5 Chapter 5 — An Organized World
Chapter 5 — An Organized World
I freeze for a few moments and Cyrus stops and turns towards me. He's the second person to tell me this and I don't think it's a detail.
—Look, I know it's hard to understand, but if you did it, it's for you. It's the same for her. The couples very rarely manage to enter the tower together…
—I do not understand what you mean.
—The second test you passed proves it. You did not stop and you continued on your way, but this image that you saw was not trivial. It represents the future that you hope to have with her deep inside. This future is the most sensitive and strongest part that you feel for her. You would never have been able to pass this test if for a single moment you had wanted this future. You said to yourself that it was for her that you passed this room, but it is not true. You did it for yourself, as you signed this contract for yourself and not for her.
Thoughts get mixed up in my head. Did I really do this? Did I get through the second test for this reason? I should know that, right? So why can't I convince myself? It was her idea to come to the tower, not mine. She made me promise to come and wait for her on the other side if I did. It was for her, right? I probably wouldn't have passed if I hadn't promised her. So why do I doubt it? I'm starting to get nervous and have trouble breathing. I feel like something is collapsing inside me. Is this how my world is falling apart? Because of a stranger at the foot of a magic tower? Why would he question my life and the choices I have made so far? Does he want to destroy my relationship? Why is he telling me that exactly…?
—Where … where is she? I want to know now.
—She couldn't get through. She missed a test.
—W-What? But …? No, it's impossible… She was the one who was supposed to have the best chance of getting into the tower so, how is that possible!?
I'm not sure how to react, how to take it and accept it. I was so sure she would be able to get into the tower. It was her who initiated the idea to try, not me. I wanted to follow her and be with her, but now I'm alone and in summary he tells me that I probably didn't love her enough to end up here. My life was with her, us two against the world. It's been like this since we've been together. We have faced so much without ever complaining and staying together no matter what. Did I doubt it during the exam? That's why? Why am I alone now and lost the person who matters most to me? She was my world … the reason why I did shit-jobs for several years because when I got home I was sure to see her again and my fatigue would disappear immediately. And she was refused at the entrance door of the tower.
Cyrus looks at me with a sorry expression and I realize that this stranger I have known for less than five minutes is the person closest to me now that I have "left" earth and I don't know anyone else anymore. No more family even if I was not close to them. No more friends, even though I didn't have many. I even lost Micha … because I didn't love her enough?
The reality strikes me that a turning back is no longer possible because no one has ever returned from the tower. I'm stuck here. I lost everything. The only person I wanted to have with me … the only thing I wanted…
—I'm going to need some time for myself, a little. To put things straight. It's possible?
—Of course, that's why I'm taking you directly to your quarters.
The rest of the way wasn't silent. Cyrus gave me some information that I found unnecessary. Information on buildings, his work, and things I need to get to know quickly. He takes me to a sort of dormitory that he manages. It's part of his role as a guide, the other people he takes care of live under the same roof in his mansion. He leads me to a building that looks like a mansion of more than five floors and enters it. The building seems recent even if poorly maintained.
Inside is a counter behind which Cyrus goes to look for a key he gives me. Everything is rather rustic with wooden beams and another material that looks like plaster. The place is not very luxurious compared to the outside.
From what he tells me, about ten people are inside and the other occupants are on the world-floors of the tower. Anyway, I haven't seen anyone since I entered.
He opens a wooden door to the third floor, behind which is a single bed, a bathroom and a wardrobe. Cyrus gives me a book for new arrivals and tells me what time meals are served. Even though I went to bed barely an hour ago in my apartment, it looks like it's early afternoon here. Honestly, I am very tired and a heavy head from what I just went through. I abandon Cyrus in the hallway stammering a "goodbye", I close the door and collapse on the bed thinking about everything that just happened. But the person who stays in the head is my girlfriend. Sentenced to a life without her. Climbing the tower but why ?
I just moved into some kind of other world and the first thing I do instead of marveling is having depression. I guess I can ironically congratulate myself on that. On the other hand, I have just learned that I will not see the person with whom I have just shared the last four years of my life and that now as soon as I entered the tower, I am alone.
