Everyone stood outside the Queen's body—waiting.
The silence was heavy.
Then, with a rush of pressure, the bubble emerged from the depths.
It floated to the surface… and popped.
Rachel spilled out, landing hard on the ground, drenched in viscous green fluid. She lay there, unmoving, gasping for air.
But—
There was no sign of Baam.
Rak was the first to react.
"Hey! Woman turtle!" he barked, stomping toward her.
"Where's the Black Turtle?!"
Rachel's eyes fluttered open. Her body trembled, lips pale.
"We… we were attacked," she whispered hoarsely. "The Bull… it came out of nowhere..."
The others froze, stunned.
Endorsi stepped forward.
"What are you saying? What happened to Baam?!"
Khun's voice was sharp, panic lacing his words.
"Where is he, Rachel?!"
Even Narae, usually composed, looked stricken.
"Rachel, please... tell us what happened."
But Rachel said nothing more.
Her eyes rolled back, and her body went limp.
She collapsed, unconscious.
A dreadful silence followed, and one truth hung heavy in the air—
Baam was gone.
---
Everyone had gathered in a quiet, dimly lit room.
Lero-Ro stood at the front, arms crossed, his expression somber.
"We conducted a thorough investigation," he said, voice steady but subdued. "There was no sign of Baam's body. Given the circumstances… it's most likely he was devoured by one of the fish in the reservoir."
He sighed deeply, the weight of the words lingering in the room.
"It's… unfortunate."
No one spoke.
The silence settled like dust.
Then, breaking the quiet, Paracule raised a hesitant hand.
"Um… so, what about the results of the test?"
Endorsi snapped around.
"You're seriously asking that now?!"
Paracule barked back, defensively.
"What?! I came here to climb the Tower!"
A few people shot him sharp looks—cold and resentful.
Paracule glanced around, arms raised.
"What's everyone's problem?"
Lero-Ro cleared his throat, cutting through the tension.
"The test is over. You all pass."
He turned, already walking toward the exit.
"We'll contact you soon about the next step."
Then he was gone.
Rak let out a guttural roar that echoed off the walls—a sound filled with pain and frustration.
No one else cried, but the silence was telling—every face strained to contain the storm inside.
---
Later, back in the dorms, the atmosphere hadn't lifted.
Hatz leaned against the wall, arms folded.
"We all owe Baam, don't we?"
Endorsi sat with her knees pulled to her chest.
"But how do we repay someone who's… gone?"
Rak grunted. "I know. We take the woman turtle to the top. It's what the Black Turtle would've wanted."
Narae blinked, unsure. "You mean… Rachel? She's disabled."
Khun, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke. His voice was soft but resolute.
"We can't let it end like this. Baam gave everything for us—he believed in each of us, even when we didn't believe in ourselves."
He looked around the room.
"So we climb. Not just for our own goals anymore, but for his dream. For the stars he wanted to see."
A beat of silence followed—then one by one, they nodded.
In the end, they chose to continue the climb.
Not as individuals.
But as a team… carrying Baam's will with them.
---
Lero-Ro strode down the corridor, his footsteps echoing off the cold, polished floor.
He stopped in front of a door and knocked once before entering.
Inside, Hansung Yu sat comfortably, a steaming cup of tea in hand, his expression calm—unbothered, as if the chaos of the last few days hadn't touched him at all.
Lero-Ro's eyes narrowed.
"How much of this did you plan?" he asked quietly. "The Fish Hunt… Baam… everything?"
Hansung took a slow sip of tea, then smiled faintly.
"You're always so serious."
"Don't deflect," Lero-Ro snapped. "What did you do to Rachel?"
Hansung set the cup down with a soft clink.
"I didn't do anything."
His tone was too even to be believable.
Lero-Ro studied him for a long moment, then turned and walked out without another word.
As soon as the door shut behind him, Hansung activated his Pocket and whispered into it.
"It's fine. Everything has gone according to plan."
He paused, a thin smile curving his lips.
"All the Princesses of Jahad believe Baam is dead. That's all that matters."
---
In another room.
Quant leaned against a wall, arms crossed, brow furrowed. "You quit your job as a test administrator?"
Lero-Ro, now dressed in a sleek black suit, nodded. "Yes. They're using this chaos as an excuse to restructure… bring in new blood."
