Golbez didn't sleep well. He found troublesome dreams and the ever-elusive promise of rest. He blamed it on the strong ocean wind.

"I apologize," came a woman's voice. "It is difficult to communicate with my people either awake or sleeping. I must lull you into a state of half-awakeness to truly speak, Theodor."

He saw her in his room as a blurry outline. "Yet I am not one of your people."

"You didn't start that way. But anyone who has settled on my soil and taken it for a refuge bind themselves to me."

"Why speak to a foreigner such as myself?"

"The roiling poison of the outer worlds have reached my shores. And I need you to provide it passage away from here."

"I left my ship to be buried under the northern mountains. Your world can't provide the technology necessary to revive it."

"Please trust me. I'll guide you where you need to go. But keep yourself close to nature that I may more fully steer your course. Imagine that if I could reign in an adrift starship, then what might I do in my own territory?"

He startled awake and the lady vanished. With her went the warmth of spring and the fresh dew of life. His room remained dark and he remembered himself. Much as he dared not believe himself worthy of decent rest, he couldn't remember the last time he dreamed.

He had hours before the sun would rise, but he couldn't sleep. He knew it in his bones long before Hydaelyn deigned to speak with him that something went wrong.

But he was no world savior. Theodor died decades ago.

Golbez dragged himself to his feet and dressed. With garments crafted between Ul'dah and Gridania, he armored himself in light leather. Then he ate what little rations he had and set out northwest.

Hydaelyn moved him as a wind to his back and tumbled stone or bush when he turned the wrong way. When finally he found a small library in an unknown town, the inhabitants didn't notice his entrance. He wasn't the only one woken in the night, and the three spoke in hushed whispers about other worlds and races.

"Scions," Golbez said.

The two Elezen children jumped and the Miqo'te cast him a cool gaze. "Speak," the Miqo'te said, "or draw your sword."

"I speak." Golbez ventured further in and took a seat by the window to indicate nonaggression.

"Who are you?" asked the child dressed in red. Her sister wore blue. "Hydaelyn's refugee?"

"I am but a castaway from another planet. You three, however, hold the power of gods."

The red sister took a seat opposite him. "You know the properties of these powers?"

"Hydaelyn explained to me. The longer you hold them, the closer they draw you to a state of undeath."

"I suspected such." The girl looked at him, intent, and natural colors all hues of moon-blue. He never saw such a likeness to his natural people. "Perhaps you can tell us how to rid ourselves of them, then?"

"I'd not cast mine away so quickly." The blue sister folded her arms.

The Miqo'te put a hand on her shoulder. "No fascinations are worth your life, my friend."

"It's a gift of gods. I might never hold something like this again."

"Whatever our selfish intentions," Golbez said, "these must be returned. Your world prides itself on noninterference, but even we cannot stay on the sidelines anymore. Another more powerful than us has forced our hands, milady."

The room went quiet. Perhaps they contemplated the importance of the inevitable quest or perhaps they weighed their options. Likely they did both.

The red girl burst out laughing. The Miqo'te shook her head. The blue girl muttered for her sister to quiet.

"I do not see the amusement," Golbez said.

The blue shoved at her sister's head and said, "Alisaie finds amusement at my expense. I am not a woman."

"Ah." Golbez looked between them. They appeared identical. "You both are men? I apologize for my ignorance and disrespect—"

"I am very much a girl, fortunately." The red one shoved back at the blue one. "Alisaie and Alphinaud. You shouldn't be so embarrassed, brother. I've been mistaken for a man on many occasions."

"Only by those looking for me that know me. Strangers have a habit of assuming us both the same, for whatever reason."

"I'm sure it'll improve with time," said the Miqo'te. "Your differing aspects will develop and make the difference more obvious."

Alphinaud groaned. "Of course, I'd only find reassurance from the blind one."

"I don't see how this is important," Golbez said.

"… It's not." Alphinaud gave up and sat with them. "Do you have a plan in mind, already?"

