Rain pelted the ruined tower.
Kael sat near a weak fire, flashes of a city in crystal, a double sun, and destruction burning in his mind.
> "These are my memories… or ours," murmured Noctis.
Lira watched silently, tension in her every movement.
> "Who is Noctis?" she asked.
Kael revealed nothing.
Suddenly, the fire dimmed.
He found himself in another place — a black crystal field beneath a pulsating purple sky.
At its center, a man in shadows, eyes glowing like embers.
> "So you finally see me," said Noctis.
"The bearer of my soul awakens."
Fragments of memory swirled: a radiant city, laughter, a sky tearing open, and Noctis standing before the rift, smiling.
> "I caused the Rift," confessed Noctis calmly.
"And now, you are what remains of me."
Kael awoke back in the tower, breathless.
The lines of black along his skin glimmered faintly — the mark of the cursed.
> "The first step," whispered Noctis.
"And the war has only begun."