****(POV)

"There are rumors of something big happening near Metropolis-C! We have received an anonymous tip concerning a possible invasion of D-23 by Gene Corp! How does it make you feel?" A reporter could be seen brandishing a mic in the face of a bystander. 

"Afraid! I'm afraid that something bad will happen! These people are bad, real bad. We need to do something about them: they're all inhuman freaks. Why can't they just be happy with living as normal humans, eh?!" Some random guy said. 

"Tchh—"

That's when the man closed the device, instantly plunging the room back in darkness. Had anyone seen his features, they would have agreed he looked too young to be in charge of anything, and yet there he was. 

Creak!

That's when she entered. She was classy and gorgeous to the point that it was unbelievable. But it wasn't even her beauty that had attracted him. If anything, it was how vindicative she was. He smiled at her: "Hey, Mikaela." 

"Sitting in the dark alone, leader. What about the celebration right outside? There are so many of our brothers and sisters here." She nudged him gently. 

"I'm just pensive, that's all." He sighed. 

"Are you having second thoughts? Many will die because of us. I've always known you to be a kind soul." She gave him a sympathetic look. She understood him more than anyone else. 

"You know, I came into this room doubting myself once more, as usual. There was this small voice inside my head reminding me over and over that this isn't right. But, I've just realized how necessary this all is." He replied. 

"You did? That's great! I'm 100% with you on this plan!" She encouraged him. 

"You know, there was a man on the television. He was a random guy interviewed about his opinion of Gene Corp. He said: "Why can't they just be happy with living as normal humans". Laughable isn't it? That option isn't available to us. I'd pay so much to still be on Andromeda! Everyfuckingthing!" 

She unconsciously recoiled a bit. 

"I'd bring you with me, of course. You'd come and visit my home planet, right? It's beautiful!" He fervently said. 

"YES!" She couldn't help but beam. As long as she was with him, she'd be happy. 

"These people are all selfish. Every time they hit Floor 25, they happily slap that summon button. It's so easy, after all. There is no one to see them. There is no one to criticize them, no one to judge them either. So what if many die? They justify it all for the common good!"

"The common good, is it? At what cost?! How many worlds will they destroy in their quest?" She sighed. 

"I know, and that's why they need to be stopped. I'm not even sure if any of what we are doing will even change anything, Mikaila. But, we will try." 

"Yes, but as long as we save one world, it will be worth it." She added.

"You're right, Mikaela, as always." 

How many souls were sacrificed every time there came a summoning? Too many! There was no way to know how many actually survived either. The MTAs had started tracking it all, but only recently. Plus, what about the area beyond the alliance!? 

Back then he had to adapt to this new world, leaving everything behind. He was a huge mess but had found solace in the Tower. He would Climb during the day, and he would wander the city at night. The nightmares were keeping him awake. Well, it was a blessing in disguise. 

That's when he had found her. Drunk punks were harassing her. He had hurried up to save her. That night he had felt particularly helpless. Beating the hooligans until they were unrecognizable had given him a sense of control. 

It turns out that she had never needed help. He still remembered her grin as she had turned toward him.

"Ah, I can't believe you've done that. I was about to have fun with them, and you beat me to it! You'll have to compensate me for that, won't you? ;)" She had winked at him. 

Well, that night, he did help her to have lots of fun. He had followed her home, where he had helped her evacuate some stress over the kitchen table, the living room's rug, the sofa, the bed, and even in the shower. 

For once, he felt alive. He had always thought that there had been no purpose to his life, all until she entered it. Truth to be told, this had been nothing more than a one-night stand. Yet, fate wanted otherwise. They somehow kept meeting coincidentally. 

Oftentimes it involved beating pricks until their blood flowed and sweating bucket afterward via rigorous exercise. There was that one thing, especially where she would arch her back and…

They slowly opened up to one another. She felt like her world was going crazy ever since the Tower and he wasn't even sure if his still existed! Actually, maybe it still did. They had no way to know what was happening to Andromeda, the blue planet. 

