Once upon a time, there was a boy.

He wasn't a strong child—Alexander; he was sickly, small, and frail. The beginning of his life was a bit of a blur; all the reminders he had of his past was a wooden flute and a song. He never knew his mother and he'd certainly forgotten his father's face.

"Stay here," his father told him as he gave him his wide brimmed hat. "I'll be back soon," the father told him and then kissed him goodbye.

But he never returned as promised; he left Alexander behind.

Yet, the child waited faithfully for his return for many days and nights. For days, for weeks, he stayed on the steps of Saint Prox's shrine. For days, for weeks, his flute would sing deep into the night. For days, for weeks, he slept in the cold and wept until his eyes were all dry.

Until one day he was caught stealing the temple's offerings and a kind-hearted priest changed the direction of his life.

"Child, what's your name?" said the priest, clutching his narrow wrist tightly. "Dear, where's your mother?" asked High Priest Dmitri, looking deep into Alexander's eyes.

The boy thought he'd be punished; he cried bitterly, begging for his life. But the priest just smile and embraced him, holding him tightly as he told Alexander "Everything will be all right."

When Alexander hesitantly looked back, the priest loosened his grip around his wrist and took his little hand. Raising their hands, he then turned them over, knuckles facing up.

And there they were—on their forearms—wings. Wings, intricately drawn with blue ink—wings of the same kind. Wings; proof of his birthright.

And so he came to leave the streets of Loho. So, Alexander became a novice of the Order of Imil—a shy little priest. His uncle raised him and loved him as his own child. His uncle High Priest Dmitri, who was a shining beacon of light. Alexander swore to make his uncle proud and shine as brightly as him one day and even brighter still.

His tender smile and healing hands earned him the love and respect of many and he was happy with his life. He had everything he could wish for; respect from his fellow men, a seat in the council, a loving bride by his side…

Who could have thought he'd become a traitor, tear down all he stood for, and leave his bride behind?

Frost glimmered in the morning light as Alex approached the partially frozen river, the breeze bending the reeds and catching his hair that now was black. He pushed the curtain of reeds aside and stepped out on the ice, testing the thickness with his spear. Then, he lowered himself to the surface and removed a glove, reaching out and touching the ice with a spell in hand. Ripples of energy pulsed from his fingertips as the ice melted, leaving a hole large enough for him to lower his buckets in.

Alex looked at his reflection in the still water. It's been years since he had his hair cut so short. It wasn't bad—his head felt a lot lighter without the long tresses, but the cold neck left him with a feeling of finality that he wasn't entirely comfortable with yet.

He tucked a stray lock back behind his ear and then brushed his thumb against his index finger, studying the fading black smear there. As soon he was out of Imilian territory, he'd wash the "dye" off. It stuck to everything—his clothes, his skin—everything it touched.

A crow cawed in the distant trees and reminded him of his task. Alex filled the two buckets with water. He then sighed and gazed over his shoulder, squinting as he looked at the blue star in the distant horizon trying to outshine the sun.

Lifting his unclothed hand and letting the sleeve roll back, he looked at the tattoo on his arm, remembering all the promises he gave and received from his loved ones. When Felix shredded his coat and Jenna cut his hair, he told himself it was too late for regrets, Yet, he kept looking back.

He remembered a time when he believed that a diligent mender was all he needed to be. But while he obeyed all tenets and upheld every rule, he still asked questions when he realized that some things didn't seem right. And maybe his innocent questioning had rubbed off on his uncle, which in turn led to the tragedy that started it all.

A meek smile dawned on Alex's lips as he picked up his spear and the buckets and then rose to his feet. He turned back to the snowy road, starting to head back to the camp.

Had he chosen to be the diligent priest he was meant to be and stayed away from the Lighthouse, perhaps he'd be atop the wall with the Mercury Clan's banner in his hand and his beloved by his side. Instead of an outlaw in his homeland he could have been a hero of the people, or died a martyr defending his faith to the end. But then, he would've lived and died as another pawn in someone else's scheme.

Alex clutched his spear and the buckets tightly, his steady march unwavering despite the storm in his mind.

Yes, he would have lived and died as yet another insignificant pawn like his ancestors before him with a broken spear in hand. But he didn't. He didn't because he loved his uncle dearly and couldn't forget his last words as if they meant nothing to him. Because he loved his cousin deeply and couldn't let her father's death slide.

