And so the attacks continued. Soon Prontera couldn't afford sending troops to west Geffen. We were on the defensive, struggling with wave after wave of attack from the horde. Desperate with the current turn of events, the King Tristan demanded that Al De Baran, the nearest city of the Schwarzwald Republic, join our alliance or be considered an enemy. I couldn't believe what I heard. It was as if this kind man, the man who treated me like a daughter, didn't exist anymore.

Weeks passed, and the defences are gradually deteriorating. Food supplies were dropping. People on the streets, asking "Why does Prontera have to suffer like this?" "Why did it have to be us?" "What has Prontera done to them? Why not the other cities?" We haven't had any contact with the outside world for a while now, but I know that the other cities are suffering too.

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Chapter Two. In memory of.

Noon. The sun's rays, covered by thick dark clouds, barely lit the surroundings, coating the snow covered ruins with a soft cold glow.

The smell of decay is there, as though it has been etched in the land, for no plants or animas, dead or otherwise, can be seen. Yet in this dead soil two people still stand, living, and breathing, for another day.

A man of early twenties observed the surroundings from behind a window. Aside from a dark green jacket over black long sleeves with grey sweat pants and a pair of sneakers, he wore a face of uncertainty.

Edward sighed, looking through the stained glass of the abbey. He then shifted his gaze towards the grey stone walls, down to the smooth floor, and into the massive steel riveted oak doors.

"Am I really leaving this place?" He whispered.

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I was walking along the pathways that connect the ruins from the inside when I saw an opening to another room. I was hardly surprised, since we guys must've explored only a fourth of the intertwined chambers.

It was a small room, about ten meters wide. From a corner in the left-hand ceiling, a narrow waterfall of light trickled, as what every room in here has as sources of light.

As I entered, I stumbled upon something. A circle of round, smooth stones, and in it, pieces of half-burnt wood and ash. I squinted, straining to see more of the surroundings. I saw an iron pot, a cracked hairbrush, and a canvas bag.

Immediately, I thought of one single thing: I'm on a campsite! Someone actually lives here! But it was not soon after that my eyes finally adjusted to the darkness, and saw what was in front of me.

Where the walls and the floor met, there was a pile of clothing. A heavy skirt with an apron, a torn blouse, and on its lap, a frilly headband. It was in a sitting position. I crouched beside it, and I frowned as I saw what was inside the dress.

Its ribcage was what was left of the body that owned the dress.

Disappointed that I wasn't able to meet anyone alive, I just went straight to the girl's bag. The spoils of victory.. In it was an extra set of what she wore, a pen, a parchment…

A book.

I sat straight, and set the hardbound on my lap. The cover showed the dress in the corner, though now it had a cute body in it. Below it, read:

The Kafra Corporation's Guide to Rune Midgard; 4th Edition.

Wondering what kind of stupid corporation hires maids, I flipped a few pages.. table of contents, foreword, introduction,

PRONTERA: The Capital of Rune-Midgard.

I blinked, staring at the intricate map drawn on the sheepskin. I turned the page.

IZLUDE: The Satellite City.

Next page…

Geffen. Payon. Morroc. Alberta. Comodo. Al de Baran-

My eyes widened. The paper stared at me innocently.

AL DE BARAN: The southernmost city of Schwarzwald.

I-it can't be.. it exists?

I closed the book shut, stuffed it in the bag, and ran across the twisting hallways, back to the abbey.

"Lyla! Ciel! Cross! Everyone!" I emerged from the catacombs, exhausted, a group of five staring at me.

I showed them the page. I remembered Cross cursing in disbelief. Ciel almost fainted. Aldrin with his gaping mouth.

Then the words that came soon after from each of their lips.

"Al de Baran exists!"
"They say that it was the only city unaffected by the war!"
"We can be saved!"

And soon it was decided. Find enough hvit leaves to survive a long journey. How long? We didn't know, for the book only stated that it was "north of Prontera." While we don't know either where this Prontera is, we could guess that it's pretty far.

Only Lyla was against it. "Why reach for the stars when we can live on the earth alone?" she retorted. But we didn't care. We wanted more than our lives on this abbey.

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And now, we did it. Edward said to himself.

Hearing footsteps, he turned around. A woman, a few months older than he, stood there. She wore a high collared red shirt, hip hugger jeans, fur boots, and topped it off with a cream white coat.

"Shall we go?" Lyla asked.

He walked to the other side of the vast room, towards a spot where the stone floor receded. In the soil were four mounds, each with a makeshift crux.

"Ciel, Omar, Cross, and Aldrin." He whispered.

Is this what I have to sacrifice to earn the right to find the city?

Lyla stood beside Edward and embraced him.

"I promise. I'll find the city. Their lives will not be in vain." He said to comfort himself.

Their lips locked. Warmth entwined their bodies as their sorrows intermingled with each other.

Goodbye, Glast Heim. My home.