Lucas woke up on a freezing Tuesday morning. His eyes shot open, awakening from his dreamy state into the glacial world of Arena Ferox. He was in a somewhat cramped bedroom within the arena building, one that only had a single bed, a moderately well-crafted wooden desk complete with a chair, and a glassless window high up on the back wall.

Glancing around his temporary lodgings, the headmaster of the Officers Academy sighed. Lucas' head turned, his gaze landing on his three Sacred Weapons, which were all resting on the chair that was in front of his desk.

A combination of different emotions shot through him at that moment. Anger, resentment, fear - it all culminated in the frown upon his face.

"It's another new day…" He said. "Sothis, Byleth."

Turning his head away from his Sacred Weapons, he resumed staring at the brick-tiled ceiling above.

"I thought the fighting would have ended on that day. But it seems I was wrong. The fighting never truly stops - not for me." Lucas closed his eyes. "Not for us. It seems, Byleth, we will always remain cursed."

Nobody replied to him.

"That's right," he responded to nothing. "We will always be drawn to conflict."

Lucas remained on his bed, silent. Birds chirping outside and the faint howling of the snowy wind was all he could hear in the outside world. Getting out of bed was not an option for him.

But the memory of Dorothea's face gave him strength, allowing him to rise from his resting place. He had been sleeping in his usual attire, the underhalf of the Enlightened One outfit the Church of Fódlan had in storage somewhere. His hair was all over the place, immensely disheveled from the rough night's rest he had. Lucas did not attempt to clean himself up and instead equipped himself with his Sacred Weapons.

With nothing left to do, he departed from his quarters, walking out into the long, slightly curved hallway of Arena Ferox's namesake building.

Following the completion of his short training session with Khan Regent Basilio the day prior, he was shown around the building by the Khan, as promised by the grizzled, one-eyed man. Lucas was only shown where the more notable halls, rooms, and chambers were. Namely, he knew (roughly) where the dining hall, bathhouse, bedrooms, and the training rooms were located. He didn't pay much attention to the location of the bathhouse, only keeping in mind the locations of the other three.

As for how to spend his morning, Lucas found himself torn between two options. One was the dining hall, a place of great importance he knew he'd have to visit sooner or later. The other was the training grounds, as it was the only place he could think to go to pass the time. That, and there was something peculiar about it.

A vision of the spacious training grounds from yesterday filled his mind. Lucas clutched his chest as pain surged from his stomach.

"This feeling - is the training area calling to me? No…" He shook his head a little. "I'm calling to it."

Powering through the pain, Lucas released his hand from his chest. He turned to the left, staring down the hallway that seemed to stretch on for infinity.

"This way."

As he started to take a step toward the left, the pain in his stomach became a rumbling of sorts. Lucas blinked as he stared downward.

"Oh. That's what that was." A faint blush of embarrassment appeared on his cheeks. "I'm hungry. Very well then."

He turned right around, now facing the opposite way.

"The dining hall it is."

After he made his decision, Lucas walked down the path toward his reprieve.

The walk to the dining hall wasn't a long one. Lucas' room was on the higher floors of the building while the dining hall was on the very bottom. It would have been much longer had it not been for the fortunate placement of the stairs, which were only a short minute's walk away from his quarters. He followed them down to the first floor, relying on nothing else but his instinctual memories to guide him the rest of the way.

He ended up getting lost. Lucas elected not to ask any of the arena's frequent visitors for directions, deciding to rely only on himself for this matter.

It took him almost half an hour to find the dining hall. His stomach rumbled considerably as he searched for the place, seemingly calming down once he arrived.

The dining hall was similar in size to the one from Garreg Mach, though it was a bit bigger in terms of length. Its appearance, however, was much different. Arena Ferox's dining hall was made out of the same murky beige stone as the rest of the building, the tables and stools being made from the same dark brown wood as the desks in the bedrooms. Torches on the wall kept the room lit.

