And here we are, the final chapter of Act I. This has been a long time coming and I'm happy to finally reached this point after so many years. Thank you all who kept supporting this story and hope you continue to read and enjoy as we moved on to Act II.

Now, onward to the chapter.


Chapter 52: Behind the Veil


Everyone froze when they heard what Mithos had said. Nothing moved. It was like time itself had stopped.

"What...what did he say?" Genis whispered in shock.

"That...that can't be true... Cruxis and the Desians are..." Sheena stuttered, barely able to form words.

Raine could barely think. All this time, their saviors and tormentors were all the same organization. For so long they played the entire world for fools.

Lloyd was shaking in place. "That...that has to be a lie..." He may not care for the Church or Cruxis, but he couldn't believe that they were the ones behind the Desians.

Mithos chuckled. "Is your small mind unable to comprehend my words? Then again, I suppose one would be shell-shock when their entire world comes crashing on their heads. You would have lived a peaceful life if you've stayed in ignorance like the rest of you humans."

Lloyd growled.

"But now, you have to die knowing the truth. The truth that you have been helping the very thing you despise and lead the Chosen straight to her demise." Mithos glanced at Kratos. "And the man you thought was your comrade and teacher was using you."

Now Lloyd was shaking.

Kratos had to keep himself from shutting Mithos up.

"I wonder, did he tell you about the stars? Those have always been my favorite stories," Mithos went on nonchalantly. "Or, perhaps he won you over with philosophy lessons and making you stronger with the sword."

"You..." Lloyd sneered.

"Kratos saw right through you this entire time. He pretended to be one of you so you would keep leading the Chosen to her death. He made you just strong enough to be useful," Mithos continued. "You never meant anything to him. Just a means to an end."

Lloyd lifted his sword. "I had enough of you!" He ran and attempted to lop Mithos' head off.

With a gesture, Mithos summoned the Eternal Sword to his hand and blocked the wild attack. There was a rushed of mana between the two swordsmen as Lloyd attempted to overpowered the angel.

"Still not enough," Mithos mused. "It seems I haven't piss you off enough."

He pushed Lloyd aside and raised the Eternal Sword. In a flash of light, Raine, Genis, and Sheena were blown away. They went flying across the tower and crashed into the floor.

"Everyone!" Lloyd screamed.

Mithos laughed. "And just like that, they're done. Then again, they were worn out from fighting both Remiel and Kratos. I should have not expected much."

"You bastard!" Lloyd shouted. "Demonic Trust!"

Mithos easily parried the attack and swapped the Eternal Sword across Lloyd.

The hit was so powerful that it sent Lloyd flying back and he crashed into a pillar. The impact knocked over the column as Lloyd lay on the floor. This time, he didn't get up.

Mithos stared at Lloyd in disappointment. "It would appear he wasn't up to my level yet. Perhaps it was too much to ask given his newly awaken state." He sighed. "No matter. This was still good progress. The Journey of Regeneration has unlocked his power, just as I've foreseen. It is only a matter of time before he become a true Angelus."

"Is that why you hid him from me?" Kratos asked. His voice was edging on anger.

"It is in the past now," Mithos replied dismissively. "We shall take both the Chosen and the Angelus with us." He looked over the remaining group. "The stragglers can all die here." He then glanced at Kratos. "I trust you have no objections?"

Kratos remained silent.

Mithos moved forward to kill the group with a ball of energy in his palm. "Farewell."

Before he could fire something shot at him. Mithos easily dodged the attack and saw that several Renegades were charging into the tower.

Botta sneered when he saw what had happened. "Damn! The Chosen has already become an angel! We have no choice. We're taking her back with us alive!"

They moved quickly and grabbed the unconscious group. Most of the Renegades ran forward to fight Mithos while two of them went to take Colette and Lloyd.

Mithos smirked as he easily dispatched the Renegades who dared attack him. When he finished killing them, Botta and the remaining Renegades had escaped.

Mithos folded his arms. "Renegades…as irritating as ever. Still, it is of little consequence." He looked towards his old teacher. "Kratos, let us leave."

"As you wish..." Kratos said as Mithos disappeared. "Hmm…saved by the Renegades." He glanced up at Yuan who was still leaning against the upper pillar. He supposed he owed him one. Yuan chose that moment to disappear as well. Kratos looked back at the warp leading out of the tower. "Don't die, Lloyd." He then took his leave as well.

