It has been many years since Emet-Selch paid a visit to Mare Lamentorum; his business on the source and shards and his manipulations of civilizations that led to rejoining after rejoining was much more important. However, now nothing was more important than to feel that sweet moment of vengeance and to make Amon pay for his crimes against the ascians.

When Emet and Estinien stepped through the teleport and found themselves walking on the pale and barren land of the moon, the ascian quickly remembered another reason for avoiding the place. The feeling of emptiness that it brought every time he would see their god's prison, every time he would think of the thousands of souls that rested within his essence. Three-quarters of Amaurot's people held their vigil faithfully, supplementing Zodiark with power and energy for thousands of years. It was for them Hades was following a path of a losing battle, draining his soul during the endless mission. And for the first time, he had no company, no unsundered that stood by his side. A lone survivor amidst countless broken souls whose survival rested on his shoulders.

"And this is his prison?" - His mortal companion said in awe as he looked at the surface around them and the darkened sea of stars above them. "There couldn't have been a place more remote…"

"Congratulations, then." - Emet said distantly and emotionlessly. "You are the first mortal in generations to witness the graveyard of my people." - His voice broke as the words passed his lips. The shackles were on the brink of destruction, and Zodiark was almost free. The sacred grounds have been defiled by monsters who wish to undo everything the ascians battled for. Emet wanted nothing more than to sense the trail of Amon's soul and attack him, but to his surprise, it was much harder here. There are so many souls of different shades and colors, all mixed in a melting pot of aether.

"No, this can't be…" - Solus said in disbelief.

"What's wrong?" - Estinien wondered.

"The souls of my brethren, the ones that gave themselves to Zodiark, I feel them, so close…"

The ascian followed his senses, and Estinien followed. The tower that rose before Zodiark's prison could hold the answers he needed. First, however, he needed to witness the chaos that unfolded here for himself. Eventually, the soul sight brought the duo to the inner side of the crater, much closer to the tower. A lone soul rose before Emet-Selch, unsundered yet so weak and fainting. A dark aura surrounded it, draining the soul with every passing moment, and this was far from the only one.

"I take it it's not supposed to be like this." - Estinien broke the silence.

"How shrewd…" - Solus sighed and carefully walked towards the soul, listening to its weak and distorted voice.

"We…Have given…Our all…" - The man spoke as he looked at their chained god. "Our souls…Our lives…Why… Can't…It…Be…Over…" - His words echoed through the sea of stars before his shade faded into obscurity. Emet was at a loss of words; he could imagine the suffering those souls had to endure within Zodiark's heart but to see their despair and agony with his own eyes pained him. Estinien remained silent, too. He looked over Zodiark in his prison, but there was no fear in his eyes.

"A benevolent god that saved your people…Lyse told me the story." - Estinien recounted.

"Then you know why we need to stop Amon at all costs."

"Can you sense him?"

"No…Not yet." - Emet said nervously, realizing that there was almost no time left. Despite the chaos his sight experienced now, one constant remained unchanged. There was someone atop the tower whose soul was different from the rest. It was transformed and pale, an artificial creation that was based on a spirit that once existed. "Wait here, there is something I need to check." - Emet said. Estinien was about to respond, but by that point, the ascian had already disappeared into the dark portal that led him to the tower's balcony.

There he saw a white-robed amaurotine man or at least a construct that resembled one. He focused his energy on Zodiark, giving as much power to his shackles as possible.

"Who are you?" - Emet asked as he stood beside the construct. It felt unnatural to feel so small compared to his brethren's souls and forms; the ascian often caught himself forgetting that he was much taller once.

"I am the watcher." - The construct replied distantly, still focused on his task. "I am here to serve as his ward, across time and generations."

"Ah, one of Hydaelyn's servants, then? Elidibus told me about you…" - Emet's voice broke after having to say his friend's title.

"Yes, the white-robed Emissary visited me before, thought for all our conversations, he failed to understand that my job is to simply watch, not judge."

