A/N: Cross-posted on ao3. The first four chapters have been beta-read, the rest will not be. Please bear with me in terms of formatting, the cross-posting process is a bit tricky.


"Sorry, how much?" Rex resists the urge to let his mouth hang open. The money he's being offered is more than he's seen in his life. "You're joking, right?"

"Actually, that only the advance." Chairman Bana pronounces the words with the exact pompous air that one would expect from a man willing to offer an advance of a hundred thousand gold on a job. "Another 100,000 gold upon completion of job." Rex pales, the mere thought of 200,000 gold more than enough incentive to accept.

He stammers, not quite grasping the magnitude of such a sum. "I-I must be dreaming! 200,000 in total?" He straightens his posture, a fire in his eyes. "I'll take it. I hereby swear that I will use every skill I possess to ensure this job's completion."

It's only when the words have left his mouth in a flurry of greed and determination that Rex realizes that he hasn't actually received any information about this job past its pay, as Bana is quick to point out. "You really have skills for job…?"

Rex nearly jumps to reassure Bana, and the Nopon shrugs, asking his attendant to bring the crew in. In the time it takes for the attractive young woman to retrieve the crew, Rex is left to stand there and speculate on what kind of people would be looking to hire a salvager for such a hefty sum. Whatever he expects, it's not the two girls who enter the room, each trailed by a Blade.

The first girl is garbed in a yellow jumpsuit with a lopsided belt that keeps two large hoops on one side and three small knives at the other side of her waist. Her silver hair is short and flawlessly blends into a pair of matching ears, indicating the girl's Gormotti bloodline. To keep her vision clear, there's a shock of color in the form of two yellow ribbons tying her hair out of the way on either side. She is flanked by a large tiger, a beast type Blade with eyes that are human and out of place on what could easily be mistaken for an animal in the wilds if not for the glowing blue core crystal nestled in his fluff.

The next girl—no, woman—that enters the room is likely the prettiest woman Rex has ever seen. She's tall and carries herself with a demure grace that somehow stands unfaltering and proud against the others in the room. Her hair is red, fiery red, and matches the rest of her outfit—striking red against pale skin. Her shoulders are covered in a red, hooded cloak that covers her chest, and the underside of the cape is lined in a shimmery gold fabric that seems to soften her appearance. Her long legs are encased in matching thigh high socks, coupled with shorts that are too short for Rex to keep a clear head.

She's equal parts delicate curves and sharp lines, and Rex has to remind himself that he needs to breathe and stay in the present moment.

Her Blade is intimidating. That's the only word he can think to form after the shock of her, and he realizes that it's because it's strangely fitting when applied to the lady in red. The two are just intimidating. The Blade stands tall behind the woman, glaring at the world with the authority of a man with one purpose that he's never once had difficulty in achieving.

The two Drivers and their Blades step to the side, and it's only now that Rex notices the fifth of his employers, a man reminiscent of a volff, with hard, unflinching eyes and a silver mask. He stands completely secure in himself and his safety, and he is not accompanied by his own Blade.

"There's something we want to haul up," the man speaks, his voice forcing Rex to re-focus. "There were some current shifts, and it showed up in an uncharted area. But it's a long way down." He emphasizes long, as if it were meant to deter the young salvager. Rex merely puffs out his chest, grinning from ear to ear. The thought of 200,000 gold flashes across his mind, filling him with determination.

"Nice, I like a good challenge!"

"Bana offered to assemble team of veterans for job, but this crew very picky. Only want small elite team, and only from Leftheria. That when Bana have stroke of genius, should hire Rex!"

Rex lets out an elated laugh, throwing an arm behind his head. "You made the right choice!" Before he can finish his thought, the Gormotti girl laughs, unable to contain herself.

"A child salvager? You've got to be kidding me," she says, mirth clear in her eyes. "Jin, don't tell me we're going to have to hire some babysitters for this outing, too."

