Why, oh why, oh why…Why did every time Ryne found someone she felt at ease with, found something that brought her joy and allowed her to relax, to feel that maybe, just maybe, everything will be alright one day…Did it all have to crumble from beneath her feet? It wasn't fair. It was cruel and sadistic as if fate itself couldn't have enough of her suffering and continued to mock her at every turn.

Those were the thoughts that plagued Ryne when she returned to Eden, her prison…It was always lonely here, but after her shameful display in Rak'Tika, this feeling of solitude became nigh unbearable. This always looped this moment in her eyes, the thought of Inga looking at her with fear and misunderstanding. They started getting close, started sharing their stories with great enthusiasm, and what did it lead to? In the worst possible moment, Ryne's memories overtook her, Mitron's shadow once again raising its head in an attempt to claim her. His echo must have felt his Gaia's presence and yearned for her once again, forcing Ryne to lose control of her aetheric powers and burn Inga's hand as a result. She could only wonder how it looked from her point of view, how scary and surprising it must have been to feel this burn coming from someone she began to trust, she considered a friend…

"Damn it…" Ryne couldn't force herself to look up, even though there was no one to observe her there. Her pale avatar had her eyes pointed to the floor of Eden's core, feeling herself shake. The nightmare wasn't ending, and this state of hers would not allow Ryne to even have an illusion of it. Perhaps memories truly were her only solace, hers or otherwise.

"…Ah, Artemis…Don't you get tired of spending all of your time in Akademia?" It was her voice that echoed in Ryne's mind…No, it wasn't Inga. Their tones were similar enough, but this wasn't her. It was Gaia.

Ryne raised her head and witnessed two amaurotines dressed in black robes with crimson masks that concealed their faces. One of them had long black hair emerging from below the hood and pale skin, while the other had darker skin and barely visible eyes emerging from behind his mask. He was focused on his job and continued to eagerly channel his magic of creation.

"Just a little more time…I am nearing a breakthrough!" Artemis exclaimed with pride as a creature began to take form. It was reminiscent of an octopus but much larger, coveting a sizable part of the hall that was the Words of Mitron.

"Not even a shark this time…My, my, you're growing accustomed to novelty." Gaia teased him.

"It obeys my command, a staunch protector of the sea…I called it the kraken." Artemis smiled. "One of those that will claim the top of the food chain, it is able to turn a part of everything it consumes into aether that it can use to enhance the ocean. It just needs some more refinement and…"

"A wonderful project for a brilliant mind!" Loghrif spoke supportively and approached Mitron from behind, gently putting her hand on his shoulder and making the researcher turn around and stare into her eyes. "But I'm sure you can also imbue this kraken with patience…You know, the one that will allow us to spend this night beneath the star-filled sky." Those playful words made Mitron respond with a smile.

"Always the charmer." He chuckled. "Well, you know I love spending nights working away on my majestic creatures, but your offer sounds just as tempting."

"Just as?" Gaia said with feigned disappointment.

"Oh, do not fret." Mitron chuckled before taking his beloved's hand. "You know exactly what I mean."

"Finally, something I'd like to hear." Gaia smiled as Mitron put his arms around her waist. Ryne knew that it was that would happen, they would leave the city to spend some time among the nature they spent countless years researching, and yet both agreed that its true beauty could only be observed in the wild.

They would laugh, tell each other stories, hold each other's hands, and perhaps even kiss. They had nothing to fear or worry about, their lives were that of never-ending bliss and prosperity, and Ryne wanted to be there. She felt that a part of her, a part tainted by Mitron's influence, had to be there. She wanted to look into Gaia's eyes and hear her soothing voice, wanted her to tell Ryne that everything would be alright, that everything would only get better with time. That they won't die, they won't die, they won't die…

How strange was it that, at this moment, Ryne wished to run away with Emet-Selch? The bond was still there, slowly draining her energy, but a temptation emerged to see this perfect world for herself. Each new memory of Amaurot she received was so alluring and tempting that Ryne started to despise her own world that she gave everything for, this broken, ruined, twisted…This happy world was almost ready to move on, leaving her behind as a pure symbol, their protector. Ryne was horrified to even think of this, yet she knew that there was a measure of relief for her that the Final Days came for the First. At least, everyone will feel the pain of having their world crumble around them. It would be fair…It would be fair.