"Yes, I'm sure that was enlightening, but…"

"And you must be one of his unsundered brethren. He spoke of two men that walked this path along with him, the ones he held dear to his heart; that much was clear." - The watcher said coldly, surprising Solus with this revelation. He knew Elidibus visited the moon at times, but to have him talking to this construct instead of him or Lahabrea made little sense. Have the two unsundered grown so distant in those times? He would have asked on the matter of their discussion, but there was no time for that.

"Have you seen the interlopers that attempted to break Zodiark's shackles?"

"I have but sensed a surge of aether that weakened the chains. I have resolved myself to give what little I can to preserve the balance, but some souls still managed to shatter their chains."

"There will be no souls or Zodiark if they succeed, and the world will follow. Can you restore the chains?"

"I can, but if the interlopers you talk of manage to free and destroy him, then there is little time. All I can do is watch and supply aether."

"Then the task falls to me…Very well."

"The final seal is the one furthest away from here. They must be approaching."

This was clear enough for Hades. He would have to ignore the tormented souls around him, no matter how much he wanted to aid them with whatever means he could. He attempted to catch a glimpse of Fandaniel's sundered soul, but another immediately piqued his curiosity. A familiar warm presence from the past right below the tower, the echo that radiated support and care in whatever exploits Emet-Selch would partake. A loyal friend that stayed by his side until fate separated them, despite his soul being tainted, Emet would never confuse it with anything else.

The ascian opened a portal as his heart skipped a beat. The image of him saying goodbye to Hythlodaeus amidst their burning city has emerged with unbelievable vividness. Thousands of years have passed since that day, and he managed to bury the thought of seeing his friend again until the world has been rejoined. To have this reunion occur so unexpectedly amidst such chaos was exhausting for Emet. He barely knew what to speak.

When he teleported to the ground, the ascian noticed a soul talking to Estinien. The grey silhouette was indistinguishable from others physically, but his soul was that of a dear companion. It looked down on Estinien with curiosity, and the dragoon would respond with a similar reaction.

"Most curious to see a soul of a different density in person…But your color is hardly recognizable to me." - Hythlodaeus said thoughtfully.

"Is there any reason it should be?"

"Perhaps it was not yours. Have you ventured here alone?"

"No, I am merely an accomplice, as much as I hate to admit. Emet-Selch is my guide."

"Emet-Selch?" - Hythlodaeus said with shock before turning around and witnessing his old friend. The ascian knew that he sensed his soul at this very moment. There was no face on Hythlodaeus's shade except for the mask, but Emet felt his soul radiating warmth with some cautious excitement.

"Hello, Hythlodaeus." - Emet knew this would sound awkward, and it did. This was the most he could force out of himself. "There were a thousand different ways I pictured our reunion, and none had circumstances as "remarkable" as this."

"As I always said, if you think it's troubling to think of a remarkable scenario, just give in to your imagination. You'd be surprised." - Hythlodaeus responded.

"Oh, for the love of…" - Hades sighed; seeing his friend let out a lighthearted joke brought him a sense of familiarity that he didn't want to feel right now, not when everything was at stake. Still, the satisfaction was undeniable.

"Old friends?" - Estinien smirked and watched Hythlodaeus nod. The amaurotine shade turned towards Hades. The ascian sensed compassion and regret in his essence.

"The violet color of your soul is unmistakable, but it has changed much. You're worn down, Hades, tired and angry."

"Oh, you have no idea…"

"I only wish to help. My time inside Zodiark has been a lucid dream in itself, but there was little I knew of the world outside until being awakened today. I remember the day he was sundered across a multitude of reflection, only darkness followed."

