Chapter 59 Zora’s Tower
Chapter 59 Zora’s Tower
Once inside, they were greeted by a vast chamber. The room was quiet and still, with rows of benches lining the walls along the perimeter. Their footsteps echoed softly as they walked forward, taking in the space.
Dozens of portraits hung on the walls—magicians in regal robes, captured in elaborate, enchanted frames.
“Those are the Tower’s Grand Masters from over the years,” Halim explained, gesturing as they moved. His eyes lit up with recognition. “That one must be Zora himself,” he added, pointing to a large portrait mounted higher than the rest.
It depicted an elven man with a full golden beard and flowing golden hair, dressed in traditional arcane robes. His expression was calm but commanding, and even through the painting, his presence seemed to radiate power.
They continued forward to the far end of the floor, the silence growing heavier with every step. Eventually, they reached a narrow stone stairway spiraling upward along the tower’s inner wall.
“Shit,” Iryoku muttered, frowning. “Rhogan’s not gonna fit through here.”
Though the upper floors of the tower were clearly spacious, the stairwell was tight and winding—clearly not designed for a creature the size of a rhino.
Iryoku looked back at Rhogan. “Buddy, stay here and keep watch over our escape route, alright? I’ll bring you an apple later.”
Rhogan let out a low grunt of approval and settled into a corner, taking up a silent vigil.
“Let’s go,” Iryoku said, then called over his shoulder, “Halim, you coming or not?”
Halim, who had been deep in thought with one hand in his pocket, snapped to attention. “Ah—yeah, sure!” he said, quickly hurrying after them.
They crossed the upper floor and approached a large door. Iryoku held up a hand, signaling for silence, then cautiously pushed it open and stepped through.
“Come inside,” he whispered once he was sure it was clear.
Yumi and Halim followed close behind. They found themselves in a long corridor, illuminated by floating magical lights and ornate wall sconces.
Doors lined both sides of the hallway, each marked with strange symbols and arcane runes.
“Damn,” Iryoku muttered, eyeing the branching paths. “Might as well be a damn maze.”
They opened the first door. Inside was a small room cluttered with strange magical artifacts—trinkets glowing faintly, arcane tools suspended in crystal, and scrolls stacked haphazardly. But no one was there. There was a bed, though—signs that someone had been using the room.
“Halim, do you know how to use any of this stuff?” Iryoku asked, pointing at the scrolls and trinkets.
Halim stepped forward, examining the scrolls. “Usually, scrolls have spells infused in them so anyone with a bit of magical knowledge can use them,” he explained, unrolling one to check its contents. “This one does seem to have a spell written on it… but weirdly, there’s no power left in it. Maybe these are all used up.”
Then he looked over the strange apparatus. “As for the trinkets… they’re out of my depth. They could just as easily be for simple, everyday tasks—or something complex. It’s hard to say.”
Behind him, Yumi stood with a curious expression, one hand resting under her chin as she nodded thoughtfully.
They moved on.
The next room was similar, but this one was packed with books, the scent of old parchment hanging in the air. Still, not a soul in sight.
One by one, they checked each room along the hallway. Each space told a story of magical study and recent activity—but no people. Eventually, they found another stairwell leading upward.
On the third floor, a new chamber awaited them. This time, there were no doors—just one vast, open area.
Rows and rows of tall bookshelves stretched endlessly in every direction.
“It’s a library,” Yumi whispered in awe.
Iryoku gave a short nod, eyes scanning the space sharply. They pressed forward, moving between the shelves.
Books were scattered across long tables, some left open mid-read. Piles of parchment, magical instruments, and ink pots lay abandoned. The silence felt heavy.
Suddenly, Halim stopped. A book had caught his eye, lying face down beside a toppled chair. He picked it up and read the title aloud:
“Beings from Other Realms.”
Immediately, both Iryoku and Yumi snapped toward him.
“Where did you find that?” Iryoku asked sharply.
Halim blinked, a little thrown off by the intensity. “Right here. Beside this desk.”
Iryoku and Yumi moved to inspect the table. Several other books lay scattered around it, their pages mid-turn, ink smudged.
“What does it say?” iryoku asked, looking over Halim’s shoulder.
Halim skimmed the titles of the various books. "Summoned Magic… Transportation Magic… Old Legends… The Realm of the Gods…"
Iryoku’s eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening.
“This could’ve been Reika,” he said quietly.
Yumi nodded, her expression hopeful.
Halim furrowed his brow, holding up a small, crumpled note. “But these notes… I can’t read them.”
Iryoku took the paper from him, and as his eyes scanned the page, a small grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. Without a word, he turned and handed it to Yumi.
She looked at it—and smiled.
“She really was here,” Yumi whispered, her voice soft but certain.
The note was written in Japanese. It read:
"Requirements to go back home…
A gate… with a special setup
A huge amount of power… maybe...
Divine power…"
Iryoku turned to the side, tension radiating from his shoulders. He took a deep breath, then shouted with all his strength:
"REIKA! WE’RE HERE!"
After the loud yell, Iryoku stood still for a moment, tense, then turned to Yumi and Halim.
“What I just did was give away our position to whoever—or whatever—is in here,” he said grimly. “So brace yourselves, kiddos.”
Yumi squared up immediately, her hand already reaching for an arrow. Halim, though trembling slightly, nodded and readied himself as well.
It didn’t take long. Sounds echoed from deep within the tower—faint at first, then growing louder. The noise of shifting objects, soft scraping... and footsteps. Approaching fast.
Yumi raised her bow, eyes narrowing as something flickered in the shadows ahead. The moment it moved, she let the arrow fly.
CLANK!
The arrow struck something solid and ricocheted harmlessly off its surface.
“Did you see what it was? My danger sense spiked for a second,” Iryoku said, eyes scanning the dim corridor.
“I couldn’t make it out,” Yumi replied, voice tense. “But I felt the danger too—it was definitely there.”
Iryoku glanced at Halim. “Watch over Yumi.”
Then, without another word, he sprinted forward, twin daggers drawn. He darted between the towering bookshelves, weaving through the narrow aisles, trying to bait the intruder into revealing itself.
His senses were razor-sharp, every nerve tuned for the slightest movement.
But nothing came.
No attack. No trace.
“Damn it,” he muttered, frustrated. “It’s not taking the bait...”
He returned to the others. Halim was drenched in sweat, visibly shaken. His instincts screamed at him to run—but he didn’t. One look at Yumi, standing firm despite the tension, gave him the strength to stay.
Iryoku looked at both of them and said, voice steady, “The only thing we can do now… is keep moving.”
They continued their ascent. Though they no longer felt any movement or sensed any attackers, the eerie atmosphere clung to them like mist. The deeper they went, the heavier it became.
They climbed two more floors in silence.
The first was a vast open chamber, clearly meant for training. The walls were scorched, marked with magical residue—evidence of countless sparring sessions and spellcasting drills.
All around the perimeter, strange apparatuses had been embedded into the floor and walls. Their purpose wasn’t immediately clear.
“Maybe this is part of a barrier system,” Halim murmured, kneeling beside one of the trinkets and examining the rune-inscribed metal. Yumi stood behind him, watching with quiet curiosity.
Iryoku didn’t stop. “Keep going,” he said curtly, walking ahead.
They followed him to the next floor.
The next was a grand dining hall, filled with long wooden tables and rows of chairs. It had the air of a place that had once hosted large gatherings—but now, it sat in haunting stillness.
Yumi paused and picked something up from one of the tables...