her eyes and squeeze them tight. ¡°When you were reported to the council as the tenth Numen, they took a vote, the stupidest vote I¡¯ve ever heard of.¡± She shook her head angrily. ¡°They want you to go in as early as possible, they think your Focus can get us over the 97<sup>th</sup> floor quicker¡±. Dorian stopped moving, stopped breathing, he stopped mid-swallow and choked.

    ¡°97<sup>th</sup>?¡± he spluttered, ¡°no I can¡¯t go up there yet, I¡¯ve never even been in the Tower¡±.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to the 97<sup>th</sup> immediately, they want to evaluate you on the first floor. You¡¯ll have an Instructor with you, but they will be instructed to keep you all alive, not to do the mission or fight for you¡±. She turned and looked at them, just now seeing the twins and their pale faces. None of the three looked like they were breathing; Stella summoned a small breeze and let it brush over the three, coaxing them to breath slowly.

    ¡°Will it be you?¡± Tella asked, ¡°Are you coming with us¡±? Telliman looked pensive and bit her lip.

    ¡°They don¡¯t want it to be me, but Oliver is trying his best to change that¡±. Gray was uncharacteristically quiet; his eyes were glazed over, and he stared at the floor.

    Telliman, Dorian, and Tella discussed until Gray interrupted them with a single word ¨C ¡°When¡±?

    ¡°As soon as they find you two more members and train you together for a week¡­ a month max, maybe two¡±. Tella and Dorian were silent and Graytis put his tongue on his upper lip and nodded with a deep breath¡±.

    ¡°Come on, we have work to do.¡± Stella ordered as she turned and led them deeper into the training room.

    ¡°I know we¡¯ll have an instructor with us but is this really ok?¡± one of the new members, Estel, had asked to the room. Her and Tella had changed into most of their armor before coming into the boy¡¯s locker room to finish the rest so they could talk to them. They had waited for the boys to get their clothes on, of course, but caught another glimpse of Dorian¡¯s scars, both girls still winced when they saw it. Estel and Jenson had both been briefed on the situation, Dorian¡¯s powers, the whole shebang. They had trained together for two weeks, one more over the previously stated two; it was all Oliver could get.

    Estel wore her bronze looking armor, gray accents running through it, a shield on her back and a sword on her hip. Her blonde hair was braided, and she dropped it into the back of her breastplate, so it didn¡¯t swing around or let an enemy grab it. Her green eyes looked around the room to see who would answer first.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I¡¯m kind of excited.¡± Jenson said while he tied up his boots. He wore enchanted clothes but not a robe, games always put casters in robes and that was just silly. What if you had to run? What if you had to crouch or swim, it would billow out. It was impractical. He never liked robes anyway, he did however, have a staff. Classic caster weapon. It was leaning on the wall next to him made of some kind of metal or dark wood.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t even completed second year; you should be scared as hell!¡± Gray said, not being able to hold back. Gray had been different since he first learned that they were going into the Tower early.

    ¡°What¡¯s with you, Graytis? You¡¯ve been acting weird all month, ¡°I know we¡¯re going in early, but we work well together, we¡¯ll have an instructor even if it isn¡¯t Ms. Stella. We¡¯re gonna be fine¡±. Tella was the one who answered her brother.

    ¡°Huh, what¡¯s with me? We¡¯re going into the Tower a whole year early, we¡¯ve been a party for two weeks, none of us have been in actual combat. It¡¯s just, I¡¯m nervous you¡¯re my family,¡± he glanced at the two additions and chuckled with only a small smile, ¡°and my friends. I just don¡¯t want to see anyone get hurt¡±.

    ¡°I said we¡¯ve got the Instructor to protect us if anything goes wrong. Oh, and we have Dorian¡±.

    Dorian¡¯s face paled and he swallowed hard, he¡¯d never used his barriers to protect anyone but himself, except for practice where Instructor Telliman was going slow for me to learn. Could he catch a weapon heading for someone from far away? Would be fast enough, would his aim be on? Gray¡¯s words started his own mind racing; They had practiced, but in real combat, real life, nothing happens as you want it to.

