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Beneath the rocky rubble of an unknown and long-uninhabited world lies the source of darkness that made that world possible as it was. A dark matter, darker than darkness itself. A matter capable of miraculously granting life to the inanimate; transforming lifeless matter into physical, real beings, transforming distant and long-forgotten memories into existing and concrete beings that had always been there, somehow. From this source, a castle rose.
At the top of the castle lived a prince named Ralsei. A prince of a kingdom without subjects. A very patient prince, who from an early age learned the virtue of patience; the serenity of waiting for the right moment when his purpose would be fulfilled. It was his duty to bring hope to the lives of the Lightners and thus fulfill the prophecy that had preceded him since time immemorial.
Ralsei spent his days either leafing through dusty books in the library or daydreaming about what it would be like and what he would do when the heroes of the prophecy finally arrived in his kingdom.
These thoughts always filled him with wonder, with a feeling of anxiety and expectation welling up in his chest. He had been completely alone for as long as he could remember, ever since he first opened his eyes in that same castle, so every time he found himself imagining what each adventure, each discovery would be like, he couldn't help but feel euphoric. That was how Ralsei learned to fill in the gaps with illusion.
The concept of time was confusing in the Dark World. Time seemed to be both frozen and moving at the same time, as if trapped in an endless spiral. He would never know for sure how many days, years, or even a decade had passed since what would have been since that world’s first breath. The days blended into one another, as if tomorrow were no different from today. Sometimes he tried to remember the last day that had been different from the others and realized, in frustration, that perhaps that day had never existed.
Beyond the deafening silence, the only sound was the distant echo of the source of darkness reverberating behind the castle. And even though it was part of the prophecy's immutable destiny, Ralsei sometimes wondered if anyone would ever really get there.
Until finally, on a day that at first seemed like any other, Ralsei suddenly sensed a strong and threatening presence from another source of darkness emanating from somewhere other than his castle. An imminent presence that threatened to disrupt the balance between darkness and light that had been maintained until then, exactly as described in the prophecy.
And, due to the proximity of this new source, in the town, on the right-hand side of the path, a large black gate with golden details that shone in the dim light gate appeared. That would be the gateway to the other, and more recent, world of darkness. Maybe Ralsei was being too hopeful, but it seemed that the events of the prophecy were about to unfold, including the arrival of the heroes in the Dark World and Castle Town.
It didn't take long for the heroes to actually enter the world. Ralsei could sense that they were close, walking the path that led to the castle, at the top of where the rubble lay. It was as if he could hear their whispers and the sound of their footsteps on the ground, even though he was so far away. So close, and yet so unreachable.
His mind was burdened by a mix of emotions - anxiety and fear, among others - that turned into a disgusting, nauseating mess. Ralsei had waited years for someone, anyone, or even a sign that he wasn't alone. Now that the heroes had finally arrived, he knew he couldn't ruin it. He wouldn't for anything. He would do whatever they wanted and say whatever was necessary as long as they didn't leave him alone again. He didn't want to wait any longer.
He recognized how frightening the prophecy could be. Merciless, even. There were moments when it was so vague that it was confusing; even he had his doubts. But by then, he was used to it. He had memorized every verse and omen as if they were part of himself. Still, he couldn't help but worry about the heroes' reaction. They had never encountered anything so inevitable - destiny carved in immutable letters. He knew they could only follow the events and wait until the final tragedy caught up with them.
Maybe it wouldn't take much for the Lightners to realize that the prophecy was the only thing keeping him sane and giving him purpose. Then, they would find him strange and leave.
So, before descending the castle stairs, Ralsei locked the library doors.
After a while, he stood at the entrance to the castle, his entire body and face covered by a dark cloak. The air was cold and thick, and the silence was broken only by the distant echo of footsteps that grew closer with each passing second.
Then they arrived.
Ralsei couldn't believe his eyes, as if they were capable of betraying him. Or as if his brain, sick from years of loneliness and anguish, were creating hallucinations of people to prevent the prince from succumbing to insanity and loneliness. But no, it was real. The heroes of the prophecy were there, standing before him. The moment had finally arrived, and the prince was ecstatic. He was so excited that he could have started jumping up and down and celebrating.
"Welcome, heroes!"
"Who's there?!" Susie exclaimed in response.
"Do not be alarmed. I am not your enemy," he said calmly, his voice echoing off the damp stone walls of the castle. "Please come forward, both of you."
Kris and Susie glanced at each other briefly before approaching.
