Kenny swiftly threw his arms back onto the bed to push his body up and looked around. After a couple of seconds his eyes locked onto the person sitting on top of his desk that was propped up against the wall in front of the window.

The person sitting there wore a pristine white robe that covered most of their body hiding their figure. It didn’t hide the two moderate sized mounds that stuck out around their chest revealing that it was a female he was staring. However, the hood she had over her head hid her hair and the mask over her face covered any features he could see. The only thing he was able to see was the glowing neon green eyes that peered through the eye sockets of the mask and the two thin neon green hair strands that dangled over the sides of the mask.

The sight of the masked woman was both surprising and shocking, but that wasn’t the only thing that had him starting to panic. The window doors were wide open behind her, but to his shock the drapes were frozen mid flap.

The woman remained silent, giving him enough time to snap out of his shock. Once he did, he quickly opened his mouth and shouted, “Dad!”

The woman giggled as Kenny shouted for his father a couple more times while scrambling backwards onto his bed until his back touched the wall. “Oh silly. No need to shout for that man. He won’t be able to hear you.”

“Why? What did you do?” Kenny asked as he felt his heart start to race. He noticed that from the sound of this woman’s voice, even though it was mesmerizing, it sounded slightly older. Like a woman who could be in her mid-thirties maybe younger.

“That’s because a stasis barrier has been placed around this room,” the woman responded. “No one can hear us nor know anything is going on in here.”

Kenny’s eyes widened. The answer she had given him gave him an idea of what he was dealing with. A stasis barrier was something only select people could use. A magically crafted item that was only permitted to be used by those granted permission to come back into the world he lived in. Those that were allowed to use this item though were associated with those who have awakened in the Tower. His thoughts raced trying to think about what would cause someone to come here and use this type of magic as well who would come here of all places to use it.

His thought leaned towards his siblings as he tried to understand the situation. Did they do something to someone who was affiliated with this woman? Maybe they pissed someone off that he had intervened or fought against which caused them to hire her to take care of that business? His memory played back what those three men said earlier. Was it them?

“Honey, you’re so adorable trying to figure out what could prompt someone like me to come here,” the woman said with an amused tone of voice. “I can assure you that whatever you are thinking, it probably isn’t it.”

“Wha…,” Kenny said as he stared at her. “But…” Kenny’s mind started to work overtime as he still tried to produce an answer he could understand. The panicked look on his face must have caused the woman to grow concerned as she hopped off the desk and make her way towards the bed.

She looked like she was just a couple inches shorter than his five foot eight height as she swiftly made her way. When she approached the bed, she turned around and sat down. She turned her body enough to look at him and patted the spot next to her. “Come over here,” She said with a calm tone of voice. “Sit next to me. I’m not here to hurt you.”

Kenny stared at her for a long time. Her voice and the careful movement of her hand patting the bed felt and looked strange. He wasn’t sure why she was doing that, but at the same time he felt it was alright to get closer and sit next to her. That she was genuine when she said she wouldn’t hurt him.

Slowly, like a cautious animal approaching someone new, Kenny slowly moved from the wall and sat next to the robed woman. As he sat next to her, Kenny stared at her. He positioned himself enough to be ready to sprint away in case he needed to, not that he had a chance. He then saw her raise her hand and readied himself for the attack, but then stiffened as he felt her hand rub his messy hair.

His stiffness dissolved as he felt the soft hand of the woman rubbing his hair. He wasn’t sure why, but…it felt good. Like a caring parent that wanted to reassure their child that they had nothing to fear and they were fine.

The woman let out a disapproving sigh, which sounded funny coming from the mask. What she said next made him both confused and worried. “I swear. That man talks about responsibility and yet he takes none when it matters most.”

“You…,” Kenny started to say as she stopped rubbing his hair and brought her hand to her lap.

“Listened in on your conversation with your father?” The woman finished before nodding. “Yes. I was looking for you and when I found you, you were in mid conversation.” The woman then shook her head as she looked away and added, “A father shouldn’t discourage a child’s dream and talk about sacrifice, especially when they haven’t seen all the sacrifice their child has made already.”

Kenny’s brows furrowed as he heard what she said. He wasn’t sure why, but he both agreed with her and wanted to argue that she didn’t know all that his father had sacrifice for him. He didn’t though, because when he felt like he should defend his father he remembered what his father wanted him to do. This woman was right. He shouldn’t have talked about sacrifice like he hadn’t ever sacrificed anything in his life.

He was brought out of his thoughts as the woman continued, “Not like I can say anything bad about the mother. It’s not like she’s done anything better for you.”

