Shadows of the Black Tower
A week had passed since the previous lecture ended. I gazed up at the tower before me. It gleamed with a pitch-black sheen, an inky form that absorbed every trace of light. It pierced straight toward the sky, as if to devour it whole, casting a shadow that slithered down the mountainside like a river, drenching the slopes in darkness. The black currents wound around the mountain, spreading greedily, writhing with insatiable hunger that swallowed all light and color around it. Everywhere the streams passed, the world turned pale and lifeless, and the mana emanating from those places was so intense it made approaching impossible. But this power that bleached the mountain white was merely the overflow from the tower's shadow. So how immense must the power at its source be?
I couldn't even imagine. Swallowing hard, I carefully sidestepped the shadows creeping toward my feet. Anyone dragged into them would surely dissolve. On my way up the mountain, I'd seen a few birds meet that fate. I had come for Heisen's lecture, my heart pounding with anticipation, but I never expected the tower itself to exude such overwhelming presence.
Around me, others milled about, tense like me. They must have gathered for the same reason. But something felt off. Their levels were extraordinarily high. Each one radiated dense mana. Even people like Hongryeong or Goro would seem cute by comparison. This wasn't the lecture atmosphere I'd envisioned. I started thinking I'd wandered into the wrong one.
Come to think of it, Hwaryeong had mentioned when I signed up that Heisen's lectures had few applicants because of the high level. Not the lecture's difficulty, but the students' caliber. A groan escaped my lips.
As I glanced around nervously, 10 a.m. arrived—the lecture's start time. At that moment, the tower's massive doors creaked open. Thick darkness billowed out like fog. The others stepped inside without hesitation. I paused, then slowly let the mist envelop me. After walking through it briefly, I found myself inside the tower. A heavy gloom and chill air wrapped around me.
Looking around, it was surprisingly tidy and orderly, unlike what I'd imagined from outside. I followed the others slowly. Smooth black walls stretched ahead, faint shadows rippling along them, carrying the tower's mana. Lanterns along the walls cast weak light, giving the shadows depth. The entire tower pulsed with an eerie, living mana.
As we delved deeper, the shadows thickened, the light faded. In the central hall, a massive sphere loomed. It churned endlessly, shifting forms like liquid. Our reflections flickered dimly on its sleek surface. Shadows extended from it, crawling across ceiling, floor, and walls like vast tree roots, filling the space. This was the origin of all the shadows we'd seen. It felt like the tower's entire mana converged here.
And before it stood a woman who looked utterly exhausted. She slouched limply, her face blank. She reminded me of Heisen from before. She scanned us slowly, as if counting heads. I couldn't move. The others seemed frozen too. Her aura was horrifying, like confronting something that shouldn't exist in this world. Her mana overwhelmed everyone here—enough to rival a professor's, if only for a moment.
"Ah... everyone's here.... I'm... Maira... under Professor Heisen... doing advanced research...."
She mumbled in a voice so faint you had to strain to hear. She seemed awkward even speaking. Advanced research meant she was on a high floor—higher than anyone here. I'd heard that's the path for aspiring professors, but seeing it firsthand was new.
"Then... close your eyes... and entrust yourselves to this child...."
She pointed to the black sphere. It parted halfway, revealing its dark interior, and a long, forked tongue flicked out. It snatched the nearest person and swallowed them. Several flinched and stepped back—including me.
"The path... is properly connected... so don't worry.... Keep your eyes closed... or you might get caught...."
She drawled slowly. By the time she finished, more than half had already been devoured. The first ones probably hadn't heard a thing. It felt like we were mountain sacrifices. Still, I had to pass. I squeezed my eyes shut and stepped forward. Something slick wrapped around my waist. It burrowed through bizarre mana, carrying me somewhere. Soon, it released me. Opening my eyes, I saw a normal classroom—much like the one in our tower. Many were already finding seats. I hung back, letting others sit first.
I was the weakest here. No, dust compared to them. No sense drawing ire by sitting first. Staying quiet and watchful, everyone eventually sat. I took a sparsely occupied spot and eased down carefully. Glancing around, the room was silent. No one spoke, eyeing each other like rivals. What kind of lecture created this stifling tension before it even began?
