Four days had passed since Kam'lanaut, Archduke of Jeuno, revealed that he and his brother were the last of the Zilart, an ancient race of people that existed long before the creation of our Vana'diel. He had used the Shadow Lord as a diversion to drain the power from the seal of Vana'diel, and once Raogrimm, the former Shadow Lord, was free, Kam'lanaut summoned the Warriors of the Crystal. Five of them, one for each race Altana created with her tears, stood before us ready to kill. However, Raogrimm, to try his best to repent for the sins he committed as the Shadow Lord, used the dark energy he had left to fend off the five entities as we escaped San d'Oria before it was destroyed. My father, the legendary Samurai of the Royal Knights, Seijuro, gave his life in attempt to destroy the Shadow Lord in hopes that heroes would again rise to protect Vana'diel from the darkness that threatens it. Kalnor, Konami and I had regained enough of our strength to move, but we decided to wait for Kirith, Hogosha, and Mikan to rest up as well.

"Kazu, what happens now?" Konami asked. "We've defeated the Shadow Lord, so... what else is there for us to do?"

"Sure, we beat the Shadow Lord, but at what price?" Kalnor stated with a grim expression. He knew as well as I did that Konami's mother most likely died along with San d'Oria.

"It's simple," I said. "we keep moving forward, helping people, and trying to find a cure for your mother. That's why we started this quest, so I don't see why we shouldn't stop it now."

After Kirith, Hogosha, and Mikan were fully recovered, we thanked the inn keeper and went back to our journey, only to see Hikiri, badly injured, on the path.

"Zilart... know the true power of crimson... Kuluu... were overpowered... emptiness, poured from the crystals... all... is lost." Hikiri mumbled as we walked up to him,and just before his life faded, he said, "Hope is life... life, is hope."

"Oh great!" Kirith yelled. "There goes any chance of finding that cure."

Konami slapped Kirith and ran off crying, but only I ran in pursuit of her. About three hours later, she stopped in the middle of the woods and sat down on a tree stump. "Kazu..." she said. "what if Kirith is right? What if there isn't any hope of finding a cure for my mother anymore?"

"Hope is what lights our chosen path, Konami." I said. "If we lose hope, we will lose our purpose and way, and that will only lead to more despair."

She dried her tears, nodded, and began singing a song that I heard once as 'Nocturne of the gods'. I could feel the life in the forest awakening, and suddenly a demonic figure appeared.

"I am Diabolos, the avatar of dreams," it said. "how is it that you know the First Ode?"

"I... I don't know." Konami responded.

"This world will be destroyed, as you know. However, I welcome you both to the realm of dreams. Your bodies will be eaten by the emptiness, but your souls will be able to live freely." Diabolos said to us.

"Never," I responded. "I will not give up on Vana'diel. There is still hope to protect it from the darkness, and that is certainly something to fight for."

Diabolos laughed, and said, "Darkness is light, light is darkness. Impure is pure, pure is impure. Shadows shall consume hope, and hope shall defeat the shadows. Only he of Twilight knows the fate of the world." He then disappeared as quickly as he came, leaving the forest as quiet as it was before.

Although the Shadow Lord had been defeated, darkness still loomed over Vana'diel. The only question was that if we were strong enough to protect this land and her people from the evil that threatens it. The shadows are beginning to gather in Vana'diel, and the light of hope is slowly fading away...