"How could you?" Ryne heard a stern male voice from behind her, making her freeze and every pleasant memory dissipate in a span of a single moment. Any connection to Gaia and Artemis was annihilated, leaving Ryne alone once again, a broken and scared girl that was full of shame, just when she was still possessed by Minfilia of the source. "How could you even think of this?"

It was the image of Thancred restored before her, a shadow that fell over the weakened avatar, making her look up obediently. There wasn't much she could say, nothing to defend herself with, only admittance that she wanted all of this to end.

"I…I…"

"Don't you remember what we did to help those people? How much we sacrificed to bring them back from the brink? To instill hope in their hearts?!" Thancred's voice grew more furious with every word. "And now you feel relieved and taking joy in the fact that a new threat is destroying this world from the inside just because you are tired of feeling alone in your suffering?"

"No, no, it's not like that! Thancred, please, I'm doing everything I can, I…" Ryne's lips quivered as she pleaded for herself, feeling the cracks of light form around her skin once again.

"Then what is it, then?" Thancred spoke with spite. "I died to save you; everyone else died to save you. Minfilia gave her life so that you could take her place! All you had to do was to fight for those people, to protect them, and finish what we started, but that's not what you want to do."

"P…Please…I'm sorry, Thancred…I…" She could fear her body breaking down as she was forced to look away in shame. She knew that it was just an image of her mind reflecting the shame that overtook Ryne's soul, but even so, it was unbearable. The girl prayed to Eden for it all to stop, to allow her some semblance of control. She could not bear listening to it anymore.

"I'm done with listening to your excuses! You don't want to fight. You want to run to the world you never knew; it was that easy for Emet-Selch and Mitron to cloud your judgment."

"Please, stop, stop! I'm sorry, I would never do it. I…I care about them! I will protect them even if I have to fade away; I promise you, I…"

"And I don't believe you will carry out this promise." Thancred undercut her spitefully.

"Please…"

"I believed you once, yet you don't have enough to protect the First you never had. It's too late to bring her back…To bring back my Minfilia, it was her choice to die for you, all, but instead, you doomed the world and now want to run from your responsibility. I only wish you would've been worth it…Worth her sacrifice."

"STOP!" Ryne screeched, letting out a wave of light that annihilated the image of Thancred and echoed in her ears, causing Ryne's own avatar to fall back and fall on her knees. He wasn't there anymore, no one to scold her, but the words were already said. It was her power that guided the Exarch to Zodiark. She played an instrumental part in destroying the world Thancred and others gave everything to save.

Ryne could feel aetheric tears coming to her eyes as the girl fell to the floor, still occasionally shaking and sobbing. She didn't want to fight anymore, didn't want to think of the crumbling world around her. She didn't want to dream and hope because every single time she tried to do so, life itself would strike her with a painful reminder of her own folly. It wouldn't be long until she didn't want to reach out anymore and didn't want to try. Perhaps it was time, to be honest with her feelings…She wanted it to end, so stop this nightmare.

Even if this nightmare was her life.

…

It wasn't long before another call, this time from the deserts of Ahm Araeng, a place of which Ryne had many memories, both painful and relieving. It was there where a monument to the flood itself had been formed, the crystal walls that towered above the few survivors. It was here that Ryne allowed Minfilia to take her consciousness and speak to Thancred. It was here where she stood up against Ran'jit and made peace with her protector, finally feeling that it might start to get better, that she found her family after spending her youth being lost and doubting herself.

But now, there was no time to ponder on old memories. The land was overtaken by waves of despair, causing its people to turn into beasts, another surge of chaos Ryne and her brethren had to stop. They were as quick to arrive as they were at Rak'Tika; when Eden's light shone upon the town of Twine, the miners had already engaged the beasts that ravaged their beloved home. Many of them weren't fighters but took up arms when they were cornered nonetheless. There were many brave blokes there, one of them being Magnus, the miner who Ryne, Thancred, Urianger, and Edwin found when he was grieving for the loss of his family, unable to let go of them. Seeing his pain hit a little too close to home for Ryne back then…

"Look, it's Eden!" One of the ronso miners shouted as he pushed one of the minor bird-like beasts away. "We're saved! Come on, friends, let's show them!" The miners would let no pest escape, using any tool that was before him to lay them low. Magnus was among them, too, fighting with the vigor that was all but gone from his soul when Ryne first met him.

