A group of imps surrounded Ain, simultaneously launching waves of bright purple flames at the onyx-haired man. He summoned his crystalline shield to block the fire, quickly replacing it with a javelin and spinning in a circle. Black blood splattered the concrete as the imps fell and melted away into nothingness.

Ardyn vanished nearly a day ago, leaving Ain to fend off the hordes of monsters on his own. What was he supposed to do? Protect the citizens of Solheim. How? He was on his own. Even with all his training with the armiger, there was only so much a single man could accomplish. And while he was here, cleaning out the rabble, where was Ardyn? In the presence of the Gods, strategizing about fighting and killing another. He ground his teeth together as a crystalline dagger exchanged places with the javelin. The blade buried in the head of a humanoid daemon after he tossed it, warping to the hobgoblin. The weapons changed again, and he held a crossbow up, popping off three arrows into the skulls of more enemies. "I don't get it. I'm much stronger than Ardyn. Why am I on cleanup duty?" he growled to himself, frustrated at being left behind.

A new creature appeared before Ain - one he hadn't seen before. Tentacles dangled from its face and waist, giving it the appearance of a cloak with fleshy arms and suction cups as they curled on themselves while it hovered slightly above the ground. Yellow orbs peered at him from an elongated charcoal face, making no move toward Ain. He watched the daemon carefully, wary of its intentions as it hovered lazily. Would it attack? Or did it plan to just stare at him? Either way, he wasn't going to wait to find out.

The crossbow vanished as a broadsword took its place, and Ain charged the monster with vigor. He slashed the blade across the daemon's chest, a trail of obsidian blood flying through the air. The monster wailed, the sound high-pitched and similar to a fork scraping across a ceramic plate. Ain clutched his ears, eyes squeezing shut as the voice rang through his head. It felt like his head was splitting open, the cry bouncing off the walls of his mind, shredding his cerebral cortex.

Ain's knees buckled as the pain in his head continued to rapidly increase. He couldn't take much more of it; it was unbearable. His body doubled over, forehead smacking into the ground - it had to be less painful, right? Nails dug into the thin flesh around his ears as blood trickled down over his cheeks and centered at the bridge of his nose before dripping to the concrete. Ain's pupils constricted to pinpoints, nearly overwhelmed by the icy blue irises as he felt his mind breaking. His body jolted straight up, blood trailing down along the curves of his face and neck before belting out a scream that echoed down the empty side street.

The dark, gloomy chambers of Pitioss were like something out of Ardyn's worst nightmares, each room exceedingly darker than the last. When they arrived at the entrance, Ardyn was nearly blinded by the brightness of the sun. After battling with the daemons in the black of night, the warmth of the sun was a welcomed feeling against his skin. His clothes were covered in ink-like ooze, dirt, and his own blood. This is rather disgusting. I could use fresh clothes and a shower, was his first thought. Unfortunately, there was little to no time for that. Bahamut immediately beckoned him inside the dungeon before Ifrit caught a whiff of their intent.

"These walls separate us from the outside world on more than one plane. In here, we are safe from prying eyes and ears. Ifrit will not be able to hear us speak, so you may do so freely." The being that walked in front of him was only the Draconian's ethereal body; the real one vanished after they arrived. Even cut down to the size of a regular man, the Dragon's presence was overwhelming.

Bahamut led Ardyn into a chamber with a table situated in the middle with six stone chairs circling it. It must be for the six gods to gather and discuss worldly matters, but why would the Dragon God bring him to such a place? And more importantly… "Will you tell me exactly what it is that you've chosen me to do?"

"You have been chosen to stop the Starscourge, to heal Solheim of this plague. Only a person willing to make sacrifices would be capable of this feat. You have shown selflessness on several occasions to prove yourself worthy of our gift." The tip of the Draconian's forefinger touched Ardyn's forehead, and a flash of images shot through his mind of him heedlessly putting himself in harm's way to save people time and again. Was it such a rare occurrence? Was it not natural to help those in need? He had always thought so; it came as a second nature to him. But something bothered him about what the Dragon God said: the Starscourge could be healed? "Do you mean to tell me, I've been killing innocent people when, instead, I could have been healing them?" A pit formed in his stomach at the thought of destroying so many lives.

"No. For the humans that turn into daemons, there is no returning them to their former selves. They have already lost their humanity and embraced the darkness. However, there are those that will hold out against it for as long as possible. They will merely be infected and not yet turned. You will be able to heal those people by removing the parasitic Starscourge from their systems."

