"The hopes of light and darkness now unite! We shall not let the Void reign free!" - Warriors of the Dark
Refia was tired of traveling. Her feet and legs ached, and the rations tasted like dry wheat in her mouth and the water like fish. Thankfully, the Crystals apparently guided Arc and Ingus to the same small village where she would land, so she could afford to stop and rest for a time there before they set out again together.
It had been weeks since she last saw them, too. The thought of meeting up again was almost as exciting as the thought of fresh food.
It was sundown when the ship docked and she disembarked. Amur was an interesting village as it was built on top of water canals, which made it the perfect port for docking ships from Saronia. Whether they came for checking on the Crystals or exploring or mining or shipping personnel, Amur was really the best and only place for a ship of travelers to land.
Despite that however, only farmers seemed to live here, as evidenced by the pitchforks and the stench of livestock. Refia wondered how much longer before a proper city sprung up from the small village. The people here were in the middle of something of a planting, as evidenced by heaped barrels of seed.
It felt a little more like home for Refia to see the men settling on their porches for a well-earned mug of ale while the women took out clothes to dry and mend. All was well here, it appeared. For once she could rest and relax, if only for a day. Arc and Ingus would be here soon, and after they slept, they would leave.
She left to find a carrier moogle.
The sun had all but disappeared when Ingus, Arc, and a new friend arrived in Amur. The Invincible hovered just above the ground, having no docking bay to touch down in.
Refia rushed forward to greet them, waving her arms to catch their attention amid the other villagers that gathered to see what the commotion was all about. Once they landed, she barreled into them, grabbing Ingus and Arc in a hug before they could summon any objections.
"Look at you!" Refia exclaimed, pulling back again. "Arc, your coat! Ingus's face! You look so different!"
"Hey," Arc said quietly. They both smelled like sun and wind.
Refia released Arc and urged them toward the village. "We need to get you cleaned up so I can start mending those injuries," she said. "Look at your face!"
"What's wrong with it?"
"Don't pick up on your brother's sarcasm. It doesn't suit you."
"… That wasn't sarcasm."
"Hello," the pink-haired girl said, extending an open palm. "I'm Monica. Nice to meet you."
"Ah." Refia accepted the gesture. Was this part of her custom in meeting people? "The Crystals told me about you. Is it true you're from the future?"
Monica nodded. "Looks like a few centuries from now."
"But you can't talk to the Crystals?"
"No."
"It's intriguing," Arc said. He leaned on Ingus as they walked. "Being a time traveler, I mean. If you're constantly jumping all over the place, what does that mean about your age? How do you keep track?"
"For the most part," Monica said, "we didn't jump very often, so there wasn't that much to keep track of."
"Jump?" Ingus asked.
"Though time," Monica said. "We used gates, which would propel us back or forward by a very specific number of years to a very specific place."
When they found the inn, the innkeeper eyed them warily. They couldn't put forth the image of those born to privilege, so Refia understood his hesitance and slapped the seal of Saronia on the table. He eyed it, suspicious.
"You think we'd steal it?" Refia asked. "The Warriors of Light don't steal."
"Actually-"
"Shut up, Arc," Refia said.
"Warriors of Light," the innkeeper repeated, quickly accepting Refia's coins. "Not a soul in the lands that won't have heard of you lot. Come, we have one room left."
He took them to a room barely large enough to take all four of them. It had two beds, basins for washing, and sufficient space on the floor for Refia to check her maps.
Monica was a bit of a mystery, Refia found as they settled in. Her clothes appeared sturdy, but strange. She wore a purplish and sleeveless vest with trousers so short Refia could see her knees. A proper woman would have blushed at such blatant immodesty, but Refia knew she wasn't one allowed to complain about rebellion against societal standards, given her currently working as a Devout. Despite Ingus and Arc's mostly-mended attire, Monica's was still scuffed and burned at the edges.
"Okay," Refia said, "Ingus first."
Ingus gave her a puzzled look and Refia summoned a cure.
"Ah," he said and settled into a seat near Refia. He'd gotten even taller since they parted and even with them kneeling on the ground, she stretched see the cuts on his face. She closed her eyes, envisioning the injuries in her mind's eye. With the power of the Devout, she felt even under Ingus' vest the breaks in his skin and muscle. They appeared in her vision as blue lights, indicating the need for Crystal energy. She started chanting.
She finished a round and muttered, "I swear, you two can be so negligent of your injuries sometimes. Did you account for infection?"