When he reappeared, he was standing inside Mithos' throne room. Mithos was already comfortably in his seat. "I suppose we should have expected the Renegades to come to the Tower of Salvation. Especially given how this Chosen is so close to my sister's mana signature."

"Mithos...how long have you known about Lloyd?" Kratos asked.

Mithos smiled. "For about fourteen years. Out of a stroke of luck, Pronyma found him only months after the incident."

"And you never told me," Kratos said. Although he sounded calm, Mithos knew he was clearly mad.

"Don't give me that look. You betrayed me, remember? I was not feeling very generous," Mithos replied with some heat. "But, your son was safe since he was so close to the Chosen."

"Which was your plan. To make him bond with the Chosen so he would go on the Journey of Regeneration and awaken his power," Kratos stated evenly.

"I must admit, that worked out better than I thought," Mithos humored. He smiled at Kratos. "And it worked out for you too. You not only got to bond with your dear son, but you also manage to kill Kvar."

Kratos said nothing.

"You need not worry, you will not be punish for what you did. Kvar was planning to betray me. He wanted the Angelus for himself. No doubt planning to use it to overthrow me," Mithos stated.

"He was also planning something with Rodyle. They appear to be trying to build a Mana Cannon," Kratos said.

Mithos was surprised to hear this. "Really?"

"It would appear Kratos beat me to my report," Yuan said as he appeared in the room.

Mithos stared at Yuan. "What do you know?"

"From what I have discovered, Rodyle have been using resources from his Ranch to build it for quite some time," Yuan said. "Some years ago after his...demotion I guess you could say, Kvar teamed up with Rodyle. Their plan was to merge the Angelus Project with the Mana Cannon."

Kratos rubbed his chin. "I see. There isn't enough mana in either world to power the cannon. So, they wanted to use a Cruxis Crystal as a source of power."

"This could be troublesome. Kvar's research into the Angelus Project was missing after we discovered that he had been killed," Mithos said with a hint of concern.

"I'd bet every gald in Sylvarant and Tethe'alla that Rodyle took it, probably hoping the missing data would be dismissed with the Ranch blowing up," Yuan stated.

"I wonder if Rodyle had anything to do with Magnius' odd behavior," Kratos openly mused.

"Oh, he did," Yuan replied. "Rodyle and Magnius had been in contact a lot in recent years. Magnius was funneling him money that he extorted from the Govern-General, probably thinking it was for research."

Mithos leaned into his hand. "That man would chose now to act up."

"If giving the word, we can go and take care of him," Kratos said.

"We hardly have to go that far. As long as he doesn't obtain a Cruxis Crystal, he is of no threat to me." Mithos suddenly smirked. "Besides, he may still prove to be useful."

"If that's all, I will take my leave. I have some others matter to attend to," Yuan said as he disappeared.

"I will get started searching for the Chosen," Kratos stated as he too teleported.

Mithos remained in silence for a couple of seconds. "Regardless of how long it takes. Both the Angelus and the Chosen will be in my hands."


Yuan carefully made his way to the Renegades base. He had to make sure that neither Mithos nor Pronyma's lackeys saw where he was going.

That was too closed. The Chosen was nearly taking. He should be thankful that the Angelus and his friends saw through the deceit at the last moment and fought. Remiel also helped by acting on his malice. He supposed some good did come out of that boy.

The question was, what to do now? Killing the Chosen was no longer an option now that she was an angel. She would nuke the entire base in self-defense. To make matters worse, the Angelus was awake. He wasn't very powerful at the moment, but his power would quickly grow.

However, thanks to his men, this debacle was maybe salvageable. The Angelus was now in his hands and his power could be used to serve his purposes. It could be the very key needed to winning this game. No matter what, he had to stopped Martel's revival and end this lunacy that was Cruxis.

It was closed to noon by the time he reached the base. The guards saluted him as he entered, but he paid little attention to them. He made a beeline right to his office where he knew Botta was.

"Lord Yuan," Botta greeted when he entered.

"Report," Yuan ordered.

"The Chosen and her group are safe, although they have been badly wounded, especially the Angelus," Botta replied.

"Of course he would. He was whacked by the Eternal Sword. He's lucky he wasn't split in two," Yuan said.