Rex raises an eyebrow at her insinuation, stepping towards her in his annoyance. "What the hell? You look just as much like a kid as I do." It's true—she's shorter than him, her face youthful and matching her voice. He's willing to bet that if they stood facing each other at full height, he'd easily be several inches taller than her, and he'd stake a good thousand gold that they were around the same age.

She's still snickering, eyes wicked as she looks him over once. "At least I wouldn't wet myself at a measly hundred grand."

"What are you trying to say?" He's halfway across the room now, only half thinking about all the gold he might be forfeiting.

Her Blade clears his throat suddenly, bowing his head with a grace that suits his stature. "Rex, was it? I implore you to excuse my lady's discourtesy." Before Rex can respond, his attention is drawn back to the Driver.

Her ears flicker in annoyance, and she lets out a slight growl. "Dromarch! What have I told you about—"

"Nia," the red lady speaks, her voice just as lovely as her appearance. Focus, Rex. "You should calm down. He may be young, but it's not difficult to test his prowess without resorting to insults." She looks directly at him for the first time, and Rex's heart threatens to burst. At first he thinks it's because of her beauty and her burning red irises, but then he picks up half a second's dangerous intent before she draws the sword from her waist with lightning speed.

He reacts with a practiced speed, forged after five years of living only under Azurda's guidance, and dodges her sudden lunge, drawing his weapon the moment he gets the chance. It's just in time, too—he has less than a second to block her next swing, and catches it with him own sword, glaring at her with exactly as much intensity as is merited by a sudden ambush. She looks down at him with interest for a long moment that almost makes him feel like he's dying a little bit before she gracefully, effortlessly sends him staggering backwards with a single movement of her sword.

"What the hell're you tryin' to do?" Rex nearly yells, temper flaring. She merely smiles, sheathing the sword without looking.

"Well, you won't die, at least not here," she says simply.

"Pyra! What good is there in beating up a kid like this?" The Gormotti girl, Nia, says, shocked at the woman's actions.

"You were the one who brought up the fact that he didn't seem capable," she says simply, the air crackling around her even after she's sheathed her weapon.

"I said nothing of the sort!" Nia's ears are raised up in her anger, and Rex finds himself appreciating the change in her demeanor. He likes her better now that she's defending him.

"I'm confused. What other concern would you have about his age? It's not as if he would have survived the job if he couldn't even block one of my attacks, anyhow." She looks back at him with an approving glance. He relaxes a bit, sword still firmly in both hands as she surveys him.

"I approve," she says simply. "Skill, and guts. I'm sure that whether you provide good work is out of the question." She nods to Jin and Nia and strides out, followed closely by all except Nia, who lets out a heavy, full-body sigh. When she turns her head to see Rex looking at her, she shoots him a glare and follows after the other two without a second look, only Dromarch offering him the dignity of a goodbye in the form of bowing his head respectfully.

The treatment from Rex's new employers leaves a sour taste in his mouth, which quickly clears along with the air when Bana places a large bag on his desk that rings out with the sweet sound only a hundred thousand gold can make.

Rex thanks him, the shock of the amount fading only for the true weight of his payment to be renewed in his head once he picks up the large bag of gold in one fist. This must be what power feels like, he thinks with a gulp, putting it into the bag on his side and triple checking that everything is secured before going out into the central area of Goldmouth.

The amount doesn't truly sink in until he speaks to Melolo, the noponic woman at central exchange who he normally goes through to send money home. He finds himself leaning over the counter with a conspiratorial whisper when he's forced to relay exactly how much money he'd come into, and finally it sinks in when Melolo nearly shouts the same amount in her shock.

Melolo's excitement for him is nothing compared to the reaction he expects from Gramps when he tells him. "Oi, gramps!" The titan Azurda looks down at him with the almost parental expression Rex had many years to grow accustomed to.

"Back already, Rex?"

"I've got some really great news." He can hardly contain himself, excitement seeping into his voice and sending jitters throughout his body. Rex bounces on his heels, feeling the excitement of being a kid again.

Azurda raises a grassy eyebrow. "Was the haul worth that much?"

