◈ Awakening

They chose a life of self-exile, isolating themselves from the rest of the world. Yet in their seclusion the Dark Knight faction persevered, comforted by the knowledge that they, the noble descendants of the goddess, were destined to be the heroes their homeland sorely needed. And so they continued their exodus, wandering aimlessly until they reached a desolate plain they would now call their home.

Their dreams of one day returning home and standing proud as the defenders of Kamasylvia encouraged them to continue their training. When their bodies were sore and bruised, when the metallic taste of blood filled their mouths, or the muscles in their arms burned from the hours of constant weapons training, this dream would push them on. They were the true descendants of Sylvia, and they would not disappoint the goddess.

One fateful day, a young girl woke abruptly from her sleep, her body drenched in sweat. Such terror had taken ahold of her that she couldn't utter a single sound. A terrible nightmare had haunted her sleep, in which she saw a giant tree swaying to and fro. The tree appeared to be squirming as a great fire engulfed it, letting out a terrible, piercing scream as it was consumed by the flames. The fire spread at a frightening speed that reduced the land to ashes, and as the world burned, a figure appeared before her, looking down. When she raised her head to look into the lone figure's face, her nightmare came to a sudden end.

She immediately told her sisters and the elders about her terrible vision. A heavy silence filled the air as everyone listened intently. There was no doubt about it, they had to prepare for the foretold calamity. Their first response was to dispatch a delegation to the Kama-Grána, feeling it necessary to combine forces with their estranged sisters. However, a recent conflict with the Ahib, and the scars of the civil war, were still fresh in the minds of many Ganelle. Kamasylvia was gradually recovering as time passed, but it seemed that the bonds of sisterhood between the Ganelle and the Vedir would never heal. The Dark Knight delegation returned alone.

Undeterred, the young girl insisted that something else had to be done to prevent the disaster. They were, after all, the defenders of the Kamasylve, were they not? That far from the sacred tree, she knew better than anyone that the powers granted by the nature spirits would not be able to help her. The horror of her vision still burned in her mind, she acted with renewed vigor. She had no choice but to obtain greater powers from elsewhere.

There were many that opposed her, and some even accused her of gambling on the fate of their lands. The majority believed that the only way to increase their strength was to remain true to the old ways. Tried and tested techniques to harness power from the spirits of nature. Despite the grave danger that had presented itself before them, they stood divided by their opinions. History, it seemed, was repeating itself.

How they knew would remain a mystery, but several Vedir from O'dyllita, the land of thornwood, sought the young girl out. They were the Ahib, who had gained powers incomparable to those they possessed before. It was rumored that they had undergone a drastic physical transformation, and now there they stood amongst their sisters, altered beyond recognition. These sisters said they had accepted the powers of the black spirits, the very same spirits that once sought to destroy Kamasylvia. According to the Ahib, the black spirits possessed an infinite well of energy just waiting to be harnessed. The young girl couldn't help but notice that there was something strange about these sisters imbued in darkness, and at times it seemed as if they did not act of their own free will, but of someone else's volition. However, with few remaining options, the young girl accepted their help.

The powers of the black spirits were very similar to those possessed by the Dark Knights, or more precisely - those that once belonged to the Vedir. But as power was drawn from black spirits, they in turn began to consume their hosts, taking full control of their minds. Some lost control entirely, overwhelmed by the dark power coursing through their bodies. Some thrashed about on the ground, their bodies twisting in agony, while others were engulfed in a blind madness, attacking anyone in their path. Only the Ahib who first sought the young girl out survived this harrowing ordeal, though their eyes now burned with bloodlust and greed.

There was, however, some progress made in their attempts to harness the dark powers. The development of the Vediant not only allowed its wearer to harness the power of the black spirits, but to also control it. Its influence also spread to all those who had lost themselves to the corruption of the dark power. Well, all but one.

During this time, the young girl was struggling against a black spirit of her own. She knew that all would be lost if she were to submit to its overwhelming influence. The black spirit was whispering sweet temptations in her ear, waiting for her to drop her guard so it could take full control of her. But if she was to prevent the disaster foretold in her vision, she had no choice but to force the black spirit to submit to her instead. Thus it came down to a battle of wills. The young girl closed her eyes and focused.

There was no telling how much time had passed. For all she knew, the world may have already been reduced to ashes. However, minutes later- or was it years?- she was able to penetrate the very essence of the black spirit. Standing in eternal darkness, a dark figure emerged, a mirror image of herself. She reached her hand out slowly to the figure, her mirror image doing the same. Yet before the tips of their fingers could brush, the figure crumbled to dust and floated gently away, as if in a breeze. It was then that the young girl felt something in her hand that had not been there before.

From that day forth, some claim to have seen an explosion so vast that it seemed as if the sun had come crashing down on the wastelands, but when the young girl awoke, she remembered nothing. Nothing, that is, except that a great disaster would soon engulf the land.
And in that moment of clarity, she opened her eyes and whispered:

"I must protect Kamasylvia at all cost."