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2024-10-29 19:42:56The elevator made a humming sound as it was turned on.
It was made of transparent glass with an octagonal shape, The elevator floors and edges were lined with metals with the roof hooked up to a tough line that connected it to the higher floors.
Quite some time had passed since I used one of these. The last time was when I left the 20th floor to move in with Leila.
Right now I was in the elevator with Leila, heading for the 50th floor.
After Leila helped to boost my confidence… hateful witch!... I felt much better about myself.
With such a big supporter by my side, no obstacle could stand in my path to fulfilling my dreams.
Don't worry dad, you can rest easy.
I will finish what you started.
Uhmm, where was I?
Oh yeah.
The elevator was located at the center of the floor, with enough room to fit thirty people at a go.
Connected from the 101st to the 81st floor, it enabled the transport of people and goods between floors.
This was the only way to move between floors and one had to pay five kobos to make use of the capsule.
Kobo was the currency used in the Tower.
They were green paper money printed with values of 5, 10, 15, and 20 notes.
As I counted the numbers from 1 to 100, the elevator jerked as the last person came on board.
"All aboard!... Going up!" the conductor said as he pushed a button causing the elevator doors to close after which it began to head up.
Leila grabbed hold of my palm and squeezed it gently.
She remembered my fear of high places… sweet.
I know, it's embarrassing that someone living in a 300-floor Tower would be scared of heights.
It's not exactly fear, I just hate the feeling I get down there… ahem, pardon my vulgar language.
The elevator suddenly jerked as the lights went off, plunging us into darkness.
"Hah, again… it's becoming a daily occurrence at this point."
"What the hell are those people on the top floors getting up to?"
A few people murmured amongst themselves.
Still, blaming the upper floors?... Hah, I couldn't bring myself to say anything.
The Heart going out was scary to think about. So I guessed that the rumors of the upper floors performing experiments were spread to not affect the labor force.
Unfortunately, my dad and Leila were too informed not to know the truth.
Anyway, the light turned back on after which the conductor apologized and the ride continued.
This time, the ride went relatively smoothly with a few jerks along the way… thankfully, we got to our destination.
Of course, our journey wasn't over as our final destination… that didn't sound right.
Ahem… We had to get to the 50th floor which was where the Academy for the Gifted or Gifted Academy for short was located.
The 50th floor was one of the only floors in the tower that wasn't for residential purposes.
The entire floor was used for the development of Explorers and apart from Academic staff, normal folks weren't allowed into the floor.
I may not be learned in the structure of the Tower, but of course, I needed some background knowledge of the floor I would be spending quite sometime on.
After a few more capsule rides, we finally made it to the lobby of the 50th floor.
It was dimly lit with red light but was quite spacious enough to fit a good number of people at a time.
There were several others waiting alongside me and Leila.
A few of them were in the same age bracket as I.
Guess I'm not the only one planning on signing up to become an Explorer.
It's not like I was surprised, after all, apart from scientists, Executives, and members of the Twelve Great families, the only way a person could make enough money to enjoy life in the tower was by becoming an Explorer.
At least that's what Leila told me.
I kinda understood why though.
It would be pretty harsh if the people that endangered their lives every day outside the tower weren't allowed to live an easy life within.
A few minutes passed as Leila squeezed my palm a few times for emotional support.
'I get that you want to support me… but you are kinda hurting me.'
I would have loved to say that but I couldn't bear to spoil our time together since it would be quite some time before we saw each other again.
According to Leila's explanation, for the first year in Gifted, one couldn't contact their parents or guardians for anything.
It was almost like a prison cell… or maybe it was.
The thought of wearing dirty clothes and working in the mines caused me to instinctively gulp
Looking around to get my mind off things, I caught sight of a few interesting faces.
One was a brown-haired kid with glasses and a rather emaciated physique.
He trembled from time to time which I assumed was because of hunger… I couldn't be too sure though.
Anyway, he was escorted by a thin woman wearing a veil over her head with a small boy with a big head and large stomach sleeping on her back.
They seemed to be from the lower floors.
I was about to check out a few others when a buzzing sound echoed in the space followed by the door behind us opening.
A few more people entered with a group standing out the most.
They donned Navy blue Exosuits with their helmets on, carrying weapons.
On the chest of the suit, the image of a cloud with lightning erupting from it was carved.
This was the symbol of the Blake family… one of the Twelve Great families.
I was familiar with it since I had come across them quite a few times with Dad.
Anyway, what caught my attention was the person that stood in their midst.
With pale white skin, white hair, red lips, and a slender physique… I must confess that I was astounded by her beauty.
Leila seemed to have noticed my admiration as she nudged my rib before giving me the eye… what are you thinking about woman?
Suddenly, there was another buzzing sound followed by a robotic voice announcement.
