(Aaaand here we go again. Golden Sun isn't mine, it belongs to Camelot. I take no credit whatsoever.)

Sveta ran through the woods, gasping for breath as she looked fearfully over her shoulder. Why did she have to run? Why was he chasing her? She was the hunter, the powerful she-wolf. Her instincts cried out for his blood, but she refused to satiate them. She didn't want to kill him again!

Eventually, she had to stop, sagging against a tall, sturdy tree in an attempt to calm her heart with no success. Her hair, normally braided into two ponytails that swept past her waist, was down and streaming wildly down her back. Why, she asked herself again, did he pursue her with such ill intent? They'd known each other for so long; what had changed?

Suddenly, Sveta heard the sound of metal slicing through the air, and she knew her time of rest was over. She threw herself forward, barely avoiding the blade that cleanly chopped through the trunk of the oak, the tip also taking a few strands of her lavender hair with it. She fell flat on the ground, and quickly rolled over as the sword hit the ground where she had fallen merely a second ago. She looked up at the familiar being, whimpering softly. The sound only received the responseof an angry growl as the sword began to come down again—

Blinking tears away, Sveta brought her Umbra Knuckles up in a block, pushing the sword away from her. The wielder stumbled back, not expecting her to retaliate. Choking back a sob, she sprung up and brought the deadly metal to his chest.

Sveta sat up in her bed on the pirate ship, a cry of loss escaping her lips. Her pillow was wet with tears, her bed covers disheveled all over the mattress. She shuddered, and then yelped as strong arms wrapped around her stomach—

Then she realized the arms were there in a hug. She embraced Karis tightly, sobbing into her shoulder while the gentle Jupiter Adept ran her hand through the beastgirl's long hair reassuringly.

"Volechek again?" the green-haired girl asked, her eyes filled with worry.

Sveta hesitated, and then nodded slowly. "Every time . . . He's chasing me . . ." she replied softly. Karis wasn't one to sleep when her friend was tormented with nightmares nightly. Sveta had been wracked by terrible dreams ever since a week ago when the events at Apollo Sanctum had resolved themselves. Karis, honestly, would have been even more worried if her friend hadn't shown some signs of trauma. The entire group had had a rough time throughout their journey, but the Princess of Belinsk had suffered far more than any of them; losing her brother twice during the journey, and actually having to witness it the second time when he had fired the Apollo Lens. Even Matthew, the sturdiest of them all, who had given his strength and spirit to Sveta to allow her to attempt to fire the cannon when all had seemed lost, had evidently been having sleepless nights himself; from what Tyrell had told Karis.

"Sveta, the dead can't come back," the Jupiter Adept said softly, looking the beastgirl in the eyes. "Anyways, why would your brother want to hurt you? His last living action was to save you and Matthew, and the rest of the world as well. That's more than enough to show how much he wished to keep harm from visiting you."

Sveta nodded, and then smiled. "Th—thank you, Karis . . . You've been there for me this entire time," she replied, returning the embrace of her best friend. Sveta didn't have that many friends, being royalty, but she'd made several over this adventure, and she'd never forget them. "I'm lucky to have met you and the others . . ."

Karis smiled bashfully, and then slid off the bed and back into her own bunk.

"Sleep well, Sveta," she said softly, and soon enough, her own breathing joined the sound of waves lapping against the side of the hull.

Sveta's smile slowly faded, and she rearranged her covers. She slipped back into her own bed, though knew she wouldn't be sleeping well. Karis was sweet, and she meant well, but Sveta had lied to her. Sveta hadn't been dreaming about Volechek. She only told Karis that so she wouldn't worry her friend. True, she missed her brother dearly, and felt sorrow at his loss. Yet she had finished mourning, ironically, weeks before, since she had already believed him dead. She had felt a pang of grief when she saw him die, but now a different, more heartrending figure stalked her in her dreams.

Not beastman, but human.

Not a plain steel blade, but a Sol Blade.

Not Volechek, but Matthew.

And that last fact scared Sveta far more than anything else.

"I don't know what to do, Amiti," Matthew sighed, though his quiet despair did not cause him to let his guard down as he brought his blade to parry the Prince of Ayuthay's Slyph Rapier. The Sol Blade Matthew had gained up on Apollo Sanctum may have appeared large and unwieldy, but Matthew found he could move it as fast as any sword he had used before. So now Amiti had a sparring partner he could match with besides the swift Karis. And when the two male Adepts were restless, their swords clashing could be heard well into the early hours.