It wasn't just talking. They discussed, debated, and even argued at times. They felt like there was something horribly wrong with the world, but they had no idea how to fix it or where even to start. 

Should they address the rampant greed and general power cravings? This problem was as old as humanity itself, everyday stuff. 

Should they address the inequalities in the social castes? At least even the poor were eating relatively well, and the world was at peace. 

They talked and talked, but like many young people, they felt lost. They wanted to make a difference, but one that mattered too. That's around the time their relationship became serious. 

She brought him to meet her parents. They were relatively well-off and had a very nice villa where they received him openly, warmly welcoming him. For the first time in forever, he felt like he belonged. 

Well, for a little while. It ended very badly with her father screaming at him: "Stay away from my daughter, you worthless Fallen piece of shit! You're already a dead man!" Yes, it was that bad. 

She told him they didn't know any better. They were probably worried he would leave her a widow. They knew next to nothing about the Tower. The need to continuously Climb to survive was the biggest burden, but she didn't mind. Why would she? 

That's when he understood. There would always be something wrong with the world. Andromeda had been far from perfect, and this world was the same. BUT, that didn't give those people the right to screw other worlds too.

He had said with conviction: "Mikaela, I've decided. I'll somehow end this curse. I'll make sure there are no new Fallen created." 

She had looked at him sadly while saying that it was fate that brought him to her. Just as he was about to apologize, she erupted laughing. She agreed. They had been lucky. How many had lost their soulmate to this joke of a summon instead?

That's when they had begun this whole thing. At first, they had tried lobbying to raise Fallen awareness. They tried to tell people that the Fallen were exactly like them. That had failed so much.

People considered them less than human. What were they doing there instead of being busy in the Tower! That's how most reacted. Of course, there were a few sympathetic ones, but that wasn't enough. 

The summons would keep happening over and over until someone put an end to it. He figured he should be the one to do it. It was his cross to bear, yet she would stand at his side every step of the way. 

They had slowly assembled a group of like-minded people. It seemed like they tended to gravitate toward him. Every stranger he met randomly was part of the few that thought differently, that hoped for a better future. 

Their relationship proved that Fallen and non-Fallen could live in harmony, but that would always remain an illusion of happiness. He'd remain a slave to the Tower. Well, it was fine for him, but what about the weaker ones? 

How many had died from their fears of combat? How many had died trying to protect their loved ones? In that damn tutorial, there had been so many valiant people picking the group option only to save their loved ones, sometimes not making it themselves, oftentimes a vain sacrifice. 

The whole system was bound to breed despair, only a bit of hope appearing. They would mess it all up. They would turn this system upside down. They would convince the Climbers to ignore that bright red button that promised help. 

They would do something...

"You're in reminiscing mode again, aren't you?" She teased him as she gently approached, stealing his lips while gazing deeply into his soul. 

"I really don't know what I would do without you." He softly murmured, gently kissing her once more. 

"Pfft, I bet you'd be saving the world some other way. Probably in a very reckless manner, might I add!" She teasingly said, but she wasn't wrong. 

Right now, he was careful because he wasn't the only one at stake here. In the other room, they were all counting on him to make things right. 

"Shall we head to the party? After all, soon will be the grand reveal. We will be so busy that we will barely have time to breathe." She gently proposed. 

"You're right about that. I guess we just have to make the most of it, don't we?" That's when he pounced on her, violently ripping her clothing off. This was the calm before the storm, but he just wanted to forget all his worries for now. 

Soon, the world would know of their existence. Soon, things would escalate so much. But it was fine, for they were ready. Entire worlds were counting on them, worlds that didn't even know they existed...

Creator's Thought

Ironic how sometimes it's the kindest people that will hurt others the most. This man would be called by many names, but I personally called him "shadow" because he was always the mastermind in the shadows. In his own way he desired to help, but how much destruction would he cause!