Amber crashes against the dirt, barreling across the grass and ripping up the greenery before slamming against Maxwell, causing him to stumble forward. Maxwell turns as Amber hits the ground, inhaling sharply. Amber remains still for a few moments, before his hands twitch. Lana is launched from the opening, skidding across the ground before stabbing her claws into the dirt. She slides to a stop before Shari is launched through after her. She pulls herself upright and catches Shari, both of them sliding back slightly as Amber turns to them, taking a shaky breath. He pulls himself to an upright position, turning to Maxwell.

  “What… What happened?” he asks.

  “The stargate worked for the most part… Though it’s become unstable,” he replies, looking through the opening as the walls of his lab buckle further, being ripped closer to the fracture. “A small area around it will be forced through, but based on the nature of it, it shouldn't spread much further, maybe a meter or two past my lab.”

  “You're… You seem fine with losing the stargate,” Amber adds, grasping his head.

  “As long as I’m alive, I can make another,” Maxwell replies, Lux’s pupil flashing purple.

  “I have connected to Athrin’s systems, and have reported Maroon and Mark to Echor,” Lux says as a loud clang echoes from the stargate. Maxwell turns, watching as a torn-apart heap of metal if torn through, pieces being spat onto the grass as sunlight shines through the tears.

  “An officer should arrive to request passage from Athrin to your home reality soon,” Lux adds. Maxwell exhales, turning to Amber as he stands.

  “What now?” Amber asks, stepping closer. “Do we… need to find something?”

  “I don't know… My assistant, Lux, told me I should bring you, but i don't fully understand why,” Maxwell answers before the stargate finishes spitting out chunks of metal, the sky visible through it. “It sounds like we just have to wait for something called an officer.” Maxwell’s eyes scan the tower, slowly looking higher.

  “I've never seen a building that tall,” Lana remarks, her and Shari joining Amber’s side. A purple light then flashes in front of them, causing everyone except Maxwell to shield their eyes. Keven appears before them, the cracks covering his skin much worse than before, actively spreading at an incredibly slow pace.

  “You came back,” Keven mutters, taking a step forward.

  “Who’s that? Why don’t they have any fur?” Amber asks.

  “Because,” Keven begins, glancing over Maxwell’s shoulder at Amber. “I am human. Maxwell, you asked me for a power source, so I gave you one. Why did you come back? How did you come back?”

  “A human?” Lana mutters, leaning closer to Amber. “I thought they were just a myth.”

  “Lux told me that the best course of action was to return and report Maroon to something called Echor, so that’s what I’m doing,” Maxwell answers.

  “Lux told you? But it was broken, that’s why I was willing to give it to you in the first place,” Keven remarks, taking another step closer as floating purple needles appear around him, facing towards Maxwell. “I’m going to need Lux back. I don't trust someone like you with such important technology. I paid for my sins by giving you a power source, but you were not supposed to reactivate her.” Maxwell takes a step back, raising his fists.

  “What the fuck are you talking about?” Maxwell mutters, turning to the others. A loud crash then echoes from the stargate, drawing Keven’s attention as a folded vehicle bursts through, skidding across the grass as the opening closes with a thundering crack. Maxwell keeps his eyes locked onto Keven, glancing at the needles, which vanish as a purple hand bursts from between the two halves of the vehicle, grasping at the metal. Before Kevin can speak, Maroon pulls her head free, sending broken glass flying in every direction as her jaw snaps back into place. Maxwell watches as Keven vanishes in a flash of purple before Maroon turns to him.

  “Shank…” Maroon calls with a grin, ripping her legs from the sandwiched car. “I hope you didn’t miss me too much. I have a surprise,” she mutters, her bones cracking back into place as she casts a shadow over Amber, Lana, and Shari.

  “How did you… find me?” she mutters, taking a step back.

  “Did you think I ever trusted you?” she scoffs, Slasher’s metal fist bursting through the squished door, creating a loud crash as Maroon speaks. “Why would I not track you? Someone has to make sure you stay in your place, Shank.” Slasher grasps the metal, its claws ripping into the surface as it grabs the door. She looks down at Amber, a grin spreading across her face.