He was fifteen—take or give a couple of days—when High Priest Dmitri died.

He tried—no-one can say he didn't try. He tried to be the kind and diligent priest he was meant to be. He smiled in ceremonies and healed the wounded and the sick, continuing his life the way it was supposed to be. But he couldn't focus on his duties, as nightmares plagued him every night. He couldn't focus when his uncle's last words constantly echoed in his mind. And as she worried and fussed over him, the guilt tore him up from the inside.

Finally, he told her the truth: that their sacred duty was a lie. He told her the Lighthouse killed her father, and that they're spitting on his grave continuing this false legacy. Then, he took her hand and asked her to run away with him and leave their wretched duty behind.

She didn't take it well, so he quickly fell back on a lie; he was afraid of losing her, so he lied. He told her he didn't mean what he said. He told her he was still grieving, and that he needed more time.

So he left the city on a quest, pretending to be a missionary from the north. In his search for the truth he journeyed to many places; to the City of Lalivero, to the Venus Lighthouse, to the village of Vale… And in the ruins of Loho he'd finally put all pieces together and discover a truth so incredible that he didn't think anyone would believe him even if he brought it to light.

"You must unlock the power," his uncle told him, right before he died. "You are Imil's chosen, Alexander, it is your duty to show the world its light."

But how? He was just a lone priest—not Saint Imil with his spear of light. How could he convince the rest of the world that the Elemental Lighthouses were meant to be ignited? How could he convince the zealots of Vale to hand him the Elemental Stars without losing his life? And how could he keep her and still convince her that her entire life had been a lie?—How could he keep her and still walk the path of light?

It was Felix. Felix thought he saved him when he was merely resting in the abandoned mine. Mild-mannered Felix dug him out of the caves and healed him even though Alex knew a proper exit right around the corner.

It was Felix. Felix carried a drunken priest back to the temple and Menardi recognized the wings on his arm. Menardi—she believed she'd convinced him to join the cause with promises of glory. Little did she know he had been waiting for someone to take the lead all along.

It was Felix. Felix gave him the courage and inspiration he needed to walk the path of light. Felix, who was a craven too, found enough courage to turn against the Zealots of Vale. If Felix could walk into the jaws of hell for his family, what was his excuse? If Felix could play the villain to save his parents, Alex could do the same for her.

Alex sighted the caravan resting on the side of the road. Smoke from the cooking fires rose to the clouded sky. He then smiled for himself and sighed.

Nothing went according to plan—nothing. And he couldn't quite decide whether the fault was his or Menardi's.

Yes, he overslept, but Menardi had promised him two days to finish his own business. Yet, she broke her promise and strong-armed him into opening the lighthouse before he was ready.

He remembered waking up alone in bed with the sun shining through the curtains in the late morning. He'd flown out of bed, grabbing his clothes in haste and tripping out of his room while dressing on the way to the dining hall. He hadn't told Mia the truth yet, and he had almost forgotten that he was supposed to bring Felix here so that they could convince her to let him light the beacon.

He ran to the dining hall looking for her, but she was gone—Justin told him she'd let him sleep in… She'd told Justin to let him sleep in because she thought he was tired, and she'd gone to council in his place.

Panicking, he grabbed his ceremonial spear and ran to the chapel. He was about to leave the temple when Igor came in and told him the recently arrested arsonists claimed they were his friends.

The northlanders' arrest had forced him to make a visit to the barracks. He could have cleared the misunderstanding with his position of power, but they'd already freed themselves once he got there. And upon seeing him, Menardi took him hostage and used him to get out of the city. Then, she dragged him straight to the Mercury Lighthouse and demanded that he immediately opened the gates.

"Open the door!" said Menardi, shoving him against the Lighthouse's gates once they arrived. "I should've known better than to trust you, Patriarch."

A little bit more time. He just needed a little bit more time. Why couldn't they wait? Why did they beat up the Imilian Watch when he could've resolved the situation peacefully?

As he traced the lock with a spell and opened the gates, Felix spoke for his innocence. But Menardi was furious, proposing the idea that Alex might have ordered the guards to arrest her in the first place. She then proceeded to force Alex open the path to the "control room". Nevermind that the Imilian Watch was gathering their forces to rescue him. Nevermind that Mia would storm the tower calling for their blood if he didn't return to the temple before Oleg or Igor did.

