'Sure, someone will,' CK thought as she searched through a few cabinets as quietly but swiftly as possible.
"To buy time. Five days isn't enough," CK spoke out loud as she looked into a container before putting it back, "They'll probably lower their guard since I don't look like I'll be fighting back to clear my name."
Her eyes glimmered when she saw a pair of keys inside one of the book cases on the shelf beside the table. "There you are," she said and snatched them hurriedly.
"Still no. Now, shut up and don't bother me. Time is wasting," CK said and flicked her finger, forcefully keeping Malphas out of her consciousness for a while.
She looked around Erzem's office. It remains tidy. She fixed a few more things to hide the fact someone snuck in before quickly leaving.
For some reason, no one was allowed inside the office. But CK needed something from the office while the master was gone: the keys he entrusted to her before his collapse.
She left the room the same way she entered it and did not waste any more time to get to her next destination. She flicked her glass pen, immediately disappearing out of sight and reappearing in a sky bridge.
The Nonaphrontistery was built in the skies, atop chunks of islands whose origins were rarely questioned. Surrounding the entire school were eight towers, all interconnected through sky bridges and a barrier barely seen with the naked eye. Its true location was never disclosed to the outside world, and its students never make a fuss of it.
It was on the highest platform, connecting a tower to the central island where the administration buildings were built. There were seven other sky bridges connected across the entire Nonaphrontistery, each of them connecting a tower to the main island. The tower CK stood before was the tower northeast of the main island.
The eight towers were built in the honor of the Archetypes. The one CK stood before was the Maiden's Tower, dedicated to the Archetype of knowledge and philosophy, the [Maiden of Prayer]. Now, the one thing all students know is that these Towers aren't common places to hang-out. Everyone except those authorized by the administration are prohibited from entering any of these towers, which is why CK is intent on hurrying over.
"My batchmates should be practicing for the rites at this time," CK muttered. They shouldn't have any reason to look for her… Hopefully.
While most of the faculty are busy with the graduation rites and her trial, attention on the towers will be lessened. But CK is anything but dumb: The restriction of the tower exists for a good reason, and she knew why.
CK stared at the keys in her palm. The keys to the Maiden's Tower were entrusted to Professor Erzem but she was the one who ends up using it. She shrugged and lodged the keys into their respective slots. She turned all of them, and the double doors rumbled before slowly opening on their own.
She stepped into a room of full darkness and closed her eyes. She's been here before, during the first year of her stay. It was the strangest and bleakest part of her school life, and one she has no intention of recalling.
The Maiden's Tower was said to have ten floors, each of them dedicated to philosophies that the adherents of the [Maiden of Prayer] preached to sentient entities. CK opened her eyes once she felt the Syntax energy around her condense, morphing the dark room into a sea of fire, with her standing on a rocky ledge. There was no entrance or exit in sight.
[The Maiden's Tower]
[Floor 1]
Sparks of lava flew close to CK's shoes. She tacked the tip of her shoe against the grounds she stood on before looking around. She nodded in approval, "Yep. This is how I remembered it."
The scenery looked daunting without a single pathway present, nor exit leading out or to the next floor. However, the Maiden's Tower corresponds to knowledge and philosophy. Therefore, the only way through was deciphering the riddles of the tower. Floor 1 was the easiest of them all.
CK glanced at the torches propped up behind her. They were built closely to illuminate a lever. If one observed closely, it was connected to a rigging of ropes that led upward, where a bridge was built high in the air, barely visible due to the clustered smoke emerging from the raging sea of fire.
CK did not hesitate to reach a hand towards the fire of the torches. Her eyes reflected the flickering of light as the fire grazed her hand. However, it didn't hurt or burn. It merely felt as if light had become tangible against her palm momentarily.
The young woman retracted her palm. It was just like before, except that CK had touched the torches accidentally due to losing balance. She wouldn't just put her hand out against the torches before knowing that the torches were strangely harmless.
The common mind would conclude that proceeding through the sky bridge would lead to a way out. However, the ropes of the bridge will give out due to its wear if the smoke didn't choke out whoever passed first.
Since the situation with the torches remain unchanged, the solution must still be the same. CK looked at the sea of fire that resembled the glow of the torches. Without an ounce of hesitation, CK walked off the rocky ledge, letting the pool of fire swallow her feet at the first step.
CK's body remains unharmed. She continued to walk along the flow of fire converging at the center of the room, unbothered by the warmth of the fire beneath her feet.
Floor 1 had an official name in the transcript left to Professor Erzem: Induction, which is also the branch of philosophy that included the sense of generalization. If the fire of the torches were harmless, so, too, is the sea of fire surrounding the rocky ledges.
This was the only floor CK managed to conquer in her freshman year before Professor Erzem discovered that she stole his keys to enter the tower. But this instance of mischief was now proven useful.
The Maiden's Tower was hiding something, and that 'something' is what she is after. If CK wanted to clear her name in the trial, conquering the tower was the best solution.
CK stared into the pit of converging fire and jumped into it fearlessly. But just as she was about to land, the entire floor dissipated into darkness. CK felt her surroundings shift and morph into a new environment, and she landed unto damp, muddy grounds instead.
