Beneath a single roof — black as the heart of midnight — darkness swallowed every trace of light.
James stood motionless, his silhouette outlined by the faint shimmer of energy that pulsed around him. Before him stood a young woman, her face hidden beneath the shadows. Something about her aura told him she wasn't weak.
With calm authority, he asked,
"Who are you? And what are you doing here?"
The girl tilted her head, a mocking smile curling across her lips.
"As a reward," she said, voice dripping with arrogance, "if you can hit me even once, I'll tell you everything you want to know."
James's smile vanished.
In the blink of an eye, he was gone.
"Where—?" she gasped, looking to her right—only to be struck by a crushing blow that sent her sprawling to the ground.
"I'll ask again," came his cold voice. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?"
She rose slowly, brushing the dust from her cloak, and smirked.
"To be honest, I didn't expect you to be this strong. I thought you were just another stray dog working for the government — a weak little mutt chasing coin."
Her tone hardened. "My name is Natalie, member of a forbidden organization whose name you'll never know. We came here on a mission of the highest importance — to destroy Trost completely."
James's expression darkened. We came? — she wasn't alone. Lloyd… you'd better not be caught in this mess.
"So that's how it is," he murmured, his voice low and dangerous. "If your purpose is to bring ruin to this city, then don't think you'll leave it alive."
The air trembled.
BAM. BAM. BAM.
A storm of fists and kicks filled the space, the echoes clashing like thunder. Then, without warning, James stepped back, lifting his hand.
"Blade of Exile."
A massive black sword materialized, its edge thin yet dreadful — a weapon that could strip the essence from anything it pierced.
He vanished and reappeared beside Natalie, his strike a blur. She dodged at the last instant, chanting,
"Ocean Ring!"
A swirling barrier of water enveloped her, glimmering like liquid crystal. It blocked his attack entirely.
James laughed — wild, unrestrained. He swung again, and the sword's energy tore through the shield. The ring cracked, trembled, and dissolved into mist.
Natalie's eyes widened. "Impossible… that can't be!"
He sneered. "It's simple. You're weak."
Furious, she lunged, throwing a punch with all her might. James slipped aside effortlessly and drove his blade through her spellbook. Its light died instantly — her magic sealed.
The girl collapsed, trembling.
James approached her slowly, each step echoing with absolute confidence. He crouched, his cold eyes locking onto hers.
"This is the fate of anyone who dares harm Trost."
He whispered,
"Belt of Oblivion."
A spectral band wrapped around her wrists, binding her hands and sealing her powers.
---
Elsewhere in the city, Lloyd raced through the back alleys, his breath heavy, his heart pounding. He needed to return to the inn — fast.
Then, without warning, his foot splashed into a puddle — and the ground vanished beneath him.
He fell into emptiness.
A blinding radiance surrounded him — an endless realm of light. He squinted upward and froze.
Above him floated a colossal eye, luminous and ancient, gazing down with divine intensity.
Its voice rolled like thunder, deep and fractured:
"Lloy–d Edg–ar…
You, the traveler from another time…
You, who escaped death by sheer chance…
By fate's decree, you are now the Bearer of Flame and Ash.
Your mission will last five years.
Objective: uncover the lost Legacy of the Three Kings.
Hint: seek the Caves of Andora."
And then — silence.
The light vanished.
Lloyd blinked and found himself kneeling once more beside the puddle, the sounds of Trost returning — faint footsteps, distant chatter, the hum of life. He stared at his reflection in the water, breathless and dazed.
It seemed that fate had chosen him —
to bear a secret no man should know,
and to uncover a truth that could reshape the world.