I understand what it means to be fooled.

"My, what a humble girl, aren't you?"

An intoxicant—praising—one that enters her right ear and escapes through her left ear. But, for some reason, there was an obvious interest in what the interlocutor might say next. She was invested, baited, and toyed with for being indefinitely naive. A simple prey to prey on, a simple target to manipulate.

"Such a humble girl for this pitiful world."

Gently, they grab a hold of her hand, a warmth that seeped through from the fabric in their attire. The girl crooked her head to the side, anticipating what she said, eating through those praises. A word that held no meaning, something that could only be said to gain her favor.

She was a kid, yet everyone took advantage of her.

I understand what it means to be a castaway.

"That's her…"

A careful whisper pierced through the air. Many people stood at a respectable distance throughout the nearby area, not daring to approach the girl who sat alone in the midst. Many adults gathered, sending mournful glances in her direction—albeit in some instances, it was laced with scorn.

"What a weak and pathetic girl."

Could she be at the pinnacle of her glory if she were one? Was she going to be the most dreaded member of this family? As usual, these folks had no etiquette, speaking so loudly in her presence as if she didn't have the ability to hear. They regarded her as though she were a deaf pariah.

She was present, yet she was tossed aside.

I understand what it means to be criticized.

"What's the deal with that lethargic form?"

The small girl stood still with her hands resting on top of the handle, her brows furrowed. She generally looked over her shoulders, her gaze fixed on the form of a middle-aged guy. She recognizes him as the one who is meant to be trodden beneath her feet, thrashing around like a caterpillar.

"If you desire to preserve this household, remain upright."

It was sufficient to put a smile on her face. Her victimized smiling face was accompanied by brilliant lagoon eyes, which peered right into his boring ones. She was far brighter and fresher, unlike him, who possessed weathered features. It was ironic, one could say, how he dared to criticize someone far more important than his own life.

She looked younger, yet her lifestyle had been monotonous.

I understand what it means to be alone.

"That's one to go…"

Something heavy was dropped down by the tiles, creating a thud sound that resonated within the room. She stood there and stretched her joints, aware that the box might have weighed a couple of tons. She isn't exactly aware of what she's doing. All that she is conscious of is the mere fact she must sort out a few things all by herself.

"Akh—! Hey! Wait up for me, Chryss!"

The sound of children running across the yard caught her attention. She looked up ahead at the after image of the children of this house, running across the yard with a carefree grin. Her gaze never leaves their figure, of how content they appear to be in each other's company and presence.

She is recognized, yet she stays apart.

But, I don't understand what it means to love someone.

"How heartless!"

Carnage has descended upon that desolate place, with chains prowling in the halls. In the middle of the turmoil, she stood there staring blankly toward one of her nieces. One was wrapped in its mother's loving embrace, the same vibrant colors of the lagoon blazing in her way.

"My child did nothing wrong! And you land a powerful shot on their defenseless body."

She could hear the tremor in her voice, see the shaking of her hands, and see her blazing gaze soften when she saw her child's condition. They're just messing around, aren't they? It was natural for someone to get severely beaten at some point. At least, that's what she likes to think and will continue to believe.

At least not anymore.

"I never anticipated people like you to visit and see me."

The girl sneered in disgust, tired of his friendly demeanor. She must say that he was thoughtful enough to give her a cup of tea. It appeals to her more than coffee in the morning. And it's not like she required any of those things to keep her going in life.

"I completely disagree with that." She squinted her eyebrows and shot a swift glance his way. "I came here for a different reason. It makes no difference to me whether you knew what the goal was or not."

"I'm presuming that is related to your family order." She started rolling her eyes, softly bringing the cup towards her lips. The rim of said cup pushed between her soft lips, the drink slipping through the slightest space and overwhelming her senses.

"You're not wrong, but you're also not right." Hansung Yu smiled enigmatically, observing her calm demeanor while keeping an eye on her surroundings.

"Don't be alarmed, you're feeling far too unnerved by the death threats. To be honest, this floor is safeguarded. It was the very first test that the majority of regulars actively participated in."

She'd scowled, as if one bad experience was enough. Her assassination attempt did not take place a long time ago. Which may be regarded as several years behind. Even still, it was sufficient for her to trigger a signal in her nerves and keep her defenses up all over the area. This activity alone proved to be taxing, because she never had someone to keep her secure in some way.

"The participants this year are unexceptionally extraordinary." She hissed and stuck out her tongue, forgetting to blow on the steaming hot drink, and she gained the karma of it.

"Dwid ywou twindk swo…?"

"Yes, I think so."

Hansung Yu lowered his cup into his tea saucer. An observer turned on a recording monitor of the Evankhell Mothership's present regulars. It depicts Lero Ro, who has been subjecting those chosen regulars to a new type of examination. A pre-test that will determine whether or not they proceed to the next test.

Hansung Yu watched her take a biscuit and eat it with a deadpan expression. She did not show a single interest in the regulars; it was as if she was watching ants moving from across the ground to the other side of the ground. Nothing quite the ordinary and nothing quite intriguing enough.

However…

CRACK—!!!

"What a waste of a biscuit."

The biscuit crumbled in her grasp, her lagoon eyes dilated in astonishment. The scenario in which she witnessed was enough to make her stupefied. There is no doubt there was a hidden reason why he purposely used an observer at the exam location. Hansung Yu has predicted everything down to its roots.

