Chapter 50

  Tower of Truth

  Birdsong and wind played like an orchestra through the white branches of the Stardust Woods. In the heart of the forest, secluded away from the hubbub of the city and the heat of the Scorpio Mountains, a path lined with color crystals wound through the trees. The deep green ferns and underbrush of the forest sat among lavender grasses and were speckled with shards of crystal that reflected the sunlight.

  Michael, Yan, and Sebastian looked around in wonder at the landscape as they climbed the sloped path. Wolf slumped along behind them, silent frustration from the party's most recent teleportation. Hyato walked at the back of the group, remaining stoic as he observed their surroundings.

  "I understand why King Mystia lives out here instead of in town." Yan said, "This place is majestic!"

  "It's certainly bright." Sebastian said, "I feel like I'll get a headache if I look too long."

  "I wonder if Zori show up around here." Michael said. "This place seems too pure for Zori."

  "Don't count on it. Zori can appear anywhere." Sebastian said.

  "The path is enchanted though." Yan said. "There are probably wards all over this place, if the King lives here."

  "Well, he is a Magi. I doubt he has much issue with your average Zori." Sebastian said.

  "What's a Magi?" Michael asked.

  "Someone who invented an entirely new form of magic." Sebastian said. "There aren't many of them, one in history for every type of magic."

  "An entire form of magic. Modern Magic." Michael said. He created a ball of wind around his hand. "Is Elemancy a form of magic?"

  "Yes." Sebastian said, "It was created by a man named Jura in the Broken Times. He was able to pass it on before he vanished. He very likely died in battle somewhere, but his followers still deny that."

  "Well, either way." Michael said. "I'm glad he made it, Elemancy." The others nodded.

  "Agreed." Wolf said. He was no longer pouting.

  The winding path opened up before them, and the party came to see an enormous tower ahead. It was white for the most part, an enormous crystal that spiked up out of the ground. Windows were carved into it every few floors, and large crystal growths of every color jutted out at random on the tower in several spots.

  The base of the tower was surrounded by a marble tiled plaza covered in an inch of glittering water that did not have even a hint of a ripple. Raised paths connected in four circles from the edge of the rounded plaza like interlocked rings to the ornate doorway at the tower's base.

  "It looks like we are here." Michael said, heading first along the curved pathway around the tiled pond. The path did not reach the door in a straight line, but it was wide enough for a cart and none of the party chose to disturb the shallow pond.

  As Michael reached the other end of the curved path he looked at the doorway and flinched. “What the...”

  The others arrived and saw what gave Michael pause. An oversized arched door sat as the entrance to the tower. In the center of the door was a peephole, and around it in a spiral pattern were dozens more peepholes. The door seemed to gaze upon them with dozens of glass eyes, each one crowded close enough to the others to defy any logic for their placement. “Why?” Sebastian said, wondering aloud what they all thought, “Why so many?”

  The rest of the door was simple banded iron over walnut, a dark heavy door. There was a knocker placed above the cluster of peepholes, out of reach for all but Sebastian and Wolf. With the other four frozen, bewildered by the strange sight, Wolf approached the door and slammed the knocker three times.

  After a moment of silence Wolf turned back, “Should I knock again?” He asked. Before the others could respond, the door swung open with an extended creaking sound. It opened to a pitch black room, with floating blue candlelight that illuminated nothing forming a path inside. Wolf backed away from the door to stand with the others.

  “This doesn’t feel... good.” Yan said. “Maybe we should turn back?”

  “But, isn’t this the Crystal Tower? We need to see Mystia.” Michael said. He balked, not stepping forth.

  “We have to go inside, right?” Sebastian said, “We’ve come all this way.”

  “After you.” Hyato said, his face showing apprehension like the others.

  Michael looked around. Everyone else was staring into the darkness, afraid to move forth. He took a breath, and stepped through the doorway. The others followed, entering the dark entrance of the tower. The door shut behind them, causing Yan to yelp and most of them to flinch! One by one, the blue candles flickered until they went out, casting everyone into darkness.

  “I’ll make light.” Sebastian said, casting a spell to summon a ball of light. The room began to light up, only for darkness to encroach like a writhing mass of hair. The light only extended a few feet ahead. “Or not.”

  “Relax,” Michael said, “We just need-” A rattling sound interrupted Michael, and everyone looked ahead. The sound clicked like sticks clashing together in a box, growing closer and closer. Michael took a tentative step forward, ready for anything.

