An abundance of trees, vibrant in their green color, coupled with tall red-orange and yellow mushrooms, accumulated the land deep within Southern Swamp, the winding river transcending further and further into unknown territory. While Violet inspected the crystalline clear water, sparkling under the moonlight of late evening, she realized she'd circumvented the danger miles away, the very danger she knew would find its way here.

For hours she scavenged the land, searching high and low for signs of human activity and or life; it was difficult to discern anything aside from the howls of monkeys and other animalistic noises. The shadows of night cloaked the lands. Her gaze crept to the map tucked away in her hide pouch, and she unraveled it, allowing the light of the moon to shine on her location. She was deep within the premises of the swamp.

"If what Mayor Dotour said was true, then this sorcerer should be somewhere nearby…" She said.

From what she knew of these magic-users, they held feisty and uncertain personalities. Most of all, they were cunning tricksters. From the time spent serving the Royal Family, she'd only stumbled across a handful, though they were few in numbers. Most often lived in the confines of their once prosperous city, extending their knowledge and influence to many with great admiration in their talents, but this magic-user was different. If he preferred the solitude in the furthest depths of a swamp to that of a bustling town, then her endeavors would prove unfruitful.

Despite her exhaustion, she continued, her gaze shifting from every shadow and crevice in the canyons, to every tree and shroom towering nearby. If she were this magic-user, then where would she hide.

While her thoughts conjured several images of hobbit holes or even that of a small cottage tucked away in the deepest parts of the swamp, something caught her eye in the distance. There was a light glimmering off the path, just a short way from the river and through the brush, and she followed it.

Although it was barely noticeable, it led her through a cluster of tight lined trees and overhanging vines, with prickly thorn bushes. Giant snapping turtles loitered the clearing in-between, but no sooner had she crossed did she pause before a cobblestone path. Several lanterns swayed in the cool breeze, hanging from several limbs of a large tree, far loftier in comparison.

And yet, there was something off. The cobblestone path which led to its trunk revealed twisted roots above the grass, and approaching closer, she realized it was no ordinary sapling. Violet found his humble abode.

Light emanated from within the bark, seen through the leaves and twisted openings of what she only assumed were windows. With the moon's light shining just right, she even noticed a curved chimney just beneath its full bush of leaves, twisted in a juxtaposed position with smoke discernable. Someone was living inside, and she had a faint suspicion it was the very person she'd been searching for an entire week.

Without knocking, she grasped the twisted branch of its door handle and crept inside, and upon her intrusive entrance, she was greeted by a warm interior. A fire lit in the hearth, and peering closer, she sensed it. Magic shrouded this place. Why had it allowed her inside?

Garlic, herbs, and spices hung from the rafters. There was even a small table, littered with various open tomes and parchments, nestled in the furthest corner near towering bookcases. As she inspected the peculiar writing on those slips of paper, she couldn't decipher its language or even those written in the books. No doubt they were spells.

Her steps led her to a winding staircase to the second floor, and from there, she found two rooms divided by a large sheet of dark cloth. Beyond the sheet, on the farther side of the room, she located the person's private study. To the right, there was another array of bookcases, coupled with several weaved baskets of herbs, mushrooms, and several strange dried plants near a table filled with strange bottles of unknown substances. Liquids and dried mold filled several containers, along with questionable skulls, trapped insects, and ground-up powder; it led Violet to believe this person was testing some strange experiments.

Since this room was also unoccupied, she returned to the first floor, her eyes glancing from each of the lit paper lanterns hanging from the rafters. While distracted by the tranquility within, she realized the howls were outside had stopped. Perhaps, since a spell shrouded this tree, it kept all noises at bay.

The sound of a door closing did not go unnoticed, and when she turned, a hand positioned on the hilt of her sword, she relaxed at the sight of a hooded figure; the scent emanating from him smelling similar to the herbs hanging in the room. Violet assumed this was the fabled magic-user; He was tall, six-foot, and beneath his hood, she noticed shoulder-length strands of silver hair.

"Don't you know it's rude to trespass without an invitation?" He asked, his voice deep. "But please, make yourself at home. You're already here…"

As he walked past her, dropping his basket upon the table ahead, he soon dropped the white and black hood shrouding his appearance. She stepped closer, keeping a reasonable distance between them. This man held a youthful appearance.

Porcelain skin and shoulder-length silver hair caught her by surprise, his jawline sharp, and his entire physique lean and muscular; even his eyes were the color of bloody crimson, their narrowed gaze transfixed upon her. He wore clothing similar to her tribe, though it held some discernable differences. He wore a white and black material, the top portion beneath his exposed chest, held together by a few strings. It revealed the entirety of his midsection, with one sleeve short and another long. Golden trim and designs decorated the ends, with a matching kilt flowing just at his hips to his ankles with tight-fitted black trousers and matching boots.