Yet, he knew it was meaningless to defy Menardi's orders at that point—they'd broken out of prison, revealed themselves as magic users, and injured half of the Imilian Watch.

He'd tried to salvage the disaster; stumbling through the thick snow and tripping his way back to the city as quickly as possible. He almost fell into the arms of the watchmen at the east gate when he ran out of breath. He pathetically dragged his feet all the way back to the temple, collapsing on the bench in exhaustion with pain tearing into his sides for each breath he drew. He called for Mia; and Justin too, but his cries echoed through the chapel and died away. Even Saint Imil treated him with a disappointed look that day, standing firm behind the altar with his sword and spear…

Alex buried his face deeper into the bottom of the hood of his cloak, his breath visible in the air as he neared the camp.

What was his place in the world, now that his ties to the Clan of Mercury had been severed? He didn't know. Before he arrived in Imil he was a street urchin. And after that, he thought succeeding his uncle as High Priest was his destiny…

Thrice.

He had to face her thrice before finally leaving everything he knew and loved behind.

After rebuilding his resolve in Imil's Sanctuary, he claimed a new weapon, saddled Stormwind, and rode back to the Lighthouse. He had to stop Mia and Menardi from fighting. Even though he didn't doubt Mia's fighting prowess, she'd never sparred against another Adept besides him.

Alas, his arrival was late. The beacon burned brightly and the deed was done.

Menardi was done with the tower and leaving, dragging a reluctant Felix behind her with Felix's sister spouting threats behind. They were a good way into the narrow forest trail when he caught up with them on Stormwind and blocked their path.

"Oh, it's you again," said Menardi, lowering her glaive and shaking her head. "What do you want?"

"Where is Mia?" he asked flatly.

"At the Lighthouse," replied Menardi, equally emotionless.

He noticed Saturos missing from the group.

"Where is Saturos?" he asked.

"At the Lighthouse!" replied Felix, jerking his hand free from Menardi's grasp. The Earth Adept stumbled up to Stormwind's side and gave Alex a pleading look. "Alex, we have to go back and save him!"

"He's a champion duellist," said Menardi. "You should worry about your friends instead."

"You know he only fights in controlled environments regulated by strict rules!"

"He defied my orders and he has himself to blame for his death."

"How cold." Felix's sister scoffed at Menardi. "I thought he was your ally," she said.

"I have no sympathy for fools." The northlander pointed an accusing finger at the girl's haughty grin. "Of course, you want me to go back, you little schemer. I haven't even dealt with you yet."

Alex sighed and shook his head.

"I'll fetch him," he said, casting a glance back at the Lighthouse.

"Do whatever you want," replied Menardi. "You're dead to me."

Alex winced at the sound of her last words.

"I'll go with you!" said Felix, reaching out a hand up towards Alex with a concerned look. Alex gave him an appreciative nod and took his hand, helping the Earth Adept up behind him on Stormwind. They were about to leave when Felix's sister suddenly let out a gasp and fell to her knees on the snow with a ghastly glow of magic fading around her.

"Jenna!" said Felix, as his sister passed out in Menardi's arms.

The northlander calmly hoisted the girl up on her shoulders.

"I do not keep any promises to the dead, Felix," she said, speaking slowly so the words could sink in. "Remember that."

Felix froze, conflicted over the position he'd been put in, but he kept his peace as Alex rode towards the lighthouse.

Coloured lights erupted behind the walls and cast eerie glows on the tower. Red flames and blue lights. Nearing the imminent danger, Alex felt his friend tighten his grip around his waist. He clutched his spear and rode to the side of the wall, stopping to let Felix dismount.

"Stay," Alex told his friend. He then pulled the hood of his cloak over his head. "Please," he added before braving the gates.

Stormwind's hooves splashed against water in the ward and Alex found Saturos on the floor, having lost the fight. Mia stood in a strange rigid position on the field with eerie blue light shining around her. Her feet didn't touch the floor but formed ripples in the water anyway. Her bloodstained robes and loose hair floated weightlessly and her face was blank. As the glow of magic faded and the water turned to mist, Mia fell to the floor like a marionette without strings.

