Tyler's eyes fluttered open, the dim light of the torches flickering against the stone walls. He felt groggy, his body heavy and drained from the intense use of his core. The oppressive energy of the tower pressed down on him, but he pushed through the fog in his mind, forcing himself to sit up.

"Livia?" he called out, his voice raspy.

Livia was at his side in an instant, her face lighting up with relief. "Tyler, thank goodness you're awake. We were getting worried."

Tyler glanced around, taking in the small chamber where his team had taken refuge. Elric, Marcus, and Darius were alert, their eyes scanning the darkness for any signs of danger.

"How long was I out?" Tyler asked, rubbing his temples.

"A few hours," Elric replied, his voice tense. "We need to keep moving. This place is giving me the creeps."

Tyler nodded, pushing himself to his feet with Livia's help. "Jeez, I feel like I just woke up from an all-night bender. Where are we?"

"We're inside the tower," Livia explained. "We had to get out of the city. The creatures were everywhere, and going back to the slave camp wasn't an option."

Tyler blinked, trying to process the information. "Wait, we're inside the tower? How did we get here?"

Marcus chuckled. "You know, the usual way."

Tyler raised his hand questioningly, his eyes wide. "Which is?!"

Livia placed a hand on his shoulder. “They would have killed you if we went back. There was no way we could hide what you did to that Wyvern, and if we ran, the Empire would have hunted us down. It was the only way, Ty.”

Tyler relaxed as he realized his friends did what they thought was right. They did whatever they had to do to save him. Tyler took a deep breath and sighed. "So what's the plan?"

Elric pointed down the corridor. "We've been exploring a bit while you were out. It seems to be some abandoned prison complex. I only say that because of the bars on the door windows. This corridor seems to go on forever with rooms just like this one every few yards. We should check a few; maybe we'll find something useful."

The team moved cautiously through the labyrinthine corridor, their senses heightened by the oppressive energy and eerie sounds that echoed through the halls. Their custom-tailored Akatsuki robes, now slightly torn and dirtied from the chaos outside, still carried an air of unity and determination.

They entered a room filled with ancient weapon racks, most of which were empty. However, they managed to find a few serviceable weapons and a small stash of food and water.

"Better than nothing," Darius said, stuffing the supplies into his bag.

In another room, they found a collection of old scrolls and books, many too fragile to handle. Tyler carefully picked up a few that seemed intact, hoping they might contain useful information about the tower.

As they continued their exploration, they stumbled upon a much larger room with a massive, ornate mirror. It seemed out of place among the decrepit surroundings. “That thing must weigh a ton!” Tyler commented.

"Well, if we're going to die here, at least I can check our hair first," Livia said dryly, eliciting a chuckle from Marcus.

The mirror shimmered, and for a moment, they saw a massive, grotesque creature standing behind them. Tyler drew his sword instinctively, ready to fight. The team turned around, pulling out weapons, ready to fight, but there was nothing there.

"What the hell?" Elric muttered, his eyes wide. "Where did it go!?”

“Anyone got eyes on it?” Darius asked.

Tyler turned back to the mirror, his sword still drawn. The creature snapped back into view. He quickly looked between the mirror and the room. “It’s not real, it’s a trick by the mirror,” Elric said as he noticed it too.

“Thank god, I swear I almost shat myself,” Tyler added, holding a sword over his shoulder, trying to poke at the creature behind him but there was nothing there.

Tyler scrutinized the creature. “That thing looks exactly like the one I killed, and I mean exactly.” After closer inspection he noticed a third of the creature was missing in the reflection. The reason they didn’t notice was because the back third that wasn’t transported was facing away from them.

"Wait a minute," Tyler said, stepping closer to the mirror. "That is the creature I killed, or at least part of it. I think this mirror shows what's in my spatial inventory. Look if I turn around." And then everyone saw the grotesque, surgically sliced-in-half creature hover above and behind Tyler.

Livia's eyes widened. "That's... actually kind of amazing. We could use this to see everything you've stored."

Tyler nodded, a grin spreading across his face. "That’s pretty useful, but I have a feeling that’s not all it’s doing."

He carefully examined the mirror, seeing various items floating in the air above him—some food stolen from the banquet, a Walkman, and of course, the massive half-wyvern. The sight was both awe-inspiring and terrifying.

"Okay, that's definitely not something you see every day," Darius said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Yeah, my inventory just went from convenient to freaky," Tyler replied. "But it's useful. Let's add all the supplies everyone is carrying into the inventory before we move on."