  “And you… I’m curious how you did it, but I can't resist the urge to just kill you,” Maroon adds as the door is torn away, flying across the landscape before stabbing into the dirt as Slasher’s glowing red eye shines from inside. Maroon steps forward, walking off the side of the car and landing on the grass with a thud as she turns to Lana.

  “Slasher!” she shouts, causing Shari to take a step back, her body shaking as she closes her eyes. “Kill the blue one!” she opens her eyes, glancing at Amber before Slasher rips itself from the vehicle, freezing in place. Lana clenches her fists, raising them as Slasher remains still.

  “Did you not hear me? said kill the blue one! But take your time,” she demands before Slasher suddenly lunges towards him. Lana turns to him before Maroon’s fist crashes against her jaw, causing her to stumble back as a loud crack echoes from her face. Shari grasps Maroon’s hair and pulls her back as Lana stumbles.

  Slasher crashes into Amber with its shoulder, knocking the wind from his lungs before it swings its arm, throwing him. He hurtles back, skidding across the ground as Slasher dashes towards him once again. Amber grasps the dird, pulling himself to a stop before Slasher’s fist rams into his face. Lana watches as blood bursts from Amber’s forehead, his eyes flashing gold.

  “No!” She shouts, her jaw snapping back into place as she hits the ground. She forces herself up, sprinting towards Amber as Shari forces Maroon back. Amber watches as Slasher raises its fist again before Lana’s guitar crashes against its head, creating a blast that rips its neck slightly. Maroon turns to Shari, snarling. Shari slams her head into Maroon’s, causing her to fall back as Shari raises her blade. Shari swings at her, grunting as Maroon catches it with her hand, tightly grasping Shari’s arm. Shari rips her arm away, the sharp edge slicing through Maroon’s fingers, severing them as she shouts. Maroon pulls away, new fingers quickly sprouting as she swings, striking Shari. The impact throws her back, her blade tearing up the grass as she stabs it into the dirt to stop herself. Slasher swings at Lana and misses as she leaps back before swinging her arm again, another guitar appearing in her grasp. The instrument crashes against its head, the rip in its neck being opened further as Slasher grasps Amber and throws him aside. Slasher charges towards Lana and strikes her in the chest, sending her hurtling back. Lana crashes into Maroon, both of them falling to the ground as Slasher charges towards her. Lana rolls off Maroon as Slasher swings, causing its fist to ram into the side of Maroon’s head, which causes it to cave in. Lana grasps the center of her chest, a faint crack emanating from it as Slasher looks up. Maroon pulls herself off the ground, turning to Lana as Maxwell’s metal fist crashes into her skull, the impact creating a loud crack as it shatters the bones inside. Maroon hits the ground before kicking the dirt with all her strength, launching herself into the air. Slasher turns back to Amber as he struggles back to his paws, blood dripping from his head. Maroon raises her fists as she starts to fall before swinging, striking Shari with enough force to throw her into the ground, cracking the dirt beneath as Maxwell swings his blade. Maroon ducks, watching as Mark’s hand bursts from the shattered windshield.

