Adam's eyes snapped open.
His breathing was unsteady as he sat up, his gaze darting around the room.
The familiar sight of worn-out wallpaper, wooden shelves packed with old books, and a slightly crooked desk met his eyes.
This was his old room...
The room he had grown up in.
The same small space in the house where he had lived with his family... before everything changed.
Adam's hands trembled slightly as he touched the rough fabric of his bedsheets, as if making sure he wasn't dreaming.
But the warmth of the blanket and the distant sound of birds chirping outside the window told him otherwise.
"I really went back in time… with all of my memories intact."
His heart pounded in his chest.
The last thing he remembered was the eerie notification from that unknown viewer.
"Was that viewer really not a god...?"
The idea was absurd, yet here he was... reliving a moment he had already experienced.
He muttered under his breath, instinctively willing the system to activate.
No holographic interface. No notifications. No status screen.
His expression darkened.
"All my abilities are gone... and I haven't awakened yet."
The realization hit him like a weight in his chest.
All of his progress....his skills, his powers, everything he had fought for had vanished.
It was as if he had never stepped foot inside the Tower of Yxthar.
A bitter smile tugged at his lips.
"No, I shouldn't think like that."
He shook off his frustration.
Being sent back in time was already an unbelievable miracle.
He had been given a second chance. This was something he should be grateful for.
Taking a deep breath, Adam stood up and reached for the phone charging on his nightstand.
His fingers curled around the smooth familiar device, one he hadn't seen in years.
It was his old phone.
One that had long been abandoned when he entered the Tower.
He quickly unlocked it and checked the date.
Fifteen years before we challenged the Tower of Yxthar.
And today was the exact day his father had taken him to the Guild of Stream Hunters to undergo his Streaming Resonance Test.
His breath hitched slightly.
"The resonance test…"
Not everyone could become a Stream Hunter.
To connect with the Multiversal Livestreaming System, a person needed an extremely rare trait.
This was the key to entering the Tower of Yxthar and the only way to awaken.
Without it, no matter how talented or smart someone was, they would never receive the system.
"Adam! Are you still not awake?!"
A deep voice called from outside.
"Your resonance test is scheduled today! Get in the car!"
Adam felt his chest tighten.
His voice wavered slightly.
Memories rushed back... his father's scolding and stern face...
After Adam had entered the Tower of Yxthar, they had never spoken again. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs NovᴇlFirᴇ.ɴet
His father didn't have Streaming Resonance, which meant he never awakened the Multiversal Livestreaming System.
And once someone entered the Tower, the only way to communicate with someone who was far away was if both parties possessed the system.
And even this was limited to people inside the tower...
His father had been alone for years.
Adam clenched his fists.
He hurriedly changed his clothes, but the thought lingered in his mind.
Dad must have suffered so much when the Tower fought back…
When the Tower of Yxthar descended upon their world, it had forced all awakened Stream Hunters to climb or die.
Those left behind could only watch helplessly as their loved ones vanished into the unknown.
His father had already lost his mother to the Tower.
Now, his children had followed that same fate.
For the first time, Adam saw things from his father's perspective.
At the time, he had been too focused on surviving the Tower's brutal challenges.
He had never truly thought about what it was like for the ones left behind.
Their family had been a family of four.
His older brother, Raiden.
His older sister, Miya.
And himself, the youngest.
Their mother had been one of the first Stream Hunters to awaken.
She had entered the Tower before anyone fully understood what it was.
And she had never come back...
He could still hear his father's cries from that night.
The night he had learned his wife would never return.
Years passed, and one by one, his siblings awakened.
Raiden had been the first to awaken.
His brother had always been strong, the type of person Adam had looked up to.
The year after, Miya followed, inheriting their mother's fierce determination.
Their father, however, had never awakened.
Despite that, he had never given up.
Even though his Streaming Resonance never changed, he would constantly visit the Guild of Stream Hunters, hoping and praying that one day he might awaken.
Because he wanted to go inside.
Because he wanted to protect his family.
Adam exhaled sharply as he went down.
The car ride to the Guild of Stream Hunters was quiet.
The only sounds were the occasional sounds of the car and the faint noise of the world outside.
Adam sat in the passenger seat, gazing out the window, watching the familiar streets pass by.
He didn't feel the need to break the silence.
He knew why his father wasn't speaking much...
This day was heavy for him.
Fifteen years ago, Adam hadn't thought much about it, but now... knowing what the future held, he understood.
This test determined whether he would be bound to the same fate as the rest of their family.
His father tightened his grip on the steering wheel, his fingers tensing for a moment before he finally spoke.
"If you awaken… you can contact your siblings for help."
Adam turned his head slightly, listening.
"They can't directly help you once you're inside since they're on the higher floors, but they should still be able to give you some advice. Tips, guidance… anything to help you survive."
His father exhaled sharply, eyes still fixed on the road.
"But if you don't awaken…"
He scoffed, shaking his head.
Adam noticed the bitterness in his voice.
"At the very least, someone can stay behind and take over the company with me."
A company. A normal life.
A future that didn't involve risking his life inside the Tower of Yxthar.
Adam lowered his gaze.
He understood his father's resentment.
After losing his wife to the Tower, and then watching his other children follow the same path, he had been left behind.
For him, an unawakened son meant at least one member of the family wouldn't be stolen away by the Tower of Yxthar.
Adam let the silence settle for a moment before finally speaking.
His voice was softer this time.
"If I do enter the Tower, make sure you take care of yourself."
His father didn't reply.
Adam leaned back against the seat, then added.
"And stop smoking. I saw the pack in the backseat just now."
His father's fingers twitched slightly on the wheel, but he said nothing.
Adam smiled faintly to himself.
Some things really never changed.
The rest of the drive continued in silence, but this time, it didn't feel as heavy.
Minutes later, the car rolled to a stop in front of the towering glass building of the Guild of Stream Hunters.