Ryne barely had time to close her eyes as the destructive wave of light would overtake the entire core room. She clutched to the pedestal and desperately hoped their connection would not be broken too soon…The creature was flying; she could feel it, and they all could. Rising from the ground and springing into the skies, towering above the empty. It must have been glorious to look at from the outside.

Soon she could hear a loud echo from behind, a sharp sound of an aethereal arrow charging at her. This sound has been familiar yet never so powerful before. Ryne was able to react, her thoughts would immediately rush to defend herself, and her will would be transferred into Eden. An aura of light immediately emerged around Ryne, consuming the approaching spell. She was out of their reach…For now.

The oracle turned around while still keeping her hand and mental attention on the pedestal. Now that she was connected to Eden, Ryne could hear every sound in the core room with clarity and understanding, no matter how far the source would be. Behind her stood the white-robed ascian, slightly puzzled at her newly gained defense, still considering the best way to break through and approach her.

Ryne immediately noticed that both transformed Hades and G'raha had disappeared after their clash and the subsequent energy explosion. On the other side of this platform, Ryne saw Emet-Selch on his knee, breathing and restoring his power.

"You've outdone yourself…" - He said with annoyance and disgust. Ryne could only imagine it was addressed to G'raha. The Exarch himself was not near; Ryne frantically looked around before finding him. G'raha was clutching to the edge of a platform, barely keeping up with all the pain he had to endure. He grew weaker with every second. He was about to fall…Thankfully, he would hold on for long enough for help to arrive. Giott was the first to notice; she rushed towards him, and seconds before his hands lost all of their power, she extended her own.

"You picked the worst time to fall; come on in!" - She helped him get up. As G'raha sod on the platform, he could barely even walk. His legs must have been in agony.

"Thank you…" - He said, regaining his posture. "I don't know who you all are, but you came here to fight them…You might as well be heroes." - He smiled

"That's an interesting first thing to say, but we can do without praise for now. Thank you for covering our arses there…" - Giott said, carefully looking around so as not to get attacked by ascians. "I'm Giott, by the way."

"G'raha Tia, though that's not how you would know me." - He said as they regrouped with Granson and Lue-Reeq. Granson still remained strong, looking at both Elidibus and Emet-Selch. The ascians stood at the opposite sides, weakened but still powerful. Yet they would not act, causing Ryne and other adventurers to be fearful and even terrified. Soon Elidibus teleported away towards Emet and helped his comrade get up. Something wasn't going according to their plan. The fact that de didn't try to pierce Ryne's defense any further was delightful to her. It meant that he considered them too powerful at this moment. The ascians stood at one end of the platform, looking at tired adventurers in between them and Ryne.

"Well, well…" - Emet broke the silence, his voice still causing Ryne unease, but she had to remain calm for the sake of her friends.

"It has awakened." - Elidibus said calmly.

"Yes, thank you dearly for considering an improbable case in which I would be oblivious to my own surroundings…" - Emet said sarcastically as he regained his own posture and looked at the mortals in front of him. "You must be commended. Even disregarding the perfect timing you picked for this raid and the fact that our crystal chaosbringer managed to offer you his protection, you still fought with resolve. Nevertheless…"

Lue-Reeq was the one to notice a wounded man lying before Ryne's aura. He pointed this out to Granson and Giott, who looked in fear. The archer rushed towards Cerigg to check upon him. No doubt, the rest would want the same, but they had to watch ascians. As Lue-Reeq approached, he kneeled before Cerigg to check his pulse; after a few swift moments, he looked up with his eyes meeting Ryne's. There was a sense of pure dread in the adventurer's gaze. Ryne understood.

"Finally…Some control." - A whisper echoed in Ryne's head. This voice was similar to what she had heard before, but it was much more transparent and more imposing this time.

"Who are you?" - Ryne asked, maintaining her control over Eden despite the toll it took.

"It hardly matters now…I have to thank you for bringing this creature back into the air. The rest is mine for the taking!" - After this, Ryne felt a surge of burning energy going through her. The girl screamed for a few seconds do before it was over.

Her hand was burning the hardest as it was close to the core. Ryne realized that she could not move it or take it away from the pedestal. Her hand became a part of this mechanism, which she could feel but not move or always control.

And then Eden moved again. This time the creature flew forth, gaining speed and momentum every second. It was pushed by force from within, and Ryne could not strop it. All shook, from Lue-Reeq to the ascians.

"What are you doing now?" - Granson asked cautiously, looking at Emet and Elidibus while holding his blade.

