I've stayed.

I have decided to float through this frightening world drenched in fire. It has taken my team. My life.

It has taken the status of the Hero from this planet. To never again be able to sign high again.

None other than our Fire God.

I decided to stay.

To live on.

I have found myself on the top of the highest peak, right above the Secretary of Lights' offices. She likes the solace the mountain gives. Her kind. Her afterlife was not originally from this planet. But she is best suited to control The Fire God.

After the Goddess of Streams failed. She was placed in charge—a change of mastery. A power now handled well in this new world without their Heroes.

My champion. The wielder of unhealthy liquor. I stand at this point and go into hibernation. Every civilian on the planet of flames can see the dark ebony flames. Bouncing between light and dark as it burns atop the very peak of this world. To show them the legends are True. To remind them of the myths.

I indeed make my statement here for you and the rest of my team. You will not be forgotten by me. Nor your memories. I will take it all. I will carry it all on my black flames till one day. Till one da,y my last embers burn my Team into existence upon a brighter world.

You will be born.

I will recover my team alone.

And I will stop this nonsense of an afterlife.

We were given life anew. I am not asking for much when I ask for freedom.

Astrid, my new God. You came to me many years ago, and I have failed you. I pray that you still hear my voice. I pray that I am still on the right path. I pray to fight again. To feel the heat that protects my body rather than the flame that has killed me a millennia ago. It was beautiful whilst it lasted. It was beyond anything I could have hoped for. But then it became too much. It was like this was my real life. I had forgotten all about being human. But how would I react now? My life weaved right out of the fairy books she used to read. I want to show her how great fire can be. Or is that a mistake?

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Save them. I hear you call over and over again. My thoughts are no longer my own. I have saved them. No. No, you did not. You have saved yourself. But You know what it is like. Out there. Being in this air.

They changed it. Please don't lie to me.

I know you believe me.

People like me… would have perished. With the rest of the team. The rest of the Heroes.

So you ran.

I survived. I fought.

I could have gone to another planet.

The one, the Goddess of Streams, governs?

Then what. Kuja would come. That child of a god. He wouldn't stop until his sword met my flame. He dreams of the battle. You can hear it from this peak. It is disgusting.

But he made it this far as a God. Who am I to dictate how he governs his world, pride, manners?

Maybe I don't deserve to survive this, is that what you are saying?

And if I don't, how am I meant to save them, save them all?

Who will you go crying to next?

When I'm gone… when I'm gone….

I will burn here, burn myself into the peak. Burn me into the flame citizens' core—their memories.

They won't forget Trid. I won't let them.

But the world doesn't need me anymore.

One easy way to find that out is to leave my place here on the mountain. Then trail down to town. Maybe to other planets.

I knew I would leave from the start.

The Black star on the peak of the mountain will remain. But I will leave.

Doing something my team never did.

Leave their power. Their source of corruption. But it is more than that. It is a gamble with actual eternal Death. Forever. No more you.

If you leave your connection your tie to the afterlife, you sever yourself from this world. You already died once. Why would you want to take that course again?

Why am I?

I need to know the reason they are gone.

I need to get them back here.

I am Hero. A Shiala... Flames damn it.

I will scour my way.

I will not leave the comfort of my being for more than two cycles. I can promise you that.

I am not the one that wants to die. I am a Hero. And I will do as I say.