"I mean, I'm pretty sure Sveta has affection for me, after what Lull told me about Arangoa Prelude." Matthew still hadn't told Sveta about what he had learned. The love song his parents had danced to all those years ago was also in fact the same one that Sveta told them to play to signal her when it was time for them to reunite back during their time in Morgal. It wasn't definite proof; it could just be a coincidence, or that Sveta enjoyed the song. But given the history of the song and the effect it had on both Adepts and regular people, that seemed unlikely.

"And then . . . there's what happened at Apollo Sanctum," he continued, now bringing his sword down, only to have it deflected by Amiti's own blade.

"You mean that moment where you gave her your energy?" Amiti asked, just to confirm that was the occurrence the Venus Adept spoke of. Nobody had actually seen the transfer, except Himi, whose eyes and Psyenergy were more observant, so the event had become common knowledge.

"Exactly. Amiti, while we were connected, I felt what she felt, I saw her life and her emotions, and she saw mine. There was pain, an overwhelming amount of fear, equal resignation to her fate to die firing the cannon, just as much determination to do so. Grief at the true loss of her brother . . ." Matthew's eyes clouded over for a second, as if the events that had happened to the soon-to-be Queen of Belinsk had happened to him as well.

"But, there was also a little happiness. Happiness that I was willing to go with her and that she wouldn't have to do it alone. Amiti, for the rest of that day, even though her sorrow was great, I was sure that Sveta loved me as much as I her."

Amiti nodded, marveling at how eloquent a speaker Matthew became when he spoke of his inner thoughts. His mind then remembered the aftermath of what he, personally, had decided to call the Battle of Sol and Luna. On the way back down after she had finished crying her heart out, Sveta was very quiet, almost reflective. And Amiti, now that he thought about it, could have sworn that he had noticed a few tender glances aimed at the leader of their team. But the day following . . . Sveta had become quieter still, avoiding the company of all except Karis, her cabin mate, The only person the beastgirl divulged anything to, though Karis would not reveal the content of any of their conversations. Instead, she spent her time comforting and helping Sveta through whatever she was going through.

This was a letdown to Amiti, who had been planning to admit his feelings to the Matthew's friend since they had both survived the crisis. He wasn't sure he could keep his heart concealed much longer.

"Normally, I would say she's trying to distance herself so she does not hurt you. Like I said before, Matthew, she might have to choose between her love and her country. And if she chooses to put her people before herself, she wants to make sure she lets you down slowly, so as not to harm you." Amiti pondered this as his thin blade tried to find holes in Matthew's defense, while the Venus Adept used the size of the golden sword and its surprising speed to rapidly parry. "But she's shutting everyone out, minus Karis, since she refuses to let Sveta's sorrow overwhelm her."

"Maybe . . . It could be, too, that she's upset over seeing her brother die again . . . But I think there's more to it," Matthew countered both verbally. At the same moment, he also retaliated physically, sweeping his sword around to send Amiti's blade flying into the mast like a well-aimed dart, quivering in place for a few seconds. He held the blade to the prince's throat briefly, and then lowered it, sitting down with a sigh on one of the numerous crates. Wiping sweat off his brow, Matthew pondered the words he had just said.

It was more than intuition that made Matthew suspect that there was more to Sveta's withdrawal than her brother's death, or even the fast-approaching task of ruling Belinsk, provided that the city had survived the Grave Eclipse. Matthew still felt a feeble link tying him to Sveta, so he could tell that there was something else wrong. Before the ship docked, he swore to himself that he would figure out what was troubling Sveta so.

In the darkness, something moved.

So, at last, it has begun. My bonds weaken, and soon I shall have the power to be free of these chains.

The voice was soft and soothing to the ear, but behind it was also an extreme amount of malice and hatred.

All that remains is the key, and a host. And tonight, very soon, I shall have both.

The flash of red eyes, followed by amused laughter, then the words continued.

The key will compel them to seek me, though they do not know it. I will lure them to me, take the host and the key, and destroy them all the rest. I will finally be free to rule . . . and the world will burn in agony beneath my feet.