White Tower

"Such a beautiful view..." Stark sighed calmly. He had never flown in an airplane before, but he doubted it would be as memorable an experience as flying on a giant seven-eyed bird named Tweety Bird.

The wind against him was refreshing, and the sunrise over the land, with all its orange glory, was phenomenal. The others were still scared by the beast, preferring to continue being grabbed by the wrists that were already marked and making them venture into the magnificent creature."Too bad we can't have a barbecue up here." He took another bite of the demon's thigh. The angel, who was supposed to be carrying him, was flying close by, guiding the creature with minimal intelligence."We're almost there..." In the distance, a large citadel came into view. From afar, they could see it was crossed by four rivers. It had some sort of religious chapel with a tall bell made of pure gold, surrounded by several smooth stone houses in a European style. Stark turned to Alice, who looked more like a natural witch than anything else."Take care of yourself. These folks seem to be from the time of the Crusades, they'll probably send you to the stake." She just rolled her eyes and laughed."How could a society with superhuman powers condemn witches?" Alice squinted at the distance and noticed something."By the way, where's the White Tower?" They expected an organization with that name to have a towering ivory structure threatening to reach God in the sky. But they hadn't seen anything like what they imagined."I know what you're thinking, and yes, it's in the center of the city. You can't see it from here, but you'll be impressed when we arrive…" Stark whistled. The angel seemed very sure while saying that, but he couldn't ignore how primitive the society seemed, with no internet or computers, no trains or railways, not even electric lights…"I know that was some sort of illusion... but is there any decent technology around here?" The angel calmed him, simply telling him to wait and see. Around the citadel, many people, like ants, were cultivating the fields, more houses scattered in the distance. The crowd couldn't help but notice the apocalyptic bird with an angelic army flying by, their looks of fear apparent.If not for the angels, the city guard would've been ready to repel the creature. Even so, they couldn't understand why it seemed so docile. Stark felt empowered by the gazes fixed on his new pet."I was going to let it go, but I think I might just keep it…" Turning to the angels, he asked:"Do these beasts eat a lot?" Still impressed by his audacity, they replied:"Have you seen its size?" He rubbed his chin."You've seen the size of the creatures around here. Just this demon alone can keep it fed for an entire day, I imagine..." They sighed deeply, seeing the seriousness in his eyes. The leader decided to join the conversation this time."If it relates to your abilities, the superiors might choose to sponsor you. For now, we'll keep it." His face lit up with genuine joy—it had been a while since he'd had a pet.They descended closer to the center of the city, and Stark finally had a good view of the townspeople. The place seemed like a regular market selling fruits, vegetables, and other supplies, and, as expected in a medieval village, some metal tools. However, what caught his attention most were the people.'He wasn't kidding when he said they might not even be human anymore…' They were strange. Their bodies could have tentacles or a single eye, extra limbs as thin as those of insects, and worst of all, they were androgynous, bald or with extremely short hair. Their resemblance to humans was minimal. If he hadn't been told they were essentially the same species, he might have killed them, thinking they were monsters.They were surrounded by these beings, who seemed to idolize them. Shouts echoed from all directions, praising those who returned victorious. Stark didn't understand much, so he just lightly waved at them, as did the other newcomers. The angelic beings seemed used to this and mostly offered only slight smiles. But what concerned him now was the White Tower before him...'Why is it so small?' It was round, only a few meters in diameter, just enough for a small double door, with only two stories. The leader guided them toward it, pushing open the door that, contrary to its appearance, was extremely heavy and carved from marble.Slowly, it dragged open across the floor, revealing endless darkness on the other side. The angels handed them necklaces, each containing a small black gemstone. After putting them on, including the bird.With a flash of the necklace, the bird shrank to the size of a common parrot and landed on Stark's shoulder.'Really impressive…'they advanced into the darkness, the door slamming shut behind them.As soon as the door closed, it felt like they had crossed into another world. The darkness vanished like a lifted curtain, and they were greeted by bright lights, finding themselves in a large entrance hall, with a steady flow of people coming and going, what seemed like a reception area, and several paths connecting to the central zone.Their appearance stood out from the people outside. Although most of them still had androgynous features, they looked more beautiful, or at least less ugly and human-like, similar to elfs,ocs or other humanoid species, much better dressed and groomed, with various hair lengths and shiny armor or cloaks."Thank... goodness there are still normal-looking people around here…" The relief was intense. Stark wasn't sure he could live in a society as bizarre as the one outside. This one was still strange, but at least it maintained a layer of normality.A young woman dressed as an attendant approached the angelic leader. She wore a skirt and buttoned clothes, giving her an elegant and refined appearance, with a clipboard and quill in hand."Welcome, Captain Amriel. Major Adriel is waiting for you in his office for the report." Amriel, the captain who had guided them there, turned to his men."Veterans, you're dismissed. Newcomers, come with me!" No second command was needed. The angels simply walked away, looking exhausted and yawning, some talking about the wonderful bonus they'd receive and how they would eat until they couldn't anymore.Stark, Alice, and the others followed behind him. They entered a sort of magical elevator, rising quickly through the Tower, which had dozens of floors.'Quite impressive.' He turned to Alice."How do you think they'll react?" The girl looked up for a moment, her expression deeply thoughtful."Well, it was certainly a hard blow for them. Many angels died in the last battle, and several of those who came with us didn't make it. Perhaps someone with potential couldn't handle the challenge... especially considering that the abilities of our group are certainly geared towards combat. Either way, we did well, and the results were within, if not above, expectations." Amriel, as tense as always since they met him, had once been curt and harsh like a general, but now he acknowledged them and decided to inform them."There's nothing to worry about. The Tower always welcomes new talents with open arms... but the result wasn't good, not at all. We hoped for a good harvest, and we did..." There was apprehension in his voice, as if he was suffering in advance.'Something is happening...' The door opened before he could continue. They walked through the corridors in silence, trying to process the whole situation, people still coming and going, most of them angelic in appearance on this floor, but not all had the large wings like those they had come with, nor were they as beautiful...They stopped at a massive door, at least three meters tall, made of bluish steel with golden details. Two guards stood on either side of the door, their short wings and robust appearances like giant warriors the size of the door, their white robes trailing to the floor, and their eyes glowing like two suns. An attendant with curly hair stood beside it, with a masculine appearance and an arrogant posture, a small golden ray of light surrounding him.'Charia had more imposing eyes...' Stark felt this deep within himself but didn't understand why he had such a thought. It was clear this was true, but why did he point it out internally?"I've come to see Adriel and report the mission's results." The attendant flipped through some pages on his clipboard and handed a quill and parchment to Amriel, who signed a few papers and passed the clipboard on to the newcomers.When it was his turn, Stark studied the paper out of curiosity. It was a contract with some clauses, including specific prohibitions like: no fighting in the room, no lying, no deceiving, no bribery, and so on.'The contract must have some power...' Stark read and reread it before signing, ensuring there was nothing shady. Once everyone signed, the attendant stepped aside while the guards reached out to open the massive door. Amriel, leading them, sighed long and deep."I hope it's not as bad as I fear..."