"We tried," Arc said. "But we didn't know how to seal some of them up like you do."
Refia opened her eyes again, continuing the chant. The soft blue light of her magic lit the room in soft hues.
"It's not a question of magical prowess," Refia said as the light flashed brighter for second, marking the end of the cure. Ingus' body was whole—there was nothing left for Refia's magic to do. What remained would remain for the rest of Ingus' life. "Magic can do many things, but it will work much faster and much safer if you first take care of the other precautions, like washing and splinting. A cure isn't going to do much if it seals over an infection without alo handling the infection itself."
"It was unavoidable," Ingus said. "We were pressed for time."
"And," Monica said, "in their defense, they were exhausted for most of the trip, and I know firsthand how much that affects casting."
Refia spared her a glance. "That is exactly why you should have stuck to non-magic methods. Weak cures will make the pain go away faster, but they won't fix whatever lies buried underneath. Come on, Arc, let's take a look at you, next."
Ingus stood and Arc sat beside Refia. She closed her eyes again. Underneath his layers, Refia could see an ugly, barely-healed stab wound just under his chest.
Refia said sternly, "What is this?"
He looked down, avoiding her gaze. "Gremlin."
"You're a horrible liar, you know that?"
"It was Aga," Ingus said.
"Have you cleaned the wound recently?" Refia asked, rising to prepare a small tub of water. Arc nodded.
"We met him in the forest," Ingus said, "It appears he's under the control of the Dark Genie."
"He's a swordsman?" she asked, returning to Arc, who shook his head, gaze still on the floor. She started up another cure.
"I didn't see," Arc said. "He took me from behind. I don't remember much after that, but it hurt a lot when I woke up."
"He stabbed you through the stomach," Monica said. "He should have killed you."
Ingus nodded, looking solemn. "If it weren't for the Crystal's restorative properties, Arc would indeed be dead."
Refia paused as the cure finished in a puff of blue smoke and Arc stood.
"We're just pawns," Refia said. "And we're fighting in a war of the gods. I guess it was only a matter of time before they started killing us again. It just means we'll have to be extra careful from here on out."
"And not split up again," Ingus said.
"Strength in numbers," Monica said. "He's got a point. If we can regroup with your friends and mine, we'll have a much better chance at beating this thing."
"Speaking of," Refia said, "Has anyone heard from Luneth?"
Arc shook his head, looking sullen. "We've been hearing less and less over the past few weeks, we think he might be going in the same direction. We were hoping you might know something, given your experience in the future."
Refia paused. "Mostly, I only received bad news, aside from the fact that Arc's going to become a renowned sage."
That snapped Arc out of his reverie. "I'm what?"
"It's a long story," Refia said, sighing. Arc's shoulders slumped. "But I guess I can stick to the short version."
The cave was dark and smelled like old, molding things. Rickety, treacherous bridges crossed over ravines full of sparkling pools of water that cast a glowing, blue light over the otherwise-dark ceilings that protruded stalagmites and stalactites. Max shivered in the chill of this place, taking another step across the bridge. Luneth had already crossed and moved on to the next bridge, leaving Max and the other three in his wake.
After the black-armored knight attacked, Luneth didn't stop running. Like he was going to fail a race.
Max sucked in a ragged breath and jogged to catch up. Toan and his friends weren't doing much better, though Xiao somehow managed to stay ahead of the other three. Max slowly crossed the bridge, wishing for all the world that he was back in the future where places like this had solid crossings that didn't threaten death upon the slightest misstep.
He missed his time in general. He missed modern plumbing and electricity. He missed feeling clean after a bath. He missed the speed of trains, and not having to spend days on foot traveling just to get from one place to another. His shoes had worn almost through the soles because even his dragon shoes could only stand so much of the pine cones, rocks, and plant husks.
Max let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding as he stepped onto soft dirt again and took off after Luneth. The cave was eerily quiet and not a creature stirred in the depths here. Max was almost certain it was a fae realm. Nowhere else had that same tint of mystery that he felt here.
"Hurry up!" Luneth shouted. "We're almost there!"
Xiao sprinted after him. "Yeah! No time to lose!"
Max groaned. His side threatened to split open and his legs ached. He wanted to rest, not keep running for another hour. "We're not like you two!" Max reminded them. "We're human! We can't keep going at this pace!"
"But we have to!" Xiao said.
Goro grunted, "Just ignore them." He kept pace with Max.