Kenny was even more confused. Was she talking about Nora? Wanting to correct the misunderstanding, Kenny said, “Nora isn’t my mother. She’s Stephanie’s and Stephon’s.”

“Oh I wasn’t…,” she started to say, but stopped. She then shook her head and said changing what she was going to say. “That woman should have never been a mother at all if you ask me.”

Kenny wasn’t sure why, but he suddenly let out a long and loud laugh. The woman turned to look at him. Even though she wore a mask, she smiled, glad to hear him laughing. As his laughter started to die he said, “I couldn’t agree more with you. She has no responsibility and probably hasn’t sacrificed a thing in her life. Maybe if she did with the snacks she likes to hide in her bedroom then maybe she would lose a few pounds.”

The woman gently slapped his arm as she faux scolded, “It’s not nice to make fun of a woman’s body size. No matter how bad of a person they are.”

Kenny smiled. Even though the situation was still strange to him, he felt strangely…at ease around this woman. He wasn’t sure if she had some sort of ability that helped make people do that, but for the moment he didn’t care. What he did care about though was understanding why she was here.

He must have had a look on his face, because the woman swiftly said, “Are you calm enough to hear why I am here now? Wait…” The woman stopped what she was saying before she placed both hands on Kenny’s face and made him fully turn to look at her. He could see that she was inspecting something by the way her eyes were looking him over.

“You’re starting to bruise. Hold on a moment. I have just the thing,” the woman stated as she released her hold on him and then pulled something out. It was a small silver tin.

There was a picture on it with some words, but he wasn’t able to fully see it as the woman swiftly opened the tin, pulled off a glove to reveal a smooth hand with green and purple polished nails, scooped up a small amount of the cream with two fingers, and then ran the cream over his cheek.

Kenny felt a stinging sensation start to tingle over the spot the cream was spread which made him flinch away from the woman and glare at her. “What did you do? What did you put on me?”

The woman gave a sigh as she said in a motherly like tone. “Relax. It’s just a healing ointment to help heal the bruise that was starting to form on your face. Now quit being such a baby and let me get the rest of the bruises on you.”

Kenny stared at her for a long moment. He wasn’t sure what he should do or say or how to even react. Using a healing ointment on him for bruises was something he didn’t think anyone from the Tower should or would do. Especially for bruises.

He noticed the determined stare that spoke that if he wouldn’t obey she would forcefully put it on him whether he wanted her to or not. Embarrassed, Kenny obeyed and allowed her to place the cream on every bruise he knew he had forming. As she did this he found out there were more bruises than he originally thought he had. The stinging sensation grew intense the more areas she applied it to, but after a few seconds the feeling disappeared making him sigh in relief.

“Alright,” the woman started to say as she put the tin away and Kenny put his shirt back on. “Now that that’s been taken care of. Let’s discuss why I am here.”

Kenny nodded as he repositioned himself to properly face her. Whether she was here to hurt him or take him somewhere where people would get their revenge, he was ready. She gave him something he didn’t know he needed and for that he would go quietly and handle the responsibility he had been taught to have.

“Kenneth Stellan Galloway,” the woman started. Her voice sounded serious, but the way her cheeks were positioned as if she was smiling under the mask made Kenny think she was anything but. Although he was surprised this woman knew his full name, he did not say anything. “I am here because an invitation was sent out and a reply was never given. The Tower does not like being ignored so I am here to hear your response to it.”

Kenny’s smile slowly faded as he tried to understand what she meant. His mind replayed the words that she said, but for some reason it was not registering. After a couple of minutes of silence, he finally said, “I’m sorry…what did you say?”

The woman tilted her head slightly as she teased, “You know. I thought you were a smart child, but maybe I was setting the bar too high if you did not understand what I said.”

“No. I heard what you said…,” Kenny started to say slowly. “But I have never heard anything about the Tower not liking being ignored nor anything about someone not replying to an invitation before…” Something finally clicked in Kenny’s brain as he finished that sentence. His eyes widened as he realized what she had said earlier. “Wait! I received an invitation?! How…When? Are you sure you have the right person? I never got it.”

“Okay, okay. Calm down and I’ll answer your questions,” the woman stated. She waited for a moment until Kenny quieted down and then said, “First of all, yes. An invitation did get sent to you, but for some reason it didn’t reach you. We don’t know how or why, but we do know it was sent to you. The one who sent it never messes up and knows each and every person she sends it to. As for the other question…” A playful tone settled into her voice as she added, “You’ll just have to go to the Tower yourself to get that answer.”

Kenny stared at her with disbelief. He didn’t know what to say. He had thought he never got one. That maybe Nora was right that he wasn’t worthy enough to get one. But finding out now that he was sent one and just never got it…that changed everything. Kenny’s excitement started to fill him. The adventures he could have now, the power he could gain. The money he could make. His dreams were still alive!

