Summary: Events of war will change a person. These memories are always painful and hard to forget. Regrets that led Alber to becoming the person he is when Ark meet him at present. (Note: Story takes place after Alber saves Ark. Read this when you are done with Ark's story quest at level 30.)

A/N: After all the pain that Nexon had put me through. I need to put this story into words so that it will make this pain complete. I love and hate this so much but we live for the angst and pain. I present you the missing piece of fiction when Alber saved Ark. I wrote the story in such a way you can decide if your Ark is male or female. Enjoy and prepare tissue papers.

Capital Punishment

"AURGGHHHHHHHHHH!" The caster sent a powerful force of light and energy that hit the target accurately. The sheer will, strength and perhaps love that took over the man who casted the strong magic spell to stop a ritual from making its completion. The impact was so strong that it also knocked out the third party that was involved in the event itself. Commanding officer, General Brigadier Limbo. The very man who executed the monstrous ritual onto the person that is so important to him.

In a flash, Alber flew over to his target. He fell onto his knees when he had a clearer picture of the body lying on the sandy ground.

The grey military uniform was torn left side off the torso and slightly midway past the hip. The body wasn't anything he could recognise as his own kind. The lower left arm had morphed into talons, dyed in the sick colour of the reddish dark hellish abyss, black lines and inorganic matters embedding in places that were once flesh and veins.

The pair of once ash blue eyes that was once filled with sadness during those last moments was now blank and dead. A sickly yellow had over taken the iris of the left eye. This made Alber heart dipped in pain.

"A…Arkk…" he choked out the name and bit down hard into his lower lip. Tears were swelling up in his eyes as he held onto the broken body.

Are you… gone?

Alber shook his head, he needed confirmation… he took a deep breath and placed his long elf like ears on the bare chest. He closed his eyes to concentrate and listen. His fingers tried to feel for a pulse too. Any signs will do… anything… he needed some signs of life… but nothing…

He gritted his teeth… "No…" and he noticed a twitch on Ark's fingers and a soft trembling gasp.

"!"

He didn't have much time to waste. He glanced quickly to look at his superior officer. "I have less than 15 minutes." He thought.

Quickly, Alber scooped up the body and took flight into the air. His wings glisten and emitted a golden glow that is significant for his race, High Floras. He entered the closest store house that he could locate.

Alber needed to give Ark a better chance of survival; it was a promise and he is determined to see it through till the end of time he has with Ark. He hastily read through all the signs on the boxes and found what he needed. Armour to protect this precious person, a set of khaki uniform. The colour will help to blend into the desert environment. Alber quickly took off the tattered uniform and saw more damages that were on Ark's body. The magic circuits were badly damaged. These circuits are crucial to a High Flora, it gives them the ability of flight and magical ability they need for casting spells.

Alber swallowed hard. He quickly cleaned the body to be best he could. He gave fresh garments to the ones that were soiled and ruined. He put on the top, a black sleeveless turtle neck, pulled on the bottoms, then boots. He took extra care so that the talons don't tear apart the outer sleeveless khaki top. He strapped on a matching khaki belt. At this point, he noticed a set of fabric that was hanging on a chair… A brown cape with the high flora insignia. This will protect Ark against the harsh elements out there. He pulled the cape over his friend's right shoulder and buckled the red belt that came with it.

"Now it's time to release the wings." Alber said to himself uncertainly. This was a tricky procedure because he's uncertain on whether the damaged magic circuits will respond to any magic stimulus at this point. The High Floras had developed a spell that will hide and make their metallic gold wings fuse into their bodies so that it will increase combat mobility. For Ark case, he needed to release it now so that no further damage will take place within the body.

He sent charged spells to the tip his long fingers. He slides the fingertips on Ark's right arm and he tapped on the shoulders. He stepped back as he saw a faint glow. This was a good sign that High Flora magic still existed in a body as damaged as this. It was a miracle. A wing structure began to form on the right side, and took shape. Then it slowed down to the point it stopped. The wing was not complete.

A frown formed on Ark's face, the body begin to convulse in complete shock. The yellow eye and left arm glowed in an eerie red and orange glow. Agonising noises filled the air. It was a painful sight to take in on Alber's end. The body curled up and it stopped moving.

Silence…

Then a crackling laughter came, and a bone chilling voice came in the form of Ark's voice: "Why did you stop the ritual?"

The skin on the face begin to darken and the eye glisten in with a demonic presence, dark reddish energy was emitting from the body and more intensely on the talons on the left arm.