A sigh of relief slipped from Ardyn's lips. Living with himself would be no easy task if he were responsible for the needless deaths of so many. Still, a twinge of pain in his chest reminded him that those daemons had once been human. What must it be like to turn into one? Did the consciousness remain intact until the moment they died? Or did it shut down completely, leaving the human it once was a shell of their former self? It must be agony to go through, not just physically, but mentally as well. "Will I need to be cured? I was exposed to the Starscourge while I was fighting."

"Your curative magic has already taken care of the parasites in your body. You need not fret over it," Bahamut told him.

"In order to cure the Starscourge plague, we must stop it from leaking into our world, correct?" Ardyn asked of the Draconian, remembering that it was Ifrit who brought it from the astral plane and to the realm humanity resided. It made no sense to continually cure people when they would only be infected again. Plugging the hole, so to speak, was the most important task.

"Yes. Stopping it is paramount to our plan. If it is allowed to continue in the moral realm, humanity will cease to exist."

Ardyn searched his mind for the right words, ones that would not offend the God in front of him. "To do that, we must defeat Ifrit. Will you tell me, why has the Infernian done such a terrible thing?"

Bahamut remained silent, his stormy eyes seemingly peering into the core of Ardyn's being. The silence was long, too long, and the man began to think he overstepped the bounds of what the God allowed for him to know.

"I will tell you, but first, I must summon the other Gods here so that we may discuss our plan of action against our brethren." A stone in the corner of the room shone turquoise, illuminating the room in a bright blue light. Ardyn shielded his eyes from the light, unable to focus on anything near the source of it. "Hexatheon, heed my call. Bring forth your mortal bodies to Pitioss to prepare for war. The Starscourge has been released, and it needs to be cleansed," the Draconian's voice roared into the light.

The light emitted faint voices, all speaking at once in harsh tones that Ardyn could scarcely understand. Although the sound was quiet, he could sense the anger and disappointment interlaced within each voice. There were even hints of sorrow, but why wouldn't there be? Ifrit was their brother. The mere thought of having to fight Ain turned Ardyn's veins to ice, but his brother would never betray him in such a manner.

The murmurs ceased for a few moments before a clearer voice spoke through the light, "Bahamut, the Starscourge has reached Pitioss and blocked out the sun; there is no way for us to get into the dungeon."

"Can't they just project their astral selves in here with us, like you?" Ardyn's brows knitted together in confusion. It should be easy for them- that's how they usually communicated with humans, or so he thought. But then, he remembered: These walls separate us from the outside world on more than one plane.

"Without sunlight, the entrance of Pitioss is sealed. With the seal intact, they cannot project themselves in, nor can I leave." The Dragon made for the doorway, leaving Ardyn behind.

"We're stuck then? How are we going to fight Ifrit from in here?" Ardyn's heart leapt to his throat - was he mistaken to come along with the Draconian after all? If he was stuck in the dungeon, he could help no one.

"I inscribed the runes on these walls, and I can change them to allow Pitioss to open." The God's voice never faltered.

The Infernian sat atop the Rock of Ravatogh, the highest peak in the empire's territories. It was desolate and steep - no human would dare climb the mountain. From the top, Ifrit could see for miles, though the reason for choosing the mountain was a simple one: it overlooked the hellhole, Pitioss. However, in the dark of night, he could hardly see much of anything past what his own flames illuminated.

He hunched in his throne of bones, lips drawn down in a frown as fire danced between his fingertips. The Starscourge was the perfect weapon to use against the insects, but it reminded him of his confinement in the dungeon. The night eternal seemed like the perfect plan to strike back at Bahamut with, but in practice only served to fuel his anger. At least in the depths of Pitioss, he had Ramuh, Shiva, Leviathan, and Titan to converse with, even if they quibbled more often than not. Since his departure, there was none to talk with, leaving him alone to mull over every act against him over the centuries.

The Divine Host created the Six and left the humans in their care. Ifrit never understood the need for such weak beings. Why did the Divine Host create them? And why make the Gods watch over them like some kind of… guardians? Though he never grasped why he was charged with the task, he did as he was bid. In times of peril, he stepped up and offered aid to those in need. He may have looked at each with contempt, but he brought them out of an icy winter that lasted for months on end. He protected them from monsters that thrashed small villages, taking many lives and destroying even more.