"Myself, not so. But I've spoken with the Mothercrystal and She has. We must first make for the western mountains."

"What's there?" asked Alisaie. "Do you have artifacts from your home world?"

"Something like that, yes." He pulled a map free and traced their trajectory.

Despite the excitement in the twins' chatter, he couldn't dismiss that tug in his chest at the thought of leaving Hydaelyn. At the thought of returning where he came from. At the thought of confronting Cecil and the rest again.


The crops died months ago. They hunted the region's wildlife until a week ago. Then it was relying on stock and what other edible content they found.

Leila stared at the hard beans in her hands. "The scouts?"

"Barely alive, but they returned," said Nelly. "And they repeat what we already know: the darkness spreads."

"How did it not take them?"

"They listened to what you said, Ma'am, and left as soon as they felt the first sting."

Leila dropped the beans. "Divide this loot among the villagers, prioritizing the young parents, then children, then move up. I'd better not hear a complaint, or I'll come lob heads off myself."

"You'll not take your share, Milady?"

"Aye, my body has moved beyond such needs." If the magic she picked up in her sleep could heal over gaping wounds, then it could keep her from keeling over in hunger. "I'll take a look at that thing with my own eyes for once."

"Can I come with you?"

Leila looked at Nelly and found her intent. "And what, missy? Get snatched up yourself?"

"I want to see it. It sounds so mysterious and… maybe I'll feel like I'm living up to my father's legacy."

"Your father was an idiot who got himself crushed by a boulder."

Nelly flushed and set her jaw. "He—"

"—Must have been a good man, but he wouldn't want you throwing yourself into danger. Would he?"

"He didn't die by—they must have told you wrong. He—"

"I'm sure I heard wrong." Leila put a hand on her shoulder. "Fine. If'n you wanna a look at the thing, I'll leave you close to the village. One looksie is all you get before you run right back to the castle. Hear me?"

"… Yes, Ma'am."

"Thems King and Queen sent you away for a reason. I'll not surrender you to death's door so quick."

Nelly swallowed and followed her outside. They mounted chocobos and barely made it past the gate before finding that vague haze.

"So close," Nelly whispered.

Leila's blood boiled at the sight. "Storms and screams, it thinks it can just swallow up my town with the rest of the lot!"

"I don't think that it can think…"

"Clearly not."

"Are we the only ones left?"

Leila stared down that damned distortion on the horizon. "Did the scouts not spare a thought to tell us it was this close?"

"They said it spread faster every day. It must have made a leap and—"

Leila dropped from her chocobo and flared that strength granted by her sickness magic. "Back to the castle, Nelly."

"But…"

"You'll listen to me, girl! Or I'll send you back to Altair with a choice message for our dictators!"

Nelly made a sound of confusion before Leila yelled for her to leave. Nelly did.

Leila stayed and used her heightened senses and felt out the pressing force of that distortion. It didn't kill as it went. She didn't feel it take life. Despite the dying plants and starving wildlife, this wasn't the same thing. Instead in its depths, she felt…

… Nothing.

Dread filled her. Leila had faced building-tall monsters and taller waves. She had slayed more monsters than she could count the end of days and she ended the regime of a god emperor. She had wrestled a frightened and starving village into almost-prosperity.

Yet this thing left a pit in her stomach larger than all those monsters and waves.

"Back! Back, I said!" She flared her sickness magic with all her might and found the world brighter for it. The darkness hesitated and she felt the distortion slow.

She lost hold and gulped down desperate breaths. Her body strained to use such might. "I won't grovel to you!"

It resumed its march, slower than before. She bought time, but not enough.

Leila flared her magic again. Instinct reached for her blade, but it meant nothing against this. So, she kept flaring and approached the thing. She knew the moment it touched her feet. And she felt it when it took her fingers. Functions slowed and sleep pulled at her.

"You'll just make us rest. What a threat you've made…"


Nelly couldn't bring herself to help the cook prepare the day's meal. Outside, that darkness approached them. It paused for minutes before resuming faster than before.

