They say time and tide wait for no man.

Walking through the deserted land of the people whose origin was, to her, unknown, Diane did her best to focus on the moment; for the first time in five years, she wished for her memories to stay hidden. She felt soulless, drained of energy and potential. So much more was expected, so little given in return; and living in the past is the most tragic destiny of all. As Diane watched Thomas make another step, furthering the distance between them, she realized how little they both knew about each other, and how opposite all aspects of their knowledge were. She had so much more yet yearned for the life of a peasant. How she wished she could swim with the tide! Disappear with the wind, grow with the grass, spread with the fog.

“Do you think the other have found something?” she asked Thomas, just to keep her lips moving. She could no longer listen to gravel.

“They would've let us know if they did,” Thomas replied.

Diane had never before felt so distant from anyone. She hoped there was still a road left undiscovered, one that rested in the Flamer's eyes. It was her only chance to change the world that despised her, to uncover the part of herself that she was forced to leave behind. “Do you despise me?”

“I can’t say for sure,” he responded, “whether it is you or me I cannot forgive.”

“I see.” The pride that kept the princess unreachable did its best to spoil the feeling that was steadily growing inside her chest. “I only followed your wishes.”

“I know. Please, stop talking about it.”

Silent, they were crossing a considerable distance. The heat of the afternoon sun found its shelter in their bones, the lack of vegetation worsening the already monotone landscape. Dust rose with their every step, making them feel as if they were walking on clouds. The gravity was also much stronger than what they were used to. Had it been anyone else, completing the mission would have been impossible. But Brandon Hunster knew exactly whom he was sending. And so did his heiress. Thomas didn't mind any of it but was, more than he wanted to admit, concerned about Diane. Despite knowing she was tougher than him, he still felt the need to make sure was able to defend herself. Because he couldn’t.

"Do you want to take a break?" he asked, still walking in front of her.

"Are you tired?" she answered with a question. "We can take a break if you want."

"No," he protested, "I am not tired. I was thinking that, maybe, you know, you were tired, or something," Thomas stuttered a bit. Being angry wasn't what he usually did, and certainly not with the future queen of Crystalia.

Diane smiled, the sun resting on top of her head. "I am fine. Thank you for asking."

At some point, a change of scenery could be seen in the distance. It looked like the remains of a forest, filled with withered branches and bushes, still as dense as it used to be. Under normal circumstances, with its grays and browns mixed together, it wouldn’t have been too appealing but, after walking through pure gray for hours, it was an oasis.

“Look,” Thomas said and pointed towards the brown island. “Do you think we should go there?”

“It’s the first change we’ve seen since we got here,” Diane replied. “I am willing to risk being wrong.”

They reached it no time, the sudden change breathing air back into their lungs. Diane pulled out her sword and cut through the remains of once lush vegetation. Thomas followed along. Thorns of unidentifiable, mushy-colored plants did their best to cut through their uniforms, but the clever old Crystalian design didn't give in. They walked slowly. Thomas could hear Diane’s shoes melt the gravel or whatever it was they were walking on. All that silence made his heart beat faster. He pictured unimaginable bloodsheads, heads flying, bodies burning together with the forest, their bodies, their lives ending in vain.

What am I doing here? Why did I come? She did me a favor by not telling me anything. I should have run away. Mom would’ve understood. I’ll just slow her down.

At some point, an unpleasant smell spread all around them. The air became heavy, and they started to sweat a lot. Vermin appeared as another addition to the scenery; they ran over and under their shoes, suddenly swarming the ground.

"What in the world is this?" Thomas asked. "Do you think we're near?"

"I'm not sure," Diane replied. She took the gerlock out of her uniform and put it into Thomas's hand. "There's an unusual amount of energy ahead of us. Be prepared."

“What about you?” he said, looking at the gerlock. “I already have one.”

“I know. If we get separated, run and hide.”

They walked slowly. Thomas's hands shook at the thought of the monsters that almost ended his life once. He wasn't sure whether he should run or stay with Diane, the former sounding more appealing at that moment. Though he was a coward, he would never let her fight alone. Diane heard a faint snapping sound in the distance, so she stopped moving and pushed Thomas behind her. Her eyes moved from one withered branch to another yet were unable to detect the ones slyly waiting to cut their throats.

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"Stay here," Diane whispered, the atmosphere she hadn't experienced in a long time making her nervous. "I will go look. If I take too long, or if you suddenly get attacked, break the stone and hide. Isaac and the rest will be here as soon as possible. Do not try to fight alone. You have two stones now, so…"

"I won't," he answered. “Be careful.”

Suspecting the energy surrounding them, Diane felt her bones shake. She knew she wasn't powerful enough to keep them alive. Fear was present for a reason; a pair of bloody red eyes scanned her and her companion from afar. But the feeling was shallow. So empty and numb, Diane felt almost no empathy. She knew she would have to kill again but it was all too familiar at that point. Diane took a deep breath. Demons' ability to heal unusually fast made them difficult to fight against, especially taking into account Diane's position and disposition. But death was not what she feared: it was the decay of her destiny.