"It has been thousands of years since that day; all this time, I fought only to restore our god, to rejoin those shards and bring us to perfection we once maintained." - Hades spoke in a tired and pained voice, looking away from Hythlodaeus. He did not have the heart to tell him what exactly this process entailed, and he knew that a shrewd man like him would not take long to guess. "There were none at my side except Lahabrea and Elidibus, and both of them are gone now…But I will never give up. However long it takes, I will restore our world; I will free you from Zodiark's prison!" - He said with eagerness, unable to hold back a tear that fell down on the stones. For the first time, he spoke of his intentions to his friend, the soul for which he has gone to unimaginable lengths before and after the sundering and will continue to do so, whatever it takes.

"I see…" - Hythlodaeus said with regret. "I recognize you now, Hades, better than ever. In my lifetime, I have never met a soul more devoted to preserving our star and paradise than you."

"There are two that seek to destroy Zodiark and send your souls to the stream, and I have come to stop them."

"In my time as Zodiark's steward, I heard the cries of many souls…Some are content with this vigil; like me, others would gladly take another opportunity to live. But most simply wish to return to the star. Their duties have been fulfilled, and they have no shame in it; they seek an eternity of serenity now."

"What, but…We expected them to live." - Solus was at a loss for words. In their great work, the unsundered had not considered what would be the sacrificed's outlook on their return. Perhaps this was wishful thinking on their part, but one of the few matters that Emet and Lahabrea agreed on unanimously was that the sacrifice would all take a chance to live again. However, to deny them the choice to return to the star would go against everything that their culture espoused.

"I see you doubt…But is one's passing not an occasion to rejoice?" - Hythlodaeus said with a tint of irony, for both of them knew that there was little joy when Hythlodaeus decided to sacrifice himself. Their musings were interrupted by Estinien.

"We do not have time to discuss the details of your grand scheme. We've come here to stop them from bringing about the end of the world, and there is no time to waste."

"Your urgency is clear…" - Hyhlodaeus said. "I sense these souls. One of them is familiar; it is that of Fandaniel. The other is different. Someone savage, unbound, ravenous."

"They are exactly the ones we need." - Estinien said.

"Their souls are at the other side, approaching the final shackle. There is still time to stop them if you are swift enough." - Hythlodaeus pointed to another white expanse, and Emet peered there with disdain.

"Not exactly unexpected…But thank you. They won't escape this time." - The ascian looked up at his friend with a semblance of hope. If he was still there, retaining his sanity, then everything was not lost yet. "We will talk of all later; I promise. I only wish there was more time."

"I understand, Hades, and I wish you the best of fortune. My sleep continues, as does your mission." - The amaurotine said before his soul faded away like those before him; Emet felt it drawing closer to Zodiark as Hythlodaeus restored his energy.

"We will meet again…We will." - The ascian whispered to himself before focusing on the souls that his friend pointed out. He could sense them, too, now, the maniacs that have come hauntingly close to accomplishing their goal.

"I know this isn't a perfect time, but I thought I'd say it anyway." - Estinien stood beside Emet. "I'm sorry about your friend. For all our differences, it is never easy to lose ones we love."

Solus would have responded with some quip that disparaged the sundered and three shade on their pain, but there was no point nor real substance. For an immortal being, Emet was just as prone to this pain.

"Let's get this over with." - The ascian responded. "We should focus our efforts on Zenos, and when he is no more, Amon will have no one left to protect him."

"Sounds straightforward enough."

The ascian teleported both himself and Estinien to the position of the final seal; they emerged at the other side of the crater, right in time to see the schemers approaching the barely active mechanism. Fandaniel's gleeful voice rand in Emet's ears.

"This is the last one! Break it, my lord, and the eldest primal will be free!"

"So the time is now…" - Zenos sighed and raised his scythe. Before he could annihilate the seal with a swift hit, two dark arrows fell from above, wounding his hand and stopping the strike.

"I think not!" - Emet exclaimed as he and Estinien stood behind, readying themselves for a battle. The sundered ascian was annoyed.

"And here I thought Elidibus would do a proper job of holding you back…Did he at least kill the other two?" - He asked, prompting Elidibus to respond.

"Only in your dreams."

