Twilight Eve Festival/Story

Main Story

The Power of Time

Soon after the expedition to Karote, the Glory Guard - after noticing that Cosim had sustained grave injuries to his body - brought him to the Secret Plaza, where the Resistance began preparations to repair him. As they did, the Adversary was contacted by a Guardian of Time named Johanna, who explained that she had just returned from an expedition to Grandis, where the power of time had been detected. As she had no idea what could have caused such an anomaly, she asked the Adversary to join an investigation team to determine the source of the power. Together with another Guardian of Time named Lorelai, the Adversary and Johanna traveled to the western wastelands of the Arcus desert, where they discovered the sands shifting in a certain spot. As they approached it, however, the sands immediately settled, causing Lorelai to note that the anomaly had disappeared. Nevertheless, Johanna noted that it had definitely been the power of time, causing her to wonder what was going on, as not even the Guardians of Time had ever seen such an anomaly before. Lorelai then told Johanna not to rush too much, reminding her that time would eventually flow again. She then added that other Alliance investigators had been dispatched to Grandis and that they might learn something as well. Turning to the Adversary, Lorelai asked them whether they had picked up on anything, believing that they might be able to spot something that not even the priests could. The Adversary noted that while they weren't proficient in time magic, something about the anomaly felt familiar, though it was rather faint.

Lorelai told the Adversary that the power of time wasn't something that just anyone could wield, noting that time wasn't something that one could go against. She likened it to a great ocean that covered the world, which could neither be seen nor touched. She explained that the only ones capable of wielding such immense power were Transcendents or great mages like Freud, the likes of whom were only seen once in a thousand years. As it was highly unlikely that a mage of such caliber could have appeared so suddenly, both the Adversary and the Guardians of Time realized that the power of time had to be the work of a Transcendent of Time. Johanna noted that Chronica, Grandis's Transcendent of Time, was a complete mystery, as not even those from Grandis knew much about them, such as when they had become a Transcendent, how long they had been one, their appearance, and even the location of their sanctum: the Chronica Sanctuary. Lorelai explained that according to rumor, Chronica had been sealed away with the Chronica Sanctuary after opposing Gerand Darmoor, disappearing from Grandis altogether. However, she added that even that information was uncertain, as such rumors often originated from doubtful sources. Nevertheless, Johanna believed that it would be better to assume that the time anomaly was a manifestation of Chronica's power, though the Adversary wondered to themselves what had truly become of the Transcendent.

Suddenly, several wandering merchants approached the group, mistaking them for fellow merchants, and told them to hurry up, as all the good seats would be taken otherwise. One of the merchants then added that they weren't in a position to worry about others, as some merchants from large cities, such as Cernium, had already arrived. As the merchants continued onward, Johanna wondered why so many merchants were gathering in such a remote place, causing her to wonder whether it had anything to do with the power of time. Lorelai then recalled seeing a large hot air balloon beyond the eastern mountain and suggested checking it out. Just as Johanna began reminding Lorelai about their mission, a woman named Arjana approached them and asked whether they were searching for the power of time, much to everyone's surprise. Arjana told them that they had come to the right place, adding that she had been waiting for someone like them. Pointing to the Adversary, she noted that she had been waiting especially for someone as strong as them. Johanna asked Arjana to explain herself, to which Arjana asked them to follow her. Though Lorelai noted that Arjana's timely appearance seemed suspicious, she added that the more dangerous something seemed, the more fun it was, for which she suggested that they follow her. Though Johanna and the Adversary were wary, they realized that they had no other way to find the power of time, and so they reluctantly agreed to follow. Arjana then led the group into the bottom of a valley by the mountainside, where they were shocked to find an enormous festival taking place, with a large wolf statue carved into an altar with an hourglass.