  A skull appeared, and a skeleton followed, rushing at Michael from the darkness! He cried out in alarm and swung his sword, which shattered the enemy's spine, but the skeleton kept coming. Michael dodged back, tripping over Yan and Hyato and falling in a heap with the panicking party. Then light filled the room, blinding them.

  “Gyahaha!” Came a wheeze of laughter, followed by more jovial chortling. Michael stood up from the pile of his friends as his eyes adjusted, only to see an old man in a blue robe crouched on the ground in laughter next to the pieces of a fake skeleton. “Got you good!” The man said between choked laughter. Michael frowned and put away his sword, closing his eyes for a moment.

  The party rose to their feet, still on edge, as the old man wiped away his tears and stood up as well. He was tall, taller than Wolf or Drackle, and had a neat white beard trimmed close to his chin. He wore a mischievous grin and looked at the party with brilliant green eyes. Despite the prank, they seemed to shine with intelligence.

  “King Mystia, I take it.” Michael said, already losing the frown at seeing the old man so pleased with himself.

  “You got that right.” Mystia said, “And you lot must be my esteemed guests.” He said, “I won’t say I’m sorry for the old skeleton trick, I don’t get very many visitors, you see.”

  “I don’t understand.” Sebastian said, “Why go so far? What if Michael had attacked seriously?”

  “Ah the wards would have stopped it.” Mystia said with a wave of his hand, “I would say ‘at my age’ but really even at your age you should know; life is not too short to have a little fun now and then.”

  Sebastian sighed, at a loss for words. Hyato seemed to have recovered his stoic expression, but Yan was smiling. Michael nodded, “I’ll remember that.” He said to the old mage.

  “Good.” Mystia said, “And now that pleasantries are out of the way, I suppose you lot are here for business. Let’s not stand around with the hats, this way you lot.” Mystia turned and walked through a door on the left. Only as he was leaving did Michael take the time to tell that the entrance room had several hanging robes and hats, as well as a few doors. From here, he would not be able to tell they were in a tower, just any other building.

  King Mystia’s robe swept behind him as he walked into the next room. The blue fabric appeared to have a shifting pattern on it, the sea around his shoulders and the clouds hanging behind his legs. As the cloth moved, the images shown moved with them. The seas would be stormy or serene, changing at a rate equal to Mystia’s speed. The old prankster led them into a sitting room, where several comfortable chairs were arranged around a ball of flame that hung suspended in the air. He flopped into a seat and gave the party an expectant look.

  Michael went to take a seat near Mystia, but was led to a loveseat to sit next to Yan. The others all sat as well. Mystia cast a spell, and the six chairs that remained empty sank into the floor. Michael cleared his throat, “King Mystia, we came here to seek permission to enter the Shards of the Sky.” He said.

  Mystia remained lounging back in his chair, not a hint of tension as he relaxed. “That’s a very dangerous way to open a conversation.” The King said.

  “Really?” Michael asked, furrowing his brow.

  “Without introduction, you have come before the ruler of this kingdom speaking of a state secret and asking to be granted passage to that place.” Mystia said, “Whether or not you know that this location is under heavy guard, and for a myriad of very serious reasons.” Michael shared an anxious glance with Yan and Sebastian. Even Wolf seemed uncomfortable.

  “Perhaps you should start over.” Mystia said, “And explain everything.”

  “Excuse me,” Sebastian said, “But didn’t Drackle already send word about why we were coming?”

  Mystia held up a finger, the humor no longer present on his face. The wrinkled visage without any hint of a smile seemed more intense than a moment prior, “Do not presume that others will fight your battles for you. If you are to claim what you seek, put in the work yourself.” He said. “I will not give you another chance.” The fireball that floated between all of them flickered, and the party felt a momentary sense of sheer power from it. They were outclassed on all levels here, if the King wanted them gone they would not be able to stop him.

  “Sorry. Allow me to explain.” Michael said, “When I first came to be in this world, I unleashed a Revenant. Now, it has begun a campaign of destruction.” Michael explained the Revenant, Vero, and their encounters against them. He went on to explain the theories they crafted about the Revenant’s identity with Drackle, mentioning the vision Michael had about Mexizu fighting an army.

  “Vero is leading the Revenant to the Shards of the Sky. We learned that from Velicio, and I confirmed that when we last fought. I do not know why he is, but I am going to stop them.” Michael said. It took Michael ten minutes to recount the story.