[All Academy aspirants please take the door to your right. There is a different chamber for screening and orientation. The rest should say their goodbyes and leave the floor immediately. Thank you.]
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At World's End Entry 7
The time to part had come. I couldn't but sigh because even though I prepared mentally for this moment, it was hard to let go. Spending time with Leila, I realized that even though dad was dead, I still had someone I could call family. She did everything to make me forget but I always kept the memories of dad. But I was grateful. If not for her… there were several nights I couldn't sleep because the memory of five years ago kept coming back. Darn it… my eyes stung a little as I tried to hold back my tears. I turned to face Leila to say goodbye when her slender finger touched my lips. She applied no force but I didn't try to speak. For that brief moment, we met each other's gaze, and the world around us seemed to disappear. "Don't say anything. I'll be waiting for you so do your best and come out on top, okay." She spoke softly but her words resounded deep within my heart. With no words to respond, I merely nodded while smiling sheepishly. Wrapping my arms around her, I dra
At World's End Entry 8
Blood… gore… despair… pure, unrestrained horror. they were displayed before my eyes. People got hacked to pieces, their guts spilling out as their blood dyed the floor red. People were in the air with a spike through their stomachs. A pregnant woman getting stoned to death. A baby's head was crushed with a hammer. At some point, I collapsed to my knees and threw up. It was too much to bear. Were they real?... Had such things happened out there in the real world? Just what sort of barbarism was this? Once again, I threw up. I wasn't the only one reacting adversely to the images as I heard a few thuds, most likely because some had fainted. I tried to turn away but where could I turn to? I looked up but a screen was there as well. Below… same. What the hell was this? What sort of madman would do such a thing to us? I could have sworn I heard someone crying. Was it from the video or amongst the aspirants? Shit… I felt nauseated again. I gripped my stomach as I closed my
At World's End Entry 9
Each year the Academy accepted new entrants, depending on the number of spaces available.Registration normally took place on the 15th day of the first month when the Tower was at its hottest, Eos.From then till the 25th, candidates would show up with hopes of getting accepted in the institution.Each day a different age group was accepted…And today being the 15th, my age group which was 18-20 were the ones being tested.The red haired guy looked 30, especially with his muscular physique and… wait, he already has a beard?So, lucky… Ahem, I digress.I shook my head to get rid of the unnecessary thoughts when the military man suddenly spoke.“Well, well, it seems the maggots accepted this time are much better than last year’s set. Quite impressive. I’ll enjoy breaking you lot.” His tone of speech sounded quite sinister.But what was he talking about?He continued after a quick scan. “I’m sure you are wondering what just happened. Well, in short form, you all just passed the first ac
At World's End Entry 10
Hah, it’s fine I guess.Can’t keep on hating every doctor I came across, it’s too much work.Taking a deep breath, I retained my composure.With that, the doctor blitzed through the checkup, going as far as to ask about my medical history and if I had any problems up there.“No.” I answered bluntly.She nodded as she penned down something.After that, she took my blood and urine for some more tests before coming back out with a smile on her face.“You are quite healthy, Jeremy.”“...I try my best.”“Here you go.” She handed over an ID card with my face and basic details on it. “Welcome to the Academy for the Gifted.”“Thank you.”“I hope you enjoy your stay.”“I hope so too.”After I took possession of the ID card, she allowed me pass the door behind her which led me to yet another hallway, even though this one was shorter than the previous one.I walk down the hall until I got to a split.Following her direction, I took the left split and walked down till I got to another door.Ugh,
At World's End Entry 11
I couldn’t answer his question.Even though I answered a variant of said question yesterday, I hesitated.Leila had asked and now this rude bastard asked me again.It was at a level where I had to step back to reevaluate what I understood.I bit my lower lip to keep calm. Recalling what I read in dad’s journal, I pondered on what I’d do if faced with those situations.Even though the outside world was a beautiful place, right now it was crawling with Otherworldly, creatures residing in the Fog with only two goals.Death and destruction.They were part of the reasons why humanity had to abandon that world and live within a Tower.And even now, their existence threatened ours.Would I be able to handle it?I couldn’t be sure any longer.Fear slowly crept into my heart and the crazy captain seemed to notice as he cracked a mocking smile upon seeing my expression.He must think of me as an impulsive teen with only big dreams and no idea on how to fulfill them.Meeting his gaze aggravated
At World's End Entry 12
“Keep running, you maggots. Any one of you stop and that’s three more laps, try me.” Captain Rodgers spoke authoritatively while sitting on a chair, enjoying a beverage.Ugh, what the hell is this?How could he subject us to such labor?... This wasn’t exercise, the bastard was being an asshole by punishing everyone for the mistakes of a few.As I dragged my legs across the track, I felt like dying.I was dehydrated, and worst of all… I was freaking tired!Shit, why didn’t I try to get some sleep last night?Hah, you might be wondering what’s going on right now. Well, to understand, I’d have to backtrack to just after we were ushered into the academy grounds by the captain.It was a pretty cool sight with dormitories set on the East side, separated into the male and female quarters and then the lecture halls as well as training ground, meditation center, clinic, cafeteria and weaponry hall on the West side.What divided both sides being the large track field that spanned several meters