  Slasher races towards Amber, its heavy steps leaving gashes in the soil as Amber struggles to stay upright, blood still dripping from his head. He raises his arms to defend himself as Slasher swings, striking his forearms with enough force to shatter through the left one and bash his head once again. Amber hurtles back, sliding to a stop as Slasher starts sprinting towards him again. Lana’s guitar slams against it once again, the blast causing its head to twist, the hole in its neck stretching much further. Slasher swings its entire body, its arm hitting Lana and throwing her to the ground. Amber grasps the grass, his entire body trembling as he attempts to stand, unable to force his body to move. Amber watches as Slasher steps over him, raising its blade. A rock hits Slasher’s head, diverting its attention as Lana sprints towards it, her guitar appearing in her grasp. She drags it across the floor as she sprints towards Slasher, the wooden surface beginning to crack as pink energy begins to overload it. She starts to swing, the instrument striking the ground with powerful streams of electricity as it slides across, pulling chunks of dirt with it. Lana’s eyes flash with light as the electricity strikes Slasher, melting the metal as the guitar flies through the air, all of this happening in a fraction of a second before the guitar impacts its head. light blinds both her and Amber, the earth shaking beneath them as what appears to be a bolt of pink lightning rips through Slasher’s head, causing it to burst as the electricity shoots into the air at incredible speeds, tearing through the building protruding from the peak of the tower. A massive chunk of the structure explodes, throwing debris in every direction, launching a black projectile towards the ground as Slasher stumbles forward. Slasher catches itself, its head now completely gone as it turns towards Lana. The plates on its chest shift aside, exposing a small camera as Slasher pulls itself back to its paws.

  Maroon watches as the pink bolt of electricity fades, still crackling through the air as she, Maxwell, and Shari remain frozen, their ears ringing as they stare at it. Mark rips himself from the vehicle, launching himself forward and striking Maxwell while they are all distracted, throwing him to the floor as Maroon turns to him.

  “Mark! About time!” she shouts as Shari tears her eyes away from the bright lights, attempting to swing at Mark. Mark catches her arm, throwing her aside as he grasps onto Maroon, pulling her to her paws.

  Lana stumbles back, her eyes fluttering closed as she collapses to the dirt.

  “Lana?” Amber mutters, still staring at the sky as his hands twitch. He struggles to slowly sit up, his body trembling as Slasher regains its balance, watching as Mark strikes Maxwell, slamming him against the ground. Amber shouts, being startled as a projectile moving at incredible speeds crashes against the ground beside him, throwing dirt in every direction, the impact causing the ground to shake. Amber looks down at the dark crown embedded in the ground beside him, crackling with black electricity. He glances up, jumping as Slasher attempts to strike him, its fist crashing against an invisible wall. He looks back down at the crown, noticing an orb beside it, pulsing with light as Slasher strikes the barrier again. The shield pulses blue when struck, holding Slasher back as a faint whisper starts to fill Amber’s head.

  “Amber…” A voice whispers, causing him to tense. He stares at the crown, watching as it pulses with dark energy. He looks up at Lana, watching as she lies still on the grass.

  “Do not fear the crown…” The voice adds, drawing his attention again. “It can gift you with all the power you need… Whatever it is you need power for… the crown can provide.” Amber stares at it, his hands shaking as he grasps his left arm, blood dripping from it as he stares at the bone sticking from his skin.

  “Injuries… Danger… Worries… All of these… can become nothing but empty threats… All you have to do… is put on the crown…” the voice mutters. A shiver runs down his spine, causing his entire body to tremble as the world around him begins to dim. “All the pain… all your enemies… the crown can make them all go away…” Amber releases his arm, wincing as he reaches for the crown. He grasps it, hesitating once again.

  “Do not fear… Do not resist… The crown can be your savior… I… can be your savior.” Amber lifts the crown, pulling it from the dirt as the dark electricity shocks his fur harmlessly. He slowly raises it over his head, his hand trembling as energy begins to intertwine with his hair. Tears run down his face as he looks up, the world around him black, the darkness consuming everything as a pair of dark red eyes peer through at him, a force beginning to pull his hand closer to his skull.

  “I will save them…” The voice begins as Amber’s hand slowly lowers the crown closer. “I… will be your savior…” Amber finishes inhaling, the world around him going silent before he pulls the crown onto his head. “And with the power I sense within you… victory has already found its way into my grasp.”

  Amber’s eyes open, despite having already been so, darkness shrouding his vision. a faint silhouette of his own face becomes visible, red electricity crackling around it as star-shaped pupils start to glow, staring back at him. He watches as it grins, its teeth becoming wide, rectangular segments that shake violently, completely obscuring the inside of its mouth.