After waiting breathlessly, Heisen appeared riding a shadow. I hadn't noticed until he spoke.
"Hm, a few familiar faces."
He stood at the podium, surveying us. Some near the front bowed their heads—probably repeat students, familiar with him.
Heisen glanced over them indifferently, then continued.
"My lectures always follow the same format. Maira, distribute them."
Maira emerged from his shadow, arms full of papers. She levitated them with mana, and they floated to each student. Peeking at mine, it was densely packed with text—a questionnaire.
"This two-thousand-question survey is to assess you. You have one hour. Fill it out and submit."
Heisen closed his eyes. I quickly pulled out a pen, infusing it with mana. Not fully grasping the situation, I dove in anyway. Best effort was key.
Skimming: 1. Can the color you hate most deceive you? 2. If something not-you controlled you, how would you react? 3. If your fifth finger became your sixth, why? 4. When light fades and darkness approaches, what do you perceive first? 1) Color 2) Sound 3) Flow 4) Presence 5. When do you think your death will come?
Abstract, bizarre questions. No time to overthink—two thousand in an hour meant speed. I scribbled instinctively. How many people have you killed? Roughly a hundred. Describe your first spell use. Age thirteen. Questions seemed profound yet meaningless. Finally, I filled them all just in time. Others had finished early, waiting. Heisen stood motionless, eyes shut. Maira tapped his shoulder after the hour, collecting the papers into her shadow.
Heisen opened his eyes, checking the clock Maira handed him.
"The sphere you passed through collects shadows of the dead—an subspace I created over years. Its contents crave form, so they parasitize the living's shadows."
He drew a faint, wavering shadow from his feet—like it might dissipate any second.
"For five years, you'll raise one. The survey matches you to the best fit. Your answers guide it to you."
He tossed it to the front student; it burrowed into their shadow.
"They grow by eating your shadow. Just nurture it—it'll strengthen regardless. Stronger hosts mean larger totals. Tests every three months."
Ah, that explained the absent low-floor students. Glancing around, everyone radiated heavy mana. This lecture favored the strong. Bitterness rose. No way I'd beat them.
"After five years, I select nineteen passers. Plus eleven I choose separately. Only they keep their shadows post-lecture. Others reclaimed and discarded. Note it."
That explained the repeats—for these shadows. My hopes sank further. Naturally, Irian came to mind. She'd ordered this. Did she know? Her intent eluded me.
"Now, distributing shadows. With it, you can roam the tower freely. Dismissed."
Shadows flooded from his feet, engulfing the room in darkness. Amid it, I sensed a faint connection slipping into my shadow. Light returned. My shadow looked unchanged, but my tree felt the subtle link. Eerie, like controlling the turtle at seedling stage.
"That's it for today. You, follow me."
Not me, right? But the air chilled; eyes turned my way—including Heisen's.
"Yes!"
I shot up, yelling. My shadow swelled, engulfing me. Blink—I was in a paper-strewn room, his office. He emerged from shadow, offering a chair piled with documents. I set them aside carefully and sat, not daring to look around. Heart pounding, I guessed why he'd singled me out.
He sat, processing papers, ignoring me until the stack halved.
"Ebron, was it."
"Yes."
I replied cautiously. He glanced over.
"Professor Irian brought you per our agreement. She asked for a shadow for you. I owed her, so I agreed."
His pen pointed at me, mana flickering menacingly from the tip.
"I know you're not up to this level. Just give your best—I'll guarantee your pass."
A smile crept onto my face despite myself. Half-resigned, but my spot was secured. Irian had pulled strings for me. This shadow must be valuable if others repeated for it. I'd misjudged her as petty. Time to reflect deeply. How could a candle grasp the sun's path? Just follow faithfully. Every action of hers held profound meaning. Even her bed-rolling seemed different now.
Heisen watched, then spoke.
"I tell you this for one reason: Engrave her grace in your soul. Thoroughly, with utmost sincerity."
He jabbed the pen at my forehead. "Go."
Mana swallowed me before I could reply. Blink—back in the classroom. Dazed, I rubbed my forehead. Engrave her grace? Bitter smile. Already doing that. I glanced at my wrist contract, its elegant script. Their relationship intrigued me. What history made him so deferential?
Mysteries upon mysteries.