“That’s a hell of a desk,” I muttered, stopping dead in front of the towering structure.

The tower loomed above, a fortress of white stone and marble that gleamed like polished bone under the sunlight. Vines snaked along its surface, weaving in and out of intricate carvings that seemed to breathe with ancient life. It wasn’t just big—it was impossibly big, like someone had taken Ancient Greece and blown it up to mythic proportions.

My breath hitched. This wasn’t a front desk. It was a monument. No, a temple—of power, of knowledge—ancient beyond comprehension.

As we approached, the faint hum of magic grew stronger, subtle but insistent, like walking next to a live wire. It wasn’t just a building. It felt... aware. Like the very stones could shift if I so much as blinked. Mist from the waterfall spilled over the edge of the building, carried by the breeze, chilling the air as we walked. For a brief moment, I forgot everything—the jungle, the creatures, even the danger wound tight inside me. All I could do was stare at the tower, overwhelmed by the scale of it. This was Mount Olympus. Or something bigger.

“Holy shit,” I whispered, craning my neck so far back I nearly toppled over. My foot caught, and I hit the ground hard, staring up at the towering spires above. Nothing on Earth looked like this. Maybe the pyramids had, back when they were first built. But this? This was immaculate. Untouched by time.

I scrambled to my feet, dusting myself off, but my eyes stayed glued to the building. Cassie offered me a hand, her grin widening as she saw the awe on my face.

“Careful,” she teased. “We’re not even inside yet.”

As we moved closer, the details sharpened. The carvings on the walls were more than decoration—they told stories. Each scene, etched with a precision that seemed impossible, whispered something old and powerful. It was as if history itself was breathing through the stone. Heroes locked in battle with monstrous creatures, gods descending from the skies, entire civilizations rising and falling—all captured in stone with breathtaking precision. Every inch of the tower spoke of a history older than anything I could imagine.

The people milling about at the entrance were as diverse as the building itself. Florans, with their bronze-tinted skin, mingled with the small, energetic Vildar. Gaians—looking nearly human—glided through the crowd with graceful steps. And then there were others—creatures with gleaming shells, their movements fluid and insect-like. The air buzzed with a cacophony of languages, some familiar, others melodic, and a few sounding uncannily like Mandarin.

"Felix, those ones over there with... shells?" I asked, my curiosity finally overtaking my awe. "What are they?"

Felix followed my gaze. “Ah, Sentarians,” he said, his brow furrowing slightly. “Insect-kin. Don’t worry, they’re harmless. Dedicated to neutrality and hard work.”

“Oh great,” I muttered under my breath. “Insect people.” Of course, there were insect people. I couldn’t help but stare at the way their jaws split into mandibles when they spoke, their cat-like eyes tracking everything around them.

As we ascended the staircase leading to the entrance, I took the opportunity to glance back. The jungle stretched out behind us, but something about it tugged at the edge of my awareness. The trees closest to us were massive, towering above the landscape like ancient guardians. But as my eyes traveled further out, something shifted—the greenery became more uniform, more controlled, almost like...

"Wait," I muttered, sinking onto one of the cool marble steps. "I need a minute."

Cassie paused, looking back at me, concern flickering in her eyes. “What’s on your mind?”

I gestured wildly at the scene behind us, trying to make sense of it all. "We were just in a building—right? With pipes, swirling mana, all that stuff? Then we climbed a ridiculous amount of stairs and now we're in the middle of a jungle. If I walk through that door and step into a desert, I think I might lose it.”

Felix chuckled softly, but there was a knowing look in his eyes. “This place... it didn’t always play by the rules you or even we are used to.”

Cassie nodded. “The tower’s... well, it’s more than just a building. You’ll see soon enough.”

I nodded, standing up and continuing up the stairs as best as I could. What more to do than just move on, right?

As we climbed higher, the air seemed to shimmer, like heat rising off sun-baked asphalt. But this was different—cooler, electric. Tiny motes of light danced at the edge of my vision, vanishing when I tried to focus on them. The floor itself seemed to pulse beneath my feet, each step sending a wave of energy rippling up my legs. Was it the magic of this place? It felt like the buzzing Winchester did when I held it.

The massive doors stood slightly ajar, revealing a glimpse of the room beyond. As we approached, I couldn't help but marvel at their sheer size and the intricate designs etched into the ancient wood. Symbols and runes danced across the surface, their meanings lost to time but still pulsing with a faint, otherworldly glow.