Luneth shouted back. "He's getting closer!"
"He's always getting closer," Toan said flatly. Xiao immediately appeared around a corner, cat-ears perking up. Toan continued, "A few minutes isn't going to make much of a difference at this point."
They rounded the corner, and Luneth also came into view, slowing to a walk. He looked forlornly ahead, the depths of the cave stretching on. "But… the void could be here, already."
The party fell into a steady walk.
"Void?" Max repeated. "The same one that you mentioned before?"
Luneth nodded. "Arc and I beat it a while ago, but I remember what it feels like, and it's definitely close."
Toan faltered. Max looked between them, brow furrowing. If it really was the same thing that he and Monica encountered, he couldn't sense it like Luneth did.
"Wait," Luneth said, pausing.
"What?" Max asked, stopping with him. "Did I say something weird?"
"No. Stop! All of you!" Luneth's voice was urgent, and he stared at the ground, focusing on something none of them could see.
The others stayed quiet. They waited for a good minute before Luneth spoke again. "Was that the Earth Crystal?" Luneth muttered. Max wasn't sure if he expected them to answer. "It can't be. I would know. I should know."
"Luneth," Toan said. "What are you talking about?"
"I think the Cloud just took out the Earth Crystal."
"The what?" Goro asked.
The cave was dark when they entered. Something dripped in the distance and voices echoed ahead. Did Max beat her?
She stepped carefully with Ingus in front, and Refia and Arc hanging behind. Refia and Arc were magic-users and only capable of ranged attacks, while Monica and Ingus favored melee. Monica was experienced in both, but for this situation, it would balance out a lot better if she stuck with her sword and left the ranged to the mages.
Just going to get in my way, I see.
Monica scowled at the voice in her head. Why wouldn't it leave her alone?
Armor clanked and a dark figure appeared between them and the rest of the passage. The black knight. Behind her, Arc and Refia murmured.
"Take geomancer?" Refia asked.
"If you can be bard."
The air shifted. Monica glanced to see Refia envelop herself in a white glow, and Arc in black. "You take me for a simpleton," Refia said, clothes turning blue and green. A feather sprouted from a band in her hair. "I hope you can aim."
Voices clamored beyond them and the black knight waited.
Monica exchanged a look with Ingus, who engulfed himself in light that faded to black armor. He nodded to her and the knight ahead of them took a step forward. Monica tensed, and prepared to lunge-
A bunch of other people rushed in through one of the tunnels.
"Arc?!" one called.
Arc shouted back, "Luneth!"
Monica caught a glimpse of blonde hair beyond the black knight. "Max!"
"… Toan?" Arc whispered in disbelief.
"Who are all of these people?!" an unfamiliar, deep voice shouted in surprise.
"GUYS!" came a high-pitched, girl's voice.
The cave dissolved into chaos as spells exploded and swords clashed, trapping their group in the narrow corridor. The black knight blurred in the dark and Monica guessed where he'd go before someone screamed in pain.
A spell missed the mark.
She watched for the gold trim that gave him away, but even that was hard to see in here. The knight all but blended into the darkness.
Monica stepped forward, trying to gain ground in the intersection just beyond them.
Someone sang, the sound of it lending a strange sense of power. A harp played and with its melody, Monica somehow felt stronger.
Light burst to her view, illuminating the corridor in a pale light. Arc's doing? Refia's?
Given the restricted movement in the passage, friendly fire proved a serious threat. Monica cursed when she almost cut into Ingus' arm and leaped backward. Perhaps ranged was a better option here. She charged her band, the charge of it tickling from her chest to her arm. Light glowed in her palm as the power gathered.
Ingus, Max, and two of their friends took melee. A small girl with a cat's ears and tail shot pebbles from behind a brunette kid and a boy that must have been from Matataki, given his bear-cloak It was easier for Monica to see what was happening from here, and thus much easier to aim a solid hit to the black knight's back instead of Max's throat.
Arc released a shower of rock at the knight, who deflected most of it.
"We need to move!" Monica shouted "We're throttled here!"
Max moved first and pushed past the black knight, on toward the blue light. Everyone else followed.
The knight punched Ingus hard enough to send blood spraying the wall red. Blue burst to life around Ingus' body.
An earthen wall sprung up in front of Monica and Arc, blocking their view. She heard those beyond the wall retreat down toward the other room. Arc moved the wall forward, forcing anything that remained back.
Another set of steps thumped quietly away.