"He's in the recovery bay and might be unconscious for several days. Although, most of that will be because his body is in transition. The others should awake by tomorrow at the latest," Botta finished his report.

Yuan walked over to his desk. "Did you run any tests on the Angelus?"

"Only a few," Botta said. "His mana is growing at a rapid rate and his exsphere also appears to be evolving. At this rate, he could transform in months, maybe even weeks."

Yuan sighed. "So, it's just as I thought."

"Yuan, this could be our chance. With the Angelus awakening we can turn him against Cruxis," Botta stated.

Yuan nodded his head. "That is true. However, that boy is a loose cannon. He will be close to impossible to control."

"Now that he has seen Cruxis' true colors, I don't see why he would not want to fight with us," Botta observed.

"That maybe so, but that boy is very fond of the Chosen. He fought an angel and even Kratos to try to save her. Given that level of commitment, he would want to save the Chosen above all else. We don't have any time for that," Yuan said before pausing for a second. "To keep myself in Yggdrasill's good graces a little longer, I had to rat out Rodyle."

Botta understood what that meant. Their options were limited. "There are...other methods that we can use to persuade him."

Yuan glanced at Botta. "Brainwashing is the very last resort." Besides, he felt too much like Mithos for considering that possibility. "Besides, we hardly need to go that far. We can use the boy as a bargaining chip to Kratos. For his son's safety, we will force him to break Origin's Seal."

Botta tilted his head. "Do you really think that will work? He was willing to allow his son to be taking by Yggdrasill."

"Perhaps, but I know him and I saw their battle at the tower. He does cares for his son in his own twisted way," Yuan said. "He wouldn't want me harming Lloyd or using him against Yggdrasill as a weapon."

Botta folded his arms. "So, that is the plan?"

Yuan nodded. "For now. Keep testing the Angelus and send me the data. Also, informed me when the others have awaked."

"Yes, Lord Yuan," Botta said.


Genis awoke feeling stiffed and sore. His head was also pounding. What happened? His last memory was fighting Kratos when another angel...

"Lloyd!" Genis exclaimed as he shot out of bed.

"Genis, it's okay," Raine said gently as she walked over to her little brother.

"Huh...Raine?" he asked sluggishly. Apparently, he still wasn't at full strength.

Raine nodded. "Take it easy. You've been through a tough battle. We all have."

Genis looked around to see where he was. They were in a big, plushy room that was decorated with fine furniture, chandlers, curtains, and plants. It was like a fancy hotel. "Where are..."

"We don't know," Sheena answered. She was leaning against a wall. "We woke up only an hour before you. So far, no one has graced us with their presence and the door is locked." She looked at the door. "I can burst the lock, but there is no point escaping if we don't even know where we are. There is also Lloyd."

Genis' eyes widened. "Where is Lloyd? What happened to him?"

Raine turned her eyes to a nearby bed and Genis followed her gazed. Not too far from him laid Lloyd. He was obviously still unconscious given how still he was. His clothes were torn in several places and Genis could see the chainmail under his jacket. There were also faint bruises on his face.

"Is he okay?" Genis asked worriedly.

"He seemed to be fine. It looked like whoever saved us sedated him. His injures are mostly healed despite some surface bruising," Raine answered.

Genis sighed. At least that was some good news. Somehow...they all managed to survive. He suddenly remembered something else. "Colette..."

Raine turned to face a nearby wall where Colette floated, unresponsive to all around her. "She has been like that since we first awoken. I tried to talk to her, but nothing gets through. It is just as Kratos said, she's lost the soul to listen to our words."

Genis growled. "Damn that Kratos. This entire time...he has been deceiving us from the very beginning. All those things he told me...it was all to manipulate us!"

Raine sighed. "I knew that there was something strange about him for some time...but in the end I couldn't figure it out in time. I hate myself for being so naive. And...for wanting to believe in him." She looked at Lloyd. "Out of all of us, Lloyd was the one he hurt most of all."

Sheena snorted in disgust. "I can't believe he actually told Lloyd that he lost his family. I mean, given all Lloyd's been through with Kvar...how could he used someone's heart like that?"

"In the end, none of us really knew Kratos," Raine stated somberly.

Genis slumped into the bed. "So, what now?"

"For now, let's rest and regain our strength. Hopefully, our captives will reveal themselves to us soon," Raine suggested.

