Tower of Paradise

—Anyway... Thanks. I owe you my life— I acknowledged, unable to ignore the fact that without her intervention, I would probably be dead.

—Come on, you don't have to be so serious. But... I didn't know you had golden hair— she commented, changing the subject.

—Now you know— I replied dryly, uncomfortable with the attention to my appearance.

—Was it always like that? It's an uncommon color.

—It is.

—...Why are you like that...?

—I don't understand what you mean— I responded, although deep down I knew exactly what she was referring to. My tendency to be curt and evasive was a well-established defense mechanism.

—Nothing...

KathyIn made a slight pout. I could sense her frustration; she surely felt that the guy in front of her was like a block of wood. After thinking for a moment, she suddenly asked:

—Arceus, what color do you like?

I blinked several times, a little stunned by her question. I didn't expect such a personal interest in my preferences.

—...Blonde.

Unconsciously, I had lowered my guard in front of this girl. It seemed that, due to the dangerous environment and lack of sleep, I had forgotten her extraordinary mind. After this unconscious response, KathyIn remained silent for a few seconds, but she asked a question I couldn't anticipate:

—Her hair... is blonde, right?

My body trembled nervously, but I quickly calmed down. I knew who she was referring to. The shadow of "her" always flashed before me, which saddened me but also made me feel lucky.

—Yes, it was blonde, a bit like wheat, very beautiful— I admitted softly.

This was the first time I specifically described Alessia in front of KathyIn. The meticulous KathyIn looked at my somewhat somber eyes. Her intuition was disturbingly accurate at times, as if she could read the hidden layers of my being better than most.

Suddenly, my sharpened senses perceived something. I tilted my head and saw a shadow moving stealthily behind KathyIn. It was evident that she hadn't noticed due to her body's tiredness and the dulling of her senses after being agitated and exhausted from the battle.

I couldn't waste a second. If I took even a moment, KathyIn could die. Without hesitation, I activated my private attribute. A blue light ran through my body as all my senses were pushed to the limit. 

In an instant, I stood up and flexed my legs. The ground beneath my feet cracked and fractured into dozens of small pieces as I shot out like a cannonball towards KathyIn.

«I need to take her down», I thought, identifying the threat with absolute clarity. There was no room for doubt or hesitation. In the tower, indecision was tantamount to death.

The attacker already had two daggers raised towards KathyIn's head. It was evident that she intended to end her with a single blow, taking advantage of her vulnerability.

I prepared my right arm and hit the attacker's face on the left cheek with the force of a war hammer, applying precisely the amount of energy needed to neutralize the threat. Her face contorted under the impact, and before her body shot out like a broken arrow, I grabbed her hair tightly to counteract the inertia.

Obviously, this only generated more pain in the attacker, and with my right leg, I firmly stepped on her chest to immobilize her, making sure she couldn't attempt any other movement.

—You're curious to know how I knew you would attack us, right?— I asked in a cold tone.

Without even looking directly at her face, I knew instantly who it was. The truth is, nothing that was happening surprised me. On the contrary, I had been expecting it from the beginning. Betrayal was the bread and butter of the tower. I invoked my spear and positioned it at her neck, ready to end her life. I felt no pleasure in it, only the cold certainty that it was the necessary action for our survival.

—Please... Don't kill me. I just wanted to see if they were okay— Caria moaned in pain. Her eyes filled with tears, looking at me with sad eyes like an abandoned puppy, appealing to an empathy I couldn't allow myself to have. A predictable strategy, but effective with those who haven't learned the harsh lessons of the tower.

—Don't make me laugh. You were going to kill us after using us— I mocked her with the same irony that a mirror reflected the ridiculousness. Her words were completely meaningless from a logical perspective. I had pointed her daggers at KathyIn's head; did she expect me to believe she just wanted to cut her hair? Sarcasm arose naturally in me when I faced such blatant hypocrisy.

I wasn't so naive. The first rule of every man with brains was to doubt a woman who cried so easily, especially in this world where appearances and emotions are often as deadly weapons as any dagger. Besides, the main reason I didn't believe her was that soul fragments could also be obtained from Ascendents like us.

This was one of the reasons why it was so difficult to survive in the tower, and why I was always on alert, even with KathyIn. Because of this reality, some subjects in the tower were dedicated to hunting Ascendents of any species instead of killing monsters. It was easier, safer, and sometimes more profitable. The economics of violence in the tower was something I had always kept in mind.

