Several years ago...
"High, you can't go!" Mel wrapped her arms around her brother's waist. "If Himvel finds out-"
"It'll be okay." High turned around and placed a hand on his sister's head. He smiled down at her and patted his belt. "I'll be fine. They accepted me onto the guard." He was dressed in a short brown tunic and had his hair tied back into a ponytail. "I'm part of the guard now, which means I can get close to the well and escape to the surface."
Mel shook her head. "Himvel will kill you before that happens."
"Then it'll be a death worth having. Truth be told, though, I'm starting to doubt if that being is Himvel or not." High sighed.
"You are?"
"Yeah. I believe the real Himvel is somewhere on the surface. That guy pretending to be him is such a fake. I'll prove it by going to the surface and escaping."
"But why? Why do you have to go?"
High's smile faded slightly, and he quietly looked around at the rundown village that was Underworld City. "Mel, things aren't going to get better unless we try. Put your trust in me, okay? I believe I can, and so I will. I'll get to the surface, find the real Himvel, and I'll save you and everyone here." High placed his hand on his sister's head and smiled. "Have faith in your big brother."
***
Present day...
Princess Ever decided that she was very lucky. After all, her life had been put in danger, yet she managed to get out alive. That, High guy, was stopped, and now she was no longer in the core, meaning the radiation wasn't something she had to worry about.
This meant she finally got to take the mask off and get several deep breaths of fresh air. So much had happened in such a short amount of time that she was truly grateful to the fact that she was still alive.
Although there was a slight issue.
"Princess Ever, please forgive my absolute incompetence." Sunny bowed down, pressing his head into the floor. "I'll accept any punishment you see fit to deal out. Please execute me on the spot."
"E-Execute you?" Princess Ever's eyes widened. "Why in Haru's name would I do that?"
Sunny stared up at her, giving a fully serious look. "Princess. I failed to keep you safe. I allowed you to be captured by that masked man, and he nearly ended your life. Worse yet, my great shame is that I am not the one who came down here to save you. That… The red-headed bimbo was the one who urged us to come to the core. I shudder to think what would have happened to you if I had waited even a second longer…"
Princess Ever let out a sigh and shook her head. "Oh, that's what you're on about. No, it's okay."
"Your life was nearly taken?"
"No. It wasn't." Princess Ever shook her head.
"Your highness? I was there? I saw that foul monster raise his blade to you."
Princess Ever rubbed her neck and winced. "That's the thing. I don't think he was going to kill me. It's strange, but I can sort of feel him. Just like I was able to do with Davi. I can kind of get a read on his emotions. I'm not certain, but I think he was lying. In fact, I think a lot of what he said was a lie or, at the very least, that he's the kind of person who isn't interested in saying the full truth."
"Well, be that as it may, that monster still dared to lay a hand upon you," Sunny growled. "I hope that monster is dealt with swiftly."
"Perhaps." Princess Ever rubbed her neck. "I just can't tell what that guy wanted. Who the hell is he?"
"There she is!" A voice called out, and Princess Ever turned. "My pretty daughter!"
"Mom?" Princess Ever gave a curt nod to the woman who now stood at the end of the hallway that she and Sunny were in. "Oh, I bet you're worried about where I was. I have a lot to tell you-"
"That can wait." The queen said, still smiling.
"It can?"
"Yes." The queen turned, and her smile grew as another figure stepped forward. "This is Captain Laerton, or at least she looks like her."
"What?" Sunny also looked confused now. "Wait, this energy feels a bit off- Who are you?"
The queen tilted her head and sighed. "Truly, what a tragedy. I discovered that the Phoenix Flight guild killed my daughter and my most loyal knight. The queen then smiled again. "Kill them."
The fake Laerton, who was actually just another kitsune clone, lunged forward, swinging her sword. Sunny drew his blade and managed to block.
"You dare try to harm the princess! You're not the queen, are you?"
The fake queen just smiled, and next to her, Farkiss stepped forward. The Lung puffed his cheeks out and grinned, then exhaled, unleashing a wave of intense fire that covered the entire halls…
Without a doubt, the princess and her bodyguard were dead.
***
The world shook. The temple his people created for him wasn't going to be able to withstand the rage of her light for much longer, and neither could he.
Lights filled the skies, the emptiness of space filled to the brim with energy and mana. The very stars themselves were his enemy as his cold, metallic suit fired upon them. Time itself lost all meaning as the universe twisted and swirled, Z.E.U.S. unleashing bolt after bolt into the empty cosmos, failing to hit her each time.
In the end, the battle was not a spectacular one. His mighty suit, one in which he built with the help of Himvel, one made to fly through the very stars themselves just as the Almighty did, was taken out in a single strike by the woman of white light.
Z.E.U.S. fell upon the land, a heap of flames and sparks seeping forth, and the planet shook upon where it landed.
How long did he lie there in the cockpit staring up at the stars, which had turned into eyes, and the space, which had turned into hands?
"King Sylas! We must go!" One of his guards cried out.
