by Kraheed
Two hundred years ago, the Towers appeared. Massive structures descended across Earth, crushing cities beneath them and reshaping the planet into hostile new ecosystems. From the Towers came the Rootborn—predatory creatures born from the transformed world itself—and humanity lost the surface in less than a generation. As civilization collapsed, humanity survived because of one thing. Athena. The only known Outer God to stand against the descent of the Towers. Under Athena’s guidance, humanity built Aegis: a colossal ring-city suspended high above the ruined planet. From orbit, the last remnants of civilization watch Earth like survivors staring down at a graveyard while the Academy trains soldiers, explorers, and reclaimers capable of entering the Tower regions below. For most people, Earth is already lost. For the Academy, reclaiming it is humanity’s only future. Riven Strade enters the Academy with an almost worthless synchronization rating, mounting debt, and a younger sister slowly dying back in the lower sectors of Aegis. His ability is ranked E-Class. Perception. No enhanced strength.No destructive power.No impossible regeneration. Just the ability to notice things other people miss. But inside the Towers, where a single mistake can wipe out entire squads, seeing the wrong thing may be even more dangerous than being weak. As brutal deployments push cadets into the ruins of conquered cities, ancient shrines, and transformed Tower regions filled with Rootborn and the far more terrifying Veilborn, Riven begins uncovering something the Academy buried long ago: The Towers were never humanity’s greatest enemy. They were the first warning.
