“So, it actually is possible. To go back to the start.”

Standing before a glowing purple crystal that stood thirty feet tall and wide enough for a dozen people to wrap around it, an enormous man that stood eight feet tall watched the crystal glow in a divine light. Not an inch of fat could be seen on his figure that remained unclothed from the waist up. Instead, black wording and characters looking like hieroglyphics marked his sculpted figure like tattoos. The mix of black and engraved wording that was criss-crossed with thousands of scars and wounds marred the dark-skinned tone of his Middle-Eastern origin.

“Of course it is Omar,” spoke a caramel skinned woman to his immediate right. “Whereas you lack faith in the magic bestowed to us, I embrace it. With the magic, comes a knowledge. Knowledge, such as the Crystal of Rebirth’s ability.”

The woman, donned in a mystical blue robe that flittered in and out of existence, leaned against a metal staff that flashed in a myriad of colors. Beneath the hood that covered her face, it was possible to see dreadlocks that flashed and shone in varying shades of a rainbow’s color.

“We never doubted your wisdom Jasmine. Still, to find it now as we stand before death’s door is a cruel fate.” Behind Omar and Jasmine, a man in elegant silk clothes that are layered to form an ascetic attire of a noble, a blonde-haired man with a blonde goatee watches the proceedings with sad eyes. “Over 29 years. 29 years of struggle in this hellish land. For what? To stand as the last living remnants of humanity.”

As he speaks, both Omar and Jasmine turn to regard their fellow ‘Hero’. Both their eyes darken as brooding looks of immense and unimaginable pain flashes through their hooded gazes as memories of a lifetime’s worth of war, blood, and death flittered past. Jasmine, ever the more controlled in her actions, separated herself from the misery and addressed the man.

“Come Reginald, now is not the time.”

As if to accompany her words, a screech of some unknown entity resounds through the sky as the very air in the open spaced room shakes and vibrates. With a heavy sigh of acceptance, Reginald turns to look through the open air room that they stood in. Atop the Eternity Tower, on the 211th story of the tower, Reginald turned his figure to witness a being of immense size appear in the distance. Through the fog, it appeared with an outpouring of flames that spewed from its maw. Bat-like wings carried the Arch-Dragon forward as it closed the distance. It was only the first however, as soon after dozens more flew through the fog.

“The Arch-Dragons have come, accompanied by their Masters.”

Omar, turning to watch the dragons, spoke with none of the mirth and humor that he was known for. “So, the last our kind has fallen. We are all that remains.”

“Yes. But their sacrifice and death’s have come with our salvation. The chance to alter the fate bestowed upon our race. The ability to go back in time. To the start of this all.”

As Jasmine speaks once more, all three individuals turn to disregard the dragons that could trample over their life. Known as the “Heroes of Humanity” they stood at the pinnacle of human strength in this new and hellish world, but even still, they were but bugs to the creatures before them.

With nonchalance at the impending doom, the three turn to face the glowing purple crystal that is only shining greater and greater as seconds pass. As the glow increases to a near heavenly level of radiant light, two more figures who stand apart from the three are illuminated.

One, dressed head to toe in grey and black linen clothes that hide any features. In fact, besides the drab attire, the only noticeable feature of the small, 5’ 6 and lean framed man are his silver eyes that radiate with a powerful glow.

Apart from him, stands a fifth and final person. Donned in a knight’s armour of immaculate design, a tanned white man in his low 30s stands detached and tired. By far the youngest of all present, the man’s eyes devoid of any emotion show a suffering that the other four in the room would be hard-pressed to duplicate.

All five flitter their gazes at each as they ready themselves. The time had come.

“So,” Jasmine began with a Texas drawl that ruined the elegance of her normal eloquent speech, “it appears that the legends of The Fallen are true. The Crystal of Rebirth can transport one person back to their first contact with their arrival into the Abyss. Now the question becomes, who goes?”

Without missing a beat, Omar rumbles his acceptance of the task. “Of course it has to be the strongest of us all. As this is the case, it must be me!”

To his left, Reginald rolls his eyes before striking a glare at Omar. “Strength of body is merely one aspect of power. Jasmine with her endless magic or myself with my leadership and auxiliary attributes could beat you. Besides, you are not the strongest of us.”

Reginald leaves his words unfinished as he directs his attention to the two men across from him. Both the knighted man and the heavily clothed figure remain motionless and silent.