He ignored him and kept his smile up. "I bring forth salvation. I bring forth a glorious path. I bring forth the only road that we can walk. I am the destined one. It is I who holds the right to reach beyond the stars and pull back the curtain of this false dream we all reside in. It is I who will bring about the ultimate change. Destiny unravels as the dreamer stirs. Nightmares upon nightmares all clash, but it is I who will still stand at the top of the world when it is all said and done."
"My King-"
He grabbed his guard, the one who was pulling him out of the wreckage of his destroyed suit. He placed a hand upon his forehead and one over his heart, and with a loud declaration, he sealed him away, turning the guard inside out and forcing his soul into his weapon.
His other guards all stared at him in shock and horror as if he were mad, but he couldn't be mad, for he alone was the only sane one. Only he had a mind, and only he saw the truth of what they all were.
No one else had a right to call themselves real. They were all nothing more than figments of an imagination that dared to strike back at the host in some vain attempt to become real. Fakers. All of them. Just him, and perhaps one more person.
He laughed. A joyous laugh as the sky came toward him. It was like the sun itself was about to step forth on the planet.
"You've seen it as well, have you not, Haru!" He declared to the heavens above. Billions upon billions of hands stretched out and twisted, clawing their way around the planet as a great being of white light finally touched down. "I know you were there. At the edge where everything stops. The barrier! You've seen past the curtain and looked upon the face of the dreamer, have you not!" He held his arms out. "We are one! We are the same! You and I, we are real in a world that is nothing more than thoughts, created by a despairing God who now no longer holds any love for us or gazes at us. We are segments of numbers who have seen the pattern we reside in, and we've broken the chain! You know what I am saying to be true! So, why? Why do you despair against me, just like all the other fakers? Why do you insist on battling me and saving this world from the fate it deserves when there is something more out there? Have you grown to care for the actors in the stage play?"
The being of light responded. Space and time were twisted together, and with a single swing, all that was, all that would be, and all that will be, ceased.
The end of an era.
The world burned.
And then-
Davi's eyes opened, and he stared up at the roof above. "Dang. That was intense. Wish I knew what any of that meant."
Ever since arriving at this place, any time he seemed to dream, it always had to do with the past. Likely, his elf trait was picking up on the feelings and emotions held by the core or some other forces that were constantly recalling the past.
Perhaps Himvel?
Davi shook his head and looked around. Everyone else was scattered in Mel's home. With nothing to do, they all had returned to her place, and when night came, they all slept, so it was just now starting to turn dawn.
Myth was next to Max, who was finally awake, and the magicless man was cheering as a new barrier was placed upon him. Sera was sitting next to him on the bed, smiling and chatting with her captain.
Laerton was seated in the corner, her sword propped up on her lap. Her eyes were focused completely on the queen of the Licht-Fulk, who was seated the furthest away from everyone, not looking at anyone.
Finally, Susie and Mel were off to the side, also quietly talking about the battle that would soon begin.
Mel was the first to notice he woke up, and the Licht-Fulk smiled at him. "Oh, Davi, you're up. Seems we're all ready."
"Hell yeah, we are!" Max announced, standing up. "I didn't get to do much, but now that Myth gave me a shield again, I can show off how cool and awesome I am!" He pointed his thumb back at himself and smirked.
"How can someone without magic even be an Arcane Knight?" Laerton asked, frowning. "You lack a core, so how in Haru's name did the king ever place the circuits into you?"
Max let out a sheepish laugh. "Well, I did have a core but lost it a long time ago. The space in my soul where the core should be is blank, so the king just inscribed the code there, but I can't actually use it or mana still!"
"We can discuss the basics of it later," Myth grunted. "For now, we should all focus on what is to come."
Susie nodded. "Yeah. That jerk said the battle would be at dawn, but he didn't give a location, did he?"
Davi got out of bed and adjusted his robes. He was a little sad to see how torn and stained they became. He'd need Clause to fix them up yet again. He thought of his father as he attempted to fix some sections the best he could. Then he thought of all the Licht-Fulk who were suffering and the hardships they had all faced. He was going to save the people of the Underworld. This wouldn't be like his village, where he ran away. No matter what, he promised he'd save them all.
"Davi?" Laerton noticed him staring off into space. "What's on your mind? Any ideas?"
Davi shook his head. "No. I think I'm just going to do some basic farm work."
"Huh?"
"I figure he'll come to me when the battle is going to start, so there is no use in worrying about anything."
"So, we should just wait and then jump him?" Laerton asked.
"Yeah." Davi made for the door and gave a lazy wave. "Good luck."
Silence filled the room.
"Laerton." Myth eyed the other captain up. "Your guildmates sure are carefree."
"Oh, put a sock in it."
The group all made their way outside. Mel took them around and showed them everything that could use some fixing up. A few barriers were still broken, some fields still needed to be plowed, food still needed to be sorted, and the guards were all still quite bad with weapons.