Alex rode in, slowing Stormwind to keep her from slipping on the tiles as she rounded Saturos's body. He pointed at the fallen Adept with his spear, made an upwards motion, and lifted the northlander straight up in the air with magic. As he rode in and caught the body on the saddle, he glanced towards Mia, who sat on her knees and hands and stared back in shock. Tears filled her eyes, and she opened and closed her mouth to form a silent "no". Even with the mist shrouding the environment, she recognized him. Even with his hood pulled over his head, she knew it was him.

Alex turned Stormwind around and left the tower, riding back to the patch of snow where Felix stood waiting. He pushed Saturos down right in front of the Earth Adept, raised his spear, and used Psynergy once more. Mist briefly shrouded his allies and then they quickly faded away into the environment.

"Don't move," he told Felix as the Earth Adept vanished into the landscape. "Stay quiet—"

He couldn't finish before a shard of ice cut through the air and pushed the hood off his head, setting his hair loose in the wind. Not moving a muscle, he gazed back towards Mia from the corner of his eye.

Mia approached him slowly; carefully. She was incapable of speaking, but she repeatedly mouthed the word "why" as tears streamed down her cheeks and glued stray strands of hair to her face.

Seconds passed like years. Minutes passed like eternities. The snow fell thicker as she neared him. He clutched the spear, lifting his head to face her. Mouthing a silent "sorry", he turned Stormwind around and rode away.

The second meeting occurred at the crossroad in the middle of the night.

He had ridden through town and aimed a spell at the city wall in the west, painting a message to her in frost. Patiently, he waited at the crossroads on top of the hill with his lantern in hand. He knew she would come. She would come for him. He didn't care if she brought Oleg, Igor or even the entire squad to capture him. He wanted a chance to explain, and words could not describe the joy in his heart when he saw her coming from the distance, her staff shining like a beacon on the highway. He lifted the lantern to the level of his face and steeled himself for the meeting. He anticipated anger, but he didn't expect Mia to outright murder him on the spot.

The moment her deadly spell flashed in the darkness, his lantern crashed to the snow. Sweeping a wide circle in the air with his spear, he deflected her rain of icicles with his shield. But her ice javelin pierced his chest, knocked him off his horse, and sent him rolling down the snowy hill.

She knew him too well.

Like a pathetic lowlife standing before the god of justice, he grabbed his spear at the bottom of the hill and crawled away, clutching a healing hand over the gaping hole in his chest. His limbs became heavy as all his energy was drawn towards the centre of his body to mend the fatal wound. Even so, he willed a second spell forth to conceal the traces he left behind. When he finally reached the woods, he was exhausted beyond belief and could only hope that she wouldn't find him before dawn.

And at dawn he would confront her for one last time.

She didn't give up searching for him throughout the night, and she was riding along the bottom of the hill on Pilgrim, leading Stormwind behind. The sight of her tattered robes and the dark stain on the back of her cloak was an awful sight. Alex knew Saturos was a duellist, but he didn't strike him as a person who duelled people to death. On the other hand, judging from Mia's treatment of him last night, Saturos might have dealt that blow out of self-perseverance.

He stepped out from the woods, and he called for her.

The look when she saw him with the bloodstained coat, he couldn't take it. Even after all she'd done, he still wanted to run back to her and be the diligent priest she'd wanted him to be.

"Have you gone mad?" She yelled at him, eyes bloodshot and tears streaking her face. "Do you understand what you've done? Do you even know what evil forces you've unleashed?"

She shrieked. Like a banshee, she shrieked. Standing in front of the woods, he lifted his head and gazed up towards her. To stand before her like this when she was upset was unnerving. He couldn't find the courage to raise his voice against her, but he didn't have to.

Shaking his head, he mouthed a simple "no" and then said:

"I've given back the world one of its cornerstones. I've succeeded where our ancestors have failed."

A bright light flashed and a javelin of ice materialized in her right hand. She gripped it tightly, and tears of anger streamed down her face like rivers.

"You—were—meant—to—defend—the beacon," she spoke behind clenched teeth. "We were meant to protect the great monument. We were sworn to—"

"Even after the Mercury Lighthouse supplied you with limitless Psynergy, you still don't see the truth?" He whispered in return. "Our oaths are nothing but a farce."

"Psynergy," she said with a chuckle, briefly averting her eyes. "So that's what you call our powers now."

"Yes, it is the proper terminology. You and I, we're both members of the Mercury Clan, Masters of Water Psynergy."

She stared at him in silence.

