As Anak was traveling to the southern end of the continent, there was ample time to think before the ensuing battle. What kind of fortress would it be? How strong were those inhabiting it? The little undead soldier was much more of a thinker than Violet, and much more of a planner than Stein. Anak knew that in order to defeat the fortress full of do-gooders, he would have to outwit his opponents as he didn't possess the same kinds of strength Jack's other generals had.
In preparation of the battle, Anak used his specialty magic, the ability to speak with crows.
After making camp in the forest about a day's travel from the fortress, Anak used his specialty magic, the ability to speak with crows. The canopy provided shelter to many of whom who had been traveling to and from the stronghold themselves. The next evening, Anak had news.
"Guys, it seems they're well prepared for our entry. They've had eyes on us since we left." Anak informed his men.
"What're we to do then?" some of the warriors nearest him asked.
"We are going to travel a short distance to meet up with an old friend of Jack's, but keep your wits about you. Jack warned he's not the best, but he should help should we prove worthy." Anak said, wondering what was in store for them.
"Half of you stay here and keep watch. This area is heavily traversed, make sure no one else follows us." Anak commanded as he left, leaving his captains to split the group into two.
When he arrived in the area Jack told him about, He found nothing but a solitaire grave. The tombstone read, "Be prepared for what happens next."
"What happens next?" Anak thought to himself. Scratching his chin in a deep thought, he turned around to find none of his warriors were beside him any longer. Instant panic set in. Anak frantically searched the area, retracing his every step. He raced around, unsure of what he was looking for just hoping to find something that would explain where his men had gone. He came to a sudden stop, there in front of him was the same solitaire grave that he had just turned from. Swearing, he ran in one direction away from the grave. He began meticulously thinking through what he could have possibly missed. So lost in thought, he almost ran straight into it this time. The lonely tombstone was before him once more, except something was different this time. Anak noticed the inscription had changed and read the new words etched in their place, "Behind you."
Suddenly feeling a presence, he twisted as fast as a tornado to see nothing standing behind him. No sooner as Anak had sighed in relief, a dark hole opened below him. It expand so quickly, Anak ran to no avail, he was quickly swallowed by the darkness. There was no falling, just emptiness all around him. This room was darker than Anak had ever fathomed darkness to be. The still, bitter-cold air was piercing. It was as if the area around him had never seen light.
Just then, Anak felt a small, calm breeze. It carried with it a small, dim, flickering light. Unable to get a grip on his surroundings, Anak knew his only choice was to follow the light. He chased the dim light only for a short while before it suddenly disappeared. Anak was left again in sudden, absolute darkness. Timidly, he took one more step forward. As his foot found the ground, small glittering specs of light began to manifest and swirl in front of him taking shape.
"You're a creature of darkness, yet you chase the light. How interesting."
"Are you the one I'm sent to meet?" Anak called out.
The image of swirling lights dissipated and fell to the floor. It was like dying embers and raining ash. Feeling an intense force, Anak dropped to his knee. Gravity was suddenly getting stronger. He struggled to stay upright, but soon found himself falling. Hands shot out from the ground as his body fell to meet them. Turning him over and over, the hands gripped and groped Anak's body, tearing and eating away at the magic that encompassed him. As the hands slowed their feverish turning and groping, Anak's true skeletal form was revealed.
"Ahh… so that's his real outside, good job. Get him ready, we probe the inside next." the mystery voice said.
The hands quickly reclaimed their firm grips on Anak's body. Each pulling in unison, they began to pull Anak's body into the ground. Anak could feel the earth close in around him as he was drug beneath the surface. Only a moment had passed before Anak breached into another expanse. The hands let go. Anak found himself falling in complete darkness yet again. With sudden abrupt force, Anak landed hard on the solid ground. When the dust seemed to have settled around him, he began to gather himself together. He slowly pulled himself to his feet. He was met with by an intense unseen force that thrusted him backward. Flying through the air, Anak's body slammed into the wall. The shackles that were mounted on the wall snapped shut the instant Anak hit them, trapping him at the mercy of his captor.
"Learning you aren't!"
"Games we'll play!"
Two separate voices rang out now.
"What kind of games?" Anak shouted into the darkness.
"Stronger you must get."
"Strong enough you're not."
The voices chanted out one after the other echoing slightly.
"Show you the future as it is we will." they said in unison this time.
Anak's body began to shake without his permission. Suddenly light burst into Anak's vision. As his eyes grew accustomed to the light, he realized he was seeing the city of Libast from a bird's eye view. Something wasn't right. His eyes combed the city. When his eyes had reached the far edge of the city, he saw fires were scouring the land and smoke darker than charcoal racing from the caverns. He suddenly heard a shout. His eyes were drawn to a main street where Violet was in hand-to-hand combat. Anak watched as she met her demise. Already injured, she was overrun by an enemy unknown to Anak. Stein's once great scientific city was already in ruins and his presence was nowhere to be felt in it. Jack was floating above the great ebony tower in Libast faced with an enemy of equal terror.
"I've never seen that person before, but he has horns just like Jack. Wait, no... his horns are curled like a goat's." Anak began to frantically search for himself. The light swirled around him as he got sucked right back to reality, right back into the bittercold and utter darkness.
"Perish you all will."
"Perish you mustn't."
The voices rang out.
"What do I do to stop that from happening?" Anak asked in despiration.
"Answer we cannot."
"Learn yet you must."
They carried on.
"Where are you? Why can't I see what's going on?" Anak shouted demanding to know the answer.
"Soon you'll see."
"Use not your eyes."
The voices instructed fading away.
The glittering lights returned.
"Three days to win, uncover the secrets, or perish trying."
Releasing their grip on him, Anak was freed. Gathering himself, he looked around for any sense of direction. "Three days to win? Win what?!" Anak thought. He began to walk forward when what felt like a giant palm crashed into Anak's side sending him flying. Discombobulated and disoriented, Anak continued receiving blow after blow. Flustered with the constant beating, Anak's head filled with thoughts of what he saw in the future and what could possibly happen at the end of the time limit. "The light must have something to do with it." he thought.
"I may be an Undead now, but I was once an elf, so of course I'm drawn to the light while living in the dark. I cannot use light magic since Jack gave me this second chance at life." Anak continued his mental monologue, numb to being rag-dolled around.
"I was once a powerful elf Arch-Mage, but I lost my life and everyone I loved due to the betrayal of humans and their greed.
"Forced into their military ranks or exile, I joined them to survive. Yet I found myself fighting their wars for their reasons." he continued to process.
"Wait, I have memories?! These have all been fragments since I've been reborn." Anak said, gasping.
Thinking to himself, "I wonder if I could use any spells from my days being alive?"
Anak picked himself up and began reciting an incantation the world hadn't heard in centuries. A light had begun to flicker from his palms before he was knocked aside again.
"Please help, give me the power I need to protect my friends until I can achieve it myself." Anak said, rubbing the dark gemstone.
Once more, Anak got up and recited the ancient elven incantation. This time though, the light from his palms shone so bright it illuminated everything in its path, exposing the creature tormenting him. As he shone the light towards it, it began burning the phantom.
"Time's up!"
"Time is out!"
The voices returned.
Suddenly the light that Anak created began to be swallowed by the darkness as it crept closer and closer toward him. Anak was happy that he finally remembered his past. It was no longer like fragments of a different world that haunted and plagued him. Left with nothing but a smile and a few regrets, he couldn't warn his friends. Anak accepted his fate and was taken by the darkness.