A wise mortal claimed that the truth will set you free, but I wonder if that is true. I’m not condoning lies, but responsibility. In telling your truth, you are passing your shackles onto others. Can you be free if you are now responsible for those you’ve imprisoned?

~Arianrhod, Goddess of Rebirth and Fate

The fat demon stared at Crow.

“I never expected you’d get through that so easily, but then again, I do not know why the Tower of False Dawn would curse you.”

“Tower of False Dawn? How did a tower curse me?” Crow doubted what he heard but thought that a senior like this wouldn’t spew random nonsense.

“Those flames inside you are Flames of the False Dawn. Each tower has its own flame, and inside me are the Flames of the Sacred Sun. Usually, your Shield would form from these flames, but this curse used the fires of the tower and attached them to your soul. It is fascinating. The reason you suffer is that a typical Shield is inert, and the flames are not. That flame inside you feeds off the three paths of cultivation: Mind, Body, and Spirit. Together, these things form your soul. Those Shields attach to your soul, and because it is inert, it requires you to cultivate and grow it like nurturing a child.”

The demon lifted his arm and extended a gnarled finger. Using the sharp tip of his nail, he sliced through his chest. A fiery red-gold light filled the dim cavern with its radiance. Crow’s eyes could pierce through the glow and saw a Shield that looked like black glass.

“This is called a Gloom Shield, which is only gained by climbing the Tower of the Sacred Sun. Which was protected by my sect—my family…”

“Wait, wait, wait…” Crow took a deep breath, overwhelmed by what he’d just heard. It was true what the elders used to say, knowing too much would do him more harm than good. He felt like his brain had just stopped working. The Gloom Shield was confusing, too, since it gave off that golden light.

The demon’s eyes glinted with mirth, but he waited for Crow to catch up. The Draoidh bloodline was really impressive, and he could recognize the scent instantly. In the demon’s addled memories, he felt indebted to them but couldn’t remember why. It was just an impression, but it was the only reason he hadn’t devoured this kid. Had anyone seen the demon give Crow the Vortex Pin, they’d have lost their minds.

“Is the Tower of the Sacred Sun part of the Uru? A primordial god represents your tower, correct?”

The demon’s eyes widened, and his mouth fell open. “That—is all true, but how do you know about the Uru?”

Crow remained silent.

“Fine, you brat. Yes. There is a… union, council? No… alliance? Yes. The Alliance of the Eclipse, whose headquarters are at the thirteenth tower—”

“Huh? Thirteenth tower?” Crow felt like his mind was struggling to wade through mud. He knew there were lesser towers, but it sounded like this was something more specific than that. Was this what Dagda avoided speaking about?

“The thirteenth tower is the heart of the formation… you know about Uru but not about the—dammit. I probably shouldn’t say anything more.”

“Wait, what formation?” Crow faintly wondered if the demon was toying with his mind on purpose.

“The Towers of Day or Night are part of the inner section of a formation. The thirteenth tower is the only tower in the upper realms. It is the core of the formation. It divides the lower and upper realms, but it also takes most of the origin energy and moves it upward. That means the normal cultivation methods of old won’t work in the lower realms. Your world lacks enough origin energy to do so. I won’t say the towers are the only way to ascend, but I honestly can’t think of another method.”

It was at that point that Crow recognized it was going to be a long two days.

“Why do all that? And does someone control the thirteenth tower?”

“Nope, but the Alliance of the Eclipse uses the ground floor as their headquarters. I believe they want to take control of it, but lack the ability to understand the formations. Enough about that, you’ll know in time. The most important thing I want to tell you is that my legacy can’t be used until you reach the upper realm. It will only bring you to harm if you try now. You can read and analyze it but do not use it.”

“Why build the towers at all?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

Crow stopped to think for a second. “No, it isn’t.”