With a deep breath, I stepped over the threshold, Cassie and Felix close behind. The moment we crossed, a strange sensation washed over me—like walking through a wall of static electricity. The hair on my arms stood on end, and a shiver ran down my spine. It wasn't unpleasant, but it was definitely not normal.

The room itself was a marvel of architecture. The ceiling soared high above us, supported by towering columns that seemed to be carved from a single piece of iridescent stone. The walls were adorned with more of the intricate carvings, depicting scenes of ancient battles, mythical beasts, and celestial events. The floor beneath our feet was a mosaic of colorful tiles, arranged in complex geometric patterns that seemed to shift and change as we moved.

But the most striking feature of the room was the circular door on the far end of the hall. It wasn’t just a door—it was a boundary. A portal to something else entirely, and the hum of energy around it made me think twice about what I’d be walking into. Almost like an ancient vault door complete with a stone disc slid back. It was about twice as tall as I was and beyond it was what looked like a grand hall. It looked like this room was on an elevated floor since I could see what looked like a massive and ornate chandelier hanging from a roof out of my line of sight. Between us was a set of marble tables upon which sat several Vildar, chatting with people and waving them through into the circular door behind them. It looked like some kind of otherworldly customs area?

I looked behind me to look for Cassie and Felix, and my breath hitched in my chest. The massive set of double doors we had entered through were now regular-sized double stone doors and a shimmering wall that showed the jungle beyond.

"That's some Alice in Wonderland kind of physics. Or… Wonka?" I thought to myself, staring at the regular doors. Felix and Cassie exited through the barrier as well and smiled.

"Pretty wild, huh?" Cassie grinned, enjoying my slack-jawed expression. "The tower is a kind of nexus point for other areas of the facility that don’t really… uh, exist.”

Felix chuckled, patting my shoulder. “You’ll get used to it... probably.”

As we approached the marble tables, I couldn't help but marvel at the intricate carvings etched into their surfaces. Each table seemed to tell a different story, with scenes of great battles, magical rituals, and cosmic events flowing seamlessly from one to the next. The Vildar seated at the tables were dressed in 3 piece suits and engrossed in animated conversations with the visitors, their small hands gesturing excitedly as they explained the process. It was… cartoonishly adorable.

"Welcome, welcome!" a particularly enthusiastic Vildar called out, waving us over. "Names, ranks, reason for trip?"

I look to Felix, still trying to wrap my head around the sheer grandeur of the place. He seemed to notice. “Apprentices Felix Aldertree and Cassie Winters,” He said and the motioned towards me “Ben- Outworlder, actually, we’ll need to take him to the Central desk.”

“Oh, you’re the Outworlder everyone is in an uproar about,” The Vildar pointed at me. He? Pointed at me. It was hard to tell… He sighed. “Do you have any idea how much trouble you’ve caused me? The paperwork alone… Oh don’t look like that. We’re to skip a few steps for your friend here young apprentices.”

“Skip some steps?” Felix looked bewildered.

“Yes, the Headmistress would like to meet your friend here. Before he’s even registered! Which is new, but she’s the boss.” I could hear him mutter to himself. “She doesn’t have to do the paperwork.” The small Vildar handed me a booklet that looked a bit like a passport that had a symbol on the front. It was a circle with two crossing spears behind a glowing blue crystal, simple words “Monster Hunters” written around the emblem in some strange almost Chinese characters.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

I looked up from it to Felix and Cassie whose jaws were practically on the floor.

Cassie seemed to recover first. “Damn it must be nice to be an Outworlder. I had to save up for a year to get my pass!”

“Just like that?” Felix said also seeming to regain his composure. “A pass is a gold mana coin to purchase. And you need it if you want to become an Initiate.”

“He’ll also need it to go to the 28th floor. There’s a rest area up there - you can wait there for the Headmistress,” The Vildar said almost shooing us away. “Oh, and someone will bring you some clothes and wash kit. Because…” He motioned towards me in a kind of “everything about this” kind of way. “You two know the way?”

“Uh… we do, I think,” Felix said, looking to Cassie who looked bewildered. “I do. I guess.”

With that, we were moved along through this room and onto a mezzanine. Everything felt surreal, like I was moving through some kind of dream. What the hell just happened? Felix and Cassie walked ahead of me and when I caught up to question the interaction - I stopped. We were in the tower, that was for sure.