A small queue formed up against the counter, which was against the wall opposite the entrance. Unfazed by the length of the queue, Lucas entered the dining hall. He grabbed a wooden tray and some cutlery that were in separate piles at the start of the counter, and then waited in line. Once it was his turn to order, he got a good look at the menu.

"No eggs…" His right eye twitched slightly. "I'll take the Feroxi Soup and some water."

With his order successfully made, the worker behind the counter sent a note he just made into the kitchen and asked Lucas to wait over by the side. Lucas did as he was asked, and before long, his bowl of soup was handed to him by the worker, who received it from a chef that briefly left the kitchen. He also received a mug of water, both of which were placed carefully onto his tray.

Now that his breakfast was ready, Lucas left the section of the hall where the counter was and found an unoccupied end of a table he could sit at, which was in the middle of the hall, surrounded by four other adjacent tables.

At least he was all alone.

Silently, he took his wooden spoon and started eating his breakfast soup. He remained undisturbed, able to eat in relative peace. Some people did stare at him, both from afar and slightly closer up, but no confrontations emerged. Vague whisperings did happen, however. Lucas was too far away to hear them with any clarity.

Though he had a good idea of whom they were discussing. Still, it didn't faze him, and thus he continued eating his soup.

"You."

A rough, deep voice came from in front of him. Lucas looked up at the person who was staring back at him.

It was a young adult wearing an oddly detailed, foreign outfit. A sword was sheathed and strapped to his side, ready for use at a moment's notice. His slightly pointy, dark brown hair matched fairly well with the blackness of his sword's sheath. He was holding his tray of food, a strange dish consisting mostly of vegetables.

"You're the one the Khan chose over me."

Lucas glared at him. "I don't know you. Leave me be."

"No, I won't. I can't leave you alone after what you've done."

"I don't know what I've done."

The swordsman scowled at Lucas, slamming his tray onto the table, causing both of their mugs of water to spill slightly.

"As I said, the Khan chose you instead of me. I was supposed to be Basilio's champion, the leader of the team that's to represent him in the Khan Tournament. It was supposed to be an opportunity for me to prove myself…" He clenched his hands. "But you took that from me."

Lucas countered the man's scowl with one of his own. "You must be Lon'qu, then. The swordsman from Valm."

"Yes." The swordsman, Lon'qu, nodded with some aggression. "I assume Khan Basilio told you about me. Yet, still, you chose to take my position away from me. I needed it."

"So do I." Lucas closed his eyes in a melancholic manner.

Lon'qu grunted angrily. "I've been Khan Basilio's champion for years. For you to suddenly come out of nowhere and take that title away from me…" His hateful expression darkened for a split second. "You should know I don't care much for the prestige of the title. Being the champion of the West-Khan means far more to me than that."

Lucas blinked. He continued eating his soup, much to Lon'qu's chagrin.

"And yet, you ignore me, even though I continue to speak to you. This marks the second time you've slighted my swordsmanship."

"Is that what you're concerned about?" Lucas asked in a bored tone, all while eating his soup.

"Yes. My swordsmanship is at the very core of my identity. To have you question it in the way you have…I cannot allow that."

Lon'qu unsheathed his sword, a Killing Edge, and brandished it toward Lucas.

"Let me see the strength that caught the Khan's eye."

"No," said Lucas, between sips of water. "After breakfast."

"I must insist we fight now." Lon'qu lowered his blade, its tip barely touching Lucas' slim forehead. "I won't take no for an answer."

Lucas sighed. With his wooden mug of water still in his left hand, he raised his right hand and seemed to reach for Labraunda, which was on the stool next to him.

But instead, he reached for the blade of Lon'qu's Killing Edge and merely batted it away with an ounce of strength.

In doing so, Lon'qu was almost sent flying backward.

"What-?!" Lon'qu was stunned. He struggled to balance himself, his arms rotating somewhat comedically as he tried to prevent himself from falling over. He was successful, landing back on his two feet.

Meanwhile, Lucas lowered his hand and went back to eating his soup.

"After breakfast," he repeated quietly.

