Chapter 4: Chapter 3: Emergence of the Forsaken - Ariadne's Ascension

The dazzling city lights below sent Ariadne Evernight tumbling at a dizzying rate of speed. With the use of flags and lights, the goblins and knights of Florian had taken possession and marked their domain. Just the castle, which was only weakly guarded, was left unspoiled.

Ariadne was severely injured; Ferdinand rode his magnificent beast to her rescue. Her left arm was on fire and her voice chords were shattered; she was just holding on to life.

"Oh, my beloved Ariadne, I will not waver, I swear," Ferdinand bemoaned as he clutched his son, who was on the verge of death.

In an effort to repair his broken organs, Ferdinand took Ariadne to a neighboring mountain and cast a healing spell. Determined to return for Ariadne, Ferdinand hurriedly evacuated the royal family and his own family at supersonic speed.

After coming to, Nia took stock of her precarious position. Despite suffering from a crushed arm and a damaged body, she was determined to save Ferdinand. But she was overcome with emotion and doubted the truth as she seen the devastation brought about by the invaders.

Ariadne, meantime, was overwhelmed by ideas as she struggled to cope with her serious injuries. Feeling like a failure for failing to meet expectations despite her extensive training, she began to doubt her value. After seeing the destruction, she struggled with feelings of inadequacy, plagued by guilt about losing Ferdinand and the realm she had sworn to protect.

The Arturian Empire fell when the catastrophic powers of the Albacore tore through the kingdom. With the city in ashes, once-invincible soldiers, venerated dragons, and celestial giants lay vanquished.

Seeing Reinhard struggling for breath in the distance gave Nia a glimmer of optimism. She ran to his rescue despite being hurt. However, Reinhard was so overwhelmed by his injuries and sadness that he thought his life was over and that he would die nonetheless. In the face of so much devastation and the loss of loved ones, Reinhard's resolve crumbled.

Despite her overwhelming sadness, Nero was presented with an unfathomable decision by an unseen voice—to resuscitate Reinhard in return for her dedication to a mission. As Nero was whisked away to a realm cut off from theirs, her wounds mysteriously began to heal.

Upon seeing Reinhard's incredible revival, Nero became persuaded that she had been abandoned and that she had lost all connections to society. Nero vanished as soon as Reinhard awakened, leaving him persuaded of her death, and he was adorned with an inexplicable emblem on his forehead.

In the midst of a powerful wave of emotion and a heavy load of grief, Reinhard set off on a lonely quest for revenge, oblivious to the cosmic forces that had altered his fate.

The story went on, veiled in shadows and mystery, with the destinies of Ariadne, Ferdinand, Nia, and Nero interwoven in a story of hopelessness and perseverance.