Chapter 18: Hope

Damian knelt on the ground, cradling Astrid’s lifeless body in his arms. His usually joking manner with her had been replaced by eyes that were now dull, hollowed by despair. He couldn’t hear Miles shouting orders to the others, couldn’t see Howard frantically pressing his hands against Astrid’s chest in an attempt to resuscitate her.

Everything was a blur.

Damian’s voice cracked as he whispered, “I… I promised to protect you.” His hands trembled as he stroked her hair, the blood on his fingers smearing across her pale cheeks. “Why did I let you come? Why didn’t I keep you away?”

Tears streamed down his face as he remembered all the times he’d brushed off her to not be around him all the time and stay by his side. The pride he felt seeing her grow stronger, the confidence in her abilities—how foolish it seemed now. He would give anything, everything, to take her place.

“Damian, snap out of it!” Miles’s voice broke through the haze, sharp and desperate. “We’re not giving up on her!” He grabbed another potion from a bag and handed it to Howard.

Howard, drenched in sweat, barked, “This isn’t working! We need something more. She’s…” His voice cracked, but he didn’t stop pressing against her chest, trying to restart her heart.

Damian said nothing. He didn’t flinch, didn’t move. It was as if the world had frozen around him.

Meanwhile, Miles darted through the warehouse where Howard’s team had been held, the urgency in his movements fueled by desperation. He tore through the piles of goblin corpses, kicking over crates and broken furniture in his frantic search for anything that could save Astrid.

“Damn it!” he cursed under his breath, tossing aside a splintered piece of wood. “There’s gotta be something here. Anything!”

A faint, muffled voice caught his attention.

“Hello? Did you defeat the goblins?”

Miles froze, whipping his head toward the source of the sound. “What the—?”

It was coming from a crate tucked in the corner. Miles hurried over, nearly tripping over debris.

“Huh? Oh, right!” he muttered, suddenly remembering the person they’d left behind. “I’m sorry! I totally forgot—wait, are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” the voice replied, calm but tinged with concern. “But you don’t sound fine. What’s wrong?”

Miles fumbled with the latch, prying the crate open. What he saw left him dumbfounded.

A large, yellow tabby cat was curled inside, bound by ropes but staring at him with bright amber eyes.

“Wha—what the hell?” Miles stammered, taking a step back.

“Oh, is this your first time seeing my kind from the cat tribe?” the feline asked, its tone casual as if this were the most normal thing in the world. “I’m from the Cat Tribe. Not from this world, obviously.”

Miles blinked, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. “Y-you’re… a talking cat?”

“Yes, yes, we’ve established that. Now, could you untie me? I’d like to stretch my legs, if you don’t mind,” the cat said, flicking its tail impatiently.

Miles shook his head, snapping himself out of his stupor. “Right. Sorry.” He knelt down, cutting the ropes with his knife.

As the cat leapt gracefully out of the crate, it tilted its head. “So, what’s got you so worked up?”

“My friend—she’s dead. We’re trying everything, but nothing’s working!” Miles blurted out, his voice cracking with emotion.

The cat’s eyes widened. “Dead? Hmm. Why not use this?”

“Use what?”

The cat pawed at a small coin tucked away. A shimmering, silver coin fell into Miles’s hand.

“What is this? Another one of those tower coins?” Miles asked, staring at it in confusion.

“Tower coins? No, no. This is a Second Life Coin. Haven’t you ever used one before?”

Miles’s heart raced. “A… second life? ”

The cat nodded. “It’s a rare item for newcomers but is a lot easier to obtain from the 40th and above floor of the Tower. It can bring someone back to life if used within a few minutes of their death. It’s usually standard for anyone traveling into dangerous territories like this. You didn’t know?”

Miles shook his head.

The cat’s expression change completely surprised, then if this is your first time hurry you might be running out of time.

Miles bolted back toward the others the moment the cat said that, clutching the coin like a lifeline.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

When he returned, the scene was worse than he’d left it. Damian was still kneeling, silent and broken, as Howard futilely performed CPR. Astrid’s body remained motionless, her face pale and lips tinged with blue.

“Damian!” Miles shouted, skidding to a stop beside him. “Move! I’ve got something!”

Damian didn’t react.

“Damian, listen to me!” Miles yelled, shaking his shoulder. “This coin—it can save her! But we don’t have much time!”

That snapped Damian out of his stupor. His eyes darted to the coin in Miles’s hand. “What… what are you talking about?”

“Trust me!” Miles said, placing the coin in Astrid’s hand. “Just watch!”

The moment the coin touched her palm, a radiant light enveloped her body. Warmth seemed to return to her skin, and the color flushed back into her cheeks.

Then, with a sharp gasp, Astrid’s chest rose. Her eyes flew open, wide with confusion and fear.

“Astrid!” Damian cried, pulling her into his arms.

“D-Damian?” she whispered, her voice shaky. “What… what happened?”

Damian couldn’t hold back his tears as he hugged her tightly. “You’re okay… you’re okay…”

Miles, watching from the side, let out a relieved sigh, his knees buckling as the adrenaline drained from his body.

Astrid looked around, still dazed. “Why is everyone crying? What’s going on?”

Damian pulled back slightly, brushing her hair from her face. “It doesn’t matter. You’re here. That’s all that matters.”

The tension eased as Astrid’s color returned, her breath steadying with each passing moment. Damian held her tightly, his tears falling freely. “I thought I lost you,” he whispered, his voice trembling with raw emotion.