She assumed this man was twenty-five years old. It was never certain with magical beings. Despite his distraction to the basket on the table in front of him, she found her voice and asked, "Are you the sorcerer of Southern Swamp?"

"And if I am?" He asked, turning and leaning against the table. He tilted his head, hands planted behind him.

She kneeled, his countenance not at all surprised; in fact, his expression was unreadable. "I am Violet of the elite guard of Ikana. I come to you on behalf of the Royal Family. There is a great evil which has befallen the lands, and I have heard of your great powers. Will you aid us in this fight?"

"Ikana, you say? Interesting. I didn't expect such a powerful kingdom to collapse in just a matter of days, let alone see a survivor here of all places."

Tempted to snap at him, she held her tongue. Instead, she inhaled and exhaled, but the smell shrouding the room brought her slight nausea. "I assure you, we fought with all we had. Many sacrificed themselves to protect our kingdom."

"Do not take my words as an insult. I'm surprised it fell into such a state," He said, raising a hand. "I caught wind of it days ago, after the darkening swept the lands."

"So, you know of this?"

"Of course. Now lift yourself. There is no reason to kneel before me."

Was it wise to trust the words of a sorcerer? Then again, what other choice did she have? Without his aid, the world would collapse. "Then, you have prepared a way to defeat the darkening—"

"Answer me first. How did it shatter?"

"What?"

"The Sacred Relic. A valuable treasure the Goddesses gifted to the humans three millennia ago," He said, and her eyes widened. "What other reason would this shadow cover the lands?" He asked, his arms crossed and his gaze narrowed. "There can only be one answer, and it lies in that very treasure left behind."

"Wouldn't you already know that?"

"Do not think me foolish. I am well aware the Royal Family has long possessed it. On the day of Ikana's collapse, I sensed the power resonate and disappear. But that still doesn't answer why it happened. So, why don't you enlighten me?"

The events which had plagued her for days on end ashamed her. "It was my doing. I shattered it to keep it safe from the enemy and erased it from existence. I did not realize the consequences would be this extreme," She said.

"Well, at least you can admit to your mistakes."

"You make it sound like you already knew."

He surprised her with a crooked smile and a nod of his head. "Excuse me. I rarely get company, but yes. I was already aware of the situation. I am an all-powerful sorcerer. My intellect resonates with all living and non-living things in this world. Be it grass, the lands you walk upon, the trees and mountains; I can see all, hear all, but only to a certain extent. So, thanks for filling me in on some missing details."

She nodded. So, he harnessed the ability to see and hear most happenings with nature itself? Then, was it possible he witnessed her kingdom fall first hand? The thought annoyed her. "If you knew this, why didn't you do anything to prevent it?" She asked.

"I can't predict the future, my dear. Trust me. Magic has its limitations. I am no exception."

"Is there no way to justify this?"

"Well, you cannot do this alone…"

"That's the reason I traveled through these lands to find you."

But he only turned with a shake of his head, his silver locks bouncing against his shoulder. "No, my child. You do not understand. I cannot help you. It is not the will of the fates."

Violet blinked at this, and then again before her countenance soured. What did he mean he couldn't fix this? According to Mayor Dotour, he was an all-powerful magic-user, such a person who would have no issues quelling this matter decimating the world. "Will of the fates?" She asked.

He snapped his fingers. "My purpose at this moment is to call upon the warriors who can help you, as the heavens dictate."

Was it true? Somehow, she doubted he would lie straight to her face. So, not only was he in tune with all living and non-living things, not to mention capable of seeing and hearing most things, but even words spoken from the heavens? He was no ordinary sorcerer. Who was he?

When she failed to respond, he said, "I understand your confusion. Allow me to enlighten you. The heavens grant me this knowledge, but only when they deem it necessary. This way, please." He beckoned her towards a small table beside him.

Curious, she followed him and bent to inspect the image drawn upon a sheet lying out in the open, something she had failed to notice upon her earlier intrusion. The image replicated the Sacred Relic, and surprised, she glanced at him. "How…"

"Days ago, I received a vision and saw this. I assume it's the Sacred Relic?"

So, he spoke the truth? No one except the Royal Family knew of its every detail, and he drew it. Perfectly. The goddesses must favor this man.

"I'll take your silence as a yes. Now," He said and pointed a slender finger at one of the four triangles. "You have Courage, Spirit, Innocence, and Power. Each represents the four heroes who will quell the darkening."