"Nothing at all." - Elidibus replied before a sudden realization has hit him, and he looked at Emet. "Would it be possible for Mitron to gain power from your clash?" - Mitron? What were they talking about?

"Considering his essence was able to forge a connection with my darkness when we first spoke, yes, it would." - Emet responded, slowly changing his annoyed tone to the one of delight.

"Than it would seem like several unfortunate threads, together played right into our hands." - Elidibus said confidently. Hades smiled and looked over his opponents.

"Ha-ha-ha…" - He couldn't help but enjoy this moment, as this monster would.

"What is the game now? Mitron shouldn't…" - G'raha began to speak before being cut off by Emet.

"Shouldn't be able to exert control? Yes, we were quite sure about that…The power of darkness I have unleashed here throughout our skirmish with his defensive systems and our rather farcical duel now has not all been wasted." - Emet-Selch said, followed by Elidibus.

"This creature is an enigma. Being one of light, it still contains a heart of pure darkness. Both can be powered separately, this would seem. Now that Ryne brought her light to the table, it has regained its strength as Emet-Selch's darkness powered the heart." - He explained.

"Thus allowing our crazed brother to take control!" - Emet exclaimed, raising his hand upwards as if sending a sign to this deity they talked about. "Such perfection of a twist! Your transgressions combined with the early arrival of these cretins had me worried, but they were the ones who ended up being trapped."

"What in the hell are you talking about?!" - Giott was confused and infuriated by what happened around her. "I know I have no chance to smash your face, but I know I can try!"

Her words were followed by a lone arrow flying directly at Elidibus from the opposite side. Before it could even reach the Emissary, Emet-Selch annihilated it.

"Was that an attempt to impress us?" - He said while looking at furious Lue-Reeq, who joined their fold.

"You…You bastards!" - The archer shouted. "I might have no more arrows, but I can you a lesson nonetheless! For Cerigg!" - He said with hatred.

He was about to rush forward only to be stopped by Granson.

"Stop, right now! Think for a moment, do you truly want to die for nothing here and now?" - He said. "We survived this far…Don't let it end like this."

"You don't understand…He's…He's dead." - Reeq said in a pained voice, seeing Granson's shared pain and sympathy.

"He wouldn't want us to perish due to our anger," Granson said, keeping his emotions in check and helping Reeq do the same. The adventurer got back in line, powerless to stop this creature and dreading any future second.

"And where does Minton take us now?" - G'raha asked sternly. Ryne tried to figure out the same thing from her connection, but it did not provide answers. But along with it, she could view a distorted version of an area outside of Eden and which direction it took. And now it did not look hopeful at all…

"All he wants with his narrow vision is to find a single soul." - Emet said and sighed, "And he certainly won't find any in the empty; you will figure the rest." - He looked over the mortals. "I pity you, to go to such measures only to hasten your demise…But alas, it is inevitable. The light swirls within this creature as it always did. I only needed a push to awaken. And instead of being used against us, Mitron will bring it right to the last bastion of hope…" - He said with anticipation.

"We have found ways to contain light before…I know we can do it again!" - G'raha replied with confidence.

"Ryne might be able to hold this energy for a short while, shielded by that aura of hers, but I doubt she would last for more than a few hours." - Hades smiled. "Just enough for us to restore our strength and commence final preparations. And as for you, G'raha…."

Elidibus gave Emet an imposing look as if wanting to remind him of something. The ascian seemed to understand his message; apparently, they discussed much…Ryne was trying to figure out what was in their minds, but without any speech, it was impossible.

"Are you certain about that?" - Emet asked.

"Absolutely."

"Very well, I'll give you one try…" - Hades looked at the Exarch one last time. "Enjoy your fleeting hours of freedom, granted it won't be long." - After these words, both ascians disappeared into dark portals, leaving adventurers alone.

Ryne heard more whispers, which blocked out other voices. She was torn apart, giving Eden her energy and absorbing some simultaneously. G'raha and others rushed to her aura, thinking about ways to help, but the shield she created around her was unbreakable, despite her own will.

"Finally, after a hundred years…I have come close to annihilating this civilization. Perhaps one day I shall finish the job!" - The whisper continued as the shadow of Eden fell on Ahm Areng.

Ryne focused on Eden. Her mind was interconnected with the creature, and she could sense its desires or whoever was behind it. She closed her eyes, trying to see the place where it was headed…The creature roamed with turbulent speed, flying over the lands of Norvrandt. Yet one remained clear in its vision, and Ryne could see it now.

It was heading for Eulmore.

