The Forsaken Heir's Ascension
Chapter 82: Tower of Choice

Chapter 82: Tower of Choice

Near the wooden door, black letters shimmered into existence on the golden wall:

"WELCOME, TOWER CONQUERORS."

Then, they vanished.

Another message appeared:

"As a reward for reaching this far, you will be given a choice."

Once again, the writing faded.

Then came a final instruction:

"Enter one by one. You will make a choice and return."

Anxious eyes darted between companions. No one moved. Fists clenched, breath held. Tension thickened in the golden chamber.

Kaelan growled, impatient.

He stepped forward. As his hand reached the wooden door—

Click.

It opened by itself.

Darkness spilled out like ink.

Kaelan vanished through the doorway. The door shut silently behind him.

Everyone gasped and staggered back, fear tightening their chests.

Inside the void, Kaelan floated beneath a sea of stars. His feet rested on nothing, yet he stood. Silence swallowed everything.

Golden letters formed before him:

"WELCOME, KAELAN IGNIS.

YOU HAVE ONE CHOICE.

YOU MAY NOT CHOOSE YOURSELF."

Kaelan’s voice thundered through the void.

"What is this sick game now?! Are you enjoying this?! Our pain—our suffering—is this fun for you, you fucking bastard?!"

No answer came.

Then, more golden text appeared.

You have 30 seconds to choose. If no choice is made, the opportunity will be lost.

30.

29.

28.

Kaelan’s rage broke. His hands flailed as panic rose in his chest. "Wait! Stop! Let me think!"

22.

21.

20.

He stared at the numbers, heart racing, and shouted:

"Lyra!"

10 — CHOICE MADE.

The letters faded. Light enveloped him—and then he was back in the golden room.

Everyone stood where he had left them, still staring at the closed door.

"Kaelan!" they cried in unison as he stumbled toward them.

His eyes darted to the girls, then landed on Alex. Something hardened in his gaze.

"I need to talk to the girls. Alone."

Alex gave a short nod and stepped away, reading the tension without protest.

A short while later, Lyra approached the door, avoiding Alex’s gaze.

Kaelan returned to him with a smug smile "No danger inside. You just make a choice and come back out. We decided... you should go last."

He stared at Alex expectantly.

Alex just nodded, not thinking much of it.

Inside, Lyra faced the same golden prompt.

She hesitated—but when the timer began counting down, she blurted Kaelan’s name and vanished, returning moments later.

Meika followed. When it was her turn, she chose Rina.

Then Rina entered. Her hands trembled. Sweat rolled down her face as the golden letters spelled out the choice. She didn’t speak until the last second, screaming a name through clenched teeth.

She returned with Meika waiting anxiously. Rina gave a nod, tears glimmering in her eyes, guilt painted across her face.

Finally, it was Alex’s turn.

He stepped through the door—and into the void.

Golden letters floated in front of him:

"WELCOME, ALEXANDER VEYLOR.

YOU HAVE ONE CHOICE.

YOU MAY NOT CHOOSE YOURSELF."

He stood still, jaw clenched, pain flickering behind his eyes.

"So that’s it," he muttered bitterly. "The commoner gets left behind. Not a surprise, I guess."

He gave a sad, broken smile—and spoke softly before the countdown even began.

"I choose Hati."

When he returned, his gaze lingered on the group—the people he had once called companions. The ones he had risked everything for. The ones who didn’t choose him.

And now, he understood.

Black letters shimmered once again on the golden wall:

"ALL OF YOU HAVE MADE YOUR CHOICES."

Alex’s voice cracked as he shouted, "But—Hati didn’t get a choice!"

"Woof! Woof!" Hati barked in protest beside him.

But no response came.

Suddenly—

RUMBLE.

The golden chamber trembled beneath their feet.

Where the wooden door had once stood, a glowing portal swirled into existence. More black letters appeared:

"ONLY THOSE WHO WERE CHOSEN MAY LEAVE THE TOWER."

Alex collapsed backward in disbelief, his eyes wide. "No..."

Kaelan pumped his fist into the air. "HELL YES!" he cheered.

The rest beamed with relief. Smiles bloomed as they moved toward the portal.

None of them looked back.

None—except Kaelan.

He stopped at the edge of the portal and turned to glance at Alex, a cruel smirk twisting his lips.

"Life of a commoner isn’t even worth the dirt under our nails. Save us a thousand times, and you’ll still be nothing more than trash."

Rina walked ahead, eyes straight, teeth clenched, refusing to turn—until she heard the rumble again.