Lon'qu had no response. He stood there, in the middle of the dining hall, frozen with astonishment. Some of the other Feroxi people who had been watching had much the same reaction, completely amazed by the sheer power on display.

"F-fine…"

Conceding for the time being, Lon'qu sat down at the table, directly opposite Lucas. The two ate together, silently, for the remainder of their meals.

Once they were both finished, they nodded at each other. The next item on their respective agendas was clear. After squaring away their mildly unclean trays and cutlery, Lucas and Lon'qu departed from the dining hall.

Together, they made their way to the training grounds.

Upon arriving at the training grounds, Lucas and Lon'qu immediately found a section within the middle of the area in which they could comfortably spar. Wielding their respective weapons, Labraunda and a spare Killing Edge, the two men stared each other down - a short distance between them.

They both scowled at one another.

"Don't hold back on me. I want to see every little bit of strength you have," said Lon'qu, crouching slightly as per his stance. "Your display in the dining hall was interesting. I want to see more of that."

"If that's what you wish." Lucas hadn't gotten into any significant stance and was merely holding Labraunda out in front of him.

"It is. Now…" Lon'qu titled his sword. "Show me what you've got!"

Springing forward, the Valmese swordsman rushed forward with his spare Killing Edge, rapidly approaching Lucas with fervent ferocity. Instead of preparing any manner of defense, Lucas yawned, allowing his opponent to do as he pleased.

As Lon'qu got close, he went for a lunging stab with his sword. It seemed like it was going to connect. Yet Lucas dodged it at the last second, his eyelids still half-closed from his earlier yawn, and performed the final attack of the sparring session,

Lucas dropped Labraunda, much to Lon'qu's surprise, and then punched his opponent in the cheek. The sheer magnitude of the force behind his punch was enough to send Lon'qu hurtling toward the other side of the small, square arena they had been fighting in. He tripped over the line of stone slabs that separated the arena from the rest of the training grounds and fell to the floor head-first.

"Guh…!" Lon'qu grunted in pain as he massaged his head while laying on the floor. He raised the upper half of his body, withstanding the incoming headaches, so he could look directly at the person who punched him.

A severe, red and black bruise was left on his cheek. His eyes widened as he felt the sting on his cheek, his gaze shaking slightly as it focused on Lucas.

"This is the strength that caught Khan Basilio's attention?!"

Lucas yawned again while he picked up Labraunda from the floor. Lon'qu frowned, his immense surprise fading to only a small extent.

"Tell me," Lon'qu said as he struggled onto his feet and began walking sluggishly toward Lucas. "How did you become so strong? I need to know."

The wielder of Labraunda froze. His expression became melancholic, wrought with sorrow. Once again, his mind was flooded with memories of the distant and more recent past. Shuddering, Lucas turned away.

"It…was the result of a curse," he answered quietly.

"A curse? That seems counterproductive. Curses are supposed to hinder whoever has them, is that not right? How is it that this one has given you such immense strength?"

"I-"

Sweat enveloped Lucas' face, turning it bright red. However, he also felt both the glacial temperature of Ferox's climate as well as the iciness inside his very soul, creating a clash of states that raged on all over his being.

Memories flashed back to him. Garreg Mach, Arianrhod, Myrddin, Derdriu, the Imperial throne room in Enbarr, all the vile stenches of decomposing corpses and the taste of iron upon his lips as well as his fingers. The screams of all those who fell. Lucas shut out the entire world around him as his breathing became irregular.

He dropped Labraunda as his gaze became distant. Lon'qu stood there with a confused expression.

"What are you doing?" The swordsman wondered.

"M-muh, meh…" Lucas mumbled. "Bernie, I'll protect you-!"

"Bernie? That's not my name. It's Lon'qu. There is no Bernie around here - as far as I can tell. I think you're mistaking me for someone else."

"Adrian…Agartha. I'll kill you both!"

"Grgh-!"

