The vast plaza outside the tower pulsed with low, resonant energy as dawn broke over Astralis City. A pale light gleamed against the obsidian surface of the Tower of Astralis, its colossal frame vanishing into the clouds. Etched upon its surface were ancient glyphs that shimmered faintly, as if breathing. Candidates gathered beneath its shadow — hundreds of them — each bearing the same mix of ambition, fear, and electric tension.
A deep toll echoed through the plaza.Gong.
The enormous golden doors at the tower's base shuddered, then slowly parted, revealing a swirling curtain of translucent mist.
"This is it," Raven muttered, knuckles cracking. "The first floor."
Nox said nothing. His gaze lingered on the mist, but his mind was elsewhere. The tower wasn't just stone and trials; it was a resonant construct, a sentient monument. Every floor recorded every step ever taken. Those who walked its halls weren't just facing challenges — they were walking through echoes of those who came before.
The candidates entered in groups of twenty, the door sealing behind each wave with a resonant hum. Nox's group — which included Raven, Selene Aurelion, Lyra Fen, Taren Voss, and a few others from outer provinces — stepped into the mist. A cool weight pressed against their chests as they crossed the threshold.
Then the world snapped.
The interior of Floor One unfolded like a shifting labyrinth of polished stone. Massive circular pillars pulsed faintly with blue light, their resonance signature low but insistent. The ceiling arched like a cathedral, and faint whispers echoed as if the walls themselves remembered old battles.
A clear, neutral voice filled the air.
"Floor One: Resonance Trial — Coordination and Precision.""Objective: Cross the labyrinth and awaken the Floor Core. Cooperation is not mandatory… but strongly advised."
Almost immediately, luminous lines lit up the ground — shifting tiles that rearranged at intervals. Each tile pulsed with a different frequency. Step wrong, and the resonance would backlash, knocking the candidate down or out of the challenge entirely.
Selene moved first, lowering her stance, hand hovering just above the glowing tiles. She traced the pulses carefully. "It's patterned," she murmured. "Not random. The rhythm repeats every eight beats."
Nox tilted his head, already sensing it too. "But the pattern changes when multiple people step in. It's a layered rhythm test."
Taren grinned, rolling his shoulders. "Then I'll break through and force it to adjust to me."
"Or you'll trigger the backlash," Lyra said dryly, stepping onto a narrow tile. She attuned to its beat, her steps flowing like a dancer's. Tiles shifted beneath her, but she moved with deceptive ease, bending the resonance to match her own tempo.
Other candidates surged forward. A boy from the eastern village of Lareth stepped on a tile too early — the floor flashed scarlet, and a wave of energy slammed him back. He crashed into a pillar, coughing as the resonance forced him out of the field. One mistake. Eliminated.
Another group of three — siblings from the Varyn Highlands — moved in formation, their breathing synced. Their resonance harmonized faintly, creating a shared rhythm. The labyrinth responded more gently to their steps, opening new paths instead of closing them.
Raven barked a laugh. "So it really likes teamwork, huh? Fine, but I'm not waiting around." He stomped forward, his raw energy overwhelming a tile into submission. It cracked beneath him but let him through. The tower didn't like it… but it didn't stop him either.
Nox stepped forward at last. His eyes narrowed as he traced the secondary resonance layer — the hidden rhythm beneath the visible pulses. Unlike most, he didn't step on the tiles immediately. Instead, he extended a thread of his aura downward, listening.
Ba-dum… ba-dum… ba-dum.
The pulse synchronized with his own heartbeat. He stepped lightly. One tile. Two. Four. The labyrinth shifted, but not against him — around him. Paths rearranged, guiding him deeper toward the Floor Core.
Behind him, murmurs rose. A few candidates had begun observing his movements, using his pattern as reference.
The deeper they went, the faster the resonance changed. Some candidates adapted, some fell. A girl from Merenth used a wind spirit to glide across unstable tiles. A boy from the coastal Dominion synced with the pulse using a flute, controlling his steps through rhythm. The tower rewarded ingenuity.
"Halfway through. Core energy increasing."
A soft glow emerged in the distance — the Floor Core. A massive, floating sphere of crystallized resonance rotated slowly in the air. Every step closer amplified the pulses, now strong enough to make bones vibrate.
Selene arrived almost alongside Nox, breath steady. "You hear it too," she said quietly.
"It's not just rhythm," Nox replied. "It's memory. The tower remembers every person who's ever crossed here. It's… listening."