The world stretched out in every direction, the tower’s layers spiraling above and below us, each one a universe of its own. As we stepped onto the mezzanine, I froze, my breath catching in my throat. The sight before me was unlike anything I had ever seen. We stood on a balcony several floors up, overlooking a vast circular atrium that seemed to stretch endlessly upward. The space was alive with activity, bustling with people from all walks of life—or rather, all walks of existence.

The marble floors below gleamed like mirrors, reflecting the soft glow of the floating orbs of light that hovered throughout the atrium. The Hunter's symbol, the circle with two crossing spears behind a glowing blue crystal, was displayed prominently everywhere—on banners hanging from the railings, etched into the stone walls, and even woven into the intricate tapestries that adorned the space.

I leaned over the railing, my eyes wide with wonder. Each floor seemed to have its own purpose, with different groups of people engaged in various activities. It was like watching a living, breathing organism—every floor, every person, every movement contributing to the pulse of this place.

On one level, a Floran with metallic red skin seemed to be channeling lightning into some kind of orb while a Vildar tweaked dials and knobs on a complex control panel. Arcs of electricity danced between the Floran's outstretched hands and the hovering sphere, casting a flickering blue glow across their faces. The orb pulsed with energy, growing brighter with each passing second until it was almost too dazzling to look at directly.

On another level below, I could see four people engaged in a spirited duel, their wooden blades and staves clashing in a mesmerizing display of skill and agility. They moved with fluid grace, their bodies twisting and turning as they parried and counter-attacked. I couldn’t see their races, but there was one Vildar fighting among them with a stick, and he seemed to be winning. I couldn’t help but think of Master Splinter.

I leaned even further over the railing, trying to take it all in. The atrium wasn’t just a lobby—it was alive. Each floor seemed to function like a separate world, teeming with life, magic, and purpose. The marble beneath my feet seemed to hum, like the energy of the entire building was flowing through it, and the soft glow of the floating lights made the place feel like something out of a dream.

“Holy shit,” I muttered again. I couldn't stop saying it. “This... this is insane.”

Cassie chuckled beside me, leaning against the railing with a casual grin. “Damn right. First time I came here, I couldn’t wrap my head around it either. Took me days to stop staring like a kid.”

Felix, however, seemed distracted, his gaze scanning the floors below as he rubbed his chin. "I've always wondered about the layering here. It's like... time and space bend around this place. Different floors can exist in multiple places at once, but only when you're not looking directly at them. There are entire levels that disappear if you're not paying attention."

I blinked, trying to process what Felix was saying. I glanced down again, watching as a group of Gaians practiced archery on a lower floor, their arrows lighting up with runes as they flew. “Wait, what? That’s... how does that even work?”

Felix grinned. “No idea!”

I was reminded that these two, while they were from this world, this… whatever this was. They were still pretty new to at least some aspects of this too. I wondered if that was why I wasn’t completely losing it. Cassie gestured toward a nearby spiral staircase that ascended to the next level, the marble steps glistening like liquid light. "Come on, Ben. We have to get to the resting area upstairs.”

I tore my gaze away from the scene below and followed them up the stairs, still trying to process that the vast jungle I’d been in was now behind a door, contained within this fortress-like tower. But as we reached the next level, it felt like the world shifted again.

Cassie led the way up another flight of stairs, but the energy was different here. Gone were the bustling floors below, the chaotic swirl of people and creatures. As we ascended, the noise faded completely, leaving only the steady hum of magic in the air and the soft echo of our footsteps against the marble.

We reached an archway at the top of the stairs, and beyond it, the space opened up into a large, sprawling room. It was unlike anything I’d seen yet—square, completely open with no partitions. In the center, plush seating areas were scattered around, surrounded by low tables carved from the same marble as the floors. Soft, ethereal light filtered down from a domed ceiling above, casting everything in a warm, golden glow.

On the far side of the room, there was a massive walkout balcony—no railings, no barriers—just a sheer drop into the atrium below. It was an almost dizzying sight. The tower’s interior stretched endlessly upward, levels upon levels of activity visible in every direction. The air here felt lighter, more relaxed, like the tension I’d been carrying around was finally allowed to unwind. It didn’t.

“This is the resting area,” Felix said, his voice quieter now, as though even he didn’t want to disturb the peace of the space. “We’ll be up a floor for a bit, giving our report. You’ll have some time here to decompress before the Headmistress sees you.”