    He hated that they just assumed he could do everything because his Focus was special, it only got worse after they started training with him and saw how proficient he was. They were constantly joking that they wanted to get trapped in a training room for a year with their own Focuses. They didn¡¯t know how much pressure they were putting on him, if he fucked up¡­ that was someone else¡¯s life in danger.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll do my best.¡± He responded flatly.  ¡°Hey, everyone¡­¡± Gray looked up from tying his boot, then straightened when he saw how serious Dorian was. Then Dorian looked at Telly the same way, then Jenson, and finally, Estel.

    ¡°Listen, I know you¡¯ve seen me do things in combat training that were¡­ special, I won¡¯t deny it, but I¡¯ve never been in real combat, I¡¯ve never seen blood other than my own, this isn¡¯t¡­ I¡¯m not going to let you die, I¡¯ll use my body if I have to, but this isn¡¯t¡­ AH!¡± He let out an angry breath, frustrated, trying to swallow the lump in his throat and force out what he needed to say. ¡°Look this isn¡¯t practice, it¡¯s real. Real.¡± His eyes bore into theirs ¡°if, if I fuck up, we die, you die, I die. Just don¡¯t rely on me as much as you think you can¡±.

    He winced and tilted his head knowing what he said was confusing, he put a hand up to stop Gray from talking ¡°I mean, right now you¡¯re thinking, it doesn¡¯t matter what happens, we¡¯ve got the instructor also- ¡°Gray laughed and turned to tie his boot again, Dorian got angry and was about to yell at his idiot friend before Gray interrupted him.

    ¡°We¡¯re climbers, well training to be Climbers, jackass. We know the danger. You¡¯re our support, we know you support, NOT ¡°do everything¡±¡±. He finished tying his boot and smiled wide at Dorian while standing straight, ¡°don¡¯t worry, man, we¡¯ll pull our weight, just watch our backs if we drop it¡±.

    Estel smiled and punched Dorian¡¯s shoulder ¡°I¡¯m the vanguard, I¡¯ll be taking the damage, thank you very much¡±.

    ¡°You can make a mistake or two, just make sure I¡¯ve got mana before you do anything too crazy¡± Jenson added into the convo. Tella just smiled and nodded at him reassuringly.

    Dorian took a breath that made him feel wholly lighter; they were right, they had trained just as hard as he did. Decimation, they had one whole year worth of schooling more than him. He forced a smile and nodded back to his team, then turning to finally finish checking his own gear.

 Into the Tower

    It took no more than fifteen minutes for the group to finish preparing, each one sporting equipment that complimented their powers. Tella had a light, slim fit, black cloth suit on, rugged pants, boots, and long sleeve black shirt covered with leather in vital areas. She carried a short sword on one hip and two daggers in her boots, a small crossbow folded and stored in a holster on the small of her back. She barely made any noise as she moved, and she seemed as if she was always alert, ears twitching and eyes darting. Her and Estel had become fast friends, teasing each other as they led the boys.

    Estel was not so quiet when she moved, but she didn¡¯t have to be. She was the Vanguard, and her armor was for taking hits not sneaking around. Her smile was as bright as her armor and her laugh was soothing to hear in the hallways as they walked, Dorian really enjoyed hearing it echoing over their footsteps. Gray started to whistle an old song his dad hummed when he worked, and Jenson was talking to Dorian about tactics. Jenson had the ability to create small force shields as well, just not as efficiently as Dorian or as strong. Dorian had been teaching him when to use them and how to be most effective with their placement.

    Gray, being the only one not conversing with someone spoke, he said it loud enough to interrupt the other four. ¡°There it is.¡± They walked out of a thick ballistic gate, blades folded into the front that would swing out if monsters escaped the tower again. It was bright outside in a general sense, probably close to midday. The Tower blocked the sun from a direct line of sight to the team, so they didn¡¯t have to squint long; just blink a few times to acclimate. The titanic Tower loomed, outlined by the sun it looked like destiny manifest and Dorian felt a rush of excitement as he stared at it. It was as tall as their future was bright, he looked around at his friends and saw all of them with the same excited grin as they stared at the Tower in awe.

    They had seen the Tower, of course, you couldn¡¯t miss it even if you tried. But up close? This close? It was even more mind-boggling. It was so huge it took your breath away. As they got closer to the Tower they walked past the forward defenses. Powerful positions, dug in with huge guns pointed toward the entrance, easily built as well as easily abandoned ¨C they were pillbox bunkers without a back so the occupants could just run out if need be.