Caria was one of those individuals who hid their true identity and did anything for their own benefit. A predator disguised as an ally, waiting for the right moment to strike. Her behavior followed a pattern I had identified in other traitors before her.

—How is it possible...? I'm sorry... I was wrong. Please... Forgive me— she pleaded. Two streams of tears ran down her cheeks as she bit her lower lip. Her eyes looked like two stars fading on the horizon, desperately trying to appeal to a compassion I didn't want to feel—. I won't do it again. I promise... I won't!

It was an almost artistic performance in its execution, but every gesture was calculated to manipulate, every tear designed to distract.

—There are many people like you— I couldn't help but frown. I deeply disliked this woman's behavior and the emotions she was trying to manipulate. It was as if she pretended to reverse the roles, as if I was the villain and she was the victim. That's how some people were: they played the victim and made the real victim feel like the aggressor. Reverse psychology was a tactic I had seen employed too many times to fall for it. But none of that mattered now. Emotional distractions were a luxury we couldn't afford in such a hostile environment.

—Please... Just please, this time...

I brandished my spear forcefully and, in an instant, cleanly cut off her head. Her head flew through the air before falling and rolling on the ground.

—Don't start begging for your life. You leave a bad taste in my mouth— I declared coldly, watching as life left her eyes.

Without her owner, Caria's body fell limply to the ground, like a puppet whose strings have been cut. A cerulean fire levitated out of her head. I felt no remorse, only the certainty of having eliminated a threat. I bent down and absorbed her soul. Well, it was useful to have her as a companion; killing her had given me 20 Fragments. Thanks to her, I now had 224 Soul Fragments.

The main reason I was able to anticipate this situation was thanks to my innate ability. The Eyes of the Successor provide me with information that others could hardly know unless they have experienced it firsthand, such as being betrayed by their "allies" at the last moment. But by then, they would be dead. To climb to the top of the tower, I had to do everything in my power. In the tower, ignorance was expensive and paid for with death. Instead, information was power, a type of power where knowledge became the most valuable of treasures.

—Did you really have to kill her?— I heard KathyIn's voice behind me as she approached with hesitant steps. Her tone reflected her dismay and resignation.

—"Always imagine you're in a real fight." Wasn't that what you told me the first day we met?— I turned to look at her, reminding her of her own words. Sometimes, the greatest act of loyalty is to maintain consistency, even when it's painful. KathyIn needed to understand that in the tower, there was no room for hesitation.

KathyIn avoided my gaze as she grabbed her left forearm with her other hand. She looked like a leaf floating aimlessly in an uncertain river, lost between her own principles and the harsh reality of our world. I could see in her expression the internal conflict she was waging, between what she believed was right and what she knew was necessary. It was a conflict that I had resolved myself long ago, choosing survival over idealism.

—I guess you're right— she pursed her lips and sighed, reluctantly accepting the truth of my words. Her initial resistance gave way to acceptance, a pattern I had observed in her before. KathyIn had the ability to adapt her principles when reality demanded it, a flexibility I secretly admired.

KathyIn seemed to be plotting something; her gaze was a bit curious and hesitant. At that moment, she didn't avoid my gaze at all. She slowly reduced the distance deliberately. With those simple steps, our faces were less than a foot apart, a distance only lovers would share.

—I should thank you too. Thanks, kid —KathyIn smiled, and her voice suddenly became very soft, her smile like the gleam of a shooting star.

I froze. I swallowed hard, and my expression tightened slightly. In my mind, I was trying to figure out what was going on. When I snapped out of the strange feeling and realized my body's reaction wasn't right, I suddenly looked away, took a step back, and took a deep breath.

No, no, no... Damn, there's definitely something wrong. That can't be right... I'm an old man; I don't like underage girls. What the hell is going on...?

Was this girl deliberately messing with me?

I suddenly considered this possibility. I looked up and wanted to say something, but I realized KathyIn was still looking at me with that affectionate gaze. It seemed like she was doing it on purpose... I instantly lost control, mumbled, "Let's go," and turned to keep walking towards the portal while putting on my mask.

I usually kept my emotions under strict control, but with KathyIn, sometimes gestures and emotions arose that I couldn't fully explain. It was as if she had the ability to pierce through my meticulously built barriers, something I found both fascinating and disturbing.

KathyIn walked with light steps, and her mood seemed to be happier than ever.