  “Vero is taking the Soul of Mexizu to the Shards of the Sky.” Mystia said, “If that’s true, I don’t know why he would.”

  “Does it matter why?” Yan asked, “Someone needs to stop him.”

  “There is a possibility that it matters,” Mystia said, “Because if this is all a ruse in order to gain access to that place, then you are the ones I need to worry about instead.”

  “I don’t know how we can prove ourselves.” Michael said, “But I’m telling the truth.”

  “If I may,” Sebastian interjected, “If we were simply trying to deceive you in order to get permission, wouldn’t we have come up with a good reason? Michael’s story isn’t fake, that much I promise you.”

  “Promises of truth are meaningless between strangers.” Mystia said, “However, even if I believe your story outright, there is only one course of action to take. In order for me to trust you with access, you must be tested.”

  King Mystia rose from his seat, turning. Sebastian stood as well, "What do you mean tested? How will we be tested?"

  "Follow me." King Mystia said, moving towards a wall covered in bookshelves. Sebastian glanced at the others and they rose to follow the King.

  Mystia selected a book from the array of tomes. Then he ran one finger along the shelf and emitted a weak Vibe. One of the bookshelves sank back and slid aside, opening a passageway. "You have hidden bookshelf doors?" Yan said, hopping in place.

  "Of course." Mystia said, "I'd always wanted them." He said as he stepped into the passage.

  "Me too!" Yan said, and was the first to follow the King.

  The secret passageway was a narrow stone corridor with grey brick walls that had alcoves for torches. Michael got the impression that it was designed this way on purpose, since the rest of the building had a sleek crystalline design.

  As they ventured forth through the walls, Michael wondered how they would be tested. Would it be battle? Perhaps a puzzle of some kind. And what quality would be tested? Some sort of test of trust perhaps. The same questions seemed to be eating away at Sebastian more than the others. He was sweating and gripping his elbows, anxious as he followed the excited Yan.

  The passageway forked three times, and each fork was one of five paths. Mystia led the way without pause, not even requiring a moment to navigate the maze. At the end of the path Mystia activated another wall, using a different element in his Vibe.

  Power flowed over the party like a gust of wind, stopping their progress as they stumbled to regain their footing. Mystia stepped into the room filled with that power, and turned to wait for the party to join him.

  Yan and the others stepped into a large central chamber. The ceiling was much higher, a few stories above, and made of reinforced glass. As the party stepped in and looked around, their eyes were drawn to the walls. Elaborate runes were etched in complicated arrays, all in a purple metal set into the surface of the white crystal. "Is that Orythrum?" Sebastian asked, awe in his voice.

  "Welcome to the Chamber of Eons." Mystia said, "The central place of power in my domain. I built this tower around this point, as well as other towers to complete an overall array." Mystia said, "And yes, the wall runes are made with Orythrum."

  Sebastian leaned over to Michael and Yan, "Orythrum is the most powerful magic metal. It's also the most expensive and rare."

  Mystia crossed the dark grey stone floor to a covered plinth in the middle of the room. He removed the heavy cloth and revealed the source of the immense power that weighed down the room. An orb smaller than a head, small enough to fit in someone's hand.

  Bright violet lines lit up in the floor, revealing an array in the dark stone even more complex than the Orythrum runes on the walls. Sebastian moved out of the way, stepping to stand within a circle of dark stone. Michael and Yan approached Mystia, "What is this?" Michael asked.

  The Orb was suspended in the air under its own power. It seemed to have a smooth glossy surface, but beneath a transparent casing it contained numerous overlapping polyhedrons of different colors. Each shape inside spun at a different rate and in a different direction, giving Yan the impression of a complex optical illusion.

  "This is a project I've been working on. An engram containing data of every kind of organism, energy, matter, and concept throughout Iagorothi and the every perceivable plane of Phaerayoe." Mystia explained.

  Michael tried to understand, but not for very long. "What's it called?"

  Mystia paused, "It's unfinished, it has no name." He passed his hand underneath it and it descended into the plinth, sinking away into the ground. "I won't need it for this trial." The Orb vanished, but the array on the ground continued to glow.

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  Wolf spoke for the first time since entering the tower, "What is the trial?" He asked. "I'm ready for anything."

  The Chamber of Eons was prepared for the trial a half hour later. The party had been directed to each stand in a specified point within the array, each had a circle to themselves.

