Dark Lord Agapetus sat on his throne, the cold stone freezing his skin even through his robes. He was meditating on the past few days, of the loss he had experienced. Two of his finest servants, gone, with one of them joining the enemy. While he made a new ally with Ingward, that did little to soften the blow.

He looked at the sun, noticing how dull it had gotten. He had barely noticed before, but now the sun seemed muted, weak even. Two weeks ago it would be bright and lively at noon, now it looked like twilight even in the middle of the day. He knew of only one cause.

"The Age of Dark…is arising…" he whispered quietly.

"Yes," answered the stranger from the hub of the king's shadow. "Just as it has many times over."

Agapetus whirled to face the stranger. "This has happened before?"

The stranger paused. "…did I say that?"

"What do you mean this has happened before? I thought the Age of Dark was permanent."

The stranger chuckled lowly. "Well, looks like the cat is out of the bag on that one. No, you are incorrect. Do you honestly think Lordran was the first kingdom to succumb to the Abyss? You knew of Oolacile and its corruption, but dozens of kingdoms have fought over the ruins of other kingdoms of the past."

Agapetus was troubled by this, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "But…how does the fire come back? Civilization can only exist without fire, can't it?"

"Correct. Fire will always come back, for the Dark and Fire are linked. The greater the Dark, the greater the Fire. Gods will rise again, and kingdoms will flourish over the cold ashes of the next. Souls will endure as well, carrying on into reincarnations of their selves. Perhaps even your soul will carry on."

"Irrelevant," snapped the Dark Lord. His eyes grew cold. "I will hold my kingdom in place. I won't allow Lordran to disappear into the Dark."

"It is inevitable."

"Then why did you tell me I could fight it!? Is this all for naught?! Speak sense stranger!"

The stranger smirked. "I wanted to see if it was possible. If someone could endure the Dark. But you have proven otherwise. Even with all your strength, you couldn't do it. Your allies are falling one by one, and you're losing your will."

"Silence!" roared Agapetus, standing up on his throne.

"Why should I? What will you do? You forget something Agapetus. I am the Abyss, I will endure for eternity. You are just a man. You are finite. Anything you do against me is futile."

The stranger laughed cruelly. "I'm not even sure you will be able to claim a method to relight the Fire later. Someone else will have that glory, to cast me away. You are just a pawn in a game far larger than yourself."

Agapetus stopped, realizing his folly. This entire time, he had been manipulated to playing along for the stranger. But now he knew what he had to do to keep his kingdom together. There was a way to ensure this cycle remained broken.

The Dark Lord grinned, causing the stranger to pause.

"So…the Dark…" murmured Agapetus. "I think I know what to do."

Agapetus scooped his hands through the ash, desperately searching for something. His arms and hands were long-since stained with the white dust, but he cared little for their cleanliness. He had a goal in mind, and he would achieve this goal even if the whole world opposed him.

"Fire will always sprout anew…" he whispered quietly, continuing his search. "From the Dark, flames will grow and spring for a time, then be consumed again. This has continued for eons…"

He found a chunk of what he was looking for, a scrap of iron. He slid it into his pocket and kept digging, looking even further into the ash.

"But…if the Fire was locked away…only Dark would remain…" he murmured. "And my kingdom would stand for eternity, with no new cycle coming about to ruin it. A kingdom built on the Dark, eternal in its majesty…"

He found the final piece of the Kiln of the First Flame, a chunk of iron from the first bonfire. He patted the pocket it was stored in, noting how it was actually faintly warm. That meant the cycle was getting close to repeating.

"I must be off," he muttered. "I need to find a place to put this."

"Agapetus…"

He whirled around, noting the presence of a two people, a man and woman. He knew both of them instantly, even if her look had changed.

"Sebastian and Hanna…" he whispered astonished.

"It's Diana actually," stated the former servant calmly. She flashed her Dark Lady eyes, nearly identical to his. "You plan to lock the Fire away, is that it? To keep the cycle from repeating itself?"

He nodded sharply. He decided not to speak, or risk having his mind read.

Diana narrowed her eyes. "You would stop the whole world just for your selfish pride? Do you want to rule the world so badly you would hold it back from its natural progress?"

"Why does it matter?" asked Ingward, stepping in from the side from where he had waited. He spoke for his master, so their true plans would not be revealed. "Are you willing to let all our work go to waste Diana? We could build something grand, something no other civilization has achieved. No need for gods, just mankind ruling itself."

"Mankind ruled by one," snapped the Dark Lady coldly. "I don't think Agapetus here is doing this out of the charity of his heart."

"True," answered the Sealer. "Agapetus isn't exactly the most selfless man alive. However…"

Ingward's eyes flashed with sincerity. "Only he is strong enough to shoulder this burden. Who else would rule this civilization? You, your friend Sebastian?"

