After leaving the forgotten city, the path turned narrow.
It was quiet—too quiet. Even the birds had stopped singing.
The team walked together, their faces serious. No one joked. No one smiled. The cursed fog behind them still felt close.
Then they saw it.
A giant tower stood ahead, tall and cold, made of black stone. It had no windows. Just one door—huge, closed, and pulsing with dark energy.
Ren stepped forward and checked the map. "This is it. The Spiral Watchtower."
Yumi looked up. "It doesn't feel right."
Aki held his chest. The cursed spirit inside him was restless. "Something's inside. Watching."
Suddenly, the ground shook.
The black door slowly opened, making a deep rumbling sound.
A voice came from the darkness.
> "To pass, you must face what you regret."
Rei whispered, "What… did it say?"
Ren turned. "It's a test. Not of power. But of memory."
---
Inside the Gate
The team entered the tower.
As soon as they stepped in, the world changed.
Each of them found themselves alone.
The tower had split them—separated their minds. Each one now stood in their own version of the world.
> A test of regret.
---
Ren's Trial
Ren stood in a dark classroom.
Rain hit the windows. A younger version of himself sat at a desk, holding a drawing pen—but shaking.
A voice behind him said, "You never saved them."
He turned and saw faces of friends he failed in earlier Spiral zones. Their bodies flickered like ghosts.
Ren fell to his knees. "I wanted to help… but I couldn't."
A shadow stepped forward. "Then why do you lead?"
Ren gritted his teeth.
"I lead not because I'm perfect. But because I never stop trying."
He stood and drew a Spiral.
Light burst through the room, and the ghosts faded.
Ren passed the trial.
---
Aki's Trial
Aki stood in his old hospital room.
He saw himself—hooked to machines, eyes closed.
The cursed spirit inside him spoke: "Look at you. Weak. Helpless. They should've let you die."
Aki clenched his fists. "I was broken... yes. But that's why I became stronger."
The spirit hissed, "You are strong because of me."
"No," Aki said. "I'm strong because I chose to live."
He touched his sleeping self.
White light glowed. The spirit growled but said nothing.
Aki passed the trial.
---
Yumi's Trial
Yumi was in a burning house.
She heard screams.
Her younger self stood outside, afraid to go in.
"I didn't save them," she whispered.
The flames spoke: "You ran. You were scared."
"I was just a kid," Yumi cried. "But I'm not anymore."
She reached into the fire. It burned her—but she kept going.
She found a small sketchbook in the flames and held it tight.
"I will protect others. Even if I get hurt."
The fire faded. The house disappeared.
Yumi passed the trial.
---
Kael's Trial
Kael stood in front of his old commander.
"You left us," the man said. "You ran from the battlefield."
Kael looked down. "I thought it was the right move."
"Then why does it still haunt you?"
Kael closed his eyes. "Because I lost brothers that day."
"But I fight now to honor them."
He stepped forward and saluted.
The commander nodded once—then vanished.
Kael passed the trial.
---
Rei's Trial
Rei stood in front of two versions of herself—one holding a sword, the other with empty hands.
"You chose the blade," the empty one said. "But what did it cost?"
Rei looked at her. "I lost people. Time. Peace."
"But I found purpose."
The sword-wielding version smiled and disappeared.
The empty one faded.
Rei passed the trial.
---
Reuniting at the Tower's Core
One by one, they woke up inside the tower's heart.
The room was round, glowing with symbols. The black gate behind them had closed.
Kael stood first. "We all made it?"
Ren nodded. "Yeah. Everyone's okay."
Yumi looked at her burned hand—it had healed. "That wasn't just a test. It healed us too."
Aki was silent.
Rei asked, "What is it?"
Aki finally said, "The cursed spirit… said something. Just once."
Ren asked, "What?"
Aki replied, "It said… 'We're not the only ones waking up.'"
They all looked at each other.
Kael grabbed his weapon. "Then we better keep moving."
Ren nodded. "This tower is the first key. We need to climb higher."
---
Above Them
Far above, in the clouds, a shadow watched.
It wore a black mask. Its eyes burned red.
It whispered, "They passed the first gate."
Behind it, more cursed energy gathered.
And far away, a city began to shake.
Something ancient was rising.
And the team… would soon face it.