"All things in this world have a source.

Nothing begets nothing.

Follow the chain of cause and effect, and it will lead you to the answer you seek."

Osvald V. Vanstein, a well-accomplished scholar, suddenly found himself convicted of murder 5 years ago. In a horrific burning of his own home, he lost his wife and daughter.

It was believed that he did the deed himself, and all the evidence was stacked against him. And thus, he was sentenced to life service in Frigit Isle. But contrary to what was presented in court… it wasn't Osvald who murdered his own family. It was his once close colleague Harvey, who used Osvald's research for his own gain in pursuit of studying the 'One True Magic'. A type of magic said to be different from the six known elements. And in pursuing this magic, he destroyed Osvald's life and framed him for the crime he committed, the murder of his family, which sentenced him to Frigit Isle.

"Harvey… The man who took everything from me…shall die by my hand. I swear it."

Frigit Isle, The Winterlands

5 years later…

"Frigit Isle. A solitary island in the far northern reaches of the sea. Some call it the edge of the world. Blanketed in snow all through the year. The nearest continent is due east, four days' journey by sea-even on the largest vessel. Even then, the fierce blizzards at sea can make a wreck of the mightiest of ships. Trips to and from this accursed place are heavily regulated.

This place holds all mainlanders found guilty of the most heinous crimes. It held over 300 of us at its peak. In its eighty-year history, none have escaped. Or rather, I should say… The deplorable treatment of the prisoners ensures that lives end before sentences do. I have survived for 1,879 days. But neither the unforgiving climate, nor the ravages of time…shall extinguish the fire in my breast."

On Frigit Isle, all is normal in the cold night. But little did the guards and prisoners know that the prison was soon to play host to some unexpected visitors.

On the grounds of the frozen prison, Darksquad made their stealthy approach into the prison and made their way inside, avoiding being seen by the guards as they made their way inside the prison, though it wasn't easy. But soon, they managed to get inside as they made their way to the cell blocks.

"Damn. Breaking into prison sure is a hell of a lot harder than breaking out of it." DW typed.

"It sure doesn't help that this place is freezing." Ragna said. "How you feeling, Dark Water? Hope this place isn't turning you into a black block of ice."

"I survived a battle in Aesfrost, Ragna, I think I can handle a prison built in an Iceberg." DW typed in reply. "But how you holding up, Makoto, Hitomi? Hope this place doesn't force you two into Hibernation."

"Heh, think the cold bothers me, Octo-Face? You need to get your facts checked. If I let this slow me down, I wouldn't call myself a predator, now would I?" Hitomi said.

"I'll be fine too, Darkie. I've taken Jin's attacks on more than one occasion, this isn't any different." Makoto said.

"What about you three? Are you built to withstand extreme cold?" Noel asked in concern for the Yorha Trio.

"Yes, you do not need to worry about us." 2B said.

"Then let's get started. First we need to locate our man." Jin said.

"How are we gonna do that? There's gotta be a hundred people on this ice block." Peacock said.

"Well, if I know my plot progression, they'll be where the action is happening." DW typed.

"In other words, we'll find Osvald at the moment when he first gets into a fight in this story." Tsubaki said.

"Why don't we start by checking the cell blocks near where we are?" 9S recommended.

"Good idea, Nines. 153, scan for nearby lifeforms." 2B ordered her pod.

"Affirmative." 153 acknowledged as he activated A170: Scanner and began emitting ultrasonic waves. Soon enough, he got something. "Two signatures detected nearby. Both of them in a cell close to our position."

With that, the group made their way inside the cell blocks and towards where 153 detected the life signs.

Inside that specific cell, stood two men. One of them had long blond hair and a beard. His attire consisted of a pair of spectacles, a shackle around his neck, black boots and pants, and a white prisoner shirt. A muzzle was over his face, preventing him from speaking.

"Another cold day in hell, eh professor?" his cellmate asked, getting no answer. The prisoner walked up to the man and pulled out a notebook, opening it. "Hehehe…Y'know what this is? It's your little notebook. It never seems to leave your hands, does it?"

The muzzled man immediately recognized the notebook, staring at the man with a look that said 'Put it back where you found it'.

"Aw, don't look at me like that. I'm only borrowin' it!" the first prisoner mocked. "You were quite the scholar, weren't ya? Yes, this notebook could be worth quite a lot. Maybe a tidy pack of cigarettes! You're welcome to take it back, of course. But you'll have to fight me for it."