Monica was useless, stuck on this side. And there was no way the others would take the knight down alone while Arc moved them ever so slowly forward.
"Fine," she hissed. "You want to help me?"
The voice came in, low and eager, Yes.
"Then help me kill you."
… As you wish.
Luneth threw lightning, but it was pointless. Everyone swung, hit, dodged, rolled, ran, rebounded, and fought against this guy while Luneth was stuck throwing things around without any effect, like he was having a tantrum. But he wasn't a kid!
He unleashed fire and lightning and ice and holy light and everything he had. It all vanished before even making contact with the black knight.
Luneth pulled out his sword and swung, but it rebounded off the knight's armor without leaving as much as a scratch. He wasn't sure it even hit the armor.
Luneth kicked and railed, but to no avail. The knight looked wordlessly down at him. He made no attempt to touch Luneth himself, even as he flashed in and out of view – he must have already resigned himself to the fact that it was pointless to try.
The others moved even as Luneth fell still in an intersection. They all fought with fury, their weapons singing and dancing in the dim light. He felt small. Useless. Powerless. He was supposed to be this mystical fae, with all this inhuman strength, and all it did was take away his ability to hurt the targets that mattered.
The whole fight shifted, with Max running ahead and everyone else following after. Arc put up a stonewall and Refia sang, encouraging everyone around her. Monica shot magic at the knight's face.
Monica yelled for space and Max ran.
He wasn't sure where, but there was a light aheadso he made that his goal and moved, occasionally shooting a bullet at the wall to keep the black knight's attention. Toan and a plate-wearing guy soon appeared at Max's side, letting him hang back to shoot more and move less.
Max stopped when they entered a new room and the Water Crystal filled his view. It was breathtaking, with countless facets and a deep, hidden core that emitted light even though it was by all other appearances a normal—if a little oversized—hunk of crystal.
But it filled him with a strange sense of peace and awe. Now he could see why-
Something grazed his shoulder and Max tumbled to his knees. The knight was more focused on Toan's sword and the plate guy's spear, but apparently he still found a way to hit peripherals.
Max leveled his gun again, aiming carefully so as to not shoot his friends.
Arc reached into what reserves he had left and changed to Bard. Not his favorite class, but it would get the job done.
The cavern glittered with magic residue, but the black knight didn't appear fazed. Instead he stood ready, blades tensed in his hands. Arc shivered at the memory of them as he changed to bard. The harp in his hands felt unfamiliar and he coughed to clear his throat.
Bard always made him feel like an idiot. But it wasn't like he had a lot of options, so he played. His music blended with Refia's and together the harmony sounded in encouragement to their companions.
Ingus glowed with the offered power, the boost of it sending him propelling forward with his bloodsword and ramming into the black knight's back. Ingus leaped back, flinging blood from his blade. Monica and her friend moved in sync, trading off magic and gun shots with wrench and sword, one leaping in while the other shot and vice versa.
Monica glowed with a dark aura.
Arc and Refia's music filled the room, notes playing in frantic succession, offering a source of courage. It had a way of making the blood flow and of making those who heard it want to move and win. Arc sang, ancient lyrics becoming a chant in his ears, the Bard's soul guiding him in proper intonation and volume.
The knight never stood a chance.
There were so many bearing down on Aga at the same time that he could barely let out one blow before half a dozen people hit him back.
Except for Luneth, who stood motionless.
Luneth was helpless.
The knight struck Monica and blood splattered the ground before the knight turned his attention back to Max.
Luneth screamed, reaching inside for the power of the Evoker. He needed to help! To do something! The Crystals' power resisted, shying away from his grasp. He wasn't meant to change like this, so suddenly and forcefully. A part of him knew that. He could only hasten the process so far before it pushed back.
He could almost see that old man's face and hear the words in his voice, "You have to accept it."
A bunch of self-righteous garbage. Luneth ripped the job's soul out and turned Evoker.
While it was amusing to watch the baby fairy flounder with its essence, it was not so amusing to be shunted out of every vessel, again. Forced to bide time, watching from beneath the fabric of reality, again.
Monica weakened and he took the opportunity, coaxed her into letting him in, but the adrenaline caused by bloodlust and the heat of battle did irritating things to her defenses.
The scholar kid, he was hopeless. There were openings before, during their travels, when he was almost consumed. Not by hatred of the enemy, but by hate of self. Like father, like son, after all. It looked good at the time—it even got close. But then his friends intervened and restored his drive to continue on. And from there, doors just kind of shut.
