When Laz died he was relieved.  Actually relieved.  His life hadn’t gone the way he thought it would and the last few years were just a downward spiral.  It was his fault and in his mind it was everyone else’s fault.  In the end it didn’t matter, those last few breaths were the most relaxing breaths he had ever had. And then he let go. 

Laz didn’t know what he expected the after life to be, but this wasn’t it.  Looking around him he was a bunch of fuzzy glowing sphere bulbs.  As far as he could see, just round fuzzy souls, pulsating and looking around too.

Other than the multi-colored glowing little souls, there was a spire.  

“AH! You've noticed the Tower of Ascension! Good. As you have probably figured out, you have died.  Good, you had a rough run that time, but now your back. You probably forgot the ground rules here, so I will remind you.” A voice emanated into his skull, or wherever he heard from.

Laz tried to shrug, he didn’t know what was going on. But he somehow just knew that he was in some part of the afterlife. Before him was a towering citadel known as the Tower of Ascension. This ancient structure is said to reach the heavens. The higher one ascends, the closer they come to enlightenment and ultimate power. 

“Yes, reach the Tower to start the game again.”

Man, was it tall and wide. About a mile and a half away from Laz, and between him and the spire were a whole bunch of puffy souls looking about as lost as he was. He knew he had to push his way to the spire, But it was so far away and so many souls were in his way.

Laz started shoving his way though like he was trudging through the New York streets. It was slow moving though, all the other soul balls were moving like they were slow motion, definitely not in a hurry.  No where else to go, so he might as well hurry.

Laz’s soul pushed all the other souls to the side with ease, but it still took awhile. At the bottom of the Tower stood two tall souls puffing their chests out.

“You ready so soon?”

Laz had no clue what they meant.

“Let him through!”

As Laz went through the gate warp all sorts of changes happened.  The entity that was talking to him solidified into a gruff looking female.  The changes happening to himself were even more extreme.

While he saw his own body transforming from a third person like an out of body experience, a floating wall of text appeared.  

It said, ‘Character and Soul creation system begin: At Level 1, the player’s attributes reflect their initial struggle against overwhelming apathy. These attributes will evolve as the player progresses through the tower:

* Willpower (Low): The player starts with low willpower, which affects their ability to resist the effects of enemy attacks that drain motivation and energy.

* Stamina (Low): The player’s stamina is limited, reflecting the difficulty in taking action against the weight of apathy. This affects how often they can attack and move without resting.

* Resolve (Weak): The player's resolve is weak but growing. This stat governs the effectiveness of the Spark of Resolve and how quickly it can be recharged after use.

* Awareness (Dulled): The environment makes it difficult for the player to detect hidden traps and enemies, representing the clouded state of mind in apathy.

Laz read the text and his heart sank even more if that was possible.  He couldn’t dwell for too long because as he looked down he realized he was back into his old body.  Yuck, only now did he realize how skin-fat he was.  Guess being homeless and living off whatever you could eat wasn’t the best choice.  No time to dwell on that now.

His female companion wasn’t much to look at either, but her voice was pleasant.  “Got your body back eh? Good thing, we are in for a battle.”

“One second, I was dead, I get that.  Now I'm back alive?” Laz questioned.

“You are still dead silly, this IS the afterlife.  Did you think it was all harps and butterflies? Maybe for others, but you have a lot to make up for.  Did you think you wouldn’t be held accountable for your decisions?”

“My afterlife is a shitty tower climb game?” Laz asked

“If only. This part is more of a tower defense game. Look around.” The unnamed female said.

Lax stood in the middle of a dark, desolate wasteland where the very air was thick with the weight of hopelessness. The ground was cold and barren, covered in cracks that emitted a faint, eerie light. All around him, the landscape was littered with the ruins of past lives—broken statues, collapsed buildings, and withered trees, all symbols of a world that had given up. The sky above perpetually overcast, casting a dim, gray light that barely illuminated the surroundings. There was no wind, no movement, only an oppressive stillness that saps the will to continue.

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“This afterlife sucks.” Laz said crestfallen.

“Not everyone has the same experience and depending on how you do on these trials yours might get better. So here are the rules for this level.  It is a simple tower defense game with five swarms.  Each will be more difficult than the last, but you will be able to upgrade yourself and get stronger as you go.  Depending on your score will you either stay are or be able to continue up the Tower of Ascension.” 

Laz nodded his head in understanding. He looked around at the upcoming battle ground. He could see four warp gates positioned in the cardinal directions (north, south, east, and west) around the central platform he was presently standing on. These gates were not physical structures but rather swirling vortexes of dark energy, hovering a few feet above the ground each emiting a low, ominous hum

It was obvious that the enemies were going to come from these gates.  Other than that, he really didn’t know what to expect.

“Hey, what’s your name?” Laz finally asked his companion.

