Whispers of a forgotten language danced on the wind, foretelling a tale of ascension and ruin as they caressed the ancient stones of the monolithic tower. It stood solitary in a world bustling and vibrant with magic, its very spire piercing the heavens - an eternal testament to the power and folly of bygone eras. The Tower of Hell challenged the very fabric of existence.
The echo of a death toll reverberated through the shattered remains of what were once proud cities, the sound mingling with the whispers of wind that swept through the ruins. Xavier stood at the edge of a fractured cobblestone street, his piercing blue eyes reflecting the sorrow of a world torn asunder by a century of conflict.
"Look at it, Xavier", murmured an elder, her voice barely rising above the hush around them. "The war's appetite was insatiable. It consumed not just our homes, but our very spirit"
The boy nodded solemnly, his short, dark hair ruffling in the breeze. The weight of countless lost lives pressed upon his chest
"We paid dearly for peace", the boy murmured, his voice laced with bitterness
"Peace?" The woman scoffed gently. "A costly illusion, my boy. What we have now is respite- a chance to catch our breath before the next tide of chaos crashes down upon us"
As if on cue, a haunting melody wove through the desolation, the call of the summoning siren that echoed in Xavier's dreams for as long as he could remember. It was a sound both alluring and foreboding, a clarion call to those like him who could no longer ignore their destiny.
"Can you hear it, boy?" The elder asks, her piercing gaze noticing the turmoil inside him. "The siren summons you, you will soon be sent away to the Tower".
"It's been calling me for years," he confessed, his words heavy with a mix of dread and yearning. "It's a curse that haunts me, it won't stop until I climb and uncover the secrets that the king holds."
"Many have tried," she cautioned. "Few return"
"Then I will be one of the few," the boy vowed, his voice steel wrapped in velvet determination. "I will climb and eliminate the tyrannical king that plunged this kingdom in utter despair, the king that forced our generations to live like slaves in the Tower".
"May the Tower grant you strength," the elder whispered, her words - a benediction for the trials ahead.
The city square was filled to the brim with people, all coming to watch the Tower light up to take the chosen children away. For some, this was an opportunity to see their chosen child grow stronger, for others this was a nightmare. The Tower of Hell, they called it- a name that evokes reverence and terror in equal measure. It stood solitary, an enigma wrapped in stone, its apex hidden by a shroud of misty clouds like the secretive smile of a deity.
"Legends whisper of its insides, ever-shifting labyrinths and realms within realms" a townswoman explained, her green eyes reflecting the tower's daunting silhouette.
The boy felt heavy gazes on him as he lit up, before being sucked into the glowing runes.
"The Tower calls and I must answer"
Prologue end
Tower of Hell:Cursed Climbers