She found herself torn between wanting to warn everyone, and letting it come. Perhaps a quick end was better than short-lived panic.

"Father," she whispered. She thought of him making crude dolls to line her window and protect her from her perceived monsters. She thought of him lying with her and telling stories of his adventures. She thought of him going quiet when she asked about his friends or about the scarier parts. He hid from her the horrors of his past because he wanted to keep her safe.

But what was safety worth when they were doomed either way?

Strength filled her. Despite the gnawing in her stomach, Nelly forgot her hunger and she forgot her fear. She remembered removing dolls from her windowsill and opening the window to stick out a torch. She remembered yelling for the monsters to go away or she would use fireballs and maces to beat them up. And she remembered Father's hand on her back when she faced the night the first time after that.

Nelly left the kitchens to find what written spells they kept in this castle.


"I thought I'd find you here."

Porom touched down beside Palom and took a seat. "I thought you grew out of your heights," she said. "Guess I was wrong."

Palom turned back to the clouded moon. The summer's wind did little to cool the burn in his chest despite the tower he sat on reaching the tips of the trees. "I want to fly," he said.

"When haven't you?"

"Everyone's freaked about that stupid light."

"Yet we're both watching it and not running away." Porom took his hand and Palom twitched away. "You don't have to be strong," she said. "We're all broken together."

"Screw that." Palom stood and lifted, only for Porom to take his ankle.

"No running away while I'm trying to talk to you."

"Don't! Do that!"

To his surprise, Porom sighed and released him. "You're right. There's no holding you back anymore."

Palom hesitated and watched her for signs of deception. "You're serious?"

"Reluctantly."

"Fine." Palom settled back down. "Five. Five minutes."

"I don't need five minutes."

"I can't give you any more than that."

"I don't mean—fine. You still suck."

"… I do."

Porom worked her mouth and Palom waited for her inevitable comeback. Yet after ages of waiting, he realized she'd given up.

He gave up, too. "What are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking that I worried about you. After our parents gave us away, I thought that maybe I screwed up. I thought I could make up for our failure by making you better. I thought I could make it so our new parents wouldn't give us away."

"We didn't… no second set of parents."

"Well, no, but the village was like our new parents. And I wanted to show that we were good enough for them."

Palom rested against the tree. "I screwed up. I get it."

"No, that's—see? That's what I hate. Here I am, trying to paint it so I'm still the good guy, and you're taking responsibility. I wanted to be the high one, but I got so wound up in myself, I missed the very things I should have fixed. I thought I protected you and made you better. But then you almost killed yourself and I still looked for excuses around it."

"That wasn't… you. Not your fault."

"But I could have stopped it."

"So could I. But it turns out, we're both idiots. If you want to fly with me, it's good at clearing the head. Talking… is hard."

Porom gave him a wistful smile and nodded. He lifted again and Porom took off with him. They soared through the night air and Palom tasted nature and spice that tickled his nose. The wind whipped at his braid and yanked at his robe.

Palom angled himself toward the cover of the woods. Porom followed and they landed in the trees. Palom moved to leap again, but Porom scrambled to grab him. "What?" Palom asked.

"We're not alone."

Alarm spiked in his chest and Palom looked about, only to find Iris and Faris staring up at them. They looked a lot like minks before a fire.

Porom dropped from her branch and landed beside them. "You also needed to get away?" she asked.

"Yeah," Iris said. "Couldn't sleep."

Palom stayed in the safety of his tree and watched them converse. Faris came up to his tree and kicked at it. Iris and Porom spoke in hushed whispers, both glancing his and Faris' way.

"You gonna hide up there forever?" Faris asked.

Palom leaned back. "I'm not hiding."

"Then why won't you come down?"

"Because I don't want to."

Faris gave herself a running start and jumped. She caught the lowest branch and hauled herself from there to the next one. Palom wondered where she found the focus to move so quickly when he barely kept himself straight.