“Hazel. You forget every time.”  She said laughing.

“Every time?”

“We have done this countless times and you forget every time too. It is almost funny. But you must pay attention now.” Hazel said, pointing to the warp to the north.

Sure enough the warp gate positioned at the north began to pulse with ominous energy. the gate, a swirling vortex of dark magic and ancient despair, crackled with power as it prepared to release its nightmarish denizens into the battleground. The air around the gates grew thick with tension, the ground trembling slightly as if the world itself feared what was about to emerge.

The North Gate, known as the shadow maw, was a gaping vortex of darkness that seemed to devour the very light around it. The gate was surrounded by swirling tendrils of black mist, each curling and writhing as if alive. The maw opened wider, revealing the faint outline of jagged teeth made of shadow and void. From this abyss, the first enemies emerge, birthed from the very essence of despair.

As the Shadow Maw roars silently, a wave of drifting shadows begins to seep out, their forms barely distinguishable from the surrounding darkness. These shadows moved with an unsettling fluidity, as if they are extensions of the gate itself. They glide silently across the ground, leaving trails of darkness in their wake. Their formless bodies flicker and shift, making it difficult to focus on them, as if they are mere illusions conjured by the player's own despair.

“Um, Hazel? I’m gonna need some help here.” Laz pleaded as he looked at the menacing shadows creeping towards them.

“Glad to help. The creatures you are seeing are called Drifting Shadows. If you look at this character sheet, it will let you know everything you need to know.” Hazel said as she threw a glowing semi-transparent card to Laz.

Laz caught the card and immediately it presented itself right in his eyesight, seemingly floating right in front of his vision.

ENEMY CHARACTER SHEET: DRIFTING SHADOWS

Name: Drifting Shadows

Type: Spectral Entity

Tone Level: Apathy (0.05)

Appearance:

* Form: Formless, shifting masses of darkness, resembling vague, humanoid silhouettes. They lack distinct features, with their bodies constantly flickering and shifting as if made from smoke or shadow.

* Color: Deep black with hints of grey, occasionally flickering with dark purple highlights.

* Movement: Glides silently across the ground, leaving behind a faint, smoky trail.

Behavior:

* Speed: Slow, but constant. Drifting Shadows move at a steady pace, relentless in their pursuit but not in a rush.

* Intelligence: Low. They act on pure instinct, driven by an unending urge to sap the willpower of those they encounter.

* Aggression: Moderate. They are not overtly aggressive but are relentless in their approach, seeking to overwhelm through sheer numbers and persistence.

Abilities:

1. Aura of Despair:

* Effect: Drifting Shadows emit an aura that drains the resolve of any nearby enemies, slowing their movements and dulling their senses. The closer they get to the player, the more pronounced the effects become.

* Range: 3 meters (about 10 feet) around each Drifting Shadow.

* Impact: Decreases the player’s stamina and willpower regeneration rates by 10% per stack (up to 3 stacks).

2. Ethereal Body:

* Effect: Physical attacks pass through the Drifting Shadows with reduced effectiveness. This ability makes them resistant to most conventional weapons, requiring the player to rely on energy-based or magical attacks.

* Damage Reduction: Physical damage is reduced by 50%.

3. Silent Approach:

* Effect: Drifting Shadows are nearly silent as they move, making them difficult to detect until they are very close.

*  

As Laz looked at the Drifting shadows coming at him from a distance, instead of jumping to action, all he could think of was, "Why bother?"  Hadn’t he already died? He couldn’t die again.

Hazel screamed at him from his day dream.  Telling him that he could in fact die again.  He was being held in some sort of purgatory presently and if he failed these tests he would end up someplace worse.  She went on describing a place that somehow mixed nothingness with a combination of things worse than fire and brimstone.

Laz felt Hazel hit him on the shoulder, “listen, you will need to destroy this first wave by yourself. After collecting their essence, you should have enough to build a few defense structures to help.”

Laz nodded in understanding.

Hazel continued yelling, “Open the chest over there and it will have your first artifact. Youve done this before, I know you can do it again. Now, hurry!”

Sure enough, right in the middle of the rubble of an old building was a chest.  Laz clicked it open and inside was a small glove.  A label on it read, ‘The Glove of Emberlight.’  Once Laz put it on, text appeared in front of his face again reading, “ Glove emits a medium range electrical attack that powers up as the wearer’s resolve strengthens. When the wearer’s willpower is low, the power is low, but even in its faintest state, it holds a flicker of hope that can harm weak opponents.”

Not much but something Laz thought to himself.  With the glove on, he felt a bit more ready to take on the oncoming enemies.

“Are you going to help me?” Laz asked Hazel.

“No, the swarm is your job. Once you pick up the essence that they drop, I will be able to build some fortifications and defenses. Now, get to it, old friend.”