But before the muzzled man could make a move to mug his cellmate to get his notebook back, the both of them suddenly heard numerous footsteps as Darksquad came out from the shadows and soon came to their cell.

"Huh? Who the heck are you freaks?" the first prisoner asked.

"For you, specifically?" DW typed before he stepped through the cell bars, his ink body slipping right into the cell via the multiple spaces, surprising even the muzzled man. "Your worst nightmare."

"What the…?!" was all the prisoner could cry out before Dark Water bonked him on the head with the butt of his Splattershot, then grabbing his head and slamming it against the bars, knocking him out cold. He then neatly picked up the notebook and held it out to the muzzled man.

"Yours, I believe." DW typed as the muzzled man, with some trepidation, took it back.

"Forgive us for interfering, but we come to you in peace. Is your name Osvald?" Tsubaki asked.

The muzzled man nodded, confirming his identity as Osvald V. Vanstein. He was about to write in his notebook to relay a message to the team that assisted him, but he was stopped by Peacock.

"Hang on, we've got somethin' better for you to use than a quill pen and paper. Amber, give 'em your phone." Peacock told the inkling girl.

Amber nodded and pulled out her phone before handing it to Osvald. The scholar, taking some time to figure out how it worked, then typed down his message.

"My thanks for the assistance. Physical contact with that man you just knocked unconscious would only have attracted attention from myself." he typed. "But now that the threat of that has passed…who, or what, are you?"

"We're people who wanna help you out. If you're skeptical about us trusting you, don't be. We know what happened to you. And we know you were set up." Ragna said.

"I see." Osvald typed. "I am skeptical, but I'll look past it for now. It was fortunate that you recovered my notebook from that ruffian. Inside it holds important information. Information which will help me."

"Do go on. What did you write down in there?" Hitomi asked.

"Over time I've learned much about the prison and how the people in it work. And all that knowledge shall inform my eventual escape." Osvald replied, holding up his notebook. "An escape for which the plan is written in this notebook. Using a cipher, naturally. I've revised said plan numerous times these last five years, and polished it to a fine sheen. Only three pieces of the puzzle remain."

"What three things are you still missing?" Linne asked.

"The first: an escape route. For this, I have chosen a passage that leads beneath the prison. This passage is overlooked even by the guards themselves. And it leads directly out of this place. I must conduct a more thorough review of it, and soon. The Second: suitable clothing. Once I escape, I'll be exposed to the elements. The cold will claim me in minutes if I am clad in nothing but these rags." Osvald explained. "The third and final: an accomplice. To escape on my own will be to rely on my own assumptions. I require of another with intimate knowledge of the prison's inner workings. With these three pieces in place, my plan shall move that much closer to completion. At which point, only its execution shall remain."

"Well, I dunno about the first two things. But the last one, y'aleady got. Us!" Peacock declared. "Forget lookin' around the prison for some average joe to help. Why don't we help bust ya outta this joint?"

"Yeah… Out of the question. He said himself he needs someone that knows the inner workings." Ragna said. "Do YOU have any knowledge of this place?"

"Well, no, but we got in okay…" Peacock said.

"That's not gonna be good enough." Ragna said.

"On the contrary. If all of you were able to break into this prison and avoid the guards' watch to make it to my cell, then your talents may prove useful." Osvald cut in. "You broke into this prison to find me, for your own reasons I'm assuming. Let's see if you can break me out."

"Challenge accepted, we're in. We'll get you the things you need. Your route, your clothes, and a buddy to help us all out." DW replied.

"Good. There's one other thing I require. Get me the key to this muzzle." Osvald said. "I can be of more assistance once it is removed."

"Gotcha. Don't worry, old-timer, you're in good hands." DW typed.

"...I'm 38." the scholar corrected.

"So you're not old just yet. What's the difference?" Ragna said.

And so, Darksquad got to work on helping Osvald put together the final pieces of his plan. While he continued to act in his labor services , overseen by the prison's ruthless Warden Davids, the team stayed out of sight of the guards and looked for any useful information or people they could find.

Eventually, one of the pieces Osvald wanted appeared to them, when they were looking around the prison's mess hall.

"You people there, a word." a shaved headed man in the same rags as Osvald said coming up to them. "What're you all playing at, skulking around and sizing up the prisoners?"

"Nothing much. We're just helping someone trying to escape this ice ball." Hitomi said.

"That so. I know the ways of this place…but it don't come cheap. I want in." he said.

"Fine. You're in." Natalie said. "You can get him out, right?"

"Yeah. I can get a ledger and a key to his muzzle. I'll leave the planning to him." the guy said.

