Transcending the limits of mortality, have they cried for answers as the chaos swirled around their home. And so did he, a voice of the unheard, once the chaos had been reignited.

Elidibus left the dark portal and found himself amidst what was once a mighty Empire, now an abyss void of any glory or even memories. The nation was given no respect by whoever unleashed their power; they were erased in a matter of weeks with nothing but a charred corpse in its place. The Emissary heard a few faint voices which frowned in horror, and a flash followed. It showed him a city burning beneath a scarlet sky with the beasts appearing out of the void, eager to consume all in their wake. And even once they perished, the scars have been too deep to heal.

Those flashes were not a rare occurrence for Elidibus. They have been his only source of memories, the only driving force which reminded him of his mission. They were his burden and his shield, especially the echoes of forsaken hope. They would usually show the Convocation's meetings, his days protecting Amaurot as the mighty Zodiark, only rarely offering him a glimpse of a paradise that was before. But when he met the girl on the First, when he fought her and saw her resolve…There was a memory that Elidibus had not received in thousands of years.

He saw a young man, unburdened by other voices and free to be himself. An aspiring adventurer who wanted nothing more than to help the Convocation and maintain the balance on their star. He had his dreams and his friends. He smiled after every success, every small deed he could do for his people. He thought of Azem, of Lahabrea, of many others who guided him along this path.

Of how this young man gave up his life, his identity for his friends, and how he inspired thousands that yearned for salvation. How he became an avatar for the cosmic being of hope. How he looked away when his tears fell on the ground. Of a man, Elidibus wanted to become once again at times, though he knew that this part of his soul had perished a long time ago.

But then he saw a reflection. A young girl who has witnessed all of her friends die before her eyes. She had to suffer a tremendous loss that would break anyone else with far less effort, but she persevered. She showed bravery, resolve, kindness, and hope, the qualities Themis possessed and those that were transformed into energy. She gave her own freedom to others, and through hope, she succeeded, making Elidibus think of the sundered's true nature. It brought him to doubt, and this was followed by fear. Was he forsaking his own mission? Was Elidibus on the verge of moral failure? Was he failing all the souls whose whispers plagued his head?

Only when Emet-Selch himself displayed doubt did Elidibus feel relieved. He would often defer to the opinions of his colleagues, for they were different ever since the sundering. Elidibus was never a person, not a single one. The final days have taken this commodity from him, forcing him into the role of a symbol of hope. Emet-Selch and Lahabrea were men with their own perceptions and identity and thus retained clear conscience. Thinking about their cries of agony of despair on the dreadful days as they walked among formless aberrations, seeking their friends to no avail, he was unable to help them.

Over the eons that passed, each of them was forced to embark on a journey with various outcomes, but all of them have dragged the ascian trio into the darkest pit of despair. That's why Elidibus stopped thinking and stopped doubting. There was naught bit duty for him to fulfill. Lahabrea's pain was so tremendous that he lost his sanity, but Emet maintained as much conscience as he could. This is what made his agony far greater. Lahabrea perished for their cause, while Emet continued to carry the burden of memory, even if it burned their very soul. It was for them that Elidibus fought and shall continue to fight.

Seeing Garlemald in its current state has been rejuvenating for the Emissary, as cruel as it might seem. To see the best of what sundered had to offer, of resolve that matched that of the ascians, not allowing their souls to succumb, only to be reminded of their vices so soon. The Empire that did not last even a century crumbled by sundered from within. Now a wasteland full of tempered and corpses with the tower of darkness arising over it. Elidibus felt its demonic aura as soon as he arrived, the aura of despair which covered a fleeting admiration, a hope that one soul could save all of them. The most twisted manifestation one could conceive of.

He did not remain alone for long; soon, the ascian noted a few silhouettes rapidly approaching from the pale tundra, followed by the cries of terror. A young garlean woman clutched the child in her hands, tears swelling down her cheeks. She was pursued by three men in uniform, a soldier. Their movements were unnatural and animalistic, following the same few patterns as they circled her like predators. The woman made a misstep and fell into the snow, barely able to hold her infant son. The child cried from pain and cold; he would be one with the stream in a few moments.