Cyrus's words about my second test disturb me. Deep down, I know very well how I feel about Micha and not him, but what he said to me makes me feel like I have betrayed her.
I'm going to sleep for now if I can ever get to sleep, I'll see what lies ahead. This lonely life that begins.
*
I wake up early the next day around 4 or 5a.m. probably. Honestly, even though the night is supposed to bring advice, I'm no further ahead. It's still dark outside, but I don't want to sleep anymore. My bedroom window overlooks a lower jetty overlooking the ocean water and beyond are the torchlights that illuminates buildings. Further on, two towers stand out in the dark. Even if no light emanates from them, the outline is recognizable because of the starry sky which disappears behind. It's been a long time since I've seen so many stars. Since I was a city dweller, I could only see them very rarely. I continue to observe the landscape for a few more minutes, breathing in the sea air. I know she doesn't see the same night sky, but I would love it if she could.
After more than an hour of observing the sky, I hear someone knocking on my bedroom door. I get up to go to open the door and Cyrus is on the other side with a pile of clothes in his hands which he holds out to me.
—Since you don't have a change of clothes, I wanted to bring you something. Have you started reading the book I gave you?
—No, I just slept.
—It does not matter. If you want, we can go downstairs and have a meal while we chat. I think the best thing, if you want to think of something else, is to be busy.
Yeah… I guess I have to do that now. As we descend the stairs, we pass a woman a little older than me and red-haired, clad in knightly armor who stops and greets Cyrus quickly.
— Emy ! You come home late again, take care of your health.
—Yes, Yes. You were supposed to come with me tonight, remember ? Oh, is that a new one? Don't worry, Cyrus is a bit scary at first with his motherly side, but he's a good guide, trust him. See you next time.
With that, she continues to climb the stairs, probably towards her bedroom. Cyrus quickly resumed the descent, explaining that she had been there six months and that it would probably not be long before she went to the first world of the tower, but that she had a bad habit of coming home late from the bars.
Downstairs, he asks me to sit at one of the empty tables in the dining room. He leaves me a few moments before bringing me back something to eat and drink on a tray.
"Okay, I hope you got a good rest last night. I'm going to have to go over the things I didn't tell you yesterday. Compared to where you are, this is an area where you can learn, but also rest when coming back from one floor of the tower. Right now, the part that concerns you most is learning. The worlds of the tower require a little more preparation than your previous life allowed you to have. This is why the secondary towers exist and each represents a well-defined type of class. They are divided into 'Warrior,' 'Magician,' 'Priest,' 'Bard,' 'Thief,' 'Pirate' 'Druid' and 'Ranger'. Each class has a tower at their disposal and represents a district of the city. Each secondary tower has in addition to this nominative class two other main classes. However, it doesn't end there. The classes are themselves divided into different classes. Take the 'Warrior' tower for example, there are the classes of paladin, barbarian, swashbuckler… For the 'Magician' tower, there is a class for practically every type of magic as well as classes like sorcerer, necromancer, sage… You will have understood, there is quite a lot of choice. In addition, new classes appear regularly and towers divide between them classes according to their characteristics. For example, the 'Priest' class uses healing miracles and Light Wizard can uses healing spells, but the way each class work is different. A priest can cast miracles while a light magician casts spells. On the other hand, even if miracles are very powerful, they are less malleable and less easy to use than the spells of a light magician who does not have to call on a deity to cast one. The distinction is sometimes difficult to make, but you get the hang of it over time. "
Cyrus pauses for a few moments to make sure I don't have a question. Impossible not to have one, but I keep in mind that all this sounds a lot like an mmorpg and everything he tells me is familiar to me in a way.
"The districts of the city are defined by the towers, near each of them you will find a main building that corresponds to the class. The warriors 'tower has an arena, the magicians' tower a library, the priests a cathedral, the bards have theaters on the outskirts of the thieves tower territory who also have a nightlife and shopping areas where Emy was last night. The rangers have a forest and the Druids have gardens. Finally, pirates have a port. That's it for the main buildings. Which brings us back to you. You have to choose a class. "
