Prologue

He saw him. The object of his hatred; the object of his wrath; the fuel for the inner fire that burned unquenched; and his hunger for revenge would not be satisfied.

He stepped forward, drawing sword from his sheath, and was ready to end it once and for all. His nemesis was unaware – he planned to strike swiftly, without a noise, so as not even to ruffle the leaves on the ground.

As he moved silently, the shadows of the trees his aids, he could already feel victory. Here it was, at the end of it all, that he would finally end his foe's life and put the struggle to rest.

"You…it is your fault…" he muttered under his breath. "It was you…Isaac."

His foe looked up suddenly, his golden hair moving slightly in the breeze. "You…!" he cried. "What are you doing here? You were dead! The Wise One said so!"

His cloak had been cast aside; his foe had noticed him.

"Stay back!" Isaac yelled, drawing his sword. "STAY BACK, ALEX!"

Alex stepped forward, not caring. His blade thirsted for blood, to spill it upon the ground. He could feel the power of the seas inside himself, the power of his ancestors passed down through generations until it finally came into fruition in the form of Alex.

"STAY BACK!" Isaac cried at the top of his lungs. "STAY BACK!"

Alex continued forth, and he raised his blade, ready to strike, ready to dig into the flesh of his eternal foe. It was Isaac's fault the power of the Golden Sun had been robbed of him. It was the boy from Vale that brought this upon him. And he would bring about the end now.

Isaac snapped. He thrust his arms into the air, casting Ragnarok. The flaming sword descended from the heavens above. Alex put his hand forth and brought up a geyser from the earth that swallowed the spell, and he continued forth. Isaac desperately cast spells at Alex as Alex moved closer, but Alex walked right through them, a man on fire.

Isaac clutched the handle of his sword. It was down to physical combat now. He ran forward and swung his blade wide. Alex wielded his blade expertly, blocking several jabs. Their swords clashed, and Alex twisted his wrist, swiftly knocking his opponent's sword out of his hands. He then raised his blade above his head and swung down as hard as he could. Isaac rolled out of the way and picked up his blade once again, and the duel continued. Steel clashed upon steel as the shots of their battle rang out through the woods.

With a swift stroke, Alex struck Isaac across the face with the flat of his blade. Isaac fell to the ground in a heap, coughing blood, and Alex stood over him, sword raised above his head. He stood over his shattered nemesis, and knew his purpose was fulfilled at last. As he held his sword to the heavens, lightning came down and struck his blade, the power of Mercury flowing through him, through his veins, and he knew his power was great. As he turned his blade to face down to the earth, he gave a small grin, for he knew that his retribution had come at last.

"It was you that cost me the power I so much desired," Alex said. "It was you that has brought this upon yourself. And now you are reaping what you have sown."

He plunged his blade down.

Alex awoke from his dream. "Damn it!" he cursed as he sat up. He looked around, and so nothing but darkness around him. He was completely alone, lost beneath the surface of Weyard, swallowed by Mt. Aleph. He had resided beneath the ruins of the mountain for six weeks; his pure malice and rage were the only things keeping him alive.

"This cannot continue," the Water Adept said to himself as he rose to his feet. He looked up, and a tiny beacon of light shone through the cracks of the ruinous mass of rock above him. "It is all his fault. It is all his fault I am down here…it was his doing that sent me to the bowels of the earth, nearly to hell itself. But when I am free…even hell itself will bow at my feet."