When all the ice in the world started melting, King Tyris ordered that a tower be built in the highest mountain in his kingdom. The people, especially the slaves, were subjected to almost a nonstop labor and were forced to endure the harsh heat and heavy rains. After years of torture, the tower was completed and was named the Tower of Andromeda as a tribute to the Greek Princess rescued by Perseus. Eventually, the sea level rose. The tower was safe, of course, and many people came to live in it. It became the home of people from different nations - with different cultures and beliefs. Conflicts rose all the time, and the King had no choice but to make new rules. That was how the classification of status came to be.
The tower had fifty levels, and had a diameter as big as an entire city. The first ten levels became the homes of the poor and the slaves. They could only climb to the higher levels for business purposes and could only stay for a few hours. Illegal activities occurred on these floors, like gambling and prostitution. Black markets were also common on these floors. The next ten levels were occupied by the merchants and other small time businessmen. They were the ones who provided employment for all the people on the floors below. Consumer products were produced in factories on these floors. Of course, the slaves did all the dirty work for these businessmen. Anyone who wanted cheaper goods came down to these floors to buy directly from the factory. The next ten levels were inhabited by the middle-class and upper-class families. They had schools and libraries. Only people from these floors and above were allowed education. Just like a normal city, they had gyms, restaurants, shopping malls, salons, parks, and all other places for leisure. The next ten floors were for the inventors. They were in charge of modernization. Most people from the floors below loved going to these levels. You could see and buy all kinds of inventions on these floors. The forty-first to forty-ninth levels were especially for the leaders. Each floor was commanded by officials who made sure that common laws were followed and that nobody dares try to bypass the system and move to higher levels. Magical items were also sold on magic shops in these floors, from enchanted cloaks to arrows that never miss their targets. The common people usually went to these floors for amazement since only the rich could afford them. Finally, the fiftieth floor: Phantasia. They said it was a place of wonders. The highest floor in the tower was a paradise. Only the best had the chance to live in it. Only the best scholars and inventors were allowed in paradise. Those people who had so much wealth could buy their way to Phantasia as well. And of course, it was the home of the esteemed alchemists and magicians. They were revered as gods.
Me? I never dreamt of going to the top. I was born in poverty. My only goal was to at least rise to the middle class. My younger brother was sickly and my parents were too old for extreme physical work. I hated those alchemists and magicians who thought they owned the world. I never wanted to see one. But the magic butterfly kept flying upward. The old lady said that the butterfly would lead me to my destiny. It seemed like she was lying. There was no way my destiny was higher than where I was already at. But the butterfly kept going and my best friend kept insisting that we follow it. We entered Phantasia and followed it go deeper in the city. My best friend dragged me along. We watched as the butterfly landed on the shoulder of a man. He noticed the butterfly. When he touched it, the butterfly dissolved into thin air. Confused, he looked around, and our eyes met.