Chapter Six – The State of the Sages
"Who said escaping the Tower meant salvation? Sometimes, the ordinary streets conceal mysteries more complex than the floors themselves."
The morning felt unlike the day before. Iyass pushed the door open slowly, as if his fingers feared disturbing the fragile stillness. Sunlight slipped through the branches, scattering across his disheveled white hair, making it seem as though the light itself was seeking refuge within him. For a brief moment, he closed his eyes, uncertain whether he was living in a long dream or merely a weary wakefulness.
Inside, he carried a fleeting calm. Outside, the city was breathing. The air was thick with the scent of dew-soaked earth, while the chorus of sparrows blended with the distant murmur of a city stretching itself awake.
He raised his right hand and summoned his Tower System. A translucent screen shimmered into existence, edged with a faint blue glow. He tapped the call symbol, and a familiar face appeared immediately.
Saman, wearing his usual mocking smile:
"Iyass? Finally remembered I exist?"
Iyass smiled faintly, trying to mask his unease.
"Good morning, Saman… do you have time?"
Saman's laughter burst out, loud and careless, just as always.
"Oh, the bookworm wants to go for a walk? Historic day! I'm on my way, wait for me."
---
Outside, near the stone-paved path by the smart transport gate, Iyass spotted Saman even before hearing his voice. A young man of twenty-two, his gray coat caught the sunlight, while his half-long black hair shimmered faintly where the rays touched it. His deep, dark eyes seemed to hide secrets borrowed from the moon, and his features bore the kind of beauty that looked stolen from legend.
Saman teased:
"Haven't seen you in months, and now you want me as your guide? I thought you'd already turned into a piece of furniture in your library."
Iyass replied with a thin smile:
"Who needs bakeries when I have books?"
Saman smirked wickedly.
"And friends? Or have you abandoned those too?"
Iyass hesitated, then said quietly:
"...I had a friend. Then he became famous, climbed the Tower floors, and his very name began to terrify souls—after gaining the power of spirits."
Saman blinked, then curved his lips into a sly grin.
"Oh? Sounds a lot like me."
Both laughed, and Saman reached forward, resting a hand on Iyass's shoulder.
"I missed you, Iyass."
"And I, you, Saman."
---
They walked through the alleys of Northern District B, where life was slowly rising from slumber. Street vendors called out:
"Try the Insight Candy! Cleanses the soul, opens the mind!"
The scent of spices mingled with the warmth of fresh bread. Children darted between stalls, one clutching a tiny winged beast, another sliding along on a floating board. Iyass paused when he saw a cyborg boy hopping gleefully on a mechanical leg, laughter spilling from him without attracting a single strange glance.
Iyass murmured to himself:
"How the world has changed… On Earth, people once divided themselves by skin, by wealth… But here, diversity is the rule."
Saman, watching him with amusement, said:
"This isn't Earth, my friend. This is the State of the Sages… and difference is our identity."
---
They stopped at a café called Sages of the Tower. The floor gleamed like glass, the chairs half-transparent, each table glowing softly with its own embedded screen. A white service bot glided over, its voice gentle and precise:
"Welcome, honored guests. Your order?"
Saman answered without hesitation:
"A Yellow Aura drink."
Iyass added:
"An Alpha coffee… no sugar."
While the bot processed the request, Saman unfolded a holographic map. The state appeared before them like a crystal, perfectly divided.
Saman leaned closer, his voice carrying its usual mocking edge—but sharper this time:
"Listen carefully. The State is split into three concentric circles around the Tower: A—the closest, B—the middle, and C—the farthest. Then an X-shaped wall cuts them into four quadrants: north, south, east, and west. The result? Twelve cities."
Iyass examined the glowing map.
"So since we're in B… and in the north, that means we're in North-B, right in the middle of one of the X's arms?"
Saman nodded.
"Exactly. And each group of cities is overseen by four figures who call themselves the Guardians. No one knows their faces. Only names… and silence."
"Then who runs the cities day to day?" Iyass asked.
Saman chuckled lightly, raising his brows.
"Deputies. Clerks. Assistants. Petty officials—call them what you like. We see their faces on screens every day."
---
Before he could continue, a shout of triumph echoed from the street. A lizardfolk man leapt high into the air, tears of joy mixing with his laughter:
"It's done… after half a year, I finally finished the mission!"
A dwarf girl rushed to him, congratulating him warmly.
Iyass blinked in shock.
"Half a year for a single mission? I've completed mine far more easily than that…"
Saman smirked with mockery.
"And you think everyone is like you, bookworm?"
Then his tone shifted, growing serious.
"Missions aren't the same for all. The higher you climb… the harder they become."
Iyass lowered his head, thinking aloud:
"So… the Tower isn't equal to anyone."
Saman tapped the table with a grin.
"Exactly. That's what I like about you—you catch on faster than most."
Iyass leaned closer, his voice low.
"But who manages the missions? Who watches this entire system?"
Saman's expression darkened, and his words weighed heavier.
"Everything… is under the Tower's eyes. Every mission is logged. Every choice observed. The system evaluates, rewards… and takes away. No one escapes its gaze. It's like our own artificial intelligence… only far more advanced."
The small bot returned with the bill.
"Total: five Tower coins."
Iyass opened his interface, his data glowing before him: energy level, soul condition, magical affinity, coin balance. He paid with a single gesture, then quipped:
"Add this to my ever-growing debt, Saman."
Saman laughed.
"I'll accept… only if you send me a poem with it."
---
They stepped back onto the golden-paved street, the sun tilting toward the horizon. Then, cutting sharply through the quiet, came a smooth, mocking voice:
"You two fools… I haven't seen you together in ages."
Time froze for a heartbeat. Iyass felt his blood race before his eyes caught the face. Familiar features. A gaze that knew too many secrets. Just one step from the past was enough to set his whole chest aflame.
End of Chapter Six