Chapter One: Lost Destination

Part Four: Calm 'twixt Storm and Discord

─Loho─

Everyone was eager to hasten to Sol Sanctum and confront Alex, but circumstances decreed otherwise, forcing them to land in Loho for the night. Felix wandered the dirt path just outside of the inn, too anxious to sleep and also too wrapped up in thought to sit and eat with the others inside. He knew that they were worried about his mental health and they thought him withdrawn and perhaps depressed, but he knew they were far from the truth. All the events that had transpired had left the Venus adept in turmoil, contemplating his actions and their consequences, the morals he had to give up along the way, the intense physical stress that plagued them all, and most of all the strain of an ever-changing life that allowed none a chance to relax and enjoy the surroundings. The latter affected Felix the most since he was the group's so called 'leader'. He had no say in the matter and was left with all the toughest choices, some of which involved a sacrifice of him just so everyone else could get through the ordeal alive. Through it all, though, his time with Saturos and Menardi had toughened his resolve and enabled him to cope with his life without collapsing into depression. But life still had managed to blunt the sharp corners of his will and cause him much duress.

Felix kept on walking past the gate of town, nodding to the dwarven guards without noticing them, for his consciousness was inside him, buried in deep thought. The night air caressed him with a cool breeze that gently rocked the trees asleep and the scent of earth was pungent. From the unclouded sky, the moon lit his way, surrounded by pinpoints of light illuminating the heavens. The dust that rose from Felix's gentle but sure tread swirled behind him, an ephemeral mark of his passing. Trees glowed with a pallid aura derived from the moon's celestial radiance. All was seemingly at peace.

How I wish I could melt into this darkness and let it enfold me lovingly so I could sleep peacefully if only for a night. At least I wouldn't be jumping at things that aren't there—the night plays tricks on my eyes so. A collection of secrets, just like me, it is. Just like every one of us that has come this far. I seem to be the only one that jumps to the sanctity and solitude of my own mind though. They all confide in each other—yet how could I ever do that? Jenna looks up to me too much for me to betray her trust in me and the others look to me for steadfast leadership; how could I ever show any weakness? It all seems to wrong, this journey. We're chasing after Alex probably to die at his hands and we don't even know what he plans to do with this newfound power. He cannot be that malevolent, he was Mia's closest friend… then again, people do change drastically: that's what makes us human. Hmm…speaking of Mia, is that her, perhaps?

Felix scanned the cliff's edge with more scrutiny and rested his eyes once more upon the petite form sitting on the grassy edge. A glint of sapphire caught his eye and instinctively he knew it was her. Calmly strolling over to her, he sat down beside the Mercury adept and let his legs hang over the precipice. "Why aren't you with the others, like usual?"
She responded without her gaze ever leaving the heavens. "I had to think and to do that I had to get away from the clamor."

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "You too, huh?" The silence lingered in the air for a few minutes before Felix could work up the will to ask her something that had been bugging him since his encounter with her while she was tending to Isaac. "I have a question that's been bugging me, but don't say anything until I'm finished, ok?" He waited for her nod of acquiescence. "When you were taking care of Isaac, you were pushed beyond the verge of crying and you seemed too sad to see him like that. The look in your eyes was almost like a look of… love. Do you have feelings for Isaac, Mia?"