"Give this a thought," Faris said when she arrived on his adjacent branch. "About the way that Bhunivelze travels."

"He'll do it differently now."

Faris forced a breath and readjusted. She wasn't as comfortable as she wanted him to think she was. "We can cut him off. We can stop him."

"Stop Bhunivelze by cutting him off?"

"Aye, that's what I said."

"You'd need a lot of people. Really powerful people. And fast. And immortal."

"We can make ourselves immortal."

"Uh huh. If I couldn't find it out in ten years, there's no way you'll find it in days."

"You fool, there's far more of us working at this than one lousy mage."

"Don't talk about Leonora like that."

"Crazy man. I like that. Let's beat the enslaver before he beats us."

"Change of plans," Iris said from beneath them. "I'm gonna talk to the others about Eos."

"Is that where Cid and Desch disappeared to?" Porom asked.

Iris shook her head. "They had something on the Floating Continent to deal with."

"It worked," Faris said.

"What did?" Palom asked.

Faris gave him an excited grin. "We're cutting him off."

"By going to Eos?"

"Yes. It's a dark place, safe from sight. And from his blindside, we can put a blade through his heart."

"How do we know it exists?"

"Why wouldn't we?"

"Dreams mean nothing."

"Dreams…" Faris looked confused. "Visions. They're the same, aren't they? If Bhunivelze can implant ideas and suggestions, why couldn't the crystals of our various worlds? … Oh, you were never one of their heroes. You're new to this."

Palom watched a bird join them and hop about before taking off again. "I didn't need a chunk of rock. Or ambitions. Rock ambitions. Damn it…"

"I thought the same, mate."

"Spare me pity."

"Not pity." Faris tapped his cheek with her sheathed blade. "Understanding. This is a partnership, mage. Not a servitude. The crystals act all high and mighty, but they need us just as we need them."

Palom cooled himself with a flash of magic. It made his head throb. "Fine. We'll go to Eos."

Faris grinned and tapped him again. "You'll heal, mage. The crystals will fix you up just right."

She descended again and rejoined the women. Palom exchanged a look with Porom and she smiled at him. It wasn't a pure smile. It wasn't even kind. But it looked like she tried and that… mattered.


Luneth stepped around the Crystal like he could find what Arc saw the day they brought him back. The sight of it made him shudder, but he couldn't look away. The crystal shone too bright and the wet ground soaked his shoes. He numbed himself to the ripping sensation he felt here that tugged at his chest and pulled at his hands.

The crystals were silent—he didn't hear a thing since he started teleporting—but something whispered in the back of his head like snakes. Something called to him from beyond the mortal veil and he knew it wasn't anything of the dead or divine or mortal.

"You wish to forget," said the apparition of an old man that plagued his dreams. "And for a time, you will."

Luneth blinked and the man disappeared. He felt unstable, like the ground would give out beneath him at any moment. But Arc was broken and there was something here that could help him. Something that would fix Arc and put them back like they were two adventurers in a world with everything to offer.

"Why don't you talk to me?" Luneth asked the Crystal.

"Because you don't want to hear," came the soft hiss of a reply.

"That's what everyone keeps saying."

The Crystal said nothing back and Luneth kicked at it. "Fat load of help you are. You know what happened, didn't you? You're like the Cloud, all mysterious and omniscient, yet you hide what you really know and talk to the others like you're equals. What kind of a lie is that?"

"It's not."

"Arc and the others will never be like you."

"Or you."

"I'm their brother!" Luneth stomped and the cave rumbled. "Don't tell me I'm not!"

"We didn't."

"Sure as hell sounds like it! You don't get to pretend I don't hear you! Arc can't understand you, but I can! You think I'm different!"

"Isn't that what you've always wanted?"

"Yes!"

"Everything comes at a price."

"Says who?"

"No one. And everyone. This is a law."

"Then I'll change it!"

