Clovis looked amidst the destruction. What was once a beacon in the sky, a genuine piece of perfection and art for Aethyra, was nothing but mere dust and rubble. What was once paired together along with a watchtower was now nothing.

He occasionally looked around, some injured, and some discussing what they had seen while evacuating. Most of the conversations pertained to the Great Red Dragon, Raek defending effortlessly, the destruction of the Merchant’s Quarter.

Although…Clovis begged to differ. The last time he was over there, he didn’t remember it looking that bad. A few destroyed stalls, crates, and important items and food sprayed out all over the streets.

It wasn’t bad.

He sighed, his hand running over his face. He didn’t know where to begin, or where to start. Things happen, Clovis understood that. A beast as fierce as the Great Dragon looking to terrorize cities is a tale as old as time.

But for some reason, a gnawing feeling clawed at him. Where did it all begin? What could have he done better to not let this happen?

“Yo, done monolouging over there?” A familiar voice called out, hearing the footsteps behind, he brushed past Clovis. The brown skin, the black tunic underneath the crimson cloak that was trimmed in gold, the hazel eyes and the wil–

Who else could it be?

Raek stood next to him, his hands in the pockets of his baggy pants as he too, watched.

Clovis called back to his earlier comment, “Not now, Raek.”

Raek slowly nodded, leaving Clovis to wallow in his own brewing guilt. As people passed by, taking in the sight of two Vanguardias rather than the destroyed bell tower.

“This bell tower was built 55 years ago. An important landmark for Aethyra…” Clovis trailed off. Recalling the history that it had to the city.

He didn’t bother turning towards Raek, still looking at the remnants of it. “You know who built it?”

Raek fixed a face, as if trying to come up with an answer. Racking his brain for any Aethyra trivia he had waiting for this special moment. Ultimately, nothing came to mind.

“No idea.” He said very blankly.

“Voelt Sparkk.” Clovis admitted confidently.

Raek gave out a silent, “oh”. The name alone carried power, and respect. Not for Clovis, but for Raek as well. In some way, he felt like he should’ve known this.

He later followed up on Clovis’s random fun fact for Aethyra, “And…this matters why?”

Clovis turned towards Raek with such haste, his face an annoyed look. “It matters to me. One of the Sparkk’s greatest contributions, and it was simply tore down.”

His eyes would go on to narrow down at the other Vanguard. Clovis however, didn’t need to say anything. Raek already understood the message.

He smacked his lips and rolled his eyes, “Clov, you can’t be serious. It’s not like I intended for it to get destroyed.”

“It was a part of my plan.”

“Your plan that laid waste to the district and the tower?” Clovis asked, his voice steady, but becoming sharper. His annoyance evolving into something far more. Raek noticed it, and tried to calm him.

“Well, with all due respect here, right? It could’ve been just far easier to use the Phantom Orb as bait and take it outside of the city. But then it wouldn’t be exhausted, and we would have to fight against that thing at practically full power.”

Clovis furrowed a brow, “And…why didn’t you? You’re the best Vanguardias ever, aren’t you?” His words laced with a mocking tone. The same mocking tone Raek would do from time to time lightly and jokingly. Seemed like neither of those applied to Clovis now.

But Raek called back to what he was getting at, when he mentioned it earlier. His mumbled words somehow made it into the ear’s of Clovis. Either that…or the many, many times he’s mentioned it before mumble or not. Both bad.

Raek took his hands out of his pockets, and outstretched one towards him in a disarming manner. “C’mon. You know that’s not what I meant. Clearly, I thought even you would know there’s no way I…we can handle a Great Dragon.”

Clovis didn’t respond, his eyes falling to Raek’s left hand. The palm of it. There.

A black, obsidian mark—a crescent—pulsed faintly, a dark gray light flickering in the dying evening sun. His gaze lingered, narrowing slightly. That mark alone handily made Raek Ventus everything he is and everything he will be in the future.

The mark of Fate.

He looked away to hide the tension that could be visible through his face. His pendant shone as ever as he looked towards the people scattered across the streets. Some limped, others sat, their wounds hastily dressed. Conversations buzzed faintly in the distance, a stark contrast to the roaring chaos earlier.

Without looking back at Reak, he spoke, his voice steady. “Maybe I could’ve done better. Had we went with my plan, perhaps things could’ve been different.”

Raek’s brow furrowed, confusion flickering across his face. “Don’t beat yourself over it. You and I had gone with my plan and it failed. There are consequences and repercussions. We’ll both learn from it grow stronger.”

He stood side by side with him, Clovis had moved a bit to keep a better view of the people. Raek saw them too, injured, and attmepting to move around much after the chaotic sequences that had occurred before.

“I’m sorry to the people,” Raek said softly.

“But this was probably the only way. You know you come up with most of the plans off the jump, and if you couldn’t this time, that meant that only I could.”

