The nearer we got to the tower, the fewer people we saw in front of us. I was surprised to see that nobody had come here, since here it was a much safer place compared to the chasing or crouching fetus position on the field.

It was understandable, though. After all, the lightning did pierce the politician when he was moving to the tower.

Ugh. My head hurt.

The previous crying had taken a toll on me. Even though it indeed had been relieving for the moment, now I had a vicious headache.

Department Head Gwan Shinil, who had silently walked at the front, suddenly stopped.

“I don't work with someone weak.” I didn't pay much attention to him, since he didn't direct it at anyone. But George Kruger answered softly.

“You are a free man.”

Gwan Shinil couldn't find a fitting response to George Kruger’s statement. In fact, he was indeed free to do whatever he wished to do.

I had to hide my smile behind my hand because I wasn't able to restrain my twitching mouth completely.

Frustrated and puce, the sleazy man stamped his foot, then turned around and waltzed off, not without sending angry looks in George Kruger’s direction.

“What an arrogant person,” Arno Holmann commented and watched my department head storm off.

“He is always like that. Let us ignore him for now,” I said and sped up. 

“I always felt that you had something against him. Do you know him? I didn’t destroy any important relationship now, did I?” asked George Kruger.

“No, it actually was quite funny. I don’t blame you. He is an infamous person in our company for being self-righteous and arrogant. But we normal people can't touch him, since his father is part of the board of leaders.”

George Kruger made a face. “That's unlucky.” 

I shrugged. “I will survive it.” 

We started penetrating through the mist that surrounded the tower. Our view was impaired, but I could still hear the screams and pleas from outside. 

Silently, we walked for a few minutes.

“Won't you have problems if he is your superior?” George Kruger asked. 

Was he thinking about that all the time? 

I shrugged again. “It be like that sometimes.”

“Wow…” Arno Holmann looked up. We stood right in front of the tower. It was a lot taller than it looked from far away. 

Beautiful, human-sized statues surrounded the pedestal. As we got closer, I felt the perfectly carved out eyes follow my every movement.

I saw how George Kruger got closer and closer. Mesmerized, he looked at one particular figure. 

“Stop!” I shouted. I had read many stories, where statues suddenly came to life and killed a person… or multiple people. 

But George Kruger didn't stop. 

Furthermore, gently, he touched the face of a womanly sculpture and stroked the cheek. And then… Nothing happened. George Kruger turned around and came back.

“She looks like my young grandma in her wedding picture… Except-” He took a step back to the statue. “The smile is different. And this mole…”

“How would your grandma be here anyway? As a statue at that.”

“Indeed. Still… remarkable!”

An earthy smell came with the misty patches that muffled the colors of our surroundings even more. I could finally see where the blue light came from. Around the tower between the statues, small basins of water glowed, flickering like a small flame and painting weird shadows on the dark floor.

“So, what is the-” Arno Holmann asked as he tripped over one of the water containers. He breathed in sharply from the pain in his shin. Now, squatting on the floor and muttering short curses, he repeated: “What is the plan?”

“Ah, I am searching for something, but since I do not know exactly what it is, this will be a me-task. I would be happy to take you along, though.” I smiled when he nodded. 

My bodyguard was set. Good.

Since George Kruger had already proven that the statues were not dangerous, I also decided to approach them. 

There were five statues on each side. Plus, two giant 100-armed angels guarded the entrance with spears. 

Among the human-sized figures were two women, one of them being George’s grandmother’s stone-copy, seven men, and a boy around 12 years old. The boy patted the back of the much taller man next to him.

I halted. 

“The ring…” A silver ring was on the boy’s hand. It was small and didn't shimmer much in this dull light, so I almost missed it.

“Do the other statues have jewelry, too?” I said more to myself than my two companions, but they reacted and came closer to have a better look. We spread out around the tower to search for clues.

The shouting and whining that had almost disappeared when we arrived at the tower became gradually louder again. 

The fog was also getting thinner. Soon we could see silhouettes, and little by little the whole three-dimensional spectacle happening outside became clear.

The tank top guy and the tall woman’s group had grown too much. More than the required twenty-four people stood around and were eying a different team with hostile expressions.