Lon'qu got into a stance, instinctively ready to defend himself from an assault he thought was coming. But it never came. Lucas continued to mumble to himself, his body covered in an eternal cold sweat.

Arching a brow, Lon'qu dispersed his fighting stance.

"What is he doing?" He asked himself. "Wait…"

His eyes widened.

"Is this the curse he was referring to?"

Furrowing his brows, Lon'qu grunted due to his confusion.

"What do I do?"

As he was unsure of how to respond to the episode Lucas was having, Lon'qu simply remained where he was, staring at the panicking individual with a befuddled and somewhat curious expression. Everyone else in the training grounds heard Lucas' mumblings, which sometimes turned into screams followed by an intense slice with Labraunda. They all turned toward the scene for only a brief moment before ignoring what was happening and focusing on their training.

Nobody did anything to calm Lucas' stress.

"Hey, Lon'qu. Figured you'd be here." Basilio's voice came from behind Lon'qu, gradually becoming louder in the swordsman's ears as he approached. "Training some more, eh? Sure hope you're not mad about-"

Basilio stopped when he reached Lon'qu's side, his gaze pointed at Lucas, who was slashing the air constantly, fighting an enemy that wasn't there.

"Oh." The Khan blinked. "Right. That explains why everyone's got a weird look on their face. Those noises, too…is he in pain? You didn't hurt him, did you?"

"No, I didn't. He just started acting like this out of nowhere. I don't know what to do."

"Hmm…seems to me like he was hurt by something, at least. I haven't seen very many people act this way before and every case is going to be different, but from what I have seen, it's clear this guy isn't all there."

Lon'qu turned to the Khan with an arched brow. "And you think he's suitable for the Khan Tournament?"

"His massive strength is undeniable. I'd be a damn fool to let this opportunity go to waste. Sure, this," Basilio motioned toward Lucas, who was still attacking the air, "might be a problem, but all problems have their solutions. We'll just have to find that solution."

"Hmph." Lon'qu turned away. "This is irresponsible. He could end up killing someone. Flavia might not appreciate it if her team ends up dead."

"I know. But I'm willing to take a chance on this guy."

Basilio folded his arms, focusing on Lucas.

"This can't be all that he is."

"Tch." Lon'qu shook his head. "Do whatever you want. In the end, I'll trust your judgment, Khan Basilio. However, if something bad happens because of him…"

The Valmese swordsman turned around and walked forward a few steps, back facing both Basilio and Lucas.

"I won't volunteer to clean up the mess."

"That's fine," Basilio replied. "I wouldn't ask you to. Thanks for your concern, pal."

"Hmph."

Having no further comments left to make, Lon'qu departed the immediate area, heading further into the training grounds - far away from where Basilio and Lucas were. He became downright invisible to the Khan and everyone else, no longer caring to involve himself with the scene surrounding the stranger.

Khan Basilio, now on his own with Lucas, sighed and frowned empathetically at the man that was continuing to swipe at the air with his axe.

"What the hell happened to you…?" Basilio wondered to himself as he stared at Lucas. "How could someone end up like this?"

He folded his arms as Lucas breathed heavily, still fighting the unknown.

"Wish I could help ya, but I don't have much of a clue as to what you're going through right now. You said you need your wife to help you with this kinda thing. Shame she's not here. What was her name again?" Basilio paused to search through his immediate memories. "Dorothea, was it?"

Upon hearing the name of his wife, Lucas stopped mid-swing. He slowly turned toward Basilio, his breathing calming to a regular state and his sweat subsiding.

"Dorothea…"

"Huh?" Basilio blinked in surprise. "Have you come back to reality, pal?"

"W-where is she…?" Lucas' voice was filled with melancholy.

"Not here, I'm afraid. Don't you remember? You said you were gonna fight for me as my champion in the upcoming Khan Tournament. After that, you said you'd head out into the world and search for her, using the horse I'd only give you if you were to win. That was your whole plan, wasn't it? Isn't that what we agreed on yesterday?"

