"Those who wear light often cast the darkest shadows."
---
The Tower did not forget. It remembered everything—every scream, every betrayal, every lie hidden under the banner of light. And now, so did he.
Jin walked through the remains of the first floor, its trial complete. The wolves had vanished. Their corpses devoured by the Tower's hunger. The fog parted before his steps like something afraid to be touched.
And yet, far above this floor… the rot had only just begun.
> "I remember you."
A voice echoed through his memories.
Not from yesterday. From years that no longer existed. Fifteen years forward. A voice wrapped in laughter and cruelty. A voice belonging to a golden boy.
> Theo Callahan.
The world had once called him a saint.
And Jin had once called him brother.
---
Back Then… and Never Again
He was one of the first to show Jin kindness, back in the early Tower years. Charismatic. Blessed by a Sun God. Capable of healing others with a touch, of dazzling the weak with light.
People called him a hero. He called Jin his friend.
But when the Tower warped… when supplies dwindled… when monsters grew too strong…
Theo had smiled.
And pushed Jin into the darkness as bait.
While the others escaped.
Jin didn't die that day. But something else did.
> "You can't save everyone, Jin," Theo had said with a laugh. "Some people are meant to be used."
Now, walking under the shifting trees of Floor Two, Jin heard rumors of Theo's return. Rumors of a prodigy re-entering the Tower's lower floors to 'guide the next generation.'
A false shepherd with holy eyes.
A parasite in angel's flesh.
And he would find him soon.
---
Present – Academy Courtyard, That Evening
Torchlight flickered across the temple plaza. The new Chosen had returned from their first floor conquest. Most were shaken. Some were missing.
Theo Callahan stood at the center of it all, dressed in white and gold, arms open like a preacher.
He spoke of duty.
Of divinity.
Of how death was part of the Tower's design.
Jin stood in the back of the crowd, face blank beneath the hood of his uniform.
He listened.
Every word made his fists curl.
> "You lie with such conviction. You haven't changed."
A student beside him whispered, "That's Theo Callahan… can you believe he came back just to help us?"
Jin did not respond.
But the rage beneath his skin twitched like a living thing.
---
Later – Hall of Echoes (Temple Garden)
He found Theo alone that night, behind the chapel's false altar.
The garden was silent, filled with white statues of angels. Some were cracked. All were blind.
Theo didn't notice him at first.
He was praying. Or pretending to.
"Still trying to fool them?" Jin said calmly.
Theo turned slowly.
Recognition flickered. Then confusion. Then mockery.
"...Black? You're still alive?"
Jin said nothing.
Theo smirked. "Didn't you fail the Blessing again?"
> "I got exactly what I needed," Jin said.
Silence stretched.
Then Theo laughed.
"I always knew you were stubborn, but coming back here like this? You really don't get it. Some people are born to be leftovers. You just haven't accepted it."
Jin took a step forward.
Theo tensed.
> "You said that once before," Jin murmured. "Fifteen years ago."
Theo frowned. "...What?"
Jin's eyes gleamed—just for a second. The same color as the void.
Theo backed up, suddenly wary.
"You're crazy," he spat. "Stay away from me."
Jin smiled.
> "I was. Then I died. Now I'm something else."
---
Hidden System Response
> [Malice Resonance Spike Detected]
[Active Skill Unlocked – Soul Brand: False Light Lv. 1]
– Mark targets with divine hypocrisy. Weakens divine abilities. Doubles corruption gain on exposure.
> [Corruption: +14]
[Title Progress – "Godslayer"]: 3%
---
Jin didn't kill him that night.
Not because of mercy.
But because Theo had too many eyes around him.
He wanted Theo to fall in the Tower.
Where his light wouldn't protect him.
Where his screams wouldn't reach the gods.
> "You live… for now," Jin whispered as he walked away.
> "But the Tower remembers."
> "And so do I."
---