She turned.

Her heart stopped.

Two golden statues that had once stood silently by the door now moved—massive guardians stepping into the chamber. They positioned themselves around Alex, tridents aimed.

Rina’s eyes widened in horror. Tears burst free and streamed down her cheeks.

Reality hit her like a blade to the chest.

Meika turned too. Her eyes softened with visible sorrow.

Alex looked at them—at the people he once trusted—vanishing into the portal. A hollow ache pressed in his chest. He whispered:

"Was I wrong...?"

Then he looked to his side. Hati stood loyal, alert.

"I chose you, brother," Alex said with a sad smile. "You can go. You’re free."

"Woof! Woof!" Hati barked defiantly, stepping closer and shaking his head.

Then—

Slash!

Blood sprayed across the golden floor.

A scream tore from Alex’s throat. "AHHHHHHHHH!"

He stumbled back, clutching his left arm.

Hati growled and lunged, circling Alex, trying to shield him—his front leg gone, leaving a bloody trail.

Alex’s gaze fell to the floor.

His own arm.

Severed clean from the elbow down.

Pain warred with fury. With a groan, he bent down, picked up the severed limb with his right hand, and retrieved a spear from his spatial ring. With trembling focus, he sealed the bleeding with his wood element, pressing it shut.

Then—he charged.

CLANG!

He parried one trident aside, using it as a springboard.

He jumped high.

Mid-air, he twisted his torso, pulling his remaining arm back—

—and hurled the emerald spear.

The weapon shimmered like a comet, slicing through the air—

BOOM!

It pierced through the guardian’s eye. A crack echoed.

Alex landed roughly, stumbled—and crashed to the ground.

SLASH!

"AHHHH!"

Another trident struck.

This time—it severed his other arm, clean from the shoulder.

Alex screamed and fell onto his back, bleeding heavily.

Hati—limping, wounded, furious—stepped forward and growled at the statues, defiance burning in his eyes even as his body trembled.

.

The statues stood still for a moment, their gleaming yellow eyes watching Alex and Hati bleed out on the golden floor—as if savouring the despair they had wrought.

A lone wolf stood between death and his brother.

Hati, battered and broken—his hind leg missing, deep gashes along his back—still growled with defiance, shielding Alex. His eyes burned with rage. His body trembled, but he did not yield.

Alex stared at his companion.

A rush of memories surged through him like a tidal wave.

The day he found a frightened, wounded wolf cub...

The nights they huddled together as outcasts under the stars...

The hunts, the laughter, the shared meals in the wilderness...

The pain they endured. The bond they forged.

They had only each other.

They always had.

Meanwhile, outside the tower—

The portal shimmered and expelled the four survivors onto the ground.

They came back at the same place from where they entered.

Rina collapsed to her knees the moment her feet touched the ground. She broke into sobs, her cries echoing in the silence.

"We killed him... we killed him..."

Kaelan stood tall, brushing imaginary dust from his shoulder. He scoffed, lips curled in a cruel grin.

"We didn’t kill anyone. We chose ourselves. We’re nobles—we have more right to live than a damned commoner."

Lyra glanced at Rina, guilt flickering in her eyes. "Kaelan’s right," she muttered, trying to convince herself. "We didn’t have a choice..."

Meika said nothing.

She stared at them—at the people she once called comrades. Her heart churned with silent disgust.

Alex saved us. Again and again. And when it mattered most... we turned our backs.

Who was she kidding?

She had turned her back too.

Two instructors from the Elemental Excellence Academy rushed to the scene as the portal flared open.

One of them, eyes scanning the group anxiously, asked, "Are you the students who entered the portal from EE Academy?"

Kaelan stepped forward confidently. "Yes, we are."

The instructor quickly counted them. His brow furrowed.

"There were five of you. Where is the fifth?"

Lyra answered quickly, too quickly. "We got separated. He... he wasn’t with us when we left."

The instructor hesitated, then gave a curt nod. "We’ll return to the Academy first."

Back inside the golden chamber—

Alex lay on the floor, vision blurry, blood pooling beneath him. Beside him, Hati growled weakly, his fur soaked crimson. The statues watched them both, still savoring their misery.

Then—with cold precision—they raised their golden tridents once more.

Death loomed. It was moments away.

Alex closed his eyes muttering " Father, Sister I’m coming."

But Hati wasn’t done.

Despite the pain, despite the odds, Hati snarled .

And then—

A sudden flash of purple light erupted from the wolf’s body.