She followed the frequency of the soul of the one she was trying to find. A soul she was very familiar with, and yet its frequency had changed drastically over the last little while. It was more itself, and less of what had been affecting it. But it still had the tell-tale waver of an exile.

Seacalith entered the cave following the soul’s compass… To find him still in a state of fit and duress.

Sea: i’m here…
Him: Celica is that you?

His voice changing male and female, his form stuck between that of a male dragon and a female elf.

Alvertia: He’s still pretty broken it seems. But he’s not as bad as it was earlier.
Sea: I know… We have to find the rest of him that was broken off.
Him: the worlds change, the worlds change…
Sea: It’s alright… your safe now…
Him: Celica is that you? but how are you here, i saw you die…
Sea: I’m Seacalith. You remember me?
Him: sea? that’s right… my sea…

He rolls over suddenly.

Him: No… They are coming… they will find us…
Sea: no one is left, we are are the only ones here.
Him: Its all a lie… its all a lie…
Sea: Can’t we do anything Ver?
Alvertia: I can try to use the staff and see if we can find any more shards again. But there is not much we can do til Coyabin comes back.
Sea: What makes you think that this Coyabin will be successful? Or that we can trust him?
Alvertia: My dear sea, Coyabin is not like other’s… He is a being charged with the very recording of all of history for the beings above. He is protected beyond all. But it will take some time for him to find the shards through all the records in the tower.

Him: They are coming, they will return, the portal will open and the darkness will come once again.

Alvertia raises her hand and in a gold light, she takes the staff of fayte into her hands.

---

Malnova growls as he takes the dagger from his eye, the dagger dematerializing as he does, and re-appearing in Phagika’s hand.

Malnova: So good of you to come creation core… I have something that belongs to you… Or rather, you have something that belongs to me.

Malnova produces a sphere of black and gold light and places it before them.

Phagika: The core is to smart to fall for that old device.

Malnova: The core is mine. Whom do you think gave that foolish grandfather the idea to create one?

As Malnova begins to pour energy into the gold and black sphere a sudden explosion of purple and black fire hits him.

Paige and Godalt walk into the room.

Godalt: Hello again, Malnova.

Malnova: Your betrayal was expected Paige.

Phagi turns and faces Paige and Godalt.

Phagi: Mother?

Paige takes out the oroths that had been given to her to kill Godalt, and turns it towards Malnova.

Paige: I’ve dealt with far worse than you over the years.
Malnova: You think that what Ezear did to you was far worse than what I can do to you? Poor little exile, you do can not even fathom what form of beast you shall take in your next life. Perhaps you shall return to Earth as a rat to live out your days in human waste.
Paige: I think maybe I’ll send you there instead. But not just as an Exile. But as a permanent citizen.

Paige flickers from the living world and slips into the realm of the dead, to reappear momentarily beside Malnova slashing him with both the Oroths and her mother’s sword. Malnova seems to be unphased for a moment, but then it becomes obvious the Oroths actually did hurt him.

Malnova: Very good Paige…

Malnova seems to shrink himself and move incredibly fast and then knock Paige back with a whack of his tail. Although shrunk the tail hits her with more mass than normal and sends her flying backward. Godalt and Phagi both come at Malnova from different directions. Phagi cutting him with the dagger at many key weak points, and Godalt blasting him with a purple-black flame and stabbing his soul claws into Malnova’s side.

Malnova: You can’t kill me with tricks like this.

Malnova’s suddenly phases out of physical exsistence, and sends them flying back with a black soul wind. He begins charging the sphere again. Paige calls the souls of the dead upon her mothers sword, the room becomes as cold as death, and time begins to slow. She slashes at Malnova’s soul. But the soul blade seems to phase right through him.

Malnova laughs and continues to charge the sphere.

Kilana calls forth a violent wind and stabs several hundred swords of wind into Malnova, passing through his scales and threw his heart. However this seems to still phase threw him, leaving Malnova unaffected.

