Xyenn stood in the shadow of the sun, the Berserkers of the Flame barreled toward him and Yuuna, their flaming heads roaring with destructive energy as their twisted bodies surged forward with inhuman speed. The ground beneath them cracked, molten veins spreading outward with every step they took. Their cries rang out—a mix of agonized screams and guttural roars, some calling out incoherent words, others just shrieking in despair.
The sun above burned brighter, as if feeding off the chaos below.
Xyenn's hands trembled ever so slightly. He could feel the heat pressing against his skin, but it wasn't the flames that made him hesitate. It was the faces—once human faces—half-melted and lost in the fire. He could still see fragments of their former selves in the way some stumbled, as if struggling against the madness that consumed them.
"They're still innocent people…" Xyenn murmured under his breath as he watched the horde approach. His voice was barely audible over the roar of the flame-born creatures. "Killing them…"
Yuuna, standing beside him, tilted her head, her wild grin faltering slightly as she glanced at him. "Xyenn—" she began, but before she could say more, Haelga's voice cut through the air like a blade.
"Killing them is the only way to save them!" the witch shouted from above, her crow circling overhead like an omen of death. "No one wants to be a Berserker! They can't help what they've become! Some even kill willingly to sustain the sun, hoping to keep the curse at bay. But in the end, they are lost. Killing them is a mercy! You are freeing them, not condemning them."
Xyenn's shoulders sagged slightly as her words settled over him. He exhaled, his breath shaky. "Mercy…" he whispered, the word tasting bitter on his tongue. He couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't right, that there had to be another way. But the Berserkers didn't stop. They wouldn't stop.
They can't stop.
Until they sustain in the sun.
Yuuna stepped closer, her voice calm yet firm, standing out against the chaos. "Xyenn, listen to me. You're not a monster. You're not doing this because you want to. You're doing this because you have to. These people—they're already gone. But we can still help them. We can end their suffering. Yeah?"
Her words steadied him. He clenched his jaw, forcing the turmoil in his chest to the back of his mind. "Alright," he said softly, his voice hardening. He raised his scythe, its dark blade glowing faintly with an ominous light.
The Berserkers were close now, their flames licking at the air around them, their twisted screams shaking the ground. Xyenn took a deep breath, his grip tightening.
"Let's save them." At that movement, Yuuna merged with Xyenn.
'I won't go so hard. They don't deserve it. I'll try to end it quickly. Using one scythe will suffice.'
The first Berserker lunged, its body a blur of molten fury. Fire erupted from its fists, each blow detonating like a miniature sunburst. Xyenn sidestepped the first swing, his movements fluid, almost dance-like. As the second punch came, he leaned backward, the fiery fist grazing past his chest. Then he spun, his scythe flashing in a wide arc.
The blade sliced clean through the Berserker's torso, the severed halves flying apart in a burst of blood and flames. The creature's head flickered, the fire sputtering out as it fell to its knees.
"Th... thank you…" it rasped with its final breath before collapsing into a pile of ash and blood.
Xyenn paused, his chest tightening at the words. But the next wave came immediately, giving him no time to dwell.
'He said thank you..'
Two Berserkers charged him from opposite sides, their clawed hands glowing with molten sun energy. One leapt into the air with a scream, while the other aimed a fiery strike at his legs. Xyenn crouched low, sweeping his scythe in a wide circle. The blade hummed with dark energy as it cleaved through the legs of the grounded Berserker, sending it collapsing face-first into the dirt.
Without missing a beat, Xyenn spun on his heel, flipping the scythe behind his back as the airborne Berserker descended. He thrust the blade upward in a deadly, serpentine arc, the edge catching the creature mid-flight. Blood and ash sprayed across the battlefield as its body split in two, the halves falling lifelessly to the ground.
The legless Berserker crawled toward him, molten blood dripping from its stumps. "I… don't… want to die…" it whimpered.
Xyenn hesitated for a moment, his scythe hovering above the creature's neck. Yuuna's voice echoed in his mind, soft but resolute. "It's okay, Xyenn. Calm down. We're saving them."
He exhaled sharply and brought the blade down, silencing the Berserker's cries.
"Fuck it all…if I would've known it was THIS bad in other continents.."
"But you didn't."
"And you did…"
"Now you see why the dragon gods need to die."
"Damn right I do."
Three Berserkers surrounded him, each one glowing brighter as they began to channel explosive bursts of sun magic. One raised its hands, summoning a fiery orb that grew larger with every passing second. The other two charged forward, their bodies radiating heat so intense that the air around them shimmered.