Twilight Eve Festival

Lorelai was surprised to know that there was such a large village at the bottom of the valley, while Johann noted that she had heard that the mountain range that ran from Western Grandis to Central Grandis was so rugged that it was uninhabitable. Arjana then welcomed them to the village of Evernia, introducing herself as the chief, as well as her errand girl and boy, Riya and Kael. Upon hearing the name 'Evernia', Johanna recalled that the village was a region that the Alliance had been planning to investigate, though Evernia had been low in priority due to its small size and apparent lack of features of interest. However, Lorelain noted that the town was quite bustling, to which Arjana explained that they were celebrating the Twilight Eve Festival, which heralded the second coming of the Transcendent. At the group's surprise, Arjana revealed that the Twilight Eve Festival was held once every ten years in Evernia and that it was a sacred ritual in which the entire village prayed for Chronica's return. Lorelai noted that Evernia didn't appear to be the Chronica Sanctuary and that the villagers didn't seem to be priests either. Arjana noted that Lorelai was correct, though she revealed that the Chronica Sanctuary had once existed on the land where Evernia was built, and that the villagers were descendants of the priests who had once served Chronica.

Though both Lorelai and Johanna were rather dubious, Riya insisted that Arjana wasn't lying, pointing out the hourglass at the altar and revealing that it was a relic that symbolized Chronica's power. Upon looking at the hourglass, both Lorelai and Johanna immediately sensed the power of the Transcendent of Time emanating faintly from it. Arjana then explained that outside the hourglass, there were other relics in Evernia that proved it to be the site of the Chronica Sanctuary, though she added that those relics were kept safely away from outsiders. Lorelai then noted that something seemed wrong, as the hourglass wasn't in perfect condition. Arjana admitted that the relic was only a shell of its former self, as its true power could only be unleashed with the Sands of Time, with the Twilight Eve Festival being meant to restore the relic's power. Johanna then wondered what would happen if the relic's power was restored, as Chronica had been sealed away by Gerand Darmoor. Arjana explained that Darmoor had sealed both Chronica and the Chronica Sanctuary itself away, though she believed that awakening Chronica's dormant power through the hourglass would break the seal and free Chronica from their prison. She added that as descendants of Chronica's priests, the villagers knew that the hourglass was connected to Chronica's power, and that Chronica's return would finally quell the chaos of the world.

Though Lorelai had her doubts about Arjana's story, she nevertheless agreed that the hourglass was undoubtedly connected to the power of the Transcendent. The Adversary agreed and asked Arjana how to restore the hourglass, to which Arjana explained that the Twilight Eve ceremony was a ritual that involved pouring the Sands of Time into the hourglass and offering a prayer over several months. However, she added that the ceremony had not been successful in all the years they had performed it, which was why the festival had merely been to unite the villagers and preserve their traditions. However, she noted that things were different now, as the power of time had suddenly manifested in the land. Though Arjana admitted that she couldn't say how exactly it had happened, she was certain that it meant that Chronica's return was imminent. Because of this, she noted that it was imperative that they gather the power of time as quickly as possible and restore the relic's power. Riya then spoke up and explained that the Sands of Time were difficult to collect, as they were difficult to gather in large quantities and disappeared if approached too recklessly. Arjana added that the villagers had struggled to gather the Sands of Time, and so they had scaled up the Twilight Eve Festival in order to gather outsiders and find those special enough to control the power of time, such as Lorelai and Johanna.

Despite Arjana's explanation, however, both the Guardians of Time felt that something seemed amiss about her story, and so they decided to inform the Alliance about the new development first. The group then contacted Neinheart, who noted that while he agreed that Arjana's story seemed strange, they couldn't afford to simply abandon the Twilight Eve Festival, as the prospect of freeing Chronica from their seal was too great to ignore. Johanna agreed and noted that the hourglass was indeed the relic of a Transcendent, meaning that collecting the Sands of Time would be made easier by studying the relic's properties. Neinheart added that if they could summon Chronica and convince them to join the Alliance, it would go a long way in opposing Darmoor. Because of this, Neinheart agreed to dispatch more Alliance forces to help with the festival proceedings and gather information. However, he warned them to be careful, as Darmoor's forces could appear at any moment. After speaking with Neinheart, the group returned to Arjana and agreed to help Evernia with the festival, though they added that they needed to analyze the hourglass in order to harness its power. Arjana agreed readily and ordered Riya to prepare the hourglass for examination. As Arjana and Riya led the Guardians of Time to the hourglass, Kael stopped the Adversary and unexpectedly asked them what they were planning, adding that things wouldn't go as they wanted them to, no matter how much they wished for it. At the Adversary's confusion, Kael warned them to be careful, as they were on the path to dusk, adding that the Twilight Guardian would always be watching over them. As Kael walked away, the Adversary hesitantly turned to look at the wolf statue of the Twilight Guardian towering over them.

