Knocking at your door [BL]

After about an hour of flight, the coastline finally came into view.

It looked like a scene from a post-apocalyptic movie. The shore was littered with debris, and any structure or dwelling that had once stood there was now nothing more than ruins.

As the group drew closer, Lennox could make out, more clearly with each passing moment, people on the ground helping each other survive the catastrophe.

Without realizing it, he gave voice to his thoughts: "What a desolation. It looks like the end of the world just happened."

Jason, seated behind him on Nebar's back, heard the whispered words and found himself completely in agreement.

"Definitely the end of the world as we knew it."

"Yeah. The sooner we adapt, the better our chances of surviving in this new one."

Nebar continued flying over the ruined city, heading steadily toward their destination. Despite having no wings, he moved as if gravity were nothing more than a suggestion. His motion was smooth—almost dreamlike—as though he were gliding through the air itself, buoyed by magic.

Lennox watched in silence. Now and then he could vaguely recognize the outline of a familiar building, but they were all hollow shells, surrounded by rubble and smoke.

Without slowing down, the creature flew on, undisturbed.

A deep sense of compassion and pity stirred in Lennox as he looked down at the people below—people clearly not faring well. He turned to David and asked: "Aren't we stopping here?"

"No. Not yet. The situation is still highly unstable," David replied calmly. "What you're seeing, although completely destroyed, is actually one of the safer zones. We're heading northwest—you'll soon see our operational base."

"I see," Lennox replied.

If anyone had been paying close attention, they might have noticed a slight note of disappointment in his voice, but no one said anything.

As they continued their journey, the landscape gradually began to change. The ruins gave way to a strange, almost alien environment—something that seemed ripped straight from the pages of a fantasy illustration: trees in vibrant hues, mostly deep blues and vivid purples, lined the terrain. The sky above shifted its color every minute, as if it were alive, responding to some unseen rhythm.

But what truly took Lennox and Jason by surprise were the structures.They defied the laws of physics—and, in some cases, even gravity itself. Buildings floated sideways, twisted into impossible angles, or hovered gently above the ground. And there, rising above the surreal scene, stood a tower.

Tall, slender, and translucent, it shimmered with colors that changed depending on the angle from which it was viewed—like a diamond catching the sunlight.

Upon closer inspection, Lennox noticed strands of glowing energy extending from the tower's peak, stretching far into the sky like the limbs of a magical tree.

It was like a mirage… or perhaps a vision from a futuristic dream, depending on how one chose to describe it.

Despite its delicate appearance, the structure radiated a sense of strength and permanence. One thing was clear: it didn't belong to this world.

"There it is," said David. "Welcome to the Glass Tower."

Lennox's eyes widened. "Glass Tower?"

"A structure of steel and glass, all reinforced with a magical energy field to increase its durability. It's a remnant of our original dimension, a piece of our world that remained untouched after the fusion. Now, it serves as our headquarters."

Meanwhile, Lia whispered something into Nebar's ear, prompting the creature to begin a slow, graceful descent toward the ground.

Once they landed, they were greeted by a team of agents dressed in sleek, technologically advanced uniforms, minimalist in design, yet refined in their elegance.

The newcomers were escorted into the Tower through an entrance that seemed to materialize out of thin air. Inside, the ambient light appeared to radiate naturally, as if the crystal walls themselves gathered and amplified the daylight.

Lennox walked in silence alongside Jason and Lia. He was tired, yet filled with an odd sense of anticipation, likely a result of everything he had just experienced.

Everything here was unfamiliar, and each corner of the Tower seemed to hold secrets waiting to be uncovered.

Despite the unease in his chest, he couldn't take his eyes off the Tower's breathtaking beauty.

After a few corridors, they arrived at a spacious lounge area furnished with sofas and low tables, a kind of relaxation zone.

David pointed toward one of the couches, motioning for Lennox and Jason to sit down. He and Lia took a seat on the opposite side.

Still dazed, Lennox finally couldn't hold back any longer.

"Now that we're safe, David… could you explain more clearly what's going on? We understand the basics, about the dimensional rift and the fusion, but that's it. We'd really appreciate more context."

