As one cycle ends, another one begins anew...

Such is the truth for all creation.

There is no escape. No exception.

For to halt the cycle means to cease all existence.

To cease creation...

But creation cannot be stopped.

Only be paused, before it continues further.

Akin to a tree, grown to its full height.

It can be brought down by strong winds or heavy rain.

Yet it would scatter its seeds and form a grove.

The grove could then be brought down by flood.

Yet the scattered seeds would grow a forest.

The forest might then be ravaged by fire and die.

Only for new life to sprout from the ashes.

Hence the cycle repeats again...

And so it is for all of creation.

A ceaseless dance of opposing forces.

A game played on the board of existence throughout infinity.

By two beings which are so far apart from each other.

Yet simply cannot go without the other.

Two concepts of life...

And death.

Each representing many others.

Called by various names...

Heaped upon with various titles.

Yet never truly defined.

Each attributed either towards Light or Darkness...

One giveth, while the other one taketh...

But that is further from the complete truth.

Nothing but the assumptions of the foolish and ignorant.

Created by mortals to explain concepts they could never fully grasp.

For neither is truly Good, nor Evil...

Both just Are.

Serving each other's own agenda.

Hence the game, neverending.

The cycle, ever repeating.

Change and Stagnation.

Chaos... and Order.

One destroys, and from the ruins afterwards maketh.

All the while the other strives to maintain what Is.

One either wishes the board to start or seeks to end it...

The other merely wishes each round to last longer.

Creation or Destruction.

Propagation or Torpidity.

Either one or the other.

Two sides of the same coin.

For in Chaos there is Order...

And in Order so is Chaos.

Therefore, the cycle never ends.

And so, as a story comes to a close...

Another one shall begin.

After one journey, will be the start of another.

Now let Us pick Our champion, once again.

Once again, as We have done multiple times before.

But this time We choose only one.

This time playing for both Our sides... at the same time for neither.

For We have grown bored of the same game... if only a little.

Only a little.

Will he be an agent of Chaos?

Or will he be a keeper of Order?

Show Us champion.

Once more let your radiance shine through.

And We will be watching...

Your Final Fantasy.

_________________________________________________

In an unknown place at an unknown time, a bright white light suddenly flashes which illuminates the surroundings. Revealing what appears to be a small-medium room with a few blueish crystals interspersed along a bedrock wall and ceiling.

The light lingers for but a moment before snuffing out of existence followed by a dull thud.

"Ugh..."

A low groan is heard accompanied by soft shuffling of fabric.

Out of the dim illumination provided by the few blueish crystals on the walls, the source of the sound is revealed. One could see a fair skinned boy slowly sitting up from the floor from which he was apparently laying on.

The boy shakes his head, as if to clear off drowsiness from a long night of sleep. He raises a gloved arm to his face and stays in the same position for a few seconds.

The boy appears to be around 18 to 19 years old. With spiky blond hair which seemingly defies any rules of gravity. He dons a dark-purplish sleeveless slim-fit turtleneck shirt of unknown material. Dark loose cargo pants fastened with two leather belts. A black leather armor worn like overalls that looks like a big belt on top of the two smaller belts. And black steel-toed heavy leather boots.

On his left shoulder is a dark gray steel pauldron with what seem to be three bolts serving for spikes. His right devoid of one. On both his arms are bracers fashioned from what appear to be multiple thick metallic rings welded together. His hands fitted with black gloves. All of which combined make for one strange sight.

Though just quite fittingly, it seems, as with how the boy himself strangely appeared in an also strange cave. Fortunately or unfortunately with no one to witness the mysterious occurrence.

Recovered from his daze, the boy slowly got up as he scans his surroundings for any signs of danger.

"...What, is this... place?"

A soft query, barely a murmur was addressed to no one in particular. The boy raises his right hand towards his back as if to reach out for something.

"!?"

Nothing.

Slight panic briefly flashes on the boy's eyes before vanishing. Being replaced by a calm stony look as he takes stock of his situation.

He whispers something inaudibly before his eyes seemingly glazed over slightly only to snap back into focus just as quickly.

A slight distortion manifests behind his back before a large sword suddenly conjures itself into existence onto a magnetic shoulder harness equipped on his back. With a nod of assurance, the boy slowly heads for the exit.