The End....

New York City, New York! 

The moonlight reflects on the glass of high-rise buildings, the honking of cars stuck in traffic, and the body of Edward Lester lies on the cold, hard concrete surrounded by a dizzying number of strangers taking pictures of the dying 20-year-old. "

"So this is how it ends, huh?" his voice slowly trails off; he can feel his life fading. "I guess I lived a pretty worthless life. Mom and Dad are drunk pieces of crap who never cared about me anyway," "They always were more worried about getting the next hit." 

Flashes of memories start to emerge, his childhood being left to his own devices. He pictures an old, abandoned New England rust, the cracks within the walls ever-present, the missing wallpaper and leakage everywhere. He sees his parents on the old sofa with foam patterns adjacent to holes.

"I guess it's for the best," 

then he thinks of his friends: Jacob, Jonathan, and Sadiya. Those friends who were there for his whole life. Jacob, whose parents gracefully allowed him to live at their house when his parents kicked him out. Jonathan, whom he met at college. He remembers the first apartment they rented, the loud music, and the smell that wafted through the bar beneath their apartment in Boston. Edward smirks a bit as blood slowly drips, covering most of his head now. He remembers the sweet scent of the candle perfume he bought Sadiya for her 21st birthday, the way she smiled, and her comforting hands that would weave through his hair. Tears start to flow. 

"Oh God, I don't want to die… please no…" A few inches away, he sees the engagement ring that fell from his pocket, and everything fades to black. The faint noise of the ambulance can be heard…

Ten have elapsed since Hero Himmel's passing of the hero Himmel – In the Southern Lands, specifically the City of Boden

We see a young boy with black hair and clear green eyes leaving the safety of the city walls. He passes through the tall gates, waving to the guards at the entrance. He follows a dirt trail leading into the forest. The grass grows taller as he enters. Walking for about five minutes, the trail ends, but he continues, making his way through the dense forest. The branches touch each other as he progresses. He looks to the right, sees two squirrels circling each other, and smiles. After another thirty minutes, he reaches a clearing. 

The trees in the clearing seem to have deep cuts slashed within them, and some have been forcibly cut down. The boy sits in the center. He opens his hand, and a small black wand with gold lines and a red jewel inserted within it appears. He points his wand forward and yells, "Zoltraak!" A small white flash appears, extending forward until it reaches a tree. There's a loud "Bang!" and the dust starts to clear. The tree now has a hole in it, not enough to penetrate fully, but enough to create a deep hole within it. Similar holes can be seen in the surrounding trees. 

"It's still this weak, huh?"