Godalt: What is this… Is he a god?

A large explosion of red flame hits the door to the room, causing it to burst open into flaming splinters. A female with red eyes and pink hair stands at the door. Archaia walks into the hall surrounded by red and blue flames, carrying the Oroth that Hermas had finally finished, the one to slay a god.

Malnova: What is this sudden betrayal?
Archaia: Your services are no longer required Malnova. The lie has been broken, and it is time you are removed from the board.
Malnova: What? I did everything you and the others asked of me… Why would…
Archaia: Dias Mortium demands the sacrifice of a god.

One of Archaia’s red eyes changes to a deep blue and she slashes Malnova with the god slayer sword, the sword causing a hiss of steam and reality to twist and bend. Malnova seems to bubble and burst into steam, melting from within.

Malnova: I WILL CURSE YOU ARCHAIA! THE CURSE OF THE GOD OF DARKNESS!!!

Pop, Malnova disappears like a popped pimple, a puddle of dragons blood remains where he once was. The blood bursts into flames and, and as it does a portal opens. A tentacle reaches outward towards Archaia, but as it does it melts into the flames. 3 figures emerge from the portal before it closes behind them. Kryptaris, Ash Braen, and a Dragon whose scales are blacker than black that seems to eat light, with one eye green and another blue.

---

Him: The portal is open… they have come…
Sea: What does he mean?
Alvertia: it seems the dimensions layers are crossing again… This may be our chance to-
Sea: Shh… someone is coming…

A girl with silver-white hair and greyish purple eyes walks in. She seems young, but they can tell she is far older than what she appears.

Embercea Greyshia: Well hello…

Sea: Who in a million oceans are you?
Embercea: I should be asking you that question. This is my home you are all in.
Alvertia: Is it now… A cave on a chunk of rock floating between worlds? I have my doubts.
Embercea: Well, yes, the place between worlds is my home.
Sea: You live in the junkyard that is the dimensional rift?
Embercea: I wouldn’t call it a junkyard, yes the things that end up here usually is just the leftovers of creation, but that doesn’t make it junk. It’s beautiful in a way the long lost remnants of what could have been, adrift in an endless void.
Alvertia: So what are you then… To be able to live here? And why does your soul remind me of someone… Are you a shard of Glaesie?
Embercea: I’m not sure what you mean; I am the keeper of the rift. I don’t know who that is, but I’ve been here for a very long time now. Not that this place has time.
Sea: Alvertia is right… you do remind me of Glaesie, from before Zazy fixed her… Very odd…

A scream is heard, and a burst of energy shockwaves threw the area. The shockwave knocks a few chunks of rocks and debris into the larger rock which had the cave they were in.

Alvertia: Seems we missed our chance…
Embercea: hmmm I’m getting more visitors, how rare.
Sea: Someone else came through?

---

There was a powerful flash, a blinding light that seemed to burn and singe through her very being. She fell into darkness, falling… At first, she thought she was dead; something ripped from her very being. The Creation core somehow was no longer connected to her, it had cut her loose, or someone had ripped it from her by force. She felt weak, gasping for air that was nowhere to be found, her lungs empty she fell into darkness. The sound of rushing wind past her head is what woke up to her new surroundings, a dark empty void filled with energy a bottomless world, how long had she been falling? How long had she been unconscious… She looked around and saw many asteroids, various rocks and debris; it looked like the skeletal remains of planets from long ago. The energy of the place was odd, timeless somehow, there was light but no stars, she could breathe, and there was wind, but no air, this reminded her of the realms of the dead her mother had taken her to on a few rare training sessions. She shifted her back to grow a pair of violet dragon wings, she glided down and then angled and flew her self to a nearby arch of stone that was floating in the void. She landed with a thud; she still felt weak after being separated from the core. Even with her little weight, it slightly moved the archway when she landed, and it began drifting slightly. She took the time to compose her self and try to get her bearings… What happened? Where was she now? She first thought to call out, but stopped, not knowing if anyone would answer. She sensed herself disconnected from everyone, where ever she was, she was alone, for now at least she thought. Phagi tried to remember what had happened; the last thing she recalled was a fight…

---

Archaia stood before the three who had emerged from the portal, the god sword she had used on Malnova still in hand. A trickling swirl black light crawled up the blade of the sword and into her arm causing her to flinch and collapse onto one knee.