"I have seen the world," he continued, his voice still low like a whisper. "I've met people. I have researched the past. And I've found the truth." He raised his free hand to the level of his chest, beckoning. "As Imil's chosen, we are meant to be more than just pawns in someone else's scheme."

"Scheme? You call our sacred duty a scheme and our oaths a farce?"

"Yes. That's exactly what it is."

She shook her head and looked away, laughing.

"Hah-ha-ha… You let these warlocks into the Lighthouse, effectively helping them in a nefarious plot of releasing the dark forces our ancestors sealed away to prevent the world's destruction. And you have the gall to call me a pawn."

She paused and then stared right into his eyes, knitting her eyebrows together and baring her teeth.

"I thought you were abducted," she said, her voice quivering with rage. "I thought you had reasons. If I'd known you've turned to evil, I would've aimed higher last night."

He looked away with a sardonic smile.

"No one wakes up one morning and decides to become evil, Mia. Our actions might reflect self-interest and greed… but no one sees themselves as evil unless they're completely mad. Success or failure… regardless, we're all heroes of our own stories."

"Then how do you reckon the end of our tragedy?"

"Our tragedy?" he asked, chuckling. "Not mine—?"

"Yes," she said, readjusting her grip on the javelin. "After I've vindicated the name of the clan, Alex, I will take my own life as atonement for my failure."

His breath hitched at the sound of those words and he lifted his gaze to look at her unfeeling eyes. Atonement. He exhaled. She said she'd offer up her life as atonement for failing to defend the beacon. Did she honestly think he'd believe that lie?

"You're a fool, Mia," he said, gripping his spear. He looked down to Pilgrim's hooves and shook his head. "You're a fool. There's more than just watch duty in life. Don't let—"

"Yes, you were my life!" She snapped at him, silencing him with her angry and wounded tone. As he lifted his head to look her in the eyes, she lowered her voice to a mere whisper. "My hopes, my dreams, my life, my world. Hf… you were my world, Alex." She paused again and readjusted her grip on the javelin one more time. "Any last words?"

He closed his eyes and shook his head. Her javelin soared through the air seconds thereafter.

The sun stood high when he finally brought the buckets of water back to the camp. Trouble seemed to be brewing around the fire—there was a gathering there. Alex stepped towards the crowd but suddenly heard one of the animals snort loudly. Turning his head sideways, he found eight horses standing near the road. A particular brown mare with dark mane caught his eye since he the recognized the white star on her face and the chipped right ear.

"Pilgrim?"

He approached the horse cautiously in surprise, putting the buckets aside on the ground. He brushed back his hair and reached out towards the animal's face. The horse snorted but nuzzled his hand. Alex brushed the fur around the horse's right eye, catching a glimpse of the scar beneath.

"It is you…" he said with a smile. "But if you're here—"

"Do you have a deathwish?" a voice then suddenly hissed from behind.

Felix's hand hooked around Alex's arm and he dragged the Water Adept away from the animals and back behind the carriages. His gloves were gone, his sleeves were rolled up and his pale hands were still wet from hastily leaving his chores of doing laundry or dishes.

"There's a manhunt for you!" said Felix, dragging Alex around the outskirts of the camp, his grip firm enough to bruise the mender's arm.

Arriving at the back of a large supply carriage, Felix flipped up the blankets covering the top of the stacked barrels and crates, and then opened the back of the carriage with shaky hands. Jenna and Saturos already sat on each side in the hollowed out space between the supplies, eating porridge from wooden bowls.

"Get in!" said Felix. "If the soldiers recognize your face not even I will be able to save you!"

He gave Felix an incredulous shake with his head but obediently threw his spear on the carriage and climbed in, seating next to Saturos. Felix's sister grinned, chipping in with another snide comment:

"Menardi will hand your ass over if your girlfriend sees you."

Alex said nothing, but he knew the girl was right. He was irrelevant to the quest, practically on his own. The only thing standing between him and a slow death in the wilderness was Felix.

It was Felix. It was Felix who dyed his hair, dressed him unrecognizable and looked out for him. It was Felix who constantly asked what plans he had and where he planned to go. It was Felix. It was always Felix. The rest of the pack wouldn't even notice if he fell off the carriage and into a ditch.

Tock-tock.

Seeing the warm food Felix had pushed into the carriage, Jenna hurried to take the bowl and sneer:

"Thanks, brother."