The opposing group had a similar size to them. They had the upper hand and were pushing the group further to the edge.

One guy from the inferior group strode ahead, arms akimbo.

“I have told you before: What you are doing is not right! We are all human. There is no need to massacre any of us! The voice never said the remaining people will survive.”

“If we die anyway, why not stay human? That’s what you’re saying? But… I don’t want to.” The tank top man started grinning like a villain.

“Thomas, let’s just get over with that.” The woman next to him said, while facepalming like this situation was just an annoying commodity, you had to get over with.

“Sure, darling, right away.” He puffed up and shouted with his deep voice: “Everyone! Rush forward!” He gestured with his arm like a general shouting ‘Fire!’ in a navy battle.

“Resist with all you have! Don't let them prevail! Or we will all perish!” The other group’s speaker shouted.

But his group was much less enthusiastic. The people looked at each other, not sure what to do. Then one man rushed to the side. He escaped the pushing force. 

“Don’t let them escape! Block the sides! Janno!” The tall man who had two women next to him before walked to the side and blocked the incoming stream. 

“So nothing on your side, too?” I asked.

“I don't see anything here.”

“Here is nothing as well!” Arno Holmann shouted while running to me.

“But I found this,” he said, as he came back, holding something in his big hand. “A scroll?”

“I found it in one statue’s hand. There is something written on it, but I can't read it. It looks like a very old language.”

He gave it to me, but I couldn't make sense of it either. It almost looked like runes with many ornamental curls and weird, straight lines in between. I wanted to roll the parchment back up, when the tiny voice, once again, talked to me.

{To his highness Prince Lewin,

Retreat your troops as fast as you can!

The Gonhu army will reach your position before sunset.

I pray that the messenger will reach you before it is too late.

As I am writing this, my hands start to become stiff as well. 

I hope at least you, my only son, will escape this fate.

There is only you left in this family.

Helios}

It recited the letter.

I tried to remember the whole content of the letter, but there was a limit to my memory capacity. “What is written here?” I asked, as if talking to myself. But it was, of course, directed to the voice. And as I focused on the weird symbols for a few seconds and waited, the voice laughed, chiming like a bell, and then indeed reread the text.

“Is something wrong?” George Kruger had also come back from his side.

“... Ah, Nothing. Where did you find this?” I asked Arno Holmann.

“It was just over there.” 

He guided us around to the other side.

“It’s this man. He had it in his hand. See?” It still looked like the man was holding something.  “It was in there.” 

The man was, like the other figurines, wearing a long tunic, but his one was caught in motion like he was running, holding something on one side. The other hand was stretched towards the front, the mouth open for a scream, wide-eyed like seeing something horrifying. 

“He looks scared,” George Kruger said, studying the stone’s expression earnestly.

Arno Holmann scratched his head. “I have thought this before, but they look too realistic for statues. Maybe… I know it sounds ridiculous! But maybe they were turned to stone by,” he looked up to the top of the tower and his whole big body shivered, “by this voice.” 

George Kruger thought for a short while and then agreed, “… That’s not an impossible theory. We’ve seen that the voice can alter the environment. Why not matter in general as well?” 

“Matter?” Arno Holmann asked mockingly.

“Yes, matter. Like in physical matter.” George Kruger plainly answered.

The big man’s expression turned alarmed. “You mean, it can control literally everything? But why make this bloodthirsty ‘game’ then?”

I shook my head, and both men turned their faces to me. “The voice has to follow certain rules as well. And didn’t it refer to itself as ‘Fate’? That means, at least based on the voice, everything is already predestined. But then again, with omnipotent power, this ‘game’ doesn't make any sense. So my conclusion is that the voice can only act in a certain type of situation. For example, when someone tries to go through the portal before the requirements are met. Probably also destroy the items that you try to ‘trade’ for your freedom, like department head Gwan Shinil.”

“This makes sense, actually. So does that mean that we can go home when we have grouped up two teams of a dozen each? 24 people in total?” Arno Holmann asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. “That… I don't know. But if we can, we will get new instructions before. Because another thing I realized is that the voice has to say out loud what will happen. Let's first become part of a team. I have a plan. Listen.”