Ash: Well, hello, Archaia… It has been a while.
Archaia gasping through pain: Hello, Ash.
Paige: I knew you were not to be trusted Archaia, but I didn’t expect you worked for one of them…
Black Dragon: You did well Paige Keisner. To make it this far,
his voice changing to that someone else’s
Black Dragon: My little reaper heheheh…

Paige: Oh I’m going to enjoy ending your existence most of all

Kryptaris takes a look at each of them in the room. Then lifts his paw and seems to call out to something, but nothing happens.

Godalt: So who are these now. Do not tell me they are gods as well?
Archaia: They are the knights of the lie. The followers of Dias Mortium.

Godalt: Dias Mortium? Who is that?

Kilana helps Asb back onto his feet and then turns to face them.

Kilana: So now I have to deal with you three again do I.
Black Dragon: speaks in yet a different voice The great wind queen I have defeated you before, do not think you have grown stronger since going through the cycle.
Phagika: You must be Zero… Or whatever your host’s name is…
Asb: This one is the source I think. He’s the one who infected Brea.
The Black Dragon growls: That traitours bitch, your sister is an unfaithful whore I cannot believe she is with Alzy again, I will have to make sure this time…
Asb: Make sure what? That she can’t be happy? You say she was the traitor, but I know from Aestus that you betrayed her long before she ever slept with Alzy.
Black Dragon: Alzy is a thief and a fool I have something of his that will be his end.
Kilana: You must mean his and Brea’s son. Good luck with that.
Black Dragon: You doubt me Dilana, but soon you will see that I have something of yours as well. Hahahahahaha
Zero disappears into black smoke

KIlana: no… he can’t have him…
Kryptaris: Isn’t that a shame… I wanted his soul; I could have done something great with that one…
Asb: that’s not a comforting thought…
Phaige: Just like you to run away, you coward! You know that we could end you here and now, but you have to play tricks
Phagika: What’s wrong kryptaris, are you missing your sword? Eyelark did away with it
Kryptaris: …
Ash: it cost him his life
Kryptaris: I see my daughter used the key and split the core…

Kryptaris picks up the black and gold stone that Malnova was trying to use.

Kryptaris: It has been a long time old friend…

Kryptaris speaks a name to the orb that the others can’t hear
Phagika: … that’s…

Kryptaris freezes time for an instant and slams the sphere into Phagika, time cracks open, and an explosion of soul energy and core energy erupts filling the area, time unsticks, and things move forward. Asb jumps and catches phagika as she falls to the ground but her body dissolves just as he manages to get to her, her soul torn away.
The sphere begins flashing and pushes everyone away except for Kryptaris.

Kryptaris: Long live the emperor of death, lord of shadows and desecration. The sands of time rot away the light, and only pain will remain.

Kryptaris places something dark into the sphere, and as he does the thing cracks and splits into two. The Creation Core and Shadow Cores appear in the room from each half of the sphere.

Kryptaris: And now the two will be made whole once again. And HE will return.

Suddenly an explosion rocks the room, a large crack of lightning drives a wedge between both cores.

Kryptaris: What!?
Ash: It’s him…

In a flash of green and blue fire and the sound of a blade being unsheathed, Kryptaris’s head is removed from his body, and the two cores are gone… The faint smell of the ocean lingers in the air but only for a moment.
Kryptaris’s body burns into silver fire, and his trademark skull is left behind, cut in half.

Kilana:… Did anyone else just see that??
Godalt: I’m on your guy’s side, right?
Asb: Phagika… why…

Paige silently disappears into the shadows before anyone notices and is gone.

