LANCELOT VILLAGE, 15 YEARS AGO
We travel back in time to the charming paths of Lancelot Village, the place where the future Chosen One grew up. We see a younger Magnius, just fourteen years old, happily cleaning the windows of a wooden house as an elderly woman watches. He hums a tune while polishing the glass to a shine.
"All done! Your windows are sparkling, Mrs. Margareth," says Magnius, pleased to be of help.
"Thank you so much, child. Here, you've earned it," the woman replies gently.
Mrs. Margareth hands Magnius a cloth pouch filled with coins. They're golden, a valuable treasure for the time.
"Oh! Mrs. Margareth, you really don't have to give me so much..." Magnius says modestly.
"It's yours, child. You always work so hard. If you keep it up, one day you'll be someone important."
"I don't think so, Mrs. Margareth," says Magnius, scratching the back of his neck. "I'm just a low-class orphan. If I'm lucky, I'll manage to live off the charity of patrons for the rest of my life."
"Nonsense! Take it from an old woman—time doesn't pass in vain. Life takes many turns, Arthur," she says warmly. "If you feel like you don't deserve the opportunities that come your way, you'll lose them. Learn to believe in yourself, child, and time will put you where you're meant to be."
"You're too kind, ma'am. Alright, I'll try," Magnius replies.
Excited about his payment, Magnius dashes away through the crowd, delighted to have earned his reward.
"Goodbye, Mrs. Margareth! I'll be back tomorrow to clean again," the boy calls out as he departs.
"Take care, Arthur..."
The young boy runs cheerfully through the dusty streets, his shoes getting a little dirty, but he doesn't mind. The townsfolk greet him—it's a calm, ordinary day.
"Hey, Arthur! Can you help me unload these fruits? My back hurts."
"Arthur! Could you deliver this package for me?"
"I need a hand over here, Arthur!"
Several townspeople call out to him. Magnius is well-known among the villagers and is used to lending a hand whenever they need it.
"Of course! I'll help, just give me a moment," he responds.
As he continues on his way, Magnius glances at the money pouch Mrs. Margareth gave him. It's plump and heavy, more money than he's ever had before.
"With all this money, I can eat and sleep at a nice inn tonight! I've missed sleeping on a proper bed..." he thinks, imagining the comfort with enthusiasm.
But distracted by his thoughts, Magnius collides with a large, burly man. The money pouch falls, spilling all the coins and catching the attention of the crowd. Panicked, he scrambles to gather the coins. The man he bumped into turns to him, annoyed.
"Oh... I'm sorry, sir, it wasn't my intention," Magnius says, genuinely apologetic.
"Well, look at this! You're the orphan boy without a Crystal, still hanging around here?" the brute sneers with disgust.
Two other men approach, joining the first, and they corner Magnius. Their Crystals radiate with power, and their intentions are clear: they want to teach the boy a lesson. Poor Magnius was simply passing through, unaware.
"We've already told you not to spread your filth around here," the man growls.
"I'm sorry, I just..."
Magnius tries to hide his pouch behind his back, but the man notices it and snatches it away before the boy can react. A grin spreads across the thief's face as he examines his newfound prize.
"You really hit the jackpot this time, kid. I'm going to have to take this," the man declares, lifting Magnius by the collar of his shirt. "Along with a couple of teeth!"
*
In the depths of a forest, where sunlight barely filters through, Magnius sits on a rock, his face battered and bleeding. Frustrated and without his reward, he sulks.
"In the end, I ended up with no money. Guess I'll have to sleep in a stable again. Not that it's so bad… That's where peasants like me belong," he thinks, lowering his head.
Feeling down, the boy hugs his knees. He's disheartened and a little angry too. This is his routine—life has been harsh to him from the day he was born. By now, he's used to it.
"Am I supposed to feel like I deserve the opportunities I get? Yeah, right…" Magnius muses bitterly. "I'm just one of those people destined to take the hits. That's just the way my life is."