"Better!" Rex explains how he'd gotten the job, the payment he'd received, how he'd be leaving for it tonight. Everything Azurda needed to know.

"That doesn't explain a thing! You know nothing about your employers, you took a job without getting any details—"

"Ah, Gramps, you worry too much! I got the important details, I got the advance—"

"There's a girl, isn't there?" Azurda says suddenly, and Rex chokes on his words. Figures he'd pick up on such a subtle notion from Rex after years of raising him.

"What?" He stammers, trying to recover before Azurda can notice, but it's too late.

"What's her name?" Azurda says, pouncing on the notion faster than Rex ever thought possible.

"Th-that's not important! There's no girl!" Rex is flustered now, and deals with the situation the only way 15-year-old boys ever know how—denial and avoidance. "Anyways, I'm going to go gear up for the job and meet them at the docks. You can take a nap or something while I'm gone!"

"Rex!" Azurda's call after the boy falls on deaf ears. He's already run off back inside the guild, not bothering to look back while he gears up for his adventure. "That boy…"

Luck can't shine down on Rex all the time—when he reports to the Maelstrom, he's immediately informed that he has night watch, and given several hours, he decides to sleep until then.

He awakes with just enough time before his shift on watch to socialize a bit. He takes the opportunity, finding his curiosity about his employers far too much to not justify a bit of conversation. His eyes glance over Nia in favor of, preferably, someone nicer. He's certainly not looking for one woman in particular, he just… doesn't notice Nia standing next to Dromarch. Yeah, that's it. Must be a subconscious thing.

He finds Pyra on the starboard side, standing next to her Blade. Her cloak is fluttering in the breeze, and she's put her hood up. In the dim twilight, it's dark enough to see that the bolts of green trimming her thigh highs practically glow, drawing an uncomfortable amount of attention to legs that really don't need it.

Architect, help him.

Rex swallows thickly and approaches only after her Blade takes note of his presence.

"Your name was Rex, right?" She speaks, and he has to remind himself to breathe. "The salvager from Leftheria."

"Right," he says, standing beside her. "And you're… Pyra?"

"Right, Nia must have told you. Sorry she picks on you so much. I think she secretly feels threatened that she's not the youngest anymore."

"Ah, it's fine. Everyone's got their reasons to act the way they do, after all. Your Blade's name was…?"

"Sever," she finishes. Sever nods his head, eyes locked on Rex in a way that almost intimidates him more than the power and beauty personified that stands between them. Almost. "He's not as scary as he looks, I promise. He's just a bit protective."

"It's not every day we see someone who can fend off Pyra," Sever says. It's difficult at first for him to recognize that Sever is trying to compliment him. "I look forward to seeing how you handle the work to come."

"Yeah, thanks." He feels a bit embarrassed at the sudden praise, then slightly more embarrassed when he's forced to dismiss the thought that Sever isn't exactly the one he wanted to hear it from.

Pyra tilts her head to one side. "Was there something you needed, Rex? You were put on night watch tonight, right?"

"Right, I was wanting to ask you about the job. What exactly is it that we're…" Rex's words die when his eyes land a familiar-looking Nopon further up the ship who walks behind a box, apparently hiding. "Pupunin?"

"What?"

"Sorry, I have to go check something out. But it was nice talking to you!"

"Oh, alright. See you around, Rex."

The blood rushes to his face momentarily—he shakes his head to re-focus. He's been doing that a lot lately. "Yeah. Y-you too." He waves to her and walks with purpose towards the box he'd watched the Nopon hide behind, only to see an otherwise empty corner.

I could've sworn that I saw Pupunin walk here… With no Pupunin in sight, Rex sighs and reports to the watchtower for night watch. It's now, some time later, that he finds himself staring out across the cloud sea with concentration and a little bit of that wonder that's never quite left him, even after countless hours spent beneath its surface, even after years of watching it.

He notes movement amongst the clouds, and peers through his binoculars, steeling against a sudden breeze that sends goosebumps across the exposed skin of his arms from the cold. "Is that black ship following us?" He's forced to dismiss the thought almost immediately in light of the faint clanking behind him.