"Please, I beg of you!" - The woman wept and looked at the soldiers, but the tempered would not yield to words. Those thralls could not be reasoned or pleaded with. Only in death could they find a cure.

The tempered screeched, and one of them charged at the woman with his sword. He would never reach her. An aetheric blast pierced the beast, forcing his corpse to fall on the ground and color the snow crimson. The other two looked at the ascian and attacked him at the same time. Elidibus raised his hand, creating two magical arrows for the tempered, killing them immediately. As the white-robed man approached, he could notice the pure awe and shock of the garlean woman as she clutched her boy to her side. She was surprised by Elidibus's sudden appearance and maintained care, but this would not contain her praise and relief.

"Thank you, kind sir, thank you!" - She wiped her tears away. "Lord Varis bless you, I'm in your debt forever!" - She spoke frantically, and with fear, Elidibus had no time to waste, but perhaps she might know something.

"Who tempered them?" - The ascian asked coldly, startling the woman by his distant tone as he didn't even look at her.

"I…It must be the tower. As soon as they appeared, they claimed almost all of them. We tried to run from the capital, but my husband, he…he…He fought, and..." - Her lips quivered in pain as the tears continued to fall. If the tower had such an effect, this meant that an eikon had emerged inside. Yet garleans have never believed in any gods. What could become their substitute?

"And who created the tower?"

"Hundreds of our workers have taken part at someone's command…" - The woman didn't seem quite sure. "It's lord Zenos! I saw him; he's been killing everyone he sees. I don't know, it can't be him…He cannot be so vile! It must be the demon! It possesses him, it…"

It would seem the rumors about Elidibus's possession have found more grounds than ever, long after they separated. Her blind faith was pathetic, the frailty of the sundered in full display.

"Zenos is not capable of such feats."

"But how do you know?"

"Go." - Elidibus commanded. "I shall figure it out myself."

"You don't mean you're going to the tower? That's suicide!"

"Have I not made myself clear?" - Elidibus walked towards his target without looking back once. The mother seemed to understand that arguing was pointless and rushed to the woods, leaving the ascian alone.

Elidibus would teleport closer, trying to remain careful as he was walking into the manifestation of oblivion. The capital has been decimated, with its roads charred and homes abandoned. Broken windows and shattered doors left nothing but stash for the tempered to feed on. Broken magitek reapers have been scattered around the ruins, turned into useless piles of scrap. Nothing radiated life but the tower itself. This land has been utterly hopeless, and this made Elidibus feel weak. The voices became louder; they mumbled and screamed in terror as Elidibus got close to the tower.

The Emissary sensed it. Something dreadful was approaching at the tower's doorstep. A ravenous beast, hungering for chaos and sensation, the beast leaving a trail of corpses behind it in search of a single worthy opponent.

And this will be his battle, too.

…

To abandon him like that, to succumb to death when there was so much left unsaid and undone…Zenos's disappointment knew no bounds.

The reaper traversed Eorzea and Ilsabard alike and returned from the dead in search of his body in preparation for another contest. His only driving force was that of Edwin, of how they battled in Ala Mhigo's throne room; back then, they did not yet understand their true purpose. And then enlightenment came, bringing the pure bliss that was their clash, making them forget of kin and country, of battles for freedom or unification. They could be their true selves at the moment, and now all of Zenos's hopes for feeling the moment once again have perished.

Every night the garlean would look at the moon, thinking of what could have been. Moments after, he reclaimed his body, finally restoring his strength before meeting Edwin in battle once again. The only man who gave his life meaning was gone in an instant as Zenos was forced to ponder whether his existence without the adventurer had any value at all. Perhaps he overestimated Edwin; perhaps he was never as powerful as he seemed.

Zenos would have ended his life weeks ago if it wasn't for Fandaniel's proposal. While the garlean did not care for ascian machinations, the prospect he brought had some promise. Fandaniel was setting Zenos up to battle with the white-robed ascian that controlled his body. The Warrior of Light, the Emissary, the keeper of the balance, hero of the ages. There were many names and titles attributed to Elidibus by Fandaniel. Zenos knew not whether any of them were grounded in reality, but he hardly cared anyway. The battle will show his true nature, and Fandaniel promised that the chaos he causes will bring Elidibus to Garlemald soon enough.