"Fair to us." Ragna said.

"And by the way, my name's Emerald. Pleasure to work with you, Class of Professor Jailbreak." the man introduced.

With Emerald enlisted, Darksquad then continued to keep an eye on him and Osvald. They helped him gain information about the underground passage, which confirmed its safety to make the escape from, and an entrance to it by the guard station.

As for the ledger containing information on the ship from where they would all make their escape, Emerald had to get a little physical with Warden Davids. During hard labor hours, Emerald used a conversion with Osvald to get Davids close enough to him so he could swipe it off his person. He had to suffer a blow from Davids' club, but it was apparent that he got it. It was confirmed when everyone met up with him in the storehouse behind the mess hall.

"It wasn't easy, but I nicked it. The inspection ledger. Better still, the inspectors are due to arrive tomorrow." Emerald said, getting Osvald's attention. "All we need to do is follow your plan to the letter. We're nearly free!"

"All right. We'll leave tomorrow." Ragna said.

"Tomorrow… at last, the time has come."

The next day…

The ship containing the inspectors soon arrived at Frigit Isles docks. And that was the opening Osvald needed. Prison patrols were to be shorthanded to welcome the inspectors. Which means the time was now to begin Osvald's plan.

The scholar led Emerald and Darksquad to the spot where the entrance to the underground passage was.

"(The entrance to the underground passage should be just around here…)" Osvald thought as he dug up a mound of snow to reveal a well entrance leading underground, surprising Emerald.

"How about that, there really was an entrance here. The info was right." Hitomi said.

"Excellent work, confidant! Onward!" Emerald said. "But first, I have a little something for you. The key to that muzzle of yours."

"You got it before any of us? How?!" Mai asked.

Emerald chuckled. "I'm locked up now, sure, but I was quite the thief outside these walls."

Osvald took the key from Emerald, and unlocked his muzzle, freeing his mouth for the first time in five years.

"Now we finally get to hear your voice." Emerald said, but Osvald didn't say anything even after getting his muzzle off. "Well? Aren't you going to say anything?!"

"...S'cold." Osvald simply said, albeit a bit quietly, which made everyone dumbfounded.

"That's all y'gotta say after five whole years? What the heck did they even need t'muzzle ya for?" Peacock asked.

"There's no time. Keep moving." Osvald said. "Oh and eh… Thanks for the key." he said to Emerald.

"No worries. Just get us all outta here." Emerald said as they continued down the path.

"All we need to do is take the ladder and…" Osvald said before they all saw the ladder was destroyed.

"No! The ladder's been destroyed!" Emerald said. "Damn! We were so close!"

"The cuts look fresh. This was done recently." Osvald noticed. "I fear we've underestimated our opponent."

"That you did." a voice said as emerging from the darkness was the warden himself and a few guards. "We've been monitoring Emerald for days. We knew something was up."

"I'm sorry, confidants. I should've known." Emerald said.

"Save your breath. The fault is mine." Osvald said, before taking up a fighting stance. "And I will correct it."

(Cue- In Pursuit of Revenge~Critical Clash 2- Octopath Traveler II)

"Ohoho! You're not the first you know. I've seen countless like you. So many have tried, and every last one died a tragic death." Davids said as he and his goons drew their weapons. "And so it would be my honor to put you all back in your place!"

"Jokes on you, buddy! We were never your prisoners to start with!" Peacock said.

"Besides…" Laura said before releasing a wave of pressure towards Davids. "You will get no mercy from us." she said as she floated above the ground.

Davids growled as he and his men recovered, the battle beginning in earnest.

Sadistic Keeper of Frigit Isle

Warden Davids

"I believe someone is in need of punishment." Camilla said, manifesting on her Wyvern with her axe at the ready as her bracelet was on Kido's wrist.

Osvald studied Davids and his guards.

"The warden's guards are weak to staff attacks and lighting. Davids himself has a weakness to fire." Osvald notified.

"Your warden's about to have a real bad day then. Nine?" DW typed to Nine.

"It'd be my pleasure. Rubellite of Rage!" Nine called, summoning an exploding fire skull in front of her that hit Davids dead on.

"Nice one, mom. I'll take his lackeys!" Kokonoe said, setting a small device that unleashed an electric shock that covered 3x its width horizontally, shocking Davids' guards.

Davids shrugged off Nine's attack and charged with his club in hand. He swung it down and hit Dark Water, making him splatter on the ground.