"You are upsetting the natural order!" roared Diana, true fury coursing in her heart. "Perhaps there is a reason no one has done this before! Perhaps it creates something so horrific we would never wish it to be! For all we know the others before us have tried it and learned how terrifying it is! Are you willing to risk the entire world, Agapetus? Are you willing to risk Petrus, Ingward, Shiva, and even your friend with the cuts on his arms?! Are you willing to risk Karin!?"

Agapetus walked forward slowly, his face blank. He reached a hand out and stroked her cheek gently, shocking her. He spoke softly, a small smile on his face.

"…I would sacrifice everything, just for the slightest chance for me to rule," he whispered quietly.

Sebastian tried to step in, but he was stopped by a blade on his neck. He turned, noting Shiva's presence right beside him.

Agapetus's hands wrapped around Hanna's neck softly, her eyes wide with surprise.

"You wouldn't…" she whispered defiantly. "Even you would not commit cold-blooded murder. You would never go that far…"

"I won't kill you," he replied softly. Then he nodded once.

Shiva cut Sebastian's head off with one stroke, doing it so fast the Dark Lord of Zena couldn't react.

"I never said I wouldn't kill him," stated Agapetus. He smiled again. "But for you…my former servant…I have a much greater idea…"

He began tightening his grip on her neck, choking the life out of her. He maintained his soft tone though, his eyes as cold as ice. "Diana of the Great Swamp…"

She stopped, her eyes turning reflective. She was now under his control, perfectly compliant.

"...always be alone…"

He let go of her, causing Diana to stumble. She looked around, her eyes not registering any of them. She could see the Kiln and the ash, but no people. She felt around for him, but her hands phased right through him as if he was not present.

"Can you hear me Diana?" he asked quietly. She did not react, so he continued regardless. "I trust this is frightening to you, not seeing or hearing anyone. I devised this as a way to torture people, as loneliness is truly the greatest hell. I want you to feel what I felt when you were gone, when you helped this Sebastian."

Ingward took a step forward. "My Lord…this is cruel. You should just kill her."

"I can do as I please with traitors," snapped Agapetus. "She betrayed me. She is not even a human being to me anymore."

He turned, grinning widely. "Let's go. We no longer have enemies now."

He paused for a moment. "Hmm…that reminds me…Sir Petrus?"

Petrus strode forward, bowing his head lowly. "…yes my Lord? Is something the matter?"

Agapetus glanced at him calmly. "…are you loyal to me, and only to me?"

The cleric looked offended. "Of course my Lord. I would do anything."

"Sir Petrus, are you loyal to me?"

"Of course my Lord. Please do not question my resolve."

"Sir Petrus of Lordran, are you loyal to me?"

Petrus began to get exasperated. "Of course I am! I would do anything for you my Lord! I would walk across broken glass and swim through blood if you asked me to!"

Agapetus grinned, instantly shaking off his threateningly demeanor. "I'm just kidding Petrus. I know your loyalty."

Petrus smiled in turn. "Thank you my…"

The Dark Lord stabbed him in the chest in a split second, shocking everyone around him. Blood flew from the wound, covering his robes with it.

Petrus stared at him in shock, more surprised than pained. "My Lord…why…?"

"Did you think I didn't know what you did to Reah?" inquired Agapetus slowly. "I knew you abandoned her, and that you are a treacherous wolf in sheep's clothing. I can't let a man like you just hang around, waiting to put a knife in my back."

He twisted the blade. "You see Petrus…betrayal is simple…just look them in the eye…and stab them in the heart…like this…"

He yanked the knife out, the cleric collapsing to the floor. Agapetus smirked, raising his right hand and pointing his index finger.

"Dark Beam."

Petrus of Thorolund, the rook of Lordran, was turned into ash instantly. The black specks flew in the wind of the Kiln of the First Flame, quickly joining the rest of the dust.

Now let me explain exactly what Agapetus is doing, as in why he's in the Kiln of the First Flame to begin with. I have a theory that the Throne of Want in the sequel is the remnants of the First Flame, based on the fact that the Throne is shaped like a kiln and that it carries the weight of either extinguishing or reigniting the fire. So logically someone linked the First Flame and Throne together in some way, like above.

Also, the whole repeating cycle is based on the fact that Dark Souls 2 has the same reincarnations of the Lord Souls in different bodies (Lost Sinner = Witch of Izalith, The Rotten = Nito, etc). So logically the Fire and Dark would also reincarnate, as a permanent Dark would destroy all civilizations and the Fire would keep only one civilization as the head. This way, new locations and kings would rise every eon or so, just as Oolacile, Lordran, Olaphis and Drangleic have done in the past.

Either way, it's my theory, not canon. Nothing's canon in Dark Souls anyway. Hate it, love it, whatever, there's more to follow.