They weren't fighting alone, either. When three crimson reptiles emerged from the wooden planks, ready to tear apart their prey, Reeq's arrows were there, infused with Taynor's flames. They hit everything that came their way with extreme precision, allowing the miners to remain relatively unscathed as they were cornered by the monsters.

Ryne wasn't willing to stand aside, either. Her avatar emerged at Twine's center, absorbing Eden's power and unleashing it upon the nearby monster. They resisted, of course, but there was little a few weaker ones could do against a newly-recharged lightwarden. The miners watched with awe as they witnessed the art of light performed before them in its full glory; this brought hope and eagerness to fight into their hearts once again.

"Stay behind me. I will help!" Ryne shouted before looking out for her friends. "Taynor, Reeq, what's the situation here? Where are the others?"

"They're on the outskirts, fighting other monsters." Taynor was quick to respond, followed by Reeq.

"There are only minor ones so far, but there must be someone who transformed first and became the strongest…I don't think we've found it yet."

"We need to help others, then."

"Let us join you!" Magnus's voice echoed from behind Ryne. "Our lads, remember what you and yours did for us when you hunted down the lightwarden; let us help!"

"I appreciate it…But the best help you can offer is by helping the wounded. We will focus on the beasts."

"Very well…Be careful."

"I promise."

With those words, Ryne, Reeq, and Taynor made their way to the outskirts, where another battle raged. Other adventurers made good work of the newly-formed monsters, but something still put Ryne at unease, as if this wasn't yet the end of it…

Moments later, her worst fears were confirmed. The sands beneath their feet trembled as the fiend emerged from the ground. A tunneling monster resembling a giant worm was searching for its prey. As it arose, exposing its crimson body, it already grabbed one of the miners with its jaw, tearing the screaming man apart in mere seconds.

"No, no!" Another fighter screamed in horror as he had to watch the shadows gather around him, fearing that he would become the monster's next victim. It was followed by a dark aura forming around him, forcing the terrified miner to clutch his head in his last moments of humanity. Soon he and a few others that stood by his side were corrupted, becoming formless creatures of countless faces.

"No, no…I…" One of those creatures mumbled in half-human words. Those were different. Instead of immediately attacking their brethren, those monsters charged away from the battlefield, making their way toward the nearby mine. Ryne didn't pay much attention to it initially, assuming this was a chance to fight the strongest monster without distraction.

"Hold on. We're coming!"

It was time for all of them to strike at the monster at the same time. Reeq's arrows have already clashed with the shell of a worm beast, but it wasn't enough to wound it, instead causing the monster to roar and prepare yet another onslaught.

"Get ready!" Granson shouted moments before an array of poisonous black bile emerged from the monster's mouth, ready to cloud those who still dared to battle. Thankfully, Ryne was quick enough to reach them and prevent this from happening; she created an aura of light around her peers, shielding them from the destructive poison.

Her next task was to wound the monster itself. To this end, Ryne manifested her bow, enhancing it with light's aether, and aimed for the beast's jaw. It was still open due to its previous attack, and a few of her arrows were precise enough to hit the worm's mouth. The results were immediate. The creature shouted in agony as the pain tore it apart. However, it wasn't enough to bring it down, instead serving to further enrage the monster before them. Its next spit was much quicker than the previous ones, piercing the nearby miners. Ryne was powerless to watch as they screamed in agony, their skin melting right before her eyes.

"HELP, HELP!" One hume screeched as the stains of drying blood emerged around him, Ryne charged forth to heal him, but it was too late. When she arrived, there was nothing but a charred corpse left on the sand. Ryne had to stare at this gruesome image for a few seconds before being drawn to battle again.

"I'll take that freak on!" Giott shouted, standing by Granson's side as they diverted the monster's attention from the weaker miners. The dwarf was slightly ashamed of how close it came to her own death back in Rak'Tika and now must have tried to show that there was still much strength left in her. Ryne could only hope that this would not lead her to do anything rash.

