The tower of doubt
364 Words
The Tower of Doubt rose from the earth like a jagged black tooth — crooked, crumbling, and cold. It stood alone in the middle of a vast dead plain, its shadow stretched long even under the midday sun.
No birds flew here.
No grass grew.
Just silence. And the pull of something deep, ancient, and cruel.
“They say the tower was once a sanctuary,” Jalen murmured as they approached. “A beacon for those who needed truth.”
“And now?” Mira asked.
“It reflects your thoughts back at you,” he said darkly. “Your fears. Your shame. Your doubt.”
Tovin shivered. “Then it knows exactly where to strike.”
Ariah led the way, her lantern held high. The flame flickered nervously.
Behind her, Rael walked quietly, eyes fixed on the crumbling stones ahead. He had said little since his betrayal, but there was something in his posture — like a man ready to face punishment… or redemption.
They stepped across the threshold.
The moment Ariah entered, the light dimmed to a strange grey. The tower didn’t echo. It absorbed sound.
Each step up the winding staircase felt heavier than the last. The walls whispered—not with words, but with feelings. Memories. Regrets.
Suddenly, Mira cried out behind her.
Ariah turned just in time to see Mira clutching her chest, eyes wide in terror.
“I saw my brother,” Mira gasped. “In the fire. I left him... I left him to burn…”
“It’s not real,” Ariah said quickly, gripping her hand. “This place plays tricks on you.”
“No,” Jalen said quietly. “It just shows you what you already fear is true.”
Higher still, Ariah began to hear the voices herself.
“You’ll fail them like you failed your mother.”
“You were never chosen. Just convenient.”
“Even the Light will turn from you when it sees what you really are.”
Her knees buckled. The flame in her lantern sputtered.
Rael stepped forward and took her arm. “Don’t listen. That’s what it wants. Doubt is its weapon. And it’s winning.”
- Writer