He didn't lie.

A faint smile emerged on Zenos's face when he saw the white-robed man walk to the ruined square before the Tower of Babil. The ascian was careful in his movements, but Zenos immediately felt that he had some potential he could unleash. He had no mask this time, a young body with white hair possessed by a being that transcended eons.

"I see you answered our summons." - Zenos greeted him calmly, preparing for a clash.

"I did not answer anyone; I sensed the chaos that has been unraveling, and I came to put an end it." - Elidibus responded confidently and with resolve. Impressive for one who ran from Zenos like a coward in the throne room.

"So you think…" - Zenos said quietly. "I trust you will not prove a disappointment?"

"Is that why you "summoned" me? For a simple clash driven by your instincts?"

Before Zenos could respond, a distorted voice rang out in the air, belonging to Fandaniel.

"Does he need anything more?" - A dark portal opened, and the ascian emerged, carrying a small magitek device in his hand, much to Elidibus's shock. "My lord Zenos has always been clear about his goals, and unlike yours, they are quite reachable!"

"Are you behind this?" - Elidibus sounded surprised, with echoes of anger in his voice. Good, there will be a force to dive him once the moment finally approaches. "Why, Fandaniel? After all the ascians have done for you…"

"Like forcing another's memories on me? Forcing to pursue a goal I never cared for? Using me as another of your twisted servants to be thrown into the fray? If that's the case, consider what I've prepared for you a show of sincerest gratitude!" - Fandaniel spoke with vile and glee, anticipating the battle.

"You are a broken shade that has lost its way." - Elidibus said with pity. "Yet, for all our arguments, I never expected you to fall this low and give into chaos. To scheme behind our back is to betray all the Convocation has stood for."

"How touching…If that isn't clear enough, I do not care for your people, and I was never one of you."

"Then what do you want? What are those towers for?"

"Finally, asking the right question." - Fandaniel looked to the darkened sky and smiled. "My only goal is to reenact the Final Days that ravaged Amaurot thousands of years ago. To scorch this land and bleed it dry, becoming one with the sweet oblivion!" - He chuckled maniacally after those words.

"You…" - Elidibus clenched his fist as he attempted to maintain the fury. In a moment, however, the Emissary's disposition changed. "No, your words do not make sense. Whatever destruction you are planning to cause with your eikon and towers shall never rival the destruction wrought upon us by Final Days!"

"Oh, how sweet, how naive…Hearing this would've broken Hermes's heart! Alas, I am not him and never was." - Fandaniel rose into the sky above Elidibus and Zenos. "As you may see, my lord has been most helpful, but he had his own demands. We are all ascians here, and ascians settle their matters in a civilized matter. So show me your fury! Show Zenos the righteous anger of twelve thousand years, show how much of a drive are those memories for you." - Fandaniel commanded. "Were you to defeat Zenos, I would be no match for you…But this question remains unanswered."

Finally, a chance to see the ascian in battle. Zenos took his scythe out and summoned his avatar. The moment the void sent emerged, a familiar presence calmed the garlean's mind, setting him for the coming clash. If Elidibus would not hold back, he won't either.

"Fight with every fiber of your being, break your limits and ascend towards the bliss! I shall do the same as the conflagration of our clash scorches this star!"

The ascian did not shudder; he accepted this challenge with honor and bravery.

"Very well, I will partake in this, if only for the sake of restoring equilibrium. Unleash all of your strength, prince. You will find that none of your ravenous desires and instincts match the duty that has guideth me for generations!"

Zenos would not wait. The prince charged into the heat of battle, wielding his scythe and imbued with the power of his avatar. Elidibus showed such determination, such hope that has now plagued the land; Zenos would enjoy tearing those feelings from him.

Elidibus was quick to create a sword out of aether which he clutched in his hand, forcing their weapons to clash. Zenos felt like he had encountered a powerful wall of pure light, so strong was the resistance. Elidibus shower some skill in combat, already having Zenos slightly impressed. Elidibus blocked two more strikes before teleporting behind Zenos and unleashing an aetheric blast at the prince. A fragment of it managed to scratch evading Zenos, though those wounds were hardly significant.

