At The End in Darkness, I Pass This Fourth

Here at the end of my path, I turn to see where we have gone Past.

Though it is not the End. Follow the ones who still walk in the Dark.

Watch the wind, listen as I had, then on ahead, turn back the Dark.

My River of Change, know that I long for the day that we had. 

So until that day; Remain.

For while we stand, so too do those within.

The Broken Castle that Flew Beneath The Sky

Epochara, defiant, cast in shadow of the world consuming maw of the Void, refused to yield to oblivion. The planet pushed with wanting strength, and in it’s great exertion, the heart of the planet cracked; shattered Stability gushed like blood from an artery, and it's surface was enveloped in a deep white mist.

Intrinsically bound, those within suffered as well. Many were left broken in an instant; The sudden loss of Stability too much to withstand. The largest cities, to the smallest settlements were thrown into darkness, almost every living creature becoming a hollow vestige of what they once were—mindless wandering beasts—”The Lost”.

The Shattered Stability though, formed a different type of Force: Ascension— Magic;

Strength through Challenge.

Among the few who survived the shattering of their Lifehearts, fewer still found a new affinity allowing them to absorb and refine the now-abundant Force.

Epochara, on the verge of death, sent out a call from within the besieged castle of The World Beneath. Few could hear it,

and fewer words would be heard.  "Seek strength… Find my Heart… find me"

"Are you willing" it asked. "For what?". "Are you willing" it simply repeated, in the same monotonous thrum.

"....Yes".

It had no volition of it's own, and while I was not compelled to agree, I saw the flash of possibilities, and of things to come. I understood his motives then—partially; The way he went about it was wrong. I would save them instead, even the smallest creature deserved a voice. Our journey was over now, but there was still a long way to go.

The End of The Ancient's War

It was as wide as the infinitely vast horizon, but somehow we still sealed it away in that plane of nothingness.

This time, it would be different. Our blades faded from silver to grey as they rejoined The Knight. They stepped through the portal, closing off our world and the unending void.

In doing so, they brought an end to, according to what we had learned, a war that had stretched over a thousand years.

We left our swords there, now just mundane metal, and returned to the nearly-destroyed city.

The fighting was over, but there was still much to do.

Hearts

The first: Intrinsic. The second: Reflection of a path.

Further are those who chose to follow, and—In Darkness—once provided their light.