"He is already at twentieth floor. Do you think he will beat the others and win first place?"
"I don't know. But he is not faster than others. Maybe he might be same as the other two guys who are in the lead."
"I think so too."
"I don't think so. He might even withdraw from the next floor."
Some candidates and spectators are discussing about Sam as they spectated the tower.
Meanwhile Sam is being under the test that will lead him to the last set of the tests in the tower. The test to enter twenty-first floor.
Sam is sweating all over as he looked at the time as he sat on the platform. His conscious is wide awake. In his mind.
Sam is hanging on to a tall vertical rocky surface. He looked down and beneath him is a pool of hot lava, from which the hot vapours came out searing his skin. He looked upwards towards the mouth of the volcano. He can clearly see a blue sky filled with white clouds.
Sam started climbing. His spiritual energy is sealed and his memory is blank. The only thing he knew is that he cannot hold on to the rocky wall at the same spot if he wants to survive. His body has several cuts and bruises and some of the wounds are bleeding. He slowly started getting near the mouth of the volcano. When he finally placed his hand over the mouth and pulled himself up, a light flashed and he found himself at the point he started.
"F.u.c.k" He cursed out loud as he looked at the pool of lave very near to his legs. This is the fourth time this happened. Every time he climbed up with all his might, he will come back down as if he was struck in a loop and worse every time this happened, his injuries will worsen due to the close exposure of the heat from the lava. He is growing tired and he wants to rest, but something in his mind is telling him that climbing is the only escape route. If he wants to live, he needs to climb.
He started climbing and again reached the top and again came back to the bottom in a flash.
Fifth time.
Sixth time.
.
.
Tenth time. Sam is fully wounded. His skin cracked. He has third degree burns; he is holding the rocky protrusion with all his might. But he refused to give up. His palms are covered with blood and burns. He is hurting all over and he still tried to pull himself up, but this time his hand lost the grip and he fell into the lava pool.
*splash*
Sam opened his eyes on the platform. He is drenched in sweat. His skin became cold.
*pah* *pah* He slapped himself twice to make himself more awake. He looked at the door which just opened and he felt anxious as to what to see in the next round.
His first ten rounds, he was put against powerful enemies, which he cannot win against. But he was given a fighting chance and the next ten rounds, he was put against the nature and was thrown into a helpless situation which he can't even put up a fight with. He really wants to see what would he up against next.
He slowly made his way to the next floor and the style of the runic patterns really changed. He sat on the central platform and closed his eyes. Suddenly a voice came in his mind.
[Oh, another young man. Seems like the younger generation is getting stronger and stronger. In one day, there are already seventh one. Let me see what you have in your head.]
The voice sounded like as if it was belonged to an old man. It sounded coarse. Just as the voice finished, Sam felt someone enter his consciousness and read him like a book. He found an old man's silhouette in his consciousness and all his memories flashed past him one by one and the memories were not just after his rebirth, but also the memories of the previous life. The Old man looked at the memories with a surprised expression. Then he turned towards Sam's conscious and said.
[your soul belongs to another world. I wasn't able to see how you got here; he seems to be of someone who is far more powerful. Anything related to him in your memory is unable to read. Coming back to your situation. You really seem to have gone through a lot in your past life. This might be a bit unfair to you, but I can't do anything about it. I hope your will is strong enough to make it to the top.] The Old silhouette disappeared as soon as he spoke without giving Sam any chance to speak.
Sam again felt a jolt in mind and his consciousness drifted again. He opened his eyes and saw a familiar place, very familiar that it etched into memory and into his very soul.
Sam looked at the shed he was in and looked at the kids of various ages from three years to ten years in ragged cloths. He is right now back to his past, this place is familiar to him, because this is where his four-year-old previous self, lived.
Sam looked at the door and had a bad premonition, he tried to remember why he was back here, but nothing came to his mind, The memory of his was only remained until the situation, the rest of the memory is blank, even though he knew that he got past this, but he doesn't remember how he got past this.
Suddenly, door opened. A young man in his twenties came in with a loud bang and looked around as if searching for someone, when his eyes landed on Sam, he immediately walked towards him and without any word he kicked him in his guts. Sam flew over and landed on the floor all the kids frightened and stood up from the grounds and huddled to other side of the shed.