Quant scoffed. "So you're getting the boot too, huh?"
Lero-Ro didn't answer immediately. He looked past Quant, as if staring at something far beyond the room—beyond the Tower itself.
"No. I'm choosing this path. I'm climbing the Tower."
Quant blinked, startled. "What? Why? Lero-Ro, are you serious?"
Lero-Ro's gaze hardened. "There are answers at the top."
Without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked away.
---
Later, all the remaining Regulars gathered in a quiet room. The shadows of loss lingered in the silence, the absence of Baam weighing on everyone's hearts.
Hansung Yu stood before them, his voice calm yet solemn as he addressed the group.
"Let me offer a prayer for those who passed this test," he began.
"The Tower is long and merciless. I hope that at the end of your path, you find what you've been searching for.
I hope that the hand which grasps your deepest desire is one you can be proud of. That the steps you've taken—and will take—don't fill you with regret."
He paused, his gaze sweeping across them.
"May you have strength, and above all, may at least one friend remain by your side at the end of it all."
The room fell into reflective silence.
Khun, standing near Rachel, turned slightly toward her. His voice was low, bitter, and full of something heavier than disappointment.
"Baam… he really cared about you."
Rachel's eyes remained fixed ahead.
"I know."
Khun's eyes narrowed.
"No. You don't.
If you truly understood what he felt for you… you wouldn't be here now."
Rachel remained silent, the words cutting through the stillness like a blade.
Khun let out a breath, more exhale than sigh.
"Sometimes I wish… I'd met him before you did."
Rachel glanced at him, her expression unreadable. Then, faintly, she offered a smile—thin, almost mocking… or perhaps hollow.
"I see now. Baam was... deeply loved."
A moment later, a red glow shimmered around them.
Without warning, they vanished—teleported away to the next floor.
---
Far below the surface of the sea. Following the conclusion of the test.
Soft currents stirred the sands of the ocean floor. A lone figure, dressed in pink robes, a staff in hand, walked calmly through the dim blue, her silhouette softened by the drifting light.
Hwaryun came to a stop at a specific point, as if guided by fate. Before her, the sand shifted. A soft glow pierced the gloom—dim, flickering, but steady. A figure, surrounded by a protective bubble of Shinsu, had washed ashore. The light haloed his frail form like a fading star stranded in the abyss.
Hwaryun narrowed her eyes.
"Stars can shine anywhere," she whispered to herself.
She waited.
I should take him and leave before anyone starts looking around, she thought.
Time passed in silence. Eventually, the bubble flickered and dissolved.
Baam stirred.
Disoriented and battered, he turned on his side, dragging himself from the remnants of the sphere. His movements were sluggish, his breath uneven. He winced in pain—bruises lined his limbs, and a sharp headache pulsed behind his eyes.
The unfamiliar surroundings spun around him.
"What happened? Where... am I?" he murmured.
A voice answered from the shadows.
"You're awake."
Baam turned toward the speaker. A woman with crimson eyes and a calm demeanor stepped into the light.
He blinked at her.
"You are?"
"Hwaryun," she said simply.
Baam winced as he sat up.
"I don't know you," he muttered.
Hwaryun tilted her head slightly.
"Can't you remember?"
She knelt beside him, her gaze thoughtful.
"It seems you hit your head and are experiencing a loss of memory."
Baam tried to piece it together, fragments of pain surfacing but not forming a complete picture.
"Did you come to rescue me?"
"Yes. I'm here to bring you back."
"Why?"
Hwaryun looked into his eyes.
"You have the ability to ascend the Tower."
Baam frowned, weariness in his voice.
"Why should I care about that?"
Slowly, he pushed himself to his feet, swaying.
"You have the key to knowing everything," she said quietly.
Baam stared at her.
"I just want to know\..."
"Then climb," Hwaryun said. "If you want answers, become strong. I'll train you."
Baam hesitated for a long moment. Then, without a word, he extended his hand.
Hwaryun took it. With her help, he rose to his feet.
He looked at her.
"I'll go with you. For now."
He offered a faint smile.
"You seem kind."
Hwaryun smiled back, her expression unreadable.
"Let's begin, then."
She turned, her staff tapping lightly against the stone as she walked ahead.
Baam followed.