"Four heroes? So, where are they? Where do we find them?"

"There is only one person alive in this world who possesses one of the four traits strong enough to quell this rising evil. The other three lie elsewhere. I see now why he sent you. It's complicated, more so than I would have believed."

Only one person? Then, what about the other three? Was her journey a waste of valuable time? "It's impossible?"

"No. Not impossible. I need to transmigrate them here."

"Transmigrate? Clarify."

"The other three heroes. If they are not from this world, then they lie elsewhere in the infinite cosmos," He said. "Though, that would be beyond your mortal understanding…"

This person intended to pull these heroes from their respective world and into theirs? While she was familiar with the knowledge of the stars and their connection with their calendar, she did not realize there were other worlds like their own. The very thought amazed her, and she envisioned all kinds of possibilities. But if he said he could bring them here, then she could only rely on his words as truth. "How long will this take?"

"Not long. I've prepared days in advance. We only need to return to Clock Town and begin the preparations."

"I'm curious…"

"Go on."

"Since you're all-knowing, then how far has this darkening spread? Is it just as bad around town?"

He chuckled and said, "Oh no, my dear. It's much worse, and it will only grow more so as the days continue. You are looking at a future filled with nothing but endless darkness and death. Shadowy beasts will continue to rise from the earth, and there will soon be no memory of human existence."

"It's worse than I thought…"

"Well, cheer up. There is still time to fix all of this. Do not blame yourself, because this darkening would have happened regardless of the outcome."

"Really?"

"Yes, but I will have to admit… your method spurred the darkening quicker than was necessary."

"I see…" So, that's what happened? There was no way to turn back the clock and correct her mistakes now. She relied on this man to bring these four heroes to Termina. She hoped they would rid the world of this darkness once and for all. After that, Julian and Cathleen could find their place again.

"Now then, give me your hand," When she failed to reciprocate his extended hand towards her, he smiled. "Come now. I will not bite. It will only take a moment."

Although hesitant, she took his hand in hers, marveling at how large they were in comparison. But as his grip tightened around her hand, he approached closer and extended another arm towards her. He rested his palm against her shoulder, those crimson orbs peering into hers.

Before she could question his actions, he began murmuring a strange spell. What language was that? As she remained silent, trying to comprehend his whisper, the lanterns in the room grew brighter, so bright in fact, she felt a little disoriented, and then, in seconds, her world grew dark.

Violet wasn't sure what happened after that, but darkness surrounded her, accompanied by distant voices calling out her name. There was something cool against her skin, and something warm shrouding her, and when she opened her eyes, she found herself in a familiar room.

She blinked away her blurriness. The first thing she noticed was Julian's face peering back at her with obvious worry, and then Cathleen fanning her with one of the servant's fans, her expression similar to her brother's. Somehow, she awoke in their residential home in Clock Town. How, of course, she could not yet fathom. But when her gaze shot behind Julian, she recognized a familiar sorcerer sitting crossed legged on the couch, sipping a steaming cup of tea.

"Violet? Violet? Can you hear me?" Julian asked, shaking her.

"Violet?" Cathleen said, waving the fan, the female servants behind her looking on in silent confusion.

"You worry over nothing," His voice said from the couch. "Let her rest. She's still feeling the effects."

But Cathleen rounded on him and said, "It's already been half an hour."

Despite his ignorance, he only rolled his eyes at the princess. "Oh my, half an hour of rest out of an entire week of no sleep. I wonder why she is so exhausted. The woman traveled all that time to find me. Tell me, do you push all your loyal subjects this hard?"

Cathleen's countenance grew flustered, but without a word, she huffed and turned her back to him, her attention returning to Violet. "How do you feel? Can you stand up?"

She only nodded, accepting Julian and Cathleen's help to right herself once more, and though Julian's arm remained around hers, his eyes watching her, Violet pressed a hand to her temple. "What in the heavens just happened?" She asked.

"You dropped from the ceiling, that's what happened," Julian said. "Sister and I were discussing the plans the mayor had sent over to help build up security around town, and then you and…" His amethyst eyes shifted to the man in question, still seated upon the couch.

"Emmett," He said.

Julian nodded. "Yes. You and Emmett just fell from our ceiling out of nowhere."

"That's called teleportation, my boy."

But Julian only shot him an incriminating stare, his head held high. "You are informally addressing me. It is clear you are much younger than me."