One of the two cities left in their world, and the one with much less protection compared to Crystarium. They would have to fly through Lakeland to reach the sea and Kholusia. But this couldn't be allowed to happen. Ryne closed her eyes, gaining confidence. She was a part of Eden as much as this "Mitron" was. Perhaps she could not fully control it, but she could halt its advance.

Ryne remembered Minfilia and the power she left to her…How far she journeyed for this moment. The light was bursting, ready to break from the skin of Eden and run rampant at the very heart of Norvrandt, but Ryne was able to contain it. This made her believe in herself, even more so than before.

She pressed on, thinking of serenity and peace that would counter all the motion in this creature. She thought of when Thancred and her finally reconciled when she first gained her new identity…How she could say goodbye to Minfilia once and for all, finally going in peace. With these memories came the light. Ryne's hand ached mortifyingly, but this meant that she slowly regained her senses and control.

"What…Are you doing…No, this can't be enough!" - Mitron pressed on, but his darkness was feeble. Not much power was required to halt his advances. Eden became slower and slower as Ryne tirelessly resisted. She felt powerful as she did so. Finally, a creature of such force could be influenced by her, just like her predecessor, who was able to stop the flood with her newfound power. Perhaps she will have to follow in her footsteps.

Eventually, Ryne's light filled the core, and soon after, the creature finally stopped. Whispers subsided, and the chaotic flow of energy stopped. Ryne could move her hand away from the heart, but her essence was still intertwined with its power. She could also get a look at where has this creature stopped. They were above Lakeland.

…

The last hour was a rather exhausting experience, even for one such as G'raha.

He did his best to defend the adventurers from the might of Hades, and yet one still has fallen…He must have been a comrade for them, G'raha couldn't know, but this pain must be hitting way more burdensome for them. Still, the fact that all others survived, for now, was a miracle. G'raha would chastise himself for not stopping Ryne from taking control. He should have known this would happen with his new knowledge of Mitron. However, they managed to survive and even claim this creature for themselves…This was a miracle.

Speaking of the ascians, their plans would seem clear now; they only had to wait for balance in the creature's system to be distorted and the light to be free. However, they left him alone…After all that has happened, Emet-Selch would never do so. Was it because they were weakened by the light? They could still teleport with little trouble but decided to abandon him. What was the game they were playing?

Still, there were more pressing matters. G'raha rushed towards Ryne only to find that the light's aura still surrounded her even after separating from the core.

"Are you alright?" - G'raha asked with a caring tone. As he looked at Ryne, he couldn't help but smile. Seeing a friendly face reminded him that he was not alone in surviving this nightmare, that there was at least one life he could spare from this fate.

"I stopped it, for now at least." - The girl said with doubt. She tried to concentrate on her thoughts to no avail. "Damn it!" - She exclaimed. "I can't remove the barrier; it seems stuck." The girl sighed with disappointment, which quickly became accepted.

"Hold still, I can help you with it…" - G'raha began to think, but Ryne wasn't so enthusiastic.

"No, wait! If you tamper with Eden's defense, I don't know what it can lead to."

"Eden?"

"That was how we called the creature for clarity…Nothing new, don't worry. I halted it for now, but it's better to leave it as it is." - She said confidently. G'raha understood this worry. Mitron was still within, likely listening to all their talk.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes…I am not the one who needs support now." - Ryne pointed at the adventurers who gathered near the corpse of their fallen comrade beside him. The one with claymore gave Ryne a pained look. "I'm sorry. He saved me there, and thus us all…" - Ryne said.

"Don't apologize; I am just glad you're safe." - He said as he stood by his allies with his allies. The archer couldn't help but hold his tears back.

"Damn it, Cerigg, you should've asked me to help; I would've…No, it's just wrong!" - He shouted in pain. Giott's eyes grew wet as well. It was a horrific loss for them, and G'raha knew precisely how it felt. The one with claymore kept his distance and shed no tears, but G'raha could feel the suffering behind his stoic gaze.

"I am sorry for your loss." - He said. "I did not know him, but he must be a true hero if he agreed to venture here to fight against all odds. All of you are." - He said with genuine admiration. "And to each of you, I owe you my life. Giott has plucked me from the abyss quite literally…."

"Cerigg doubted his decision…But he still did not turn his back on us. And we promised to come back and keep each safe, we promised!" - The mercenary said with anger, not directed at anyone. "And we failed…."

"You did your best."

"Don't oversell it; you've done way more to keep us safe." - The adventurer looked at him. "It is an honor to meet you, Exarch." - His voice brimmed with pride.

"You can call me G'raha Tia. I believe I'm past the titles now."

"I'm Granson; this is Lue-Reeq and Giott…And this was Cerigg, our comrade in arms." - Granson looked at him with grief, approaching the fallen man to pay him his respects along with Reeq and Giott. "You died a true hero, and no one shall ever claim otherwise."

