We left the faction hall and returned to the castle's long corridor. Stone arches stretched out one after another, and tall windows let in soft light that glinted off the polished stone floor.
The guard stopped by the staircase.
"You're on your own from here. If you want to talk to the faction representatives, most of them have their headquarters in the central district."
He nodded at us and went down the stairs.
Scarlett and I stood in silence for a few seconds.
She was the first to break the silence.
"Well?"
I looked at her.
"What do you mean, 'well'?"
"Are we going to visit them all?"
I glanced back at the hall we had just left.
"Honestly?"
"Hm?" Scarlett asked, looking at me questioningly.
"I don't think there's any point in that."
Scarlett smiled.
"Well, I think so too."
We walked slowly down the hallway.
"We already have a goal," I continued. "To find a way back home."
"Yeah."
"And who's working on that?"
She didn't even have to think about it.
"The Spire's researchers. Probably."
I nodded.
"Exactly."
We reached the stairs and began to descend.
"They go beyond the walls," Scarlett said. "They explore the ruins, the territories, the old mechanisms."
"And that's exactly where we have the best chance of finding something related to the passages between worlds."
She looked at me.
"Or at least a clue."
Scarlett smiled.
"So, is it decided?"
I shrugged.
"Almost."
"Almost?"
I pushed open the heavy door leading to the castle's inner courtyard.
A warm breeze immediately hit my face.
"It's still interesting to see the other factions."
She laughed softly.
"Curiosity?"
"A little."
"Or you just want to make sure we're not doing something stupid."
"Maybe."
We descended the wide steps into the courtyard. People were moving about-officials, guards, messengers. The castle was bustling with activity.
Scarlett looked around.
"Where should we go first?"
I thought for a moment.
"I want to see the Circle of the Awakened."
She raised an eyebrow.
"Seriously?"
"If anyone in this city understands how our powers work, it's them."
"That makes sense."
"What about you?"
She thought for a moment.
"I'm curious to see the Artisans."
"Why?"
"Because the weapons and armor in this world are clearly not ordinary."
She looked at me with a slight smile.
"And if we're going to be wandering around the Spire, it's better to figure out in advance what kind of weapons we can get here."
I chuckled.
"Isn't the armor of your Essence enough for you?"
"In any case, it's just curiosity."
We walked out of the castle gates and found ourselves back on the main street.
The city was buzzing.
Somewhere, metal clanged.
Somewhere, merchants were shouting.
Somewhere, people were arguing.
Scarlett took a deep breath.
"All right, then."
She held up one finger.
"First, the Circle of the Awakened."
She held up a second finger.
"Then the Artisans."
"Third."
"And after that, we'll go to the Spire Explorers."
I looked at her.
"And we'll join them?"
She smiled.
"And we'll join them."
I looked back at the city.
At the vast streets stretching into the distance.
"Then let's go."
Scarlett slapped me on the shoulder.
"Let's go find some adventure, Ashen Wanderer."
"You'd better call me by my name."
We joined the stream of people heading down from the main street toward the livelier neighborhoods. The stone pavements here were wider than in the commercial district, but there were still plenty of people. The Awakened were everywhere-you could tell almost immediately by their appearance.
Some wore strange armor made of black metal.
Others wore long cloaks embroidered with symbols.
Occasionally, there were those whose bodies looked… not quite human.
A man walked past us with hands covered in gray scales.
Scarlett muttered quietly:
"I'll never get used to this."
"To what?"
She nodded toward the passerby.
"To the fact that this is considered normal here."
I shrugged.
"After everything we've seen over the past six months?"
"It's still the same."
She paused for a second, her gaze fixed on another group of Awakened. One of them was walking barefoot, and behind his back, translucent wings of light shimmered faintly.
"It's not just about survival here anymore," she said. "It's a whole world."
We turned onto a wide street leading to the northern part of the central district.
A few minutes later, a tall, round tower made of light-colored stone came into view. It looked different from the rest of the city's architecture. The stone was smooth, almost glass-like, and was marked with thin lines resembling ancient symbols.