"What in the name of…?!" Davids asked before Dark Waters' liquified body regenerated and flowed up his club to his body, wrapping him up before he started shooting him in the face with his Splattershot. "You can't beat me with your childish attacks!" he said, shrugging Dark Water off.

"You're right, I just wanted you to get all wet!" DW typed as Davids raised his club again, but Osvald saw what the bio weapon did.

"Strike them down." the scholar commanded, calling down a salvo of lighting bolts and shocking both Davids and his guards, capitalizing on their shared weakness to electricity.

"How could trash like you give me so much trouble?" Davids asked as he recovered, more guards coming to his side to replace the ones downed by Osvalds lighting spell. "I see now that no punishment is too great for the likes of you!"

"He's tougher than we thought. Attacking his weak spots won't be enough to take him down." Hyde said.

"That won't be a problem though. Based on my calculations, we'll still make it." Osvald said.

"What are you chattering on about?! I'll cut out your tongue!" Davids declared.

"Clear his lackeys. I'll finish him off when he's alone." Osvald said.

"You got it." Hyde said as he used Insulator to cut down Davids' henchmen. The warden went to attack, but Amber stunned him with a splat bomb to his face, allowing 2B to slash at him with her sword.

It was then that Osvald made his move. Through years of studying the mystic arts, he has developed the talent of concentrating any one of his spells on a single target, rather than a wide area.

"Fire, burn." Osvald commanded, conjuring a fire spell as a powerful fireball nailed Warden Davids hard, dealing big damage and forcing him to the ground.

(end song)

"Ugh… you filth…" Davids groaned. "Don't think…you can escape… this place…" he said before he fell to the ground dead.

"Good riddance." Linne said. "More guards will be on the way soon. We'd better hurry and find another way out."

"Well, if going up the ladder wont work, we'll just have to go through the wall." DW typed. "Makoto, you're up!"

"Might wanna stand back, Ozzy!" Makoto said before she gave the wall a good hard punch, blowing it to pieces. From there, they exited the prison and headed down to the docks.

"So, now that weve killed the boss of this place and made a lotta noise, how are we supposed to leave this ball of ice?" Peacock asked.

"We'll have to improvise." Osvald said as he created a few ice boats.

"Better than nothing. Let's get going." Ragna said.

"Hold on. You guys can take your chances with those frozen dinghies, but I'll be commandeering the inspectors ship." Emerald said.

"That's suicide. With everyone looking for us, they'll trap you at sea from here and the mainland." Kokonoe said. "Chances our better Osvald's way."

"I won't know until I try, will I?" Emerald asked.

"...Do what you will." Osvald siad.

"So long, all." Emerald said, separating from the group.

While it seemed at the time that Emerald defected from the plan because he wanted to go his own way… the truth was, he knew about Osvalds circumstances for being incarcerated. So when he boarded the inspector's ship and commandeered it, he immediately set it ablaze.

That action drew the attention of the guards, allowing the others to escape in their small boats unnoticed. No one was chasing them, as the guards assumed that they were with Emerald as the inspector's ship burned at sea. Why did Emerald do this, Osvald would wonder. Was it an act of loyalty, or something else? Some mysteries are never solved.

Nevertheless, within some days time, the group made it to the mainland of Solistia, arriving in the Winterlands. After some rest, and acquiring a coat for Osvald, things were about to really kick off.

"You did well in helping me to escape Frigit Isle… I suppose this is where our paths divide?" Osvald asked.

"Nope. We're sticking with you. You're gonna go and hunt down the guy who framed you for murder and got you locked up, right? Well, we said we were people who wanna help you out. And we can help you find your man." DW typed. "So whaddya say? Ready to go bastard hunting?"

"...I've not waited five long years for nothing else." Osvald simply said. "I know where we can begin looking for leads on Harvey's location. We'll make for the Harborlands and inspect my former home in Conning Creek. There must be something that will lead us to him."

"Then let's find us a proper ship and get to sea again. We're going traveling!" DW typed.

"(Harvey… You took everything from me. This fire in my breast shall never be extinguished, and you shall die by my hand. I swear it.)" Osvald thought as they departed for their next destination.

Osvald's escape from Frigit Isle was a success. The soil beneath his feet sings of liberty, stoking the fire within him. Bitterness and Rage propel him toward one man: Harvey, the murderer of his wife and child. Together with Darksquad, Osvald takes his first steps down the path to revenge.

The sage watched with the rest of Mythos Hearts and the Fatebreakers.

"The stage is now set. Where all these stories will lead…well…you'll just have to wait and see." he said with a bow.