These children. The Warriors of Light, who had each been taken from their time in order to open the way to hatred, not to destroy its hold in the West. That infuriating boy from Norune, who escaped the fate of being cloistered away in the West like his brother, of joining his father in despair, or even of being destroyed along with his mother and village. And the time travelers, who weren't satisfied merely to eradicate the root of hatred in the past, but now sought it everywhere it might spring.
At every turn, the Crystals sealed his avenues to freedom. At least the Warriors of Darkness were finally out of the way, but these accursed champions of Light were legion.
… Wait, what was Luneth doing?
Though drawing on his true essence rendered him immune to attack, it also dimmed the protective crystalline energy within him. This little detail should have been irrelevant, but…
But now he suppressed that essence once more, reaching desperately to draw humanity back over it. The Crystal's shield was down, the fae heart crippled and exposed. It should have been impossible, given what he was, to ever become susceptible to outright control.
And yet, little Luneth as vulnerable as a Tuesday.
Heh.
Eheheh.
Hahahaha!
AHAHAHAHAHAHAH!
The cure evaporated in Luneth's hands. The battle before him seemed to freeze in place, as if time itself stopped.
An echoing laugh ripped through his soul, cold and hateful. An awful, ragged voice said, "I have you now, little fairy."
Terrible pain cut through to his soul and Luneth opened his mouth to scream.
Nothing came.
So, this was how it was to end. Simba stared at his younger self and felt… nothing. What was there to feel? The Cloud hadn't even left this moment, this point of time, and already he tasted the shockwaves screaming through time itself. Simba failed.
"Congratulations," Simba sighed, "You've won." He heard the cries of his younger self, raging against the hatred that held him caged.
I'm sorry, Simba whispered.
Help me!
I tried. I'm sorry…
"It's your own fault, you know," the Cloud told him, hissing across the Link, grinning, "If it weren't for your meddling, he never would have become susceptible to me. So I just have to say thank you, Simba."
Violet sparked in his heart. Simba closed his eyes, snuffing the sickening lights. It was easy, now. Soon, though, the ripples would hit him. Once the Cloud started ripping through time…
"Poetic, isn't it? How in trying to protect yourself, you brought about your own destruction? Mm, the irony is delicious."
Simba watched tendrils of potential spread from his fingertips. The eyes of the dungeon lords turning red. The Crystals, all gone. All magic corrupted, twisting the world into an endless playground for pure hatred, until all timelines converged on nothingness. The final victory of the Void.
A small spark of light, his own past and future. Unable to do anything but watch.
Luneth saw it too. The Cloud shut him away from the Crystals, yanking free his fae side and shackling him to it. He saw time. He panicked.
Shh, Simba whispered, remember that you are old. Remember the good. The Cloud can remove its existence, but she cannot take your memory of it.
No!
It's all you have. Oh, dear, was he pleading now? You will lose your friends. You will lose your world. You may even lose your will. But you can keep your memory.
NO!
"Please," Simba said, trying not to choke on tears, "You only have until he destroys it. Once that happens, you will forever lose everything that you haven't recalled."
"You should listen to the old man," the Cloud said, "Soon, he'll be nothing but a memory, too."
The Cloud dissipated, gleefully jumping into realms that ought to be forever closed to her. Simba tried to hold the doors shut, but to no avail. More violet sparks in his heart. They didn't snuff as easily as the first.
The world shifted.
Toan's mouth and nose filled with smoke. He coughed, trying to get away, but the wind itself seemed made of ash. He couldn't breathe.
Foot caught on something heavy. He tumbled to the ground and found air again beneath the whirling smoke above. His elbows were scraped from the fall, and there was coarse grass beneath his fingertips. Toan looked back to see what he'd tripped over-
And immediately looked away, desperately pushing down the urge to throw up.
A mangled body lay under his shin and warm blood seeped through his pant leg. Unidentifiable pieces of it were strewn all around. Some looked like bits of skin. Others were… probably other things.
He felt it still breathing.
Toan crawled forward, thoughts frozen, trying to tune out the near-silent gasps that his ears found. There was nothing he could do. There was nothing he could do. There was nothing…
A dark boot emerged from the haze ahead. A moment later, the smoke cleared.
Luneth looked down at Toan with eyes a deep, unbroken red. He—it—smirked as it reached down toward him.
Toan rolled to his feet, drew the Chronicle II, and slashed all in one motion.
The blade stopped so fast that it vibrated.