Astrid, still dazed, returned the hug weakly. “I’m here… I’m okay,” she murmured, though her confusion was evident.

Miles stood back, letting the siblings have their moment. The sight was bittersweet, and he silently thanked the strange cat for the miraculous coin. It was a temporary reprieve, but it wouldn’t erase the dangers ahead.

After a few minutes, Miles cleared his throat. “Damian,” he said softly, “there’s someone I think you should meet.”

Damian reluctantly let go of Astrid, brushing the tears from his face. “Who?”

“Come with me,” Miles said, leading him toward the warehouse.

They found Meru the cat hopping frantically around the warehouse, his fluffy tail twitching as he searched through the debris.

“Where is it?! Where did it go?!” the cat muttered to himself, his movements quick and erratic.

Miles hesitated but then stepped forward. “Uh, excuse me—Meru, right? What’s wrong?”

The cat spun around, his amber eyes wide with panic. “Humans! You must help me—I’m running out of time!”

“What do you mean?” Damian asked, frowning.

Meru stopped and took a deep breath to calm himself. “Look, humans, my name is Meru. I’m a merchant from the Tower. I used a random merchant gate to travel here, hoping to find a planet with a high demand for my goods. Well I ended up here, which is a blessing in disguise, but now I can’t find my belongings—or my return stone!”

“Return stone?” Miles asked, exchanging a glance with Damian.

“Yes, my return stone! It’s what I use to teleport back to my world. Without it, I’ll be trapped here until the Tower appears—and who knows how long that could take!” Meru explained, his ears flattening against his head.

“The Tower, what's that?” Damian asked, narrowing his eyes.

Meru froze, staring at them as if they’d grown a second head. “Wait… you don’t know about the Tower?”

Damian and Miles shook their heads.

Meru groaned, slapping a paw to his forehead. “Of course not. You’re from a backwater planet. Listen carefully because I don’t have time to explain everything. Your world has become a dungeon world. The Tower is a side effect of this transformation. It’s where these creatures—goblins, orcs, and worse—come from.”

“Why is this happening?” Damian demanded.

The cat let out a frustrated sigh. “I don’t have time for the full lecture! Let’s just say your planet’s mana levels have reached the threshold where the Tower is inevitable. It’ll appear eventually, maybe a year or more, but until then, the monsters will keep coming.”

Damian’s jaw clenched. “And the system? Is that part of the Tower too?”

“Yes,” Meru said, nodding. “It’s surprising your planet figured out how to awaken before the Tower appeared. Most species don’t unlock their system until after the Tower is active. Tell me, how did you awaken?”

Damian hesitated but eventually said, “I… ate a mana stone. I don’t know why, but something told me to do it.”

Meru’s eyes widened, and he sniffed the air, his nose twitching as he examined Damian closely. “Ah, that explains it. You have high mana affinity. Your body must have craved it once the atmosphere started changing. That’s why you ate the stone—it was instinct.”

Damian’s eyes widened. For weeks, he had thought his strange act was random, even foolish, but now it all made sense. Miles, standing beside him, muttered under his breath, “So you weren’t just a weirdo after all…”

Meru tilted his head. “It’s rare for someone to adapt so quickly. Most would struggle with the system even after entering the Tower. You humans are full of surprises.”

Before Damian could ask more questions, Miles pulled out a bag he’d found earlier. “Is this what you’re looking for?”

Meru’s eyes lit up. “Yes! That’s it!”

The cat snatched the bag and rummaged through it, pulling out a shimmering stone. He exhaled in relief. “Thank the heavens! I thought I was stranded for sure.”

“Wait!” Damian said, grabbing Meru’s arm. “I still have questions.”

Meru shook his head. “There’s no time. The return stone’s mana is almost depleted. If I don’t use it now, I’ll be stuck here!”

“No! I still have questions, wait just a bit more—” Damian said,reaching out his hand to grab Meru, his grip tightening.

“Are you insane?!” Meru hissed. “You don’t know what you’re asking for!”

But before Meru could stop him, the return stone activated, enveloping them both in a blinding light. In an instant, they were gone.

Astrid’s POV

Astrid’s eyes fluttered open, the sterile white of a hospital room coming into focus. Her body felt heavy, but the warmth of the blankets and the steady beep of the monitors were a comfort.

“Hey,” a familiar voice said. She turned her head to see Miles sitting beside her, his face pale but relieved.

“Miles?” she croaked.

He nodded. “You’re safe. You’ve been out for a while.”

Astrid tried to sit up, but a sharp pain in her chest made her wince. “What happened? Where’s Damian?”

Miles’s expression darkened, and he looked away. “He… disappeared.”

“What do you mean, disappeared?!” she demanded, her voice rising despite the pain.

Miles hesitated, then explained everything—about the talking cat, the return stone, and how Damian had vanished in the blink of an eye.

Astrid’s face paled. “You mean… he’s gone? Just like that?”

Miles reached out, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. “The cat said he’d come back. And if I know your brother, he’ll find a way. We just have to trust him.”

Astrid stared at him, her hands trembling. “I just got him back… and now he’s gone again.”

Miles’s voice softened. “I know. But he’s alive. That’s what matters right now.”

Astrid nodded slowly, her tears falling freely. Miles pulled her into a hug, whispering, “It’ll be okay. We’ll wait for him together.”

A sharp knock at the door interrupted them.

“Miss Park?” a man said, stepping inside. He wore a dark suit and carried an air of authority. “I’m Agent White. We need to talk about your brother.”

Astrid and Miles exchanged a worried glance, their hearts sinking as the room filled with tension once more.