They needed their moment. G'raha respected that. He turned back to Ryne; he had many questions, as did she, but the time was not on their side.

"You won't believe how glad I am to see you alive." - G'raha said.

"And all thanks to you…I never got my chance to thank you for saving me back in Amaurot. I owe you!" - She smiled.

"If only I could save more…All of them. If only we could've won that time…I feel all would have been going way simpler." - G'raha said with regret, but Ryne clearly did not want him to hinge on his pain.

"It doesn't matter anymore…Tell me what happened to you. People of Crystarium are horrified, but they still believed you were alive, and you are! Still, they must have done something with you. Why did Emet-Selch even want you imprisoned? Have you learned?" - The girl brimmed with questions and happiness after seeing him alive. She looked as if she would run up and hug G'raha if not for the barrier.

"I did, yes…" - G'raha thought back to the most enlightening moment. "He told me, in fact. But it is a very long and complicated story. I believe we should leave until the threat is eliminated completely. Suffice to say, it will not be relevant in the near future…Hopefully." - He said.

"I'll take your word for it…But how did your capture go?" - Ryne wondered.

"Not too pleasant and not at all productive…Emet and the Emissary kept me close under the heel all this time. In Amaurot and Eden alike."

"Did they torture you? I hope it was bearable."

"Only when I tried to escape. Emet-Selch wasn't the most charitable captor, but he had to keep me intact. Especially so when we fought the Prime…" - G'raha recounted one of the more awkward moments of his time there.

"You've fought together?" - Ryne had trouble visualizing this; G'raha couldn't blame her.

"When he threw both of us right in the face of defense systems here…Not an experience I wish to repeat." - G'raha said, approaching the most crucial part of his tale. "I also had another voice talk to me…I wonder if you've heard him already?"

"Yes, I just did…He brought Eden here, but I don't understand. Who is this Mitron?"

"One of the ascians that caused the flood of light, he became the first sin-eater shortly before Minfilia intervened. But his soul is still within. He helped me break my shackles, but all he truly wanted was more power to himself…I'm afraid we might have given him just that. I should've warned you, sorry…" - G'raha said with regret.

"It makes no difference, if I hadn't tried, the ascians would probably just kill us all." - Ryne said with some doubt in her voice, but G'raha knew that she did not regret her actions. The Exarch was worried for Ryne after Amaurot. After all, even with all she's seen before, going through such trauma is horrific, especially for a child.

"And how did you know about the sin-eater? We arrived here through the portal; without that, I am not sure how could anyone even…."

"I heard a call. The call of light from beyond, a powerful feeling, you know? It became louder and louder, appeared more often…Perhaps now that most of the light is gone, I could feel its last source. And then Hydaelyn came into my dreams."

Ryne mentioned that before, but G'raha had other things to attend to. Who would have thought the goddess herself decided to show up…Well, not such a goddess anymore. They both knew that she was one of the most powerful primal but never a true god. "She told me that only I can halt their advance and take Eden away if I take control. If not, our world would be devastated by another flood. Who could just sit and wait for their own death after that?" - Ryne recalled.

"Did she mention Mitron?"

"No, not a word…."

"So she would still play games with us?" - G'raha said with disapproval, thinking of Emet's words. Perhaps no primal could be trusted indeed.

"I don't think she knew at all." - Ryne said with clarity. "When we spoke, she said that…That they were not supposed to die there. That she was certain of another outcome."

So their suspicions were true, then. Hydaelyn was never omnipotent, no matter how much faith and trust they would put into her. The primal might have been on their side, but she has made mistakes…This hasty communication with Ryne shortly after Edwin's death proved it.

"She gave me a directive, but I wouldn't put too much faith into her. Only we can save ourselves now." - Ryne said confidently, likely still thinking of whatever will follow. It was a perplexing feeling for G'raha as well…Any moment the light within Eden could be unleashed and annihilate them in mere seconds while they would not even notice. Was it only due to Ryne's influence? The girl would not stop taking one burden after another; G'raha admired her with his heart.

"And…How are you, Ryne? It's okay if you wouldn't want to talk about it, but I just wanted to know if you would need any help or…" - G'raha tried to pick his words carefully, but Ryne understood his sentiment perfectly. The girl closed her eyes and put a hand on her chest shortly before looking down. She seemed calm and without any signs of hurry or fear. G'raha was about to change the topic of conversation to avoid opening fresh wounds once again, but she opened her eyes and looked at Exarch.