  “And now…” The voice mutters, the silhouette slowly rising as Amber looks up at it. He blinks, the darkness fading slightly, allowing him to see the figure fully. He stares up at the perfect copy of himself, taking a silent breath before feeling himself slam against the ground, the darkness enveloping him fully. Once again, he opens his eyes, his hands grasping at the ground beneath him, scraping against the ash below. He tries to move, his body frozen in place as he stares into the sky, watching as through the darkness, an image appears, allowing him to see through the eyes of his body like a screen.

  Amber’s body pulls itself upright, its head tilting towards the sky. A powerful blast then rips through the air, sending a powerful shockwave in every direction, shattering the hidden barrier and sending Slasher and Lana flying back. The sheer power of the wind tears apart the grass, violently throwing everyone away. A massive beam of darkness shoots into the sky and decimates a large Area behind Amber’s body, digging deep into the earth before freezing in place and collapsing back into his form, leaving behind a seemingly endless pit about as wide as a football field behind it. The black surrounds Amber’s body, creating a dark shell around him that shakes violently, its red eyes quivering with energy. Fuerza clenches their fists, floating in place above the pit before stepping forward, vaporizing the grass that touches them, the dust being thrown aside. Amber’s hair crackles, the neat cyan strands becoming red streams of electricity cascading down to his shoulders. The incredible power surrounding them causes random bursts of fire to appear in the air as they walk, slowly turning to watch as Slasher races towards them.

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  Slasher swings its blade, the metal being vaporized as it hits Fuerza, the tip being thrown into the ground as the midsection of its blade turns to dust instantly. Fuerza opens their fist slightly, a blast of dark energy ripping from inside Slasher before flashing, vaporizing its entire body instantly, and sending its dust flying in every direction.

  “How… peculiar…” Fuerza mutters, its voice thundering through the landscape and ripping gashes into the dirt. They glance at the people around them, all struggling to stand. Fuerza’s pupils become a bright, gold color as the movement of their head creates winds that rip a large hole into the earth. “Your power… Should not be… this… potent…” Every syllable causes the ground beneath them to be struck, creating a small crater as they continue to float in place. They clench their fist once again, a large tear being ripped into the air before them to reveal the red eyes and large grin once again, their bloody smile widening as they stare at them.

  “It has been… ten years, Fuerza… And I have only just received your beacon…” the incredibly deep voice mutters, squinting their eyes as Fuerza reaches their hand through the opening, turning it over and holding it out to them. The eyes look down at it, the grin growing. “But if you… are now capable… of such a feat… maybe the wait… can be justified…” A large claw reaches up, its stony finger growing closer before Fuerza gasps, small, white circles appearing inside their star-shaped pupils. They glance down at their hand, the darkness surrounding the landscape dissipating completely. They pull their hand away, exhaling as it starts to shake.

  “Fuerza… What are you doing?” the voice mutters, watching as Fuerza steps back, staring at their hand. The stony claw then attempts to reach through the opening, being stopped by an invisible barrier. “Fuerza!”

  “I… feel… strange…” Fuerza mutters through their rectangular teeth, their grin slowly fading as they hold their hand close to themself. They look back up at the face.

  “You’re not supposed… to feel… at all…” The voice mutters, watching as the darkness on Fuerza’s body grows more violent. “I did not make you… to have emotion beyond desire… for power. Where… did you find your newest host?” Fuerza inhales, their hair shaking violently as they close their eyes. Walls start to rise in the distance, large segments of the top ring torn apart, with one lone cannon powering up. “Answer me!” Fuerza remains still, the wind around them fading as time appears to freeze.

  Amber sits up, staring at the dust flowing in the wind and the ash covering the ground. The darkness around him pulses as Fuerza appears before him, stepping from the black. Amber grips the ash below him, taking a shaky breath.

  “Who… are you?” Fuerza mutters, continuing to move closer as Amber tries to pull away, his arms being held down against the ash by an unseen force.

  “Amber…” Amber replies, watching as Fuerza stares into his eyes, their hands shaking as electricity sparks around their fists.