He turns to look, and it's Nia standing there, apparently in a significantly less antagonistic mood than in his previous interactions with her. "Ugh, it's way too cold up here," she says, almost in disgust, and shrinks away from the wind and into her hood. "My ears're burning, and I've only been out here a few minutes. How can you stand it?"

Rex ignores the chill in favor of the obvious oddity in the situation. "You're up here? Why?"

"I've got a name, you know—"

"Nia, isn't it?"

Her ears shift her hood, Rex presumes as they twitch in response. He can't help but think they're the most honest thing about her expression thus far. "Right. Glad to see you've been paying attention." She walks towards him, filling the empty space next to Rex. "Anyways, they started boozin' below decks. You should go join them, I can take watch."

"Why don't you join them instead?"

"It's not that I hate it," she says, leaning on the railing and running her fingers through her bangs. "I just… don't really like it, either."

He suppresses a grin, mirroring her and leaning up against the railing. They're looking out towards the World Tree now, and Rex's heart swells a little bit at the sight. "Guess it's a good thing you're not a salvager, then."

"Oi. I'm tryin' to be nice here."

"I'm just saying. Salvager's code and all. Swim like a fish, and drink like one too." He holds up a finger.

She clicks her tongue. "You know, you explained it but it still feels like you're making fun of me."

"Nah, not my intention."

"Sure it's not. I haven't exactly been nice to you up to this point." Was she trying to apologize?

He shakes his head. "It's alright. I don't blame you, I am one of the youngest salvagers in Argentum, after all."

"Sure seem to like older women, though," she says, and he coughs.

"What are you talking about?" The darkness of the night cloaks his blush, which he silently thanks the Architect for. Unfortunately for him, it can't do anything for his stutter.

"I saw you talking to Pyra earlier. You're not exactly inconspicuous, you know." She laughs when he fails to form a proper response. "Can't say I blame you. It took me a while to get used to her too."

"Used to her?" He echoes. He's not sure he knows the concept, certainly not with someone like Pyra.

"Yeah, after a while you learn how to not lose your mind over a body like hers."

The realization that she's not talking about being jealous hits Rex like a rampaging armu. "Y-you—"

"Oh, come on," she says when the realization finally crosses his face. "Look at her and tell me you would think anything different if you were a girl."

After a moment of consideration, he nods. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Of course I'm right." She's joking around now, grin on her face.

"How long have you been working with them, anyway?"

"Jin and Pyra? A month or so. Why?"

He shrugs. "Just curious. You lot aren't exactly the most transparent people I've worked for. Makes it hard not to wonder about you."

"You're curious, so what you ask is how long I've been working with them, not what it is we're actually doing this job for. You're a strange one, kid."

"My name's Rex. And for the record, I was getting to that."

She pushes her hood back, shaking her head to fix her hair. "It's just as well, Rex. I couldn't tell you anyways. Those two haven't exactly told me what it is we're doing, yet."

"Really? Why're you working with them if they won't even tell you what you're trying to accomplish?" The thought crosses his mind that he's doing the same, but he brushes it off. Maybe they're paying Nia even more than he's getting paid for this job. After all, whatever they need an extra Driver for must be truly fearsome.

She avoids eye contact. "That's… complicated. I'm sure they'll tell me eventually, but for now, I just need to prove myself as trustworthy. I don't have much of an alternative, anyway."

He holds his tongue, sure that what he really wants to say would only push her away, and after he's worked so hard for her to talk to him like he's an actual person. "I don't know your situation, but surely there's something else you could do other than work for them, hoping you're not doing anything illegal."

She scoffs, although Rex can't fathom why. "There's alternatives, but they're not pretty. I'd rather stay where I am for now."

"I don't get why not, but if that's where you want to be, I guess I can't say too much." He decides to relent. At least for now, it's not worth pushing back on the breakthroughs he's making. There's a friend somewhere in Nia, regardless of their initial interaction.

"What about you?"

"Me?"

