Tower of Paradise

The notifications floated in front of my eyes, but I could barely pay attention to them. At another time, I might have felt pride in that third place for having achieved the highest contribution. But now, only one thing mattered.

As I looked more closely at the battlefield, I noticed something I had overlooked before. When I did, I felt the blood drain from my face. Arceus remained motionless. Had I arrived too late? The thought of losing one of the few who had accepted me caused a pain that even my years of rejection had not managed to equal.

I got up with difficulty and walked with hurried steps toward Arceus. Each step was a torment; my muscles protested, and my vision blurred at times, but I forced myself to keep going.

He was motionless, showing no signs of life. I shook him, trying to get him to react, but nothing worked. He almost looked like a corpse, and that thought chilled my blood more than any ice technique I could execute.

—Arceus! —I shouted, surprised by the despair in my own voice—. Wake up, damn it!

My body involuntarily shuddered as I knelt beside his shattered body. With trembling hands, I took the mask that always covered his face.

I realized I had never seen him without it. Even though we had fought together, even though we had slept next to each other for several nights, I had never looked at his features. Arceus always avoided the subject and ate apart from me, so I could never catch a glimpse of his face.

I had respected his privacy, understanding better than anyone the desire to hide parts of oneself. But now there was no time to respect barriers. If there was a chance to save him, I had to try everything.

I abruptly returned to reality and decided to remove the mask. Instantly, I gasped in surprise, feeling my heart skip a beat as I realized how young he was. He didn't look more than ten years old. How was that possible?

—No…

My eyes filled with tears as I noticed the boy was choking on his own blood. I had always believed that Arceus was simply a man of short stature; I had assumed so because when I asked him if he was a child the first time we met, he neither denied nor affirmed it.

A child. A damn child had been risking his life alongside me all this time. And I, so absorbed in my own problems, in my personal struggle, had not been able to realize it. I felt ashamed, furious with myself. Once again, my desire to prove my worth had blinded me, making me ignore what was right in front of my nose.

I felt a strange expression forming on my face. It was as if I was afraid and fighting against myself, undecided about what to do. My survival instinct told me to leave him, to save my resources for myself. After all, hadn't I learned throughout my life that I could only rely on myself? That showing weakness or concern for others only brought pain?

In the end, I sighed in resignation, and with a faint light, an item appeared in my hands. It was a purple glass vial.

[Dawn Serum (C)]

[Description: A healing potion. It has reduced functionality, but it can be a vital medicine.]

It was the reward I had received for completing the fourth floor of the tower after obtaining the highest contribution when we were fleeing the spider mutant. I had thought about saving it for when I was on the verge of death, to save myself, but...

I couldn't let him die. I couldn't be like my sister, abandoning those who needed her for her own benefit. I refused to become what I despised.

I uncorked the glass with trembling fingers and brought it to my mouth. I realized that Arceus could never drink it himself in his state. I brought my face closer to his and, against my initial will, I forced myself to do the unthinkable. I kissed him.

At that precise moment, Arceus opened his eyes abruptly. The only thing that could be heard was the sound of my throat as I transmitted the purple liquid I held in my mouth into his, as he instinctively swallowed every drop I offered him.

The contact lasted only a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity. It wasn't the romantic kiss I had ever imagined in my moments of weakness when I allowed myself to dream of a life beyond the constant struggle against the world. It was a desperate act of survival, of care for someone who, unlike my family, had accepted me for who I was.

I felt a pang of sadness thinking that a child had received my first kiss in this way, but deep down, I didn't regret having done it. The life of my young companion was worth more than any romantic gesture. I would just have to be more careful from now on.

Reflecting on it, I felt that there seemed to be an inexplicable connection between us. But after my spirits calmed down, this feeling was weak and not intense. It was like a quiet stream flowing in the background of my heart. It existed, but it didn't make noise.

***

ARCEUS PENDRAGON'S POV

I felt like I was in heaven. All pain disappeared from my body, replaced by a gentle, enveloping warmth. I felt as if something pure and sacred was purifying me—a pristine, regenerative purple liquid flowing through me, cleansing every impurity, restoring every deteriorated fiber of my being.

Under the influence of the potion that KathyIn was supplying me through her soft lips, my dying body began to repair itself. I watched as my shattered bones recomposed themselves from the scattered fragments, following a perfect pattern as if an invisible force guided them. My torn flesh regenerated cell by cell, regaining its vitality with every passing second. My collapsed lungs and damaged heart came back to life, rejuvenating, becoming strong and healthy in an instant. It was a fascinating process from a scientific perspective, though disturbing if I allowed myself to think about the implications.

Suddenly, I could breathe again.

I was somewhat surprised by the sudden recovery and struggled to open my eyes, trying to adjust to this new reality. As my vision slowly focused, I saw KathyIn's pale face hovering over me. Her long, midnight blue hair was wet, clinging to her skin like veils of dark silk over white marble.

I raised my hands and carefully explored my body. To my surprise, nothing hurt. It was as if I had never been injured, let alone been on the verge of death. The feeling was disconcerting—I perfectly remembered the agonizing pain that had pierced me moments before, each pang of suffering etched in my memory with absolute clarity, but now there was no trace of that agony.

For a good while, the two of us were silent. The feeling of survival gradually increased. We both raised our heads at the same time and looked at each other as if our hearts were connected.

My tension eased when I saw her smiling and, more importantly, alive. I had feared the worst when I lost consciousness. Seeing that we had both survived was the optimal outcome that I had barely dared to consider.

I opened my mouth and wanted to say something, but I realized that KathyIn had opened her arms and lunged toward me. She hugged me tightly. Her arms wrapped around me with intensity, as if it were the only way to calm the fear she felt in her heart.

I froze like an idiot. I felt as if I had been electrocuted suddenly. I had my mouth open like a toad that had been punched. The faint, sweaty fragrance of KathyIn's body reached my nostrils directly, making me feel as if my brain had suddenly "collapsed."

—It’s... it’s okay. It’s really okay —I muttered clumsily.

I didn't know how to comfort her. I patted her back stiffly and carefully, and KathyIn quickly released her hands and moved away like a frightened mouse seeing a cat. Seeing my look of helplessness and nervousness, her initial expression of panic gradually disappeared, and then she smiled and laughed out loud.

—Hahahahahaha...

As if to release the indescribable pressure she felt in her heart at that moment, she laughed so hard that she swayed from side to side, without any manners. Just as I was wondering if I should remind her not to laugh until she ran out of breath, KathyIn finally stopped.

—Are you okay? —I asked with a gentle smile; it seemed like the natural response at that moment.

—Yes... It's over. Right?

Her question made me feel a wave of relief so intense that I wanted to cry, though I held back. The idea of being alive, of having survived what seemed like certain death, filled me with an emotion that I rarely allowed myself to experience, let alone show. My nature urged me to keep my emotions under control, but at that moment, the relief was overwhelming.

—I guess so. Speaking of which, I made a mistake today. I didn't expect it to be so different from what I imagined. I almost lost my life. I'm really sorry.

—This kind of apology... is really strange. I don't think there's anything to regret for not being able to defeat this guy, —she replied, shaking her head slightly.