Water droplets trickled to the ground with an indolent cadence. The air stuck to the skin and its stench would make one curse olfaction. Light had fled the room; a mist that casted an alluring glow on the nearby walls the only thing somewhat lighting the place.

That mist had the tint of fresh blood, and somehow…

One moment it was a wolf, blood red with a woolly pelt, the next it was a gigantic albatross, and still then a longsword crafted by the most talented artisan, before finally taking the form of a curvaceous woman. Her skin red, a feather on her straw hat, short pants and a long sleeved t-shirt that couldn’t restrain her cleavage.

Despite the casual clothing she wore, she exuded confidence and elegance that seemed divine, and most creatures would instinctively prostrate themselves before her.

“Have you made your choice?” she said, the sweetness of her voice seeping in one’s soul like poison.

In that darkness stood a man, unafraid of her terrifying presence his black pupils trained on her. He had battled long to get here, and that woman had guided him along the way.

She was without a doubt, the most trustworthy entity in the tower, or at least that’s what he thought.

“Why?” he said back to the sprite. “Why, did you deceive me?”

As he spoke, a proverbial fire lit in his eyes seared into the red figure.

“Me, deceive?” She floated to him unfazed by his furious gaze. “I have done no such thing.”

She entered his reach, from there she could be cleaved, despite that fact she didn’t hasten her movements, her nonchalance all the more irritating.

“Bullshit!” he said as he grabbed the hilt of his sword ready to lash out, “Hiding this is the same as lying, you wretched.“

“You hurt me,” she said losing her corporeal shape and spinning around him.

“Metatron, my dear… I have never lied to you, I always guided you faithfully to where you wanted to go…”

She materialized herself, and hugged him from behind. “I’ve always had my eyes on you after all.”

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“Back off,” he said.

Back off she did, before chuckling. “So cold.”

As she floated away, she chose a spot and sat in the air, before turning to him. “What will you do? You can stay here forever, I guarantee I’ll treat you—“

“As if,” he removed his hand from his sword, looking at the roof of the cavern his gaze filled with hate and grandeur. “I shall become a god, no matter what.”

His gaze could steal anyone’s heart, and it seemed even she wasn’t immune.

She didn’t flinch as he interrupted her, her eyes opening in a melancholic smile. “What is the reason for that hubris?”

She was at a loss, after all as the avatar of the Tower, there was virtually nothing she couldn’t offer. Power, love, food, sex, she could make him the king of this place. Quite literally the god of the tower.

What could godhood offer that she couldn’t? And even then, did a climber have what it took to cut themselves a place in the pantheon?

Even someone like Metatron as it stood would at best struggle to beomce some lesser god’s servant, say nothing of building a throne.

“Isn’t that what life is about, reaching for the stars?” he pulled his sword from its scabbard, a whip-like sword made of many interlocked components and splayed it towards the heavens, he maintained it erect by the channeling of his energy.

Even though the room was dark as he raised his sword the sun seemed to rise in the cavern.

“I shall have no regrets if I die, this will simply mean it was all I amounted to.”

“As expected of you… not the slightest hesitation,” she said biting her bottom lip, her hand on her chest.

“Still don’t you think getting here is high enough, it’s already a wonderful achievement.” She stood up from her imaginary chair, approaching him, trying to make him look at her, consider her. Just once.

“Go ahead.”

“But then, even I—!”

“Go ahead,” he said, in a stare down match with the heavens.

She sighed. “You haven’t changed.”

She chuckled again, her eyes glistening and her heart tightening.

“I’ll give you a head-start then,” she lost the youthful appearance she had taken reverting back to mist. “Get the hell away from here. Else you’ll die. Let’s never meet again.”

As she said that, she lost her corporeal shape, a rumble filled the room as the cave started to crumble.

This time it was his turn to chuckle, he stood at the pinnacle of climbers, and had gotten all the way here through thick and thin. “The tower itself hasn’t been able to kill me, so what can you do?”

He started coiling his energy around his body as he sprouted three pair of wings, and readied his blade, he had talked big but could not yet become a god. The harshest fight of his life was to start now and instead of fear, or worry, the only thing he exuded was overwhelming confidence. A beaming smile that stretched up to his ears. The air grew thicker and thicker, the air itself was turning hostile leaking vicious killing intent, still he chuckled.

“To the one who’ll inherit my will, may fortune be with you.” As he said these words, the only thing that could be heard in the room was a somber laugh and the cracking of thunder.

“Hope we’ll meet soon.”

With these words he burst out the room through a hole he forced in the ceiling and left to battle with his fate.