Unconcerned, he leans back against the shade of a tree and prepares to take a nap… until a low growl echoes nearby. A wolf, drooling and staring hungrily at Magnius, emerges from the shadows. The boy notices just in time, dodging the beast's leap by a hair's breadth.
"A wolf!" he thinks, alarmed.
Panicked, Magnius runs as fast as his legs will carry him, trying to evade the predator's snapping jaws. He leaps over rocks, ducks under branches, and crashes through bushes, scratching his legs in the process. All the while, he searches for a way to lose the wolf.
But once again, not paying attention to what's ahead, Magnius trips. He tumbles several times down a slope, crashing into protruding rocks along the hillside. The wolf stops its pursuit, losing sight of him.
After lying on the ground for several minutes, recovering from the fall, young Magnius lifts his gaze. In front of him is a rock illuminated by a single beam of sunlight. Embedded in the stone is the Crystal that will one day be his.
Curious, Magnius approaches to take a closer look. It's a white Crystal, but there's something extraordinary about it.
"What's this?" he wonders aloud.
Golden letters are inscribed on a plaque at the base of the stone:
"Whosoever removes this Crystal shall, by right and destiny, become the supreme monarch."
Magnius furrows his brow, trying to make sense of the words. Tentatively, he reaches out to touch the Crystal, though he hesitates for a moment.
"That Crystal has such a beautiful color! But… what if it already belongs to someone else?" the boy thinks.
Then, he recalls Mrs. Margareth's words.
"No, I'm going to take this chance," he decides, determined to do something he's never dared before: to have the will to choose for himself.
Timidly, Magnius reaches for the Crystal. A drop of his blood falls onto its surface, and it begins to glow. Without any effort, he pulls it free from the stone where it was embedded. The Crystal shines intensely, and Magnius stumbles back, startled but amazed, as the light transforms into Excalibur. A powerful ray of sunlight illuminates the sword, giving it an even more mythical presence.
"A sword?! It's mine…!" Magnius exclaims, staring at his new weapon in awe.
"And so, destiny chose that the orphan boy with a great heart would become the future great heir to the supreme throne. When Magnius returned to the village with Excalibur in hand, the locals all bowed before him. This was the moment his fate was sealed.
It wasn't long before the name "Arthur Magnius" became known throughout the Land of the Gem. His remarkable feats at such a young age echoed even to the deepest corners of the realm. Within just a few years, he was crowned the Chosen One.
The strongest man of all."
*
Back to the present, Magnius stands tall, surrounded by a radiant golden aura. Dubh is on his knees, defeated, unable to lift his head.
"People need to believe in their dreams to keep moving forward," declares Magnius. "No one in this world can carve their path through reality without believing in something. Not knowing that is what led to your downfall, Dubh."
For some strange reason, the CEO bursts into laughter.
"Full charge…"
Suddenly, a force field forms around Magnius. Confused, he tries to break free but receives electric shocks each time he touches it. He collapses to his knees. He's trapped!
Dubh, though battered, struggles to his feet and slowly approaches Magnius, his steps measured and condescending.
"Did you really think I'd fight you without a contingency plan? You're so naive, Magnius," he sneers. "That magnetic cage was specifically designed to contain your power. The AI took a while to fully integrate your data because your strength is so immense, but now it's complete. Everything I've done so far was to buy time to stop you."
"You bastard!" Magnius shouts, struggling to find a way out.
"I knew that if the fight dragged on, I wouldn't stand a chance. In the end, it doesn't matter whose ideals are more righteous—the strongest always win. And I believe, Chosen One, that I am stronger than you," Dubh says, donning his suit jacket and adjusting his tie. "If I defeat you in combat, the power of the Two-Tone Crystal will transfer to me. That's how it works, isn't it?"
"You're making a mistake, Dubh. Even if I can't break out of here, there are people out there who will stop you," Magnius retorts.