"You little piece of shit. Why didn't you go to your shift today? Who will pay for the food you are going to eat?" He walked towards Sam and held him by his throat and felt Sam's skin was warmer and his voice grew harsher.
"So, you have a f.u.c.k.i.n.g fever and slept in. Do you know what kind of opportunity you missed? If you have a fever, you should go and beg even more and you will make even more money. You made me lose so much today." He threw Sam on the floor and kicked him again and again. Then he turned towards the rest of the group and then said.
"You better not give this guy any food. If he wants to eat, he should go out and beg for money and submit the collection. Then only he will have anything to eat understand?" His voice grew louder and louder and the rest of the kids nodded their heads weakly.
After that guy left, Sam sat up slowly and leaned against the wall. He is looking at the bowl he was given for the begging and looked at the door.
He clearly knew the young man. When Sam was in the street, this young man reached out to him and said that he can go to the orphanage where he can eat, sleep and go to school like any other school. But he was smuggled to this place, where he has to beg all day to eat food. But he clearly didn't understand what to do. But he knew that once a kid tried to escape, he was beaten so bad that the kid died.
Sam looked at the door weakly. He picked the bowl and walked towards the door. He made his way to the streets and started begging. When he walked towards a deserted alley to sit, he saw something.
A van is there with a door opened and two men are talking. He overheard their conversation.
"When are we going to leave?" One person asked another.
"I don't know either. But before we leave, we need to find out that last group. Even though we caught almost all the leaders of these, we need to find that bastard who stole our goods silently. I heard that he is in this city and he is using our goods to make money." The man spoke as he waved a photo. Sam sneaked a peak at the photo and was surprised to see that.
Even though he wasn't able to understand what the two men are speaking, he knew that they are angry at the young man in the photo and the young man happened to be the person who beat up Sam.
Sam looked at the two men and hesitated a bit. He immediately left the alley and continued begging before he went back to the shed silently. He went to the young man and silently gave him the money he got through begging.
Young man took the money and still seemed to be a bit disappointed, he took the money and slapped Sam.
"Why is your collection still low? You are a waste for me." He scolded and threw a piece of bun at Sam and left the room.
Sam slowly made his way to the room and ate the bun which is definitely not enough for him. He tried to sleep and was thinking about the two men and whether to lead them here or not.
Last time, a boy tried to lead police here and what happened is that the police was bribed by the young man and the boy became victim and got his leg broken.
Sam was afraid that if he does this and get caught, he will also suffer. This is too much for a four-year-old boy. He can't seem to come to a decision and he only slept when he was unable to stay up due to his fever.
Next day he woke up again with a round of kicking. "How dare you to sleep again today? Didn't I make myself clear last night?" The young man kicked him again and again. Sam wept as he hugged his head.
Why? He asked himself. He was tired of this. He was clearly tired of this. After the beating was over, he took his bowl and went to the streets but this time he didn't beg anyone. He walked to the alley where the two men talked yesterday and waited there. He sat there for a whole day and when it was evening the two young man came again.
"There are no leads."
"For me neither." Two of them spoke with frustration. Sam walked towards the two men from his spot and then pointed at the photo in their hands.
When they looked at the kid pointing at the photo they were confused and shooed him away.
"Kid, get away from here. It is not a place for you to stay."
Sam didn't move and tugged one man's pants and pointed towards the photo and then towards the street.
"You know where this guy is?" One of them asked as he looked at Sam.
"Yes." Sam said and nodded his head. His throat hurt when he tried to speak. That is why he is refraining himself from speaking.
The two men exchanged glances and gestured Sam to show the way. When they reached the hide out and found the young man, they immediately started beating him up and only stopped until the young man is dead. The young man looked at Sam with resentment as he breathed his last.
"Don't worry, we will take care of you." One of the two men said with a smile. At the time Sam nodded. But he didn't know that this is situation that led him to a scenario of leaving the pan only to land in stove.
As soon as the young Sam closed his eyes, Sam who is sitting in the tower opened his eyes as he shivered heavily. That is one of the most painful memories in the past. The decision to rat out the young man, took everything a four-year-old has to offer.
He understood now. This is the third set of the trails. He has to live through the same scenarios of the past and take the same decisions he took. But it is not easy. Because, he would rather not live the scenarios again. When the door to the next floor opened, he started hesitating for the first time.
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