Made possible with the support of Patrons on Patreon. Finally! The grand day was upon him! As Ario breathed in deep the fresh morning air of Port Sabeto, his heart swelled with pride and excitement. A few more hours – just a couple more hours, and he would board the Oroi, a sea-bound ship headed for the greatest adventure of all: The other side of the world. Ario giggled to himself and hopped down the streets, unable to contain his exhilaration at the prospect of discovering a whole new land, strange new creatures and people, disturbing cultures that he, failed researcher in the science-driven society of Rao, would be first to study and document and— "Watch where yer going, Yosai!" With a gasp Ario was flattened face-first against the nearest wall, a forceful hand pressing him against stone and grime as its owner stomped past. He didn't wait to peel himself off the wall, mumbling an insult back, soon to bite his tongue as he realized what kind of

Made possible with the support of Patrons on Patreon. Death watched, tranquil like the wind rocking the waves down upon the shore. Screams. Memories. Recollections of those lost at sea – lost forever, as Death never was one to tread upon the vast expanses of liquid treachery. However, Death was not one to shirk Her duties. Lost as the deep seafarers became to Her, those mortals who subsisted on the bounties of the coastline remained within Her grasp. For no reason she could think of, Death glanced up towards the fiery blues of twilight mirroring the clear waters below. She took a couple of steps forward and halted cleanly at the edge of the promontory. Down below, Death saw the windswept, corroded corpse of a Human, its torn dress partially submerged by the waves. Several meters away stood its disoriented soul. As soon as the soul spotted Her, it vanished. As Death prepared to pursue the fugitive into the Otherrealm, a cry aimed at Her presence disrupted

Sweet darkness embraces me and I lose myself in its caress Words and jests meld in my heart A great world's prowess A small world's duress A soul dead among the ashes of what was once a grand castle, its lights long ago dimmed and exhausted by hatred and violence, blinded to the sorrow of the mind Is it not true we are but fleeting? Then why should I keep fighting? Fighting for a world that will not save itself Struggling to uphold vague concepts like care, thought and love Struggling to balance wisdom and elitist hope But the darkness speaks not of silence, nor of vengeance or violence. The darkness breathes fire in its dark, a beacon, a beautiful light that sheds warmth in its wake, never to surrender, never afraid. The darkness' voice has changed. It speaks in breaths and gestures, uplifts, reassures and cradles; brightness in a world without candles, lit by the fires of souls intertwined. Only one path lies ahead; renewal through destruction, itself word of a thousand contexts.