A bright form coalesced before the Crystal, glowing bright as stars until it cooled to show the pretty face of a foreign princess in a flowing dress. "Rules don't change with a word," she said, voice like what he heard in the Crystals. "Child of Worlds and Lord of Fae, I apologize for my intrusion."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Sarah of Cornelia, led by fate to wander the Eternities and serve as Cosmos' heiress." Sarah put a hand on his ear. "You're yet young. Ah, yes, time rippled here. Quite a sight, that was. I must say I found your struggle with the Void quite a spectacle."

Luneth slapped her hand away. "What are you saying?"

"That I appreciate your strength. There's a reason I've come so far." Sarah made for the exit. "Now, where's the rest of our Warriors? I must speak with them."

"Why do you want to talk to them?"

"To all of you." She turned a penetrating gaze on him. "Despite your aggravation, the Crystals still need your help."

"Will they fix Arc?"

"… They'll try."

Luneth huffed and took her wrist. "Fine. But we can go faster than this."

He entered his incorporeal realm just long enough to find the Tower and exit there.

Sarah kept walking despite the teleport and looked about the place as if searching for someone. Luneth followed at a distance. Most looked too busy to notice their guest.

"Who is this?" Ingus asked Luneth.

"Some lady that popped out of the Crystal. How's Arc?"

"Same as before you left. Yet he fares better than Balthier and Maria."

"What's up with them?"

"They speak of some 'Eos,' to which they insist we go. They insist on safety in its darkness."

"Hey!" Luneth caught Sarah in a flash and she looked down at him. "What's Eos?"

"A planet that suffers from the Starscourge."

"Why would people want to go there?"

"I told you," Ingus said.

"You know that people are hurting, don't you?" Luneth asked Sarah. "You know a ton of stuff. So, tell me why Arc and the others are so messed up."

"I'll go to your brother." Sarah looked to the highest room in the Tower. "There is something we must all discuss in private. General Ingus, please accompany us."

"And Refia?" Luneth asked.

"She's there." Sarah pushed the door open and Luneth followed her into the main room of the Tower's lowest floor. Little Shinra argued with Palom over magitech stuff while Maria scribbled on the walls. All windows were barred and the faintest rays that made it in hit an abandoned part of the room.

Luneth ported himself up the stairs and waited for the others to catch up before entering the top room.

Refia greeted them at the door and said that Arc knew Sarah arrived minutes ago. Arc himself studied at his desk without even a candle to aid him. Toan sat with him and they conversed in hushed tones. They stopped when Luneth entered.

"I've come for many reasons," Sarah told them once they settled. "One of which is to work with your leaders to arrange a journey to Eos. But you four will not be going and instead I have work for you to do here. Luneth, you are to be king of your realm."

"What's that got to do with anything?" Luneth asked. Refia nudged him and he snapped back, "I don't care about becoming Fairy King! I've got other things to worry about!"

"Your fate with the fae's realm is yet afar off," Sarah said. "This isn't about that—I bring up your lineage because you have certain connections as king that we must utilize if this is to work. Ingus, how fares Sasune?"

"Well, Milady." Ingus wrinkled his brow. "But I suspect you know that."

"I know it thrives on the peace shared in its realm. I want you to return home and speak with your betrothed."

Refia asked, "What's your point?"

"Refia," Sarah said, "you're the daughter of djinn and an heir to kingdoms. Ingus, you've led armies against the dead and won. Toan, you've been chosen by the fae as a champion of the world's salvation. Why do you all wait about in this place like you expect something to come to you?"

"Because we have nowhere to go," Refia said. "You said it yourself—everyone else can go, but we're stuck."

Sarah said, "Because you have a duty to this planet. The Cie Gods are claimed again by Bhunivelze. You'll find no mercy from them and it is inevitable that they'll come to claim this world for their own. Protect it at the cost of your lives."

"As we've always done," Ingus said.

"Yes. And we thank you for your service. Ingus, work with your princess to evacuate the Floating Continent. Luneth and Refia, we'll need your powers so please find connection with your inhuman selves. Arc, practice the powers learned from the other mages. You'll need them. Toan, keep your blade ready to protect your Crystalchosen brothers and sister. In the meantime, I should have words with the others."