"What a disappointment he turned out to be…Ah, well, sometimes you have to do things yourself." - He shrugged, once again forcing Hades to seethe.

"And you are the one to speak of disappointment? You who serve only to bring chaos into this world?"

"It might seem like this for you, but in truth, I am only following the path that has been foretold…Would you not do the same?"

Emet had enough of his nonsense, the ascian created an explosive sphere of aether between Zenos and Amon, but the former was swift to cut it open and absorb the energy. For all his apathy, his great-grandson always remained an exceptional fighter.

"You overestimate your power." - The reaper said. "I have already slaughtered one unsundered, and you will be no different."

"Truly? Then why do you continue to be a pawn of an ascian who will betray you at any moment now?" - Emet taunted him, reinforcing the seeds of doubt that he planted back in the tower. Zenos pondered, and this gave Estinien a chance to attack from his side. Zenos blocked his strikes, and although Estinien came very close to breaching his defenses, the reaper summoned his avatar and pushed the dragoon away.

"So you will still fight, then." - Estinien said. "Only it is both of us now, and we are not holding back."

"Still, hardly impressive." - Zenos responded dismissively. He did not care for the battle in the slightest.

"Don't you want to desecrate your enemies, my lord?" - Fandaniel wondered. "To annihilate those who challenge you and call you a pawn?"

"I do not care."

Emet used this opportunity to focus on Zenos's avatar, trying to burn him away with aetheric mirrors. The rays have weakened the voidsent, but it was still fueling itself off Zenos's resolve. The reaper commanded his dark powers, trying to break Emet by unleashing the powers of akh morn from beneath him. The ascian quickly evaded.

"Why do you resist so, Emet-Selch?" - Fandaniel taunted him. "After all, we both know that this day will end with the destruction of Zodiark."

"Since when did you decide that I know it? The only matter I'm certain of is that you will pay dearly for what you have done!"

"I don't think that is in your buried memory…"

"What are you talking about?" - Emet did not understand his musings, and it was easy to discard them as mad ravings, but there was something Amon hinted at.

"You see, the truth is…" - Fandaniel smiled. "That you knew of Zodiark's demise before he was even created. You just forgot because of someone's clever meddling."

This made no sense, but Hades did not sense lies in his words. He tried to remain focused, avoiding Zenos's hits, but his curiosity was piqued.

"How is that even possible?"

"Oh, that is a question for the ages, it will be no fun telling you all here and now!" - Fandaniel exclaimed and then pondered on something. "However, it seems that our timeline was changed…The very moment when you killed the Warrior of Light and his friends, our fate has gone a different path." - He said, immediately catching Estinien's shock and attention.

"What?!" - The dragoon said.

"Hasn't he told you? Oh, golly…" - Fandaniel cackled. "But why not tell the truth when it is a source of pride for you? Elidibus spoke highly of you when fighting Zenos, said that he will end us just like you ended the Scions, Emet-Selch." - And here it was, the shaky foundations Emet created for his secret were now broken, and the truth discovered. He noticed Estinien moving away from Zenos and turning his spear towards Solus reflexively. Hatred burned on his face.

"Is that true?" - He asked sharply.

"You do not mean to tell me that you will prioritize petty vengeance over saving the world?"

"I am very tempted right now! At least you could have admitted to it, coward!"

"That would result in losing the Alliance's support right before the battle; what fool would do this?" - Emet parred. Their animosity was picked up by Fandaniel, who enjoyed watching the show.

"And here we are, how easily those bonds are broken, you only have to speak the truth…Perhaps you could slaughter this mortal for us, Emet-Selch, so we could continue uninterrupted?"

Before they could do anything, Emet heard a powerful sound of a collapsing seal. Zenos made his move and shattered the last tower that held Zodiark imprisoned. With no emotions or joy on his face, the reaper watched as this tower fell, forcing Zodiark into the pit that was once his prison.