He was brought out of his thoughts and back down to reality as the woman let out a cough and said, “However, I am obligated to inform you, for two reasons, on a couple of things that could change your mind on accepting.”

Kenny looked at her feeling a knot starting to form in his gut.

“First,” the woman started as she gave him an apologetic look with her eyes. “Your father was right on the fact that it isn’t all fun and games. Lives are on the line when you’re in the Tower. Danger lurks around every corner and it’s not only monsters, traps, or the invaders you need to worry about. Sometimes your fellow humans can or will turn against you.”

Kenny felt his body tense at the mention of his father. He remembered the talk he had just had with the man not too long ago and it quickly sobered him up. He didn’t say anything as he listened to the woman continue to speak. “I bring this up because its already almost been a couple of days since the batch of new initiates have entered the Trial Grounds.”

“Trial Grounds?” Kenny repeated. He remembered learning about that in school. The Trial Grounds were like the Tutorial of the Tower. It was a maze you have to work through and reach the end. You awaken an ability from one of the three Skill Trees you have the moment you arrive there and form a team that best suits around that ability.

You have seven days to complete the Trial Grounds and try to unlock the other two Skill Trees. During the Trial grounds you learn how to fight and use the abilities you awaken and then fight the Final Trial Boss at the end of the maze. However, if you don’t awaken the last two Skill Trees and/or fail to defeat the last boss then you are rejected from ever ascending the Tower.

Knowing that made understanding what the Trial Grounds was all about, but he wasn’t sure why she was…It suddenly clicked, and he understood why she brought it up. “There are no teams left to try and form with. Which means if I accept I will have to go at it alone until I can find a team I can join with…if they’ll accept me.”

The woman nodded her head. With a cheeky tone she said, “I knew you were a smart cookie. Yes. You would be entering alone and if you were lucky enough, you could find a team that is struggling or wanting to add a new member…if you are lucky. That and all the Trial Ground supplies have been mostly taken. You won’t have your pick at any of the good stuff, like the others. Only what is left. And if I remember correctly there might be a couple bags left…maybe…”

“Oh,” Kenny muttered as he took in the things she was saying as well as the ones she wasn’t. Two days have past already, and the Trial Grounds is seven. If he were to go now, not only would he have to use whatever leftovers weren’t taken, possibly something he couldn’t use at all, but he would only have five days to get through it and possibly all alone. In other words…he would be doing this on Hell Mode.

Would he be able to handle that? Would he be able to go at it alone, no one by his side, possibly with a bag full of stuff that didn’t suit him or his awakened ability? He could die if he went at this with a half-baked resolve and attitude. Pride and desperation would only get him so far…

Kenny’s brows furrowed. Pride and desperation? What Pride did he have that he would carry with him into the Tower? Pride of being his father’s son? Pride of being the bigger brother of his troublesome twin siblings? Desperation? Was he desperate to get out of here and away from the only family he knew? Desperate to go on adventures and not have to clean up after other people’s messes? Desperate to get away from the responsibility his father kept talking and pushing on him?

Sure, he had pride on being his father’s son, but not enough so say that he was strong enough to take on anything because he was his father’s son. He had to be honest when it came to his siblings. He wasn’t proud to be the bigger brother to them. As mean as it sounded in his head it was true.

Desperate? Not really. If anything he was tired. Tired of cleaning their messes. Tired of taking on the responsibility he was given when the twins were bored. He only did what he had done all these years because his father had asked him. However, now that his dream was calling him and he had the chance to take it. He was feeling…hesitant…and he didn’t know why.

The woman watched as Kenny’s facial expressions shifted from one to another several times. She could see he was seriously giving this some thought. That made her happy. She didn’t want him to jump at the opportunity just because it would get him away from this hell she felt he was living. She didn’t know the full extent of everything he went through over the years, but with the amount of time she had seen she wouldn’t have blamed him if he didn’t think it and just jumped at this chance to get away without any hesitation.

However, she didn’t want this young man to throw his life away just to get away. If he hadn’t stopped to think about it she would have rejected his acceptance even if it did go against what the Tower wanted. She didn’t want to see this boy die the moment he got there because he hadn’t thought about it properly.

She was about to say something as she realized how long she had the Stasis barrier going for, but stopped as she heard him mutter, “I won’t know unless I try.”

She stared at him for a long moment as she recognized that he had come to a conclusion. Wanting to give him one final test she asked, “I’m sorry. What did you say?”

Kenny looked at her. His face hardened with resolve as he repeated, “I won’t know unless I try.”