But Emmett only threw his head back with laughter. "Trust me, boy, we are far different in ages," He said, correcting him once more. Regardless of Julian's lingering displeasure, Emmett placed his teacup upon the coffee table and regained his standing, moving to close the distance between all of them. "Now that she has regained her senses, why don't we get right down to business?"

When it became clear to Violet that both Cathleen and Julian did not trust this man, unaware of his identity, she cleared her throat. "He is the person whom the mayor sent me to fetch. The sorcerer."

Cathleen's amethyst eyes widened, and she flashed an apologetic nod to Emmett and said, "Oh, forgive my rudeness earlier. Then those powers we bore witness to earlier… You said it was teleportation?"

"Correct. Now that I've acquainted myself with the Royal Family, we have no time to waste. Every minute counts. The evening grows late. Come. I've already prepared our spot," He said, beckoning them towards the door. He covered his head with his hood.

Together, with their respective cloaks on, they strode through the paved streets of the town. Their shadows merged with the multiple buildings and decorative posts aligning the path, and although the weather remained unpredictable during nightfall, this night was quiet. All Violet heard beyond the thickness of night was the music resonating from the Milk Bar just south of the alley.

After convincing one of the many guards on duty near the walls protecting the settlement, Emmett led them south towards Termina's Field, where the grassland thickened with forests... Multiple paths stretched throughout their field of view, but Emmett deterred from the route altogether, and he led them further into the thicket, into an area barely visible to the naked eye.

No sooner than a half-hour of endless walking and descending small inclines, they arrived at an open clearing. Although her eyes had long adjusted to the darkness, Violet observed the lighted clearing. There were no torches. And the moon wasn't visible, obscured by dark clouds. It would rain soon.

As soon as Emmett waved his hand, a glimmering barrier fell from around the clearing, the likes which left everyone stunned, including herself, but he only beckoned them forward; his nonchalance left her uneasy. But no sooner had they stepped inside, the barrier erected itself once more, and when she followed his gaze. There was an image drawn on the grass, and she understood.

"A summoning circle?" Cathleen and Julian said, gasping.

Emmett nodded, turning to them with all seriousness. "As I have already revealed to Violet, I shall do the same with both of you. To put a stop to this darkening shrouding the lands, I must bring three heroes from their respective worlds, including the fourth who lives in this world; only they possess the strength necessary to undo all of this."

"Four heroes?" Cathleen asked, her gaze shifting between him and Violet. "Will it be enough?"

"Emmett is already aware of the Sacred Relic. Each of those triangles represents the four who will save us all. For now, we can only rely on his abilities," Violet said.

Although there was uncertainty in their countenances, they accepted it, watching as the immortal man crossed over the lines of the circle. From her position, she noted four smaller circles drawn within the enormous one; the lines sparkling in the night. Another spell, no doubt. Emmett carried a wicker basket, one he wasn't carrying before, and placed items into each circle.

After Emmett finished, the objects radiated a blue and white glow, and from a distance, Violet recognized two. The first was a see-through container housing a small forest fairy, ones she'd seen a vendor sell a few days prior in the market, and the second was ashes and insects; he scattered them in a cloud of gray all around the circle. She watched him place a skull of an unfamiliar animal before soon retrieving a dagger from a hidden pocket in his clothes.

After slicing his palm, the droplets fell upon the skull, coating it until a trace of white was not discernable. The bloody trail followed him to the last circle, and only after lighting a flame above the bouquet of herbs in hand, he placed it down, a cloud of its smoke filling the air.

No sooner had he done this, he crossed the circle and dropped the basket. The unthinkable happened next. Beyond his unfamiliar chanting whispered on the wind, the circle and its objects shimmered, as Violet held the siblings close.

'So, this is what it means to transmigrate someone from another world?'

There was a shift in the wind, its breeze strong, and beyond its howl, Emmet's chant became louder. The smoke from the herbs soon encompassed the summoning circle, and with it, the light grew brighter and far more intense than was imaginable. Emmet's chant soon ended as the cloud storm arose before them, and within moments of uneasy anticipation, shapes soon took form.

But something happened suddenly. As quickly as the shapes appeared, they suddenly evaporated, leaving Emmett scratching his head, and the onlookers staring confusedly. "Strange... my magic alone will not suffice in this ritual," He said, and he scoffed. "Then... this leaves me no other choice..." Emmett turned away, stepping outside of the circle before snapping his finger. In an instant, everything which had been placed in each of the circles, vanished, including the outline of the pentagram. It was as if it never existed.

"What is the meaning of this?" Violet asked. "Why did you stop?"

"We'll need the aid of someone much more powerful... but the air has changed already. There is no other choice but to wait another day to summon them. For now, we'll return to the house."