As the Queen of Pladtioa prepared to speak, every head turned toward a swirling shadow above, pulsing with stolen energy.
Clad in a helmet as shadowy as the void and garb fit for voyaging among abyssal stars, he stood atop the Fountain, crackling with visible electricity. He beat his wings once, thunderously, launching himself upward. With arms raised, his twin purple eyes blazed gold as the crowd below stared in awe.
Shadows curled around him as his voice echoed, pouring out anguish as the crowd waited in silence for the Fountain's Gifts.
"The Great Fountain," he declared, his voice saturated with disdain. "Is this what you stand beside, seeking meaning from such an artifact? What value lies within this object?"
Instead of scattering in fear, outrage erupted; voices clashed with the intruder. Wanderers lowered their heads, others clutched weapons, and some retreated as his laughter crashed over them. Purple light blazed from his palms as he taunted the crowd.
"What can you possibly see from an ineffectual object, abandoned by its builder? How can this be deemed worthy by the Rulers?"
His gaze locked onto the radiant Fountain as a mocha-haired woman screamed, her anguish on full display.
"A very courageous builder made this structure. Destroying it will fracture the peace and harmony of the world, and then, impending chaos will soon engulf it. If you do this…"
Narcissa's gaze held steady as she met his eyes, her posture rigid and unyielding. Even as his laughter echoed around her and he brandished his blade, daring her to flinch, she remained motionless.
"How foolish can you be?" the man said, raising his weapon skyward. "This Fountain tangled the Second Incarnation's bond to the Heavens."
There it was: the fabled Second Incarnation. As Asahi and Aletha wandered, they sensed the world drifting into ancient, haunting depths. The gathering of white-haired souls in the village first stirred their questions.
"What truly happened to this world?
. . .
Chaos surged through the gathering like a living storm. His voice rolled over the shoreline, dark and foreboding, as people fled the Fountain in terror.
"I have tried to honor someone greater than this worthless Fountain," the shadow said, casting purple light. "This is only a pile of mistakes that caused the world's troubles."
The shadowy figure fell to one knee, head flung back, fists clenched. The air sizzled with tension as his gaze locked on the wanderers. Time seemed to halt.
When archers released arrows, he dodged by leaping aside. Narcissa, Queen of Pladtioa, then commanded the knights.
"Unleash your fire upon the foul soul daring enough to try and threaten the world!"
Asahi and Aletha's throats tightened as they watched the enraged crowd pelt him with stones.
As rocks and arrows flew from the crowd, the man flicked his hand, stopping each projectile mid-air before hurling them back. Some rocks struck audience members; several arrows grazed his shoulder, but he remained unfazed.
Yet, in the instant before unleashing destruction, tears spilled down his face.
Tears shimmered in their eyes, anguish and tense laughter mingling in the storm.
Amid chaos, the wanderers plunged toward the forest, swept by a torrent of desperate bodies clawing for freedom.
Just before they reached the archway, guards stepped forward and blocked their path.
"What are you doing here?" They said. "Get back to the podium."
Asahi lunged, shoving one guard, while Aletha spun to another, her frantic words tumbling out. Desperation blazed in their gestures.
"We can't! There is danger on top of that Fountain. Can't you see around you?"
The guard nodded briskly, stepping aside and letting them pass.
"Wait for me!" a guard called, just as electricity struck their backs. As people ran and gathered to evacuate, the figure atop the Fountain unleashed lightning, striking a civilian. Amid cries and laughter, the individual spoke again.
"This region is a mistake. Plados should be the one to rule, but he lost his life. How horrendous," The silhouette replied to their silence. "I want to cease the misery of these people and solve this conflict. A way to solve this once and for all!"
He raised his arm suddenly, purple electricity swirling around his hands. His fierce glare pinned the two wanderers as the air charged with storm energy. The silhouette lunged, voice erupting in a furious scream.
"For I am Tear, the one who shall finally settle this tragedy!
. . .
The wanderers and others stared at the storm-dark sky as a violet streak tore through the Fountain. Magenta beams erupted, carving purple cracks that spiderwebbed across its surface.
The cracks seared themselves into memory, etching a ghostly afterimage that lingered long after the light had vanished.
Cracks spread across the world, bright as broken glass, sending waves of destruction through the land.
In the present, Asahi and Aletha gazed out as a faint, shimmering flash spilled like liquid silver across the horizon.
Then destruction struck: the Fountain shattered into a thousand glittering shards, scattering light and hope alike.