Investigating Evernia

Soon after, Johanna contacted the Adversary and explained that the Alliance and the Guardians of Time had begun collecting the Sands of Time, though she added that it would likely take quite some time to fill the hourglass. However, she then noticed their expression and asked them whether something was wrong, to which the Adversary told her about their interaction with Kael. Johanna noted that Kael didn't seem to be particularly eager for the Transcendent's return and pointed out that they still didn't know much about the villagers and whether they truly were worshipers of Chronica. With the Alliance gathering the Sands of Time, Johanna asked the Adversary to speak with the villagers and learn more about Evernia. She suggested speaking to the merchants by pretending to buy something from them in order to strike up a conversation with them, adding that they could start with the merchant from Cernium. The Adversary met with the Cernium merchant, Elvis, who recognized them and explained that though they probably didn't remember him, they had saved him when the High Flora had attacked Cernium. He asked them whether they had come to enjoy the festival, to which the Adversary asked him how he had come to learn about it. Elvis explained that the wandering merchants who had come to Cernium had told him about it and that he could make a great deal of money from it. He added that the valley was quite treacherous, and so he had never visited before, which had piqued his curiosity. As the High Flora's influence hadn't expanded there yet, he explained that he had come hoping to see whether he could sell his wares during the festival. When the Adversary asked whether he had learned anything about Evernia, Elvis explained that though there wasn't much that seemed unusual about them, he had noticed that it felt strange that the villagers worshiped the Transcendent of Time. He noted that despite their ancestors being priests, there was little reason for the villagers to continue worshiping the Transcendent, as, unlike the Ancient Gods of Cernium, there were very few traditions or stories about Chronica passed down that could justify such dedicated worship for so many ages. Realizing that Elvis had a point, the Adversary decided to speak with the other villagers and met with Bloom before asking her whether it was her first time in Evernia.

Bloom told the Adversary that it was indeed her first time, adding that she hadn't known that there was a village in such a remote place. As Evernia was near the desert and likely had a shortage of medicinal herbs, she explained that she had come to sell some. The Adversary asked whether she had tried speaking with the villagers, to which Bloom explained that, though she had tried, the villagers didn't seem very friendly with outsiders, as they would barely speak to her at all unless it was related to the festival. She added that even when she had tried engaging in conversation, the exchange had felt rather superficial, as the villagers only seemed interested in making the festival a success, which seemed quite important to them. Wondering whether it meant that the villagers felt that strongly about Chronica's return, the Adversary decided to speak to another merchant named Seya, recognizing her as a member of the Shadowdealers, before asking her what had brought her to Evernia, to which Seya told them that she had come on Shadowdealer business. Seya explained that the Shadowdealers had learned that an incredible relic was hidden in Evernia and that she had been charged with transporting it. However, she added that she hadn't made much progress yet, as the hourglass relic already had an owner, and she hadn't been able to learn about the other relics hidden in the village. She noted that since the villagers worshiped the Transcendent, it was only natural that they wouldn't hand over such information to outsiders, though she added that it was strange that there was no information about a Transcendent's relic until now, as it couldn't have simply appeared out of thin air one day. At Seya's words, the Adversary wondered whether it could be related to the sudden resurgence of Chronica's power, though Seya then added that it wasn't the point, as sneaking any relics out of Evernia would be difficult with the villagers always watching. Because of this, she told them that she would be enjoying the festival in the meantime, and that she would be happy to show them around to all the best food spots.