At World's End Entry 13
“Today being an introductory class, we will be discussing basic information about Explorers, who they are, why they are important to the Tower and what mindset to have as a candidate.”A middle aged man wearing a dirt brown suit with glasses and a weird moustache, stood at the podium, addressing us.He looked familiar with his slightly large build and chubby cheeks, maybe because I had seen him quite a few times in Dad’s lab.He was one of his fellow Explorer buddies that was more inclined to seeking knowledge than fighting monsters.Anyway, his name was Professor Charles Webber and he completely disappeared after my dad’s death.Just like several others that acted friendly when he was alive and left the moment his death was deemed as suicide.What Leila said was right that Dad’s death had something to do with the Twelve since no-one had the guts to step up to refute the claims of Dad committing suicide.The problem though was which of them did it?If I remembered correctly, most were
At World's End Entry 14
I wasn’t comfortable eating in a crowded table so I looked around for a place to sit.As my search reached a climax, luck shone upon me as I find an empty table… that is if I don’t count the pale girl currently occupying it.Shit, how come she’s here?Wait, it’s lunchtime, stupid… as I tapped my head, she noticed my presence as she looked up and momentarily, our eyes met.Oh no… I instinctively gulped as I recalled the vomit incident.Sure she said it was okay but it’s not like that makes it okay, right?I mean that’s a terrible first impression.Hah, wait, she doesn’t seem disgusted to see me.I said this because her expression was quite normal. But what if that’s her angry face?Shit, now that eye contact has gone on for so long, do I have to say something?Ugh, I really don’t understand how this works.Don’t judge me for not knowing what to do!...it’s really hard to think right now.“Are you looking for a place to sit?” she suddenly asked.Do I respond with a yes or a no?... Would
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Entry 174
The clash was like no other.After learning about the Headmaster coming for them, Jason and Philip prepared an ambush.The Headmaster was right when he said Philip had absorbed the essence of the Dreamer.Due to that absorption, he had shed his mortal coils and embraced his monstrous side without any fear.The Dreamer was a creature capable of pulling humans into dreams but for Philip it was slightly different.He was able to rewrite the fabric of reality, blurring the lines between the dream world and reality.A terrifying power he used to the best of his ability at this point.Using the tunnels as a backdrop, he created a maze with an elaborate structure and advised Jason to have the Vampires hide in wait for their prey.A brilliant plan, considering they had the upper hand.They would be able to spot the humans from a distance considering they’d be moving with torches but the Vampires managed to blend into the darkness.All that was required now was to wait and all would work out w
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Entry 173
It was the first time Vampires became a thing.Once Creatures of folklore told around campfires in the old world, these creatures were tame compared to what was before them at this very moment.A few reasons remained as to why the Otherworldly abomination was called Vampire but two stood out.One was because these monster feasted on blood and the second was that they had insane regenerative abilitiesMore than that, the third and last one was their dislike for light.They thrived in dark place as the mines and even the entire tower was meant to be.It’s quite understandable why the higher ups wouldn’t want the Vampires reaching the heart, now, no?Unlike normal Otherworldly that just don’t like light, the light for Vampires was a lethal weapon that could deal incredible damage in proportion to the intensity of the light.Which meant if they got to the Heart and by some stroke of luck, succeed in destroying it, that would mean the entire tower would be destroyed without a chance to sav
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Entry 172
There were many things to consider when it came to leadership.Both for those that sought to be leaders or those that searched for a leader.It was no easy task, rather daunting enough for those that dared to take the post of leader to actually do what they were meant to do.For Heralds, their leadership was absolute as long as it with the squadron they commanded.Before any other position, a Herald was considered first when a Squadron was to move out.The squad members of a particular squadron have the right to listen to their Herald over a captain or commander or even General.This was because the Herald was not just a simple position.One wasn’t just a leader, nay, they were also family.Such sense of camaraderie helped squad members look out for one another but also brought fierce competition as there were hardly squadron’s that listened to the Captain’s, commanders or Generals over their Herald.A position where one held the life or death of so many people.There had never been a
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Entry 171