"Already the battle begins with a bang!" - Fandaniel commented with joy. "Evading a certain death at the very last second, followed by a mighty counterattack. A strong start, but I wonder whether this will hold up…"

Zenos looked at Elidibus with eyes full of hunger and desire, preparing another strike.

"Hold nothing back, ascian. Push yourself to your limits and me to mine!" - He encouraged his opponent before attempting to weaken his essence with spells of darkness.

"I would have never gotten this far had I ever held back." - Elidibus responded with pride and manifested a light's aura around him. The shield proved resilient and absorbed Zenos's spells, although this came at a cost to the ascian. The Emissary grunted in his attempts to maintain his defenses as cracks began to emerge within.

Elidibus finally began another cast. Zenos felt the chilling ices emerge around him as Elidibus was seeking to unleash the power of the elements. Zenos ran toward his opponent to keep the warmth in his skin, but this signaled Zenos's fall into Elidibus's scheme. The ascian swiftly changed the spell, turning ice into a raging fire. Zenos's movements would only enhance the agony he felt. His entire skin felt like cracking, yet the reaper would not slow down even for a second. The pain was nothing; it was just another barrier to overcome…And when Zenos managed to endure, he felt the purest of joys.

More.

He yearned for more.

Zenos reached the ascian and slashed him with the scythe. Seconds before making direct contact, Elidibus teleported a few meters away, but the spells of darkness have forced the ascian to lose some of his immediate power. Zenos was only starting to see some merit in battling Elidibus. He was not going to stop now.

The reaper unleashed the fires of akh morn, one after another have their fallen upon the Emissary. No matter where he would teleport, the spell of annihilation was swift to find him. The ascian's shields were not strong enough to withstand this onslaught. Elidibus fell to the ground, much to Zenos's disappointment. His heart skipped a beat as darkening thoughts took over Zenos's mind.

"You can do better, ascian!" - The prince scoffed.

"What a twist!" - Fandaniel continued to comment in a theatrical manner. "When his teleportation can no longer save him, the Emissary falls to the ground, beaten and broken! Is that the limit of his power? The limit of his hope?"

Zenos approached Elidibus, preparing to end him, but when his scythe rose above the white-robed ascian, a powerful wave of light forced Zenos to fall and almost lose his weapon. His eyes ached as he looked upon its purest manifestation. Zenos felt immense agony in his bones; this light was poisoning him from within. Once again, pain, and with it, joy…A smile emerged on his face as the taste of battle returned to him once again.

"By Zodiark, such power!" - Fandaniel exclaimed as a tall figure emerged out of the light. A knight clad in aetheric armor with his cloak waving on the wing. His hands held a blade of light and an unbreakable shield, while his eyes showed the determination that rivaled Zenos's own.

Finally, the moment he was waiting for.

…

Zenos proved as powerful and monstrous of an opponent as Elidibus expected. There was no motive in his fight but sheer satisfaction, no goals to distract him from the glorious moment of this battle. In their clash, Elidibus saw the purest manifestation of Zenos's essence, unburdened and vile. To fight against such ferocity, he would have to call all of his power to his aid.

Elidibus knew that it was almost impossible to maintain hope in a place like this, a complete opposite to the reaches of Crystarium, but he had to try. There was no way to garner hope from outside, and that is why Elidibus had to look to the plaguing voices in his mind, to ask them to lend their strength once again. Myriads of sacrificed Amaurotines, most of which have been drowned out by the few hundred of strongest voices. They only knew their final moments when they gave their lives to Zodiark, but those were moments of hope that Elidibus needed. When the connection has finally been established, he can reclaim his form as a hero. Power and hope surged through him, and while this euphoria may not last long, it will be enough to purge Zenos from existence once and for all.

"Your underestimation of ascian strength is misguided at best and pathetic at worst." - The Warrior of Light declared after his transformation, addressing both Zenos and the traitor. "The man that defeated you, Zenos, fell by Emet-Selch's hand, as did his allies…As will you now."

"So, the old man finally decided to get out of his coffin and do something useful?" - Fandaniel chuckled. "Too little and too late." - His motivations have been of a greater mystery for Elidibus. Was this man so depraved that he would willingly unleash the end of all life upon them? But even if so, how would he bring them about again? If only…No, Elidibus could not allow this.