"Yes, finally!" - Fandaniel said with glee. "This broken god has lost his will after the death of poor Elidibus; he is in need of a new heart, one that will…"

"Yes. He does." - Zenos interrupted him before uniting with his avatar. Solus did not expect to see a such amalgamation of man and voidsent, but Zenos perfected the reaper's art. His eyes and hair gleamed with crimson as the power within him grew. In the next instant, three sets of powerful chains emerged to shackle Emet, Estinien, and Amon.

"What is the meaning of this?" - Estinien shouted; he could not break these chains. Even for Emet, they were too powerful to dispel. The ascian had no idea what was going to happen, but he felt dreadful fear in Fandaniel's soul, much to his delight.

"My…My lord?" - The sundered ascian asked. Zenos turned around to see his prisoners. Surprisingly, a relieved smile emerged on his face.

"Did you think me oblivious to your true plan? Did you expect me to follow through blindly?" - He said with disdain. "My great-grandfather made his case. I heeded and understood that he was correct. This is but another of your games, another ascian squabble of chasing memories and phantoms of a long forgotten past. And I will not be a part of it. There will be no battle here today." - Zenos looked to the stars with a gaze of search; the reaper closed his eyes and then continued to speak in his distorted voice. "I have nothing left for me in this world, in this age, nothing but a twisted fragment of my enemy. But one day…He will return to this world that I know."

"My lord…Do not let those lies get to you! Edwin is dead; there is no way to reenact your contest, don't become his pawn!" - Fandaniel panicked, hearing Emet-Selch laugh from behind.

"Yes, this is exactly what I hoped for! How does it feel to see all of your plans collapse right before your eyes, traitor? To see this elaborate scheme crumble, step after step?" - He said with mockery. "Now you know how I felt." - He said before Zenos continued to speak.

"He might be dead, but his soul lives on. One day, a calamity will ensue, the one that brings his soul back into the stream. He will be reborn stronger, eager, but perhaps he will need someone to remind him of the spark that he could feel, the time between the seconds…I will be there to do it." - Zenos said proudly and looked in the crimson crater. "For I will dedicate myself to eternal slumber until that day comes. And when he is finally here, I will return, imbued with the power of the eldest primal, then…It will be a spectacle for the ages." - He declared as Fandaniel for more agitated. The sundered ascian desperately tried to break his chains, shivering and trying to utilize his spells without success.

"My lord, please, this is wrong!" - He pleaded. "You are chasing a hollow dream, don't you understand? We agreed to this, you promised me! The end of all creation with us as the architects, is this not your heart's desire?!"

"You never understood my 'heart's desire.'" - Zenos said, forcing a victorious laugh out of Emet-Selch.

"Hah, so you are capable of making decisions worthy of your bloodline! "

"My lord, don't do it!"

"Do it! Embrace your contest!"

Zenos didn't listen, for his decision was already made. He jumped into the abyss as Fandaniel's face was filled with pure horror. The reaper's soul descended to the very heart of Zodiark before Emet felt a surge of energy. Zenos fused with the eldest primal, becoming his heart instead of Elidibus. Nothing but silence followed. Zodiark had been pacified and was forced into slumber by his new will as he remained deep within the moon's crater, where no one could reach him. The chains around the trio broke, and Fandaniel rushed to the edge, grabbing his head with his hands.

"No, no, NO! This wasn't supposed to go like this, this wasn't…"

Emet appeared behind him from the dark portal, watching the weak ascian grovel and shiver at his might.

"You truly are pathetic, and no miracle will save you now." - Emet unleashed his dark arrows, forcing Fandaniel to the ground. Estinien kept a safe distance, though he watched them closely, prepared to strike at any moment.

"This couldn't be…This couldn't be…" - Amon spoke frantically as he stared at Emet with disbelief. Another dark strike followed as the sundered ascian shouted in agony; the chains began to form around his soul. "Aaargh! No, I will not return! I will not become your thrall again, never!"