The young healer drew her knees up to her, clasping her legs around them and resting her chin on her knees, her robes rustling with the slightest of movements. The look in her eyes was unreadable. "Do not mistake my injured pride for actual emotion. In all my life, I've never lost anyone I've tried to heal—my psynergy always came through for me. I've always prided myself on my ability and that pride is what fuels me. But this time… it was useless—my psynergy, that is. For some reason it would all dissipate the moment it touched any of Isaac's wounds. It was as if he had a strong Mars force within him counteracting my efforts. For the first time in years I had to rely on my knowledge of mundane medical treatment, and while I'm still undeniably experienced in that field, I could do almost nothing. His blood kept coming despite my hardest efforts, drowning my pride without mercy. I was… afraid of failure. I wasn't afraid of Isaac dying, I was afraid of my pride being injured!" She raised her voice without realizing and held back her tears. "My friend was dying and all I could do was worry about my own useless, selfish arrogance!" She calmed herself down and brought her tone back to a hushed whisper that was amazingly clearly audible. "It brought my whole life, all my morals, everything I've ever believed into perspective—and it wasn't pretty. I won't even begin to describe the truths that surfaced today, the consequences of all my actions and my pride. My grandfather… died because of…" She stopped in mid-sentence and retreated back into her private thoughts.

Felix rested a compassionate hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her. "You've got yourself all wrong. We all can be selfish, but that's our best quality. Without selfishness, we'd lose the will to live."

"Spare me your sympathies in vain. I'm beyond selfish, even if you don't realize that." Without warning, she was suddenly up and hastening back to Loho, leaving a bewildered and quite confused friend behind.

Felix abruptly recalled one phrase from Mia's small speech: ". It was as if he had a strong Mars force within him counteracting my efforts…" He caught the elusive thought finally, and comprehension came to him: A strong Mars force… the Mars star?

─Sol Sanctum─

Alex had overcome his initial shock and slowly but surely reverted to his stoic self. Running his fingers through the shards, he began to speak to himself in an attempt to comprehend what had happened. "All my work for naught, my whole dream shattered like a broken sun. My hopes have been rent open before but never like this. This can't be right; it was my destiny to obtain the Stone! Destiny…? So now I believe in that… no, it is just a poor choice of words. But now, I have failed… dammit!" He slammed his fist down into the midst of the remnants of the stone with such fury his skin was shorn through in an instant and blood spilled out, coloring the shards ruby. As he lifted his hand away and healed it effortlessly with his psynergy, he began to notice an unusual aura about the stones—a golden hue, pulsing faintly but growing stronger with each heartbeat. Even in pieces the Stone retained its power.

Alex stepped back as the golden light coalesced above the pedestal into a radiant sphere burning with passion and power pulsing like a human heart. A subtle hum filled the room with its uncanny harmony, filling Alex with joy and relief. He held his arms to the heaven basking in the luminosity reflected flawlessly in his wide eyes. "This is it! That fool unwittingly aided me. Flow into me, my child—we shall be as one, an entity no one can deny. Let me hold you in my nightshade embrace!"

Alex floated up into the air just as the golden light did. Together they spiraled around the pedestal, moving the air into a frenetic whirlwind. They spiraled so fast that soon nothing could be seen except a whorl of golden blue, the wind whipping about in reckless abandon. Alex was reveling in this solitary moment, savoring the sweet ecstasy of success: a taste he never tired of. The chaos continued on and on as the humming grew to a cacophonous scream, shrill and devastating, that ruptured the west wall of the room with its immense force.

Forthwith, all was still. Alex was hovering in the air, alone, his hair swaying lazily in the breeze coming in from the rupture in the wall. His face was contorted into a countenance of ecstasy, his arms spread wide in triumph and his eyes closed. As he lowered his arms to his side, he twirled down to the ground like a feather, weightless and free, without any limitations. His feet lightly touched the hard surface with no sound at all and slowly opened his eyes in an omniscient manner. He felt ethereal yet invincible and he allowed the energy to flow through him freely, mixing with his blood, infusing itself into his being. As he spoke, his voice was incomprehensibly strong, calm, and under utterly complete control. "We are one, my child… we are one at last." His eyes glowed with a golden hue in a victorious fanfare all to himself.

The sounds of footsteps suddenly called to Alex, and he instinctively turned to face the closed doorway. "So, they are coming at last. Up the stairs they come, trodding in the footsteps of a lost people. Come, my students. Come and I will show you the loving light of the Golden Sun."