...

’What?’ Aether stared at the now hollow sky. It just showed how fast existence can vanish, and that humans weren’t the only ones who disappeared.

Though still... what had just happened? Aether walked over to the edge of the island, looking down, which is where he saw the collapsed island, crushed, with blood smeared all over it... and yet, there was something stranger going on. A yellow light was coming from the island, and towards the city... specifically towards the central island, exactly where the tower was...

Coincidence...

’Heck no.’ Aether frowned.

This series of event, what could they mean? Everything he had seen until now was enough to try to make a small theory?

At the moment, his mind felt like a board filled with evidence, but... at the same time, he was hesitant to draw any lines. In a mystery like this, one mistake could alter the truth completely. What if he had missed something?

But at the same time, waiting too long could fill out his board too much, to the point that it became too confusing to make one story. Maybe some parts of it can make sense with some but not with others, which could make it almost impossible to determine of story, even if all the every is connected in the long run, the order is very important.

’Damn it...’ Aether said, ruffling his hair... the thing that made him the most paranoid was that what if this wasn’t the first time this happened? What if he was on a timer, the ruins below, they could have belonged to many of these islands... what if this continued, and in the end, the whole city was falling.

I mean... he should have time... right?

’But what if the demand got bigger?’

...

In his eyes, the story rolled out like this: the tower, it was feading of its own islands, it was the sacrifice it needed to be alive, for what reason, he had no idea. And why the people didn’t stop it, and rather considered it a god, again, he had no idea. But he knew that it was feading of what was destroyed by the dead.

And the people knew this, that’s why those who died were buried in the garden after the devouring was over.

...’ It’s annoying, trying to figure something out with one beginning or an end.’ He had no idea how this island was created, how the tower managed to gain an existence, or for what reason. But he knew that it had to be connected to whatever natural disaster had destroyed the world below.

The city, it should have been destroyed, just like the world below it, but it didn’t... was it the tower that saved it?

’But it could just have been the fact that it was in the sky that saved it, the disaster could have been land only... but even then, how were these many islands even flying...’

And more importantly, why did some fall? Was the tower the one controlling everything? Was it the reason that the islands were floating...

But if this was the case... then was the tower the one that had saved everyone? 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

’Alright... let’s retrack a bit.’

If the tower was the one that had saved the city from the disaster, lifting up in the sky, then was it created by the humans... heck, did it always exist, even before the disaster? And to keep everything in the sky, did it need to feed itself with existence? Not only humans, but whole islands? But why? It was so confusing... or was it? Was it just... feasting on souls? Everything in this world had a soul... but only humans and animals were the ones that had a consciousness, but he thought that was only because they were the only ones that had brains.

But could something like the tower... become alive, if it eats too many souls... was something like that truly possible?

There were so many things... he just didn’t know about the world. It was frightening. To think that something like this could exist.

...

’So then... I guess that it... the story. The tower eats the island around it to keep the city and itself alive... it was strange and weird... but nothing dangerous, or that could kill us...’

Honestly, it was a bit disappointing. After all, there really wasn’t anything else to it; islands will continue to fall, for the city to survive, nothing else. He could try to stop the tower, but at the same time, not only would everyone else die, but he was sure that it was also not what the people wanted.

The people knew what was happening, but they didn’t do anything against it; rather, they made it their god, worshiping it, and if he had to guess, those who stopped believing, and tried to worship other gods were the next to get sacrificed.

...

But at the same time, just like he had said before, what if the demand continued to grow? What would happen?

’Not like I care, there are too many islands left, even if the amount sacrificed doubled, it was enough time to get the shard and get away.’

...

Aether sighed. ’Whatever, let’s rest for today, tomorrow, I will get Kade and Lucien to search for the shard with me.’

Taking one last glance at the world below him, Aether walked away... but as he was walking, trying to get back to the Inn, he overheard the conversation of two natives.

"This was the second island this week... don’t you think this is devouring the island with a terrifying pace?"

Aether stopped to listen, with the shadows stopping to listen. It was the first time that he had gotten any reliable information from anyone on this island; everything else he had to get himself. Which was pretty hard to do.

"You’re right... It is pretty scary, considering the fact that the island without worshipers is slowly getting lower and lower..."

The man stopped talking for a second, almost as if he was hesitant to continue talking, scared he might jinx it.

"And since it can’t sacrifice islands that believe in it... what if it runs out of all of its food sources?"

Aether’s eyes widened as he heard the man...

This is what he meant earlier, about how making an early theory could be dangerous. He had proved himself right.

They were in danger, in grave danger. By what it seemed like, the Tower could only devour an island that didn’t believe in it. Why, no idea, but it was a rule it couldn’t break. And if all the islands that it could devour disappeared, what was it going to do next? Without any souls to eat... was it going to stop existing... but if that happened, the whole island was going to fall, and they were all going to die.

’Shit...’

...

’...The light weakens every year.’

Was this what the man was trying to say? The power of the tower was dimming every year because the island that didn’t believe in it slowly became less and less. This wasn’t a process that was only recently happening. But something has been going on for years.

A disaster nobody paid attention to until now, because they were too oblivious to what was going on, the safety and happiness kept them away from the harsh reality, and now it was coming back to bite them.

...

’Change of plans... I don’t want to risk Kade’s and Lucien’s lives. I will have them get some resources and leave... I will search for the shard alone... since even if I don’t find it on time, even if the city falls... I can use Eriosion. I can endure it.’

And before he had thought that he had all the time in the world... how wrong he was, he had hardly any time. The week was brand new, and already two islands had been eaten. If this continued, there won’t be any food left by the end of the week, that was his guess on how much time he had left.

And the bad thing was that he had no idea where the shard even could be. All he had been doing now was trying to find what was weird with this world; now he knew it, but he had neglected the shard. So he was going to have to do things from the start.

...

’Well. I guess I am not completely without any clue... I know that it has to be close to the tower. Or maybe... even inside of it.’

But if that was the case, he was going to have to find a way inside without getting caught, since if he did, that was it, he wouldn’t have nearly enough time to find the shard, because he was going to be in the dungeon.

But if he wasn’t going to risk it, then he was never going to find it in time.

...

At least... stealth was his strong suit.