The golden door groaned open, revealing a long stairway winding downward instead of up. It glowed faintly with violet torches embedded in the walls, casting tall, flickering shadows on the steps.
Rina peered into the gloom and whistled. "Well, that's new. First time the Tower's taken us down."
Kael didn't speak. His eyes were fixed on the opening like it was watching him back.
Daren motioned to the group. "Formation. Lira, front. Kael, back. We stay close, no hero moves."
Lira grunted and stepped forward, axe slung across her back. The rest followed quickly, boots echoing against the cold stone. Kael took up the rear, his senses sharp, fingers brushing the pouch tied to his belt — six shards now. One still unread, still pulsing with dormant power.
They descended for what felt like an hour. The further they went, the heavier the air became, like pressure squeezing in from every side. At the bottom, the stairway spilled into a vast chamber with tiered platforms — like a coliseum sunk deep into the earth.
But it wasn't empty.
Figures moved in the distance.
Dozens.
Not monsters.
People.
Daren stopped short. "No way…"
Kael stepped beside him.
The chamber was filled with other climbers. Teams huddled together, weapons drawn. Some wore uniforms. Others had matching insignias on their cloaks or armor. Several held shards — glowing, activated, ready.
"What is this place?" Kael asked.
Veyr's eyes widened slightly as he scanned the carvings on the nearest pillar. "This is a shard-hunting ground. A competitive zone. The Tower drops multiple groups in, and only a limited number of shards will appear. The rest… must either give up or be taken out."
Rina grinned. "So it's a battle royale?"
"Pretty much," Veyr muttered.
A thunderous chime echoed across the chamber.
Suddenly, glowing runes lit up the platforms. A massive circular portal appeared in the air, and from it fell six large glowing stones — shards, burning with raw power.
The hunters moved.
Kael saw teams rushing toward the shards, some with speed-boost shards, others leaping great distances or throwing spells from their palms. The competition was brutal — people weren't dying, not yet, but they weren't holding back either.
Lira cracked her neck. "Guess we're in this."
Daren nodded. "We aim for the high platform, right side. Everyone stick to their roles. Kael, you watch the back."
"Understood," Kael said.
The team surged forward, weaving through broken pillars and rising steps. Kael stayed behind, eyes sweeping constantly. A shadow shifted — a team of three from another group charged toward them, clearly aiming to intercept.
Kael stepped forward before they could flank.
The leader of the enemy trio wore a steel mask and carried a blade made of bone. He didn't waste words. He lunged straight for Kael, slashing with unnatural speed.
Kael parried with his shard-infused dagger and spun low, slicing at the attacker's legs. One blow landed, staggering the man back. The other two rushed from the sides.
Kael activated his Shard of Flame, sending a wave of heat outward, not to burn, but to blind — the flicker of heat disrupting their vision just enough.
He slipped past them and slammed a shard into the ground. Shard of Earth Pulse. A shockwave knocked all three off their feet.
Kael didn't stay to finish them. He regrouped with the others at the base of the high platform.
"We're taking fire!" Rina yelled, dodging a bolt of green energy. "They've got a caster on the top!"
"I'll handle him," said Mier quietly, stepping into the shadows.
In an instant, he was gone.
Moments later, the green bolts stopped.
Rina gave a low whistle. "Man's spooky."
They climbed the final stretch of steps, reaching the top just as a large red shard hovered into view, rotating slowly in midair.
Daren grabbed it and held it high. The runes beneath their feet flared — they had claimed one of the Tower's six shards.
But it wasn't over.
A new team — five cloaked figures with red eyes glowing faintly — emerged from the mist at the edge of the platform.
"Those aren't climbers," Veyr muttered, suddenly pale.
"What?" Rina asked, raising her daggers.
"They're Tower-spawned. Watch out."
The cloaked figures moved like liquid — fast, elegant, inhuman. Kael and Lira stood shoulder-to-shoulder as one of them lunged. Kael blocked high, Lira struck low. The creature vanished into smoke, only to reappear behind them.
Kael felt its claws rake across his back, shredding his cloak.
But he didn't fall.
He turned, shard already burning in his hand — not flame this time, but something new.
The Shard of Gravity Shift.
He slammed it into the ground. Instantly, the creature's movement slowed, as if being dragged through thick mud. Kael stepped forward and drove his dagger into its chest. It howled, then burst into fragments.
Two more rushed Lira. She let out a roar and met them head-on.
Veyr spoke quickly, tracing symbols in the air. Arcane chains erupted from the stone and latched onto the third attacker, binding it mid-leap.
When the last of the Tower-spawned fell, the runes on the platform turned gold.
The shard was theirs — claimed, defended.
Kael dropped to one knee, breathing hard. His back burned from the shallow wound. Blood dripped down his side. But they had survived.
"You okay?" Daren asked.
Kael nodded slowly. "For now."
From across the arena, other teams were already retreating, either wounded or empty-handed.
Kael looked around at his team.
Lira's axe was chipped. Rina had a slash across her shoulder. Mier was already tending to his burns quietly. Veyr had blood on his robes. Daren wiped his sword clean with slow, steady movements.
They had bled for this shard.
Kael stood.
He didn't say anything.
But deep down, something shifted.
This wasn't just climbing anymore.
This was war.
And now, he wasn't the only one in it.
He looked to the horizon, where the next staircase rose in the far corner of the arena.
One shard claimed.
Five more remained.
And only one team could keep climbing.