Several people were standing in front of the entrance.
Some were talking, others were meditating right on the stone steps.
Scarlett looked at the tower.
"This looks like the place."
I nodded.
Above the entrance to the archway, a symbol was carved-a circle with several intersecting lines inside it.
The Circle of the Awakened.
We climbed the steps.
Inside the tower, it was quiet. Not deathly quiet, but rather… focused.
The large circular hall was filled with people.
Some were training, creating small flashes of magic in their palms.
Some sat off to the side, writing something in books.
Some were just talking.
But most of all, there was a strange feeling here… a sense of pressure.
I felt it almost immediately.
As if there was too much energy in the air.
Scarlett noticed it too.
"Can you feel it?"
"Yes."
"So many Awakened in one place."
We walked a little further.
And almost immediately, a man approached us.
A tall, thin man in his forties with silver hair. His eyes were unusually calm.
He looked closely at me first, then at Scarlett.
"Newcomers?"
I nodded.
"You passed the calibration today."
He smiled slightly.
"Then welcome to the Circle."
Scarlett raised an eyebrow.
"Is that an invitation to join?"
"No."
He shook his head gently.
"We don't recruit people."
"Then what do you do?"
"We help them not to destroy themselves."
He looked at me a little more closely.
"Many newcomers don't understand that their essence isn't just a power."
"What is it, then?"
"It's a part of the soul."
He pointed to the center of the hall.
There was a circular area where several Awakened ones were training.
One of them suddenly transformed his hand into a huge beast's paw and struck a stone mannequin. The stone cracked.
Another raised his hand-and thin threads of light flared around him.
"If a person doesn't understand their Bond…" -the man continued-his Essence may consume him.
Scarlett said quietly:
"That sounds reassuring…"
He smiled.
"Don't worry. It rarely happens."
"That's very reassuring."
I asked another question.
"What do you do here?"
"We study the Awakening."
He made a gesture with his hand, and a small glowing diagram appeared in the air before him.
"We're trying to understand how essences work. Why they appear. Why people have such different abilities. And how to develop them."
He looked at me.
"Sometimes it helps people develop their powers faster."
Scarlett folded her arms.
"You mean training?"
"And research," the man added.
I thought about it.
This place could clearly be useful.
But…
Unfortunately, it doesn't align with our goal.
Scarlett seemed to be thinking the same thing.
She leaned toward me and whispered:
"Shall we move on?"
I nodded.
The man seemed to have figured it all out from our expressions.
"You're heading to the Spire Researchers."
It didn't sound like a question.
Scarlett smirked.
"Is it that obvious?"
"Yes, you don't look interested."
I smiled.
"That sounds about right."
The man smiled.
"If you change your minds, the Circle is always open."
We thanked him and went back out onto the street.
Scarlett looked down the street.
"Next stop?"
I pointed toward the block where the clanging of metal was coming from.
"The Artisans' Guild."
Scarlett smiled even wider.
"That sounds interesting, too."
The further we walked down the street, the louder the metallic rumble became.
At first, the sounds were sporadic-a single hammer blow, then another. But soon they merged into a continuous rhythm, as if somewhere ahead a huge heart of steel and fire were beating.
We turned the corner-and the street changed abruptly.
Here the air was warmer, almost hot. Workshops stretched along the road. Huge gates stood wide open, and inside we could see forges, furnaces, tables with tools, and mountains of metal.
Everything around us was in motion.
Someone was pulling carts loaded with ore.
Someone was carrying bundles of planks.
Someone was haggling over the price of blades.
In one of the workshops, a man in a thick leather apron held a red-hot strip of metal with tongs, while his assistant struck it forcefully with a hammer.
BANG.
Sparks flew into the air.
Scarlett stopped to watch.
"Do you like it?" I asked.
"No, it's just interesting."
We walked on.
A metal sign hung above one of the large arches: a crossed hammer and cogwheel.