Archaia: Who was that just now…
Ash: The creator god… One of our many enemies.
Ash: Arcahaia, stop pretending to be injured, this is prime time to get rid of a few obstacles on the board.
Archaia: Pretending? Who’s pretending, the god of darkness has cursed me as his final act of existence.
Ash: Pathetic, you are above the status of a god, or am I mistaken? Are you just some creator that I choose to serve the great one?

Archaia tries to get up but as she does the god killer sword shatters, and a fraction of it stabs into her arm, as it does a shroud of darkness surrounds her for a moment then clears away. She pulls the piece of the god killer sword out of her arm and tosses it to the floor, it immediately rusts and decays to dust.

Archaia: well now… That’s interesting…
Ash: That sword was important… How could you let that happen?!

The other fragments of the sword also seem to rust and decay into dust, leaving no trace of the sword.

Archaia: Hermas… Did you make me a one-time use sword…
Ash: No… He would have made something great; this is something else…

Asb: Where did Kryptaris put Phagi? Tell me now Ash!
Ash: How would I know what that one was up to? He was trying to blend the cores together. She was the core’s guardian, she’s likely inside the core or dead.

Kilana: All your friends are dead or gone, Ash, why are you still here?
Ash: I thought I’d like to take you back Kilana, now that Kiro is gone… After all these years I’m sure you still remember…
Kilana: You bastard…
Ash: I’m sure you would enjoy being a trophy again. Perhaps I can lure more fools like Asb here…
Asb: You… Wait… You are the one who…
Ash: The only reason you two were ever together was that I allowed it. We kept a very good watch on you. And Zero went in to reclaim things once Alzy became involved… It seems someone is always getting in the way of progress…

Suddenly a gunshot is heard as two females walk in, with a troupe of soldiers behind them. One with blood-red hair and purple eyes, the other with black hair with one eye dark red and the other gold with what looks like the symbols of a clock around the iris.

Elizete Lachance: Well well well what do we have here, Archaia herself, and some outsiders. You’ve been a bad girl.
Rachalia LuCiena Du Marhst: You are all under arrest under the order of King Therrios for crimes against the Kingdom of Mar

---

Phagika noticed something not too far from the stone archway she had landed on, a faint detection of a soul signature she recognized. Although not anyone she had seen in a very long time now, she knew who it was well enough. Gathering her strength, she launched her self off the ruined archway and flew towards a large chunk of what seemed like a mountain. As she approached, she made out the entrance to a dragon cave. She made her way into the cave…

Phagika: Aunty Sea, is that you?

Alvertia: Well, your not who I was expecting.
Phagika: Who are you exactly?
Sea: Phagi… How did you get here?
Phagika: That’s what I would like to know, last I remember is Kryptaris rushing towards me than a bang on the back of my head. Is this some kind of dead realms?
Embercea: This is the place between worlds.

Phagika: You seem familiar…
Him: the silent one watches
Sea: you’re still awake?
Alvertia: the silent one?
His voice changing from male to female: the troubled son will be here soon…
Phagika: … W… What the hell.

A gust of wind carries a dark fog into the cave. And the figure forms out of it. Black hair, eyes green with a shade of blue and what seems like tiny stars in the iris.

Alzaterius: Well, well, what do we have here. The leftover and forgotten?

Phagika jumps and turns around to face him

Phagika: Who the hell are you…
Alvertia: I know who you are. Your Brea and Alzy’s son…
Sea: So he’s Zero infected then…
Alzaterius: Father already purified me; I’m not infected anymore.
Alvertia: Did he now…
Alzaterius: But that doesn’t mean I will side against master Zero. You all should really give up, you’re fighting a losing battle, but you don’t even see it.
Alvertia: That’s what you think. Do you even know what Zero’s real goals are? Who his master is?
Alzaterius: You really think Zero has a master? Do you really think that those stupid tentacles control him?
Sea: I bet; next you will say zero’s goal is just that he just wants to bring freewill to creation, and that we are all fools. I’ve heard it before…
Alzaterius: It doesn’t matter your all sitting in the backdoor of Zero’s realm. I should take you to him, and then maybe you would find peace. But I’m not here for you anyways Sea and the false fayte… I’m here for Phagika, and I’ll take that one in the back as well.
Him: the silent sky.
Phagika: Zero wants to see me does he…
Alvertia: I don’t think Alzy did a good enough job purifying you… I did promise him I would take care of you after all. I think it’s time I make good on that promise.