Genis nodded as he laid back into bed. Despite just waking up, he never felt so drained. Before he knew it, he had drifted right back to sleep.

He wasn't sure how long he slept before he heard the door opened. His eyes snapped open and two Desians were walking in with what appeared to be a food cart. With them was the Desian they fought back at the temple, at the Desian desert Ranch, and saw at Kvar's Ranch.

"What...!?" Genis exclaimed as he looked for his kendama.

Raine and Sheena were also quickly on guard.

"Do not be afraid," Botta said. "We mean you no harm."

"I find that hard to believe coming from a Desian," Sheena growled.

The other two Desians laughed. "Really, after all this time you still think we're Desians."

Botta folded his arms. "We are not Desians. If we were, we would have no reason to save you at the Tower of Salvation."

"Then, what are you?" Genis asked, truly lost.

"We are known as the Renegades. An organization who have devoted their lives to fighting and destroying Cruxis," Botta explained.

Sheena paled. These were her employers. This was more than a little awkward.

"Renegades?" Raine repeated. "Is that why you have been trying to kill Colette?"

"Yes," Botta confirmed. "We were trying to stop the regeneration of the world and Martel's revival."

"But why do you look like Desians?" Genis asked.

"We chose to dress as Desians so we can more easily spy on them," Botta stated. "It also makes the populist more cooperative with us since they bend to the Desians' authority."

Raine narrowed her eyes. "I see. Then the Desians themselves never had any real intention in killing Colette. It was all you."

Genis hopped out of bed. "But that isn't true. Magnius tried to kill Colette, remember?"

"But you forget, he also said he was deceived. This is just a theory, but it is likely that someone within the Desians or even Cruxis gave him false information about Colette being unworthy. Which was why he attempted to assassinate Colette and take her Cruxis Crystal," Raine surmised.

Botta approved with a small smile. "Clever woman. I should expect no less from a kinsman."

Sheena raised an eyebrow. Kinsman? But Genis and Raine were full-blooded elves, right? From where she stood she was certain that Botta was a half-elf.

"But that doesn't explain Kvar," Genis insisted.

Raine folded her arms. "Perhaps...he wasn't working within Cruxis' interest."

"You guess it. Kvar had his own agenda and planned to betray Cruxis. That's why Kratos had him personally executed," Botta said.

"Did Kvar's betrayal have something to do with the Mana Cannon and the Angelus?" Raine questioned.

"I cannot tell you that," Botta said.

Raine nodded. Indirectly, Botta confirmed her suspicions.

Sheena shook her head. "So, it's true... The Desians and Cruxis are the same organization." She felt sick just thinking about it.

"You should not blame yourselves. Their deception has been going on for millenniums. It would be nearly impossible for you to know the truth since those who did know of Cruxis' lies are long since dead or work for Cruxis," Botta said.

"Yet, you somehow do," Raine noted.

"I have...inside information," Botta answered carefully.

"But there is one big question that remains. Why did you save us?" Raine asked. "You could have simply taking Colette and killed her at your leisure."

The statement stunned Genis.

"As it stands, killing the Chosen is currently impossible," Botta said as he glanced at Colette. "As for why we saved you, we have our own reasons for wanting you alive."

"Own reasons?" Genis repeated. He didn't like the sound of that.

"I think that is enough for now," Botta said. "There is no point explaining more until the boy is awake. We came to give you food and to assure you that you are safe for the time being. Cruxis have no eyes here."

Sheena nodded. "Th...thank you."

"I will send someone to check up on you in the morning. Rest well," Botta said as he and the other two Renegades left.

Genis shook his head. "Rest well he says... How can any of us rest after what we've learned?" He sat on the floor. "The Goddess Martel, Cruxis, everything the Church taught us...it was all a lie." He looked at Colette who remained exactly where she was. "Colette's existence...also a lie..."

"We don't know the entire truth yet," Raine said, although she was just as drained. "Before we start separating truth from fiction, we need to hear more. Like, why is Cruxis' goal reviving Martel. And who Martel is if she isn't a goddess."

"You're taking this awfully well," Sheena noted.

"There is little point in wallowing in despair," Raine said. "Things are what they are. It is our duty to work through it. For not only our sake, but also Colette's."