    They dotted the area in front of the Tower keeping from each other¡¯s line of fire to create a kill zone. It cemented in the fact that they were going into a very dangerous place, even if it was only the first couple of floors. Dorian finally looked forward and saw Instructor Telliman standing outside next to Director Kentwood, then he groaned as he recognized the ludicrous grin of the third person there. Alder Glassus.

    ¡°Kentwood will keep him in line, don¡¯t worry, bud.¡± Gray slapped Dorian¡¯s back playfully.

    ¡°Yeah, great. I still hate being near that guy, he just gives me bad vibes. Like he¡¯s plotting something¡­ not a good something¡±. They got close enough to the three that their conversation would be heard so they stopped talking and just walked up quietly as a group until they were in front of the three adults.

    They looked at the kids, taking in their equipment with a few approving nods. ¡°First, let me introduce you to the Instructor going with you. He¡¯s a third-year student, he¡¯s been up to Floor 12 so far, very good for someone his age. Do <u>not</u> rely on him to fight for you¡±. His tone was serious, putting emphasis on the last part especially.

    ¡°He will be observing you and taking out threats he deems too strong for you to fight. Rictor, come here and meet the group¡±. A tall hunched over student, who couldn¡¯t be older than twenty-five years old walked away from the group of guards he was talking to with a wave. He was wearing bracers that extended to his fingertips, there were little pockets in the fingertips to slide his fingers in like palm-less gloves.

    He walked slow and fast all at the same time, his strides were long, so it looked as if he was walking slow but he moved a great distance with each step. When he got there and stopped walking he just eyed the students critically. ¡°Looks like a good composition¡­¡± he mumbled ¡°they look greener than you told me, Glassus¡±.

    ¡°Professor Glassus.¡± Instructor Telliman corrected Rictor¡¯s lack of respect for his instructor.

    ¡°Yes, yes, but I trust you with watching them and protecting them. You¡¯re one of my favorites, Rictor¡±. Glassus didn¡¯t even notice the reprimand.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ only the first three floors, right? Should be fine.¡± He spoke slowly and deliberately; he looked tired though, unbothered and bored.

    ¡°Yes, my boy, only the first three. Do you have the recording de-, I mean are you all packed¡±?

    ¡°Recording what?? Glassus we said NO recordings, you know that.¡± Kentwood stepped up behind the man and loomed, his breath ruffling his hair.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°Oh, I must¡¯ve given it to him by accident, may I have it back, Rictor¡±.

    Rictor showed more life than Dorian had seen him make since he walked over, he grinned, amused at Glassus¡¯ mood change. He handed over a small telescope looking item and then handed it to Kentwood when he reached out his hand faster than Alder. ¡°Come with me, Rictor.¡± It was a command, not a request. When they got far enough Kentwood spoke to the third year; low so they wouldn¡¯t be heard.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re one of Alder¡¯s favorites, but if you break any of the rules we set for this run, do anything to deliberately put any of these kids into more danger than necessary, there will be severe consequences¡±. The next words he infused with a bit of his mana, so they vibrated in Rictor¡¯s ears, ¡°am I clear, boy¡±?

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Rictor gulped. Oliver eyed him, he cleared his throat, ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± He quickly corrected. Kentwood stood straight and then tilted his head toward the group as a dismissal. Telliman stood silent with a frown the entire time, staring at the group, sizing them up. She spun on her foot and stomped over to the Director.

    ¡°Damnit, Kentwood, I don¡¯t like this. Alder is up to something¡±.

    ¡°He¡¯s always up to something.¡± Oliver sucked his teeth, ¡°he wouldn¡¯t kill them, he wants to study them too much¡­ well Dorian he wants to study and if he killed off any of his friends that would make things extremely¡­ difficult for him¡±. Stella stared at him for a few more seconds, incredulous, then stomped over to Dorian and his friends.

    She beckoned them to step off to the side with her as Rictor spoke quietly with Alder. ¡°Watch out for anything¡­ weird in there. I don¡¯t know what so don¡¯t ask, but I don¡¯t and will never trust that scheming little man¡±.  She lowered her voice even further, ¡°look, Kentwood and I don¡¯t like this, at all, we didn¡¯t want this to happen for at least another year, but the committee.¡± Her frustration with the ladder was plain. ¡°Anyway, if you see something that¡¯s too much, get a weird feeling, see something you shouldn¡¯t¡­ run. Leave Rictor behind, he can handle himself, trust me the guy is one of Glassus¡¯ favorite little pets. Worry about your team, get each other out, work together¡±.