"How does it feel?" - Emet taunted him as he watched the traitor suffer. "If only you'd leave me any reason to pity you…But now, you will feel everything Elidibus felt and more. That is, of course, after you disclose everything you know about the "buried memory" and our foretold fates."

"I won't kneel, I won't submit!" - Fandaniel shouted, unable to hide his horror.

"How brave of you to say those words; at least you don't plead…Well, for now. I am sure this will change later."

Someone interrupted Emet as he felt his protective aura pierced by an eager lancer. He turned around moments before Estinien reached him and forced him aside with his magic.

"What are you doing, idiot!?" - He scoffed, but Estinien did not back down.

"We had an agreement, and now this is done. You killed Alphinaud, and for that, you will suffer."

"What chance do you stand against me, mortal?" - Emet laughed. "If even the Warrior of Light fell before me, you would be no different from a leaf on the wind."

"I have no battle to keep my strength for, so how about we gamble?"

He was a useful ally; killing him now would be a shame, but if this was the only way Estinien saw, then Emet would do what he must. Before he could strike, he felt a distant disturbance in the sea of stars. A disturbance so powerful that his knees shook. The ascian turned around and noticed Amon's puzzled expression. He felt it too. There was another soul here and a familiar one at that.

"What, are you going to fight or not?" - Estinien questioned, but the ascian simply created a barrier around them and focused on discerning the soul. It was distant and yet very bright, colored in azure. It was denser than most sundered he met, something to rival Edwin in their last battle.

"G'raha." - Emet said with disbelief. His presence was unmistakable, but how was it possible? Could he truly traverse the rift again?

"What is it?" - Estinien asked as he looked at the sea of stars. Emet followed and realized that there was no need for soul sight anymore. A transformed sentinel, an empowered copy of Eden Prime, was swirling through the darkness in an unbreakable flow of light with G'raha's soul at the heart of it. He had a target, the one he followed with precision and eagerness. Both Fandaniel and Emet knew that it was Zodiark.

"A miracle, you say?" - Fandaniel's gleeful voice echoed in Emet's ears, but by this point, he had already transformed into a creature of darkness, flying towards G'raha at full speed, desperately trying to stop him.

The moment he collided with the sentinel, Emet felt a surge of burning power encroaching him. The ascian could not get to the essence as the light corroded him and forced him to shout in agony. G'raha had only moved slightly, still set on his course. Hades would have tried again, but his powers were extinguished the moment he was met by a wall of light. The ascian was sent back from whence he came; the moment his body hit the ground was exactly the same as when the creature of light descended into a crater, leaving an aetheric trail behind.

"NO, NO!" - Emet shouted, but it was too late. The trio was left to watch in shock as a pillar of azure light arose from the crater, blinding their sights. Emet felt thousands of souls cry out in pain as their combined essence was shattered by one precise strike. Zodiark's body was cracked and, in the next moment, dissipated entirely, leaving not a single trace of the eldest primal. Emet was dumbfounded, consumed by utter disbelief, and failed to grasp his own surroundings. The faint echo of Fandaniel's mocking voice went through his mind.

"Have fun." - He said before disappearing into the dark portal, leaving Emet and Estinien alone. The ascian sensed his descendant's soul dissipating into the aethereal sea, and then the others followed. A myriad of those that were imprisoned for millennia, the stewards and protectors of this star, have been set "free." Emet sensed Hythlodaeus's soul among this flow, so short and fleeting was its stay. No words to be shared, no hopes and dreams to restore, everything has perished.

As the pillar of light disappeared, Emet saw him walking from the crater's side, a powerful silhouette emerging from the abyss, weakened but unscathed. The Crystal Exarch's shadow has fallen over the graveyard of his people as he trudged over the ground they were buried beneath, rising over their savior's slain remnant. His mechanical steps echoed in Emet's ears as the slayer approached. It was not a feeling the ascian experienced often, but now he felt it crawling up his spine and the essence of his soul.

Fear.