Genis looked at his friend. "Is...is there any way to changed her back? Her soul can't be completely gone, can it?"

"There is no way to tell. Until now, the process of becoming an angel was seen as divine," Raine stated. "Since we now know Cruxis is anything but there may be a way bring her back. But I don't have the knowledge to know what it is."

"We should take Botta's advice and relax. We won't know what we can do until we learn more," Sheena said as she walked over to the food cart. After how badly she bungled her assignment with the Chosen, she was lucky her employer chose to spare her.

The rest of the day flowed slowly and so did the next. The entire time, Lloyd remained unconscious.

Raine wasn't sure why since he should have woken up by now since his wounds were healed and the sedatives giving to him should have long worn out. There was also an odd fluctuation in his mana that she couldn't identify. It almost felt like it was...changing. It was definitely stronger than before.

It was halfway through the third day before Lloyd slowly began to stir.

"Hey, he's coming to!" Sheena announced when she noticed.

The other rushed to his bedside as Lloyd slowly sat up. He let out a low groaned.

"Lloyd, you're finally awake!" Genis exclaimed in relief.

Lloyd looked at his childhood friend in confusion. "Ugh…where are we?" Before anyone could answer he had another more important question. "Where's Colette?"

Everyone became silent as they turned their heads towards Colette. She was still floating near the edge of the room. Lloyd rushed out of bed and ran to Colette's side. She still didn't react. "Colette?" he whispered.

"She doesn't respond to anything we say," Sheena informed somberly.

Lloyd lowered his head and shook in anger and helplessness. "Dammit...!"

Raine decided to have Lloyd focused on something else. "Lloyd, do you remember this place? We're in Triet Desert. Remember? This is the base where you were captured before." It took her awhile, but she remembered this place after some exploring.

Lloyd looked at her in surprised. "The Desian Base!?"

Sheena shook her head. "These guys are not Desians."

Now Lloyd was really lost. "What? What do you mean?"

"So many things happened at once…I'm confused too," Genis admitted. Even after several days, he still couldn't wrap his mind on what happened.

Raine took a deep breath. "Then why don't we go over everything we know about the situation as it stands now. First, our current situation. When we were about to be killed at the Tower of Salvation and we were rescued by the organization of this base that resembles the Desians. They call themselves the Renegades."

"Uh, so what you're saying is that the people here are called Renegades and not Desians?" Lloyd asked, trying to understand everything. "Okay, I really don't get it, but go on."

Genis rolled his eyes. At least Lloyd was the same.

"The Renegades oppose the Desians. That is why they intentionally try to look like Desians," Raine stated.

Lloyd nodded. "Alright, I think I get it now. We were saved by an organization called the Renegades that looks a lot like the Desians." His eyes narrowed. "So then who was that angel guy…Yggdrasill, or whatever? And what about Kratos?"

"Do you remember Yggdrasill's words?" Raine asked, although she was certain Lloyd remembered very well. "Cruxis, holy beings worshipped by the Church of Martel, and the Desians are in fact be the same organization."

Lloyd shook his head. "How could that be possible!?"

"If we think of the Desians as a part of Cruxis, or perhaps their pawns, everything makes sense," Raine said.

"Magnius did say that their boss was Yggdrasill," Genis stated. "Same with Kvar."

"If the Desians and Cruxis are the same, well then what about Kratos?" Lloyd asked more to himself. "He obeyed Yggdrasill's orders. That means…"

Sheena narrowed her eyes. "That's right, he's our enemy! He deceived us! He's one of Cruxis' Four Seraphim!"

Lloyd shook. So...everything really was a lie.

"Kratos is likely a subordinate of Yggdrasill. He probably joined us to make sure Colette didn't stray from the journey to regenerate the world," Raine surmised.

Lloyd was seething now. "We were deceived from the very beginning. By Remiel, the Cruxis, even Kratos!"

He suddenly recalled Yggdrasill's words. "But now, you have to die knowing the truth. The truth that you have been helping the very thing you despised. And the man you thought was your comrade and teacher was using you. Kratos saw right through you this entire time. He pretended to be one of you so you would keep leading the Chosen to her death. He made you just strong enough to be useful. You never meant anything to him. Just a means to an end."

"Damn him..." Lloyd cussed under his breath. If it was the last thing he did, he would make Kratos pay for this.

Before anymore could be said, a Renegade walked into the room.