"Salvaging isn't exactly the occupation of choice, and you're working rather young. Why salvaging? You could've been a mercenary or a merchant, or anything in between. But you chose to stick with a job that's not what I'd call safe or stable."

"Well, that's…" His eyes land on the World Tree rising from the horizon. Its leaves glow faintly against the night sky. They always struck him as extra stars, something to hope for. Somewhere up there is Elysium, the answer to all the wars and fighting down here on Alrest. "It's stable if you know what you're doing."

"But it must've taken you a while to get to the point where you could turn a profit."

Rex recalls a titan he and Azurda watched fall into the cloud sea's depths several days back. The people who used to live on it might have known to evacuate, but he can't help but think about the animals who couldn't have done anything and sunk with it. "You know, I've never liked war. All those innocent people, getting hurt, and for what? Nothing they couldn't have settled without resorting to violence. If there's… a way to reach Elysium, to fix all the world's problems, I can't help but think that it's hidden somewhere beneath our sea of clouds."

She snorts. He only feels a bit stupid for thinking she would take him seriously. "Elysium? You really believe in that guff?"

"Why don't you?" He counters her mirth with his usual positivity. "With the endless field of green Elysium promises, people could stop fighting. We'd have peace, and security. Happiness. Isn't a dream like that worth believing in?"

"But would that be for everyone?" There's something left unsaid in her words, but he decides not to pry. "Would everyone be able to share in that paradise?"

"Of course," he says, shocked at the suggestion that anyone wouldn't be deserving of a happy life atop the world tree. "No one's beyond redemption."

"You know, kid, I used to think people were pretty terrible by nature." He nods, sensing her change in mood. He can't really blame her, not when he's seen how awful people can be. "But you're pretty alright."

When Rex awakes, a man's voice is echoing through his room. After a moment of staring blearily, he gathers that they've arrived at the place and he, alongside the other salvagers on his team, are being called to report. He grabs for his helmet and is out the door the moment he registers the words.

He's on the deck with the other salvagers in minutes, having gotten into his full salvaging suit faster than he's ever had to. As the captain of their team speaks, he stands in the back of the group, checking every potential seam and snap to make sure he won't suffer any sealing issues on his way down. The captain dismisses the salvaging team immediately after he finishes explaining, and Rex obeys, trailing after the others.

The wind is blustery, if the rain and everyone not on the salvaging team are any indication. People have to shield their eyes with their hands just to see, and not for the first time Rex is grateful for the total coverage the salvaging suit affords him. He may not have any sort of peripheral vision, but at least his eyes aren't being assaulted by the weather. He steps off the grating shortly after the others, and as always, looks out over the horizon as his body descends toward the cloud sea.

The plunge is forgiving, and he reaches up and turns on his headlamp once the light of the world above him is officially blocked by the cloud sea. A quick glance around him comforts him as he watches the other salvagers descend, and excitement bubbles up within him at the prospect of finally seeing this ship that was worth shelling out what must've been millions of gold for.

It's some time before Rex has anything visual to occupy his mind. 450 peds is an incredible distance, so he lets his thoughts roam as the pressure of the cloud sea blankets him and his team members.

Finally, a few of the salvagers further down begin swimming down with more fervor, and Rex follows their line of sight to see headlamps glinting off ancient, decaying metal, crawling with all sorts of things, from lost items to the rare plant or creature scuttling across its surface.

As he swims closer to it, flotation device at the ready, Rex notes that the ship doesn't appear to have any sort of way to attach it to a titan. How did this thing use to move? Ancient civilizations must have had some crazy technology. How long had this ship been sitting here, waiting for the moment a team of salvagers would flock to it and cranes would force it from its slumber?

He sends a wave up to his team members when his part of the job is completed, and tentatively runs a hand over the metal of the ship. Sure, he can't feel much, what with the thick fabric of his gloves in the way, but he does it anyway, lingering for a moment in appreciation for the feat of engineering laying before him.