"Do not get distracted!" - Zenos yelled and attacked, but the warrior was prepared. He blocked the reaper's strike and pushed him back a few meters, infusing Zenos with the sheer power of light. He saw him grunt in agony, but it was quickly changed to a face of pure joy. "Finally, you show your true might!" - Zenos stood up; with each strike, he seemed to get more enjoyment from this. "Do not dare to stop."

"I have only just begun!" - Elidibus said and unleashed a powerful wave of light that pushed Zenos back. The prince resisted and ran towards the Emissary as the pain overwhelmed him.

The reaper leaped at the hero before him, only to find that Elidibus's armor had been too strong to simply pierce it with a scythe. The warrior used his blade to counterattack. A few precise hits and Zenos would be no more, but the garlean continued to evade with impeccable speed. The hits wounded and scarred the prince, but not a single one managed to break the flow of his battle or to force Zenos to the ground.

Eventually, the reaper jumped back when he grew weary. Elidibus saw Zenos breathing heavily, but he was not going to stop. Fandaniel continued to observe with curiosity and excitement, although Elidibus witnessed a sliver of fear in the traitor's gaze when he felt Zenos's weakness.

"The light's power…The first hero of the star returns! Will he bliss the land with his presence, or will he be dragged into oblivion?"

After Fandaniel's words, Zenos looked up with a smile. The demonic voidsent appeared behind him once again, preparing some kind of spell.

"You are strong, ascian, and there is nothing left to hold back…I will repay you in kind." - What followed was a horrific merge. The voidsent dissipated, with its energy flowing into Zenos and transforming his body. His hair gleamed with darkness, his skin turned pale, and his eyes were glowing in crimson. The scythe maintained its dark aura, and Elidibus could clearly feel Zenos's power growing exponentially.

"The darkness will not save you, not this time." - The warrior claimed proudly and raised his sword in an attack. Zenos blocked Elidibus's strikes and unleashed a dark wave created of voidsent's power and the dragon's flame combined. The result has been so decimating that it managed to push Elidibus back and slow the Emissary down.

"Bring it on!" - Zenos was eager to continue the battle, yet Elidibus was more than prepared. The Emissary pierced the ground beneath him with a blade of light, creating a tremendous earthquake that forced Zenos to shake and interrupted his attempt at casting another wave of darkness.

Before the reaper could respond once again, the warrior prepared another strike. His blade left his hand and beamed with light, piercing the ground beneath them and drawing an area to be consumed by crystals of light and their power. Such strength never failed the Emissary; any enemy who would be caught standing on it would have their life force drawn instantly.

Zenos's reflexes proved sharper than Elidibus's expectations, however. The reaper swiftly discerned the pattern which the hero was unleashing and charged away from it. Moments before the light emerged, Zenos found himself outside of its reach.

His next step was to use his scythe, a weapon of darkness that obeyed Zenos's every command. By voidsent's might, the scythe will spring into the sky, circling around Elidibus as the ascian attempted to destroy it. He felt wound after wound emerge, the cracks in his armor coming way too close to being breached…The warrior utilized another shockwave to break the scythe's pattern and force it back to the sender.

Elidibus took control of the winds, forcing the aether into a whirlwind to stun Zenos just enough for him to kill the prince. The reaper proved far more resilient, creating a shield of darkness to his side. The wind still pushed him, but Zenos's legs barely shook as he withstood all of the pain.

"Not enough!" - Zenos shouted and forged another spell of darkness, proving a mighty counterattack to wind and forcing nature's strength in the other direction. It would seem that a direct attack was required here.

The warrior and the reaper clashed with their weapons once again; energies of light and darkness, hope and despair were radiating from their fury. This was the second time Elidibus saw such raw strength in a sundered; the first was Edwin, who has now fallen…To lose now would be to fail as an ascian, as Emet's equal.

Eventually, Elidibus managed to force Zenos back and make him vulnerable. The reaper maintained some of his defenses provided by the avatar, none of which could be broken so easily. He needed everything. Perhaps Zenos's advice about breaking the limits would be a fitting one. The ascian unleashed a number of aetheric arrows at Zenos to slow him down and, meanwhile, prepared the most powerful strike his primal form could muster.