She turned and left them.

Arc tapped the table. Refia waited for her to leave before saying, "There's something else we should talk about."

"Like what?" Luneth asked. "Our mad brother? The collapse of everything this guild set out to do? The fall of our world? Why do we keep talking when we should be doing?"

"Because I'm talking about the lost time," Refia said.

Toan froze.

"Repeat that," Ingus said.

Refia took a deep breath. "The gap in the Cave of Tides. Something slipped there and I catch memories of it, sometimes. I think Arc's remembering, too."

"Remembering what?" Ingus asked.

"Nothing!" Luneth ripped the window open and gestured. "The lady's right! Let's move!"

"No!" Refia said. "For once in your life, let's talk!"

"It's a bit more complicated than that," Toan said.

Arc stood and squinted against the overcast light from outside. He looked pale as death and trembled from head to toe. Luneth felt a flare of hope before Arc used black magic to cover the window in a thick fog.

"Oi," Ingus said before closing the window guards and dispelling the fog. "Keep your heads or someone will take them from you."

"I am keeping my head!" Refia said.

Ingus guarded the window from Arc and Luneth. "Yet you act not unlike that genie we met in Queens."

"Her name is Ruby," Refia said. "And you would remember her better than any of us, wouldn't you?"

"She was your great grandmother."

"And you saved her from enemy lines. Not to mention she took an interest in you and wasn't bound by mortal morals and could have—"

"SHUT UP!" Luneth yelled, veins surging. "We gotta GO!"

"And do what?" Refia asked. "Run around like confused chocobos? Stare down the edge of the Continent?"

"None of this is helping," Ingus said, "and you two know it. You both sound weary. Let us take a moment to relax before we do anything we might regret."

Luneth said, "Kind of hard to relax without the sun!"

"Then let us go outside without Arc. I will deal with him once I understand why you two are so tense. Toan can stay with Arc until you've regained your head."

Luneth reached for the sky, but Ingus grabbed him.

Luneth snapped and detached himself from the present. He cut himself from the Crystals and from thought and from everything that restrained mortals. Luneth landed in an empty void. A space free from coherence or awareness.

… And realized he took the other three with them.

Arc's form tumbled in nothingness for the longest time before he righted himself. Ingus and Refia studied their surroundings. They were mortal and weak and took too long to adapt to the realm of noncognition.

"Luneth," Arc said, slowly gaining solidity. "What did you do?"

He shrouded himself. "I took us into nothingness."

Arc moved toward Luneth, as if familiar with this place. He even regained some of his old self. "What's wrong?" Arc asked.

Luneth waited for Refia and Ingus to stabilize before ripping open a path to his fae side. "You want power, right?" Luneth asked. "You want to use me, right? How about you go get it yourself?"

"This," Refia said, "is that dreamscape that the Fairy King used."

"Just go!" Luneth pulled them forward, but they resisted. "Why won't you do it yourselves! Just take it! I don't want it anymore, anyway!"

Ingus blinked forward and took Luneth by the waist. Ingus closed the portal and threw Luneth at Arc.

Luneth stopped himself in midair and walled the space around them.

Arc yelped and Refia shrieked as they fell into darkness. They tumbled through an endless abyss until silhouettes filled their view. Broken land and torn wings joined them, followed by blood and ravaged bodies. Luneth's vision flickered. He wanted to vomit.

"No!" Arc made faltering motions to get to Luneth. "You won't do it again!"

The falling pieces vanished, and deafening silence filled the space. They all stopped. "… Do what?" Luneth asked.

Arc hesitated and straightened. "I—I don't remember. I don't know."

"None of us do," Ingus said. "Not for sure. But no one should remember if they don't want to."

"Wait," Refia said. "Luneth, this really sucked for all of us. But we should remember because we learned things in that timeline. By all rights we shouldn't, but we do, and that means we can get more. Sarah was right—we have greater potential available to us than what we're using."