  "An array is defined by the amount of nodes and how they connect." Mystia explained, "For a Caller ritual, the optimal number of nodes is ten, and for Modern Magic the optimal number is twelve."

  "You each stand in a Node set to a Caller Array." Mystia said, "The Chamber of Eons is built on a Focus Site, so it can support any number of Nodes and remain in balance." Sebastian looked shocked and turned to explain something to Michael, but the young man was too far away for whispering. He held his tongue.

  In the center of the Chamber, Mystia stood before the plinth. A model of the tower had been placed there, scaled to be just three feet tall, it appeared to be an accurate depiction of the exterior.

  "Now that all the preparations have been made, I shall begin the spell." Mystia spoke in a soft voice, but it carried to all of their ears. "This is a trial of your willpower. Push yourselves to succeed as you climb the tower and meet it's challenges. Your true selves will be called into question, answer with the truth and ascend."

  "You will not be able to hear each other for this trial, you must face this alone." Mystia said.

  'A trial of my true self.' Michael thought, 'To see of we are worthy of his trust. Am I good enough?' Michael glanced around. Yan seemed excited by the ritual, while Hyato seemed to be taking it in stride. Sebastian and Wolf both looked a bit nervous.

  "Let it begin." Mystia said. A soft blue light filled the room, pouring forth from the model tower and washing over everyone. After it had passed, the walls vanished. In their stead was an endless expanse of indigo clouds churning above them, and a grey fog beneath the clouds.

  Mystia had vanished from the room, but the model tower began to grow and grow before Michael's eyes. As it grew the rune array expanded to push him away, until the model tower became as large as the true tower itself. Was it even bigger?

  "Welcome to the Tower of Truth." Mystia said. "Climb to each plateau and face yourselves." As he spoke, alcoves and outcroppings manifested on the smooth white surface of the crystal building. Paths began to form for the challengers to climb up. The first plateau above was a fan of red crystals that grew out a few stories above. The colored branches of the crystal tower seemed to be their goal.

  Hyato moved forth and began to climb, moving without undue haste, content to ascend at an even pace. Sebastian and Wolf moved forth as well, each on their own side of the tower. Michael noticed that the others seemed foggy, as if only shades of themselves. He looked at himself, and appeared solid and real.

  Yan waved at Michael, though she made no sound, then moved towards the tower and began to climb with skillful leaps that cleared large gaps. "They must all be seeing things from their own perspective." Michael said.

  Without further ado, Michael approached the Tower. He drew his sword and thrust the tip at his feet. "Dark Flight." Michael said, and rose into the air on a trail of shadow energy.

  Michael soared along the side of the tower to reach the first platform, arriving without a hitch. Fog rolled in around him as he touched down, and a voice spoke in his head. "How do you define yourself?"

  "How do I define myself?" Michael repeated, "I'm Michael." He said. The space was still for a moment, then the fog receded, and the way forth appeared. If all the questions were like this, the trial would be easy.

  As Michael climbed, so too did the others. They could see the illusions of one another, but climbed alone. Yan and Wolf picked up the pace, while Sebastian and Hyato were content to move without haste. The party of adventurous youngsters climbed, while Mystia observed.

  It had been several years since Mystia had been approached by a group of bright eyed travelers in search of a favor. Whether they arrived with official clearance, or made their way to his estate through sheer bravado, Mystia would always meet with them.

  Long ago Mystia made a promise to always help those that came to him seeking help. Throughout his years he had fashioned spells and artifacts for many adventurers. For a time he kept his promise to numerous parties and people. That promise had to be broken before, so Mystia developed the Tower of Truth.

  The first question had been asked to more of the party. "How do you define yourself?" The others were asked. Mystia listened.

  "I'm part feral part valon, a ninja from a once isolated village." Yan said. A very practical response.

  "I am Wolf, an unstoppable champion of fire and lightning." Wolf replied with a flex. Quite proud, he was.

  "Hyato." The swordsman responded. Simple enough.

  "I suppose," Sebastian said as he rubbed his chin, "I would have to say that I am a scholar of skills and history, searching for mysteries long forgotten to time." He almost continued speaking, when the fog around him parted. "Ah, that was enough?"

  Mystia watched as the party climbed beyond the first question. None seemed to be slowing yet.

  To the challengers the questions arrived in a mystical voice, detatched from reality and within their minds. "What do you seek to gain?" The Tower asked.