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[The Maiden's Tower]
[Floor 2]
The environment resembled a vast cave that smelled like moss and wet soil, and the air was humid. CK raised an eyebrow at this. There was no way for air to get in and out, meaning that air supply was limited and that she had limited time for whatever she has to accomplish in this floor.
Skree!
CK hissed and covered her ears, feeling them ring at the shrill sound of a cry. Luminous red eyes opened one by one in the distant darkness of the cave before a swarm gathered in a violent storm.
"Blinder Bats. Tsk, tsk," CK tutted in realization. She's seen them in the books: gray in color, mostly furry, paper-thin wings, bloodshot eyes, and small but sharp bundles of fangs.
They are predatory mammals that are mainly attracted to warm-blooded creatures and unlike most bats, are active during daytime. They got their name from their abilities to capture their prey by swarming in large numbers to block their view, eventually stunning or blinding them.
Luckily, they have a weakness. Creatures that gather in groups are often weak when separated or faced with effective mass attacks. CK manifested her glass pen and inscribed in the air, "Delere inimicos meos!"
The words written mid-air converged and swirled, turning into a large blast that turned the swarm of Blinder Bats into clouds of dust. CK dusted her shoulder and turned around to look for an exit, only to feel the dust settling beneath her feet rise back into the air.
CK's eyes narrowed in alert and conjured a shield in time as a powerful blast surged. She dispelled the shield, only to find the swarm of Blinder Bats emerging from the dust.
Skree!
"Aish, that's annoying," CK said in displeasure and held her glass pen at the ready. She sent out a few more blasts, but each Blinder Bat would resurrect from its ashes like a mythical phoenix would.
CK barely moved her head to the side as a Blinder Bat swooped in with bared fangs. She retaliated by grabbing its head with her hand and reciting a verbal spell, "Obliterate."
Boom! The Blinder Bat turned into a poof of smoke that rose into the air, turning into another Blinder Bat. CK flapped her collar, feeling the air getting tighter and difficulty breathing. If the swarm continues to revive, she'll run out of air and energy meaninglessly.
'Time is running. Think, CK,' CK told herself as she conjured a translucent dome to cage her. 'You're in a tower powered by riddles. If there is a way out, it has to be one that a rational person would use.'
CK observed as the bats headbutt the dome in a meager attempt to break through. In the midst of bat cries and thuds against the dome, CK held her chin and frowned in thought.
The name of the second floor of the Maiden's Tower was 'Deduction', the opposite of induction. Instead of generalizing a situation from observation, it is to derive a conclusion from the specifics. The tower is a test of its visitors' intellect, and CK was not the salutatorian of her batch for nothing.
CK looked at the swarm outside her dome. The Blinder Bats are merely products of the Syntax energy of the floor and not the real deal. CK twirled her glass pen between her fingers. To stop them from reviving, she has to stop the Syntax energy itself. She can do that by destroying the entire floor, but that would attract attention from outside.
'I just need to control the energy of the entire floor, then,' CK thought and closed her eyes. The translucent dome surged out violently, turning the swarm of bats into dust once more. CK pointed the tip of her glass pen downward.
"Stare adhuc," she invoked. Just as the dust began converging, the clouds froze as if time paused. CK sighed slowly in relief. She thought correctly. Next is to dispel the energy.
However, it was as if the tower read her mind. Before CK could do anything, the clouds of energy rose away from CK's position and surrounded her, trapping her in the eye of a forming hurricane.
CK shielded her eyes, but the hurricane did not get any stronger. Outside the hurricane, CK could feel the tower's energy shift once more. The clouds stopped spinning around her and slowly faded away, revealing a tropical forest with dusky skies.
[The Maiden's Tower]
[Floor 3]
"Seven more floors to go," CK stretched her arms and twisted her body side to side. But she paused when she felt a pair of eyes on her.
She looked around, only finding tropical trees extending into an illusory horizon. The smell of swamps and humidity was surreal, but CK could not hear the sound of critters.
CK's eyes widened when the ground began shaking. Suddenly, a large shadow was cast on her and the feeling of danger increased. CK turned around in alert, and her body froze at the sight.
A large silhouette made of blurry shadows stood over her, its size likely twice the size of an elephant. It was purely made of shadows that morphed every second. The only thing that remained unchanged was its predatory eyes made of neon blue light.
'Hells be holy, this thing better not be a real creature,' CK swallowed her own spit in shock. She never underestimated the tower's capabilities, but it'd be a different story if something like this actually exists in the tower.
Come to think of it, the tower was extremely tall from outside, but there were no stairs connecting the floors. CK merely gets transported to the next floor, which gives birth to a horrifying thought that maybe, just maybe, the thing before her is an actual creature.
The large creature made of shadows stared down at her, its eyes remain piercing. After a while, a series of distorted sounds resonated across the floor, causing CK to wince from a growing headache.
CK could hear the foreign language in her head. She groaned and held her forehead, trying to stabilize herself. She raised her gaze to the fearsome creature.
It asked her once more. CK was pensive. Floor 3 was 'Realism', and the creature before her was most likely a chimera, a being whose physical characteristics constantly shift. They are also one of the most brutal predatory creatures known in the wild, which makes CK even warier.
