“Demontians?” Ezekiel was shocked, “I have not heard of these creatures in any book in our library! What are they?”

  Azul continued, “They’re a fearsome race from Demontia, a realm that we are unable to see. They are beings from ancient times even before we came to be. Forgotten by time and space.”

  “How did we come to know of them? Surely, we would have heard of these dreadful monsters before?”

  “Indeed, we have. The Essences have alluded to their existence some time ago. They know of many things. They’re what gives us power, immortality, knowledge. All things. They had alluded to this information long ago to one that had become the elemental of pendulum. You know her as Fetzia.”

  Ezekiel recalled the pile of dust and the bracelets in Vogoya, “Oh no, Fetzia…”

  Azul hung his head in sadness. “Unfortunately, she only knows about the Demonitians. No real details. For some reason, she was not informed of such things. Which truly led to her demise...”

  “I see…” It only brought up more questions in Ezekiel’s mind, “So they knew about the Demontians, and we were just left in the dark?”

  “That is why I summoned you…”

  “Huh?”

  “There is an impending war, Zeke, and I need for you to be prepared for it…”

  “With the Demontians? They came for Sophie… We can’t let them have her! So yes, Father, I will do whatever is needed!”

  Azul nodded, “It is true. They’ve come for Sophitia, although I cannot fathom why.

  “When we saw them at the mine, they referred to her as Project S.L.S. and said something about a seant to prevent the viral from breaking free…”

  “Yes, Ozma said the same thing. Whatever all that means, I have not been able to figure it out.” Azul admitted sadly.

  They both looked at Sophitia, hoping that she might remember something.

  “Sophie? Do you happen to remember anything of your past?”

  She held her head, “I… don’t know… It’s all really fuzzy…”

  “Perhaps we can use Mind Transference?” Azul suggested.

  “We tried that, but no one has been able to see her memories… It’s like looking into a big bck abyss. Maybe it’s a Demontian Countermeasure?”

  “If only we knew more about them. A weakness maybe? Their origin? Something. We don’t know how many there are, but we’re sure that they have formidable numbers…”

  “Please… Sophie, tell us what you remember… anything… even if it is just little pieces! Maybe we can put it together?” Ezekiel held her soft little hands. And looked deep into her crystal eyes.

  “I… don’t know. I think I was hooked up to a machine. But I don’t know what it does. I’m sorry… I remember faces. Those horned men. And… female. Also with horns. And… another horned creature, he was the scariest of them. I… think there were more… and they were researchers?”

  “They performed experiments on you? What kind of monsters are they to experiment on their own kind!?”

  “Yeah… experiments. I remember it being agonizing!” She shuddered. “It hurt… so badly.”

  Ezekiel grabbed her hands, “If it's too painful, please… don’t try to recall anymore.”

  She sank to the floor, “No… it's ok. I’m ok. I just… wish I could recall clearly…”

  “Did you not have a mom or a dad?” Ezekiel asked curiously.

  “I don’t know… I just think there is too much muddled up. I’m sorry.”

  Azul bowed his head, “That is still quite a revetion, Sophitia. It must’ve been hard for you to recall that kind of trauma.”

  She relieved him with a smile, “Sorry it wasn’t much to go on…”

  Azul smiled brightly, “No worries my dear. You are part of our family. We will do whatever we can to protect you!”

  “Yeah! No matter what! You can’t go back to them, we won’t let it.” Ezekiel said proudly.

  Sophitia smiled brightly, “Nor do I want to. I want to stay with you. This is my home.”

  “Indeed, my dear, indeed!” Azul cpped his cws, his voice filled with reassurance, comforted her, affirming her safety and the unwavering dedication of the Alphins to protect her. “You are not alone anymore, we are here and will fight these Demontians!”

  “Yeah!” Ezekiel balled his cw.

  Azul cpped his cws, “Alright. Well, now that’s out of the way. Now for the next bit which–” He looked around, “Where is that troublesome whelp…? Have you seen Ozma? He ran off a bit ago and was coming right back…”

  “Well—“ Ezekiel was immediately interrupted by the doors that swung open. Grec stumbled inside, glittering sand pouring from multiple wounds. “Sir Grec!” he shouted, running to him.