The Dark Genie grasped the blade in its gloved hand. Sparks of electric violet and orange clashed where the metal cut through the glove and contacted Luneth's skin, but the Dark Genie didn't even twitch. It just grinned wider. Fairies with shredded wings flocked in the sky. Hundreds, thousands of bodies like the one he'd tripped over littered the plains, and there was a large city burning in the distance.
"Welcome to my world, boy."
The voice sounded much like Seda's did in that other time. Part of it was Luneth's voice, once excited and full of energy, now dead and flat. The other, more audible part was that of the genie, though it sounded almost… feminine compared to the inflection Toan heard in Seda's voice.
Toan tried to pull his sword back, but the Dark Genie ripped it out of his hand, nonchalantly tossing the weapon over its shoulder.
No.
He stumbled back, drawing his dagger.
The Dark Genie laughed so hard that tears formed at the corners of its eyes.
He knew it was futile, but he would never give up. Toan lunged.
The blade warped before it touched Luneth's vest. The Dark Genie didn't try to avoid the attack, even spreading its arms in a taunting gesture. This was a mistake, but Toan's momentum shoved him forward. The dagger twisted into little more than a hunk of metal, and a shockwave ran up his arm, numbing it even as he heard bones crack.
The dagger fell into the grass, and Toan couldn't feel the hand that dropped it.
Then the Dark Genie grabbed his throat, pulling him upright.
Toan choked, glared into those red eyes, and knew it was the end.
"You Atlamillia brats," the Dark Genie said, "You're all the same."
"Please," Toan hissed through his constricted windpipe, "Could we skip the gloating this time?"
"No." The Genie tightened its grip, cutting off Toan's voice entirely, "I wanted to thank you, little gnat. The flailing of yourself and your friends has given me something that I never dreamed I could have—the power of the Fairy King himself! And to show my gratitude…" it released him, "… I'm going to let you go."
"W-wha-" Toan gasped, rubbing at his bruised throat.
"I have everything I ever wanted. Every moment, every timeline, every bit of power that I could possibly obtain, it's all mine. This is a new timescape, distinct from the one you know, and entirely under my control. So take your little sword, boy from Norune, and run back to where I am powerless. I don't care—I no longer exist there."
Toan just stood, dumbfounded.
Luneth's red eyes narrowed, "Oh, of course. I've forgotten the limits of mortal minds. Very well, I will try to use words that you understand—this is my world. You can use the Chronicle II to go back to your world. There, I will be in your past, but I will never again be in your future. Nor will the Fairy King."
Oh. Okay, then he just needed to go to the past and-
"And don't bother trying to save this fool by going back in time and preventing him from making himself susceptible to me. Your going back will create a new timeline, and neither he nor I can exist in any new timelines there. Your Fairy King is here, boy, and here he will stay. You cannot come back for him, you cannot change his fate, and you cannot separate us."
Toan frowned, "What do you mean I can't come back for him?"
The Dark Genie nodded toward the Chronicle II, "That's a one-way journey, though I'm certain it will only let you go home if you understand what you're leaving behind. This is all very simple, little gnat—you can have a world without the Dark Genie. All you need to do is accept that you can't save this one thing."
"And what do you get out of this? You can't expect me to believe that you're doing this out of the goodness of your heart—you are literally made of evil."
Its smile faded, "I don't gain legions of human followers through force alone, boy. I keep my promises, and I pay my debts. That is what I am doing right now. This is not a world you want to live in—I suggest you leave while you have the chance."
Toan looked into the clouded eyes of Arc's friend and grabbed his shoulder, "You're the older brother that I never got the chance to be. I will not leave you."
"They're the same age, mortal." The Dark Genie grimaced, and pushed Toan's hand away, "The door remains open so long as you don't lose that sword. Stay as long as you'd like, if you're truly so inclined. But know that my debt to you is paid."
Toan cringed against a sudden blinding flash of light. When the spots cleared from his vision, Luneth was gone.
Fine, then. He retrieved the Chronicle II, and covered his mouth with his poncho as smoke swirled back in.
Toan turned toward where he saw the city and started walking. It was clear he was going to need all of his friends to have a chance at freeing Luneth from the Genie's control, but first he needed to find them. And before doing that, he needed to find everyone in that city who couldn't protect themselves.
I'll figure out how to save you, Luneth. And in the meantime, I'll save everyone else.
That thought gave him the strength to push on through that day.
And the next day.
And the next.