Kael occupied himself in the morning with fixing the gate, the repetitive motion of hammering and fitting planks giving him something solid to focus on. The gate itself was a mess of bent metal and splintered wood, the kind of rushed fortification born from panic rather than planning. He adjusted one of the boards, pressed his weight against it, then drove a rusty nail through with two sharp strikes. The sound echoed dully through the courtyard, swallowed quickly by the surrounding concrete and broken walls.
He worked methodically, almost stubbornly so, moving from one weak point to the next. When he finished reinforcing one section, he would pause, tilt his head, and run a hand along the structure as if listening to it, then point out another spot that would collapse under pressure. Each time, he called it out to the boss or whoever was close enough to hear. Loose joints. Rotten beams. Gaps wide enough for a goblin arm, or worse.
The majority of the men around the base had already left to scavenge, slipping out in small groups at dawn. What remained was a thin skeleton crew. A handful of figures lingered near the walls or sat on overturned crates, armed with nothing but stone weapons, chipped blades, and a few steel pipes scavenged from the ruins. They looked alert, but it was the kind of alertness born from exhaustion rather than confidence. Eyes tracked shadows more than movement. Every sound made heads turn.
"Since you died on the first floor, you probably have no idea what's going on with the tower and all," John said casually, leaning against a pillar a few feet away. His tone was light, but his eyes never stopped scanning the perimeter.
Kael brought the hammer down again, the impact sending a dull vibration up his arms. "Not much more than what I read when I was outside."
"You mean when you were alive," John corrected, glancing at him.
Kael paused mid-swing. For a moment, the words sat heavier than they should have. Then he exhaled slowly and finished driving the nail in. "Ah. Yes. Better to come to terms with that faster, I suppose."
John nodded once. "Yeah. It helps. Keeps your head leveled. Still, the tower doesn't really care whether you've made peace with it or not." He shifted his weight. "Most of us here didn't die to monsters."
That made Kael stop completely.
He turned around, resting the hammer against the gate as he looked back at the scattered figures in the courtyard. Now that he was actually paying attention, it was obvious. Too obvious. The way conversations died down when he looked their way. The way people watched each other instead of the streets. There was a tightness in their posture that had nothing to do with fear of goblins.
They had been burned before.
"Monsters are always the least of your worries in the tower," John continued, voice lower now. "It's others you have to be aware of."
Kael nodded slowly. He didn't argue. There was no point. He had already learned that lesson once, and almost learned it again with the doppelganger.
"Were you part of the Sun Clan before?" Kael asked, turning back to the gate and setting another plank in place.
"Yes," John replied without hesitation. "Though we don't know if the Sun Clan exists in the reverse tower. Too many members. Odds are, some of them came here and set up their own base. If they did, we'll probably see them once we reach the neutral floor."
Kael frowned. "Neutral floor?"
"Tenth floor," John said. "That's where people usually settle. In the normal tower, each ten floors always had static cities or hubs. Safe zones. Places where climbers stopped killing each other long enough to build something." He shrugged. "Should be the same here. We hope."
Kael drove another nail in. The metal squealed before giving way. "If there was a base here," he said, "I doubt anyone would climb."
John snorted softly. "And you'd probably be wrong." He glanced out through a crack in the barricade. "Getting stronger. Having a chance to leave the tower. Going back to people who matter. That's what keeps everyone moving." His jaw tightened just slightly. "Most would risk dying again if it meant a chance to leave this place."
"I see," Kael murmured, more to himself than to John.
"You sound disappointed," John observed. "Didn't expect to hear that you can leave?"
Kael let out a breath that was almost a laugh. "Leave to where?" He shook his head. "I got dumped. My mother's dying. And Asher will probably murder me the moment I take a step outside."
John turned fully toward him. "Asher? That big shot?" His brow creased. "What did you do to get on his radar?"
"Wrong place. Wrong time." Kael adjusted a bent plank. "Saw him kill a reporter. Fucker almost ended me along with her. I lucked out, fell into the Hudson, then was called to the tower... That didn't last long though" He shrugged. "Died immediately on the first floor. Shit story, shit luck... shit life."
John was quiet for a moment. Then, softly, "Ah. Now I get it."
Kael kept working. He needed them to believe him. Not because he cared about their sympathy, but because sympathy was safer than suspicion. None of it was a complete lie. Just… edited.
"I figure," John said, "if you make it to the final floor and keep whatever you earn along the way, even Asher won't have the balls to mess with you."
"How long would that take?" Kael asked.
John blinked. "What do you mean?"
Kael hammered another nail in, slower this time. "Clearing the tower. A year? Two? A decade?" He didn't look up. "By the time I get out, whatever's waiting for me probably won't be there anymore. My mom's got Mana Poisoning Fever. Hospital only keeps her alive as long as the payments keep coming. And without me there..."
John stiffened. He looked away. "Yeah… once the payments stop, they won't even look at her."
"I know," Kael said quietly.
Silence stretched between them, thick and uncomfortable.
"I need to keep my mind occupied," Kael added eventually. "That's why I wanted to wander out."
John studied him for a moment, then nodded. "Once we're done with the gate," he said, "I'll take you somewhere."
Kael glanced at him. "Where to?"
John stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Didn't even tell the boss about this." He leaned in, almost conspiratorial. "With that nose of yours, you'll be perfect."
Kael's stomach tightened.
"I found a hidden piece."
For a split second, Kael felt real panic rise up his spine. He kept his face neutral with effort. If he had found the basilisk, then all of his prior planning to use it as a barganing chip is now down the drain.
"Where?" he asked.
John smiled. "Didn't even ask what that is."
"I read a lot," Kael replied smoothly. "About the tower."
"Eastern side of the city square," John said. "Feels like a puzzle. Didn't want to alert anyone." His smile sharpened. "Less people who know, the better. We split the reward."
Kael nodded, even as every instinct screamed. Split a hidden piece? The words didn't make sense. He already knew how this would end if he followed blindly.
"When do we leave?" Kael asked.
"After I talk to the boss," John said. "You just gave me the excuse."
He walked off.
Kael stood there for a moment, hammer resting against his shoulder, watching John's back. The pieces were already lining up. He didn't like the picture they formed.