Tear glided through the air as if swimming, hurling searing lasers that tore chunks from the Fountain. With a snap of his fingers, a colossal purple explosion erupted, swallowing the earth in light.
From the smoky haze, four figures emerged, eyes wide with shock as they battled oozing slimes from the wreckage. The green-eyed boy balled his fists, hair lifting in the charged air.
As they witnessed the destruction of the Fountain unfold, a platinum-haired girl muttered.
"It's gone," She said. "Just like that. And we couldn't do anything about it."
A masked, dark-haired woman briefly comforted her with a hidden smile. Her hair flew upward amidst the explosion, revealing glimmering amethyst eyes.
"It wasn't our fault," she said. "Nor was it their fault. It was… Tear's fault."
"Tear?" the green-eyed man repeated, urgency in his tone. "And what about the white-haired wanderers?"
Swallowing their fear, the four stood transfixed, spellbound by the explosion's wild fury and the devastation it wrought.
Their attention shifted, their stances changing as if the ground moved beneath them.
Asahi and Aletha stood out like ripples in water, their silhouettes emerging from the smoke.
"We'll talk about them later, Belial," the dark-haired woman said. "I feel a sense of familiarity with them, but now is not the time to simply watch. We have duties to fulfill. That's the reason we're together, dimwit."
At the forest's edge, the woman and her companions stepped onto the cliff, their eyes sweeping over chaos in every direction.
"Now, let's just focus on saving the wanderers."
. . .
Narcissa's screams echoed through the forest with the crowd's frantic shouts. Panic carved itself into Asahi and Aletha's faces as fear seized them.
The uproar swelled; the crowd's screams battered their ears as dust swept east, blurring everything from sight.
All Asahi saw from the smoke was the shadow of Aletha.
Asahi lunged for Aletha, gripping her arm. She jolted in shock at his sudden touch.
"Asahi!?"
Asahi covered Aletha's mouth to keep her quiet and dragged her to a hidden forest opening, away from danger.
"Aletha, be careful…"
As four tall silhouettes slashed through the crowd, Asahi braced and charged, but one kicked him down before he could reach them. Aletha stood back, unable to help.
"There they are," they said. " The King that SHE, our majesty, is looking for!"
. . .
The dust cloud billowed skyward, forming a crater at the Fountain.
The figure flung ash to the earth, a wicked sneer curling his lips as he brandished his blade with theatrical flair.
"Why leave when the show has just begun?" he asked, challenging the crowd's silence. "Or are you all so ignorant you can't hold a conversation? Greedy shrews."
The crowd screamed and fled the forest as the silhouette emerged from the smog.
He struck with ruthless precision, feeling his victims as a sinister purple glow spiraled around him.
Asahi and Aletha stared, faces devoid of emotion, at the figure atop the shattered Fountain, unable to move. Aletha, eyes wide, turned and pointed at the bodies spinning through the air, clearly distressed by the gruesome spectacle.
"Who are you?"
"Who am I?" Tear echoed, blades still pointed at the white-haired girl. "I am Tear, a corrupt member of The Ending."
"The Ending?" Asahi and Aletha muttered.
"You two are fools for standing in front. Why are you not running away? Do you think your measly powers shall affect me?"
Despite all his lies, he was right. Asahi and Aletha were actually powerless. If they had their powers, they would have defeated him easily.
Deprived of their powers, they were as breakable as glass. Without a word, Asahi gripped Aletha's hand, and together they vanished into the swirling chaos.
They knew if they had stayed any longer, they would have been defeated, just like at the shorelines of Pladtioa.
As Narcissa turned her head back and forth, trying to find where the Four Knights had gone, she spotted the wanderers and realized they stood out among the crowd.
"You think you could get away?" she asked, charging her sword with a brown luminance. "Or did you accept your fate?"
Just as Narcissa threatened, Asahi grasped Aletha's hand and prepared to defend themselves. Narcissa began advancing toward them, her intent clear, but before she could reach them,
A flash of green light tore through one of the knights. Panic seized Narcissa as she darted her gaze, desperate to find the source…
(SWOOSH)
A second shot ripped through another knight, who crumbled to dust as the guards erupted into terrified screams and scattered.
"Intruder, show yourself!"
Then, many green lights shot in, hitting and going through eight guards. Narcissa quickly looked up, hoping for a reply.
"Who are you?" she asked. "Where are the Four? Didn't I say all four should keep watch of the Fountain?"
After the strike, Narcissa saw three human silhouettes atop the cliff. A masculine voice rang out as the sound of smoldering stone filled the air.