Clovis’s annoyance flickered, the sharp edges of his expression softening. He hated to admit it, but Raek had a point. Tactically speaking, there wasn’t much else they could’ve done. Not this time. Still, the words didn’t ease the knot in his chest.

Raek exhaled in relief, noticing the change. The last thing he needed was a fully irritated Clovis. He knew his friend was hard on himself—sometimes harder than necessary—but Clovis seemed to take this particular failure personally.

Deciding to lighten the mood, Raek added on with a soft smile.

“You’re the second-best Vanguard, aren’t you? We’ll both learn from this. I promise…and maybe the people could do a little bit more practice evacuating.”

A soft chuckle came out of Raek as he put his arm around Clovis’s shoulder, but the sound barely registered to Clovis. Raek’s laughter faded into the background, drowned by the noise of his own thoughts, the deeper frustrations he never voiced.

“Raek,” He began. Quietly, his voice low.

The laughter stopped, Raek’s smile faltering. He glanced at Clovis, sensing the shift in tone. “Yeah?”

“You know what’s worse than being second best?” Clovis asked, his eyes fixed on the horizon now. Raek seemed to have think, and queued up another joke, but Clovis didn’t wait for an answer.

“It’s knowing the gap isn’t skill or effort. It’s fate.”

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He finally turned his head, his gazy heavy with something unreadable.

“And I can’t outfight fate.”

Raek…blinked. Caught off guard by the weight of his words. For a moment, he didn’t know how to respond, or even if he could at all.

The silence stretched between them, and Clovis took Raek’s hand off his shoulder. Without saying more, he walked away—into the streets and into the many people. He not once blended in with the crowd, his crimson cloak still visible.

But as he got further and further, his light faded away, and so did his image as well.

Raek sighed in defeat. Not wanting to see his best friend be consumed like this. But…not like speaking to him more was going to do anything. He could try to be oblivious…but that just isn’t him. That isn’t the Raek he knows himself to be.

Taking this defeat, he sighed heavily. “Can’t make everyone happy.” He spoke, and went towards the opposite direction of Clovis. Somewhere away from this area.

He moved, with most passersby pointing out his appearance. He didn’t linger to stick long enough, too lost in thought of what Clovis said. What? What do you mean, outfight fate?

Raek looked at the palm of his left hand. That obsidian mark looking back at him. Black, and yet, pulsing. That gray color from time to time. Ambiguous and vague, yet something Raek has known his entire life.

If anyone couldn’t outfight fate, it had to be Raek, right? The boy shook his head to throw away the thought. It wasn’t about him. It’s about Clovis…

“He’s always been ambitious, so I can’t really put it past him to act any different now…” Raek spoke to himself. This time, it seemed to have struck more than a nerve with Clovis. Something Raek didn’t initially mean to do.

Guess this was another thing the Chosen One had to deal with yet again.

Raek looked back, seeing how far he’s walked. What he noticed first was the gaping disappearance of the belltower, and what was left of the duo of the beacons in the sky, the watchtower.

He made a mental note to apologize to the people of Aethyra when it was all said and done…and the damage done to the port as well. Oh, he didn’t even want to think about that.

But one thing he did notice, was his hesitation earlier. His mistake. If he had decided to make a decision between the people…or the phantom orb. What would it be?

Hours later after the scenario, and Raek still couldn’t make his mind up. It felt…an impossible answer to ask. But no matter what, his failure always had it’s fair share of consequences too.

It didn’t take long for the boy to look around, and see what barely remained of the Merchant’s Quarter. This could affect Aethyra in some way–even Raek knew that–but this all happened thanks to his plan.

Granted, some things were out of his control, but Raek couldn’t pretend. Failure was different for him, not like the others. Not like for Clovis, Iris, or for even the Chancellor.

Failure as the Chosen One often brought death, and destruction. Raek felt like he had received a light slap from the Gods. What happened here, was the result of his improper decisions and actions.

Turns out, you can still be Chosen and still have imperfections. Of course, Raek isn’t perfect, no matter how hard the people of Aethyra or in general, Aegis, might treat him to be.

But what is simply a Vanguardias trying his best to fill the role of someone long ago.

Oh, and Raek hated that too.

Raek knocked on a wooden door, clean and trimmed with gold here and there. Nightfall had approached, and while he wondered around the streets of the city aimlessly for hours and hours, he was called here.

He opened the door, and found a man clad in white robes. His back turned, and hands held together. Raek exhaled, this was going to be hard.

“Greetings, Chancellor Lucen.” Raek began, and shut the door behind him. Raek was not one to get unnerved easily, and usually kept his composure.

But in front of the Chancellor? Of all people?

Needless to say it was never easy, and always the more difficult.

He took two steps, and stood. His face neutral and his hands in the pockets of his baggy pants as per usual. Looking around the Chancellor’s office was one thing many people in Aethyra didn’t get to do, high ranking or not.