Xyenn planted the base of his scythe into the ground and vaulted upward, flipping over the charging Berserkers. He twisted mid-air, his scythe spinning like a deadly wheel. The blade caught both attackers across their spines, slicing through them with surgical precision. They collapsed in a heap of blood and ash.
The third Berserker hurled the sun orb at him, the projectile streaking toward him with a deafening roar. Xyenn landed gracefully on the ground, then dashed forward, the orb exploding behind him in a wave of fire that barely missed his back. He closed the distance in a heartbeat, his scythe spinning like a whirlwind. The Berserker didn't even have time to scream as Xyenn's blade tore it apart.
A massive Berserker, easily twice the size of the others, charged at Xyenn like a living meteor. Its flaming fists slammed into the ground, sending molten cracks spiderwebbing outward. Xyenn leapt into the air just as the ground beneath him erupted in a fiery explosion.
The Berserker roared, swinging its massive arms wildly, each strike creating shockwaves that flattened the surrounding terrain. Xyenn landed on its arm, running up its body with impossible agility. He flipped over its head, spinning his scythe like a wheel of death, and brought it down in a devastating vertical slash. The creature's flaming head split in two, the fire extinguishing as it toppled forward with a thunderous crash.
Four Berserkers worked in tandem, slamming their fists into the ground to create a massive wall of flames that surged toward Xyenn. The inferno roared, consuming everything in its path.
Xyenn dashed toward the wall, his body low to the ground. At the last moment, he twisted his scythe, the blade glowing with dark energy. He slashed upward, the force of the swing parting the flames like a curtain. He emerged on the other side, his scythe spinning in a deadly flourish. The Berserkers barely had time to react before he cut through them in a blur of motion, their bodies collapsing into pools of molten blood.
Off to the side, a group of humans knelt in prayer, their enchanted blindfolds shielding them from the sun's gaze. Their voices were steady, even as the battle raged around them. Xyenn glanced at them briefly, his heart tightening.
'Who are they praying to? And are they praying for me? They can't see the fight, but they can hear it..'
The last wave of Berserkers came all at once, their numbers overwhelming. Xyenn tightened his grip on his scythe, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He charged into the horde, his blade carving through them with brutal efficiency. Blood sprayed across the battlefield as he spun, flipped, and darted between his enemies, his movements fluid and lethal.
One Berserker tackled him to the ground, its claws digging into his shoulders as its flaming head roared inches from his face. Xyenn gritted his teeth and drove the butt of his scythe into its chest, knocking it off balance. He flipped backward, bringing the scythe down in a vicious overhead slash that bisected the creature.
"I'm sorry…" Xyenn said.
When the last Berserker fell, Xyenn stood alone in the center of the battlefield, his body drenched in blood and ash. His scythe hung loosely in his hand, its glow fading. He looked around at the carnage, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath.
'I did the right thing, I saved them. I did. Even Yuuna said so, and that scary witch. It's not like the bandits, they weren't innocent.'
He forced a shaky smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.
'The hell am I trying to force it for? Trying to calm myself down with a fake smile? That doesn't help. Only Yuuna has that gift to be able to aid herself positive and psycho after something crazy happens.'
Yuuna emerged from him in a flash of dark energy, her wild grin softening as she stepped toward him. She placed a hand on his shoulder, her voice uncharacteristically gentle. "You did good, Xyenn. We saved them!"
He looked at her, his expression conflicted. "Saved..yeah. Still sucks though. Wish there was another way."
Yuuna shrugged, her grin returning. "But you did the right thing! That's what matters. And it's SUPER crazy I'm talking like that right now. But no need to be so sad now, they're not suffering anymore! They're families would've wanted this, I already know."
"Your strongest attribute is being able to be so positive about things, even after coming from a dark place. How the hell do you do it?"
"Just stick with me, darling." Yuuna kissed Xyenn on the cheek.
She stepped back, throwing her arms in the air and spinning in a circle. "Now come on! Stop being so mopey! We've got people to save, bad guys to fight, and—" She leaned in close, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "—you've got me to keep you from falling apart."
Despite himself, Xyenn let out a small, exhausted laugh. "You're insane."
"And you love it," Yuuna replied with a wink.
"Duh. We're close to getting your memories back."
Above, Haelga smirked, "Poor boy."
The crow descended through a dense fog as the air seemed to thicken with magic. The group murmured in amazement as Haelga's home came into view: a massive, ancient tree, its bark dark as night and etched with glowing red runes that pulsed faintly like a heartbeat. Shadows coiled around the roots, twisting and writhing like living things, while the branches stretched out in unnatural angles, clawing at the sky. The entire tree radiated an oppressive aura, a reminder of the power it housed.