"You know for whom it is," said Felix.

"Tch, Alex doesn't—"

"Don't say his name for heaven's sake! The soldiers are still searching the camp."

"Oh." Jenna grinned and lifted the bowl of porridge towards Alex. "Sorry, here's your meal. Hubert."

"Hubert?" Alex chuckled, taking the bowl. He could hear the pots and pans scrambling outside as Felix went back to his chores.

"If you prefer Ilya, Gleb or Boris—" began Saturos.

"Hubert is fine," said Alex.

"Hubert is great," Jenna added with a grin.

"Indeed." Alex smiled. "Did you know it means 'bright heart'?"

"You just pulled that out of nowhere, didn't you?"

"I'm a learned man. People used to ask me for suggestions when picking names for their child."

"Fun. Then, what does Felix's name mean?"

"Lucky and successful. It fits your brother well, considering his talents and gifts."

"Hm, what about his name?" Jenna pointed at Saturos. "Where does that come from?"

"He's probably named after Saturnus, the Ancient Mage who won five consecutive battles in-"

"I was named after Satyrus the Grand Architect," said the blind man, coughing, "and he participated in an impressive amount of zero battles, thank you very much."

Alex shrugged and scooped up food with the spoon, beginning to eat. After a while he turned around to peek through the gaps between the wood, trying to catch a glimpse of Mia and the Imilian Watch, but realized that Jenna's side was facing the camp.

"I don't get it," said Felix's sister, once again breaking the silence. "What's your deal?"

Alex lifted his gaze towards her.

"Yes, you. I'm still talking to you, Hubert."

Alex swallowed the food in his mouth and lowered the bowl.

"Mind to specify the question?"

"My brother is a slave," said Jenna, earning herself a tired groan from Saturos, "but why are you in on this?"

"Glory?" he replied with a slight smile.

"Glory? Hah! You can't even feed my brother that lie." Jenna laughed and folded her arms over her chest. She then lifted her head and looked down on him in delusion of authority. "I know who you are," she said. "You're the High Priest of Imil and the Patriarch of the Mercury Clan."

Alex held Jenna's gaze in silence with a blank expression. He hadn't actually told anyone besides Menardi of his true identity, but he didn't expect it to stay secret after the trip to Imil either.

"You had your people's respect and admiration. You had followers and power. You even had a girl waiting for you at home. Why would you throw all of that away?"

He cast a look towards the spear lying next to him on the bottom of the carriage. Knowing that Felix's sister was looking for a way to make a fool of him and his convictions, he closed his mouth and shook his head.

"Fine, then I'll guess," said Jenna. "Menardi and Her Merry Men promised you a huge chunk of wealth for the favour."

Saturos stifled a laugh.

"No? Then I guess it means you've been promised your own domain to rule if the conquest of the world succeeds."

Saturos let out a breathy laugh, shaking his head and rubbing his forehead.

"Unlimited power. Eternal life. Divinity. You lost someone dear to you, so you want to bring back the dead."

Alex pressed a palm to his face, shaking his head. Entertaining Felix's sister was starting to wear on his mind.

"You're just bored now, aren't you?" said Saturos. "Why don't you help Felix do the dishes instead? The air is bad enough without your poisonous breath."

Alex put his food away and rose to open the top of the trailer, pushing away the cloth and furs covering them. His legs were suddenly kicked away from under him, resulting in a clumsy fall to the bottom of the trailer with a loud ka-dunk!

He instantly heard Felix drop his chores and before Alex could even sit up, Felix spoke with a panicked voice:

"No no no, not the supplies!"

"What about them?" said Igor.

"It took me an hour to squeeze everything in. Don't mess it up."

"Hah! Don't worry. I'll just have a quick look."

Alex could see Felix's sister grin and point at him meaningfully, but he drew his Psynergy and whispered "Conceal", shrouding the group in mist before Igor lifted the blanket covering the back of the carriage with his spear.

"Are you done?" asked Felix.

Igor turned back to Felix with a suspicious look and began opening the back of the trailer. Saturos quickly grabbed Alex and shoved him into Jenna's arms, pushing himself in front of them and placing his hands on each side of the walls of supplies. The moment Igor lowered the gate Saturos felled the front row of barrels and crates with his Psynergy, sending them tumbling into the watchman's face.

