“KURIOSO MORTENUS AMANSIAS”

These were the same words from the journal. Seeing the words Axis stopped in his tracks and asked, “Emilia what do the words on the spine mean?”

Emilia first looked at the binder and then at Axis and said, “Axis what words are you talking about? There are no words on the spine.”

Saying this, Emilia picked up the binder again and gave a cursory glance while looking at Axis.

Axis did not understand what was happening and asked Emilia, “Do you know the meaning of KURIOSO MORTENUS AMANSIAS?” with a little bit of hope, trying to change the topic.

Emilia moved her head from side to side and denied ever hearing the words. Axis suddenly realized when he said those words, something changed.

His inner coat pocket was heavy. He lifted his left hand to feel it and he was flabbergasted finding the journal there.

He thanked Emilia and immediately left her office while going towards an old office which was used by many student couples to spend their time.

Finding it empty, Axis entered and locked the door behind him. Axis sat on a desk and brought the journal out of his pocket while thinking, “What happened here? I remember it leaving it on my desk at home. Why is it here? No, how is it here? Were those words some sort of spell?”

Thinking about this Axis was a bit scared but something in him was attracted to the fantastical phenomenon. It was something out of the tales from his childhood, something filled with mystery. This was one of the reasons he loved reading stories of the past to find something out of ordinary.

He looked at the journal and saw an Eye suddenly forming on the cover, almost dropping the book. The eye opened as if awakening from a long slumber. The Eye looked straight at Axis and looked happy.

Suddenly the journal transformed into bits of light and shot towards his forehead. Axis couldn’t do anything to stop it and then the light merged with his mind.

Axis felt a jolt of pain spreading from his forehead and traveling through his entire being. He felt something change in his soul if something like that existed. Axis had to hold a nearby desk for support after he recovered and suddenly saw the clock on the wall. It was already 8 PM, he had already spent 2 hours in this office without realizing it. He exhaled and lied down on the desk knowing no one will check this place.

Suddenly he felt his eyes turning heavy and his eyes closed. At that moment Axis’s consciousness turned inwards and saw a huge tower in the center. Its only feature was that it was imposing. Other than that it looked barren and was calling to him.

Axis moved towards the tower and suddenly he heard a voice from inside the tower.

“Tower Spirit welcomes the new master.”

Axis looked around and asked, “Who are you? Where am I?”

The spirit replied, “Master you are inside your dream and as for me I am the spirit of the tower, you called upon me by saying the Binding Creed. I am at your service now.”

“The journal was a fragment of my previous master’s tower. He bonded me to it in wait for a successor.”

Axis was trying to process all this information and asked, “Why me? Why was I chosen?”

The spirit replied, “Master left his creed on the journal, only those who can see the creed can call upon me. You were the first one to bind to me.”

Axis then looked at the tower and asked, “Then is this my tower?.”

The spirit replied in a gusto this time, “ Yes, this is your tower now Master.”

“ This is called a Dream Tower shaped from the energy of your dreams and the fragment of a tower.”

“What is this Dream tower?” asked Axis curiously.

“This is a culmination of your dreams and your consciousness transforming into a tower and providing great power and knowledge.”

“There exist 4 different types of Towers in this world. Dream Tower, Mind Tower, Bone Tower, and Magic Tower.”

“Please step inside the tower now.” Said the spirit while opening a door in the tower.

Axis finally entered the tower and saw nothing but space and a study table in the corner. Then an Eye appeared in the air and said, “Master I don’t have enough time left before my consciousness erases.”

Axis asked the reason and the tower replied, “I was meant to fall alongside my Master but he gave me a bit of his consciousness and allowed me to be sentient. He went through all this to guide you.”

The Eye looked sad as if remembering its master and then said again, “Master please open the repository of skills from your table.”

Axis went towards the study table and opened it. There he saw a repository on the table. He removed the lid of the repository to open it. As he opened it a multitude of Books on a massive shelf appeared before his eyes.

The shelf was divided into 3 levels. Upper level, a middle level, and the lower level.

The Eye appeared alongside Axis and said, “Master you have to choose 3 skills, one from each level. These will be your life-bound skills and you can never change them. Usually, people choose skills at their discretion but I have been ordered by my master to recommend you these 3 skills.”

“Dream Weaving, Dream Physique and Spectral Jester.”

“ Among these skills master only had Dream Weaving, but later he discovered synergy among these three skills the most.”

“ I humbly request you to choose them.”

Axis stood in front of the repository in a dilemma. There were all sorts of skills with powerful names like Nightmare Weapons, Dream Escape, Dreamscape Creation, etc. But Axis also understood he did not know these skills.

Axis chose the three skills and saw 3 books of light flowing towards his mind.

The Eye then sighed in relief and said, “Every tower user can only use 3 skills. As they increase their levels the power and effectiveness of these skills increase. The better synergy the user has, the stronger they get.”

Saying this the eye flickered and said, “Master I am tired now and have to save energy. We will continue this conversation after some time. You should get used to these powers.”

Saying this the Eye disappeared leaving Axis alone. Axis then willed to wake up and saw it was already 8:30 PM. He got up, dusted his clothes, and saw that the journal was no longer there. Axis then sneaked outside the office and went towards his home.

Deep inside the Eye reappeared and thought, “ It was so lonely without Master, endless darkness, no sense of self and helplessness. The times are changing and the New Master is not ready yet. I will finish my mission and rejoin you in the great unknown Master Ashville. Please wait for me.”

And it disappeared again.