"First, I'll head to the surface and search for the girl's Crystal among the rubble. The Mechanical Meteor was programmed to protect and preserve a Crystal like hers in the event of a crash. Once I have Geal's Crystal, I'll come back here, kill you, and claim the power of the Two-Tone Crystal for myself. That's my new plan."
Casting a sinister glance over his shoulder, Dubh turns his back on Magnius. His body begins to glow.
"Just remember one thing, Magnius…" Dubh says, his eyes dark and menacing. "Nothing in this life is ever beyond planning."
"Wait! Let me out of here, you bastard…!" Magnius shouts.
Without another word, Dubh uses the power of his implant to teleport to the surface. He shoots upward, smashing through the ceiling at incredible speed.
*
Meanwhile, outside, Geal and her companions have made it to the street. Bredgy stands atop a pile of concrete rubble, remnants of the meteor fragments that struck the ground, calling out to the people to deliver a message.
"You have to believe me! I'm Mr. Dubh's daughter. He's evil, and right now, he's fighting against the Chosen One. You need to run!" shouts the punk girl.
Even though she's telling the truth, the people don't believe her.
"I've never heard that Mr. Dubh had a daughter."
"You're spouting nonsense!"
"You're a liar!"
The crowd grows restless. Some even throw rocks at the group, outraged that they would tarnish the name of one of the country's most respected men.
"They're not listening. They think we're lying. What do we do?" asks Mathias.
Just then, he arrives.
Dubh bursts through the ground in an eruption of force, soaring into the air. His forehead bleeds, and bolts of lightning dance around him, striking the ground below. Everyone stares in shock. He seems almost godlike.
"This can't be… Did Mr. Dubh win?!" Bredgy thinks, horrified.
"Did you really think your pathetic Chosen One could stop me? Fools! I've taken care of him," snarls Dubh, gritting his teeth.
The CEO drops down in front of the group, shattering the pavement as he lands. The crowd backs away in fear. This isn't an illusion—this is real. Could it be true? Has the revered Dubh Tusk, owner of Curie Industries, been a criminal all along?
"I didn't hear an explosion, so I guess you managed to stop the meteor, huh? How admirable..." adds Dubh, his tone faintly impressed.
"What did you do to Mr. Magnius?!" shouts Geal, nearly ready to leap into action.
"Let's just say he'll be locked away for quite some time. The new world I intend to create has no place for him," Dubh retorts coldly.
The atmosphere shifts. The people are confused, unsure what to believe anymore. The meteor, the malfunction of the city's defense system—everything shakes their faith in him. Some begin to retreat into hiding.
"Listen well, citizens of the capital! I've defeated the Chosen One. I am now the new ruler of this nation!" Dubh proclaims, spreading his arms, lightning coursing around them. "From now on, you'll all obey me!"
"What is he saying?"
"What did he do to the Chosen One?"
"The goth girl was right!"
Still in disbelief, panic spreads among the people. Could it be true? Has the almighty Magnius been… defeated?
"The age of Magnius is over! From this day forward, I am your Chosen One! And all I need now..."
Dubh points directly at Geal.
"Is your Crystal, Geal!" he declares, unleashing a bolt of lightning as he speaks.
Ready for battle, Geal draws her shield, Bredgy her scythe, and Mathias his whip. There's no turning back now. No escape. Everything will be decided here and now.
The heroes stand face-to-face with Dubh, the most malevolent man to ever walk the kingdom, against a group of heroes filled with dreams and hope. The sun hides behind the clouds, and an electrical storm brews on the horizon. The first strikes of lightning crash into the ground, their thunder rumbling deep. The wind howls with an almost supernatural intensity.
With no Chosen One left to rely on, the fate of the capital—no, the entire world—rests on their shoulders. They lock eyes, their gazes piercing each other's souls, as though their very lives depend on it.
The battle that will decide the destiny of the Land of the Gem… has begun!