  Grec colpsed to the ground, he reached out his cw towards Ezekiel, his voice strained and filled with urgency. Ezekiel grabbed his cw and sat next to him. His wounds indicated that the outlook for Grec was grim.

  “Zeke, I got one of them.” Grec let out a chuckle, then coughed, sand ejecting out of his mouth.

  Ezekiel smiled in pride at the glorious victory then fell back to concern, “That’s great, Sir Grec. But please, you must not speak.”

  “I must,” Grec pulled off the amulet from around his neck. The gem inside was cracked, “Take it. Take my amulet. Become the next Celestial Elemental.”

  “What!? No, I can’t possibly! That would mean you would die! There is still so much more for you to teach me! We can get it fixed, and you won’t die!” Ezekiel screeched, sparkling sand pouring from his eyes.

  “No, it is time for me to go. Fate has chosen this. You… were always the chosen one to wield the power… You will be greater than I as I was never meant to be an Elemental forever. Just know that you were the son I never had.”

  As Grec disintegrated into dust, the amulet remained in Ezekiel's cw. It left him consumed by insurmountable pain. He squeezed the amulet and screamed. Sand tears poured down his face. Azul approached to say some final words but without hesitation, Ezekiel fled the room, his emotions driving him to seek soce elsewhere. Sophitia, empathetic to his plight, followed him but kept her distance.

  He ran through the hallways and to the outside of the main chamber of the castle until he reached a ledge that overlooked the sprawling nd of Alpha, Ezekiel found himself overwhelmed with grief, sand streaming down his face. “Why Grec… why did you have to die? Was this foreseen too!? Why… why didn’t the Essences tell us… I must… I must know!” He stared into the amulet, the light within it withered away. This event meant that Grec’s immortal soul was gone. Never to return. He squeezed it with all his might and let out another agonized scream. Eventually, he calmed down, a little, but was still too depressed to do anything else. He stayed there, looking over the ledge at his world.

  The view was breathtaking. In the far distance, a towering volcano loomed, its peak veiled in a hazy mist, long dormant. Below, an endless emerald forest stretched across the nd, following the winding path of a great river that carved its way through the terrain like a shimmering vein of life. Scattered along its banks, cities stood like distant jewels, their spires catching the sunlight. To the south, the river met the coastline, where the waves pped gently against the shore, a perfect harmony of nd and sea. It was a world untouched by ruin, idyllic and serene—a pce that felt like a dream.

  Lost in thought about what to do next, he didn’t notice someone approach from behind.

  “Grec’s gone, huh?” Ozma leaned over the edge.

  Ezekiel nodded in response.

  Ozma nodded respectfully.

  “He gave me this…” Ezekiel held out his cw, “I’m to be the next Celestial Elemental… I guess.”

  “Oh, that’s exciting! I’m sure Grec would have wanted that either way for you to follow in his footsteps.”

  Ezekiel’s face fell, “I’m not ready. I don’t have what it takes. You know the trial has a low chance of success. Many die in the process!”

  “Oh, we’re ready. I know it. Fetzia told me… before she… well. Anyway, look, her bracelets. I’m going to become the next Pendulum Elemental. Listen, brother, our powers combined will make us unstoppable. Those monsters won’t stand a chance!”

  Ezekiel thought about how Elementals were supposed to be the most powerful of all the Alphins, and how they were id to waste by those brutes, “They knew how to kill Grec and Fetzia! How can you say that we’d be any different?”

  “Because we’re brothers! We know each other's strengths… and weaknesses…”

  Ezekiel nodded, “I suppose that is true but... I still can’t work my mind around it though, something seems wrong. I can’t pce my cw on it but–”

  Sophitia approached from behind. Ezekiel instantly sensed her presence and turned, his face beaming to see her, “Sophie! I’m sorry I left like that.”

  “It’s okay,” she smiled, “I know you were hurting.”

