Celeste's parents stood before her and Karl.

From the moment they appeared, Karl could tell she was beyond excited to see them.

Without hesitation, she dashed forward, throwing herself into their arms.

"Mom! Dad!" she grinned, her eyes lighting up.

"Hey there~" Selene Frost greeted warmly, hugging her daughter tight.

She had striking blonde hair and icy blue eyes, mirroring Celeste's almost perfectly.

She wore a long purple dress, elegant yet practical, the kind of outfit that made her look both noble and battle-ready.

Alistair Frost, on the other hand, was a towering man with sharp white hair and a muscular frame that spoke of years spent climbing the [Tower of Trials].

Dressed in a brown tuxedo jacket over casual blue pants, he had the aura of someone both refined and dangerous.

"You've been conquering those tower floors?" he asked, his voice deep yet relaxed.

"Yeah, we just got to the fifth floor and decided to take a short break," Celeste nodded.

At the mention of "we," both of her parents turned their attention to Karl, their expressions shifting ever so slightly—welcoming yet cautious.

"And who's this?" Alistair asked, his gaze sharp.

"No way!" Selene's eyes widened in surprise, "Has our little Celeste finally found someone?"

Celeste sighed, already exasperated.

"He's a teammate," she clarified.

"We climb the tower together because we're strong. That's it."

"Oh, really?"

Alistair chuckled as he took a step forward, the ground seeming to press under his weight.

His mere presence carried an undeniable force, the kind only true veterans had.

Karl didn't move.

Alistair stopped right in front of him, scanning him up and down before crossing his arms.

"Hm… doesn't seem that strong," he mused.

Karl met the older man's gaze without hesitation, his expression unreadable.

Was it because he had already faced the [Reaper], an entity so powerful it made any human seem insignificant?

Or was it because his mind had been tempered by the presence of his spirits?

Whatever the reason, he showed no fear, no hesitation—just an unwavering calm.

And Alistair noticed.

He had seen all kinds of warriors, from arrogant prodigies to cold-hearted killers, but Karl's gaze was different.

It wasn't fear, caution, or even confidence—it was simply hollow, as if nothing could shake him.

"What are your powers?" Alistair finally asked.

"I mean, if my daughter recognizes you as a teammate, you must have some talent. She is the strongest, after all."

Despite his words, there was no hostility in his tone—only curiosity and a natural sense of protectiveness.

Karl could tell he was simply gauging whether he was trustworthy enough to stand by Celeste's side.

"Spirit Summoner," Karl replied.

"And like she said, I'm just her teammate."

Alistair and Selene exchanged glances, sharing a silent conversation before nodding to each other.

Almost instantly, the tension eased, and their expressions softened.

"Spirit Summoner, huh?" Alistair smirked.

"Never heard of that profession, which means…"

"…It's SSS-Rank, just like mine," Celeste finished.

Karl remained silent.

He knew that wasn't true—his profession was EX-Rank.

But he had no intention of revealing that to anyone.

Information was a powerful weapon, and in the tower, the smallest advantage could mean the difference between life and death.

He didn't know how keeping his rank hidden would benefit him in the long run, but instinct told him it was the right move.

As they left the fifth floor's square, stepping onto the academy's long roads, Alistair spoke again.

"We can't stay for long. Our visitation permit only allows us two hours at best."

Celeste looked around in awe.

"So this is the academy you went to?" she said excitedly.

"You kept telling me stories about how you two met here…"

Her parents exchanged knowing smiles before laughing.

"Our daughter seems interested in our love story," Selene teased.

"Perhaps she's found someone she's interested in as well?"

"I won't deny it," Celeste shrugged, a sly smile playing on her lips.

"But it's a secret."

It wasn't hard to figure out who she meant.

Even Karl, who usually paid little attention to such things, understood.

But he remained silent, keeping his usual neutral expression.

"I suppose we'll just have to wait and see," Selene said with a grin.

Karl, however, had something else on his mind.

"Can I ask something?"

Alistair turned to him with an amused expression.

"What is it, son-in-law?"

"Dad?!" Celeste turned bright red.

"We're not like that… yet."

"Yet?" Selene giggled.

"Well, let's hear what he has to say first."

Karl ignored their teasing.

"Can you tell me about the floors beyond the fifth one?"

"Or anything about the academy that we haven't learned yet?"

At that, both Alistair and Selene's smiles faded.

They exchanged a brief glance before sighing.

"I figured you'd notice," Alistair muttered.

Celeste furrowed her brows.

"You mean how we can't find any information on the floors we haven't explored?"

"Or how even basic things about the academy's programs seem… blocked?"

"Exactly," Alistair confirmed.

"That's because of the [Authority of the Tower]."

Karl nodded, already suspecting as much.

"It prevents anyone from learning about things they haven't experienced firsthand," Selene explained.

"If you haven't reached a certain floor or learned about something naturally, you won't be able to hear, read, or even think about it."

"Want to see for yourself?" Alistair asked, stopping in his tracks.

Celeste and Karl nodded.

Alistair took a deep breath.

"The sixth floor of the tower is—"

His voice suddenly glitched.

It was as if reality itself had distorted, his words turning into an unintelligible mess.

Celeste's eyes widened.

"What was that?"

"The sixth floor is—" Selene tried again, but the same thing happened.

Karl narrowed his eyes.

"It's as if something is scrambling your words the moment you try to say it."

"Exactly," Alistair said.

"That's the [Authority of the Tower]. No one can bypass it."

They spent a few more minutes testing different pieces of information, but the results were always the same—anything they weren't supposed to know simply became gibberish.

Eventually, Selene clapped her hands.

"Alright, we don't have much time left. I want to see the dorm building!"

She nudged Alistair.

"Doesn't it remind you of the good old days?"

Alistair chuckled.

"Yeah, we shared a room at first since we couldn't afford separate ones. And look where we are now."

Hearing that, both Celeste and Karl stiffened.

They walked toward the [Residential Area], their footsteps heavy with realization.

"So… where do you two live?" Alistair asked casually.

Silence.

But when they reached the [Two-Person Dormitories], understanding dawned on Celeste's parents.

"…No way," Alistair muttered.

"Don't tell me…" Selene raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"Huh…" Celeste let out a nervous chuckle.

"S-Surprise…?"

Even Karl allowed himself a small smirk.

Since outsiders weren't allowed inside the dorms, they settled on a nearby bench, talking for another hour.

Most of the conversation revolved around advice—warnings about the academy's hidden dangers, reminders to stay vigilant.

Some details were lost due to the [Authority of the Tower], but the message was clear: survival wasn't guaranteed.

Then—

Beep! Beep!

The watches on Selene and Alistair's wrists beeped.

[Visits are over. Prepare for teleportation.]

Light surrounded them as they stood up.

"That's pretty much all," Alistair said.

"The rest is up to you two."

Karl saw the concern in their eyes.

They wouldn't be able to see Celeste again for a long time.

"…Do you still climb the tower?" he finally asked.

Selene and Alistair shook their heads.

"We stopped," Alistair admitted.

"It got too dangerous. And we had Celeste to raise."

Their bodies began dissolving into particles, but just before they vanished completely—

"Kid," Alistair said with a serious expression.

"Don't do anything crazy—"

Selene cut him off.

"But if you do… wear protection~" she giggled.

And with that, they were gone.

Celeste and Karl stood there in silence before exchanging glances.

"…Well," Celeste muttered.

Karl shrugged, and they walked away.

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