“Now… press the button, the soul who dwells within Edge… for a new beginning.”

Suddenly, Edge felt the power slip away from his arms, and he lay motionless, watching the entire world whirl around him.

“Your actions have been most impressive, human. Whether you are aware of it or not, I have been watching you. Watching the Heresy Dragon and its movement. Watching all of this. Watching you and your pathetic race struggle on for a cause that never existed.”

No. It wasn’t possible. How? After all this fighting, after all this suffering, would humankind still suffer through all eternity? No. It simply wasn’t possible. Edge rubbed his eyes, hoping that he would awaken from the dream.

“You… have come so far, but as you well know, Edge, everything must end eventually. It is simply a pity for these things to end in such a way… You know it now, Edge… You see it. Finally you are free from the blindfold, which you wore for so long, Edge. This battle… your quest… all were meaningless.

Edge felt the darkness looming in his heart. Already he was beginning to realize the truth. Gash… Azel… even the dragon. He could see it, but not understand it. Why?

“Yes… ‘Why?’ It is the question that all of us ask, Edge… But you for one will never discover an answer…”

Sestren’s voice echoed through the endless space of the Astral Plane.

“Impurity acquired… annihilate immediately… Goodbye, Edge.”

A mysterious hooded figure materialized in front of him. Its entire shape seemed to be blurred, as if his body was made of flame or smoke. Edge looked up, and his eyes met the eyes of the other. He seemed to be human, but his eyes were a light blue color, and the rest of his face was pale and discolored. An enormous scar ran the length of his left cheek.

Without a word, the phantom removed a gun from his side and aimed it with deliberation. Edge struggled to get up, but his arms and legs were weak and lifeless.

No… it couldn’t end this way. It just couldn’t. Disbelief and doubt clouded Edge’s mind. This wasn’t how it was supposed to end… It couldn’t end. Where was Lagi now?

---

The hot, musty wind blew sand and dust up from the ground, causing it to swirl around the desert. It was a cloudless day, and the afternoon sun frowned intensely on the barren wasteland. Gash stood, motionless, staring into the sky. And he had been there ever since the break of dawn. The coolia, still saddled, stood beside him. It let out a cough, followed seconds later by a loud, wet snort. Gash paused a second and wondered why he was staring skyward. After all, if anywhere, Edge and his dragon had gone straight to hell, and that drone girl with them. Suddenly, he heard the not-too-unfamiliar pit-pat of another coolia approaching. It was his lieutenant officer, Rennoth.

“Captain, sir… it’s time.”

“I know, lieutenant.”

“I’m sorry, sir, but… our water supplies are diminishing, and we need to get across the Garil, especially since the oasis is gone now… I’m sorry, but we simply can’t wait–”

“I TOLD YOU I KNOW!”

Gash calmed down and apologized to the shocked officer.

“I know… We pack up, then… Tell the men to be ready to move out before daybreak tomorrow.

With a nod, Lieutenant Rennoth left to attend to his other duties. Gash resumed his vigil, his face now even more anxious than before.

“I thought you agreed not to be late this time around, boy…”

Wait. A flap. The sound of wings flapping. Gash shielded his eyes from the sun as the enormous figure passed overhead.

“So it has finally come…”

---

“You’re going west, young lady?”

A nod.

“I advise you not to. There may be fewer monsters, but that’s only because there are electrical storms. It would be suicide!”

There was a long silence. The girl let out a sigh. An’jou could see that she would not be easily convinced. She was dressed so completely that he could only see her eyes: a deep, dark, azure color. He wondered who she was anyways, to be daring enough to go westward, and alone, even. A few of the children ran by. One of the younger, clumsier ones, named Drala, happened to trip and fall flat on his face. Quickly, the girl kneeled down to help him up. The guardsman noticed the care and compassion mirrored in her eyes as she dusted the little boy off, who uttered a faint word of thank you, then ran off again. Now it was An’jou’s turn to sigh.

“The person you’re looking for… is he really worth risking your life?”

She looked away for a moment, but turned back, and their eyes locked once again.

“I told him that I would wait for him. And I intend to keep my word.”

An’jou nodded.

“You two were from Zoah… Then you’ve lived through the war…”

She nodded once again.

“Why don’t you come along with us? There’s a little village just beyond this desert, and we could always use the help.”

“No, my mind is already set.”

“Then… I suppose I can’t stop you. Farewell, and may the fortunes be with you!”

She saddled up her coolia immediately and, without another word, rode off into the desert. An’jou stared after her and let out another long sigh. Why? Truth be told, neither of them knew that all that had happened thus far was only a shadow of the events that were to come.