Before they left, Tyler carefully moved everyone’s packs with the looted supplies as well as the large mirror into his spatial inventory. "Alright, now everyone, we can go."

They continued down the corridor, their footsteps echoing softly against the stone walls. The air grew cooler and drier as they walked, and the oppressive energy seemed to lessen slightly.

After what felt like an eternity of walking, they came across a set of stone stairs leading upward. The steps were worn and uneven, but they were the only path forward.

"Up we go," Marcus said, taking the lead.

The stairs wound upward in a spiral, and as they ascended, the air grew warmer and the light brighter. When they finally reached the top, they were greeted by an unexpected sight: a vast desert stretched out before them, the golden sand dunes rolling as far as the eye could see.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"Well, this is different," Elric said, shielding his eyes from the bright sunlight.

The heat was intense, and the sun beat down on them mercilessly. They could see no signs of life, just endless sand and the occasional rocky outcrop.

"We need to find shelter and water," Livia said, her voice filled with concern. "We won't last long out here without it."

They made their way across the scorching sand, their Akatsuki robes now serving as protection from the sun. The desert seemed to go on forever, and the heat was relentless.

After what felt like hours, they stumbled upon an overhang that provided some shade. Tyler looked around, assessing the area. "This will have to do for now," he said. "We need a place to rest and get out of this heat."

Using his dimensional inventory, Tyler began carving out a cave beneath the overhang. The others watched in amazement as he created a five-meter-deep, two-meter-high shelter in the rock.

"That's a neat trick," Marcus said, impressed.

"Yeah, it's like having a portable construction crew," Tyler replied, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Let's get inside and rest for a bit."

They settled into the makeshift cave, grateful for the reprieve from the sun's harsh rays. Tyler carved a water rune into the stone, powering a stream of water that filled a large bowl he created in the rock. They drank greedily, savoring the cool, refreshing liquid. The cool shade provided some much-needed relief.

"I suggest we set up a home base here for a while. We need to prepare for whatever comes next. Since we have a visceral ton of wyvern meat and no shortage of water, we have a chance to work on some ambitious enchantments that we weren’t able to in the slave camp," Tyler said, looking around.

They set up camp, taking stock of their supplies. They found some wood from dead trees scattered nearby and made a small fire. The flickering flames cast a warm glow inside the cave, providing a semblance of comfort.

Tyler worked slowly, using the stone he had removed to build a large stone wheel outside the cave that would function as a door. The wheel was set on an incline, so closing it would be as simple as removing the wedge keeping it open. The effort taxed his mana core immensely, and he had to take frequent breaks to avoid collapsing.

Once the door was complete, he carved a few ventilation shafts and some bunk beds so they didn’t need to sleep right on the floor. After gathering some firewood from scattered dead trees, they took a moment to appreciate the beauty of their surroundings. The sun was setting over the desert, casting a golden glow across the endless dunes. Silhouetted against the horizon were the gnarled, twisted forms of ancient, dead trees, their stark black shapes a striking contrast against the fiery sky. The colors shifted from gold to deep orange and purple, creating a breathtaking tapestry of light and shadow.

The air cooled as the sun dipped below the dunes, and a sense of calm settled over the group. “It’s probably going to get incredibly cold tonight,” Tyler said. “Thank god we have these magnificent robes to keep us warm,” Livia noted. “Yeah, I guess we owe Lysander that at least,” Markus said gruffly.

As night fell, the desert sky revealed its true splendor. Without any light pollution, the stars shone brilliantly, filling the sky with a dazzling array of twinkling lights. It was as if the entire universe had been laid bare above them, each star a pinprick of pure, white light against the velvety blackness. Constellations were visible in stunning clarity, their ancient patterns telling stories from eons past. The galaxy stretched across the sky like a luminous river, its dense clusters of stars creating a breathtaking spectacle. It felt like standing on the edge of the world, gazing into the infinite ocean of space. The sheer beauty and immensity of the night sky provided a sense of peace and wonder, a stark contrast to the challenges they faced below.

They were all relaxing around a warm fire as Tyler took out the Walkman from his inventory and switched from earphones to a small built-in speaker. “How do you decide what to play for people who have never heard a single song from my world…?” The group understood his sentiment; Tyler had shared the secret of their grand Colosseum entrance with them, and they knew he was eager to play them some music from his world. Nobody said anything as Tyler just stared at the Walkman. After a few moments, Livia offered a suggestion, “Why not pick something that inspires you just from this moment?”