  Ozma’s expression darkened. He turned away from her, “Why did you come to our world, Sophie?” he seethed, unable to hide the bitterness in his voice. “Everything was peaceful before you arrived. And then you showed up. Then those monsters followed you. They destroyed just about everything we loved!”

  Sophitia’s face fell, her eyes widening as Ozma’s words struck her like a blow. She took a step back, visibly shaken, and looked down, her shoulders trembling. She tried to speak, to expin herself, but the guilt that had gnawed at her only grew stronger under Ozma’s anger.

  Ezekiel watched the exchange, torn between defending Sophitia and understanding Ozma’s pain. He had felt the same anger, yet seeing the anguish in Sophitia’s eyes compelled him to protect her. About to step forward, Sophitia erupted.

  “Do you think I wanted this?” Sophitia whispered, her voice breaking. “I never asked for any of it. I only came to Alpha by accident and Grec kindly took me in. I don’t remember who or what I am or why they’re after me! All I have is faint memories, and they’re blurs. I understand if you can’t forgive me.”

  Ozma clenched his fists, torn between his rage and the dawning realization that perhaps Sophitia wasn’t entirely at fault. The monsters’ rampage had left an eversting scar on all of them, but maybe, just maybe, she was as much a victim as they were. Still, the pain was raw, and for now, the anger lingered, leaving a silence thick with unspoken words.

  Sophitia was noticeably upset. Her world crumbled around her yet again. She then ran away from her torment. Ezekiel reached out to stop her, however, she had already gone. He was then pulled by Ozma.

  “Leave her. We have more important matters. We’re going to become Elementals, brother! It’s the only way to make sure that no one can destroy our home again. Together, we will become something great, greater so than Grec and Fetzia combined!”

  Ezekiel’s gaze dropped to the cracked neckce in his palm, the fractured symbol of all that he had lost. Doubt clouded his expression. “I don’t know if I’m meant for that kind of power,” he replied quietly, shaking his head. “The Trial of the Elementals… it feels too big for me. I don’t know if I can carry that responsibility.”

  As he said it, his thoughts drifted to Sophitia, who had run off alone, guilt-ridden and vulnerable. She carried Vogoya’s destruction and the fractured memories upon her shoulders, and he sensed how deeply her sorrow ran. After everything that had happened, he couldn’t just let her be by herself.

  “We need to find Sophitia,” he added, looking up at Ozma, his voice steadier and yet filled with urgency. “If the Demontians are still out there… now that Grec is gone… she’s more at risk than ever. I have to protect her.”

  Ozma’s jaw tightened, a mixture of frustration and understanding in his eyes. “And who’s going to protect you, Zekey?” he challenged. “You can’t keep putting her first. We’ve already lost too much. Becoming an Elemental will be our best chance at keeping everything safe.”

  Ezekiel’s hand gripped the cracked neckce as he wrestled with Ozma’s words, torn between his loyalty to those he cared for and the power Ozma was urging him to embrace. He knew the risk, however, right now, all that mattered was finding Sophitia.

  “I must go!” Ezekiel ran off. Ozma called and called for him to come back, but he couldn’t get Sophitia out of his mind. He went in the direction he had st seen her.

  “What was one pce she loved to be? Above all else…” he said to himself as he wandered the crystal hallways. “Oh yeah!” It dawned on him where she likely would be.

  Ezekiel darted to the area with all the books and stumbled upon Sophitia engrossed in a book. He approached her slowly. He was about to pce his cw on her shoulder. “Sop–”

  “Ah… there you are… my dear… hehe…”

  Ezekiel froze. Sophitia looked up. And froze.

  “How… how did you get in here!?” Ezekiel turned to face the voice.

  “Hehe. Wouldn’t you like to know?” Phobos sneered. “Now. Sophitia. Come. It is time to come home. Or… else…”

  Ezekiel stood before her, “Why… why are you after her?”

  “Why? Why indeed. I suppose it won’t hurt to tell you… why. Hehehe. Sophitia. Shall I tell them why we are hunting you?”

  “Do not speak to her! You speak to me!” Ezekiel said, shaking his fist.

  “Now, now… tsk, tsk, shall I remind you the st time you stood up to me? It wasn’t that long ago ya know…” he said, threatening with his wicked scythe.