Lightning cracks the sky as Rex resurfaces, and the ship isn't far behind him. He's hardly given the chance to take off the extra layer of his salvaging suit when he's approached by Nia, who has an appreciative smile etched on her face. "Excellent work!" She says. "You're not half bad, you know that?"

"Wouldn't be able to make a living off it if I wasn't any good, right?" He puffs his chest out, grinning. The teams make a move to roll out, just as Pyra and Jin pass him.

He's pointedly trying to focus on anything other than Pyra when Jin stops and turns to him. "You. With us."

"Me?"

"Seriously? You're going to drag the kid along?" Nia says, and it's like she lost every ounce of friendliness she'd shown him the previous night.

"Jin has his reasons, Nia," Pyra says gently, one hand holding her hood up against the wind with determination. "If he weren't necessary, we wouldn't bring him. Don't worry so much about his age; just focus on his value."

Architect, she's even more beautiful when she's defending him. Nia can't come up with a worthy response, it seems, so instead she shoots Rex a glare and they follow the other two in silence. They don't get far, however, before Rex instinctively stops just moments before the others do. It's good timing—the door to the ship suddenly flies off, bouncing in the spot Rex might've been standing in had he continued walking and crashing into one of the guard rails on the side. The metal bends and he swears he can hear the guard rails crunch under the pressure.

In the place the door used to be, there's a furious Lysaat daring anyone to make a move or even a noise. Nia steps in front of Rex confidently, rings already in hand, and adopts a battle stance. "Let me show you what a Driver is capable of, Rex," she says, and he already burns to show her up.

Not to be outdone, Rex draws the sword at his waist and joins as he and the group of Drivers launches into battle. His sword cuts shallow, almost pitiful against the onslaught from the others. He sends the sword straight into the space between the lysaat's shell, as he's learned to do from years of them coming up with him during his salvaging trips, and immediately pulls it out and scrambles back when Pyra lunges at the lysaat. He almost feels sorry for the poor thing, having been on the receiving end of Pyra's sword exactly once, but then he's pushed off the fence when her sword engulfs it in flames.

Ruthless. That's the word Rex couldn't place. She's utterly, unapologetically ruthless.

The lysaat lets out a final cry as its body is scorched. The murmur coming from the other people on the ship is just barely audible over the rain—so that's the power you get when you become a Driver!—and Rex isn't quite sure if he's actually hearing someone say it, or if it's just his thoughts against the backdrop of rain.

"Let's go," Pyra says, sheathing her sword and striding towards the now permanently opened doors of the ancient ship. He watches her go for several moments, breathless, and it's Nia's hand on his shoulder that brings him back to Alrest.

She smirks. "She's single, you know." The blush that erupts on Rex's face is enough satisfaction for her—she bursts out laughing. "Come on, best not keep Pyra or Jin waiting."

The ship is dank when Rex steps inside. The air almost chokes him several feet in from its weight, and he takes a moment to re-orient himself in the dizzyingly thick atmosphere. Strangely enough, he seems to be the only one in the group affected by the humidity—even Nia, who he had been sure would have the worst time, what with her wearing that yellow jumpsuit and all. What kind of training had these three gone through, that they were fine in the humidity even though he was the salvager here?

Pyra moves at a surprisingly quick clip, her eyes perpetually focused on her goal, although Rex still isn't quite sure what exactly it is. She's so quick that he nearly trips multiple times trying to keep up with her, although Jin seems to have no issue. Damn tall people and their long legs. Not for the first time, Rex wishes for his growth spurt to come as he finds himself constantly short of breath and doing more work for the same distance.

At one point in his never-ending mission to keep up with the group's unfailing speed, Pyra walks too close to one of the various forms of aggressive wildlife in the ship. It leaps at her, but she slams her sword down on it with enough force that the creature, along with the grating it lands on, both crash to the floor below with cacophonous results. Rex is simultaneously both very glad to be bringing up the rear of this ship investigation and very glad that he's not going to have to actually fight Pyra anytime soon.