"Tournament…" Lucas paused and took a deep breath. "I-I remember. I was separated from Dorothea and so I'll have to search for her. Agartha is not here…th-they disappeared months ago."

"That's right. There aren't any enemies here. You'll have to do a little bit of fighting until you can start that search of yours, but even then, you won't be fighting for your life. Flavia doesn't choose murderers for her team, heh. You'll be fine. There won't be anything to get all worked up about."

"No enemies. Agartha is not here…Agartha is not here." Lucas took another deep breath. "I need to find Dorothea. That's my goal."

"Yeah, you're right." Basilio nodded. "I think that's enough training for now. How about you walk around, take your mind off things? Although the Feroxi might love combat, we've got quite a bit of culture as well. Could be a good idea to get to know the nation you'll be living in for a little while. How about it?"

"Walking around…"

Lucas thought about Basilio's suggestion. His mind flashed back again, but not to a violent memory. It was a peaceful one, something that occurred long ago and was relevant to what Basilio was suggesting.

"Sothis, you recommended the same thing, didn't you?" He asked the goddess.

But nobody replied. Regardless, Lucas nodded, as if he had received a response.

"It worked last time. And the time before that…it's not night time, though it may be prudent to try it again."

He focused on Basilio and nodded.

"I will walk around. Though…" His expression darkened. "I don't think it will help."

"Can't hurt to at least try, can it?"

"I suppose not. Still, the pain in my heart will not so easily fade. Only Dorothea can erase it."

Basilio grinned. "All the more reason to win the tournament, then. Gotta get to your girl as soon as possible."

"Yes…" Lucas sheathed Labraunda behind his back and began to walk away. "I must."

He walked past Basilio, who watched as the axe-wielding black-haired man from Fódlan approached the doors to the training grounds with sluggish, tired movements. Yet, despite his general exhaustion, he had enough strength to almost tear the doors off their hinges, the force of which was felt all across the room.

Basilio's grin widened, furthering into a visage of smug confidence. However, there was also a layer of concern hidden just beneath.

"Better find your solution, pal, or else…" His grin faded. "You're not gonna make it."

The Khan departed from the training grounds.

Following his withdrawal from the training grounds, Lucas ended up exploring the arena, the building the Feroxi people treated as their equivalent to a royal castle. He made his way around the various corridors the arena had, briefly peering into the many facilities within. During his aimless wander, he found some other, smaller training grounds that were scattered around the building. As he briefly looked inside them, he felt an instinctual urge to fight.

As a result, the Feroxi warriors that were training inside the different areas all met with an insurmountable opponent. While throwing and slashing people into walls, holding back so he didn't shatter the foundations of the entire building, Lucas' face bore a permanent scowl, an everlasting visage of hatefulness that wasn't pointed at anyone in particular.

His scowl remained as he continued to wander the arena.

Further into his directionless journey, Lucas discovered the local library. It was contained to an unexpectedly small room that was filled to the brim with as many shelves as it could fit - that being only a petite handful of them. The shelves themselves were also rather empty, there being not a lot of books on them. There was nobody at the counter, either, and neither were there any places to sit and read.

Despite this, Lucas walked in and explored, unfazed by the cramped nature of the Feroxi library. He perused the contents of the shelves, curiously looking at a few of the hardcover books that were on display. Some of them were worn, but most of them were in pristine condition. It was as if they had rarely ever seen use.

"The Value of Strength, by Tiberia." Lucas read out the name of a worn book. His scowl intensified. "I…I can tell why this has seen frequent use."

He flicked through the pages, reading the book at lightning speed. None of its contents was permanently absorbed into his mind as a result of reading. He merely sighed and put the book back on the shelf.

"Useless."

Lucas scanned through the remainder of the shelves, finding very little that stuck out to him. Most of the library's contents pertained to combat, especially in regard to different types of training, how to get stronger, how to become a true Feroxi warrior and other similar topics. None of it was particularly interesting to Lucas. He always threw the books back, almost shattering the shelves in the process. Nothing was intriguing him.

