The morning air carried the scent of dew and distant pine as Star and her companions finished their preparations. Valhalla’s streets were alive with the rhythm of everyday life—vendors calling out their wares, children weaving between stalls, and blacksmiths clanging at their forges. Yet even with all that noise, Star felt a quiet stillness inside her, as if the weight of their mission had settled into her heart.

Erik lifted a heavy pack onto his shoulder with a grunt, his panther-like tail flicking behind him.
“We’ve packed enough supplies to last until the end of the world. If the tower doesn’t kill us, carrying all this will.”

Siegfried, tightening the straps on his own pack, offered a soft chuckle.
“Better too much than too little. We don’t know what illusions the tower will throw at us.”

Klara, checking her list one final time, nodded at him.
“Exactly. Ancient towers aren’t known for welcoming guests.”

“Maybe not,” Seth said from where he relaxed on the caravan, “but do we really need, hold on… three kinds of rope?”

“You’ll thank me when you’re dangling off a cliff,” Klara shot back, rolling the list up and tucking it into her satchel.

Star smiled faintly at their banter, though her mind drifted toward the journey ahead.
The Tower of a Thousand Mirrors loomed in her thoughts like a distant storm—both a threat and a promise.

“Star.” Siegfried’s voice pulled her back. He approached with a gentle expression, adjusting the shield on his arm.
“You’ve been quiet. Is something bothering you?”

“Just thinking about what’s coming,” she said softly. “And how much depends on what we find there.”

He nodded, reassuring as always. “No matter what awaits us, we’ll face it together.”

Before she could reply, Friedrich walked over as well, resting his greatsword on his shoulder. “He’s right. We’re prepared for whatever’s inside that tower.”

Star drew strength from both of them—their calm certainty grounding her.

At Valhalla’s gate, the group gathered as the sun climbed higher. A sturdy caravan waited, hitched to two well-fed horses. The driver—an older man with silver-streaked hair and a thick beard—checked the harnesses as they approached.

“All set,” Leontius said, standing tall near the gate. He handed Star a sealed envelope.
“These are the most detailed maps and notes we could gather. It’s not much, but it’s better than nothing.”

Star accepted them with a nod.
“Thank you. We’ll uncover what’s happening—and put an end to it.”

“Stay alert,” Leontius warned.
“The tower tests more than strength. It tests the soul.”

With those words, they boarded the caravan. Its wheels creaked as they rolled forward, Valhalla’s spires shrinking behind them until the city disappeared into the wild.

The journey began quietly. The caravan followed the forest’s edge, golden sunlight slipping through the trees. A thoughtful mood settled over the group.

Friedrich sat with his eyes closed, one hand on his sword’s hilt. Klara studied the map intently, mumbling notes to herself. Erik and Seth played cards, teasing each other between turns. Siegfried sat near the window, polishing his blade with steady hands.

Star leaned on the wooden frame beside him, watching the scenery pass by.
She thought back to their first mission—chaotic, nearly a disaster. Back then, they were strangers bound by circumstance. Now, they were something more.

Her gaze drifted over them one by one.

Klara, curious and calculated, always quick to strategize.
Friedrich, solid and unwavering, a wall against the world.
Erik, fierce but soft beneath the bravado.
Seth, warm and funny, keeping spirits high.
Siegfried, gentle, thoughtful, and always ready to catch those who stumbled.

And then there was herself.

“You’re brooding again,” Klara said teasingly.

Star blinked. “What?”

“You get that look when you start thinking too much.”

Siegfried glanced up from his blade, offering her a small smile.
“She’s right. What’s on your mind?”

“Just… how far we’ve come,” Star admitted. “And how far we still have to go.”

Klara nodded. “We’ve been through so much. But every step led us here. We’re ready.”

By late afternoon, the caravan reached the edge of Valhalla’s borders. The landscape shifted into rolling hills and rocky slopes. In the distance, Olmec Hill rose against the horizon, its peak glowing in the fading light.

The driver pulled the caravan to a stop. “This is as far as I go. From here, it’s on foot.”

They disembarked, a cool breeze carrying the faint scent of water. Ahead lay the path to the Tower of a Thousand Mirrors, hidden deep within the lake at Olmec Hill’s heart.

But before they could move, a bone-rattling roar tore through the hills. The ground trembled beneath them. From between the rocks, a massive Abyssal creature emerged—dark tendrils writhing, glowing eyes burning with hunger.

Friedrich drew his greatsword in one fluid motion.
“Looks like we’ve got company.”

“Everyone, stay close!” Star commanded, unsheathing her blade.

Siegfried raised his shield, stepping protectively beside her.
“I’ll guard the front.”

The creature lunged, tendrils snapping like whips. The group scattered as Seth fired an arrow into its side.

“Track its movement!” Klara yelled, her catalyst glowing as lightning surged toward the beast.

Star dashed forward, her sword shining with radiant light. Siegfried blocked one of the creature’s strikes aimed at her, the impact rattling through his shield.

“I’ve got your back!” he called.

Together, they pushed forward, working seamlessly in sync.

The Abyssal creature was relentless. Dark energy seeped into the ground, twisting the terrain and blocking their route to Olmec Hill.

By the time the sun disappeared below the horizon, the creature collapsed at last. The group stood catching their breath, shaken but alive.

“We need to regroup,” Star said, steady despite her exhaustion. “That was just a preview of what’s ahead. We camp here tonight and move at dawn.”

Everyone nodded, the weight of the journey settling once more on their shoulders.
The Tower of a Thousand Mirrors still waited—but before they could face its secrets, they had to survive the path leading to it.

Under the starlit sky, they prepared for the next step of their journey—one that would test not only their strength, but their hearts as well.