'If I answer wrongly, this thing's going to try and rip me to shreds,' CK thought. If she answered correctly, she won't be sure what would happen next. All that Professor Erzem had were the keys to the tower and the floor names.
What is 'realism' in this situation? CK was not sure. Although she practices the Muse of the [Maiden of Prayer], she was not a true adherent or fanatic of it. If only master were here…
'Whatever. I'll just wing it,' CK thought and looked up at the large creature with pursed her lips. She opened her mouth to speak, and her eyes widened in shock. Her voice came out strained, and her lips would not move to speak.
'What is this?!' CK thought as she held her throat, hurting her throat the more she tried to speak. The chimera's eyes narrowed at her.
CK came to a realization. The chimera's words translate from its own language to CK's own when it enters her mind. This means that CK has to communicate by doing the same: translate her own words into the chimera's own.
This skill was taught to them, but only from one humanoid language to another. Translating languages between other entities or races was hardly tackled. Still, CK tried by tapping into the chimera's mind.
Throb.
CK coughed violently as her consciousness was expelled. She covered her mouth and stared warily at the chimera, gritting her teeth.
'This is bad,' CK thought grimly. A chimera's mind was far more complex than the elks and water nymphs that CK used the skill on. At this rate, only a wordsmith at Syntax Level III could translate a chimera's language. She was underqualified.
The chimera stared at CK expectantly. However, its eyes turned cold when CK turned her gaze away, avoiding the question. The chimera's eyes glowed with hostility.
CK shielded her face as the chimera roared, making her eyes go numb momentarily. The chimera morphed into a winged lion with tails and swiped its talons down at CK's position.
The young woman dashed away in time. She held her glass pen and began writing in the air, only to find that the energy she manifested wavered before fading away. CK hissed and tried a few more times, but her energy only flickered like dying embers uselessly.
'I'm in huge trouble,' CK glared at the chimera while evading each of its attack. It seems the floor was preventing her from manifesting any skills, leaving her at the mercy of the chimera hell-bent on erasing her.
Bam!
CK hid behind a rock in time to avoid a violent gust of fire. "You could've just expelled me out of this floor, you know?" she called to the chimera, "Is there really a need to kill me?"
The chimera shifted into a large dragon that was now seven times CK's size, causing her to pale slightly. "I'm dying today, aren't I?" she sighed. She looked around, searching for an exit.
No exit. Yep, she's dying.
The chimera opened its jaws, causing energy to condense. CK watched this warily. There will still be time before the attack fully condenses, but there isn't much for her to do. Except maybe…
CK clasped her glass pen. The chimera's attack should be saturated with energy. If she can open a sift leading outside the moment the condensed attack comes into contact with the floor's environment, there'll be a chance of escaping alive. If not, well, it was fun while it lasted.
Crack!
"Huh?" CK looked up in confusion, hearing a crack akin to glass breaking. She spotted faint cracks in the skies, followed by a faint rumble. Her eyes widened in realization, and her lips curled into a smirk.
"Heh. Very funny."
CK squinted her eyes as the chimera's attack fully condensed. With a ghastly roar, the chimera shot a powerful beam of blinding light towards CK, whose eyes narrowed as she brought her hands out readily.
"Now!"
BOOM!
The tropical skies shattered as a glowing claw smashed through. Milliseconds before the blast could touch CK, she swiped her glass pen down, creating a slit in space that engulfed her violently. She hissed as she felt the surge of the blast upon her back, leaving a searing touch.
CK did not stay in the sift for long and carved another portal out. The sift spat her out and she landed on a sky bridge with a pained groan, dropping to her knees before collapsing to the ground.
"Ugh…the hell. I nearly hosted my own funeral," she muttered as she pushed herself off, squeezing her eyes shut as she adjusted to the change in environment. She was back at the sky bridge.
She shielded her eyes as she felt a golden glow approach from above. Looking up, there was a woman-like entity with long hair made of golden feathers and wore a striking headpiece curving up, resembling a mask. Instead of hands and feet, her limbs resembled that of a bird.
This was an angel, no doubt. CK giggled as she sat up on the floor while the shadow of a tall, young man shielded her from the glow of the angel.
"Now, I'm fully convinced that you're some kind of hero. Only heroes get to arrive at the last minute to save a damsel in distress," she said and grinned up at Winslow, who frowned.
"I tried entering floor 3, but it refused to let me in. It's good we managed to create an opening from outside… But that's no longer a problem," he said and tossed her the set of keys dangling from his hand.
"The keys to the tower," CK muttered. "That's right," Winslow stared sternly, "You wouldn't get off lightly if it were the professors who got to you before I did. I think I deserve an explanation in exchange of that."
"Ah, who taught you to bargain? But I guess you make a point," CK sighed and craned her neck, "Without you, I probably would've ended up looking like some fine s'mores… Alright. Let's talk somewhere else."
CK extended her hand upward and towards Winslow, who wordlessly took her hand and helped her up. CK dusted her clothes and walked off with Winslow as the doors to the tower lost its glow, rendering it dormant once more.