Until he found something that did. It was in extremely good condition, untouched by the hands of the arena's inhabitants.

"The History of Archanea, by Zane. Is that the name of this world?" He asked himself. "Sounds familiar. Hmm…"

He opened the book and began reading.

"Thousands of years ago, long before the formation of the country that was to be named after the continent itself, there lived a civilization of dragons. The Divine Dragons, the most powerful of the numerous dragon tribes, led the civilization through an era of peace. Their power and wisdom far exceeded that of humans," Lucas continued to read aloud. He skimmed over several lines. "But their society changed the moment they were inflicted with a severe illness that drove them mad. In their madness, they-"

His facial expression lost some of its quiet fury and was replaced by melancholy.

"They brought destruction upon the world, destroying towns and villages alike until there was nothing left. The Divine Dragons became nothing more than common monsters."

Lucas stopped reading. He frowned again, then shoved the book back into the shelf roughly where it was before.

"What am I doing…?" He asked himself, a slight grit to his voice. "I'm wasting my time. I must find something, anything…that isn't this."

Taking a final glance at the immensely dusty shelves around him, Lucas started walking away from the middle area of the library. The front desk was still unoccupied and the entire room was silent, devoid of any significant life. Lucas even witnessed a spider crawling around the corner of the ceiling.

His head turned to the glassless window on the wall to his right. Curiously, he walked over to it, unaffected by the freezing air that blew in from outside and gazed.

The city of Arena Ferox was wrapped in an eternal blanket of snow, as it always had been. Lucas was watching the capital from on-high, staring down at everything that was occurring below. Life was abundant in the city, as one would expect, with plenty of civilians walking around doing as they pleased. Merchants attempted to sell their wares to anyone that wandered by and children fought each other in the art of snowball fighting.

The sun was slowly drifting toward the west, having gotten to the point where the gray clouds covering the earth below were getting darker by the minute. Night had yet to come, but evening was soon making its appearance.

Something about the city caught Lucas' eye.

"I have not seen such snow…since Faerghus." He grimaced. "I'm finding no reprieve inside. Perhaps it would be best for me to search outside. Would you two agree, Sothis, Byleth?"

He hadn't received any responses, yet he nodded anyway.

"You're right. It would be best to distance myself from that. That's what Dorothea always says to me - I must follow her advice."

He closed his eyes, his head hanging down a little.

"Dorothea…I swear I will find you. But for now, I must bide my time. I must wait until the day I can begin searching for you."

Lucas opened his eyes, turned around, then approached the exit to the library.

"I can't stop thinking about you, my love."

Pushing open the door with a light tap, which in truth was a great push that almost tore the door off its hinges, Lucas left the empty library and wandered back into the corridors of the arena building. Following a path he was vaguely familiar with, he soon returned to the bottom floor and arrived at the large, front double doors.

Then, Lucas ventured outside - into a world of cold.

Arena Ferox, upon closer inspection, was far livelier than it seemed from above. The streets were almost filled with civilians going about their daily lives, as opposed to the few he saw before. As he crushed the first bit of snow on the earth underneath his boot, Lucas began to witness the true essence of Regna Ferox.

Several strong-looking women wandered by him, each of them holding a massive amount of wood logs underneath their arms, seemingly carrying them without an issue. Some other people were patching up holes in a nearby building, tearing away certain bricks and replacing them without breaking a sweat. Even the Feroxi children were impressive in their own right, constructing miniature fortresses using the snow that covered the ground.

Lucas stood at the base of the arena's steps, stunned at what he was seeing.

"These people…they're strong." He commented out loud. "The Khan said the Feroxi people are proud, mighty warriors. Is this why?"

He narrowed his eyes in scrutinization of the snowball fight that was happening toward the far left between a different set of children.

"They spend every moment of their lives training in any way they can, strengthening their bodies. Perhaps that's why I have seen so many of them in the arena. Ah…"

His gaze briefly became distant.

"Right. I agree, Byleth." Lucas nodded, his facial expression darkened by the sorrow and anger in his heart. "We understand what that's like."