"Ah, you're awake. Then please, come with me to the next room. Our leader awaits you," the man said.

They all looked at him, surprised by the sudden announcement. Nonetheless, they followed the Renegade until they reached what they assumed was the main office. It was the same room they found Lloyd in when he was captured. Interestedly, Colette also followed them on her own free will. Although, she clearly wasn't there.

Botta was in the room along with the blue-haired man Lloyd met before. He never did catch the guy's name.

"You're finally awake," Yuan noted.

"Are you...the Renegades?" Lloyd asked, getting to the point.

"Correct. Cruxis controls the Church of Martel in the open and operates the Desians from behind the scenes. The Desians are a subordinate organization within Cruxis," Botta explained, filling Lloyd in on what he already told the others.

"The Church of Martel is nothing more than an instrument created by Cruxis to rule the world. Those who call themselves angels are half-elves who have evolved by using a special type of exsphere called Cruxis Crystals," Yuan took over. "They aren't gods or anything of the sort. Of course, the Church of Martel and the Chosen know nothing about that."

Genis froze at this information. Half-elves? The angels were nothing more than evolved half-elves?

Sheena had the same thought. "They're half-elves too!?"

Botta nodded. "Yes, some of the Desians, as well as Cruxis and ourselves, are half-elves."

Raine put her hand to her chin. She wanted to hear more about how exspheres were connected to Cruxis Crystals, but Lloyd had other ideas.

"What is Cruxis trying to do? Are they doing all of this just to rule the world?" Lloyd asked.

Yuan rolled his eyes. "If that was their plan, they succeeded millenniums ago. Do you intend to have us explain everything? How about using your own head a little."

"Do they wish to revive the Goddess Martel? They send oracles to those of the mana lineage and control their marriages to create Chosens who become the vessel. It seems meaninglessly drawn out and complicated," Raine stated, working her mind over.

Botta smiled approvingly. "Well, well. I am impressed."

Yuan nodded. A fellow half-elf would figure most of this out. "There is another world beyond Sylvarant that competes for mana."

"Tethe'alla," Lloyd said knowingly.

"Yes, and the one who created this twisted world was Cruxis' leader, Yggdrasill," Yuan stated.

"Create a world!?" Genis exclaimed in shock. "That's ridiculous! No one can do that! Not even the summoning spirits."

Yuan frowned. It seemed that the boy wasn't as clever as his sister. "If that's what you believe, then our conversation ends here." He turned to leave. He knew he was being harsh. If it was him millenniums ago, he wouldn't believe anyone could split the world in two either. But, he had no time to make believers out of them.

"Wait!" Lloyd exclaimed, stopping Yuan. "If Yggdrasill was the one that created the two worlds himself, what can you possibly hope to do against someone like that? And that's not all. You tried to kill Colette and me. You're certainly not on our side. Yet for some reason, you saved us. Why?"

Yuan smirked. "You're not as stupid as you seem."

"Excuse me!?" Lloyd yelled.

"Our goal is to stop Martel's revival," Botta explained before things got too out of hand. "Therefore, the Chosen, who would become her vessel, was an obstacle."

Yuan gave a loud sigh as he glanced at Colette. "Unfortunately, the Chosen completed the angel transformation. The Chosen is now a lethal weapon whose only goal is self-preservation. We wouldn't dare lay a hand on her." He then looked at Lloyd. "But now we have the key to stop Martel's resurrection. We no longer need the Chosen!"

Several soldiers suddenly entered the room and surrounded them.

"What!?" Lloyd exclaimed.

The others got out of their weapons.

"What we need is you, Lloyd Irving!" Yuan declared.

"Me!?" Lloyd yelled in surprised. "What's so special about me?"

"That's none of your concern!" Yuan exclaimed before looking at his men. "Get him!"

The Renegades moved, but the others quickly took Lloyd's back.

Sheena glanced at the people who were once her allies. She already knew something like this might happen the moment she refused to kill the Chosen. There was no turning back now.

"You won't lay a hand on Lloyd!" Genis growled. He didn't care if they owed these people their lives. He wasn't going to lose another dear friend like he lost Colette.

Yuan quickly realized that even without Kratos, the Chosen's group was still very dangerous. They did managed to beat Remiel, even if he was a lower tiered angel. It was best that he subdued Lloyd himself and forced the others to stand down.