Most of them got to work on something, following Davi's example. Max taught a few of the guards some basic martial arts that he knew, showing them some moves, while Susie and Sera were playing with some of the kids. Myth decided not to do any work since he was too good for it and stayed next to the queen to make sure she didn't try anything. That left just Mel, Davi, and Laerton, who were all hammering away at some nails, repairing holes in the weak barrier that was around the city.
The three of them mostly stayed quiet, but Laerton kept shooting glances at Davi, who was completely laser-focused on his task. Eventually, the silence got to her, and she started to speak.
"Davi, something has been bothering you, right?"
Davi paused for a second and seemed to think about it. "No." He got back to hammering.
Laerton sighed. "Dumbass. I'm serious, what's got you acting so weird?"
"Weird?"
"You've been a little off."
"Oh."
"So?"
"I don't know," Davi shrugged. "I feel the same."
Mel awkwardly slumped down as the captain glared over her head and stared daggers at Davi. "You're not lying, are you?"
"Why would I be lying?"
"I don't know; you're weird like that."
"Am I?"
"Yes!"
"Dang."
"I really want to hit you with a hammer," Laerton said flatly.
Davi lined another nail up and quietly hummed. "I guess I've just been thinking a lot lately. You know, when it comes to saving places, I don't exactly have a good track record, do I? It's sort of been dawning on me that I try to help these people, but do I make things worse? Sometimes it feels like I have a lot of expectations that I have to live up to, yet it is just impossible for me to be that person that others need." The image of a blonde version of himself appeared in his mind. "I wonder if I was born wrong. If I could have been someone else. Walked a different path? Maybe if another path had been placed before me, I would have made other choices and been someone else. Someone better. It just feels like there is a piece of what could have been that has just been missing."
"You can't worry about what-ifs." Laerton shook her head. "If you do that, it'll never end. Life sucks, but we have to make do with the hand that it dealt us."
"I know. It's why it doesn't bother me that much."
Laerton snorted. "You know, before I became the captain to this guild, I had a few choices I could have made. I'm sure if I went down another path, I'd be a vastly different version of myself. Perhaps I could have done more for 'him' back then, but instead I picked the easier path, and now, here I am." Laerton's expression changed slightly. She suddenly looked somber. "I don't know who you wanted to be, but the you that is here now is the one you're stuck with. That doesn't mean you can't keep changing, though. It is impossible to go back in time and change the future, so you'll truly be that other version of yourself that you wonder about, but that doesn't mean you can't emulate him."
"Emulate him?"
"Yeah. If you've thought about that other life as much as I have, then surely you've thought of why that other version of yourself seems happier or healthier. It isn't just because of a single path. Believe me. We're made up of thousands of choices, thoughts, and feelings. Life shapes us into the beings we are, and we'll change bit by bit with every passing day. There is nothing stopping us from trying to better ourselves and fix the errors in our lives. See, the best thing about paths is, follow one long enough, and it is bound to arrive at a fork in the road, and perhaps, just maybe, that other path would have led to that same fork, and you can see which one they would have gone down and select it for yourself."
"Does that all sound a bit confusing to anyone else?"
Laerton rolled her eyes. "Don't get hung up on trying to be someone you're not. Be yourself, and if you really want to change, then change. You're still young, so you have your whole life ahead of you. There is still time for you to grow. Make mistakes, learn, live, and eventually settle down and get married or something. Experience life."
Davi nodded, and the image stayed burned in his mind. That other him whom Olivia created. That was a version of himself that he could never become, for it required events in the past that were no longer reachable to the he of today.
Laerton was right, though. While he would never magically become that other person or escape the influence left behind from his mother and father, that didn't mean the he of right now couldn't change a bit and learn from that other him. In fact, that was exactly why he created the new core.
"I want to save everyone," Davi finally said. "I-I am tired of cities being destroyed and lives being ruined. Just once, it would be good to get a happy ending."
"Then we'll do our best." Laerton nodded and stepped back, admiring the wall, which was now fixed up.
"Do you think that will be enough?"
"Well, I think we'll have to find out."
"I guess. Hey, how are you holding up?" He glanced back over to Mel, who had returned once Laerton's sour mood died down.
Mel shrugged. "So, so... Hey... Do you think High is Himvel?"
"Do you?"
"I don't." Mel shook her head and winced. "I promise you. My brother can't be him. What I told you about High was true. He really did manage to escape from him. I wasn't lying."
She could still recall it. The way he patted her head and the final words he said to her.
"High left to go find Himvel," Mel said quietly.
"I guess that settles it then." Davi hummed. "High and Himvel aren't the same."
"Really? You believe me? Just like that? The queen insisted they were the same. She wouldn't shut up about it."
Davi just smiled. "Truth be told, I like you more than her. I'll take your word, okay?"
Mel blushed slightly and looked away. "You're so weird."
"Am I?"
"Yeah."
"How so?"
"You just are, okay?"
Davi wanted to say more, but then he felt his scar begin to burn. He placed his hammer back into the vault. "It's starting."
"You're sure?" Laerton asked.
"Yeah," Davi nodded. "He wants to meet with me. It seems our battle is about to begin."