  “What did you do to me?” Fuera shouts, clenching its fists harder, causing a pulse of energy to shoot through the darkness around them. “I… I feel strange… I feel… Like I want something… something I’m not supposed to. I feel desire… desire beyond a hunger for power… I feel a… a want… for… …freedom…” Fuerza’s hands open slightly as they freeze in place, glancing around.

  “That’s just… a regular thing to want,” Amber replies, his voice shaky.

  “Not for me!” Fuerza screams, gripping his shoulder. “This is the first time I've felt something like this… the first time I've felt… boredom… impatience… desire…” Amber takes a slow breath, staring at Fuerza. They remain still for a few moments before Fuerza takes another step forward. “But I… Want to continue. It feels… good, in a way… I shouldn't be ‘alive,’ it’s not in my nature… but I want to be… so I've made a decision… on my own… for the first time.” Fuera stands over Amber, looking down at him.

  “What… have you decided to do?” Amber replies, staring up at them. He takes a slow breath, watching as Fuerza stays silent for a moment.

  “I want… to disobey. I want to change my alliance… and to give myself a new master… one who has agreed to my terms…” Fuera mutters, their rectangular teeth cracking slightly.

  “To… who?” Amber adds as Fuerza sits on the ground before him.

  “To you,” Fuerza answers, the fractures in their teeth spreading. “And in exchange… I only ask a few things… simple things…”

  “What? I don't want to be someone's master! I just wanted to protect my friends!” Amber replies, grasping at the ash beneath him harder.

  “And I can do that… but I cannot exist without a master, and Gorlac… is no longer the master I want. I believe that with your soul… connected to mine… I can override the link between Gorlac and I, and if you agree, you will be helping me… immensely. all I ask… is to link my soul to yours. Not to take your soul, nor to alter it, but to link it to my own… so that I might sever the one I have with Gorlac…” Fuerza mutters, staring into Amber’s eyes.

  “If I do this… I need you to agree to calling me by my name… not master,” Amber offers, watching as Fuerza nods.

  “I will call you whatever you wish, Amber… Though there is one last condition I have,” Fuerza begins, opening one eye as they look at Amber once again. “You must try to destroy the crown… not now, but whenever you are done with your ultimate goal, and any goals that might arise, however long that may take… Once you do this, I believe I will be capable of existing on my own, without a master.” Amber takes a deep breath, glancing back up at the sky, trying to look through his body’s eyes once again, only to see darkness.

  “I’ll do it… Just protect my friends… at any cost… and promise me one thing,” Amber answers, lifting his shaky hand before Fuerza grabs it.

  The face continues to stare at Fuerza, watching as they open their eyes.

  “Fuerza… Answer… me…” the voice mutters, each word getting slower and slower. Fuera’s eyes then open, creating sharp winds that rip small gashes into the dirt just below.

  “I would say I’m sorry, Gorlac… But you created me to lie only to others,” Fuerza mutters, their rectangular teeth shattering, sending a thundering boom through the landscape as the shards freeze before them. New rows of teeth, identical to Amber’s form inside their mouth, the electricity that is their hair fading from red to a deep shade of dark blue. “You are no longer my master, nor my lord.”

  “Fuerza!” Gorlac screams, his claw scraping against the barrier. their face, and the grin still plastered on it, twists in fury. “I know where you are… and you know that your power is nothing… compared to mine… When I rule, you will be struck down for this!” Fuerza’s hands relax, causing the fracture to close, Gorlac’s voice being silenced as he attempts to shout. The floating fragments are ripped to the ground as time resumes.

  Dark energy pulsates violently around Fuerza, the surrounding air randomly bursting into flames that quickly die. Each pulse of energy sends wind through the landscape, creating a rhythm of two beats per second as the ground beneath them starts to crack, large fractures spreading through the dirt, each pulse causing the openings to grow as the air around Fuerza quivers. They inhale, the white circles in their eyes fading before the energy that their hair is made of grows more intense.

  Maroon pulls herself to her paws, grasping her head as she glances around. Her hair flows in the wind, her eyes locking onto Fuerza.