I nodded, my eyes still scanning the room. It was calm, serene even, but there was an almost disorienting openness to it. The lack of walls and railings gave everything an unsettling, yet freeing feeling. No walls. Domed ceiling and the void-like height of the tower above and below the balcony and a sheer drop down who-knows-how-far.

----------------------------------------

It was… liberating. It called to him, to stand defiantly on the edge and scream to the tower that he wasn’t scared of it. He wasn’t frightened. He would face this world and this Headmistress with reckless abandon.

It demanded it. It demanded he accept and walk forward to the balcony and tell this whole world to FUCK OFF.

----------------------------------------

What the hell was that?

Cassie crossed to one of the long, low benches, tapping the cushions experimentally before flopping down with a sigh. “We won’t be long. Just hang tight, alright? You’ve earned some downtime. I… should probably change.” She looked down at her damaged, blood-covered armor.

I glanced back toward the open balcony, still adjusting to the idea of a place with no barriers, no guardrails to keep you from stepping too close. It felt like stepping to the edge of the world, with nothing between me and the abyss. It was surreal. My body seemed to snap me out of it with aches and soreness. There it was again.

“Yeah... I think some rest would be good.”

Felix smiled, though I could see the fatigue in his eyes now, too. He gestured to Cassie who slapped her knees and stood up.

“Well! Don’t go anywhere, Ben. We’ll be right back,” She smiled, and they continued through a door on the opposite side from the balcony.

And then, I was alone.

For the first time since this entire ordeal started—since waking up in that dark room, since the tavern, the Glids, the jungle—I was truly alone. Shit.

Looking to the stairs we had come from I considered that I could simply leave. But… where? Where would I go?

I exhaled a shaky breath and wandered toward one of the wide benches, sinking down onto it. The softness of the cushions was a stark contrast to the rigid, unyielding marble we’d been walking on for hours. My body ached everywhere… from the fight, the walking, the stairs… But my mind was even worse off. My head throbbed.

A lot had happened. No, wait. My entire reality had basically shattered and I was somehow keeping it together. That was more than I’d had time to process. Hell, I don’t know if I could ever fully process this. The sounds of the tower were distant now, muffled by the quiet in the resting area. The weight of everything hit me all at once—my world, the spirit realm, the monsters, the sheer impossibility of it all. I should be terrified.

And then, the questions I’d been trying to shove to the back of my mind came flooding back. Where exactly was here? What exactly had I been thrown into? And what the hell was I supposed to do now?

I closed my eyes, the hum of magic and the distant murmur of voices from the tower below lulling me into a strange sense of calm. But that calm was fragile, like it could shatter at any moment.

“There’s no one here. Now’s your chance. Show them your face. Scream at this place that you will not be scared.”

The balcony called to me, its openness both terrifying and inviting. I stood, moving toward it slowly. The floor beneath me buzzed, and for a moment, I hesitated. No railings. No barriers. Just an agonizing drop into the heart of the tower. But I took a step forward, standing at the very edge, peering down. I felt the fear, the feeling of vertigo from standing high up. But that coiled-up sense, that… danger sense, was silent. I thought back to Cassie throwing herself from the Grand Staircase only to get caught by an invisible net. Why would they need railings when something like that was just there? I just stood there.

Then I saw it. Just out of reach, like something in between my sight and my senses. It was as if I was looking inside. Standing on the edge of a perilous drop, I saw it. A rune. My rune. Radiance and Courage. They blended into something familiar, something… Oh, I’d seen it before. Bravery. The rune reminded me of all kinds of things. Super heroes, video games, anime, table-top RPGs, adventure. It was everything I loved about stories and it was blazing hot in my mind’s eye. It made sense.

The muscles in my legs burned, snapping me back. They reminded me that we had been climbing stairs and walking for hours. I looked down and felt butterflies in my stomach again. From here, the tower was a living thing—people moved like ants on the floors below, floating orbs of light cast long shadows as they glided through the air. It was like being at the center of the universe, looking out at something so vast and complex it almost didn’t feel real.

The rune was gone.

I took a deep breath, letting the cool air wash over me, trying to make sense of it all. The enormity of this place, of everything-including that new rune I could see-pressed down on me. It was strange, an almost comforting weight. The feeling of dumping out a puzzle. A thousand pieces, and all you can do is start by finding the edges and filling it in. I guess I just needed to start asking questions.

Not yet. First, I needed sleep.