“Explain your reasoning,” the woman pressed.

“I know that I would be pressed for time on completing the Trial Grounds. The chances of me finding a team that would accept me would be astronomically low. And that the remaining bags left would be a gamble on whether or not they would be suitable for me and my awakened ability or skill, but…I won’t know unless I try.” Kenny stared at the woman.

She looked like she wanted him to continue so he did. “I can start off slow, get used to the weapon I end up getting as well as slowly test out my ability or skill out as I look to get my other Skill Trees unlocked. As I do this I could possibly, although the odds are stacked against me, find a team even if it’s only one person. If I could at least find one person who I can team up with then I could possibly get through this. All of the odds are stacked but…I won’t know unless I try.”

The woman had a challenging time trying not to smile. The earnest look on his face. The hope to take on this challenge and see it to the end even with the odds stacked against him…there wasn’t a single sign of desperation nor false bravado. No spouting that he could do it because of this reason or that. None of the signs of someone who could die the second he got there because he wasn’t thinking things through were shown in his eyes. He had the look of determination to take it this on and see it through till the end no matter what.

That look and answer alone gave her a sense of pride. Not that she needed to be proud of this young man, but she still felt it none the less. He had a good head on his shoulders and felt like she didn’t need to make him wait any longer. With a quick mental command, she sent him the one thing he had been waiting for, for so long. His Tower Ascension Invitation.

Kenny’s eyes suddenly widened as a screen suddenly popped up in front of his eyes. The suddenness of this thing appearing before him had almost made him fall backwards. Luckily, he didn’t. The woman chuckled a bit as she watched him. He blushed before turning his attention to the screen that hovered right in front of him.

[The Tower is calling. Will you heed its call and ascend to the top? Yes No?]

Kenny stared at, eyes full of excitement and hope. After a few seconds of staring he came to a sudden question as he turned his attention to the woman. “Um…How do I accept?”

The woman let out a loud giggle before replying, “Before I tell you how, I think it would be wise for you to put some shoes on. You don’t want to try to take on the Trial Grounds in your bare feet now do you?”

“Ah! Good idea!” Kenny stated as he scrambled to put his shoes on. As he started tying them he asked, “Is there anything I should grab and take with me? Anything I should take care of?”

The woman shook her head as she answered, “No. You’ll have most of your needs met once you get there. The only thing we really tell you to do before you leave is to give your regards to your family, but…”

Kenny froze. If he went to say his goodbyes to his family then problems would certainly arise. Especially with his father. Kenny thought about what his father would think or do after he found out he received the invitation and accepted. Would he be upset? He would definitely be pissed especially after that talk they had just minutes ago.

Kenny swiftly shook his head trying to stop himself from feeling any sort of negative thoughts about the decision he was going to make. For once, he could do what he wanted to do and the last thing he wanted was to think about how disappointed his father would be. He looked back at the woman and said, “No. I’m good. Let’s do this.”

The woman watched him for a long moment before she finally said, “Alright. Just don’t regret it later. All you need to do is think yes.”

Kenny stared at her. He wasn’t sure if she was pulling his leg or not, so he repeated while thinking the word, “You’re saying all I have to do is think yes and…”

[Tower Ascencion Invitation accepted. Thank you for making your choice. Please wait as your teleportation gets ready.]

“Huh? Wha?” Kenny questioned as he started to frantically look around. Even though he went along and thought yes, he didn’t actually think it would work.

[Teleporting in 5…]

Kenny felt the strange power from earlier disappear as a new power suddenly washed over him.

[4…]

Lines suddenly started drawing underneath him as they glowed brightly.

“Kenny. Remember to think things through when you get there,” The woman advised.

[3…]

Kenny looked at the woman who was now standing up and staring back at him. Even though she was wearing a mask he thought he could see the sides of her cheeks expanded telling him she was smiling. Her tone sounded bright and warm as she continued, “It’s going to be tough, but I know you will do well.”

[2…]

Kenny wasn’t sure why she was saying all of this. With the craziness of what was going on he almost missed what she was saying.

“Remember. When you met with her, be kind to her. She’s been waiting to see you.”

Those words confused him. Who did she mean? Who had been waiting to see him? Who did he need to be kind to?

[1…]

Before he could ask her what she meant, Kenny’s door suddenly burst open. Kenny quickly turned around to see his father staring at him. Fear etched on his face as the man stared right at his son.

[Teleporting now.]

The last thing Kenny remembered before his sight was blinded by the bright light caused by the lines that fully connected and activated underneath him was his father screaming out his name as he tried reaching out towards him. He wasn’t sure if his father heard him, but he remembered saying sorry back to him as he gave him an apologetic look.