  “Just get on with it and begone!”

  “Hmph. I will not begone without my prize! Oh, Baphomet will be so pleased!”

  Ezekiel growled.

  “HAHAHA! Oh, this is fun. So much fun I’ve had in years! Especially since that’s how long it took for us to find you! Yeah… Sylvaya paid dearly for releasing you. What was it? She thought it was wrong to imprison you and use you as our little… toy. HEHE! Tell him, Sophitia. Tell him how you destroy worlds!”

  “I… I didn’t…”

  “That is enough!” A big voice came up from behind.

  “Ack!” Phobos squealed as he was gripped around the neck by a massive Alphin.

  “Look what I found. A little sneaky sneak! Is this… vile creature… bothering you!?”

  “That’s one of those Demontians that’s been trying to find Sophie!” Ezekiel screeched.

  “Oh… is that so?” The big Alphin pulled the scythe from Phobos’ grip. “I’ll be taking that! Come with me little monster.”

  “URGH! SOPHITIA! I WILL GET YOU. MARK MY WORDS!!!!” Phobos screamed. “And you… ALPHIN WHELP… I enjoyed every moment of torturing Grec! HAHAHA!”

  The big Alphin dragged Phobos away towards Azul’s chamber.

  “Thanks Elder Jakka!”

  “Hurmph. Thank you for distracting him. Come you. We’re gonna have some fun. You and I.”

  “What? NO! I WON’T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL TO THE LIKES OF YOU!”

  “Won’t have to… bwahaha! That’s the best part!”

  “ARGH!” Phobos screeched as he was pulled into the chamber and the door smmed shut.

  Sophitia looked on, almost destroyed by Phobos’s revetion.

  Ezekiel approached, “Sophie?”

  “It’s true… isn’t it… I destroy worlds… That’s why… I’m their weapon… Oh Zekey, don’t look at me… I’m a monster!”

  Ezekiel wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. He ran his cws through her hair. “No, Sophie. You are not a monster. And even if you are this ‘weapon’ that they say you are. I won’t let them have you. I’ve made up my mind. I will become the next Celestial Elemental.”

  Sophitia's smile radiated warmth as she looked into his eyes, her eyes filled with unwavering belief. "You protected me when you didn't have to... you kept me safe when you could have abandoned me to the Demontians… Twice. To me, you are an Elemental, my Elemental."

  Her words lifted Ezekiel's spirit, filling him with a renewed sense of purpose. With determination in his depths, he made a solemn vow to always protect her, regardless of the cost. For the sake of protecting Sophitia, “I will be able to fully protect you!” He then looked down at the neckce, it was still cracked. His face sank.

  “What’s wrong?” Sophitia inquired.

  “It’s just… this neckce is the st thing of Grec. His soul… it's gone. To be repced with mine. That’s… how it works.” He held up the amulet, “But it’s broken, so I don’t know what to do.”

  “Can it be fixed?” She asked with concern.

  “Course it can!” Ozma interrupted. “Ezza is the best jeweler that Alpha could ever have!”

  “Ezza? That cranky old hag!?” Ezekiel scoffed.

  “If anyone can do it, it’s Ezza.”

  “Were you… standing there the whole time?”

  “Well… I was coming to find you and that's when I saw Elder Jakka gripping that horned freak and hauling him off to Azul’s chamber. Then I heard you talking… and it's great news that you decided to become the next Celestial Elemental! I’m so gd to hear that brother!” Ozma then looked at Sophitia, “I’m… sorry for what I said. It’s not your fault that you were being used and tested on by them…”

  She ran over to him and gave him a big hug.

  He gently grabbed Sophitia’s back. His face was sullen and remorseful, “I’m sorry, Sophie, for bming you. I know none of it was your fault. I should not have let my anger consume me. Not only that, I vow to protect you too! Will you forgive me?” He knelt, hoping she was not angry with him.

  Sophitia’s face beamed, “Ozzie, of course, I forgive you!” She knelt and gave him a big hug.

  “Gd we’re all friends again!” Ezekiel added.

