Tower of Paradise

[You have the highest contribution: 60%]

[Your achievement will be classified.]

[You are in second place.]

[You have obtained 400 Soul Fragments.]

[You have obtained a Soul Fragment of the Terror Incarnation.]

[You have entered the waiting room of the seventh floor.]

We had all felt that weight in our chest, that sensation of emptiness that seemed to have no end.

Life struck us without mercy, leaving us trapped in a cycle of pain that seemed infinite. But why do we truly suffer? Why did pain seem to be the very essence of existence?

From the first cry of a baby entering this world to the last sigh of an elderly person bidding farewell to it, pain was the thread that wove the fabric of our lives.

There was no moment, however fleeting, that was not marked by some type of suffering: the physical pain that lacerated our body, the emotional pain that tore our souls, or the psychological pain that tormented us ceaselessly.

This was not an unfounded pessimistic view, but a crude and honest observation of the reality that surrounded us. A reality that, although we would like to deny it, was an inseparable part of our existence.

I fell onto the cold, hard floor, feeling every centimeter of the rough surface against my skin. I remained motionless, my teeth clenched while rage and pain waged a merciless battle inside me. For what seemed like an eternity, I could only immerse myself in the lament for KathyIn's death. She was not simply a companion to me; she was much more. She was a friend, a confidante, a lonely girl who had defied her unjust destiny by hiding the deep wounds of her heart behind an indomitable will's armor. Like a flame that burned even under the most devastating storm, KathyIn had persisted against her fate.

I had observed her several times without her noticing. She was a girl indelibly marked by the pain of rejection, but within her dwelled a force fed by the yearning to be recognized for her own worth, not by the standards of a lineage that had despised and exiled her without contemplation.

She represented a tragic reflection of the constant struggle between the desperate search for acceptance and the fervent desire for freedom. She always repeated to me that beyond the aesthetic, beyond superficial appearances, it was our actions and ideas that truly defined who we were. It was precisely her own ideal of revenge that kept her alive all this time, her unquestionable purpose that gave meaning to her existence until her last and fateful breath.

My heart began to beat with excessive force, as if it wanted to escape from my chest. Wrapped in an indescribable sensation of déjà vu, I carefully placed my hand on my pounding chest, trying to contain the sob that threatened to escape. A piercing pain, as if something were tearing my heart from its deepest core, completely flooded me, paralyzing my mind. Upon contemplating her in her final moments, an absolute terror invaded me that chilled my blood. KathyIn was not so different from me in essence; only she would never be reborn in a different world; she did not even have the slightest opportunity to know true and elusive happiness.

Like the melancholic whisper of a sad melody fading into silence, I remembered KathyIn crying sadly, with a desperation that tore at the soul.

— I want to have the confidence to say that I deserve to live! I... I do not want to die. I really do not want to die!

She had collapsed before my eyes, sobbing uncontrollably, repeating over and over that she did not want to die, like a desperate mantra against the inevitable darkness looming over her. That memory, so vivid and heartbreaking, pierced my soul with each breath, like a poisoned dagger twisting in my consciousness.

— Damn it... —I muttered between my teeth, my voice choked by an emotion that threatened to suffocate me.

I rubbed my eyes forcefully while, unable to avoid it, tears began to trace paths down my face. I was deeply indignant for her and for the merciless and cruel way she had ended her life. Images of her death replayed in my mind with terrifying clarity, like an endless nightmare that refused to leave me, feeding a fire of anger that burned with the intensity of an uncontainable forest fire.

I understood that I must be much stronger, more powerful than I had ever been or dreamed of being. After meticulously analyzing my options, I made a decision: to protect her legacy and carry out my revenge, I would invoke the soul fragment of the Terror Incarnation that I had carefully stored in the tower's storage.

To obtain its formidable powers, I must completely integrate with the fragment. I absolutely did not like the idea of receiving the abilities of the same bastard who had snatched KathyIn's life, but reality was merciless: I had no other viable option. To protect what I loved and treasured, to avenge those I had lost, I must become someone strong enough to face any adversity that stood in my path.

I breathed deeply, filling my lungs with the cold, metallic air of the room. Sitting cross-legged in a meditative position, I slowly guided the soul fragment toward the Soul Reaper bracelet I wore and began the complex integration process.

From a logical perspective, I understood that this fragment did not possess the true power of the undead monster in all its magnitude; it was simply its weakened version, the same we had faced in combat. However, even with those limitations, it remained far superior to my current capabilities, a power that could catapult me to new heights.

As soon as the fragment made contact with my body, I froze, not knowing what to expect. One second passed, then another.

I brought my trembling hands to my face and finally felt something. In the next moment, I opened my mouth and let out a terrible and pitiful scream while an unimaginable and blinding pain tore through my entire being.