"Welcome. I am the prince of this kingdom. The Kingdom of Darkness. Kris, Susie, there is a legend in this land. A legend that one day, two heroes of light will arrive, and fulfill the ancient prophecy, foretold by time and space." the prince continued. "Please, heroes, listen to my tale." In response, Kris simply nodded.
Ralsei then began to narrate the prophecy, just as he had practiced. He spoke of harmony and the long millennia in which light and darkness coexisted in balance. If this balance were broken, he said, the earth itself would cease to resist, suffocated by disarray. Only then would the heroes of the prophecy arise to restore harmony and prevent the world's destruction. Of course, he omitted a lot, especially the part about the tragedies, but it was for the greater good. He couldn't scare them at this point.
"I deeply believe you two are the heroes of the legend. That despise whatever enemies you may face... you two have the courage to save the world," he finally declared. "Delta Warriors! Please, won't you accept your destiny?"
"Uhh..." Susie gritted her teeth, looking away. "Nah."
Ralsei blinked, surprised. "W-What?"
"Me? Some kind of hero, or something?" she scoffed, laughing weakly, "You've got the wrong person," a smirk appeared on her face.
"B-But Susie, without you... the... world will..." Ralsei tried to argue, his voice already trembling. He hadn't expected resistance, much less such rude words. His voice faltered mid-sentence, and frustration tightened his chest. He knew the prophecy better than he knew himself, so why couldn't he convince them to accept their fate?
"So what? If the world gets destroyed… It's none of my damn business." Susie shrugged, completely indifferent. "Might even be kind of fun, honestly."
After Susie's words, a heavy silence hung in the air. The atmosphere was so thick it seemed solid. For Ralsei, even breathing seemed to hurt.
Susie sighed impatiently and turned to Kris. "Anyway, Kris... if you wanna play pretend with this weirdo, stick around. I'm going to find a way out of here."
"Susie... wait!"
Before he could say anything else, the ground shook. A metallic roar broke the silence, followed by a deafening noise. Dust rose, and laughter echoed.
A blue, pointed figure appeared out of nowhere, riding a small motorcycle made of pure dark matter, speeding through the air and starting a battle then and there.
After the chaotic battle with Lancer, which ended when his motorcycle ran out of gas, and with the field now silent again, Ralsei approached carefully to check on Kris and Susie. There were tire marks and small cracks on the ground beneath his feet, resulting from the battle.
Ralsei took a deep breath and finally introduced himself formally, trying to sound confident despite his trembling, nervous voice. Susie interrupted him, impatiently saying that she couldn't hear him over his huge cloak. For the first time, he revealed himself to the Lightners. There wasn't much to see since, even under his cloak, Ralsei was still hiding his true form with his hat.
However, nothing could have prepared him to speak - or rather, try to speak - to Susie. She only responded with a few curt, disinterested words before walking away and disappearing down the path. Her bright pink hair became nothing more than a vibrant blur as she walked away.
Kris, however, remained silent. Ralsei found himself in a silence where he didn't know what to do or say, or if he should say anything at all. He stood beside them, trying hard to ignore the feeling that he would say the wrong thing even before opening his mouth. In a timid attempt to ease the tension, he said he hoped they could become great friends.
Kris looked up and, for a moment, stared at him. And then, a small, discreet smile appeared on their lips, enough to make Ralsei's heart skip a beat. His face flushed under his hat, and the prince quickly looked away as if the floor, which he had surely seen too many times before, had suddenly become the most interesting thing in the world. Maybe it was just embarrassment, he thought. After all, he had never talked to anyone before. But the warmth he felt in his chest seemed different - something new and unfamiliar.
Ralsei took advantage of the peaceful moment to observe Kris more closely. Kris had dark blue hair that fell in messy strands over their eyes, hiding their eyes completely. They wore a pink and purple cape over silver armor that was immaculate, free of any battle scars - at least for now - and the shiny silver gleamed. It was beautiful, Ralsei thought, how someone with such a serene appearance could, at the same time, carry something as powerful and intense as the soul.
Ralsei knew, of course, that Kris did not act of their own free will. At least, not entirely. A soul, an invisible force from another world, controlled their movements. Ralsei still didn't understand the concept, given how few books there were on the subject, and that made him a little uneasy. He wondered if the soul inhabiting Kris was also watching him at that moment, just as he was watching Kris.
"Well, let's go! Lead the way, Kris!"
