One Week Later

Rowan pressed his back up against a corner and peeked around it, holding the spade tight. A massive, clawed footprint cracked the asphalt ahead of him, revealing strata of asphalt, substrate, then dirt. Dirty water obscured the depths, thick weeds peeking out of the muck. Blinding sunlight reflected off its surface.

He glanced behind him. Heat shimmered off the city streets. No sign of Kaidu.

Have to keep moving. He’ll find me.

One last glance left and right, and he darted around the corner. The footprint spanned the entire street, crushing the facades of the buildings to the left and right. Too wide to jump. He checked over his shoulder, then tested the depth with the rake. Water came up the wood a foot.

Rowan backed up, holding the rake in both hands. He ran up to the footprint, slammed the rake down into the water, and swung himself over the gap. On the other side, he drew the rake out of the footprint and tapped it on the asphalt, shaking out the water.

A flash of white. Rowan snapped his head up and searched the horizon, utterly still.

Fweee. A whistle echoed through the streets.

Ikara saw him. He’s close. He sprinted down the street, tucking the rake over his shoulder as he went.

Heavy, the leather apron flapped around his thighs, weight tugging at the strap around the back of his neck. He rolled out his neck and adjusted the apron for the hundredth time. Hot, too hot!

White, reflected in a shattered shop window to his left. He whipped around. Nothing.

Damn, he’s fast.

An office building loomed up on the right. He threw himself into an alley to his left. The building should obstruct Kaidu’s line of sight. Time to get away.

Narrow, the alley scraped at his shoulders. He pushed his way through. A metal trash can blocked the alley ahead of him. Rowan grit his teeth, slammed his hands into the wall on either side of him, and kicked his legs over the can.

His heel clipped the lid. It careened off the can and clattered loudly to the ground.

Oh, fuck! Rowan sped up, shoving his way through the alley.

Behind him, something blocked the sunlight into the alley.

Barely a dozen feet ahead, the alley opened up again onto the broad street. Light awaited him, brilliant. He pumped his legs harder, eyes narrowed.

Ikara peeked around the edge of the alley’s opening. Rowan nodded, and she nodded back and tossed a needle to the other side of the alley.

A hand brushed by his back, so close he felt the fingers snag his shirt. Twisting away, Rowan leaped into the sunlight.

Footsteps drew to a halt. Rowan turned back, halfway across the next road. Kaidu glared at him from the alley, then stomped on empty air. A needle snapped, a wire shimmered in the sun, and the contraption fell to the ground.

Rowan grinned and scratched the back of his head. “Thought we got you.”

Ikara backed away, hands up. “You said anything goes. Anything goes, okay? It’s fair game to trap!”

Kaidu spun the scissors into his hands and slotted them into a leather holster around his hips. “We’re done.”

“Uh? It… it was just a trap,” Ikara stammered.

Kaidu shook his head. “Done with training. It’s time for us to take on the second floor.”

“Wait, what about, like… survival training? I still don’t know how to hunt,” Rowan said. I could gather nuts and berries like a pro, but hunting seems pretty important.

“I’ve got us covered,” Ikara proclaimed confidently.

“We don’t need it,” Kaidu replied.

“Huh?” Ikara and Rowan asked.

Kaidu shook his head. “Not for the second floor.”

“Wait, I know this. They mentioned it in the Hero-King’s autobiography once, on page four-hundred-and-some. Floors are split into three types, right? Stages, Scenes, and Scenarios,” Rowan said.

Kaidu hooked an eyebrow at him, impressed.

Rowan glanced at the ground and grinned around gritted teeth. “But, er, that was all the book said… I don’t know what they are.”

“Right. Stages, like Megafauna Forest, are large, open areas, and largely free-form or survival-based. Most conclude with escaping or beating a boss, as Megafauna Forest does. Scenes are constructed situations. For example, one might find themselves in the middle of a court case or a medieval war, and have to navigate their way through the Scene’s story to a Good End to escape. In the court case, you might have to defend your client or get acquitted, while in the medieval war, you might have to rely on strategy skills to lead your army to victory. Finally, Scenarios are game-type floors. There is a clearly-stated goal, and ways to accumulate points. The games might be team- or single-player, but in either case, the entire team wins together; single-player games rely on one member of the team to rack up the most points.”

“So… the second floor isn’t a Stage?” Ikara guessed.

Kaidu nodded. “It’s a Scenario. A game.”

“Is that why we’ve been playing tag the whole week?” Rowan asked.

“We have to play tag in the Tower?” Ikara stared, nonplussed. “Wait, for real? I thought the Tower was all life and death.”

“Once you’re inside, you’ll understand the details,” Kaidu replied.

Rowan clapped his hands together. “Right. Tower tag, sounds fun.”

Kaidu narrowed his eyes. “Don’t let your guard down because it’s a children’s game. Your lives will be at stake.”

“It is the Tower. That’s kind of assumed,” Ikara said, shrugging.

“Many people underestimate the second floor and die for their mistake. Do not take it lightly.”

“Got it, boss. No worries,” Ikara said, waving her hand.

Kaidu frowned.

“Look, let’s not get all freaked out before we even enter the Tower,” Rowan said. “We’ve got weapons. We’ve got armor. We have Kaidu’s training. We’re much better off than we were on the first floor. We’ve got this.”

“Right!” Ikara agreed, punching the air.

Clicking his tongue, Kaidu spun away, coat snapping after him.