After speaking with Seya, the Adversary noted to themselves that the rumors of the Chronica Sanctuary's relics scattered in Evernia seemed to be true, causing them to wonder whether the rumors of Evernia being built on the site of the sanctum were actually true. The Adversary then spotted two peddlers - one with a hood over his head and a mask over his mouth, and the other with a painted mask over his entire face - standing in the distance and decided to approach them. The hooded peddler - who, unbeknownst to the Adversary, was a disguised Will - amusedly asked whether it was their turn to be interrogated before introducing themselves as wandering merchants and asking what brought the Adversary to them. Noting that the peddlers seemed rather suspicious, the Adversary explained that it was their first time visiting Evernia, which was why they had many questions about it. The Adversary then asked Will whether he had any memorable experiences in the village, to which Will replied that he would say that the most memorable thing about Evernia was meeting them, adding that his companion - a disguised Cassius - likely felt the same way, to which Cassius nodded silently. The Adversary immediately felt a sense of unease and resolved to learn who the peddlers really were. Upon seeing that the Adversary still had questions, Will asked to speak somewhere quieter, adding that he had a question for them as well. In a remote part of the village, the Adversary asked Will where he was from, to which Will replied that his hometown was quite far away and that he might tell them more about it later if he got the chance.

The Adversary then asked why the two were covering their faces, to which Will claimed that he was in poor health due to a local illness, jokingly adding that he couldn't show his face at such a special time on the eve of the festival. He then explained that his companion's face and voice were quite damaged, and that he wouldn't be able to speak for a while. However, he assured the Adversary not to worry, adding that such was common for vagabonds that drifted from place to place. The Adversary then asked Will what wares he sold, to which Will explained that he was a peddler who sold trinkets with unusual powers, spell books, and unusual artifacts, adding that he was quite a curious person. He then added that he was currently selling a mask rumored to contain a special curse, adding that he could sell it to them at a discounted price. The surprised Adversary noted that Cassius was wearing a mask, though Will laughed that Cassius was alright, much to the Adversary's confusion. Will then asked the Adversary what they were doing in Evernia, noting that they didn't simply seem to be there to enjoy the festivities. He explained that the eve of the festival was meant to usher in the second coming of Chronica and asked whether they were interested in the power of time. The Adversary hesitantly admitted that it wasn't simply that, to which Will noted that he understood what they meant. He noted that Transcendents were truly fascinating, as they possessed incredible power that mortals could never hope to achieve, and that they held the wondrous and fascinating ability to change the world with such power. He then asked them to honestly tell them that they weren't drawn to the allure of the Transcendents as well, causing the Adversary to remain quiet at Will's outburst. Will then laughed and apologized for his excitement, claiming that he was simply reminiscing. He noted that the Adversary didn't seem to trust him yet, adding that it was fine, as their relationship was just right for now. He then offered to help them with anything that he could, claiming that he knew quite a bit about many things, with Cassius staring intently in silence. The Adversary noted to themselves that something seemed quite odd and began wondering whether there was anything they could do to find out.

Just then, however, Lorelai arrived and asked the Adversary what they were doing in such a remote place, adding that Johana had been asking for them. Seeing the Adversary's hesitance, Will assured them that it was fine for them to leave and apologized for taking up their time, adding that they could continue their conversation later. As the Adversary and Lorelai walked away, Will laughed aloud and noted that it seemed like they would be having quite some fun. However, Cassius reminded Will not to forget their purpose in coming to Evernia, to which Will assured him that he hadn't forgotten. Meanwhile, the Adversary and Lorelai met with Johanna, who asked them whether they had uncovered any useful information. After the Adversary explained what they had learned from the merchants, Johanna summarized by noting that: first, for the villagers to worship Chronica so strongly simply because they were descendants of the priests was rather unusual; second, that while there were indeed relics of the Chronica Sanctuary hidden in Evernia, information about them was completely hidden until suddenly surfacing; and finally, that there were certain suspicious individuals present at the festival. Johanna noted that they would continue remaining vigilant as the festival eve proceeded and asked the Adversary to continue with the efforts to gather the Sands of Time.

The Contaminated Relic

As the Adversary continued gathering the Sands of Time, Arjana thanked them for their hard work, explaining that the power of time was rapidly increasing in the hourglass. However, she revealed that there was a problem with the hourglass, which seemed to be having difficulties containing that power. As the festival had never progressed to such an extent before, the villagers were unsure how to resolve the issue, and so she asked the Adversary to take a look at it, as they were reputed to be a warrior with incredible power. The Adversary headed to the altar, where they were surprised to see the hourglass engulfed in strange energy. They noted that another foreign power was mixed together with the power of time, preventing the hourglass from being used properly. Though the strange power felt familiar, the Adversary realized that they couldn't properly identify it due to the tangled power of time masking its signature. The Adversary reported the situation to Arjana, who resolved to ask the Guardians of Time to help without causing a commotion. Johanna and Lorelai then inspected the hourglass and noted that there was indeed a foreign energy mixed with the power of time, although they found it strange, as the Sands of Time had only contained the power of time alone. Lorelai realized that the relic must have absorbed not only the power of time, but other powers as well, and asked Arjana whether she knew anything more about the relic's properties.

