FUG

A spark. Oftentimes, a spark was sufficient to ignite a forest. A fluttering flame may become a raging inferno and a small wind may transform into a tornado.

It wasn't the best of analogies, but Winston felt it was sufficient for the craziness everyone was displaying when their team walked into the test administration office. More specifically, when Charlotte walked into the test administration office.

At times like these, Winston found himself wondering about the idiocy of the mind and it's inability to veer off the things it considers beautiful. In a way, morality was also based on it; but that would be getting off topic.

Charlotte was an experiment. Seeing just how far he could push his abilities and make the most beautiful woman he could possibly consider.

And seeing the hundreds of people that were leering at his companion, or better yet, another him, he would say it was plenty successful. And not just that, all sorts of shouts accompanied their looks. Ranging anywhere from "Marry me, my goddess!" To "Leave those bums and join us."

In a way, it was humorous for him.

"That's going to get annoying." Charlotte said, clicking her tongue.

"Better get used to it." Said Bruce with a hearty chuckle. Winston looked at the final member of their team, the would be Amon. Only now, he was different. He resembled nothing that Amon stood for, even getting rid of his monocle. Winston felt that revealing Amon to the world now as a regular on the 23rd floor would undermine the legacy he was trying to create. Hence, a change in appearance.

"Let's get on with it." Charlotte said with palpable impatience. Even though it was Winston himself, as was all of his avatars, the situation seemed all the more humorous. Perhaps he was developing schizophrenia, talking to himself and making fun of essentially other versions of himself.

But they're my avatars, and they have their own brain and autonomy now. So, it doesn't count. Winston mused.

It seemed he had missed that his avatars were not like Amon's avatars who were completely autonomous. His avatars were completely controlled by him at all times. Giving them autonomy only reduced the burden. The decision making was still entirely in his own hands. So he was, in essence, talking to himself and making fun of himself.

After getting a place in the test about to occur, their team had to wait for 15 minutes for the test to start. And so, they waited.

As the time passed, they were even approached by many regulars that wanted to try their chance. To be specific, they were approached by a total of 37 regulars, all of which confessed their love to Charlotte.

Luckily, they didn't have to wait too long and the test started soon after.

As they walked into the testing zone, Winston suddenly turned and looked at a particular team, also here to take the test. Then, he smiled.

"It seems things are getting interesting." Said Bruce.

"Indeed they are." With that, they walked into a large hall. There was an elevated stage in the front and seats were erected all around the walls opposite to the stage. And on the stage stood a ranker. He was long and thin and wore a dark suit that stuck closely to his body. His cheeks were sunken and his long hair was tied into a pony tail.

As the teams arrived and sat on their respective seats, the ranker finally began to speak.

"Welcome all regulars. Congratulations on getting so far." He continued. "The test you will be taking to get to the next floor is simple.

"It is named "Key Hunt". The rules are simple." The lighthouse behind the ranker lit up, showcasing a large map.

"Five teams will be dropped into the map in their own 'bunker'. Each team will be given a total of 2 keys. To pass the test, all you need to do is get into the other team's bunker and insert the keys into their vault." The ranker said.

"Any team that is able to use both of their keys passes the test. If your own door is captured, the only way to recover is to conquer the door of the opposing team. The moment one of the teams win, the game will be continued among the remaining four and so on until 3 winners are there. Every time a team passes, the keys and the doors will reset, but the position of the regulars therein will not.

"Naturally, if a team is incapacitated before a winner is announced, that team is disqualified from the test."

Winston nodded at the man's explanation.

The ranker's eyes shone momentarily as he extended his hands.

"Then, let the test begin!"

The tests on the 2nd floor were evidently more complex than most others. There were expections to this, but the order of tests on the 2nd floor, coupled with it being the starting point of the journey made it far more difficult to get through than any other floors. Except maybe the floors the family heads ruled over.

Anyway, after the explanation was done, everyone was quite literally dropped onto the battle ground.

Winston and Co expertly landed onto the ground without too much trouble.

After that, they quickly made their arrangements and a plan of battle was decided.

Bruce and Amon were to stay were and 'defend,' if it were needed. While Charlotte and the original were to go with the keys and destroy the other teams.

"Along with that." Said Winston, breaking out with a toothy grin. "I'll pay a visit to that one."