"Look where we are," Ingus said. "Should we dig further, I can't say any of us would make it out of Luneth's mind intact."

Arc floated closer to Luneth. "We will," Arc said. "I'll make sure we do. Out in that world, my body is all but useless. Let me make a difference here instead. And I think Toan's waiting for us, so we should hurry up."

Refia said, "If we can stabilize Luneth, then we can access what he knows of our other selves. We can—"

"Stop!" Luneth pushed away from them. "You're wasting your time!"

"Then why did you take us?" Ingus asked.

Luneth blanked. He knew this place well enough that it was ridiculous to think his body should react, yet he wanted nothing more than to curl up and numb himself. He felt an instinct to shut down and he moved to do so.

It felt so natural. So familiar. He wondered how he ever acted on his own in the first place. How he found life again after…

"Luneth." Arc took his shoulder. "Please don't do it again."

Luneth felt the return as a leak in a flask. He might plug it up, but memories trickled back. He looked at Arc and found the abused body of a human boy, used by his masters to craft abominations and punish his rebellious family. Such a small thing, seeing the pain of one when Luneth caused the suffering of millions. Billions. Why did one failure hurt more than the rest?

"Why are you crying?" Arc asked.

"You don't remember," Luneth said. "But you'll force me to."

He remembered the words of fae and the language of demons. He remembered being old and young and knowing everything and nothing. He knew himself as Simba the Wise and Luneth the Reckless. Two contradictions perfectly fit together.

Void and painfully dull energy filled him, the reminder of a formless being violating his mind and breaking his body. Eternities passed him by. Time branched. His will left him.

"Don't look," Refia told Ingus. Arc gripped Luneth with the desperation of a confused child while Luneth's memoryscape overtook them.

Luneth shut it all out and hid away. "I can't do it again."

There was no measurement of time to this place. Luneth lost himself to the nothingness and gave the others an exit from his realm. He gave them an escape from him. He felt too tired to follow.

This was familiar. This was painless. It was also joyless and boring, but after everything else, he found that preferable to watching innocents bleed out and suffocate.

Something warm overtook him.

Like eyes that opened with the morning despite a body desiring further rest, Luneth felt a pull to consciousness. He felt someone latched to him. Someone that didn't burn with hatred or desire emptiness. Something that didn't surge with euphoria at his defeat.

"You forgot," said Refia, "that I can do this almost as well as you can."

Luneth blinked at her fading form. "But you're not fae. You're barely Djinn."

"Yeah, but I have help."

Ingus appeared and crouched low to the ground. The ground that he formed out of Luneth's mindscape.

Arc then left the darkness to take Luneth and anchor him to Ingus' reality. "And I've done this before," Arc said.

Something changed. Luneth looked about them. Refia barely held her form, as if—

As if she'd been wandering his scape for her equivalent of days. Or weeks. With her heritage, she might survive months in this place.

"You found yourselves," Luneth said. Horror settled in his chest as a weight. "You remember."

"Some," Arc said. "A lot of it is still out of reach. But we got what we needed."

"You saw me."

Arc looked battered and beaten. His form ripped at the edges, contrasting Refia's soft fade. Ingus looked untouched, so either he evaded battle with the nightmare realm, or he knew mind horrors better than he let on.

"I'm sorry," Arc said, "I'm not fae and I don't know what all that thing put you through, but I know I suffered enough without losing you. I won't let the Void win."

"We need to go," Ingus said.

"Assuming we haven't lost any time out there," Arc said, "then we should lure one of the corrupted gods to our world. Though I'm not sure what I'll do about the light problem…"

"I don't have much left in me," Refia said. "But I can make us another portal."

Luneth pushed Arc away. "No need."

He dreaded the thought of leaving this space. He didn't want to see Blue Terra and remember when he walked those plains and hills as another being.

But with these guys at his side, he could try. And he might not even hate it.