"That boy…"

"Hm? Ah, did he pass the pretest? It must have been lucky for him."

Hansung Yu tried to evaluate the water he was boiling—an idiom which also suggests he sought to evaluate the bait he had chosen for her. And, to be honest, he had effectively rekindled her interest. Those beautiful lagoon eyes never diverted her attention away from her only interlocutor; they rarely returned to him.

The woman turned her face to the side. Her eyes hardened as she saw him greet his comrades with a careless look. There was something she couldn't quite pinpoint, something oddly contradictory. She swiftly dropped her arm to the surface, her gaze fixed on the observer's screen.

"If you look at the monitor with such disdain, it might crumble." He was unaware of the glare that was cast upon him the moment those words were spoken, "However, if you wish to investigate him in greater detail..."

Hansung Yu lowered his coffee to the tabletop, separating his eyelids open and smiling at her. "I can assist you." It was an enticing proposition from him. It was a bargain she never prepared for, simply acknowledging the fact she had walked right into a trap.

"...I understand what you're doing." Short, light green-haired swung to the side, following the delicate rhythm of her motions. In an indolent attitude, her body sank to the side, resting there.

"Are you certain?"

"Do you think I'm a fool?"

"By providing your gracious assistance, you will force me to disobey the tower's restrictions. Not only that, but you may have sown a seed in which I may directly support its growth. With that stated, Hansung Yu, you're playing a deadly game that might bring down the entire tower."

I soon learned of my desire.

She sighed and rolled to one side. "It's fruitless to try to smooth talk with me. If you intended for me to compromise, you would have done better to get right to the point."

He chuckled vibrantly, shaking his head back and forth, placing his undivided attention on her. "It seems like you are aware." That comment was enough to make her scoff, sitting up straight and stretching her back.

"Because you undervalued me, Hansung." The girl responded sarcastically, returning her gaze to the observation and watching his teammates prepare for the next test. Although she knows exactly or precisely what sort of test lies ahead of them all, it is an inadequate test of faith and common sense.

"Hansung Yu..." He hummed and took his cup once more, sipping on his coffee.

"Please allow me to take the test."

"PFF—"

The coffee spewed by the blonde was covered behind a shinsu barrier. The girl frowned with distaste, wrinkled her nose, and shifted her head to the side. There's little question that what she said astonished him. However, spitting his beverage in front of her was deemed improper.

"P, please accept my apologies... ahem," Hansung Yu coughed several more times before calming down in the first few seconds, undisturbed. Needless to say, he was preparing something ahead of time, but he never considered this deceptive strategy.

"I'll overlook this imprudent action... for once." She reached out to form a ball of shinsu, in which she collected the spilled beverage. "But, the next time it happens, I won't hesitate to end your pitiful life."

"...That was quite a frightening image, but I'm afraid a child could leave behind a single scratch."

"I'm not a child!!"

Hansung Yu looked her way, her lips curved and her gaze piercing his soul. She is not scared to express her thoughts and beliefs, despite her early age. That said, her wistful longing will not go unspoken. Everything would have been said, whether one liked it or not. That is how it has always been, after all.

"Quite yes, you're not a child. You are in fact a teen undergoing her adult phase," Hansung Yu uttered out gently. "But, I'm afraid there are a few things that you need to understand."

"Putting you to the test may undoubtedly be problematic. Even if I am successful, there will be many rules that we will break in order to meet those requirements." He'd stated it quietly, his hands tracing the contour of his mug and his brilliant gaze lighting his solemnity.

I wish to feel that love once more

She didn't take that excuse in the slightest, but rather she showed her countenance of disbelief. "Undoubtedly problematic…? Ah, so it's problematic to take care of my transferring test procedure more than that irregularity you allowed to enter?"

The two sat in an uncomfortable silence that filled the room. The tension rose with each passing second, enough to be countable as palpable enough. It was suffocating. It felt like the sharp gaze between two individuals was more than enough to cut off oxygen. None of these two were willing to back down, but one always came out victorious.

"...Very well, please follow me to the next test location."

"Hmph, it took you a while to persist, Hansung."

She stood up from her position and turned on her heels. She cast a quick glance at the monitor location to see a particular shade of blue. One that transcends this world, a vast color that decorates the place above them all. There was a hidden spark that pooled in her warm lagoon.

"What else has gained the favor of God?" The mockery that lay beneath the surface sounded crystal clear in her ears. As per usual, she did not bother herself to send a snarky comment as per usual or engage in a pointless argument.

"What else?" She commented, the darkened tint of violet invading the top of her lagoon. It was tainting that enticing and wondrous color into corruption—a phenomenon for which there is no exact explanation other than lineage.life…

"I have seen an exile have the time of his life. That is unfair for a fellow outcast."

In this forsaken place…

"A Khun descendant…" She cast one last glance at the individual, her eyes never leaving his figure until it was time for her to depart.

The swaying of her short grass hair that resembled mother nature, those entrancing lagoons that kept one on their toes, and most importantly, the posture of her movement. Everything she had done was solely for the purpose of upholding her family name, and that was enough to satisfy the perfectionist within her.

The sight of another person entering this tower; someone who may grow with thorns on its side. It could not help but bother her to the core, consuming all of her schedule and replacing it with new principles. A new plan was submerged, a new path created, and a new life positioned.

"Ruin their short-lived happiness… And go with a satiated feeling."

Welcome to the Tower of God.