Arjana and Riya both admitted that it was the first time that the relic had been awakened, and that there wasn't enough information about its abilities. Lorelai noted that it was likely best not to mess with the hourglass when it already held quite a bit of time power, to which Johanna suggested bringing it to the Temple of Time in order to study it more closely. However, Kael immediately protested and told Johanna to leave the hourglass in Evernia. Arjana agreed and noted that the relic was a precious legacy of their ancestors, and it could not be taken away from the village. Just then, Will arrived and noted that something seemed to be wrong, adding that he had heard that the relics were causing some trouble. He then offered to assist them, explaining that he had quite a knowledge about ancient relics and unusual powers. He noted that the relic was a vessel meant to hold the power of time, though it had also absorbed other powers as well, and so it would not work the way that they wanted. Realizing that Will wasn't lying about his expertise, Lorelai asked him what his solution was, to which he told them that the answer was simpler than they thought, as they merely needed to ascertain what other power the hourglass had absorbed. He explained that it was a power so strong that it could affect even the relic of a Transcendent, noting that it was a primordial energy that existed everywhere and formed the world, yet one that could not be perceived. As he spoke, the statue of the Twilight Guardian began glowing with the strange energy that Will spoke of. Johanna and Lorelai immediately realized that Will was talking about Erda, which Will confirmed, noting that Erda was the force that made up everything in the world. However, Lorelai pointed out that there was no reason why Erda should be able to affect the power of a Transcendent. Will agreed, though he then revealed that the Erdas had recently changed, revealing that a completely new type of Erda with unprecedented abilities had appeared, adding that the world had changed. At Johanna's disbelief, Will laughed that he wasn't lying, noting that only someone who was there to witness it would know the full truth. Will's words immediately caused the Adversary to recall Grendel breaking the dimensional seal and the resulting birth of the Sol Erda.

Will then explained that while mortals could not easily perceive changes to the world, Transcendents would certainly be able to. However, he added that as far as he knew, Chronica had been sealed away by Darmoor, and that the emergence of new, unstable Erda meant that there would inevitably be repercussions. Because of this, he suggested that only someone with the ability to handle the power of the new Erda could help resolve the situation. However, Johnna noted that there was no way that such a person could exist, to which Will laughed that he was merely throwing out a hypothesis and hoped that it would help point them in the right direction. After Will walked away, Johanna noted that she had no idea that a new type of Erda had appeared in the world. Lorelai stated that, though there was much to learn about it, their current priority was to find someone who could handle that new Erda. Just then, the Adversary - realizing that the energy within the hourglass was Sol Erda - stepped forward and used their power to extract the Sol Erda from the relic, much to everyone's shock. With the power of time flowing properly within the hourglass once again, the Adversary took the Guardians of Time to a quiet place and began explaining everything that had happened during the convergence of Maple World and Grandis. Johanna noted that the Adversary wielded great power, while Lorelai observed that the relic seemed to have stabilized thanks to their efforts. However, Johanna pointed out that they couldn't afford to let their guard down just yet, adding that Will had disappeared altogether, despite their attempts to track him down. The Adversary noted to themselves that Will seemed to know quite a lot about the convergence, which was knowledge that few people possessed, causing them to wonder who he might be to access such information. Johanna then noted that the hardest moment had passed and that they could now focus on gathering the Sands of Time. She then told the Adversary that Arjana had been looking for them and asked them to go see her.The Adversary met with Arjana, who thanked them and the Alliance for helping the village gather the Sands of Time, adding that Evernia would repay them someday. She then asked them to follow her, promising that it would only take a bit of time.

