Some time after the doors were fully closed, and the armored figure had gone further through the entry way, did Alec wake up.

In the moment, he was still being carried by the tall grey armored figure. This made him shook and visibly flinch. Due to finding himself in a position that seemed both out of sudden and oddly familiar. Although that odd familiarness just brought a grave feeling to it.

Meanwhile the suddenness was because the last thing he remembered, was how he had grasping for the rope. Nearly about to fall down and into those dangerous waters.

All he wished in the moment when the ship capsized, was how he could ensure his survival. Yet after having succeeded in doing so, all of that felt like one part of a series of bad things that has been happening.

"I need a break man."

Alec quietly voiced out this thought, after seeing the disparity from the earlier storm. To how calm his surroundings had all of a sudden got. There was no dark sky, no turbulent waters, no waves crashing on the vessel that he stood on, and none of the fear it gave off. Rather there was the safety of a building that only a person who has been through a sea storm could truly recognise.

Above him there was a high ceiling roof, from which multiple lanterns were hanging down. Casting light through the dimly lit passageway, bordered by its two gray colored walls. Their color did not reflect back most of the light coming from above.

Right now if somebody told Alec, that all the things he witnessed earlier were a dream. That he was still being carried off to somewhere, in that dreadful cave by that monster. He might have tried to act like he believed it, only to quickly be disillusioned up by some obvious things. Such as how his new bearer held him. Doing so with both arms, and in a somewhat careful manner.

Next was the signs of wetness on the figure, likely sea water due to the salty smell, dripping down form the surface of the stone like armor.

Serving as proof to Alec that he might have been carried in this manner from over the sinking ship. Solving the question of how despite him losing consciousness he had not drowned. And making the armored individual who was carrying him to also be his rescuer.

Gazing at his holder Alec was able to see a stone like helmet, covering everything except for the lower half of an equally gray face. This made Alec question if the individual under the armor was a human, or even sentient at the very least.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

He could only dearly wish that he was not being carried, only to be disposed of somewhere else.

'Treated like a piece of luggage twice in a row now. It's awful.'

Even when he had a thought like this, Alec did not feel as down anymore.

Despite not knowing exactly why, the emotion of fear was no longer as prevalent in his mind. Getting overwhelmed by a completely different desire, one that he had a lot of when he was young kid growing up. But through the so called process of 'growing up', it slowly receded until not being present as much anymore.

The feeling was that of complete curiousity towards a strange world. That the furthest back Alec could remember, was when he had been taken to see a meteor shower. Parts of which he himself remembered, and the rest told to him by his grandparents, back when they were alive.

How after seeing it he did not stop asking questions related to everything about it for many days. Yet what he remembered was wondering for the first time past his own little world. One that consisted of his friends, family or those in his immediate vicinity.

This very feeling was what made him no longer want to go hide inside somewhere. But rather to witness more of this supernatural strangeness he was completely unaware about. Not at the cost of ignoring his own well being, rather prepare himself fully up against any such threats.

Even though his first impression was not the greatest, he should not let it define everything he was about to witness. Because he had something of his own that had just saved his life. For the second time now, where he would not have been able to otherwise.

'With understanding in my heart and pride in my words. Roam the many worlds as I deem fit. Who told me this?'

Massaging his head to ease the process of not remembering when he was told. That Alec could not recall even after all this time. Only pause himself from trying to, once he saw a luxuriously decorated hallway. That appeared at the end of the narrow pathway.

After entering through it Alec recognised his viewpoint to kept gradually be getting lower. The reason for that, was due to the legs of the one carrying him, had started to meld into the floor. Something that continued to keep happen until he was freed from being held and set on the ground.

From there he stood up, and observed the head laying on the stone floor. Where the rest of the body had disappeared inside of. The head in question being inside a helmet that detached as well. Turning into stone dust, and revealing the face inside.

It was a face that was without a single describable flaw, one that looked so beautiful that it was almost inhuman. Something that he did not wish to get close to, but not look away from it either. The hair appeared to be flowing even though it was unmoving.

Stationary like the rest of the features, as if it was carved right out from of a stone. The gray color just bringing more confirmation to this query.

Through his pondering Alec then heard sound of footsteps coming from behind him. That he turned around to look, the source of, only to find a headless figure walking over. With a cloak that at first glanced seemed fluttering, did not turn out to be moving at all. Carved with intricate folds that gave off such a notion.

Moving in his direction and passing by Alec, the cloaked headless body then picked up what was lying on the floor. Placing it on the neck, and joining the both parts together.

It felt like a long moment to have passed, despite it only being less than half a minute before any new movement was seen. Alec chose to step back a little, keeping himself behind the sofa that was in the hallway.

The eyes of the figure then opened, and the still features showed a change. As the transformed statue like figure smiled, then spoke in a tranquil to Alec.

"Welcome to the Spire of knowledge, dear guest."

At a lost to able to form any words, Alec nodded his head in response. Seeing the other party speak more.

"You can call me the keeper of the spire. I was assigned this role by my creator ,who also gave shape to this spire. My duty involves in foremost protecting this place from any harm, and behave with a moral code of conduct. That very thing requires me to tell you, that this place holds a significant curse."