Diane walked slowly, trying to make as little sound as she could. If she were a feather, she wouldn't have moved with such caution. Just when she passed a big lumpy tree, she was pulled downwards, so she stabbed the ground with her sword and held onto its top with all her strength; if she hand’t, her knees would have been completely shattered. The trees around her turned into brown ash and flew towards the cloud of smoke that the Demons called their sky.

Upon hearing the commotion, Thomas quickly broke the gerlock he was holding in his hand. A sudden gush of green dust appeared before his eyes, quickly forming a long purple line that led to where they had come from; the only thing left from once a perfect cube was a small green ball he safely placed in his pocket. A few Demons ran past him in the direction the gerlock pointed without paying him any attention. But he could not move.

I should go. She told me to go. I will only be a burden.

But he couldn’t. That strange flame he had felt before was telling him to stay. It all happened too quickly for him to completely process. It was the blur of the heat and fear that made him dynamically close and open his eyes and lose track of his princess, who he could see clearly now that all the trees were gone. He could feel the energy shift towards her, but only after completely clearing his head was he able to grasp the portion of history he was cursed to be a part of. She looked eternal, her hands covered in a strange golden glow. Tiny particles of energy orbited her fingers, begging to show them all how one rules the world. The ground broke into tiny pieces underneath her feet as her entire body became golden. Crystalians were all with unique abilities, but Thomas could swear none was as graceful as Diane's.

Before the two of them stood an army in black. There were at least a hundred Demons blending with the withered background, a familiar redhead standing in the open. She wasted no time; at a movement of her hand the Demons rushed forward, and Diane confidently stood in her place. She then moved her right leg backwards, the hand that held the sword following it. An explosion of golden dust followed; the air around them became heavy and tiring as Diane accumulated more energy into her lower body. Pushing against the weak ground, the energy that orbited around her melted the Demons she came close to. She spun on her heel, cutting through bodies one after the other. Being a part of the Raven army taught her exactly how strongly to push her crystal sword into their flesh to stop their healing. Demons fell to the ground lifeless, one after the other. Their uniforms were the same color, but the golden 'R' on her left shoulder shone so brightly and powerfully it was hard to lose her. Thomas couldn't help but wonder what she looked like in her prime. Then he met a pair of red eyes. His face collided with the Demon girl’s fist, the gravity gluing his back to the ground.

"Stay there," she told him mockingly.

A golden spear then flew past her face.

"Show it to me, Dove", the girl said, a saber in her hand suddenly placed against the princess's throat. "I know you have it in you."

They all stopped moving. The two warriors measured each other's confidence in hope of ending the fight that never had a real reason.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the princess bluffed. If she could hold out just a bit longer, she was sure she could save them both.

"Feigning ignorance isn't a wise choice," the girl warned. There was a certain sadness in her voice. "You've changed," she whispered.

"For good I hope," Diane answered, trying to find the voice that threatened her with worry inside her memory.

The princess felt strange as the Demon lowered her sword. Her face was covered with a mask, so it was impossible to tell what she was thinking. The Demons were gone, leaving the three of them suddenly surrounded by silence.

The Demon moved a few steps back. "What good will it bring?" she said, more to herself. "It's not like anything will change even if you remember."

Diane shivered. She was too familiar to forget, yet the princess had no clue who she was talking to. "What do you mean?"

The Demon turned to the side. "Don't go."

"What?"

"I said, don't go!" the Demon yelled. “Nothing good comes out of following their orders. You know this better than anyone.”

A big thick root jolted out of the ground, enwrapping the Demon in its dirty smell. A few more followed, making a sturdy cage around the girl who was pressed to the ground. In the distance, riding on the back of a massive lion-like beast, Diane saw the three she had been waiting for. Its speed was remarkable, so they crossed the distance in no time. Diane felt George's grip around their throats. As they stopped before Thomas, Isaac's new pet let out a piercing cry. The prince's Florian charm must have stood out from the ominous surroundings since a herd of different species followed along. Animals loved people with the power of nature because they reminded them of home, and they smelled like blooming roses. George's eyes met those of the Demon girl. It was a brief but uncomfortable encounter.

"Great. Just the person I was dying to see," she told him as she sat back up, all traces of empathy gone.

Due to George's presence, they were all able to stand properly. "The feeling is mutual, Rose," he answered half-heartedly. "What happened? A hundred or so sorry creatures crossed our path," he asked Thomas, whose head was spinning from all the gravity shifts he had experienced.

"Attacked," he barely articulated.

"Were you now?" George asked with an empty voice.

Diane wasn't able to hear the rest of the conversation. A faint voice called out to her from the air that surrounded them. It was right there, in the smoke. It was pulling her backwards, towards the grave made for her to discover. But she didn't feel relief; on the contrary, she was filled with disgust and fear.

I have to go. Now.