Alvertia points the fayte staff at Alzaterius, and a burst of purification energy carried on fate chain goes throw his chest.

Alzaterius grabs the chain and pulls it out of him and takes a step towards Alvertia the space around him getting darker as a mist seems to form, condensation of a black substance begins dripping from the cave walls.

Alvertia: Who are you to deny my purification. I was there when you were conceived. And I’ll put you back into the state of an unfertilized egg.

Alvertia once again hits Alzaterius with a blast of purification, but he seems unphased, he pulls a sword of what looks like black light out of the air and shatters the chain.

Alvertia: You bastard. I can see the resemblance to your father now.

Sea raises her hand towards Alzaterius, and a wave of enchanted purification water hits him, the water swirls around him like a vortex and takes the shape of a sphere around him, sealing him within it. The purification water bubble burns away in white and blue flames. Once the water clears, all that remains is what appears to be a baby dragon-hadren hybrid with black and silver-white scales with the same green-blue eyes. His wings, and most of his body black, his upper torso and neck is black with a pattern of silver mixed in; the pattern tapers off to full silver up his neck, head, and face.

Alvertia: What did you do… How did that work and not what I did?
Sea: I learned a few tricks from Alzy and Kaly over the years.

The now baby Alzaterius makes a sound that is sort of a cross between a meep and a rawr.

Phagika: Aww he’s so cute.
Sea picks up baby Alzaterius.
Sea: Come on, little one, I will help take care of you till we can get you to your mother.
Alvertia: Well, that is not what I expected from you Seacalith…
Phagika: Seacalith?
Sea: Yes?
Phagika: Why are you here. Why did you leave uncle Alzy?
Sea: I’m not his Sea. Kryptaris killed her… And a part of her lives on somewhere, but it’s not me.
Phagika: Are you sure? You are a lot like her, and you still have the ring he made you. He still has the shard of you and all your other belongings…
Phagika: And… Who is that exactly? A shard of uncle and dad? Or…
Him: The silent one’s gaze has wandered away.

Sea silently stares at the ring on her hand while holding Alzaterius…
Sea: It’s best you didn’t know.
Alvertia: She’s here in this world with us now. We may as well tell her why we are here.

---

She wandered through the forest, being careful to stick to the shade. Every step in the light burned her. She was used to fire, used to the burning, used to pain; but this was something else. Even in the shade if she dwelled too long the grass would dull, the trees would darken, and the sounds of the birds and animals would deafen to an eerie silence. She finally reached the village, her destination, a long-awaited reunion.

Guard1: Who goes there?
Gaurd2: Stop hiding in the shadows.

She steps out of the shadows and covers her eyes with her good arm to block out the sun.

Archaia: I’m here to see Aiya’staria. I understand she is here.
Gaurd1: What business do you have with the queen’s mother?
Archaia: I’m here to ask for her help

The guards escort her to the encampment. They take her up the slight hill and bring her to the meeting place.

Guard2: We have a stranger looking to speak with you and your mother.
Irenia: A stranger?
Archaia: You must be Ireniasky.
Aiya: Hello… Oh, it’s you!
Archaia: Hello, Aiya, it’s been some time. I’m glad to see you well.
Aiya: yes, I’m glad to see you are still alive. Wait, who are you? I feel like I know you, but…
Archaia: That makes sense, I’m certain Ash erased your memories of back then… I’m your sister, Archaia.