He said, trying to sound cheerful, but his voice came out louder than expected. It was rather embarrassing. Still, Kris just nodded and started walking ahead.
They both headed east toward the large door, walking in silence, with Ralsei following close behind Kris, who hadn't said a word yet. The silence was awkward, but Ralsei didn't know how to make things less strange. He was afraid that he would make the situation worse, so he chose to say nothing.
As they turned the corner, Ralsei saw something familiar.
"Oh, Kris! It's the training dummy I made!" Ralsei exclaimed, breaking his silence. "I suppose now is a good time to teach you how to face your enemies."
Kris watched silently as Ralsei explained enthusiastically. He described how the soul - the inner power that determined every one of Kris' actions - works in a battle, taught them how to fight and, more importantly, how to act.
And then, when the prince instructed Kris to ACT kindly, instead of following his guidance and hugging the dummy, Kris simply turned and hugged him instead.
For a moment, Ralsei stood completely still. His heart raced wildly, pounding in his chest enough to almost hurt. He didn't know what to do with his own hands, not knowing whether to return the gesture, until his own voice escaped, "Ah... well... that works too, I guess." he muttered, as the red on his cheeks deepened.
Then, Kris stepped back and repeated the gesture with the dummy, concluding the short training session, and they were able to proceed to the world of darkness that awaited them.
In the end, their adventure didn't turn out exactly as Ralsei had expected. Of the million-and-a-half scenarios he had fantasized about to distract himself over the past few years, it had hardly occurred to him that the second heroine would be so... reckless, to say at least.
But the important thing was that they had succeeded. They managed to pacify and save all the Darkners they encountered along the way, including a certain jester who seemed to have lost their sanity completely.
At the end of their journey, the Lightners said goodbye to Ralsei and everyone they had met, and headed toward the source of darkness so that Kris could seal it and finally close that world forever. Ralsei stayed behind, watching until the portal closed, taking away all life, all the forests, the entire kingdom of King and Lancer, and transforming that world of darkness into what it truly was in the beginning; just an abandoned classroom.
Ralsei returned alone to Castle Town, with the town still empty. Kris needed to bring all the objects from that abandoned room so that everyone could come to life from the fountain in his castle. Returning to that empty environment after such a busy day felt like a sigh of relief, yet at the same time it felt strange.
Arriving at the library, he unlocked the door and entered, allowing himself to breathe, a rare moment of rest. The familiar smell of old books brought him some comfort. His day had been so intense that he barely had time to think and really absorb everything that had happened.
Well, Susie did not meet his expectations.
He was confused. He didn't know how to feel or what to think about Susie, the girl with crossed hope in her heart. She is a figure of rebellion, completely opposite to everything Ralsei was and believed in. She is herself, she is free, very different from Ralsei, who is only capable of living for the prophecy, created to fulfill a role that, at times, he didn't even know if he really believed in.
And the human. Oh, yes, the human.
Ralsei would never forget the way his cheeks turned visibly red, even under the hat that covered his face, after Kris offered him the white ribbon. And even more so after the hugs. Ralsei could see a lot of kindness in them, despite being controlled by the soul.
And speaking of the soul, the culmination of Kris’ being, Ralsei had found a way to distract it temporarily. For a brief moment, he convinced it to step aside, allowing Kris to close their eyes and think of Susie while they were still trapped in the prison cell. It was at that moment that Ralsei was able to have his first real conversation with Kris.
Ralsei would never forget how Kris’ expression seemed different somehow. He couldn't explain exactly how, but Kris seemed like themselves, not like someone else was in control of their actions. With the soul distant and distracted by Susie, even their voice sounded different.
He would never be able to forget the way their eyes and expression revealed that they were relieved - though still afraid - that someone else knew about their situation.
Ralsei, at that moment, thought that maybe Kris had been as lonely as he was.
There was a knot growing in his chest - a good feeling and, at the same time, a terribly ugly feeling - spreading like the roots of a vine, extending in opposite directions.
What was he doing? What was he daring to think? His duty was the prophecy, to serve a purpose and accept his own insignificance. Without a purpose and without prophecy, what would remain of himself? Nothing.
He was nothing more than a concept, an idea generated by the desire for balance between the world of darkness and the world of light. An object, in the metaphorical sense. He wasn't supposed to feel warmth every time Kris approached his face. He wasn't supposed to feel his heart race every time Kris looked in his direction.
No. Just no. He shouldn't, he can't.
But still, he felt it.
He felt as if that were the only real piece of himself.
May the prophecy forgive him.