More candidates joined them near the core, forming an unspoken truce. Taren blasted through the last few tiles with brute force, earning a few burns from backlash but managing to stand. Lyra appeared on the far left, unruffled and quiet.
"To complete Floor One," the voice announced, "resonate with the core. Synchronization score will determine ranking advancement. You may work together… or stand alone."
Selene raised her hand toward the core, threads of golden resonance wrapping around it gracefully. Lyra wove illusions to mask destabilized pulses, buying herself time. Taren flooded the core with raw energy, forcing it to recognize his presence. Raven tried to dominate it — sparks flew as the tower resisted.
Nox stepped forward last. He closed his eyes. No force. No trick. Just a perfect alignment.For a moment, the pulsing slowed — then matched his heartbeat. The Floor Core shone, brilliant and clear.
The glow of the Floor Core dimmed, leaving behind only the rhythmic pulse of the Tower, steady and ancient. Then, with a low resonant chime, the massive ranking board in the plaza flared to life. Names blazed in golden light for all to see — the Top Ten.
[1] Nox Vale — 98.4 Synchronization[2] Selene Aurelion — 95.7 Synchronization[3] Lyra Fen — 92.3 Synchronization[4] Taren Voss — 88.6 Synchronization[5] Raven Drayke — 84.1 Synchronization[6] Kaelis Norrin — 82.9 Synchronization[7] Eira Solcrest — 80.4 Synchronization[8] Finn Ashvale — 78.2 Synchronization[9] Liora Cendris — 75.9 Synchronization[10] Draven Marric — 74.6 Synchronization
For a heartbeat, there was silence.
Then the plaza erupted.
Noble spectators sitting in the shaded balconies leaned forward, their jeweled ornaments catching the morning light. Whispers flew like arrows.
"Vale… that name should have vanished with the fall of the borderline forests.""For a forgotten house to take first place… either a miracle or a monster.""Aurelion in second, as expected. But who is this boy from the forest?"
House Aurelion's retainers exchanged faint smiles — second place was expected, but the spark of rivalry had been lit.
Instructors from Astralis Academy stood at the observation platform above the plaza. Their robes shimmered faintly with inscribed sigils, their expressions unreadable — but their eyes tracked every name carefully.
"His resonance control is abnormally stable. Almost like he's been trained in structured core flow since childhood.""Which makes no sense. Vale's bloodline hasn't produced a Resonant in decades.""That's exactly why this is dangerous. Unknown factors rise faster than predictable talent."
Their quills etched silent notes into floating rune-sheets. A name appearing on the board wasn't just a rank — it was an investment target, a future contender in the academy's inner circles.
Down near the public square, rogue cultivators and mercenaries who weren't aligned with any noble houses reacted differently. For them, the board meant opportunity — or danger.
"That kid Vale's either going to become a powerhouse or a corpse. Nobles don't like unexpected rivals.""Aurelion, Voss, Solcrest, Cendris… those families already have weight. But a wildcard at the top?""He'll either be hunted or courted."
One woman in a dark cloak simply smirked, muttering, "Finally, something interesting this year."
Inside the Tower first floor Raven jabbed Nox lightly in the ribs, grin stretching from ear to ear. "First place, huh? Guess the forest kid can fight after all."
Nox didn't smile. His gaze lifted toward the golden board, tracing the names one by one. Aurelion. Fen. Voss. Solcrest. Cendris. Marric.Each of these names carried centuries of weight in the Dominion — bloodlines that built cities and burned nations.
"Don't get too comfortable," Selene's calm voice cut through the noise as she passed him, her white uniform trailing faint motes of resonance. "The Tower doesn't care about first place on the first floor."
Taren Voss cracked his knuckles, an arrogant grin on his face. "And neither do I."
The portal at the far end of the chamber pulsed open — swirling blue light beckoning those willing to step further into the unknown.
"Candidates who have cleared Floor One may proceed to Floor Two at their discretion. Withdrawal is permitted. Advancement is irreversible."
A few candidates stayed behind, some trembling, some satisfied with their rank. But the top ten… none of them turned back.
The nobles kept whispering, the instructors kept taking notes, and the Tower watched in silence.
Nox took a quiet breath and stepped through the portal.Raven followed with a grin. Selene's expression didn't flicker. Lyra and Taren disappeared into the light a heartbeat later.
The light swallowed them, and Floor One vanished.