    ¡°I know what you can do, you¡¯ll be fine in the first three floors, normally you would be.¡± She recanted then continued. ¡°The recording device can¡¯t be the only thing he is planning and it¡¯s his little puppet running the show in there¡­¡±.

    ¡°You¡¯re really not making us feel better¡­¡± Gray blurted out and the others snorted and stifled laughs. Stella lifted an amused eyebrow.

    ¡°No, no I guess I¡¯m not. Look just keep your eyes out, yeah?¡± she made each one acknowledge her before letting them leave.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s already in there, you should be able to find it easily.¡± Glassus whispered to his student.

    ¡°The Director, though, he-¡° Rictor started to protest. Glassus waved a hand to dismiss the concern before Rictor finished.

    ¡°We have the committee on our side, my boy, we¡¯re nigh untouchable!¡± his whisper grew louder before he looked around conspiratorially and lowered it again. ¡°just make sure they don¡¯t die¡­ Dorian most importantly but try and keep them all alive. Accidents do happen, as they say¡±.

    Rictor scrunched up his face, ¡°you didn¡¯t say anything about this being dangerous enough to kill them, Alder.¡± Rictor¡¯s face showed his hesitation clearly.

    ¡°Accidents, Rictor, accidents. I don¡¯t plan on anyone dying, I¡¯ve seen them fight I know they can handle it. What if someone stumbles, you never know what will happen in combat. Besides, you have the control stone, correct¡±?

    Rictor, looking mollified, pulled his collar to the side to show a chain hanging there. ¡°Good man!¡± Alder said, this time loudly enough to let others hear. ¡°Have a good run then, Rictor, keep the kids safe, keep an eye for fascinating things!¡± he took a deep breath and smiled wide. ¡°Well, Dorian, good luck in there, I can¡¯t wait to hear all about it¡­ I wonder, Oliver what if I went instead of Ric-¡°.

    ¡°No¡±.

    ¡°Right! Well, Rictor, take charge, lead your¡­ charges¡­ forward¡±! Rictor looked at Alder flatly then turned and waved to indicate they needed to follow him. He didn¡¯t say a word or turn to see if they followed, just walked.

    ¡°I know you have a rare Focus, Dori, but that guy is REALLY obsessed with you¡± Jenson said.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Dorian responded, clearly distracted.

    ¡°The guy¡¯s a freak!¡± Gray said with a laugh.

    ¡°He¡¯s nice, just¡­ excitable.¡± Tella defended him, he did help her quite a bit. She didn¡¯t get the kind of attention Dorian did, though, and could see how it would get, well, annoying.

    ¡°Grab a tracking pin.¡± Rictor said, interrupting them without caring, picking up a black tower shaped pin, tossing it up and down in his hand. ¡°Put them on, leave them in your pocket, I don¡¯t care, just DON¡¯T lose them or leave them anywhere. I can find you if you wear these, if you don¡¯t, good luck getting back on your own.

    ¡°Your locator, Ric.¡± The man at the table handed Rictor a flat, palm-sized, device which he put in a pocket on his pants.

    ¡°Thanks, Justin.¡± He turned back to the group and spoke to them. ¡°When you get inside don¡¯t move at first, take up defensive positions and wait for me to scout the area, understood¡±? assorted confirmations followed and Rictor nodded, turning to face the Tower gates. He nodded at two guards and walked toward the Gates, putting his hands up to open them, they were huge, but it looked surprisingly easy to open.

    ¡°Weapons out,¡± he spoke as he looked over his shoulder at them, making a weird grinning expression before stepping into the white light behind the gates.

    ¡°Well, this is it then.¡± Gray said taking a step forward only to be stopped by Estel.

    ¡°I¡¯m the Van, mister, you can get behind me.¡± Gray smiled and took a step back. ¡°Everyone ready?¡± Estel asked, still smiling her brilliant smile. Assorted calls of ready from the group caused Estel to turn, pull her sword and level her shield. She filled her lungs with air then shot it out quickly in preparation, fortifying her nerves.

    They pulled their weapons and waited for Estel to step into the white light. One by one they stepped in, Tella went second, then Jenson. Gray and Dorian looked at each other, grinned, nodded and stepped inside at almost the same time.