  "Power." Wolf responded, "Prestige and power."

  "We are here to gain access to the Shards of the Sky." Michael said. Hyato and Sebastian answered in much the same way.

  "Happiness." Yan said, smiling.

  The Tower of Truth allowed the challengers forth as Mystia noted their answers. The brief time between platforms gave him time to ponder the responses.

  The third platform was higher on the enormous structure. The churning clouds met the tower above, like an all encompassing ceiling that closed in with steady insistence. Through various means, the party arrived at the third platform, their bodies not fatigued from their climb.

  "When will your endeavors be completed?"

  "Now that's an interesting question." Sebastian said, "they will be done when they are done." He said, folding his arms.

  The fog of the tower did not fade, a looming silence around Sebastian. He sighed, "So the answers need to have meaning." He rubbed at his chin, taking a moment to think.

  Sebastian answered again, with more clarity in his voice, "When Michael feels we have suceeded." He said. The fog parted for the man.

  Mystia noted down the young Evari's response. "Intriguing." He said to himself. The others were answering as well, so Mystia paid close attention.

  "When we defeat Vero, I suppose." Yan said.

  "Endeavors? When the Revenant is destroyed." Michael said.

  "It shall be soon, upon our next meeting with the enemy, of course!" Wolf said. His confidence rang out clear.

  Hyato thought about the question, "Not for a long time." He said.

  A strange response. The man did not appear to be negative. His confidence was clear to Mystia. It was a noteworthy response.

  The climb on the Tower of Truth took the party into the clouds. The thick clouds drenched them, and the handholds became harder to find. Despite the challenge, the party pressed on. They showed excellent determination to meet their trial.

  The platform within the tower was filled with the churning clouds, only a small portion could be seen. Despite this, the inquisitive fog of the tower closed in to ask it's question. "What great goals drive you forth?"

  The question did not have an immediate answer from anyone. They all paused in thought.

  Wolf spoke first, "I want to find out about myself, to cure my amnesia." He said. The tower let him pass.

  "I seek the lost city of Sky Reach." Sebastian said, "and many other mysteries."

  "I want to explore all lands, and experience the world." Michael said. He smiled and said to himself, "I'm glad we already talked this out on the airship."

  The three that answered continued to climb, but the other two continued to be in deep thought for several moments.

  Yan snapped her fingers when she had an idea, "I want to learn! There are so many cool and interesting things out there. I want to learn all about them, like my great grandpa Max." The fog cleared for her to continue through the cloudy climb.

  After sitting down to think, Hyato responded, "My goals are nothing special. I'm just pretending to have a dream, so the others aren't worried." The man did not seem happy about his answer, but the way forth appeared.

  The churning clouds were full of moisture, and the party found themselves climbing higher in slippery conditions. Michael had stopped riding the power of his sword, using the Tower to orient himself. The alcoves were slippery and hard to climb. The party pressed on, climbing further one step at a time. This leg of the journey felt longer than the prior sections, or perhaps it was taking them more time to find the next handhold.

  Sebastian slipped and fell, yelping. The others could not hear or see, nor help as he sank into the clouds. His heart raced as he summoned fire around his hands and clawed at the crystal. His fingers impacted the tower a few times, then found purchase on a handhold. The fire dried it out, but seared his hands, and he managed to stop the fall.

  Ascending through the clouds beyond the fourth question took the full efforts of the party. They could not chat with one another anyways, but each of them bore a serious focus on the task at hand. One by one, they made their way to the fifth platform. Here, the clouds felt thinner, if they continued to climb they would soon be above them. Had they already climbed that far?

  The fog of the Tower of Truth enveloped the party as they all arrived. The fifth question was at hand, and they all stood ready for it. Michael saw the illusion of Yan and grinned, and she smiled back. Then, the question was asked. “Are you worthy?”

  Silence had fallen over the party as they were asked the fifth question. Mystia watched as each of them reacted with shock. A few of them exchanged glances, but could not exchange words. No one had an immediate answer.

  Mystia nodded to himself. This was not a question that many people expected to be asked. Perhaps their determination was wavering?

  Sebastian was the first to speak, "How am I supposed to know that? I can't just say I'm worthy and expect something out if it." He folded his arms, frowning in thought. The fog remained.

  Yan swung her arms up behind her head. "I feel worthy, I don't understand the question though. Sure." She glanced around at the others, wondering how they answered.