Staring at the snow beneath him, he tilted his head to the side and reached out.

"Sothis, I…I know. But still, you know these thoughts cannot be erased. I can't so easily ignore them in the way you want me to. It's a reminder of-"

Lucas quickly retracted his hand at the glacial touch of the snow.

"Do something else? What could I possibly do? Your reading suggestion didn't work. Every moment I spend without her is a moment spent in a waking hell-!"

Although he raised his voice as he exclaimed, his rage seeping through, none of the nearby Feroxi people seemed to notice or care. Lucas was left alone - even if he was speaking to himself.

"I can't!" He shouted, fiercely clutching both hands. "It's not that easy! Dorothea is the light that guides me through the darkness in my mind, the darkness you can feel! Without her, I am but a shadow wracked by endless suffering! I need her to survive…I need her so I can be more than I am now. Did you not learn anything from those 100 years?!"

Some of the closeby Feroxi people stopped to stare at Lucas as he yelled at himself, but they always went back to what they were doing.

"If only that portal wasn't there. That's what sent me to this world in the first place. It wouldn't have happened had it not been for those Agarthans and that dual-wielding mercenary. If they had just died, then-!"

The force behind the grip on his fist skyrocketed. He pulled his arm into the air, aiming his fist for the ground.

"I would still be with her!"

Lucas unleashed a punch on the snow-covered earth. The strength behind his attack was enough to carve out a small crater, and the ensuing shockwaves blew away most of the surrounding snow, revealing the dirt underneath.

"I will find those Agarthans and that mercenary, wherever they are…I will end them by my own hands!"

Everyone in the vicinity was staring at him. Those that were repairing the building, the children building fortresses, even the guards protecting the arena doors - they all stared in astonishment at Lucas' strength.

Yet there was also an element of fear to some of their visages. The children ran away, startled by Lucas' shouting and the adults merely glared at him momentarily before returning to their work.

Meanwhile, with his other hand, Lucas scooped up a clump of snow and returned to a normal standing position.

"I will crush them…" He effortlessly squeezed the snow in his hands, causing the clump he collected to break apart into petite pieces. "Like so."

Shaking off the remainder of the snow in his hand that didn't already fall off, Lucas refocused his gaze on the city in front of him. His permanent scowl reappeared.

"Sothis, you say I need to forget. To let it go, to ease my mind of the pain inside - to do anything to keep myself away from it. But you know that's an impossibility. Still…for you, I will try. Though I doubt this city can alleviate my stress."

With a somewhat resolute expression, Lucas fully wandered into the city, leaving behind the small crater of destruction he created.

His walk was without purpose or direction. Not knowing where exactly he wanted to or what he wished to do, Lucas spent his time taking in the various sights, feeling the pure energy of life that emanated throughout the city.

He watched as a civilian left a merchant's stool and immediately stuffed their face with a sandwich filled with local meat. He also saw another merchant pout at being unsuccessful at selling a particular axe they had on display, while a nearby blacksmith handed a freshly forged sword over to their customer, who then paid adequately for the service they received. Lucas even had to step aside so an armed individual could pass - his gaze lingered on the axes around the person's hips.

"I'm doing it again," he said to himself. "I'm trying, Sothis. But there is nothing else here that's intriguing me."

Looking around all the surrounding merchant stalls, there truly was nothing aside from blacksmiths and other weapon stalls that caught Lucas' attention. Not even the enticing, meaty smells of nearby foods helped in this matter.

A voice then called out to him from behind.

"Hey, you there!"

Lucas turned toward the voice, finding that it belonged to one of the merchants.

"You seem troubled, friend. Fear not!" The Feroxi merchant presented the food items that were on his stall. "My fish will take away all of your troubles."

With a surprised reaction, Lucas stared at all the different kinds of fish the merchant had available for purchase. His gaze lingered on them for some time.

"Just 20G for one fish. How about it? Great deal, huh?"