"That's impressive." He said, clicking his tongue. "Impressive for you to take no care for the guards that lost their lives because of your own selfish ways."
From the thinning smoke, three shadowy figures strode forward, arms folded in silent defiance. Aletha clung to Asahi's hand, whispering anxiously.
"Who are they?" she asked. "Is that… Akwan?!"
As the wanderers crawled, a spiral of emerald earth enveloped them. In an instant, every wound sealed, every bruise faded, and even the dust in their hair disappeared.
"Who's that?" I feel healed." Aletha commented as she and Asahi pushed themselves back up. "Asahi, did yours vanish, too?"
Asahi nodded and turned to watch the audience fleeing back to their carriages.
(SWING)
Narcissa's eyes burned with rage as she tightened her hold on the glowing brown blade. She stalked after the wanderers, venomous threats hissing between her clenched teeth.
Narcissa changed her mind, lowered her sword, and yelled at them in anger. "That boy will not be with me, and that girl will be gone from my sight." Her feelings went from liking to complete hate.
Unable to fight back, Asahi and Aletha were left trembling in silence. Narcissa's mocha eyes blazed as she raised her glowing blade in preparation for attack. Suddenly, a massive blue shockwave knocked Narcissa backward, her hair streaming wildly.
Then, a serene voice drifted over the crowd, soothing as a gentle breeze.
"I am not happy or proud. Neither should you nor the crowd." Standing on what looked like snow, a tall woman with white hair spread the essence into the air. Her pink eyes stared at Narcissa.
Despite all the memory loss, Asahi and Aletha had remembered her presentation of powers.
They remembered the fountain and geysers clearly.
As blue blasts rained down on Narcissa, her eyes widened in terror, shrinking with each strike.
"I recognize that voice," she said. "Is that... the Four Knights? Why didn't you slay those pests? I command you to atta--"
All four voices, with their pitches, tone, and inventions, interrupted the Queen without hesitation.
"No."
Narcissa backed up from the Fountain in disbelief, whispering.
"What? That can't be. Why won't you listen to me? Why won't you do what I say?"
Quickly, she sprinted to the group of guards standing at the forest's outskirts, ordering all of them.
"Slay those wanderers immediately."
A deep feminine voice resounded over the carved cliffs.
"Don't you dare give orders to us again. We know what you did. Back in the meeting, remember?" The woman continued. "You didn't make us look like knights, not even heroes. You made us look like fools before the world."
Her dark black hair gently swayed with the wind, kneeling over a cliff. An intense magenta luminance resonated over her hands, illuminating her face. She wore a mask and had glistening amethyst eyes. After a few moments, the woman clenched her fists and yelled at Narcissa.
"If you truly cared about others instead of yourself, you wouldn't have ordered your guards to attack the new king. Were you not interested in him ago? What happened? Huh? Answer!"
Narcissa couldn't help but chuckle. This wicked woman was far worse than a blurry eye.
The light faded from Narcissa's eyes. Her sword fell away as she gasped, shaking her head in shock and fear.
As she approached the forest, Narcissa fearfully muttered.
"But… it… It was just a misunderstanding. I-It was all a joke. You are true heroes and you are knights and--"
Narcissa was interrupted yet again by another familiar-sounding voice.
"Don't tell such an obvious lie. Even the strong won't believe you. You know what you did and should feel bad about it. You don't want Asahi—you just want his power."
He clenched his fists and raised his voice, peering with his blue daggering eyes at them.
"I know the capabilities of what she and Asahi have. You shall never capture them. They are special… unlike you." As he continued to smote Narcissa's false words into oblivion, the others watched in awe at the young man's presentation.
"You, Narcissa, are a truly narcissistic, selfish, and unforgiving shrew. You should be cast aside for the birds and left to ponder your actions. Don't you dare call this the nation of Disgust."
He had long dark hair, wearing a collar, eyepiece, and a robe. It was no other than….
"Akwan?" Asahi and Aletha said in unison. Now it explains his disappearance back when the crowd was there. He was allied with the group, the "Four Knights".
As Asahi and Aletha rose from the ground, secured by the grasp of the Four Knights, a group from the absent crowd shouted.
"You're no heroes! All you care about is your image and the lies you tell Pladtioa. You should kneel to the Queen, not her."
Belial softly chuckled and shook his head,
"And what kind of moron told you such a lie?" He said. "It seems all of the people here are under the influence of the corruption of Narcissa's deceptive ways."