A century ago, an opposing empire sent a giant mechanized being to crush the cities of Solheim. The Infernian had never seen such a monstrosity created by the hands of humans before. It stood its own against him, a God. The machine matched not only his strength but his swiftness as well. His flame appeared to have no outwardly effect on the metal, baffling him completely. There should be no element in Eos that could withstand the fire of the Flame God, yet no matter how much he threw at the thing, it came out unscathed. He pushed himself, calling forth the hottest inferno burning within his body, Hellfire, to defeat the machine. The conflagration left nothing of the enemy, and as a price for wielding such power, he lost the ability to use magic with his left arm. The skin turned to ash, and even though he could still use it for menial things, it was never the same.

Ifrit stared at his ashen left hand as he recalled the events that followed that horrific fight. The land was scarred, torn asunder from the fierce battling between the two enormous beings. Fires spread across dry grass, engulfing entire fields. He tried to dowse them every time he caught a break from the onslaught of attacks, but he couldn't reach them all. When he used his trump card, the Hellfire, the blaze spanned from horizon to horizon. Orange and red tendrils danced and licked at the sky, reaching even above his head. Without the ability to use magic with one hand, there was no way for him to extinguish it all; he couldn't save the populace of that region, despite having fought so hard to protect them.

The Hellfire burned for weeks, leaving nothing in its wake but devastation. Ifrit searched for survivors, putting out the fires as he went, but he found nothing - no bodies or even bones. It didn't surprise him. Hellfire was the hottest burning fire known, hot enough to even burn the flesh of an astral such as himself.

When Ifrit finally encountered life again, the people were angry, furious at all the damage he'd inflicted on them and their lands. "I never meant to harm any of you or your families. I was trying to protect you," he had insisted. But they refused to listen to him. They refused to understand what he tried to do for them, only caring that his fire devoured the entire region. They demanded justice, that he make a recompense. Bahamut showed up to make an attempt at quelling the masses, but the populace wouldn't back down.

"He's a menace! Every time he comes to help, he does more harm than good!"

"Lock 'im up!"

"We don't need a God who destroys everything he touches!"

"Lock him up! Lock him up!" The entire crowd chanted together.

The Draconian gave him a sorrowful look as the people continued their chanting. It felt like someone poured hot lead in Ifrit's stomach. These creatures were chanting for his imprisonment, and all he wanted to do was help them. Was he to be punished for doing a good deed? Why didn't they understand? That machine would have ravaged all of Solheim if he hadn't stopped it. "Bahamut, I…"

The Dragon God gave a shake of his head as if to say 'stay quiet.' Ifrit bit his tongue, fully realizing what that expression meant for him and his future.

How could that dragon bastard choose those pesky weaklings over him? Why wouldn't he even listen to him when he tried to tell him what happened? Bahamut decreed that Ifrit be confined to Pitioss unless there came a time of immense danger to the world.

For one hundred long years, the Infernian complied with what his brethren commanded, silently stewing in his anger until it built up to an unsuppressable rage. He would often explore the dungeon, traversing the numeral paths, finding that it was much deeper than he thought. Each of the Gods could come and go as they pleased, and there was always at least one there to make sure he never left. The Draconian wrote seals over the walls that were activated by the sunlight, allowing it to remain open to the world during daytime alone. Once night fell, it sealed off completely; even in ethereal forms, the Gods couldn't get in or out. Bahamut intended for the dungeon to be a gathering place - a home of sorts, but turned it into a cell long ago. He couldn't access the astral plane from inside Pitioss, couldn't phase his mortal body there for escape. The other Gods lost faith in him, and he never understood why - that was, until his discovery in the depth of that Hell.

Having been lost in thought, the Infernian failed to notice the flames burning wildly around him, the rage he felt inside being reflected outwardly in the dancing fires. He clutched his left hand into a fist, claws digging into his palms as blood oozed from his flesh and dripped to the ground. It boiled and sizzled until it turned to ash and blew away in the harsh mountaintop winds. "I'll destroy everything in this world and let my Hellfire consume it entirely. I will stop at nothing until I get revenge."

Ain's heart thrummed in his chest as his voice bellowed out of him like some kind of dying animal. His throat was raw from his cries, the taste of iron thick in his mouth. He wasn't sure where the blood came from - his thoughts were a jumbled mess. His eyes caught a glimpse of movement; the monster before him finally made its move. The mindflayer zigzagged as it rushed him. Even if it came straight at him, Ain couldn't form a coherent thought to defend himself. He clamped his eyes shut and accepted that this was where he would die.