Lucas' mouth swung open, salivating slightly. He lightly clutched his stomach, which grumbled, and felt a strong urge to speak.

Yet he kept quiet. Overpowering his baser instincts, he forced his mouth shut and turned around, frowning in vexation. Without saying a word to the merchant, Lucas walked off. As he left, the merchant stared confusedly at the black-haired foreigner.

"Was it something I said…?"

After walking away from the fish merchant, Lucas resumed his earlier wander, though he no longer stopped to inspect the finer details of his environment. He ignored anyone else that tried to speak to him, be they other merchants or people shouting expletives at him because he tended to push them aside while walking past. Some of them ended up on the ground, unable to stand up after meeting with the sheer magnitude of his strength. Their pain didn't register with him.

"I should just…get away from it all. You're right, Byleth," he said quietly, in a tired voice.

In the end, to follow the advice he received from within, Lucas walked further into the city. He rounded a corner and found a secluded spot in an alleyway between two buildings. He sat down on the frozen earth and leaned his back against the wall.

It was a moment of repose. While sitting on the snow, he looked longingly into the gray sky.

"No matter what I do, I cannot stop thinking about them. The Agarthans, that mercenary, Dorothea…" He gazed into his open palm, which was partially covered in snow. "This is the price I must pay for the mistakes I've made. I will accept this as my punishment, for this is what I deserve."

The snow in his hand slowly started to melt. He closed his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Dorothea."

From that moment on, Lucas remained silent, wallowing in the depths of his sorrow. He was able to suppress the outward conveyance of his emotions to some extent, meaning he didn't cry, though it was evident there was a lot on his mind. Not that anyone walked by within the obscure alleyway he was sitting in - Lucas was all alone.

Until he heard the sound of footsteps, muffled through the crushing of snow. A voice soon emerged.

"So this is where you went. I lost you in that crowd earlier, but now I'm glad I found you."

Lucas rubbed his eyes, then gave the stranger a small look, lesser than a sidelong glance. All he could see in regards to the person's appearance was blue, light armor and the hilt of a sheathed sword. He didn't speak to them, only frowning in response. It seemed to be enough for them.

"You should know who I am…" The stranger hesitated with their words. "Sir Lucas."

His brows furrowed at the mention of his name. Curiosity taking over, he fully turned his gaze toward the stranger. Long, dark blue hair that was adorned with a royal headpiece, a similarly colored cape that had a red underside, and a blue butterfly mask.

"I know you," he said to them. "But from where…?"

"You do know me, indeed. I believe you may also know why I am here and what it is I wish to do. Perhaps this mask is unnecessary around you," the masked person replied. "Regardless, your knowledge of the future is something I shall require."

"The future? Who…are you?"

Because of their mask, the stranger's expression was mostly unreadable. However, their mouth suddenly curved downward and their cheekbones tensed up.

"I see you may need a reminder. Very well. I will not remove my mask, but I shall give you my name. Promise me you will not tell it to anyone else."

Lucas was quiet, though his determined and curious stare was sufficient enough for the blue-haired stranger.

"My name, Sir Lucas…" The person paused. "Is Lucina."

His eyes widened.

Author Notes: Sorry for the day late upload! I've been pretty busy lately, so I haven't had the time to prepare this one for posting. I'll try to make sure this doesn't happen again.

Starting to get a few more canon characters involved here! Lon'qu doesn't appear to like Lucas all that much, and it seems Lucina is familiar with Lucas. I wonder how she knows him...?

Shoutouts to Frost for beta-ing!

More review responses!

Flame Wolfe - Where have Dorothea and Seteth shown up, indeed? It may take a while, but they'll show up. Eventually. I've got some stuff cookin' for those two...

blueassassin996 - Dude has suffered a lot, yeah. Let's hope he can calm down long enough to find Dorothea, or else somebody's getting hurt.

Thanks again for reading, everyone! Be sure to leave a review and/or a follow, if you so wish! I'll see ya next week!

Join the Fanfiction Treehouse Discord server here!: u89gs745fn.