Yuuna, still clinging tightly to Xyenn's arm, let out a gasp. "Ohhhh I sense so much darkness here!"
Gorran said, "Hmph. It reeks."
Zyphira smiled, "FINALLY. We can get her memories, head back to Haldrek, kill the dragon god of war, and then kill Haldrek. Easy!"
Haelga turned her head slightly, her blindfold giving her an eerie, detached presence. "The tree was grown, goddess of darkness Yuuna—fed with that same darkness, blood, and sacrifice." Her voice was calm but carried an edge of unease. "This is not a creation of beauty or pride. It is a necessity, born from the shadows you yourself unleashed."
Yuuna tilted her head, thinking, 'I helped them indirectly…'
"Of course Not directly," Haelga corrected, stepping down from her crow's saddle. "But the darkness you spread across the continents, yes. It is the essence of the hells themselves, and we, the witches, learned to harness it. With great cost. Now onward, we have much to discuss. I help you, you help me."
As the crow landed gracefully near the base of the tree, Xyenn slid off the saddle with a relieved sigh. "Finally, solid ground—"
Before he could finish, Salazar, the massive crow, turned its head sharply and nipped at Xyenn's shoulder, causing him to yelp and stumble back.
"Hey! What's your problem, you oversized chicken?!" Xyenn barked, rubbing his shoulder. "I'll eat you alive!"
Salazar clicked its beak menacingly and flapped its wings, ruffling its feathers in what could only be described as smug defiance.
Yuuna burst into laughter, doubling over against Xyenn's arm. "I think he really doesn't like you, Xyenn! I think he can smell your fear!"
"I'm not afraid of a bird," Xyenn grumbled, glaring at Salazar, who nipped at him again for good measure. "Okay, now he's just being a jerk. Hey witch lady, control your bird or he's feeding me for a week."
"Salazar only bites those he likes," Haelga said dryly, walking past them toward the base of the tree. "Perhaps he senses something in you. He does like you though."
"Funny. He likes someone who can rip him apart if he keeps clicking at me!"
The rest of the group chuckled at Xyenn's expense, except for Gorran, who stood silently with his arms crossed, completely uninterested in the banter. Xyenn just sighed, trying to shake off Yuuna's relentless giggles as she clung to him even tighter.
Draeven reached for Xyenn, "Do you need help..?"
Xyenn replied, "Hmph. If he nips at me again, punch a hole through him."
"That sounds brutal…"
Sethrak bumped Draeven on the back, snickering, "You're talking about brutal? After all we've been through? The lives you've taken? The things you've seen?"
"I mean..well…"
Mertha put Draeven and Xyenn in a headlock, saying with a stoic grin, "These two still need some toughening up."
Xyenn scoffed, "Damn oaf! I'm tough now!"
Mertha squeezed tighter. "Yep, I believe you."
"You…and Yuuna are trying to crush me to death!"
"Nope!" Yuuna replied cheerfully. "You're too much fun to mess with." She gave him a playful nudge, nearly throwing him off balance again. "Besides, I'm your bodyguard now. What if Salazar comes back for round two?"
"He's a bird," Xyenn groaned.
Trailing behind, Zyphira walked with Illyana.
Illyana said, "Zyphira, dear.."
"Yes?"
"Your hands are shaking."
"I just need something. Gimme one of those things you gave Xyenn on the boat, the one that drugged him. Yeahhhh I saw. Cough it up."
Illyana smiled, "Oh that? I ran out."
"Damn. These thoughts…I need some distraction."
"This is good for you. Keep talking to everyone. Keep getting involved with things."
"It's hard, I grew up loved but tore down and all that cliche stuff. And Xyenn, I don't see how he does it. He's so motivated to be better, I can tell. He pushes through these things he goes through and yet, and me being dozens of years older than him, I can't progress. I can't stop thinking about everything. But even though I want to progress and stuff, it's what drives my hatred for the dragon gods. That's the only plus about it. I'm screwed aren't I? TELL ME I'M SCREWED, I WON'T CRY."
"Trauma and internal conflict affect people in different ways, Zyphira. Do not compare yourself to others. If anything, you can find a moment to talk to Xyenn about it, when the time is right. Or talk to—."
"I can't talk to my brother. Sethrak…wouldn't understand."
"Hm?"
"He doesn't care about himself at all, no matter how arrogant he may sound. He doesn't have his own goal, it's his goal. The events that took place when we were kids made him that way. It made him not wanna take care of his own well being. I worry for him. I wanna know what goes through his thick fucking skull. I can't talk to him about this either, he'll get pissed off and probably go hunting for bandits to incinerate and hang their dirty ass corpses in front of a village."