  "I am worthy, I have to be." Michael said. "If I'm not, I'll become worthy."

  Three answers so far. Mystia watched as Michael assumed a power stance to look at the tower itself, and froze. Yan's head was mid turn, while Sebastian still seemed pensive. The last two had been given more time to think, not that they would know that.

  Hyato was the next to respond. "I don't care if I am worthy. Michael is worthy, that should be enough." So much faith in Michael, he must be their leader.

  The last person spoke up after another long moment. "Worthy? Of course I'm not." Wolf said, staring at his feet. "I'm a monster."

  Mystia changed his view of the party, peering closer at Wolf. Where had all his pride gone? His eyes looked dark, a haunted hollow expression. What had he gone through? A few ideas came to mind. The world could be cruel.

  The fog cleared for the party, and a few of them seemed surprised by this. Perhaps they thought their answers weak? They did not yet see the point of this ritual.

  One by one the party climbed the Tower once more. The churning clouds that had hindered their progress were cleared at long last.

  Above the clouds the Tower of Truth rose among a sea of deep blue. Winding roads composed of stray stones, chunks of ice, braided roots, and many other objects could be seen above. These paths wove in and out of sight, out of reach amongst the starlight of distant planes. It was not an ordinary sight to witness the Planar Paths above, but it was clear that is what they saw. Or at least, what they appeared to see.

  The sheer majesty of the planar paths made the party pause in awe, but the icy cold soon occupied their minds. The clouds were beneath them and the air here was dry, and freezing. Their hands became stiff like claws as they continued their climb. Wolf's hands gave off small tufts of fire as the joints of his fingers began to bleed.

  Not even the Phanokai blood fire could defeat the chill of the air around the tower. With stiff limbs and chattering teeth the party continued, an air of uncertainty looming over them regarding what question could be next.

  The next platform was different from the rest. It was still a colored crystal growth that jutted out from the main tower, but it was much smaller. They scrambled onto the platform amongst one another's illusory forms and all looked up. The pinnacle of the tower was above them, there were no more platforms like the rest. But the Tower of Truth was not at an end, just the facsimile of Mystia's Crystal Tower.

  From the top of the white crystalline tower extended a road of levitating rock clusters. The planar paths themselves seemed to extend the tower of truth farther into the starry sky. More crystal platforms could be seen above, four more.

  Before they could continue beyond, they needed to answer the question before them. Once again the fog of uncertainty surrounded them. Once again, the Tower of Truth asked its question.

  "What is your deepest secret?"

  Like before, the questions were escalating. Revealing a secret was hard enough, but their deepest secret? The party paused in pensive apprehension at what was asked of them.

  “My deepest secret?” Yan asked herself. “Everyone knows I fled my home, I ran from everything I was meant to do.” She said, “But that ended up being the best thing I did.” She frowned, thinking more.

  “Everyone has secrets.” Sebastian said, “But our deepest ones, those are the ones we have to keep.” He glanced around, his friend’s could not hear him. “I suppose that’s it, that’s what the Tower is. The Truth we need ourselves to face, isn’t it?” He exhaled.

  "Evari, like myself, can control many things about our bodies. I can choose to make my hair grow or not, how much spicy foods taste spicy, all kinds of unimportant things. I didn't really understand that when I was younger, I didn't realize that Evari choose whether we are virile." Sebastian explained aloud, to the Tower. To himself. "I probably have kids out there somewhere. It was a few years before I realized I could suppress my biology like that. But... I'm afraid to find out."

  "So, I keep travelling, never looking back. I know... That's not what I should do. But, it's what I want to." Sebastian nodded, and fell silent.

  The Tower of Truth continued to await answers, and soon Hyato spoke. "I pretend to be stoic, but I'm just trying to figure out what's going on." He said.

  "I never know where or when I am. I live my life out of sequence. Sometimes it's last year, sometimes next year. I spend weeks at a time sleeping, and other times train for days on end as my view switches to different times." Hyato said. "The others know too. Drackle revealed that I am some Time Traveler, but I don't want to be. I pray to Feros to let me live a normal life. It doesn't work."

  Hyato shrugged. "I've decided to look forward. I don't care if my past is some distant future anymore. I'll forge my own way." He looked to the sky, determined.

  Mystia hummed as he listened to the secrets. The party was getting philosophical. Perhaps they had spent long enough in the Tower of Truth spell. There were four more questions after this, but Mystia had seen enough.