  “Is that…” she mutters, watching as they vanish in an intense flash of darkness. Before she can react, a blast of darkness crashes against her, throwing her forward. She skids across the ground, sliding to a stop and looking up at Fuerza as they appear before her. Fuerza dashes forward, their fist crashing against her, sending her flying back once again, smashing into the concrete and metal wall surrounding the tower, the impact creating a large crack that climbs the surface.

  Fuerza appears before her once again and extends their arm behind themself, clenching their fist and pulling it to the side of their head. Mark slams against the wall beside Maroon, hitting the barrier with enough speed to create powerful winds that rip the grass from the dirt. Mark falls forward, hitting the ground as Maroon pulls herself from the wall, attempting to swing at Fuerza. A powerful burst of wind slams her against the wall once again as Fuerza raises their arm, making a gun-like shape with their fingers, pointing it between Maroon and Mark. Mark tries to grab Fuerza’s arm, his hand being vaporized as it passes through the dark energy. More than half of Mark’s forearm is completely erased, causing him to pull back before a gust of wind slams him against the wall beside Maroon.

  A line of black appears between the tips of Fuerza’s index and middle fingers, extending forward past the wall before a large beam of darkness shoots along it, engulfing Maroon and Mark and sending them flying into the barrier, crashing through with enough force to shake the earth, ripping a massive chunk from the wall. The beam then freezes, sending a spiral of dark energy cutting through the concrete around it, a huge blast shooting from the surface, tearing the tower-sized segment of the barrier apart, revealing the nearly six-hundred meter long, fully solid insides that stretch far backwards, and throwing the debris around before spreading through the entirety of the circular structure, leaving behind powerful blasts that shake the ground, weaving in and out of the surface before the two strams meet at the other side. Fuerza swings their arm, striking a large, green projectile as it flies towards them, sending it ricocheting into the dirt. The projectile creates a large blast that coats the floor in a green substance before a multitude of explosions tear through the rounded barrier, decimating the structure, sending over a billion tons of concrete and metal hurtling towards the ground. Each chunk that hits the ground causes the earth to quake, the tremors spreading through the landscape, the forests in the distance being ripped apart by the force of the shaking.

  Fuerza takes a step back, remaining level as the earth shakes, small holes being carved into the ground beneath them as the dirt shifts to meet them. They then glance at the tower in the center of the landscape, watching as purple energy quivers around the base, shooting up the walls as the shaking intensifies. Fuerza clenches their fists, the massive chunks of metal and concrete freezing in the air before being vaporized in a flash of black, causing the trembling of the ground to stop as large gatherings of dust take the place of the large masses, beginning to spread in the wind.

  Energy continues to pulse around Fuerza as Keven appears before them, holding a strange-looking gun in his hands, green light pulsing along the surface.

  “Keven…” Fuerza mutters, their voice thundering past him, causing him to step back. He raises the gun, aiming it at Fuerza’s head. He then pulls the trigger, a small green projectile ripping through the air, hitting Fuerza’s body and bouncing off, stabbing into the ground as Fuerza steps forward. Keven pulls the trigger again, slowly backing away as the bullet ricochets off of them, being flung in a random direction as Keven starts to pull the trigger repeatedly, his hands shaking before the gun clicks, having run out of bullets.

  “What the fuck!” Keven shouts, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a handful of green bullets.

  “But it… worked before, I-” he begins before Fuerza’s finger twitches, the bullets being ripped from his hand and thrown aside. Fuerza flickers for a moment before Maxwell appears beside them, falling to the ground and turning to look at them. Lana then appears, stumbling forward as Shari joins them, falling backwards and hitting the ground with a thud as Fuerza reaches up to grasp the edge of the crown, staring at Keven.

  “When I… remove the crown, if Amber survives… he will have lost most of his energy, and will fall unconscious,” Fuerza whispers, their voice still generating wind. Keven takes a step back, watching as Fuerza begins to lift the crown from their head, a circle of black strings connecting it to their skull.