"We got a live one over here!"

"Well, then kill it. Don't just announce it."

"Tch. It's one of them mind scramblin' things. Can't take it on my own."

"Indeed. It seems you are quite incapable against these things."

Ain's eyes popped open at the sound of unfamiliar voices, darting around to find the sources. He couldn't focus on anything in the infernal darkness surrounding him. This wouldn't be happening if Ardyn hadn't left him behind. The pressure building inside his head suddenly vanished - no more pain, no more screams in his mind. Everything became clear in an instant. Two men stood over the monster's bloodied corpse. One of them a rugged behemoth of a man and the other one refined, his silver-rimmed glasses giving him a sophisticated look.

"Who-" Ain didn't even get the full question out before his body fell limp and crashed to the cement below him.

Ain's eyes slowly blinked open, his head pounding from the mental assault dealt to him in the fight. The two men conversed quietly a few feet away from where he lie. His gaze fell on the sable cloth hanging all around him. Where was he? In a tent, perhaps. He moved to lean up, but his entire body ached from pains he didn't know were possible to have.

"Whoa, there, bud. You almost got yourself killed back there, you shouldn't be movin' around," The giant man said to him.

A lock of onyx hair dropped down over Ain's eye before he tucked it behind his ear. "Who are you? Where am I? How did I get here?"

"One question at a time. I am Verus Scientia. My large friend here is Gravitas Amicitia. As for where you are, it's a small encampment of survivors. Most of the buildings around here have been abandoned. We secured this one and took shelter in it from those monsters." Ain listened to the spectacled man's explanation.

"You two saved me?" Ain knew the answer. Why else would he be here with them?

"Damn skippy we did. How's about a name?" Gravitas asked as he eyed the smaller, injured man.

"Ain Lucis Caelum."

"Sounds like an important guy." Gravitas smirked at Verus, sending a wave of uncertainty down Ain's spine.

"Not at all." It was the truth, Ain wasn't the one the Gods chose. He wasn't like Ardyn. They were twins, born a mere nine minutes apart, yet Ardyn was the one who received all the world had to offer simply by being born first. Neither knew their parents, left alone outside a small village in the Cleigne region. It was mere coincidence they happened to be in the city when the - what did Ardyn call it? Starscourge? Whenever the Starscourge began to take over the people and turn them into daemons.

Ain heard the buzz of people just on the other side of the black curtain, and it gnawed at his curiosity. "You said this was a camp of survivors? How many people are here?" It astounded him that there were still people in the city. After Ardyn left, he hadn't seen a single soul aside from the daemons.

"Yes, there are close to a hundred citizens holed up here currently. We go out and look for more, along with a few other capable men, and then we guide them here," Verus answered.

"You seem like a strong fella, takin' on all them monsters like you were," Gravitas said with an impressed smirk. "What kinda magic you use? I saw you with at least three different weapons. Changin' em out with some kinda blue light."

"It's called the Armiger. My brother and I can summon different crystalline weapons to fight."

"Why call it Armiger?" The burly man arched a brow at the unusual name.

"Because the magic brings forth arms - weapons," Ain responded coolly.

"You said you have a brother? Where is he now? If he can use that ability as well, you will both be quite the welcome addition to our entourage," Verus said with a hint of hopefulness in his voice.

A tinge of jealousy shot down Ain's spine, but he shook it off instantly. He didn't need Ardyn's help; he could assist these people on his own. His brother had his head in the clouds with the astrals, leaving these humans in Ain's hands while he ran off to play hero. "My brother is preoccupied with something else. He left the city a day ago." He didn't want to tell them precisely where Ardyn was - or what he was doing. They needn't know for the time being. Verus and Gravitas' minds should stay focused on helping the people of the city.

"I see. That's too bad. But at least we have you with us. We do have you with us, right?" Verus peered at Ain expectantly.

"Of course. I will do all I can to ensure the safety of every survivor we find. I give you my word." This was the opportunity he needed, one away from Ardyn's shadow. He wanted to show his brother that he was capable of great deeds, too, to have people praise him for his own strength instead of being combined with Ardyn. He had love for his brother but never felt like he was seen.