With that, both of them stormed off, leaving a gust of Wind behind them.

~~~

Winston's intuition had become far stronger after getting to Sequence 6. As such, he could perform spirit rod dowsing simply by moving in a particular direction. Utilizing a stick was no longer needed.

Before long, he had already reached the base of one of the unsuspecting teams who had only begun to make themselves comfortable after the fall and prepare a method of attack.

And before any of them could react, baangs rained down on them. 4 to be exact.

Boom!

An explosion rang out in the forest and a dust cloud followed. Winston walked calmly, dressed in a black suit with a half top hat and a tail coat, accompanied by a half top hat. He had his hands in his pockets.

As the dust began to clear and the after math began to grow visible, Winston smiled fondly as he took on the figure of the last regular on the opposite team. Their fifth 'member' and one of Winston's acquaintances.

A young lady with bright red hair that flowed to her back walked out from the dust. On her face was a mask that covered her right eye and she wore a white dress that flowed down her legs.

"Hwaryun. What brings you here?"

"I'm surprised you recognized me." Winston's eyes travelled behind her, where, on the ground rested a blonde coloured wig and a face mask.

"I just have good intuition." He smiled.

Hwaryun only nodded in response, making the surroundings dim into an awkward silence.

"You.. were you looking for me?"

"Why do you think so?" Hwaryun inquired.

Winston's smile widened, appearing a bit mischievous. "Guess." He said.

"...is it your intuition?"

"Bingo!" He snapped his finger and nodded.

A smile blossomed on her face.

"I suppose I was, yes." She continued. "I take it you also know why?"

"I'm just a good guesser. Not a prophet."

A chuckle could not help but fall from her mouth. Her left eye, bright red in colour gazed at him with a strange emotion.

"I'm here to invite you."

"To where?"

"Do you know of FUG?"

Winston stared at her for a moment, taking in the implications of her words.

"I might have heard of them in passing."

Hawryun's lips stretched into a faint smile, a contrast to her stoic expression.

"We should have a talk after the test."

~~~

Sip~

The red witch calmly sipped the coffee in her hands. The room was mostly empty, hosting only the two individuals.

"Are you not going to introduce me to your team?" Hwaryun chuckled.

"Consider yourself introduced already. They know about you."

"You told them already?"

"More or less." Winston shrugged his shoulders. "Now what's this about FUG I'm hearing?"

Hwaryun's gaze turned serious and she put the cup back down to the table.

"As you might know, FUG is an organization that actively opposes Jahad, the King of this tower and seeks to kill him."

Winston nodded for her to continue, already having an inkling to her true intentions. And connecting the dots, he already had a feeling he would not like the big reveal.

"But each of the family heads is absurdly stronger than anything the tower has seen. Not to mention regulars like Adori Jahad within the Jahad forces that rival the family heads. And finally, there's Jahad himself who is contracted to be unkillable by anyone born inside the Tower."

An eyebrow was raised at the last line. Hwaryun continued unabated.

"And that means, an irregular is needed to kill the King."

Winston stared at her for a moment.

"Was it Headon?" He asked. "A Guardian is involved with FUG? Shouldn't that give you guys much of an advantage?"

A glimmer of shock travelled through her face for a moment. "Headon does not support any particular group. His only harbors a distaste for irregulars. That is the reason he gave us information about you."

"So the coffee addict was involved in that?" Winston chuckled, connecting the dots.

"That's right."

Suddenly, the surroundings chilled and a wave travelled through Hwaryun's spine.

"Let me ask you one more thing... was Bam's fall also a ploy by FUG?"

Hwaryun's eyes widened. And that was all the confirmation he needed.

He chuckled. And then, he laughed.

Leaning back into the couch, he kept laughing.

This situation... this is... somewhat displeasing... A plethora of thoughts came and went as he calmed himself down through cogitation.

"Why did you approach me then? And why should I not kill you here?" He asked.

Hwaryun had regained her composure, appearing extremely calm.

"Our elder, lord Hellam had seen something about you. It was not clear what, but he made the decision to invite you to us. And so he has sent me."

"Is that all there is to it? You saw a prophecy and decided to follow through with it?" He continued. "Give me one reason to let you go."

Hwaryun was silent.

Winston mirrored her silent state, quietly contemplating the next course of action.

"Bam is alive, correct?"

"Yes."

"And what use would he be to you? Just a weapon to kill Jahad?"

"No." She shook her head. "He will be our God. Someone that makes our wishes come true."

"And you wanted me to be the same?"

"Hopefully."

A dry laughter accompanied Winston's next words. "I suppose you should leave them. I'm no God."

He got up from the sofa.

"It was nice connecting with you. But that ends here." With that, he motioned towards the door.

Hwaryun got up without any words and began to walk out.

But just before she left, she spoke.

"The allegiance of the red witches does not lie with FUG, it lies with fate. And Fate demands the blood of the King." She looked back to him. "Bam is already on that path. As for you, Winston. I can only see a fog at the end of your path."

With that, she was gone.

Winston was the only one left in the room, along with his own thoughts.

~~~

A/N: I re-wrote this chapter, THREE TIMES! The entire chapter! And it still didn't come out as I'd planned! Sometimes, the characters just do whatever they want I swear.

It wasn't even in the plan to reveal Bam to him yet, but it just.. wrote itself? If that makes sense?

Anyway, tell me your thoughts about this chapter.

And as always, donate the stones.

Cheers~~