The silence... The silence before the final battle...
Was nearly deafening.
The stillness...
Was overbearing.
Count Bleck was waiting in the Inner Sanctum of his castle... For the end.
The Void outside was growing larger and larger, entering its last stages of maturity and threatening to destroy all of the dimensions, as well as the castle. Already the castle was shaking from the growths of The Void behind it. It was only a short matter of time before it was all gone... Before it was all over...
One way, or another.
Count Bleck knew that with every minute that passed, the Heroes of Light would also come closer and closer to stop him. He knew that they would succeed, too. He had sent his three minions ahead to stall them, though his minions thought that they were actually trying to defeat the Heroes. He didn't know exactly how their fights would end, but he knew that the Heroes were strong enough to make it to their final battle. The Count felt a little guilty about lying to his minions, his closest friends, but it was for the best. It didn't matter. His game would be over soon anyway.
Which is exactly what he wanted.
He had started feeling guilt over the pain he caused... The pain he caused towards Timpani... He wanted it to be gone. He started this destruction because he couldn't live in a world without her. But when he realized that she was still alive, it was far too late. The Void had already engulfed an entire world, and was preparing to destroy many more. Because he alone had control over the Chaos Heart, the only way to stop it now, was for himself... To die.
As the Count stood there in the large, empty room, accompanied only by his secretary Nastasia (who, noticing that her boss was deep in thought, was being rather quiet), he was beginning to have second thoughts.
Perhaps it wasn't too late... Perhaps he could try to close The Void now... Before the Heroes of Light even entered the room.
Then Timpani would be safe. She could live happily in a world that was still so full of life, a place that she deserved.
No.
Then he would have to live with his many sins and evildoings. And besides, Timpani couldn't possibly love him after everything he's done...
Though he still loved her. To the ends of the universe he would go, just to make her happy. Just to see her radiant smile light up the darkest abyss.
That's why he didn't close The Void. When the Heroes came and defeated him, the Chaos Heart would be destroyed, and The Void would close, and then all worlds would be safe once more.
The Count knew he would have to try and fight the Heroes, though he really didn't want to. If he didn't though, they might realize what he truly wanted, and they were too kind-hearted to let him succeed with his plans.
The door at the end of the room started to slowly creak open...
The Count sighed, and changed his expression in order to fool the Heroes.
... And Timpani.
He clutched his sapphire staff tighter, his heart beating rapidly, and his eyes pulsing with a bright orange-red.
This is it...