"Voices of our heroes, voices of our fallen…Heed my call!" - Elidibus said triumphantly as the sheer force of hope and light-filled his blade. This would purge not just Zenos but all the buildings around them and perhaps wound Fandaniel as well. This was the moment of Elidibus's true heroism, of his own moment as the warrior of light. This world was sundered and needed to be restored, but to have it annihilated completely would undo everything the people lived and worked for, both before and after the sundering.

The Warrior of Light sprang into the air with his body and soul fueled by the righteous fury of Amaurot. The eternity of paradise, the days of annihilation, and the centuries of suffering all have been united in a single voice of a hero who battled despair throughout all of those times. And looking upon Zenos and Fandaniel and maniacal smiles, upon their disgust and hatred for all which ascians represented has only fueled Elidibus's fury. When he raised his sword above Zenos, Elidibus expected to decimate the monstrous reaper.

Yet the prince was prepared.

In the time between the seconds, a sheer glimpse of a moment when Elidibus made himself vulnerable, did Zenos strike. The reaper's wave of darkness sent out by his avatar hit Elidibus's vulnerable spots, distracting the ascian for the moment, just enough for Zenos to finish his job. Elidibus felt utter agony as Zenos plunged his scythe into the Emissary's flesh. Elidibus screamed in pain as he felt the poisonous darkness spreading through his body like wildfire, consuming and corrupting every part of his being.

The sword and shield dissipated as the warrior fell to the ground. He breathed heavily as the scythe continued to tear him apart. Even moving a single hand to pull the weapon out has brought immense suffering. Zenos pursued Elidibus while the ascian was weak and claimed the weapon himself. This wasn't enough to slow the process down; Elidibus was crumbling before the dark powers. He could not resist, could not fight at all as his body shook and trembled. Zenos stood before him, looking with a gaze of pure shock. It was surreal to see such expression, an emotion of a child who has accidentally broken their favorite toy.

"Is that…All?" - Zenos spoke in disbelief. He did not attack, and Elidibus could still retreat. He failed, made himself vulnerable, and now paid the price. The battle will not be won today, but he will have news for Emet-Selch. He will…

"Oh, not so fast!" - Fandaniel exclaimed, discerning Elidibus's intentions as the unsundered attempted to create a dark portal. "I didn't invite you here to leave so soon!" - He activated his magitek device, and Elidibus felt another surge of agony. The powerful ray of aether from the tower's summit was directed at his heart. The Emissary had no power left to move nor scream. He just gazed upwards with pain, praying for it to be over. He needed to tell…Emet-Selch needed to know…

"Perfect!" - Fandaniel descended and spoke with glee. "Weakened just enough for me to use my ingenious trap on you! Marvelous, don't you think?"

The voices emerged in Elidibus's head once again, all at the same time. He could not discern a word of them as they were merged in a cacophony of sounds and screams. His head was torn apart, the mind had been scorched along with the body, and there was nothing for Elidibus to do to stop it.

And then, one by one, they dissipated. One voice went silent, and three more followed. They all perished with a whimper as their connection with Elidibus was shattered. He would not beg nor shed tears, not for them. Yet, in his mind, Elidibus desperately grappled for the remaining voices, seeing all of them faint like dying stars. All those who reminded him of Zodiark, of his duty and mission he was fighting for. Now there was nothing but the void left in his mind, with only one voice remaining. One fading, weak voice, which would have been one of the first to be decimated had it come from Zodiark.

Themis's soul…His fragmented and tormented self rested within Elidibus, an entity of hope and power that was both his prison and his shield. Now, this defense has been annihilated. For the first time since sacrificing himself to Zodiark, Themis was himself. After an eternity of slumber, the young, wide-eyed boy has been awakened in a world that, despite all his efforts and sacrifices, has been broken and splintered and is now on the brink of facing the very same cataclysm Themis sought to avert. All those years for nothing. All he could see with his broken and blurred vision was the grinning face of his tormentor.