Rex is given the honor of carrying around an ether cylinder that Pyra picks up and seems to think is useful to their investigation. It proves to be when she uses it to power a control panel, which opens the door to a slimy, shark-like thing much like the ones Rex learned to avoid after horror stories from a more experienced salvager reached his ears.

Pyra stops a reasonable distance from it, arms crossed. It looks at her almost defiantly, letting out a noise that can only be described as a wet grunt. Rex's hands are already on his sword when Pyra speaks. "Not going to let us through? …very well." She grabs for her sword confidently, not breaking the creature's gaze. "Consider this an act of mercy, then."

The creature, much like the lysaat, goes down in no time thanks to the sheer power and skill Jin, Nia, and Pyra display. A stab of envy hits Rex in perfect synchronization with Jin's killing blow against the creature. Jin slowly removes his sword with cold eyes, and Rex shudders as the creature lets out its final cries. It's not quite that Rex wants the power, or the coldness that permeates Jin's every action, but it would be nice, he thinks, to have enough power to be useful to the people he works for.

He wordlessly follows the others to a door at the end of the room, which is unusually ornate. Perfectly in the center is a raised circle, on which a strange-looking symbol that reminds Rex of a flame has been engraved. "Pyra, look," Jin says, his voice the least confrontational Rex has ever heard it.

Pyra steps forward. "There's no mistaking it," she says. "Addam's crest."

"Addam's… crest?" Rex echoes. A strange sense of foreboding washes over him suddenly. "Maybe we shouldn't be here."

"No, this is exactly where we need to be," Jin says. "This is what we were looking for."

"Rex, could you please open this door for us?" Pyra asks.

"Me? Why can't any of you do it?" The idea is nothing but strange to him. Is this really what they brought him along for? To open a door?

Jin appears frustrated but only shakes his head. "You're Leftherian, aren't you? That door will only open for one of you."

"I don't really get it, but I guess I'll open it." He walks up to the door and surveys it with a watchful eye, curiously pressing a single gloved hand against the crest. To his surprise, it glows blue the moment his hand touches it, the door itself sliding back and out of the way within moments. The foreboding feeling only grows stronger as he steps into the room, which appears untouched by both time and the Cloud Sea itself, save for the strange fog that sits just above the floor.

The area around his feet glows a faint green each time his foot hits the ground. Sure, green is typically a comforting color, but every step towards the second door in front of him just feels like another red flag. "Wait!" Pyra speaks suddenly. Rex turns to look at her; she's standing still, mostly focused on Nia, who appears to have rushed forward to follow him. "Open the second door, too, please." The last person he wants to annoy with his need to know what's going on is Pyra, so he nods and watches as a second door lights up and hides in response to his touch.

The fog diffuses before his eyes, and the room he walks into is mostly empty, save for a sword and a tank in the center of the room. The sword is jet black and appears dormant. There is a crystal embedded just above the hilt that glints against what little light is in the room, like shining obsidian.

He's vaguely aware of the sound of the others walking into the room behind him, but his eyes follow the direction the sword's hilt points, to the tank barely large enough to contain a muscular man who appears to be sleeping. Just above his crossed arms sits a purple core crystal that mirrors the one in the sword. Wait… he's a Blade. What's a Blade doing down here? Why isn't his core crystal blue like Blades usually have?

As he stares up at the mysterious man, the sense of foreboding he'd felt fades away in tandem with a soft purple glow that alights on his face. He looks back down at the sword, which appears to be the source; it's glowing brighter every second, and before he realizes it, he's reaching to touch the glowing crystal.

"Rex, don't touch that!" Pyra's words are no deterrent for a man entranced by a sword. He closes the gap, and the crystal responds to his touch much in the way the doors had—it begins glowing with more intensity immediately. The purple washes over the room until it's white hot, but upon further consideration, the explosion of white and purple at the edges of his vision might have something more to do with the sword that's been plunged through his back.

"If you knew what was coming, you'd be thanking me," Jin says. All Rex hears, however, is Pyra's voice repeating consider this an act of mercy at the back of his mind as the glow, along with the rest of his vision, fades.