His benefactors had been kind enough to load every song known to man on the Walkman, and he simply had to think of the song he wanted, and it would play. Tyler looked out at the ocean of stars and his mind drifted to a movie he saw a few years back. It was about a man who wakes up in the middle of a long space journey and at one point he and another passenger climb put on space suits and they exit the spacecraft, and for a while they are just floating in the vastness of space with nothing but a tether connecting them to the ship as they drifts among the stars. Softly at first, the song called ‘Spacewalk’ from the movie’s soundtrack started playing from the small device.

The cave was perfect for amplifying the sound, and it felt as though the music was emanating from everywhere as they all stared out at the stars, hypnotized by the beautiful melodies enveloping them. The firelight flickered softly, casting dancing shadows on the cave walls, merging with the music to create an almost ethereal atmosphere.

They were not just listening to music; they were part of it, as if the universe itself was singing a lullaby of peace and wonder. Every group member was wiping tears from their eyes, having never heard anything so beautiful.

As the notes of ‘Spacewalk’ filled the cave, each member of the group felt a deep connection to the stars above, the vast expanse of the cosmos reflecting the boundless possibilities of their journey. The music carried them beyond the confines of their physical selves, allowing them to drift among the stars, tethered only by their dreams and the promise of tomorrow.

For a brief, timeless moment, they were not slaves, not fighters, but cosmic travelers in the infinite reaches of space, united by the shared beauty of a song and the silent, eternal dance of the stars. It was a night they would remember forever, a beacon of hope that would fuel the hardship to come.

Tyler shared a few more of his favorite songs as they engaged in long conversations into the night. The music wove seamlessly through their discussions, adding depth and emotion to their words.

“Tell us more about Earth,” Livia said, her eyes reflecting the flickering firelight. “What’s it like compared to this place?”

Tyler leaned back, gazing up at the cave’s ceiling as if he could see through it to his distant home. “It’s... different. There’s no magic like here, but we’ve created our own wonders. Skyscrapers that touch the sky, machines that can fly, and technology that connects everyone instantly, no matter how far apart they are.”

Marcus looked intrigued. “Machines that can fly? You mean like dragons?”

Tyler chuckled. “Not quite. We call them airplanes. They’re like giant metal birds that carry people across the world in hours. We also have cars, trains, and ships. Transportation is a big deal on Earth.”

Elric leaned forward, his curiosity piqued. “What about the people? Are they different from us?”

“In some ways, yes,” Tyler replied. “But in the most important ways, no. People are still driven by the same desires and fears, the same hopes and dreams. We’ve had wars and conflicts, but we’ve also had incredible moments of unity and progress. It’s a world of contrasts, just like this one.”

Tyler decided to change the song they were listening to, selecting Avicii's "The Nights." As the uplifting melody filled the cave, Tyler explained, "This song is about living life to the fullest, about making the most of every moment and cherishing the adventures we have. It's a reminder to live a life we're proud of, no matter the obstacles. I wanted you all to hear it because it captures the spirit of the world I'm from—the idea that, despite all the struggles, there's always hope and a reason to keep pushing forward. "Darius, who had been quiet, spoke up. “What do you miss the most?”

Tyler paused, considering. “I’m worried about a few friends from the juvi who depended on me and the simple things, a hot shower, my bed, the perfect cheeseburger.”

They continued talking, sharing stories and dreams, bridging the gap between their two worlds. The fire burned low, casting a warm, intimate glow. The stars outside seemed to listen, bearing silent witness to their conversation.

As the night grew colder, they closed the rolling door as they took some blankets from their supplies and settled into their own bunks, the fire providing a comforting warmth as the heat reflected from the cave walls. All was silent except for the soft breathing of the group. The fire flickered gently, casting shadows that danced along the walls. Outside, the stars continued their eternal vigil, a tapestry of light and hope.

After everyone went to bed and were sleeping, Livia, shivering slightly, quietly moved to Tyler's bunk and without a word, she slipped under his blanket, seeking warmth and comfort. Tyler felt her presence and lifted the edge of the blanket, allowing her to nestle in beside him. They didn't say anything, but the warmth of their bodies drove away the chill, and the comfort of human contact was a balm to their weary souls.

Tyler wrapped an arm around her, feeling a sense of peace he hadn’t known in a long time. Don McLean sang them to sleep as the music from Tyler’s Walkman played softly in the background. The night enveloped them, cradling them in its quiet embrace, and for a few precious hours, they dreamed of a future where freedom and peace awaited them.