The Artisans' Guild.
Inside, it was even noisier.
The hall turned out to be enormous-almost like a marketplace, except that instead of stalls, there were workstations.
Blacksmiths.
Leatherworkers.
Glassblowers.
Alchemists.
Everyone was busy with their own work.
Some of the Awakened were working here too. Their powers clearly aided the craft.
One man held his palm over a piece of metal, and it slowly melted without any furnace.
Another ran his hand over a wooden shield-and the cracks in it closed up.
We approached a long table where weapons lay.
Blades.
Spears.
Daggers.
Some looked completely ordinary.
Others did not.
I noticed a sword with thin grooves running along the blade, glowing with a dim blue light.
"Pretty, isn't it?" a voice said.
I turned around.
Behind us stood a woman in her fifties. Sturdy, broad-shouldered, with short gray hair and hands covered in burn scars.
She looked at me with a slight smile.
"First time in the blacksmiths' quarter?"
Scarlett answered before I could.
"Can you tell?"
"Very much so," she said with a smile.
The woman picked up one of the blades from the table and held it out to me.
"Here."
I carefully picked up the sword.
It turned out to be surprisingly light.
"A special alloy," she said. "Metal from Spire ore."
I raised an eyebrow.
"Do you mine it yourselves?"
"Sometimes, yes."
She nodded toward the street.
"But more often we buy it from the explorers."
Scarlett looked at her more closely.
"So you work with the Explorers' Guild."
"Of course."
The woman narrowed her eyes.
"And you, it seems, are thinking of joining."
We exchanged glances.
"Is it that obvious?" I asked.
She laughed.
"Newcomers always take one of two paths."
She held up two fingers.
"Either the Guard."
"Or the Researchers."
"Why?"
"Because that's where you can make money the fastest…" she paused for a second, "or die."
Scarlett set the blade back on the table.
"We're still alive, at least."
"That's only temporary," the woman said calmly.
I smiled.
"How optimistic."
She looked at me a little more closely.
"If you're planning to roam around the Spire, you'll need a good weapon."
"We haven't even joined yet."
"You'll need one anyway."
She nodded toward the weapon.
"When you earn your first tokens-come see me."
I nodded.
"Definitely."
We went back out onto the street.
Scarlett was silent for a few seconds.
Then she said:
"Well?"
"What?"
"Now do you understand why I wanted to come in here?"
I nodded.
"Yes."
She smiled.
"Good."
I looked down the street.
In the distance, a few blocks away, a large stone building with high gates came into view. A banner fluttered above them.
It depicted a white spire reaching into the clouds.
Scarlett followed my gaze.
"Is that them?"
"Looks like it."
She took a deep breath.
"Well then, Oscar."
Her voice grew a little more serious.
"Shall we go in?"
I smiled.
"Yes."
The Spire Explorers' Guild building turned out to be larger than it had appeared from a distance.
The tall gates stood wide open. People were constantly coming and going through them-some carrying crates of loot, others returning from outside, covered in dust, blood, and strange stains whose origin I didn't even want to guess.
Inside, it smelled of iron, leather, and… damp earth.
The guild's great hall resembled a cross between a headquarters and a marketplace.
A huge map of the Spire hung on one wall-covered in notes, lines, and symbols. Some areas were meticulously drawn in, while others remained almost blank. Well, to be more precise, it was more like a map of the green expanses of Eliar.
Beneath the map stood a bulletin board.
People crowded around it, reading the announcements and arguing.
Scarlett said quietly:
"Looks interesting."
I smirked.
"More like a line for your own death."
She looked at me, raising an eyebrow.
"And where's all your vaunted optimism?"
I just laughed.
"It's still with me, just a joke, but you never know which assignment will be your last."
We walked closer to the registration desk. There was no one behind it, but next to it stood a tall stand with books and some kind of tokens.
"Welcome, newcomers."
A voice came from the side.
We turned around.
A girl of about twenty-five approached us.
