Chapter One: The Tower

Narrator: Twenty Fifth Baam

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me towards Rachel, the freckled, blonde girl who was everything to me. I strained to catch up to her, and I reached out to grab her, pulling at the ribbon tied around her waist, resulting in both of us tripping and falling. As I was about to fall on top of her, I caught myself with my hands.

"Where...! Where are you going!" I cried out as I looked down at her.

She looked back up at me without changing her expression. Then she finally said, "I'm going to climb the tower." She paused, and then continued more quietly. "I told you Baam. If you climb this tower, you'll be able to go to the outside... You can see a blue sky during the day, and a starry sky during the night. Living in this dark world...I can't stand it anymore." She raised her hands up and touched my cheeks. "I'm sorry. Baam...I'm sorry. Please forget about me. So that I can be reborn." As she finished, I could suddenly hear a strange sound, it sounded almost like the ground was splitting apart. White tendrils of light appeared from the ground and wrapped themselves around Rachel. She looked to her left in surprise, then smiled at me.

"N...No...You can't Lahel!" I whimpered. "No! Don't go! PLEASE!" I screamed out. What looked like a massive door opened beneath us, and on it was drawn what appeared to be a massive structure, stretching into the skies and almost touching the sun itself. "No! Don't go! Rachel! IF YOU GO...! I'm going to follow you til I die!" It may have just been my imagination, but I think Rachel smiled at that.

"Don't go. Don't go Rachel. Don't go...please," I moaned.

I opened my eyes and saw I was in a room the likes of which I had never seen before. Hanging from the walls were lights and carved into the wall were strange and sometimes frightening images. Some kind of reptile. A man in armor holding up a sword. Where...is this? I thought to myself. The room appeared to be made of carved stone, but it was worn done and gone entirely at places. In one such place, floated what looked like two pearls. A massive, shining, purple cross appeared in the sky above the room.

"My my, it seems I have a guest. It's been awhile..." A quiet, chuckling voice said. I grabbed my knife and spun around towards the direction of that creepy voice.

"W...Who?!" I asked. It looked like a rabbit, but it walked on two legs. It had a gold and blue ornament on each foot, and a dark blue vest.

"Whoa, whoa. I won't hurt you," he tried to reassure me. "It's been such a long time since a person has opened and entered through the door." It spun a gold staff with a blue sphere on each end around in its hands. "I welcome you to the Tower, child." M...Monster?! Is this...Inside the Tower...? "My name is Headon. Guardian of the lowest Floor of the Tower. What is your name, child?" It asked me.

"N...Named after my birth, Twenty-Fifth Baam." I stuttered.

"My, that's a hard name to call. Good, I'll call you Baam for short. It has become a tasty name!" he joked.

Note: "Baam" can mean either "Night" or "Chestnut".

"Might I ask why it is that you have entered the Tower?

"Ah...! I...I followed a girl here! Did you by any chance see a blonde girl that passed by here!?" I asked desperately.

"Ah! A blonde gir..."

"You saw her?! Do you know where she went?" I said excitedly.

"May~be~, that is-"

"Please tell me! I must meet with her...!" I could feel the desperation creeping back into my voice.

He swung his staff upwards "The answer is always at the top. That is the only thing I can tell you. If you wish to have your answer, if you wish to find her, head to the top. Money. Glory. Absolute power. If you seek abilities and answers which are like magic, head to the top. All of the universe's wisdom, glory, and happiness; it has been placed at the top of this Tower. This Tower, is such a place." He walked over towards one of the damaged sections of the wall, and a massive, blue eye several feet long appeared from behind it. "However, climbing this tower is a long, dangerous, and difficult journey, child."

"If I can meet with her...I don't care what dangers there are."

"Good. That's a firm resolution. Then, to see whether or not you have what it takes to climb the Tower, shall we begin your Test?"

"A Test...what's that?"

"To determine whether or not you are worthy to go to the next Floor, each Floor holds a Test. If you pass the test, you can proceed to the next level. The test is determined by the Guardians of each Floor. Of course, the difficulty increases with each level. In Layman's Terms: If you, Baam, wish to go to the next floor, you must pass the test given by the Guardian of that level," he explained. "Then; watch, this is the Test of the lowest level." He tapped a wall with his staff, and it began shining. The wall disappeared, and in its place was a black iron gate, with blue light emanating from it. A glowing, blue slit glared out at me from in between the metal bars. As my eyes slowly adjusted to the light, I saw a large fish-like creature swimming beyond the gate. Its abdomen appeared to covered in a black plate, while the rest of its body was white with red smudges. Protruding from its head were two horns, the tips ominously colored red. "It's 'Ball'."

"B...Ball...What do you mean? And what is that gigantic...monster for...?!"

"Ball is a very simple type of test. 'Ball' is that object you see over there, about as large as a person," he pointed at a black shape past the monster. "If a strong external force is applied to the ball, it will pop. The goal of this test is very simple. You must go into the steel cage, then either avoid the monster or defeat it. And then, apply force to the ball, causing it to pop. Then, you will pass the test."

"By...by monster...you mean that gigantic thing?!" It was at least thirty feet long, and I looked worriedly at its saw-edged nose which was easily as long as I was tall.

"Correct! It is that monster. For your information, that monster's name is 'White Steel Eel' and it lives within the sacred waters of this Tower. Normally, it is very mild mannered but...it is breeding season right now and it hasn't eaten anything in over a month...it has become quite violent. Are you afraid? Of that monster...?" I didn't answer. "My, that's a problem, for you to be scared of a fish like that," he scolded. "It's unfortunate, but if you cannot pass this Test, you cannot go onto the next level. Then, you won't be able to find that girl you're looking for...perhaps you'll never meet her again." I...I can't see her? Just the thought made my chest feel tight and hurt. "A girl, all alone in this Tower...it sure does worry me...perhaps she has already become fish food...or kidnapped by some bad people...but child, think logically." For it to end like...this... "For you to pop that ball is nearly impossible. For you to attempt this now is just suicide." No. I want to see her - "That monster is very fast and nimble within these waters. You will never be able to get away with your legs." this instant! "You will in the end become fish food for the monster if you go. So rather than trying the impossible and committing suicide, would it not be logical for you to just forget about her and live...?!" I ignored and ran forward, towards the cage. As I ran past him, I thought I could hear him laughing sadistically to himself. Maybe he was just manipulating me, but I didn't care, as long as I got to see Rachel again. "I sincerely welcome you to the Tower, child," he whispered.