An elderly woman shambled through the curtain and said, "Is he awake? Have him drink this." She pressed a vial of bright green liquid into Gravitas' large hand, and then she left the three of them alone again.

Ain swung his legs over the side of the cot and pushed himself up stumbling toward Gravitas, who caught him as he lost his balance.

"Here." The bulky man handed Ain the vial the old woman gave him moments before.

The onyx-haired man popped the top off and turned it up over his mouth, swallowing the mixture in one gulp. "Minty," he said with a grin. The pain immediately subsided and his wounds rapidly healed, leaving little to no trace. "Now, if you will, tell me exactly what it is you need of me - I am obliged to help as a thanks for you saving my life."

Ardyn stared in awe-filled wonder at the five ethereal beings seated around the stone table in Pitioss. Each God, individually, had such an immensely intimidating presence, he felt like he might be crushed just being in the same vicinity as them. In all of the recorded history of Eos, no human ever sat amongst the Six. Shiva's icy, porcelain skin gave her an air of coldness, but Ardyn found she was much kinder than her appearance lead him to believe.

"What are we going to do about Ifrit?" Her cool voice matched her in every way, speaking in a cadence that could almost lull him to sleep if not for the chill in the air surrounding her.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Titan spat. "We drag him back here and put him in that cage." His personality seemed to match his rough exterior - hard and calloused.

"We agreed we would never do that again. It is much too cruel." Ramuh took on the image of an old man, irises glowing in a bright magenta color. What was this cage? Would it be enough to hold the Flame God? Ardyn doubted that it could, unless it was made of some otherworldly - astral material. But judging from the way they speak, it would seem they have utilized it in the past. Against the Infernian, I wonder?

"We must kill him - immediately. He knows too much, and if he were to-" The Hydraean was interrupted before she finished.

"Silence! That is not something I mean to have discussed here." The Draconian's voice reverberated off the stone walls. Muted silence fell over the room; even Ardyn was afraid to so much as breath for fear of the Dragon's anger zeroing in on him. "You all know as well as I that we cannot kill Ifrit. Not his astral essence," Bahamut continued, easing the thick tension.

"Is that not why I'm here? I am not one of you, after all," Ardyn spoke, his voice shaking from being vastly overwhelmed with the astrals potentiality.

"Ardyn, you cannot kill Ifrit any more than we can. We will have to imprison him," said the Glacian.

"Why is this welp even here?" Leviathan questioned.

"He is here to help up us defeat Ifrit and bring an end to the Starscourge," Bahamut replied, blue-grey eyes growing stormy with impatience.

"Is that a wise idea, Bahamut? Ifrit will try to do something devious if he finds out about the boy."

Boy? Ardyn scoffed at the thought. He was no boy, and if he had to prove it to these Gods, he would. "If it's a lack of faith in my abilities, I assure you, I am quite the capable fighter."

"It is not a lack of faith in you, Ardyn," Bahamut said, gaze shifting from his brethren to Ardyn and back again. "That matter aside, we can lure Ifrit here. Once he's in, and we are all clear, I will rewrite the inscription and seal this place forever."

Ardyn sat in silence, tuning out their voices as his mind latched onto the topic they were avoiding. There was something they were hiding from him, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Did it have to do with Ifrit and why he betrayed them? Bahamut told him that the Infernian was just throwing a temper tantrum - how true was that? "Why did Ifrit betray you? Strike out on his own and decide to destroy all of Eos?" He had to know the whole truth.

Silence. Long, unnerving minutes of it.

"Ifrit's temper has always been a problem," Shiva started. "It's caused the deaths of countless humans over the centuries. When the Goddess Eos disappeared, he rampaged."

"His love for her blinded him, and though he calmed his anger, he has been a fickle being ever since," The Fulgurian added.

"A century ago, he wiped out a third of Solheim on a whim. We had no choice but to imprison him inside of Pitioss. It was for the sake of humanity." It was the first time Ardyn heard any emotion in Bahamut's voice - sorrow.

Ardyn's stomach tied in knots, having to lock up a brother couldn't have been easy for the Gods. But if they didn't, Ifrit would probably burn the world up and leave nothing in his wake. Could he do such a thing? If it were Ain? Would he be able to turn his back on his brother to save the world? Such thoughts left a dull ache in his heart. "How do you mean to lure him here?"

"With all of us gathered here, he will, without a doubt, come for the revenge he thinks he deserves."