"I tried not to think about them, but you might guess how it ended up…I chose to remember. Remember fighting alongside them to save this world from Vauthry, my days with Thancred, especially the last few, and the words Edwin said to me back in Amaurot." - Ryne smiled at G'raha. "Smile better suits a hero."

The pure energy of hope and relief that Ryne radiated couldn't leave G'raha indifferent. The Exarch couldn't help but smile too. His grin might have looked silly and awkward after so many years of hiding his true feelings, but now was the perfect moment. At this exact moment, G'raha wondered if this was his first smile since standing atop Mount Gulg, where he felt pain and pride alike after being called his name…

"I know this is far from over, and maybe the worst is still to come, but this isn't the time for it, not yet." - Ryne spoke confidently and with a maturity far beyond her age. "We need to plan ahead before ascians return."

Soon the adventurers started to gather. Reeq and Giott approached Ryne and G'raha, seemingly void of any energy and eagerness they always shared. Granson followed them, carrying Cerigg's corpse atop his shoulders.

Giott was the first one to break the silence, although notably not through words. The dwarf rushed towards Ryne's aura and smashed her with a hammer as hard as possible. The resulting shockwave pushed her back while leaving the shield unscathed.

"What are you doing?" - Ryne asked with some shock.

"Trying to figure out how to free you! And…Maybe releasing some anger, too." - She responded, slightly ashamed, but Ryne understood this feeling.

"What now?" - Reeq asked, looking over everyone in the room.

"I can see where Eden is now while it's still stable." - Ryne pointed out. "It's right above Crystarium. We're home." - G'raha noticed duality in her voice; he felt the same. Being torn between the happiness of finally returning home and the danger of bringing a weapon of mass destruction right to their doorstep made him worry?

"By the twelve…I can imagine them seeing the sin-eater in the sky…It's getting too much." - G'raha said before finally taking the initiative into his own hands. "First things first, we need to descend and explain what's going on to the citizens. I've kept them in the dark for far too long. If there is a time to open up, now is it precisely." - G'raha said, finally remembering what it meant to be a true leader. "From there on, we need to find a way to get rid of Eden. Forcing it back into the empty won't work. The flood will consume all of our worlds. We will need to destroy it or use its power to fight the ascians…I suppose I'm getting ahead." - G'raha noticed Lue-Reeq's slightly confused look, quickly turning to impression.

"So…You're the Crystal Exarch?" - He asked, having Granson silently nod near him. "Really?"

"Yes, I am, but you can call me G'raha Tia." - He smiled in return.

"Wow…Never have I thought I'd get an opportunity to fight beside you. After all, you've done for us, that is an honor rivaling the one I shared with Edwin." - Reeq said with respect.

"I appreciate it, but the honor is mine. You had way less power at your disposal and still came to help me, the qualities of a real hero."

"Can you lick each other's tails later? We aren't done here." - Giott reminded. "There's still that tiny question of getting out without jumping down to our deaths."

"The same way we came here, I suppose…" - Reeq said doubtfully and looked at G'raha for answers. The Exarch soon turned to Ryne.

"Can you transfer us to Crystarian plaza with your light?" - He asked. The girl thought and looked at the core.

"If I am careful enough, I should be." - She nodded.

"And what about yourself?" - Granson added.

"Perhaps…But I cannot leave Eden alone. If not for my control, it will unleash its light before we can find a way to deal with it." - She said.

She had a point. But the girl has suffered enough; the last thing G'raha wanted was to leave her alone with Mitron.

"I can stay in your place. I and the ascian within have some unfinished business." - G'raha volunteered, but Ryne would not have it.

"You are not the oracle of light, easier for him to influence. You said the power you gained in battle was his, correct? That is the sheer extent." - She explained. The girl noticed G'raha's concern and was quick to address it. "I know you worry for me, but I'm not a child anymore. Not with what's been going on, at least. I've seen people in Crystarium; they need hope, they need you…I will hold Eden back while you find a solution." - She was adamant about her decision, for which G'raha had nothing but respect.

"So be it. I promise I will come back for you as soon as we find a solution." - G'raha said.

"Thank you…That is all I can ask for." - Ryne looked over her friends before touching the core again.

"Be careful…" - Granson said to the girl before connecting her mind with Eden's. The wave of light followed this time, far from destructive.

It was soothing and empowering to G'raha and those around him. The Exarch closed his eyes, already feeling his body transported beyond Eden. He could imagine the city of Crystarium, its people…The last time he had seen it was when they set out for Kholusia. So much tragedy has happened since then, but now the hope was rising once again…

When G'raha opened his eyes, he was at the heart of Crystarian plaza.