She was quite tall, with dark red hair tied back in a loose ponytail. A few strands still escaped and fell across her face. She wore a light leather cloak over a simple gray guild uniform.
Her eyes were dark green, attentive, and slightly mocking.
"My name is Lilia West," she said. "I'm the mentor for new recruits."
She looked us over carefully.
"You just went through the calibration, right?"
"Yes," I replied.
"Then it's all clear."
She picked up two small metal tokens from the table and handed them to us.
"Welcome to the Spire Explorers' Guild."
Scarlett took a token and twirled it between her fingers.
"So what now?"
Lilia pointed to a large bulletin board with assignments.
"Now you can take any quests for your class."
"Class?" I asked.
"Explorers have ranks. Newcomers start at the lowest."
She shrugged.
"It's normal. If we didn't set limits, the death rate would be unreasonably high."
Lilia walked over to the board and tapped her finger on the bottom row of notices.
"These tasks are for you."
I scanned the notices.
Reconnaissance of nearby territories.
Destruction of a nest of small predators.
Escorting a caravan of gatherers.
Scarlett snorted.
"Doesn't sound very exciting…"
"That's true," Lilia replied calmly.
She continued:
"As you grow stronger and develop your mana core, the guild raises your rank."
"And then the tasks get harder?" Scarlett asked.
"Yes." "And they pay better," Lilia replied calmly.
She folded her arms.
"But there's another option."
"What is it?" I asked.
"Independent raids."
She pointed somewhere beyond the walls.
"You can go outside the Citadel without a guild quest."
"And then what?"
"No reward."
Scarlett narrowed her eyes.
"Then why?"
Lilia smiled.
"Because it's the fastest way to get stronger."
She paused.
"And the fastest way to die."
I nodded.
"That… makes sense."
Lilia looked at us a little more closely.
"One more piece of advice."
We looked at her questioningly.
"Put together a squad."
She nodded toward the group of explorers standing by the map.
"Most people work in teams."
"Is that mandatory?"
"No, but keep in mind that Spire doesn't forgive loners." "Working as a team simply gives you a better chance of survival."
She leaned forward slightly.
"But you have to choose very carefully."
Scarlett raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
"Because of the synergy of essences."
She tapped her temple with her finger.
"If the abilities of the people in the squad complement each other, they become exponentially more effective."
"And if they don't?"
"Then the squad won't last long."
We were silent for a few seconds.
Then Scarlett asked another question.
"What if our goal… is a little different?"
Lilia narrowed her eyes.
"In what way?"
Scarlett said calmly:
"What if we want to find a way out of the Spire?"
For a second, the room seemed to grow quieter.
Lilia looked at us for a few seconds.
Then she exhaled slowly.
"Listen."
Her voice grew more serious.
"Don't even think about it."
It didn't sound like a threat.
More like weary advice.
Scarlett folded her arms.
"Why?"
Lilia glanced at the map.
"Because everyone who tried to do that…"-she paused for a second-"never came back."
I frowned.
"No one?"
"No one."
She looked back at us.
"Some tried to find a way out deep inside the Spire."
"Some-in the ancient ruins."
"Some-underground."
Her eyes grew a little colder.
"But they all vanished."
Scarlett said quietly:
"Maybe they just found a way out?"
Lilia shook her head.
"Wouldn't you know if someone had found it?"
She looked at us very intently.
"So, here's my advice."
She pointed to the task board.
"If you want to live, focus on surviving in the Spire."
Her voice softened.
"Because most people here die long before they seriously start wondering how to get back to the surface."
We were silent for a few seconds.
Then Scarlett smiled.
"Well."
She looked at me.
"People here are pretty pessimistic…"
Lilia sighed quietly.
"Why do I get the feeling you're going to try anyway?"
I shrugged.
"Because you're right."
She shook her head.
"Fine."
Then she pointed to the mission board.
"Then start by not dying on the first mission."
She smiled.
"Trust me, that alone will be quite an achievement."