Lucen, still with his back turned, did not greet Raek. Never laid an eye on him, but instead the view of the city. Aethyra, and everything that it contained. The Vanguardias Watchtower, the Merchant’s Quarter…or what’s left of it, the port…you get the point.

“Tell me Raek,” He began. His voice very well middle aged. Raek couldn’t see much of his expression, but assumed it wouldn’t be anything pleasant.

“Who are you?”

The question stung him, a simple question, but it leaned more into the side of philosophy. Raek could fell it, it was always neverending with him.

But, for some reason, Raek chose not to answer. He didn’t want to. If anything, buy time. Dance around it as much as he could.

“Raek Ventus.” He spoke, his voice lacking any mocking or lightness to it. Purely monotone and devoid of any emotion.

The Chancellor did not speak, his back did not turn again. But, Raek could feel it. The lingering silence, he was expecting another answer. He wanted another answer.

Raek gave in, uttering the answer the Chancellor as so much wanted to hear as if it was some curse.

“The Chosen One.”

“Correct,” Lucen sharply spoke afterwards.

“The Chosen One is a gift from the gods, isn’t it Raek?”

“Gift, huh? Hell of a gift.”

Chancellor Lucen narrowed his eyes at Raek, black eyes meeting with the hazel. He exhaled, and later continued.

“The incarnation of the being to bring balance to the life of magic and mana, while also fulfilling their duty and destiny. People look to it as a symbol of hope, and peace. Prospering vitality and safeguarding a better future for tomorrow.”

Lucen slightly looked to the side, eyeing Raek. His cold expression made it all the more clear that he wasn’t pleasant with Raek, even if he needed to juggle the answer to begin with anyway.

“They see you as the hope for the future, so when the Chosen One fails, what do you think happens, Raek?” Lucen asked.

Raek didn’t want to answer that question either. Every answer he had to give out created more turmoil within him. He pressed his lips shut, not in defiance, but moreso in silence. Hoping to treat the question as a rhetorical one.

Lucen, seeing his silence, didn’t bother pressing further. He turned right, and there laid another room with an open hallway. He took a few steps and entered. Raek watched as he did so.

There, Raek took another step. Lucen didn’t need to say another word, however. Raek already knew to follow him, and where this was exactly heading.

The two entered a room, with an open ceiling. The night sky filled with stars endlessly, capturing the emotion of a painting perhaps. Raek didn’t bother to look upwards though.

There, statues, made straight from quartz encaptured figures within history. Raek noticed most of them, members of the ancient roundtable. A few more from Aegis’s ancient history, and a couple more from even further than that.

“You’ve recognized your calling at a very young age, Raek. You’ve shown time and time again that you are dependable and the one that not only Aethyra can count on, but the entire prospect of Aegis.”

Lucen says, while halting to a stop. Raek does so too, and they both look at one statue.

Raek looked at Lucen at the mention of the first word he spoke. It was obvious he felt indifferent, but not like mentioning it now would’ve changed anything.

“Which is why particularly I could not be mad at the destruction of the Sparkk Belltower, nor the Merchant’s Quarter. Against a foe like the Great Dragon, these things are expected.”

“But you know what you lacked most?”

Raek’s eyes follow up on one statue. His eyes wanted to reject the sight of this very figure so much. The sword, the pose. The armour, the helmet, everything.

And that.

The little marking etched onto her left palm. The mark of the sun. Even on a statue, it replicated quite easily.

Raek sighed lowly before answering. “...tenacity.”

“Exactly,” Lucen added on fairly quickly.

“Alexandria had the merit for it. She had understood the mentality quite quickly. That simply, no one could do it as best as her. That is what propelled her, to be the best emperor Aegis had ever known…”

“...and quite possibly the greatest Chosen One to ever exist.”

He would go to turn around, and barely pass Raek who was still looking at the statue of Alexandria. Putting a hand on his shoulder before he spoke again.

“You have the strength, Raek. You and I both know that. It won’t be long before your calling is universally accepted within Aegis, and you too will be in the position of Alexandria.”

Raek felt a bit of unease with the sentence, once again feeling the turmoil it created within him with each word spoken. Lucen didn’t notice, he never did. And if he did, he pretended not to notice.

“Everyone is counting on you, Raek. If you fail, who else who they look to next?”

Lucen’s hand slipped from his shoulder, and his steps began to fade away in the corner of Raek’s mind. There, he stared at the statue, his vision slowly becoming blurry as he wiped them along the sleeve of his crimson cloak.

The air here was depressing and suffocating, everything that was told to him sounded worse than what he imagined. Exaggerating or not, Raek wanted to leave. Run away even.

Not only run from this room, but Aethyra, and Aegis too.

Maybe the continent, and maybe his calling as well.