  “Yeah! Alright, enough of that. Let’s go see Ezza!” Ozma darted out of the castle and towards a building with a sign of a jewel. “Follow me!” He waves his cw inducing them to follow him.

  Ezza, a seasoned jeweler, albeit a bit grumpy, scrutinized the jewelry, only to deliver a rough verdict, "Nope, can't be done."

  “What?” Ozma's mouth dropped, “What do you mean it can’t be done? I heard you were the best jeweler in all of Alpha!”

  Ezza grinned slyly, “That part is true, I am the best jeweler in all of Alpha! Regardless, it is impossible. Impossible I say! The raw materials needed no longer exist!”

  “What!?” The brothers echoed each other.

  “Yep, it ran dry long ago!”

  “What about the jewelry right there?” Sophitia pointed out.

  Ezza rolled her eyes, “Those are regur metals! So those won’t work!”

  “But surely… all those inspections. I could have sworn I saw a vein or two still brimming with the metals!” Ezekiel voiced discontent.

  “Nope, you saw wrong!” She argued.

  The brother’s eyes filled with sadness, “Then that means…”

  “You assume correctly. No more Elementals can exist!” Ezza cackled.

  The brothers were upset, “Why all the training!? Why go through all the grueling work just to be told this!?”

  “How should I know? Do I look like your father?” She said snidely. “He’s the one that deemed those horrific trials necessary! Why if he was here I’d give him a piece– Oh… Oh, my!”

  Just then, Azul entered the room, and Ezza bowed her head in respect.

  “What is the matter in here, Ezza!? You dare speak ill of your Grand Elder!? Expin yourself!” Curiously, Azul inquired about the problem.

  Ezza hesitated, choosing her words carefully, "Your lordship, the g-gems are cracked, Your Eminence, only Xero can repair them, but... we don't have any more of it, sir."

  Azul chuckled, dismissing Ezza’s concerns. "Nonsense! They just need the Divine Blessing of the Essences!”

  Leaving her wide-eyed and astonished. "What... DIVINE Blessing!? H-h-how? They’re only whelps! They would be–" she muttered.

  “It’s true, they are quite young. I assure you though, that they have reached the age to take the Foundational Trial. They have been well-trained. They are ready for the Divine Blessing!”

  Ezza bowed her head respectfully, “Of course my liege, yes. I am sorry little whelps, for denying you. Yes. Praise be to you, your lordship!”

  “Confounded old hag,” Azul scoffed, “Come my whelps, we have much to discuss.”

  The three followed the Grand Elder, their minds turbulent with unanswered questions. Ezekiel’s thoughts twisted with doubt.

  “Father, I don’t fully understand. What happened to all the Xero? I thought new Elementals were created all the time.” His voice wavered, not with fear.

  Azul let out a low chuckle, though his eyes held no humor. “Ever the observant one… No, the Well of Xero ran dry long ago. The old mines and caves lost all traces of it. There hasn’t been a true ascension since the dawn of the Alphins.”

  Ezekiel frowned. “How? What happened?”

  Ozma stepped forward. “There were no lessons on this in school,” he added, his voice sharp with suspicion.

  Azul halted, turning to face them fully. “This is true. It is a long-held secret. You were only taught the history of Alpha. How it was forged by the Essences, and how the great war between the eight tribes nearly shattered us.”

  “Well, we know a little about the war but not much reasoning behind it,” Ozma admitted.

  “Then you must also know that the eight tribes were formed by the Essences, that the Essences guided our kind, shaping us into what we are today. And since you don’t know… it would mean you were not taught of the Grand Sacrifice—the first Elementals who took the burden of all Alphins to create the Great Bance.”

  Ezekiel nodded slowly. “I know very little of the eight tribes… basically the fact that they existed is all we were ever taught. You’re saying there was a Great Sacrifice that stopped the war?”

  “Yes,” Azul confirmed. “The eight tribes had become too powerful, their battles tearing apart the very fabric of the world. The Essences saw that we could not be allowed to continue unchecked. And so, they stopped the Well of Xero, to keep us from ascending and further endangering ourselves. However, the wars kept happening, which threatened our very existence. The Essences demanded the Grand Sacrifice.”