The demon chuckled. “I suppose you’re right. The formation is to protect cultivators, like you, from bastards like me. Imagine if someone like me could come down to your lower realm world unhindered… I could enslave your entire world. Do you think you could stop me? You couldn’t. Even if I slept in an open field and your entire planet attacked me all at once, my body would be impervious to anything you could do.”

That was true. Crow had the distinct impression that this demon was beyond ordinary. It didn’t rank up there with the thing he’d seen in the fountain, but the feeling the beast gave him was similar to the god Dagda.

The demon continued with his explanation. “As you already know, the primordial gods created these towers, which means this is a primordial level formation. Not even the most powerful gods in the upper realms can resist it.”

“Wait!” Crow nearly lost his mind when he thought of something else. “The-the ‘heavens!’ Are you saying the heavens are a formation?”

Although it was phrased as a question, Crow already knew the truth. It rang in his mind like the sound of a bell threatening to destroy him. He knew from some ancient texts that this sound echoed when a cultivator learned or shared forbidden knowledge. However, the heavens couldn’t find him.

“It is, and it attacks cultivators with power levels that do not belong in the lower realms. People like me would rarely visit the lower realms because I’d have to suppress almost all my cultivation. More than a few of my comrades have died attempting it. It is almost always the same process every time. Danger approaches, they are forced to unlock their cultivation, the heavens attack, and then the mortal cultivators finish the job. The risk isn’t worth it. So those that ascend will seldom descend.”

“But aren’t the guardians too powerful?”

“They are an exception because they’ve made a deal with the tower. I was once a guardian. That is why I have a Gloom Shield.”

“What is a Gloom Shield?” Crow asked and looked down at the demon’s chest. It had already sealed a while ago, and now even the scar disappeared.

“Shields are the tower’s gift, as I’ve stated. Each tower produces a different type of Shield. Your tower provides you with the Soul Shield, and in my opinion, it is one of the three most powerful. This Gloom Shield probably ranks fifth or sixth, and it can absorb darkness and strengthen any spell or technique using the dark element. Soul Shields protect you from curses… ironically.”

“Doesn’t that also mean any soul-related abilities would also get strengthened?”

“Indeed.”

Crow scratched his head. His brain hurt, but this conversation had already exposed the fact that he was just a frog in a well. The world he saw above was so tiny compared to the truth. It didn’t matter what the demon was planning. Crow felt that the knowledge and coins were an appropriate compensation.

“That isn’t all, is it? The purpose of the towers isn’t just to protect us.”

“Go on,” the demon smiled.

“It is providing a richer environment for the upper realms to cultivate to a higher power. At the same time, since it’s taking from the lesser realms, it is providing a controlled opportunity to ascend.”

“Close enough. That Shield is a blessing and a curse. It’ll ensure you are a true talent if you can reach the upper realms, but it marks you as an ascender. Out of habit, I’ve kept mine hidden, because if I didn't I probably wouldn't have lasted a week when I first ascended," The demon sighed, remembering his first days in the upper realm. Beaten and disgraced until he wanted to kill everyone. "The entire formation is an imperfect idea, but better than the previous situation from what I understand. Many worlds were subjugated and evil pervaded. Kid... I hesitate to say this, but I think I shouldn't hide it from you. If no one controls the thirteenth tower, what happens if the tower’s spirit gains sentience…?” The demon smiled mysteriously.

“It… it would want to kill anything that could threaten it!”

“And now you know why you, and other geniuses like you, are a target. You know why I’m here, chained to Dragonstone, and my entire sect destroyed. I made a mistake and threatened that damned tower, and because it destroyed me, I came to understand something. The tower can only be controlled by someone that has a Shield. After all, the heavens rarely touch upper realm cultivators and harshly punished any of those who tried to descend.”

Crow sat there, stunned, his mind in turmoil. Absently, he rubbed the scars on his palm. The demon’s words exposed a wound that hadn’t yet healed. Revealed a truth he wished hadn’t come to light. Crow didn't become unfated until his Source opened, meaning the heaves should have already noticed him.

Was his mother taken because of him?