"Are we there yet…Is there only Themis left?" - Fandaniel looked the ascian in the eyes. "Ah, yes…I can see it now. What if I told you something very, very important?" - He spoke to Themis in a tone of cruel mockery and disdain. "What if I told you that an answer to the Final Days' mystery has always been right beside you…What if I told you that some of your closest associates knew it without even realizing it? That the truth was buried deep within their subconscious? That the Convocation desperately battled the symptoms without understanding the root cause, even when the answer was so close?" - Each of these words struck Themis like a blade. He could not withstand anymore, to even imagine that all of their sacrifices, all of their efforts have been misplaced, that he was misguided in his noble mission…This horrified Themis, breaking the last traces of his will to live. "I am one of those people." - Fandaniel declared. "I will bring the story of this star to its dramatic conclusion because I have this knowledge that the Convocation lacked. The knowledge you will die without, Themis. And that is exactly what you deserve." - While talking about it, Fandaniel's voice changed to a much more serious and disdainful one, but seconds after, it reverted to his maniacal tone. "Smile and say hello to Hephaestus!"

The tower's energy overwhelmed Themis, stripping him of any resistance and forcing him to become a broken slave of its destructive power. Before closing his eyes, Themis saw them before his eyes…Their silhouettes and spirits, figments of his mind. Hephaestus, Apollo, Hera, Dionysus…All those who put their hopes in him, all those whom he failed.

"I am…Sorry…"

…

There was never a sight more disgusting than witnessing Elidibus broken and tortured by the tower's energy, slowly tearing his essence apart. Zenos despised every second of it, yet he still watched as the ascian screamed and attempted to resist, of how Fandaniel mocked him and told of the tales Zenos barely cared to listen to. It wasn't because of any sympathy but because of his weakness that Zenos felt this disgust and hatred.

To think that for a fleeting moment, he considered him to be a worthy opponent, believed that he might satisfy his hunger for battle and replace Edwin…In the time between the seconds, Zenos lived and yearned for more, which proved his undoing. Gone too soon, before Zenos could reach the bliss he wanted. Elidibus fell in a pathetic way, crumbling apart from one precise strike with all of Zenos's power unleashed. This was not a "Warrior of Light," and this was certainly not Edwin; it was a failed being on which he just wasted his time.

"You are a disappointment." - Zenos spoke to the tormented Elidibus entrapped in a cone of energy. "You were promised as a warrior, you had potential…You are of a kind that breaks heroes and annihilates civilizations…You were the one who showed me a way out of the bog of our lives, the one who extended a hand and then choked on its waters yourself!" - Zenos spouted with anger and emotionality uncommon for him. "You failed to live up to expectations, to live up to the sundered man you so abhor! You boast of your world, of its memories and fury that guides you, yet they are nothing! Nothing but an excuse for a pathetic creature like you to delude yourself in the belief that your existence has any meaning. Once faced with a true battle, you crumble like the phantom of the past you are. Begone, ascian…May I never reminisce of this day." - Zenos sighed, letting go of his anger, and watched as the final surge of darkness was unleashed, breaking Elidibus's body into the aether and absorbing what little remained of his essence. In a few moments, Zenos lost the feeling of the Emissary's presence. It was over.

The silence was soon broken by Fandaniel's vile cackling.

"A perfect execution! To think that an unsundered hero would meet an end this humiliating…It fills my soul with glee! No longer do the ascians have reign over this world and its shards, for the era of Convocation is now over! Nothing shall stop the Final Days from unleashing their might upon this realm and bringing this tale of pain and suffering to an end!" - He didn't care about Zenos; that much was clear. The ascian laughed at their victory, and the reaper couldn't help but feel envy.

Zenos felt nothing at all. The utter void that shattered his beard when he realized Edwin's fate had plagued him once again. This was his final hope, a chance at reigniting his passion for life and allowing Zenos to have a future. Now one of the strongest beings in the world has fallen before his might, as will no doubt fall others. The more he kills, the more this void in his heart will fester. His return to life, reclaiming his body, annihilating Garlemald…All of this was for nothing.

Zenos dropped the scythe and fell to his knees upon the ground filled with snow and ash. He looked at the pale moon with his lifeless eyes in despair as Zenos realized the horrific reality.

He had nothing to live for.