  Ozma tensed. “What kind of sacrifice?”

  Azul’s expression darkened. “The Essences decreed that the tribes were to be eradicated – instead of losing our immortality and utter extinction. The Elementals of each tribe decided to pay that price for all of Alpha. They sacrificed themselves by binding their energy to jewelry. That way, the Elemental power could only be passed down, which created the Great Bance. Which also brought about the Grand Elder chest pte.” He pointed at himself.

  Ezekiel’s throat tightened. “So they sacrificed themselves to bless the Jewelry that is passed down to Alphin’s worth of ascending? And that was supposed to save us?”

  Azul nodded. “It appeased the Essence’s demands. Without the Essences’ decree, we would have torn each other apart. The original Elementals paid with their lives for us all to live in harmony, and we must thank the Essences for allowing the opportunity.”

  “That still doesn’t expin why we have to fight for it,” Ozma argued.

  Azul’s gaze did not waver. “Because the Essences willed it.”

  Ezekiel’s voice trembled with disbelief. “You mean the Trials? The very trials Alphins die trying to become Elementals?”

  Azul’s tone was steady, still, there was something unreadable in his eyes. “Yes, the jewelry does not only choose the Elemental, but the Essence must choose them as well. That is why the trial exists. One must be worthy to hold the title of an Elemental.”

  “What about the Elders? And the Grand Elder titles?”

  Ozma punches Ezekiel’s arm, “They’re royalty! Duh!”

  Azul smiles, “Ozma is correct. The Elders and I are royalty.”

  “So… what happens to those that fail the ascension? They just die in vain?”

  “It is how we remain in communion with the Essences…,” Azul said without hesitation.

  Ozma’s hands curled into fists. “And we all just accept this?”

  “Do not see it as death, it is a different kind of ascension,” Azul corrected. “Their immortal soul becomes one with the Essences. It is truly an honorable death.” he said, his eyes gleaming, “And those who survive… become the rightful heirs of that power.”

  A cold realization settled over them.

  “So… What about Fetzia and Grec? Were they intentionally giving us their power?” Ezekiel whispered.

  “Yes,” Azul said. “You were always meant to succeed them. They were never meant to stand at your side forever. They were your retainers, your teachers… Keep in mind that in the end, they were only ever preparing you to take their pce. You two were chosen by the Essences themselves!”

  “Right… Fetzia said that.” Ozma said, beaming.

  “I suppose… it is just what we have to do then?” Ezekiel admitted.

  “Yes! Now, whelps, you must come with me to my Chamber. I have some things to show you!”

  “Okay…” they echoed as they soon entered Azul’s chamber. There before them is Jakka, still holding Phobos by the throat. He struggled to free himself but Jakka didn’t flinch.

  “GRRR! Sophitia. SO NICE FOR YOU TO SHOW UP AGAIN! Go on… tell them you want to go home with us!”

  “Enough! Vile creature. Shut his mouth!” Azul ordered.

  Jakka covered the mouth.

  “Mrhph MRRRPRHPHPMMMPHM!!!”

  “My Lordship… he appears to be trying to bite me…”

  “Then… bust his teeth out!?” Azul grinned.

  “MMRRRM!”

  “There. That’s better.” Jakka said contentedly.

  “Now. As I was saying. Phobos has alluded to us their little pn. They pn on attacking us with all they have. They will not rest until they have her. He said that they have a certain race of creatures that they will release on us if we do not meet their demands. But I say – We give them a message. That we do not negotiate with terrorists! What do you think?”

  They looked at each other and back to Azul. And nodded. Azul gnced to Jakka, and nodded.

  “With pleasure…” Jakka said, grinning as he grabbed Phobos’s horns and began to pull. The creature screamed until he was silenced, with a satisfying pop at the end. A strange ooze poured out of the decapitated body as it went limp to the floor.

  “Excellent. Leave it where Sophitia was found that fateful day. And then – Prepare for retaliation!” Azul ordered and then motioned for the kids to follow him. “Come whelps. The next phase is to take pce!”