The Stolen Sand

Meanwhile, in the far corner of the village, Cassius watched Will wielding the Sands of Time, noting that Will was quite talented to have stolen some of it right in front of everyone. Will admitted that he was lucky to have been able to access the hourglass, if only for a brief moment, before wondering how he could use the power of time. He then noted that Cassius could better harness that power than he could, to which Cassius noted that now wasn't the right time to be worrying about that. Suddenly, Arjana, Kael, and the Adversary arrived to confront the pair and ordered them to surrender, claiming that there was nowhere to run. The Adversary immediately noticed Will wielding the Sands of Time and began to wonder what exactly it was that they were after. Arjana told Will that while she appreciated his help with stabilizing the hourglass, he needed to return the Sands of Time immediately, as they were Evernia's legacy. However, Will retorted that the Transcendent's power had only just appeared in Grandis and that the power did not belong to anyone after it left the Transcendent's hands, adding that it seemed disconcerting that Evernia would claim that power as its legacy. Kael immediately noted that Will was quite arrogant to say so, though Arjana told him that it was alright before pointing out to Will that the village intended to use that power for Chronica, and that the sand being contained in the hourglass - which belonged to the village - was sufficient enough justification to claim ownership over the sand. Will then laughed and asked Arjana to consider the sand that he had taken to be payment for his help in repairing the relic, to which Arjana retorted that the miracles that Chronica would create after their return would be payment enough.

Realizing that Arjana wouldn't back down, Will prepared to face off against Arjana and the others. Suddenly, however, both he and Cassius - as well as the Adversary - sensed a great power manifesting in the distance. Will immediately realized that the power was quite dangerous, for which he and Cassius quickly stood down and returned the Sands of Time to Arjana before retreating. After they left, Arjana sighed in relief that the situation had been resolved without an altercation, to which Kael decided that he would return to the village. After Kael left, the Adversary asked Arjana what had been happening, to which she apologized for not explaining earlier, as there had been no time. She revealed that she had seen Will stealing some of the Sands of Time while examining the hourglass, and that she had been waiting for the opportunity to confront him without causing a commotion on the eve of the festival. She explained that she had asked them to follow her in case there had been trouble, though she was relieved that nothing had happened. As Arjana began to head back to the village, however, the Adversary realized that the immense power they had sensed in the distance had been the power of time, causing them to wonder whether Chronica was really waking up. Elsewhere, in the sky above the valley, an Apostle of Darmoor named Ressa, as well as Melange, floated in the air within magical bubbles, with Ressa noting that he was glad to have come all the way out to check on the situation, as it seemed like something interesting was going on. Melange asked Ressa whether he thought it was fine to leave things like that, to which Ressa replied that he didn't believe that anything particularly annoying would happen, adding that it would be dangerous to get closer, pointing out how 'he' had been baring his fangs. Melange noted that it seemed to be fine if Ressa said so, though Ressa pointed out that he still needed to report it as always, to which Melange commented that Ressa had always been quite diligent. Ressa laughed and noted that Melange could be the same as well if he didn't sleep so much, to which Melange grumbled that he didn't sleep so much. Ressa then laughed once again before suggesting they head back, noting that Melange had other tasks to complete.

The Second Coming of Chronica

Soon after, Johanna contacted the Adversary and told them that the hourglass had been filled, and that the ritual to summon Chronica would soon be taking place. The Adversary asked Johanna how the ceremony would work, to which she explained that Chronica's power within the hourglass would be used to open a path to the subspace where Chronica was sealed. She then added that despite their attempts, they hadn't been able to find any more information about Evernia, as Lorelai had been unsuccessful in her attempts to infiltrate the village. She noted that either the Evernians were hiding something from outsiders extremely well, or the Alliance had misjudged their intentions. Nevertheless, she suggested that they stand by and watch the ceremony. At the altar, Arjana thanked the Adversary for all their help, noting that the village wouldn't have been able to collect the Sands of Time so quickly without their help. She then explained that the ceremony would begin soon, to which Lorelai wondered whether the preparations were complete, as the ceremony felt rather shabby for summoning a Transcendent. Riya explained that they needed only a moment in time, and that at the stroke of midnight - the moment when eternity ended and began - the path to Chronica's subspace would open up. As everyone waited for midnight, Kael approached the Adversary and asked them what they planned to do when they met Chronica, though he then quickly asked them to disregard his question, noting that it was pointless for him to ask anyway. Just then, the power of time began to swell, with Arjana noting that the second coming of Chronica was imminent. As the portal to the subspace began opening, however, Will - inexplicably using his spider powers, which had disappeared after the Black Mage's death - brought himself and Cassius through the portal. Inside the space, Will noted that things had been made easier after they had pretended to flee from the village, adding that the simpler the trick, the harder it was to detect. The pair then shed their disguises before noting that they needed to hurry and take what they had come for quickly before 'the intruder' arrived. However, Cassius then reminded Will about what it was that he had come for, to which Will promised Cassius that he hadn't forgotten. He noted that what he sought wasn't power, and that Cassius's plan to awaken Nine - though he quickly corrected himself to say Alpha and Beta - would be beneficial to them all. Suddenly, however, Will and Cassius were both bound in place with golden chains as a voice noted that just as they had said earlier, it was all pointless. A surprised Will then laughed that things seemed to be getting interesting as a golden figure of light appeared before them.