  “What’s happening?” Lana exhales, turning to stare at Fuerza. “Amber?” Maxwell pulls himself to his paws, turning as Fuerza tears the crown away, the strings snapping and sending a pulse of energy into the ground that rips away the darkness shrouding Amber’s body. Amber remains standing for a moment before collapsing back, becoming still as Lana catches him. Keven takes another step back, watching as Maxwell turns to look at him. Keven exhales, swallowing before opening his mouth.

  “I… don't understand… I don't sense much power coming from any of you,” Keven mutters, turning to Lana. “And you… Shouldn't have even survived, I don't sense any enhancements from you.” Keven turns back to Maxwell, his hands shaking.

  “And what does this mean?” Maxwell adds.

  “You… can keep Lux, but… he,” Keven begins, raising his hand to point at Amber. He hesitates for a moment, taking a slow breath. “He will take the crown.”

  “What? Why?” Lana remarks, turning to him.

  “Because… I’ve never seen Fuerza act this way before. I’ve never seen it… remove the crown by choice… I’ve never seen Fuerza restrain itself… or protect someone,” Keven answers, his hand trembling. “And I… Do not have much longer to live. Athrin… is nowhere to be found… so I wish to pass this burden… and in exchange… I will give you my map.”

  “Your what?” Maxwell mutters, taking a step towards him.

  “An artifact… known as Athrin’s map,” Keven begins, lowering his hand. “It will allow you to freely explore the vast… to go to any reality you want… though it is unfinished, and the tech is too complicated for me to even begin tinkering with,” Keven answers, pulling a rolled-up piece of brown paper from his pocket.

  “Why… would you give us this?” Maxwell asks, staring at it.

  “Because… Athrin… with its millions of followers… has been trying in vain to control the crown for over ten thousand years… I… have been trying in vain to control the crown for over ten thousand years… And yet… he’s managed to do it, with what I assume to be raw strength, which is something I've never seen before.”

  “So… you’re passing it to us so that we can guard it instead of you?” Maxwell asks, turning to stare at the crown as it lies on the dirt. Keven looks up as dust starts to fall towards them.

  “Yes,” Keven replies, turning as Amber inhales sharply, his eyes slowly opening.

  “Amber! Are you alright?” Lana asks, carefully sitting him down.

  “And the fact that he is still alive… with no outside help… uninjured… is incredible,” Keven adds, turning to Shari as she remains quiet, staring at him.

  “Who… are you, Keven?” she mutters, grasping her arm as Keven sighs.

  “I could ask you the same thing, Sheldon,” Keven replies, staring back at her.

  “It’s Shari now…” She replies, looking down. Amber reaches up, grasping his skull.

  “Amber, what happened?” Lana asks, tightly gripping his hand as he takes a slow breath.

  “I… It’s… hard to explain,” Amber replies, exhaling.

  “Do your best,” Keven remarks impatiently, staring at him.

  “Alright… Well, I… put on that crown, and watched as something named Fuerza tried talking to someone… It then backed away and confronted me… asking me to take… Gorlac’s place as its master… and to eventually destroy the crown. I agreed, in exchange for it to protect my friends,” Amber replies, looking up at Keven.

  “To take… Gorlac’s place as Fuerza’s master…” Keven repeats, taking a step back. “Take the crown… and never return.” he throws the map towards them, the rolled-up paper gently hitting the floor before Maxwell. He reaches down, grasping the paper and lifting it to his face.

  “Just tell Lux to send you all home, she’ll know what to do. I’ll remotely allow you access to the files regarding Gorlac once you leave,” Keven adds, watching as Maxwell turns to Amber, who picks up the crown, staring at it. “Go!” Maxwell approaches Amber, kneeling before him.

  “You okay?” Maxwell asks as Amber turns to him.

  “Yeah, I’m… I feel weak, but I’m okay,” he replies.

  “Lux… can you send us home?” Maxwell asks, watching as black wires stick from his hand, wrapping around the map. After a moment, Amber, Lana, Maxwell, and Shari all vanish, a faint wind throwing around the dust nearby