He moved in to grab the boy, and Lloyd quickly and viciously kicked him in the midsection. Normally, such an attack would do next to nothing to him. However, Yuan was brought to his knees. He barely caught himself from falling completely down as he gasped for air.

What were the chances? The boy kicked him right where Kratos had injured him the other day. Because he has been so busy making plans for Lloyd and staying on top of Mithos, he never bothered to have the wound properly cared for. Damn his foolishness.

"Lord Yuan!" one of the Renegades shouted.

"No! It's his wound from Hima!" Botta yelled in dismay as he ran to his master's side.

Yuan growled. "Kratos… How many times must you get in my way!?" Even when he wasn't here he still managed to protect his son.

Lloyd's eyes widen in recognition. "Wound from Hima? Are you telling me the one who attacked Kratos was...?"

Before Lloyd could finish his question, the others took this opportunity to run.

"Lloyd, what are you doing!?" Sheena shouted before she grabbed Lloyd's arm and forcibly pulled him out of the room. While she was doing that, she quickly summoned Corrine. "Corrine, keep them busy!"

Corrine nodded. "Right!" He charged the stunned Renegades, knocking one of them over.

They all ran down the hallway, trying to avoid as many Renegades as possible. Those they did run into were dealt with swiftly by Lloyd. They didn't stop until they felt they had gotten a safe distance from Botta and the blue-haired man they called Yuan.

"Dammit! What's so special about me!?" Lloyd asked again in frustration. "Those Renegades need to hurry up and make up their freaking minds about whether they're our enemies or not!"

"Lloyd, what are we going to do now?" Genis asked.

Lloyd looked at Genis and wondered why he was asking him. He wasn't the leader of this group. That was...

He suddenly realized what he was about to say. Until now, Kratos led them. He gave them direction and told them what they needed to do.

Colette was 'officially' their leader being the Chosen and all, but...she couldn't do anything for them now. It was up to them to saved her.

Professor Raine would be the next in line, but she wasn't made for this kind of leadership role and she obviously didn't want it given the look in her eyes. She was much closer to an advisor, the voice of reason.

No. Without Kratos and until Colette was back to herself, it was up to him to lead them now. No, not just lead them, but also protect them as their strongest frontline fighter. Whether he liked it or not, he had to filled the role that was once occupied by Kratos. It was the only way they could survive.

He glanced at Raine who stood silently at his side. Without a word, her expression told him that she would support any decision he made.

Lloyd stood tall as he prepared himself. "We've got to save Colette somehow. She's going to die if she's made into Martel's vessel."

"But what can we do?" Genis asked desperately.

Raine looked towards Sheena. "Sheena, where did you get your exsphere?"

"Huh, well that came out of nowhere," Sheena said before getting her thoughts together. "I got this before I came here. They attached it to me at the Imperial Research Academy."

"Is it normal for people to equip exspheres in Tethe'alla?" Raine continued to question.

Sheena shook her head. "No, not at all. The technology was originally brought over by the Renegades from my understanding. Nowadays exspheres are mainly attached to machines."

This got Lloyd's attention. "Wait a second. So Tethe'alla and the Renegades are on the same side?"

Sheena folded her arms. "I'm not sure if you could say that. But the Renegades were the ones that brought us information about the nature of the two worlds. And the plan to assassinate the Chosen was their idea. They talked the King and the Pope into it." She paused as she remembered their words. "They said if we desired for Tethe'alla to prosper, we had to kill the Chosen of Sylvarant. They hired my village to do the deed with the king's permission."

"That's horrible!" Genis gasped.

"Lloyd, I suggest we go to Tethe'alla," Raine suddenly said, getting back to the main task.

"Why Tethe'alla?" Genis asked, completely lost.

"Don't you remember what Yuan said? Angels are half-elves that evolved using special exspheres called Cruxis Crystals," Raine stated.

Lloyd clapped his hands together. "I get it! Colette's current condition is caused by the Cruxis Crystal!"

Raine nodded, glad Lloyd understood. "Since Tethe'alla is studying the exspheres, they may know something about Cruxis Crystals as well."

Sheena smiled. "That's a good idea. I'm pretty sure that they're studying the Cruxis Crystal that belongs to Tethe'alla's Chosen at the Imperial Research Academy."

