Power is a curse. It corrupts the weak.
—
"I'm sure you've heard of the Tower of Heaven."
Liam nodded briefly, thinking back to yesterday's events. He had researched extensively on Ascendants while plotting to kill his parents on the day of his awakening.
Entering the testing grounds, he had already made up his mind — he would either awaken or drive the pocket knife he carried straight into his throat.
With that level of resolve, how could he not know the life he was stepping into?
Ascendants were mortals blessed by the heavens with the ability to climb the Tower of Heaven. This tower was said to be the source of all power in the universe — spiritual, physical, and mental.
"Once man reaches the peak of the tower, he or she becomes God," Liam quoted a famous saying about the tower, and Ruth nodded.
"Within the tower, one can awaken power beyond human imagination, gain both heavenly and demonic artifacts. However, they can also die in the pursuit of power," Ruth continued. "Have you heard of the term going lost?"
Without hesitation, Liam nodded. While many believed that passing the trial was the main problem, he had come to realize it was the least of one's worries. Gaining and controlling one's power was the real challenge.
When a person goes lost, it is said that they have lost control of their abilities and become slaves to the power they were meant to command. In most cases, they get corrupted and become monsters.
The threat of losing control over one's power was the greatest risk Ascendants faced.
"Losing control," Liam replied simply.
"In whatever you do, move in accordance with your curse."
Pa!
Ruth nodded with a small smile. Liam's knowledge allowed the class to flow smoothly. Even though she hated him, she couldn't help but admit she was enjoying the class.
"And what is the reason for losing control?"
"Acting contradictory to your curse," Liam shrugged, uncertainty lingering in his tone.
Upon successfully passing the trial, an Ascendant is cursed. One must live like — and even become — the curse to survive. Letting emotions, judgment, or sentiment interfere will only lead to corruption.
"Good," Ruth nodded and abruptly began packing her things.
That was all she was obligated to teach Liam.
The Tower of Heaven was where he would be tested.
Winning the trial came with a curse.
Acting contradictory to that curse would result in corruption and, subsequently, death.
The rest he could figure out on his own. That's if he didn't already know — the boy seemed smart.
"Curse of the Inquisitor… Am I right?"
Ruth froze at the entrance, her brows knitting tightly.
"You have a strong sense of justice and deliver judgment fairly. You believe I should die for my crime, right?" Liam had a playful smile glued to his face.
Only Ascendants could guide another Ascendant. Even though this lady didn't look like much, she was no ordinary person.
Huff!
Ruth hesitated for a moment before turning to meet Liam's gaze. She nodded.
"Yes." Her answer was brief.
The two locked eyes — one tense, the other playful.
"I understand." Liam shrugged casually and returned his attention to his food.
"The things of the spirit are scarier than you think. Don't forget — if you fail and get corrupted, I'll have to kill you."
The banging sound of the door followed, and silence returned to the room. Liam pulled up the newspaper, scanning through every headline until his eyes stopped on one.
"January 5th is the day. Can Ji Wei attain his second win in the Armageddon Games and bless humanity with another decade of peace?"
Liam scoffed.
Only Alister White had successfully won more than one Armageddon Games in a row. The legend was the wielder of the Warbringer curse — just like Ji Wei — so the world assumed he should be able to replicate his predecessor's achievements. But Liam knew very well that Ji Wei was not Alister.
No one since the Divine Madness (DM) era had possessed Alister's level of talent. If there was anyone said to have a chance of reaching the top of the tower, it was Alister.
Liam found it annoying whenever the world compared others to Alister out of desperation.
"I won't be around to watch my very first Armageddon Games live. I'll have to watch the recordings on TV again." Liam lamented, knowing he would be leaving for the Trial of Heaven two days before the games.
The timing was a mess.
For the next two days, Liam continued to live life as usual. During this time, he kept getting nightmares, daydreams, and prophetic revelations — but none of them had anything to do with him, which felt strange. It was like watching the world through someone else's eyes.
Liam knew these were clues to the trial, so he always jotted down in detail each revelation he had and everything he saw. During this period, not only was everyone in his flat evicted temporarily to isolate him, but his home was also protected by soldiers.
— January 3rd, 128 DM —
Eerie laughter of children echoed from the walls, mingling with the cries of a woman in the backdrop.
Liam's eyes slowly opened at the disturbance, his gaze shifting toward the clock on the bedside desk.
"You… you did this to us."
"How could you?"
The voices of his parents resonated from the dark corners of the room, but Liam ignored them. It was 4:37 a.m., and there was an ancient stone door in his room — glittering under the moonlight that somehow poured in from the ceiling.
"Look at me!"
Liam rolled his eyes before brushing his hair back with his palm.
"Give it a rest. You're already dead," he said to the voices, though his eyes never left the stone door.
"It's time."
Liam jumped to his feet and walked up to the door.
Creak!
Even before he could reach it, the door slid open, revealing an entirely different world. A wooden bridge stretched before him in the darkness, leading to the unknown. Overhead, a dark cloud crackled with lightning and thunder.
This was the path to the Tower of Heaven — the road every Ascendant must walk.
"Here goes nothing…"