"Of course," David replied calmly. "You deserve answers. As I mentioned earlier, the dimensional fusion caused a collision between two separate realities, yours and ours. Many territories have overlapped, while others have vanished completely. What you see around you now is one such merged zone. Certain places have become dangerously unstable. And, as we're beginning to discover, other life forms have undergone mutations as well. We don't fully understand the extent yet, but I suspect the creatures you encountered earlier are part of those mutations."

"How do we know if this situation is permanent?" Jason asked.

"Impossible to say," David replied. "The information we currently have is far too limited to form any solid hypotheses."

Lennox listened silently, his thoughts racing. Magic, dimensional fusion, the overwhelming sense of disorientation… and, more than anything, the unshakable feeling that all of this was just the beginning.

"For now, I can only offer limited details," David continued in a professional tone. "But if you choose to stay and lend a hand, you'll have the opportunity to uncover much more. In the meantime, a temporary room has been prepared for you here inside the Tower."

He paused, then added with a note of firmness, "Let me be clear, you're not yet part of the active team. For the moment, you're our guests. However, given your potential, we'd like to monitor your abilities and see if, in the future, you might prove useful to our efforts. If you do choose to remain, reflect on what we might require from you."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "So... we're under surveillance?"

David nodded. "If you prefer to see it that way, yes. But don't worry. You'll have full access to most areas of the Tower, and if you show both control and a willingness to collaborate, there's a chance you'll be integrated into future operations."

Lennox simply nodded, still overwhelmed by everything he had seen. A room, at that point, sounded like a solid miracle.

"A place to sleep sounds perfect," he murmured tiredly. "As long as it's not a cell."

David stood and gave a small smile. "No cells. Just soft beds and windows with a view."

With a wave of his hand, an agent appeared seemingly out of nowhere and motioned for Lennox and Jason to follow.

The two stood up, and Lennox waved at Lia, who immediately waved back with a small smile.

The agent led them down one of the side corridors.

Inside, the Tower felt almost alive: the walls emitted a soft, ambient glow, the air was light and subtly perfumed with something floral—faint and hard to define. It reminded Lennox of lavender, like the kind of scent that seemed to trail in the air whenever Lia used her magic.

Maybe that sensation came directly from the Tower's own magical energy.

After a few minutes of walking, they finally arrived at their rooms. The agent showed them how to open the doors using a fingerprint scanner and gave them a few useful instructions in case they needed assistance.

The rooms assigned to them were simple but welcoming: large beds, a work table, a small bookshelf filled with volumes written in languages Lennox couldn't recognize, a modest wardrobe, and a bathroom equipped with just the essentials.

As soon as he stepped inside, Lennox let himself fall onto the bed. The translucent ceiling allowed a view of the sky, most likely a magical illusion, which now had faded into a soft blue streaked with pale pink.

Jason arrived shortly after, having stopped by his own room to put away the few belongings he still owned. He sat on the only chair in Lennox's room.

"You think this is just the beginning?" Lennox asked, eyes fixed on the ceiling.

"I'm sure of it," Jason replied. "And I have a feeling it's going to involve us far more than we can imagine."

In the stillness of the Tower, the two friends, once rivals, unconsciously began to prepare themselves for what was to come.

What lay ahead wasn't a game or the plot of a storybook; it was real life.

Fatigue slowly crept over their bodies, but even more so over their minds.

They had lost someone dear, experienced things beyond comprehension—and the best (or worst) was yet to come.

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Jason quietly excused himself and returned to his own room to rest.

Now alone, Lennox summoned what little energy he had left and headed into the bathroom to wash off the long day.

He took a lukewarm, almost cold, shower, hoping to clear his head of the thoughts that wouldn't stop circling.

Not wanting to put his old clothes back on, he returned to the room in search of something more comfortable.To his surprise, he found a set of clothes already neatly placed in the wardrobe, perfectly tailored to his size.

He pulled on a soft T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants, both incredibly comfortable, and finally collapsed into bed, completely drained.

The mattress was soft, the sheets impossibly smooth, and within minutes, Lennox drifted into a deep sleep.

His dreams were filled with images and feelings, all orbiting around a single message:

Get ready, this is only the beginning.