"There's a Chosen in Tethe'alla too?" Genis asked in wonderment.

"Of course. The world regeneration ritual is carried out in Tethe'alla as well. The Church of Martel exists too," Sheena explained.

Lloyd rubbed his chin. That brought on another question. "But if they've been carrying out the regeneration that many times, why hasn't Martel's vessel been completed already?"

"I'm curious about that myself," Raine mused. "Perhaps those corpses lined up in the Tower of Salvation were… No, never mind."

Lloyd sighed in frustration. "There are too many things that we don't know: Cruxis' objective, the Renegades, the method to save Colette…" He shook his head. "So let's just start with what we can do now."

Raine was impressed by Lloyd's maturity on this topic. Although Kratos used and betrayed them, he did a great job preparing Lloyd for leadership. She wondered...did he do it on purposed?

"So we're going to Tethe'alla?" Sheena asked in confirmation.

"Yeah, that's the only lead we have right now." Lloyd looked at Colette, who was still following them almost like an obedient dog. "And this time, I'm going to fulfill my role. I'm not going to let Colette bear the burden all by herself anymore." He stared into her blank, red eyes and wondered if some part of her could hear him.

"Wait a minute. That's great and all, but how are we going to get to Tethe'alla?" Genis asked the big question.

"I'm sure Sheena knows how to get there, correct?" Raine asked, although it was more of a statement of fact.

"My understanding is that you can travel to Tethe'alla by passing through a distortion in space. As far as I know, crafts called Rheairds are the only things that can do that," Sheena stated.

"Where are they?" Lloyd asked.

"The Renegades should have them. They should be somewhere on this base," Sheena said.

Lloyd punched the palm of his hand. "Okay Then. Let's get going!"

They started to move again and make their way to the hanger. They still had to move carefully to avoid any Renegades they saw in the area.

"I wonder if that Yggdrasill guy really is the leader of Cruxis," Lloyd said as they walked.

"Most likely, the sleeping goddess, Martel, is a symbolic entity, while Yggdrasill actually executes their plans," Raine surmised.

"And Kratos was really one of that Yggdrasill guy's subordinates," Genis said in disgust.

Lloyd growled. "What is he trying to do by turning Colette into Martel?"

"More importantly than that, I want to know why Martel requires a body to be her vessel," Raine stated. No matter how much she wracked her mind, she couldn't come up with an answer.

Genis rubbed his chin. "Ah, right. In other words, that means she doesn't have a body."

Lloyd blinked. " So...wait, if you don't have a body...if all you have left is your heart, can you still live?" He never heard of such a thing before, even in stories.

Raine glanced at Colette, who floated obediently behind them. "Colette is currently living despite having lost her heart. Perhaps the opposite is possible as well."

Lloyd rubbed his head, not quite believing it. Then again, Yggdrasill also supposedly created two worlds. Being alive without a body wouldn't be too much of a stretched to believe once you consider that. "I suppose when you put it that way..."

"If we can find out why Martel lost her body, we might be able to find out what it is that Yggdrasill is trying to do," Raine said.

"So many mysteries. It feels like my head is going to exploded," Genis moaned.

"Yeah...let's deal with one crises at a time. First we cure Colette, and worry about the other details later," Lloyd said. He was starting to get a headache.

After several more minutes of walking, they entered a large room filled with computers and monitors.

Without wasting a moment, Raine ran up to one of the computers and began to entered several key codes. Within a few seconds, a hatched opened on the floor and several vehicles came floating out. They were in several different colors ranging from red, blue, purple, and green.

Lloyd was in awe. He'd never seen anything like them. "So these are the Rheairds."

"Hurry! They'll catch up with us!" Sheena yelled, bringing Lloyd back to reality.

They all hurried and grabbed one of the Rheairds. Lloyd, naturally, took the red one and to his surprised, Colette joined him.

"Alright then! Tethe'alla, here we come!" Lloyd declared as he took off on the flying machine and flew through the opened hatched.

Soon, they would be in a new world. A world that has been hidden away from them behind the veil of lies created by Cruxis.


End Act I


And done, Act I is complete. Hard to believe that it took 52 chapters and over 250,000 words just to finish the Journey of Regeneration. I don't believe Act II or III to be nearly as long.

Anyway, until next chapter, take care of yourselves and thanks again for all the support.