>>5245013>“I’m going to follow her. Take care of your wounds and catch up.” You tell your friends. You hear Corrine shout at you to be careful as you and Beathan head deeper into the Sealed Forest. The forest ahead of you is somewhat hard to navigate. Thick branches block your path, and very little sunlight seems to be breaking through. As you’re riding, you notice what look like ruins, scattered throughout the woods. Much like Zanado, the Sealed Forest is forbidden ground, guarded closely by the Church. You’re not sure what these ruins might be, but they make you uneasy.You’re able to easily follow the path the Professor and Kronya trampled through and can sense a commotion further up ahead. You ride forward alone for a few moments, before finally seeing an exit further up ahead. As you burst through, you find more ruins. A large stone section is up ahead, with four damaged pillars at each corner. Standing in the center, you find both the Professor and Kronya, as well as a third figure. You’d only seen the man briefly, back at Remire Village, but you instantly recognize him. Solon. The man that was masquerading as Garreg Mach’s librarian, is standing right behind Kronya. No one has seemed to notice you where you stand.
“Have no fear, Kronya. Your sacrifice will help to rid this world of the filthy vermin that have long infested it.” Solon says. To your shock, he then plunges his hand through Kronya’s chest. You’d had thought the two to be working together, but from what you just saw, the dark mage just killed his comrade with no hesitation. You hoist your spear and ready yourself to back up your teacher when something strange happens. The four pillars you noticed earlier become engulfed in some sort of black fire, which quickly spreads through the perimeter, blocking your path. At least, it looks like fire. The “flames” give off no heat, instead chilling you to the bone. You can’t see anything through them and lose sight of both Solon as well as the Professor. As you try to look past the flames, all you see is darkness. A pure empty void that leaves you with a feeling of terror and dread you’ve never experienced before.
“The time has finally come…to unleash the Forbidden Spell of Zahras upon our enemies!” You hear Solon yell through the darkness. The flames churn and spin, extending inwards towards where you saw the Professor standing. Just as quickly as they appeared, they suddenly dissipate, giving you a full view of the stone floor. Only this time, neither the Professor nor Kronya are present. Solon stands alone, arms raised.
“Begone with you…Fell Star!”
