Chapter 55: The Weight of Belief
On the deck of the ship cutting through the dark waves toward the Tower of Heaven, Erza Scarlet found herself bound tightly to a wooden mast. The moon was high, casting a silver pallor over the wood and the glowing green ropes that bit into her skin. The rest of the crew had retreated to the lower decks to sleep, leaving her alone with the sound of the ocean, until a soft footfall announced the arrival of Sho.
He stopped a few feet away, his expression unreadable in the shadows.
"Release me, Sho," Erza demanded, her voice firm despite the exhaustion pulling at her limbs. "This madness has gone far enough."
Sho shook his head slowly, the diamond earring in his ear catching a glint of moonlight. "I cannot do that, nee-san. You know I cannot."
Erza began to struggle against her bonds, her muscles tensing as she tried to force the ropes to give way. Sho watched her with a look of pity that made her stomach churn.
"It is futile to fight it," Sho said quietly. "Millianna's ropes are specially made. They seal the magic of anyone they touch. You are just a normal woman right now."
"I am not trying to attack you," Erza corrected him, her breathing coming in sharp bursts. "I just want to requip my armor. I feel... exposed. I need to feel the steel against my skin to feel secure."
Sho stepped closer, his gaze drifting over her simple clothing. "You do not need the armor, Erza. You look nice in what you have on. Better than I remember."
Before she could protest, Sho reached out and pulled her into a sudden, tight hug. He buried his face against her shoulder, clinging to her as if he were a child again, terrified of the dark. Erza stiffened immediately, her heart hammering against her ribs. With a sharp wrench of her body, she pulled away as much as the ropes would allow, her expression hardening.
"Stop this, Sho," she snapped. "I am with someone else."
Sho froze. He stepped back, his hands dropping to his sides as if he had been burned. "What?"
"I am in a relationship," Erza repeated, her voice softening but remaining steady. "I belong to another."
"Someone else?" Sho's voice rose, a hysterical edge creeping back into his tone. "Who? Who could you possibly be with? Who could be more important than us? Than the family you left behind?"
Erza did not answer. She simply lowered her head, her crimson hair falling forward to hide her face as she slumped against the pole. The silence between them grew heavy, filled only by the creaking of the ship's hull.
"I never wanted any of this to happen," Sho whispered, his anger turning into a dull ache. "I never wanted to hunt you down. But this is your fault, Erza. It is your fault for betraying Jellal. You broke everything."
As Sho turned and walked away, Erza closed her eyes. Her mind drifted back to the cold, damp stone of the tower years ago. She remembered the faces of her friends, the way they had huddled together for warmth, and the way they had all looked to Jellal. Back then, he was the light. He was the one who gave them the courage to carry on when the guards were cruel and the food was scarce. It was Jellal who had promised them a future.
'I thought I was saving them,' she thought bitterly. 'I thought I was the one who escaped to find help. But to them, I am just the girl who ran away while they stayed in hell.'
The fear of what awaited her at the end of this voyage began to settle in her chest. She was not just returning to a prison; she was returning to a man who had once been her savior and was now her greatest nightmare. The thought of the potential torture and the darkness in Jellal's eyes made her shiver.
---
Far from the ocean, within the hallowed and sterile halls of the Magic Council, a storm of a different kind was brewing.
Siegrain stood before the gathered council members, his face a mask of calm gravity. He had just delivered news that had sent a ripple of panic through the room.
"The R-System still exists," Siegrain announced, his voice echoing off the high ceilings.
The council members erupted into a flurry of hushed, panicked whispers. "That is impossible!" one of them shouted. "We shut down every R-System project years ago! We dismantled the towers!"
"Evidently, you missed one," Siegrain interrupted, his tone coolly mocking. "There was an eighth tower. It was built in secret, far from your prying eyes, and it is now almost completed."
"An eighth tower?" Michello stammered, his small frame shaking with indignation. "Where? What is it called?"
Siegrain leaned forward, a shadow of a smile playing on his lips. "It is called The Tower of Heaven."
"Enough of your riddles, Siegrain!" another council member barked. "We must organize an army immediately. We will sail there and tear it down stone by stone before they can activate it!"
Michello slammed his hand on the table. "We cannot act blindly! We do not have enough information to launch a full scale assault. We need to know who is behind this."
"We know exactly who is in control," Siegrain replied. "It is a cult leader. A man named Jellal."
The room went silent. Several members turned their heads to stare at Siegrain, their eyes darting between him and the empty space beside him.
"Jellal?" one of the them asked, leaning forward with a frown. "Siegrain, that is your twin brother. What is your own flesh and blood doing leading a death cult and building a forbidden weapon?"
"He has been acting up in the kingdom for some time," another member added, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "We have had reports of his influence spreading, but we never imagined it reached this level of depravity."
Siegrain remained silent, offering no defense for his brother. The council members looked at one another, the weight of the situation finally sinking in. The R-System was a forbidden magic that could bring back the dead at the cost of thousands of lives. If it was truly nearing completion, the world was on the brink of a catastrophe they were not prepared for.
The meeting drifted into a tense debate, leaving the council wondering just how deep the darkness of the Tower of Heaven truly ran.