Narcissa harshly bit her lip and stomped on the ground furiously, trying to resonate with them.
"You'd better get down and capture those two filthy wanderers. We have worked together for fifty years, and we have had no problems until now. Get down here and listen to my orders.
Drimi lightly giggled and covered her mask.
"You didn't even notice what we said," she mumbled, hoisting her arm to reveal herself. "You ignored us to lure us back to your selfish desires. If you hurt the wanderers again, you will lose that malicious smile."
Narcissa's eyes narrowed, her heart thundering like a war drum. Fury contorted her face as she tore a sword from a fallen guard and hurtled toward Asahi with unstoppable wrath.
"You think you're so special with that otherworldly attire. Foolish. You are the one who corrupted my devoted four knights."
"I wouldn't say corrupt, but saved," Asahi said without remorse. "Unlike them, you need something beyond saving."
This caused her to summon a brown luminance on her palm. Then, the luminance transmutated into a magenta, paralyzing Asahi, his feet rooted to the ground.
Paralyzed and stuck in place by Narcissa's spell, Asahi could only watch as Narcissa dragged her long, brown blade along the ground, drawing closer to him.
Just as she stabbed Asahi, Aletha swiftly jumped in front of him and slammed her eyes. The silver tip nearly hovered over Asahi's eye, spilling out words as she spoke.
"I don't mind stabbing this filth's eye--
As soon as she leaned over and stabbed Aletha's eye, suddenly, a bright cyan luminance encircled and coiled around the Queen's figure.
Narcissa then dragged her fingers against the dirt and swung her claw at the silhouette.
As soon as they got away, she clenched her fists and stared at The Four with pure anger. "Guards, attack The Four, and kill the two putrid white-haired outlanders immediately."
Suddenly, a large number of guards sprinted behind Narcissa, charging towards the wanderers, but as soon as they pierced their spears through their backs, a dark-haired, hooded boy slammed into the ground, forming a trembA vibrant green aura wrapped around the trio, pulsing with life-giving energy that rekindled their spirits and flooded them with newfound strength.d their strength.
"Who was that?" Aletha asked, genuinely clueless.
Soon, a leg came crashing in, with what seemed to be a boy holding a spear straight at them.
"Come, now," He said to the wanderers as magical chaos erupted around them.
Grabbing onto a bottle of green soil, he threw it into the air and watched as the pores of the earth vacuumed the essences fully.
"This should halt them from coming forward." He said.
Asahi and Aletha nodded their heads, seeing a wall of wood appear magically in thin air. Without disturbance, they watched as all three parried off the guards, the fourth person evacuating the two.
"You two should be safe," His voice was alluring and direct, matching his appearance. "Now, grab onto this canister of soil, and whenever you think it's ready, throw it into the air, and a giant wall of wood should appear."
In a heartbeat, the wanderers stared in stunned disbelief at the uncanny magic. Clutching the bottles, they recoiled as the guards' screams sliced through the air.
"You think you can escape and deny the Queen's adoration? Not on our watch!"
Just as one of the arrows hit the two, Asahi threw the canister into the air. All watched as the green soil magically transmutated into a giant tree that popped up like the moon.
"There," The boy said as he ran up the tree and sliced one of the guards. As he sprinted up the wood, the boy launched himself into the air, piercing his hand through the guard's chest.
"Thanks for doing that." He said as he struck four more guards. "The coast is clear. Hmm, the name's Belial, a pleasure to meet with you."
Though Asahi and Aletha remembered meeting Belial in The Forbidden Book's realm, The Ruler of The Forgotten's power had affected him. He seemed to forget everything, but still acted normally. Even a tiny memory returning proved their success.
As the dust of the destroyed Fountain settled and the winds died down, a distant voice shouted to the dark-haired, green-eyed boy.
"Belial, there are hundreds of guards arriving!"
"Hundreds?" He muttered. "Oh well, at least we have a strong team. Even without our weapons, Drimi… show them who's the true knight!"
She tossed another canister of magical soil into the air, forming purple beams of light as she shook her head. "On it!" she called.
Though not directly attacked, Asahi and Aletha were caught off guard as a dagger whistled toward them, then seven more followed. Before they could react or glimpse another canister soaring skyward, darkness swallowed their vision and consciousness.
Seeing this, Belial muttered as he grabbed the two with both his arms.
"I suppose they did attack them," He said as his skin transformed into fur. "Who shall be my next target? What did they do to the two of you?"
After hearing those words in the dark void, their hearing faded to silence.