"There, let's lure it away!" Granson commanded as the two made their way closer to the mine and away from the settlement. The worm continued to spout its bile, though the heroes quickly evaded it, and the few stains that descended upon them were not enough to pierce their armor in its entirety.

"I'll help you. Hold on!" Inga's voice echoed over the battlefield as the young woman made her way toward the creature, making Ryne's heart sink. A myriad of images flashed before her head; she saw Mitron and Loghrif surrounded by the flames of the final days yet again. They reached out to each other while surrounded by wildlife, ready to give everything so they could stay together and see tomorrow. Artemis couldn't bear the thought of losing Gaia, just like Ryne couldn't.

Inga plunged her sword into the monster's tail, making it turn around and roar once again.

"Wait!" Ryne shouted and rushed to the rescue. Moments before the beast could strike Inga, Ryne manifested a blade of light in her hand and slashed the monster before her. This time, the wound was quite real and deep, making the monster reel as the light poisoned its blood. "Don't you dare…You won't harm her! You won't harm any of them!"

Yet another roar preceded the beast submerging itself into the sand almost entirely and rapidly slithering towards the mine. Ryne was about to launch an arrow, but the beast was already underground, likely searching for new prey in the tunnels before it.

"No…We were so close!" Ryne shouted in disappointment as the rest of the adventurers came toward her and Inga.

"Then let's go in and finish that monster!" The woman shouted although Ryne wasn't as eager. They would be restricted inside, perhaps granting the beast an advantage.

"We should be careful. It's…"

Before Ryne finished, the party heard a piercing scream from Twine, making all of them tremble and take a look around.

"What was that?" Reeq was ready to launch another arrow at any moment.

"There must be more monsters in the settlement…We have to help them out!" Granson commanded.

"But what about the mine?" Taynor spoke. "There are some miners left there. We can't just leave them with that thing inside!"

"I'll take care of it," Ryne spoke decisively. It would be for the best. She would face the strongest monster while her friends would spend time clearing out the rest, a task far less demanding and the one that would allow Ryne not to worry about them. "Help the villagers, and I'll see to the monster within.

"Very well…But be careful." Granson nodded. "After me, everyone!"

"Wait, I'll come with Ryne." Inga volunteered, much to the girl's disarray.

"What? There's no need for that. I can."

"Come on, I've seen that you need help, too, don't take all of it on yourself. I already wounded that one once, and I like having my jobs finished!"

"Well…Alright." There was no point in convincing her. "Just stay behind me, please."

"We'll see how it goes."

It was time for them to separate and end the beasts while they didn't infect everyone around them. Their way lay deep into the mine. Ryne and Inga rushed into the darkness, hoping that miners would be able to run or hinder before the monster reached them. When they stepped into the rocky interior, there was no sign of the beast just yet, nothing but a distant roar from the depths.

"It's somewhere within…" Ryne spoke up. "Are you sure you want to go? I can deal with it alone just fine."

"Come on. I want to help! I already thought of those monsters. How's this one any different? At least this one doesn't fly."

"Well, maybe, but…"

"Oi!" A frightened voice echoed from the side, causing Ryne and Inga to turn around. There were three miners hiding behind a small tent, clinging to the rocky ground to prevent any further attacks from the worm. "Are you here to help?"

"Yes!" Inga exclaimed with eagerness. "We're putting that monster down…Have you seen it, by the way?"

"Aye, it went right before us while scouring the mines and is now at the heart of it." One of the miners said.

"Then it will be trapped now." Ryne sighed with relief. "I'll deal with it. You can go back to Tw. My friends will protect you there."

"Like hells we will!" Another one stood up. "We ain't gonna hide like some cowards; if that freak is going to try and claim our mine, we will have it crawl back from whence it came! We're with you."

"Are you sure? You don't understand! I have the power of light, but for most others, it's hard to resist these beasts."

"Nah, we're ready. If it's the whole world that's going ablaze, might as well face it and not end up a bunch of cowards."