  There were still those who hadn't answered this question, so Mystia waited to hear the answers.

  Yan spoke up again. "I don't know. My deepest secret has already been revealed. If I had anything else..." She paused, then glanced around. Yan gulped. "I guess... I've been trying to seduce Michael. I know he... I know I should let him see the world more. I just... Like him." She blushed a little and shook her head. “I guess that isn’t important is it?”

  As Yan professed her feelings, the large Phanokai of the party began to speak. Mystia tuned into his words. “I am a monster.” He whispered to the Tower. “I’ve killed people. I ended them for what they did to me, and I don’t regret it. I don’t feel guilt, not after what they did, all because of my eyes. I’ve killed, I’ve wiped out people’s lives.”

  “I enjoyed it.” Wolf said, “I enjoyed it, and that scares me. I don’t feel any remorse, I feel I was justified. But, I’m afraid. When I looked into the lake, what I saw was not me. I saw a monster. I saw myself as a butcher, taking lives without mercy. Without hesitation.” Wolf looked at his hands. He struggled to find more words, then fell to his knees.

  The last to speak was Michael. He had closed his eyes as he thought, as if going over everything that had ever happened to him. When his eyes snapped open, he began to speak. “My deepest secret? Dark Michael. He is even a secret to me. When I get angry, he shows up to destroy things. A second Soul inside of me, is what I was told. But Sebastian told me that the Soul is about ambition, drive, goals. Dark Michael is about anger and destruction. That isn’t very Soul like.”

  “Our theory is that the Revenant we are chasing is Mexizu. But what if Dark Michael is Mexizu? Or maybe, both are? I don’t know, but I am worried. The more I travel, the less Dark Michael appears, but he is stronger too. When he arrives, I have a hard time controlling it anymore.” Michael frowned for a long moment, deep in thought. Then, he shrugged, “This is getting too serious.”

  As the last of the party gave their answer, the fog of uncertainty cleared around them once more. They looked up. Above the peak of the tower a path of small ailands and haphazard chunks of roadways continued above. “Well, time to keep going.” Sebastian sighed and said to himself.

  “Yep.” Yan said, “May as well.”

  “Woah, what?” Sebastian looked at Yan, “You can hear me?” Yan blinked and nodded, looking around.

  “Can we hear each other now?” Wolf asked. “Why?”

  “Maybe we need to work together on this next part.” Michael said. “I can try to control those rocks with my elemancy.” Hyato and Yan nodded.

  The party began to cross the platform, but a thick fog surrounded them. “There is no need.” Mystia’s voice said. “I have seen enough.” The fog swirled around them, and the world changed.

  Michael found himself standing in the room where the ritual had started. He hadn’t moved from where he stood in the Chamber of Eons. The others were all where they were as well. Mystia was in the middle, sitting on a chair and slumped over. “Are you okay?” Michael asked, moving to the old man’s side.

  “I am quite alright.” Mystia answered, holding up one hand to stop Michael. “Just give me a moment. The ritual is quite taxing, and I am not young.” The others gathered around as Mystia recovered. When the old man sat up again he regained a regal composure.

  “Was that the last question, or were there more?” Sebastian asked.

  “Did we pass?” Yan asked.

  “You heard everything, right?” Wolf asked.

  Mystia held up a hand, and the room fell silent. “I shall answer all of your questions in time.” He said, “But I must rest for now. I will say that... you pass. I shall trust you, but do not depart yet.” Mystia’s hand became surrounded in blue mana and he cast a spell.

  From the depths of the tower something small came flying into the room. It zipped around in straight lines, flitting through the air until it arrived next to Mystia. A small person floated there, wearing a suit like a butler. They did not have features that matched any people Michael knew, they were more stretched and ethereal.

  “Fizz.” Mystia said, “Show our guests to the sitting room and feed them.”

  The small suited sprite bowed and spoke, “At once, Master.” Then Fizz zipped in front of Michael, before moving before each of the others in turn. “Please follow me, you five. The Master requires his rest.”

  The five party members watched the sprite and followed it, all seemed to carry a sense of fatigue, and relief. Mystia watched them depart for the sitting room, leaving him so that he could rest. He chuckled to himself, “Maybe...”

  The old man, the King of Cryston, snapped his fingers to close the Chamber of Eons. Rest? He was no codger. There was no time to rest when there was work to be done. Mystia tapped into the power of the hall and set to work.