Once upon a time, long long ago, within a hidden place that never appeared upon the pages of history, the city of Casletia stood imposing between mountain peaks and cascading waterfalls. Fredoric and Christopher, two valiant knight brothers, trained relentlessly to fortify both their flesh and spirit. The place in which they dwelled was no different from a divine vision granted by the Lord above. The populace spoke with one voice, declaring that this land enjoyed a peace as though willed by heaven itself, governed by a monarch wholly devoid of vanity.
The Castol lineage had guarded the secrets of the city for centuries. The blueprints of the land and its governance were handed down from generation to generation, as were the three sacred elemental embers. Yet, though all appeared serene on the surface, within the shadows, bitter struggles for power could erupt at any moment, wreaking profound devastation upon the city. Myrtle, noble consort to the King, was taken captive to be used as a bargaining pawn for the possession of the three precious embers. Thus, the hour had come for the two brave knights to put an end to this war of greed and contention.
Life under the shadow of war proved agonizingly arduous. No matter how fiercely the valiant knights fought, they could never overcome the mighty host of the Round Table of Vagabonds. King Castol thus sought a new ally—the legendary legions of Decanal. With their allegiance, the tide of war turned, and advantage returned once more to the royal hands of the King.
King Castol himself rode his stallion into the heart of the battlefield to reclaim his beloved Queen, flanked by his vanguard knight, Christopher. At long last, the enemy host could no longer withstand the overwhelming might of Casletia. The bloody war drew to its climax as Fredoric the Silver stepped forward to face the General of the Round Table, the ruthless commander who sought to reduce the city of Casletia to ash and ruin.
It was the very same scene as when she first arrived in this place, only now, her position had been inverted with that of the chronicler. At that moment, she spotted the red-haired youth slinging a heavy travel pack over his shoulder, preparing to mount a raven-black steed.
"Hey! Thou chronicler of events!"
Hearing her call, the young man raised a hand in greeting. "Oh~ Marilyn, thou hast returned! I was just gathering my belongings."
Mary rushed toward him, interrogating him without delay. "What is the meaning of all this?!"
Yet as she looked into his eyes, she discovered that the violet glow within them had vanished entirely.
"My duty in this place hath reached its end."
"Cease thy riddles! Speak the truth at once!" Mary's voice boomed with fierce fury, causing the surrounding earth to fracture into jagged pieces. It was a terrifying revelation that Marilyn was now the absolute ruler of this land of subconsciousness; the power no longer belonged to him.
"I... was the host who possessed the Ember of Fate. The Ember of Lanekia hath chosen its new worthy vessel, and that vessel is thee, Marilyn."
"Wherefore must I suffer a fate such as thine?!"
"Thou art the bringer of the end. Perchance thy destiny was inscribed from the very beginning."
"The end of what?!"
"The end of all wretched souls, and of this splendid place. A new river stream shall begin to flow for thee to cross, and at its far shore, thou shalt find the one who awaiteth thy coming. Let Mira guide thy path, Mary."
The young man pointed behind the maiden. Turning around, she beheld the violet-tinted ember glowing bright, coalescing into the shape of a mirror twin of Marilyn herself.
"The thieving vagabond yet roameth free somewhere out there. Pray carry forth our will," Hansel, the chronicler, bade his farewell to Marilyn before pointing his finger upward toward the path leading to the highest tower of Castle Castol in Casletia. "Thy answers await thee up above."
RUMBLE!
The earth cleaved apart, separating the two of them across a gaping chasm.
"And one thing more!" The chronicler mounted his raven-black steed, turning back to face Mary one last time. "Thou and she bear a likeness so striking... it can be no mere coincidence."
Hansel left her with that cryptic allegory before snapping the reins. "Hah!" The young man galloped toward the dawntime sun.
Marilyn turned back to meet her twin, Mira, who offered a welcoming smile to the new vessel of the Ember of Fate.
Seek out the three apples and follow the river's course.
From this moment forth, thou shalt be the hind... of the Last Horsemen.
Believe that which thou hast received is a gift—not a curse.