Though only fourteen minutes of the fifty-minute adventure had passed, the torchlight no longer allowed him to waste time. Shade followed the Fireball through the black mist and quickly reached the foot of the tower, only to find a shadow guarding the entrance blocking both his and the Fireball's way.
The shadow held out its right palm toward Shade and raised two fingers on its left hand.
"Two coins to get in?"
The shadow nodded.
Shade took a deep breath.
"So the coins earned at Black Mist Camp have to be spent here. You won't let me take even one out, is that it?"
Though he said that, he still handed over his final two coins. The shadow stepped aside and even pushed open the door for Shade. The Fireball flew in first, with Shade following behind.
The tower was likewise filled with black mist. The interior of this dilapidated tower was not large, unlike the sort of tower Mr. Edmund lived in at Coldwater Port, one spacious enough for someone to reside in. Theoretically, the first floor, which should have had the largest area, had nearly a quarter of its space taken up by the staircase alone.
The stairs were also made of stone, but stepping onto them still felt exceedingly dangerous. The spiral staircase led toward the higher levels of the tower, and just as Shade stepped onto the first stair, the torch in his hand finally went out.
The sudden chill made Shade freeze completely. The black mist, once repelled by the light, instantly swallowed him, only to recede somewhat due to the silver radiance on the surface of his body.
"Oh, it's so cold~"
Shade reached out to brace himself against the wall so he would not fall. The numbness in his soul made his body