WHAT!!?

The climb wasn't that difficult. The ladder itself was made of wooden rods fastened to the cobbled wall with iron brackets. Along the way there were a few cobwebs but nothing that obstructed the climbing path. I didn't expect any to be impeding the ladder face especially considering that Lina traversed it probably regularly. The wooden rungs had a few cracked members along the way however, which I remained aware of. There was also a small updraft that caused the air to smell like dust.

Soon enough, I arrived at a hatch which I promptly opened. Immediately, I was hit by the refreshing night air which only amplified the understanding of just how blanketed the air of the tower had been. But, what I saw nearly took that breath back away.

The night sky was bolstering her brightest jewelry she could ever wear. Stars... twinkled like diamonds... and the light of the moon shined like a blue pearl casting her melancholy light that contrasted beautifully with the torches lit on the buildings within the estate. The places where those lights touched each other left a royal purple haze against the grey bricks. As I stepped out onto the rooftop that the hatch opened to, those same kaleidoscope of colors hit Lina's eyes as she too even gasped quietly at the sight to be seen. I breathed in heavily before our gazes met.

"I've been coming here since I was a nine. This was where I was when I had my awakening." she smiled turning to look at the scenery yet again.

"It truly is beautiful, but if I must confess," I nervously said, "It is not near... Gahhh..."

My words were cut short by a searing pain in my head.

"Are you okay!?" Lina asked obviously startled, but she immediately turned from shocked to stern and understanding with a hint of concerned.

"I... I don't... what is... going on..." I managed to mouth through the pain.

"It's okay Connor..." She tried to console, "You're awakening has begun..."

I heard her words, but it was like the fog in my mind had taken over like a storm. Reshaping through what seemed like destruction and reconstruction at the same time.

"Connor... stay with me..." Lina encouraged him before grabbing him to keep him from losing his balance. "Just endure it... it'll be over soon..." She continued but her words were cut off...

"Shut up!!!!" I screamed as my head split from the immense chaos of noise of every kind blasting into my ears, my bones, my very being.

The fog had completely disintegrated but what replaced it was pure chaos as my hearing became immensely more enhanced, but I felt no connection to the flames of the many torches that lined the walls with the estate. I was awakened but not to fire like I always had expected... it was something entirely different...

'WHAT!!?'