"Haha, yeah that sounds like him. But for now, Zyphira, just get involved with everything."
"Yeah."
The group followed Haelga into the tree, stepping through a heavy, curved doorway made of entwined roots. Inside, the hut was equal parts unsettling and mesmerizing. The walls were lined with shelves carved directly into the wood, each one filled with jars of strange, glowing liquids, dried herbs, and bones of all shapes and sizes. The air smelled of incense and something faintly metallic, like blood. Red and black runes glowed faintly on the floor, forming intricate patterns that pulsed with a quiet, steady rhythm. A cauldron bubbled in one corner, its contents an inky black liquid that reflected no light.
Above them, thick roots hung from the ceiling like chandeliers, each one cradling a cluster of dimly glowing orbs that cast eerie red light across the room. Shadows flickered unnaturally, moving as if they had minds of their own. And Haelga had taken off her blindfold, revealing her dark purple eyes.
"Whoa," Draeven whispered, his voice trembling. "This place is... definitely haunted. Yup. Haunted."
"It's not haunted," Sethrak said with a smirk, his tone insufferably calm. "Though I can see why someone with your... delicate constitution might think so."
"Delicate?!" Draeven hissed, his voice cracking. "I'm not delicate! I just... don't like creepy trees, okay?"
Mertha, who had remained stoic for most of the journey, glanced around the room and nodded approvingly. "Efficient," she said simply. "A place of purpose. I like it."
"Purpose," Zyphira repeated with a snort. "Yeah, if that purpose is to freak people out."
Xyenn looked around, thinking, 'My first time in a witches hut. I've always heard of witches, and their conclave called the Coven. I think they're all over the place. And I would've thought there would be more witches in here. But it's just Haelga?'
Haelga continued walking to the center of the room where a circular rune was carved into the floor. She gestured for the group to gather around her. "This is where the ritual will take place," she said, her voice steady but tinged with urgency. "But before we begin, you must understand what you are about to be part of."
Haelga stood tall, her hands clasped in front of her. "The coven of witches was not born of noble intent. We are not heroes, nor have we ever claimed to be. We were created for one purpose: to defy the gods, at any cost."
Her voice grew quieter, almost sorrowful. "When the Sun-Drake's madness began to consume this land, we sought power to fight it. That power came from the darkness—your darkness, Yuuna. It seeped into the cracks of this world and called to us, offering strength in exchange for sacrifice. And we... accepted."
"What kind of sacrifice?" Ilyana asked hesitantly, her face pale.
Haelga's blindfolded gaze turned toward her, and her voice grew cold. "The kind you would call unforgivable. Men, women, children, animals—none were spared. We tore their souls from their bodies to fuel the spells and potions needed to combat the draconic gods. We bind ourselves to hell, knowing full well that our actions condemned us. Our souls are already condemned there. That goes for the entire Coven."
The room fell silent. Even Yuuna stopped fidgeting, her grin fading slightly as she listened.
"Each continent has its witches," Haelga continued. "Each coven harnesses the darkness in its own way. But none of us are saviors. We are monsters, fighting monsters. And when all is done, we will pay for our sins."
"You sound like you want to die," Kivorn said lazily, leaning against the wall. "…That's not very witchy of you."
Haelga's lips curled into a faint, humorless smile. "Perhaps I do. But not before this is finished. Not before I undo what I've done."
Yuuna looked down, his smile diminishing, saying to herself, "The darkness I spread years ago…being used for this."
'Who am I to judge…? I was a monster. A true monster. I'm no better than these witches, the Coven. They hid from the world for years, they must be new, because I never ran into them before. Only heard. But not none of this stuff. Just keep a good attitude, Yuuna. Don't get distracted, don't get all sad. You got this.'
Yuuna grabbed Xyenn, putting her arm around him, saying to Haelga, "We got this! I'm ready to have my memories back of this brat!"
Xyenn pinched Yuuna on the hip, saying, "Who're you calling a brat?!"
"You!"
Xyenn then looked at Haelga, and asked, "What do I have to sacrifice?"
"Oh?"
"That's what..I was told. I made up my mind that I'll do whatever it takes to make Yuuna remember me, and the things we went through and did together. What's your price?"
"You're mistaken, boy. The price isn't up to me, but the severity of the ritual, tethered and latched with darkness. One can't just harness the dark magic and not be able to understand its flow of energy, its flow from this world and its flow from Hell itself. I've been doing this for years. The price should always be the same weight as the deed done. So what are you willing to give up? What do you think will match the severity of the ritual? Choose wisely, son."