"See?" said Felix, gesturing hysterically with his arms. "I told you! Why didn't you listen? Now I have to clean this up! Oh gods, look at this! You broke it! It's broken! Who's going to pay for this? You or your leader? Who?"

His tantrum sent Igor limping back to the gathering in shame. Afterwards, Felix lifted the blanket and poked his head in, his breath ragged from screaming.

"Jenna, get out and help me clean up this mess," he said, staring at his sister with an angry look.

"But I'm keeping an eye on him," replied Jenna innocently. Alex cringed as she clamped her arms around his shoulders and brushed her face against the back of his head.

"Out," drawled Felix.

"Fine." Jenna huffed and threw Alex to the floor, spluttering and wiping her lips. As she got out of the trailer, Alex noticed that his hair had marked her face with thin streaks of black and she began questioning what Felix used as dye.

Alex sat up and peeked through the gaps between the crates, finally spotting Mia at the campfire. She spoke to Menardi and one of the older men from the fishing village up north, seemingly apologizing for Igor's blunder and paying for the ruined supplies. Her long beautiful hair was wound up in a thick bun on her head and she held her helmet under her arm. She still wore part of her priestess's regalia, but most of it was covered up with armour.

Oleg rose to his feet, extending a hand towards Mia. She handed over her drinking cup and then shook hands with Menardi and the village elders. The rest of her squad finally returned from searching the camp, shaking their heads. Mia rose to her feet and strode back to her horse with her squad following behind. They mounted their steeds and moments later, the Imilian Watch had ridden away.

"It's safe," said Felix, finally letting Alex out.

Alex retrieved his spear and climbed off the trailer, drawing a breath of fresh air. From the side of the road, he could see Mia's squad riding westward with the highway smoking behind.

He wondered to where Menardi had sent Mia off to. It was quite ridiculous for the Commander herself to go on a manhunt after a helpless priest when she should be worrying about the safety of the city. The deed was done. Even if she killed him and killed herself afterwards, the deed was done.

This world, it was theirs to save or to destroy. The gods, they had abandoned this world. The Saints, their time ended a millennium ago.

When the world fell into ruin and heroes were needed, Saint Imil rose to the call.

Saint Imil, with a spear of light, he sealed Alchemy away and ended the wars.

Saint Imil, with will of steel, he convinced the Mercury Clan to defend the construction of the beacon.

Saint Imil, courageous and wise, he put his faith in his descendants, who didn't believe in themselves…

And so, many generations wasted away, as the Lights were forgotten by time.

Now, as Weyard neared its brink of destruction again, heroes were needed once more.

Alex gripped his spear, stroking the inscription on the blade as the white tattered ribbon beneath the spearhead billowed in the rising wind.

His spear—Saint Imil's spear—one of the temple's relics and a priceless treasure to the clan. He didn't think of its significance when he first pulled it from Saint Imil's hand. Back then, he just needed a weapon quickly and any weapon would do.

But as he watched the trail of smoke on the road fade in the distance, he wondered if his possession of the spear hadn't been the will of fate.

He was willing to die for his deeds when Mia confronted him, he truly was. But if his escape could give her a purpose to live on, then he would fight to the end to see the final light.

As Imil's heir, he would succeed where his predecessors have failed.

As a hero, he would restore Weyard's crumbling foundations and mend the world.

Author's Notes:

Why would Alex sit and watch the fight on the lighthouse in the game? Because, he's just there to deliver exposition and get Saturos's out of danger. Still, doesn't that look suspicious from Felix's team's point of view? Even if he chose to stay behind at first, shouldn't he start helping out with the fight when things start going to shit? Seriously, the reason Alex could trick anyone in the game is because the whole world goes full stupid whenever he's on screen.

If I had him watch the fight in this story, I'd also have to kill him off by the end of the Mercury Lighthouse ordeal. So instead, he wasn't even there when the fight happened.

Alex also only speaks the exposition to Mia, because she's the only person who's relevant. He's also in trouble because now he can't show his face in the north and Mia will ride south in a hunt after him.

Mia also didn't join Isaac and Garet at this point of this story, because why would she? It's very unlikely that she'll travel alone with these three losers that she essentially doesn't know. Nope, she brings her own team instead. They will become a team, eventually, but not yet.

You might be asking why Alex didn't just teleport out of danger. Well,can he even teleport at all?