NPC Interactions

Within Evernia, the player can interact with several different NPCs, with Zero being able to trigger exclusive dialogue with Arjana and Kael:

• If the player speaks with Arjana, she tells the player that Chronica will surely restore their world, and that all they need to do is move towards the future that Chronica will lead them to.
  • For Zero, Arjana stops Alpha and Beta and asks them whether they wield the power of time, as she senses something strange with them. Though Beta begins to tell Arjana that they do, Alpha stops her and asks Arjana whether she's interested in the Transcendent of Time. Arjana tells them that they could call it interest, though she notes that while the twins seem to possess the power of time, they're also somewhat different from Chronica, unlike what she expected them to be. Beta asks her what the difference between them is, to which Arjana explains that though she can't say for certain, it seems that their power is somehow unstable, as though the power that should have been one had somehow been divided. A surprised Alpha wonders to himself whether Arjana has realized that they're a Transcendent divided in two, while Arjana simply notes that it's not particularly important now, as she just hopes that the eve of the festival goes smoothly.
• If the player speaks with Kael, there are two different dialogues that can be triggered. For the first, he tells them to go to Riya if they need anything, claiming that he's busy. For the second, he notes that the Twilight Eve Festival has been conducted countless times, and that he's gotten sick of it.
  • For Zero, Kael will look at Alpha and Beta in shock and ask them what happened to them. Alpha and Beta ask him what he means, and whether he knows them, to which Kael pauses for a moment before telling them that he doesn't know them, and that he doesn't even want to know either.

Trivia

• Kael appears to have a strong connection to Chronica and the power of time, although Kael's true identity is currently ambiguous:
  • According to rumors, Chronica was sealed away by Gerand Darmoor alongside the Chronica Sanctuary. However, given Lorelai and Johanna's statement that this rumor is unsubstantiated, it is possible that Kael may indeed be Chronica divested of their power.
  • Although Kael is stated to be a young boy, his generic NPC dialogue states that he's seen the Twilight Eve Festival "countless" times. However, as the Twilight Eve Festival only takes place once every ten years, Kael's dialogue suggests that he is far older than he appears to be.
  • Ressa's statement about how "he" was "baring his fangs" seems to be a reference to Kael. As the Twilight Guardian wolf is the symbol of Chronica, it is possible that Kael may be the Twilight Guardian, although it remains unknown who or what the Twilight Guardian and their function is.
  • Additionally, it is possible that Kael may instead be Chronica's successor, similar to how Alpha and Beta are Rhinne's successors. It is stated in Zero's class storyline that a Transcendent cannot be fully replaced without first disappearing, the fact that Chronica is merely sealed away, rather than deceased, suggests that Kael cannot fully inherit the power of the Transcendent of Time. Given that Chronica and Rhinne faced the same destiny - having their power stolen by a corrupt Transcendent - it is possible that Chronica, similar to Rhinne, may have attempted to resist their fate by creating a successor.
  • There appears to be a link between the figure of golden light that Will and Cassius encounter and Kael. Although the figure is implied to be Chronica, it also echoes Kael's earlier warning to the Adversary about how their attempts will prove useless in the end.