Scene 1 - Tower of Mirrors

Meanwhile, as Rune, Qao and the geek figured out where they stand, in another part of the labyrinth Saren was fighting his own battles.

Spitting blood on the ground Saren drank a tier 2 potion pulling the glass dagger from his gut. He drinks it all and poured some on his wound to staunch the bleeding. With his body treatment done he kicked the glass figure beneath him into pieces.

“What nerve reading our memories to attack us in those glass form, whoever came up with this twisted idea should offer his head to me.”, Saren scuffed as he checked his surrounding quietly with a watchful eye as he allowed his wound to heal.

He had been dragged into this twisted plane where mirrors and fog gathered around him in layers. It was a building of glass that stretched twenty-one floors full of hardship, deception, and deceit.

He had only climbed to the third floor and he felt the rage building up within his body. Attacked by glass look-alikes of his siblings, his master, apprentice sister, and even his dead mother. Everyone he had ever cared for or had some affection to popped out the unknown, saying sweet words of kindness as they reached out with open arms.

They glass dolls were so life-like and he knew other contestants were forced to take apart in climbing the glass spire. He just didn’t know their faces as a faint fog cover everyone's features and changed their voice.

He didn’t know if one of these blasted glass dolls were his family so he could only wound their legs and talk afterward they would understand. Unfortunately, his plan that worked for the first two floor stopped working as the glass arms and legs of the glass dolls had grown stronger making it harder to only deal minor damage to limbs allowing for one to get in close and stab his but.

Fortunately to his weapons memories allowed him to take little damage and dismembered the glass doll before any more damage could be done. But with the stronger dolls, he knew in his head that he couldn’t go on like this. He must go forward and put more power in his bow and not hesitate to fight who came at him.

His logical mind knew the answer, yet his heart kept bleeding every time he fought the doll look-alikes. Even though his heart bleed he had to proceed forward he couldn’t fail his master and siblings in forfeiting over some stupid game.

Take a break to heal his wounds Saren took a deep breath and got his mental state in check, locking his emotions tightly in his chest Saren’s eyes grew cold as his senses grew heightened.

He moved forward without looking back going through room by room in silence as his reflections played tricks on him. Strange words seemed to be chanting in his ears testing the strength of his heart as he proceeded forward.

‘Why did you kill me, junior brother?’

‘How Dare you strike your master!’

‘Why would you kill your mother?’

Such whispers made the veins on his forehead twitch with annoyance at the voices pecking at him with no end. Reaching the staircase in a hurry to get out of this place as fast as possible Saren almost didn’t notice the figure that walked out at the same time from another hallway.

His eyes widen seeing that the figure was familiar to him, the man chest was bare with tons of scars covering his body and a scar under his eye that made him look menacing was no doubt his elder brother Vince.

Vince also noticed Saren and smiled saying a few words, “Younger brother! I’m glad you got away from that beast hoard it’s good to see you safe and sounds! Man these glass golems are real pricks just one before looked like Rune and I had to ki--”

And arrow knocked in a flash Saren shoot straight at Vince's heart not giving him any time to dodge as the arrow sunk straight between his brows. For the first time instead of broken glass, blood started to pore, yet Saren didn’t move forward and instead cursed at Vince.

Vince stared at the arrow in his chest in shock holding then stared at Saren in disbelief coughing out blood he fell to his knees, “Little brother why…”

His eyes filled with rage and anger roared with furry Saren made an arrow condense from thin air pulling it back to a full moon aiming at Vince's head, “How dare you! How dare you pretend to be my elder brother! Elder brother would never harm elder sister! He loves her too much! Whoever made this shitty place is going to taste my fury!”

Letting go of the string Saren let the arrow fly straight for his big brothers head and Saren didn’t skip out on the power drilling into Vince's head causing blood to splatter outward making a massive hole through his forehead.

Vince fell back and when he made contact with the glass his body shattered to pieces of glass. Saren walked over the bits and ascended the stairs his face cold and emotionless to the next floor, despite the voices nagging his ears every so often Saren had figured something out after facing the fake Vince.

Every doll of glass looked so perfect, they might have the same voice, they might look exactly like the same figure of his memories. But Saren could tell they were too perfect to be his loved ones, be it their clothes, their words, their posture, something would always give them away.

Despite being a test of the heart it had given him a way forward it seemed and that was don’t trust anyone he came across, suspicion, suspicion, and more suspicion.

Trust no one in this tower rely on himself, everything was false move with caution close off your heart, break mortal ties. His life was on the line and couldn’t take the risk of being killed by the glass dolls it would make his siblings sad.

So he must live! Live on his wits and make it to the top of the glass tower!