"Ark?" he called out.

"Alber?" a voice came but a maniacal laughter came soon after. Alber's blood ran cold at the response.

"Were you expecting Ark to come back?" it spoke in Ark's voice.

A thought dawned upon Alber, "This… was… no… longer… Ark…"

Alber froze at this moment, this is a 'monster' he had brought forth. The next thing he felt was a force coming at him, and he felt himself crashing towards the crates in the storage facility. He felt himself being picked up by the talons. The claws were holding onto his body. His mind was spinning from the impact of the attack. A dull sting came when the claws slowly cut into his arm and body.

There was a pause, a right hand came to caress his cheek, Alber blink and he looked at the 'monster' in the face. Coming from that ash blue eye, a trail of tear ran down. The face came in closer and planted a chaste kiss on Alber's lips. A whisper came from the lips, "E.. nd.. me…" the voice quivered as it struggle to keep the claws from impaling Alber.

Alber hesitated, the word 'no' was repeatedly looped in his mind. How can he… do this? Ark was still… 'here'. The right eye begged sadly and in a moment of a faction, that bit humanity faded away. At this point, Alber knew that both their ends were near.

It was then a glow of golden light came, knocking Ark away and dropping Alber onto the pile of rubbles.

"Get up now!" A loud voice came and Alber felt someone pulling him up. His vision began to clear up and he sees General Limbo glaring at him from that single icy blue eye. Ark was held in a bind spell that was casted by the General.

"!" Alber was caught.

"We must stop this monster, NOW!" The general said in urgency. He eyed Alber coldly.

"I am not going to let you get away from this treason for saving this traitor. As a capital punishment, I order you to put an end to this tragedy you created." The General Limbo tightened his grip on Alber's collar before letting him go forcefully.

"A tragedy I created." Alber thought.

"We need to send this monster into the 'Abyss' and I need you to drive it in there." The General ordered Alber.

Alber gritted his teeth and nodded. This was his fault. This was his punishment. To fulfil a promise that led to another tragedy. He made a terrible choice. It came with consequences. His demise won't stop this 'monster' from destroying. He had a duty to fulfil. He needed to stop it at the cost of that 'promise'.

"It's time to end this tragedy."

The bind was going to wear off soon and General Limbo was summoning the portal for the 'monster'. He needed to draw the 'monster' into it. He readied himself and at the queue of the General Limbo, Alber attacked Ark with full strength. He sent a strong spell right at the 'monster'. The force of his precise attack sent it into the dark abyss.

The last thing he saw before the portal closed was a chilling sight of dark tendrils pulling Ark into the pit of the crimson abyss. It was a nightmare. He was beginning to blank out when a voice brought him back to this cruel reality.

"First Lieutenant, Alber. Clean up this mess. I want you to report in the next day and make an account of this incident." General Limbo dusted off his uniform and left Alber to his means.

Alber fell on his knees, he clenched hard into his hands and punched onto the ground. He cried in pain and loss. There was no comfort for the sinner. He alone was left to pick up the pieces of the remains…

He slowly picked up the uniform that Ark once wore. A golden locket fell out of the pocket of the tattered uniform. He opened the locket and looked at its content.

This was the certificate from their military graduation… They both promised to protect each other. Stream of tears rolled down Alber cheeks uncontrollably. He held onto the locket tightly and brought it close to his chest.

"Ark… I'm so sorry…"

"Ark…" a voice reached into the abyss, a faint warm glow permeated to stop the darkness from consuming it. A pair of heterochromatic eyes opened…

"Al?... Ack.." there was a sharp pain and static…

An anguish scream emitted within the abyss, a light engulfed the body and it teleported the person.

Among the roaring winds, a body laid amongst the sandy sands. It was barely visible to the eyes, the khaki uniform blended into the desert environment. The sand storm grew stronger, the cape protected the person further from the abrasion of the moving sands in the wind. The figure stirred weakly… a memory faded away in a nightmarish form… all thoughts came to a blank and confusion… the person was too weak to make any sense of it. The feeling was foreign… and the only question that came was:

"Who am I?"

A/N: I got this inspiration when a friend shared with me that the change in uniform for Ark is too sudden. (From the grey one, to the khaki one.) I thought about it and the only logical reason to it was, Alber changed it for Ark. Alber did fulfilled his promise to protect Ark so many times. It must have been extremely difficult for him to make the choice to put an end to Ark. Therefore, here I bring you this story of the possible events that took place that changed Alber to who he is in present. Thank you for reading and leave me some reviews!