The All-seeing Eye would have never believed it would come across the Void Wanderer again, after all, ever since that day, the Void Wanderer was pronounced dead.It should have died but even in death, it seemed as though it wouldn’t rest until it had done what it wanted which was to cause chaos amongst them.You will never get away with this!... Your kind is already doomed!... Do not waste your time fighting against the inevitable. What you should do is swear your allegiance to the one who watches and accept his reign.[Bold of you to assume that I would waste my time having a conversation with you. Please… enough with the noise.]The All-seeing Eye wanted to say but before it had a chance to, space about it began to constrict, growing tightly about it until it could barely move in any direction.No!... You cannot do this!.... You cannot do this!Unfortunately, Lord had no more words to share with him and a moment later, his body exploded like a watermelon that received the full brunt
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Entry 170
The Otherworldly were graded according to a system created by mankind after constant bouts with them.From E, it ascended thusly; E, D, C, B, A, S, SS and lastly Godspawn.Two things were used in the grading process.One was the destructive capabilities of said monster while the second was the utility of their ability.Which meant a flame monster could be lesser than a monster that can’t be seen simply because the monster that can’t be seen won’t be easily beat.For the flame monster, there would surely be ways to counter since it’s seen but the other… the first step would be to see it no?Other criteria was put into consideration as well, like how hard was it to kill one or like how fast were their regenerative capabilities.Of course this applied to most Otherworldly.Yes, most.The SS and Godspawn were different.They were a class that defied natural laws and created conundrums that defied everything humanity had come to understand.The difference between an SS and a Godspawn was t
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Entry 169
It was a simple plan with a simple purpose in mind.Reginald, Veronica and Jeremy.These three had abandoned the pain and suffering from that time during the newbie massacre to come together for a singular reason.What was the reason you might ask?... It was purely revenge.Revenge for their fallen comrades that had died unjustly at the hands of scheming bastards that hid within the shadows.The fact that they had found out whom the perpetrators were made it all the more better.At least they wouldn’t move like headless flies.Now they could move with the desire to kill the one that caused them the grievance they were still suffering even as they sat in Jeremy’s room, talking with smiled on their faces.Leah hadn’t been fooled when she saw them smile and laugh so energetically.It was most likely because they didn’t want her to worry.Unfortunately, she no longer had eyes that could be deceived.Leah only listened to the hearts of those she communicated with and currently, as she list
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Entry 168
Veronica sighed as she rose from her bed and walked over to the door to open it only to find her father standing outside.“Dad, you?” Veronica said.Her father nodded. “Were you sleeping?”“No… not yet.” Veronica shook her head in response.“I thought as much. Alright, let me come in first.” With that said, he casually entered without giving Veronica much of a choice to refuse or anything of that sort.She watched on as he sat on her bed and made himself comfortable before tapping on the bed.“Come sit.”Veronica pursed her lips before letting out a sigh. “still as intrusive as ever.”Sitting beside her father, she waited for him to talk.He pondered for a bit before he spoke. “how are you feeling?”“Fine.” Veronica replied.Her father glanced at her and after a bit of scrutiny, shook his head. “that’s a lie.”“If you already know, then why ask?”“To know if you are willing to tell yourself the truth.”“…The truth is too painful to accept.”Her father stared at her solemn face and aft
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Entry 167
It all happened so suddenly.One moment, the thugs were trying to take down Jeremy and Marcus to take away their belongings and the next moment, they were writhing on the floor like worms that had salt poured in them.As they groaned and gasped for air, Jeremy looked on with an expressionless look on his face.Meanwhile, Marcus was somewhat terrified.Just what power had Jeremy used?He couldn’t even begin to fathom it.But then he wondered. If he had such an ability… wouldn’t Ria still be alive now?Wouldn’t he have been able to save Ria and ensure nothing happens to her?As that thought came, Marcus found himself pondering on it more and more until he could hardly think of anything else.Then he heard Jeremy’s voice. “This not power you should hope for.”His voice snapped Marcus out of his reverie, causing him to realize that he had Ben staring off into nothingness for a bit too long.Then he glanced at Jeremy who was staring intently at him.“how did you do that!” Marcus immediatel
- At World's End
Entry 166
“You heard about the fire?” Jeremy inquired with a raised brow.Reginald nodded. “It was a dangerous affair after all. It’s one of the few times when an entire floor was threatened. If anything had gone wrong, we would have seen casualties in the thousands.”“I agree. And that was just a side effect.”“A side effect, you say?” Reginald raised a brow.Jeremy replied. “Yeah. Apparently, Marcus only had to kill some mafia leader that had his hands on the black market on that floor, engaging in unsavory activities including drugs, prostitution and slavery.”“that… wait, you said the orb is a Vestige?” Reginald asked.Jeremy nodded. “it is.”“so how did he use it?... Aren’t Vestiges objects that only react to variance?... So how did he activate it?”“I have no idea.” Replied Jeremy in all honesty.He was also quite curious to figure out how it happened.It was a known fact that even ordinary Explorers could not use Vestiges because of their lack of variance.But Marcus managed to do so des