They were all eager to fight, just like Inga. Ryne knew she couldn't deny them, yet she still thought of how much of it was her responsibility. Was it her fault for allowing those people to fall in danger? Would Thancred approve?

"Alright, but stay behind me. I'll distract the monster and try to make it vulnerable. This will be your time to strike."

"Of course, we'll be at your side."

There was no time to waste, then. Ryne guided her allies deeper into the mine, listening to the echoes of the monster's body wriggling within. Were there any more survivors that would now fall victim to this beast? Ryne didn't want to think of it. They had to save as much as possible.

"It's here!" Inga shouted when the creature finally emerged amidst a lone cavern, still searching for its prey. Moments before the worm could attack, Ryne launched arrows of light into its skin, making the creature recoil and screech. It was wounded already with blood still falling on the sand, it wasn't long until Ryne would finally be able to destroy it. She flew above, unleashing another spell that distracted the worm, creating an opening for her allies to continue the battle.

"Now!" Inga commanded as they pressed on with her at the helm. The weapons of miners were simple tools, yet their usage was unmatched; they knew exactly where their sharpest parts were and what they could use to attack their foes. They plunged their weapons into the cracks on the worm's body, trying to further open the wounds Ryne had already inflicted. This worked at first, with more poisonous blood beginning to flow from the worm, but eventually, the beast noticed their presence.

It turned around with incredible speed before spotting more bile at its opponents. Thankfully, the miners were quick to reach by retreating to the cavern's walls, but Inga was too close to the beast to be able to run away in time…

The poison caught her, causing Inga to scream in agony and collapse on her knees before she could reach the cavern's walls. Ryne could see that her hand and shoulder were the most damaged, causing her to shake and crawl on the ground.

"No!" Ryne saw the worm approach her and she couldn't allow the beast to reach Inga. The girl called upon Eden's light, praying that it would be enough for the final strike, even if she would have to waste a considerable chunk of her power to perform this attack. The girl could feel her body draining as more cracks of light emerged on her skin, but she wasn't going to back down, not when her friend's life was in danger.

Shortly before the worm got a chance to reach Inga, Ryne unleashed a wave of light, taking a form of a piercing weapon that plunged the beast's skin. The worm let out a terrifying roar, but it couldn't move anymore. The monster was forced to the ground, trying to wriggle and break free, while Ryne forced for more, making the monster's skin burn from the inside.

"Die!" Ryne shouted, empowering the blade and drawing the light from all of her reserves. Eventually, the cracks began to form on the worm's skin, forcing the beast to screech and explode, turning its body into ash and dust. Ryne won, but she was at her limit. The avatar couldn't fly anymore and descended to the ground as she grasped for more, drying her reserves out. All that mattered was Inga and her safety; Ryne couldn't afford to lose her…

"You've done it!" One of the miners exclaimed with joy as he rushed towards Ryne along with his brethren. "The monster is no more."

But Ryne felt someone's else presence. They weren't done here. The moment she turned around, the girl noticed another beast. One that she witnessed outside, the one born out of a miner's fear, the bearer of many faces. It crawled slowly towards Inga, trying to plunge its claws into her, all while the woman was still wounded and slowly crawling towards her freedom.

Ryne tried to charge towards her, but her aether wasn't enough; too much has been wasted on the worm.

"No, no…" Her hands shook as the distance between Inga and the beast grew smaller with every passing second. Neither she nor the miners were able to reach her in time before the beast would make its move. She had to act right now. Ryne researched for the nearby sources of aether, and the only ones were the people that gathered behind her. It would give her just enough to save her friend in time and obliterate this minor beast. She didn't think, there was no time for this, the avatar raised its hand and began the process of absorbing.

"What are you…Aaargh!"

She didn't pay any attention to the pained screams of those miners, but even so, Ryne sensed their bodies shake. She has gone too far to allow her friend to be slaughtered like this, not or ever. No one will ever take her away from Ryne…Not again. She didn't know what would happen to those miners, and at that moment, she didn't care. She was everything Thancred's phantom told her she had become. Selfish, weak, and obsessed with something that didn't even come from her own soul. The monster was annihilated with a ray of light in mere seconds, all while Ryne was left powerless, having no choice but to concede the truth of her broken, pathetic nature.