“I agree with Reginald,” Jasmine announces while regarding Omar with a stinging glare that the giant of a man merely smiles at in return. “Of us five, you Omar, are the weakest. Your strength of physical attributes cannot be denied, but this comes at the generosity of Zero for gifting you precious runes and endless materials of incalculable wealth for your creations. As for Reginald and myself, although we are both ‘Rulers’, and Reginald can even be qualified as being the first and only ‘Emperor’ of humanity, we are not suitable choices. 29 years of fighting, and we’ve only reached this far.”

Jasmine shakes her head in shame as Reginald himself bows his head at acceptance of his inadequacies. With a sigh, Jasmine, the brains of the “Heroes of Humanity” raises her head before looking towards the two quiet members of their group.

“It will be between you two, Zero,” Jasmine says while nodding to the knighted figure, “and Reaper,” she finishes with a smirk to the heavily wrapped figure whose eyes are the only feature to be seen. “While the three of us were among the first waves, with Reginald even being in the very first one, you two both entered years after us. Reaper, in the 12th Year, and Zero in the 15th Year. You too started far behind us, and incalculable numbers of other people, and yet here you stand. As one of the five strongest of humanity.”

At her words, Zero and Reaper both turn to regard the other. Eyes flash to watch and measure the other's reaction. Still, years of fighting hordes of monsters and an incalculable number of near-death experiences rendered the other well aware of his adversaries thoughts.

With a sigh, the knighted figure known as Zero let his exhausted eyes droop as sleep crept ever closer to overwhelming him. However, before he could speak, a raspy voice that emitted from the black and grey draped Reaper interrupted him.

“Zero will go. The decision is final.”

Hoarse and raspy, the voice that rang with a slight muffle, contained a will of unyielding power that brokered now resistance from the others.

“Reaper, I -”

“The decision,” Reaper halted Zero’s words with the biting steel of his own before continuing, “is final Zero. You started the furthest behind. With the hardest, yet most rewarding Affinity. Furthermore,” Reaper continues and forestalls Zero’s argument with a raised hand. “among us all, you have far more unfinished business and mistakes of the past to correct,”

As Reaper’s words settled in the humming air that grew only in intensity as the dragons closed at a meteoric speed, the three other members besides Zero all nodded their heads in agreement.

In truth, either Zero or Reaper would be acceptable choices to send back. Both had an Affinity that made them unstoppable. However, while Reaper enjoyed a progression that was brutal yet of a princely guidance by Abyss standards, Zero’s ascension to ‘Hero’ status was anything but.

“Do I really need to? Please, can’t I just rest for once. Peace is so close. Peace, and the chance to once more see my family and friends.”

“No,” Reaper rebuked Zero with a harsh bark. To the sides, Omar, Jasmine, and Reginald all waited in silence. They knew Reaper was the only one to truly talk to Zero in this moment. “No, you cannot rest. You deserve it the most. Still, you will not have it.”

Silence gripped the air as all four Heroe stared at Zero. Eyes flickering toward each other spoke in untold words. Whether he accepted or not, they would force him against the Crystal of Rebirth and send him back.

In turn, Zero flickered his eyes toward the four ‘Heroes of Humanity’ before him. Afterall, they were all he had left in this world. Everything else was taken. By force of strength. By his lack of strength and power. By his stupidity. By his lack of foresight. By abuse of his kindness.

“I don’t want to, but I will if that is what I must.” With a tired sigh that shuddered Zero’s body in an anguish of emotional pain, he raised his weathered and armoured face to bear witness to the memories of his friends.

WIth a nod of approval, all four gathered around Zero as they directed him to raise his hands toward the Crystal of Rebirth. While Zero put both hands on the burning hot crystal, the four Heroes put their hands on his shoulders and back. Mana, as endless and as powerful as the ocean, poured from their bodies and into him. In turn, he directed the mana toward the Crystal of Rebirth to start the activation process. With death impeding in the form of the Arch-Dragons and their God-like powerful masters, the four poured mana forth recklessly as they sought to accelerate the Crystal of Rebirth’s activation. As they did so, all imparted words of final wisdom to Zero.

“I know it is your nature to act solo, but no longer are you solely fighting for yourself. You stand now for all of humanity. Do not shun others, nor strike them to oblivion. Lead them. I do not ask for your to be like Reginald, but just a leader of humanity.” Jasmine, ever the Ruler, gave her advice with a gentle squeeze to Zero’s shoulder.

“You know your nature now,” Omar began gruffly. “Do not make those same stupid mistakes you did in the past. Use your Affinity, and with it, ruin those who impede mankind. Kill the “Mad King” and the “Dark Legion”. Crush those abominations on the third zone. I do not ask for you to save everyone as Jasmine does, but rather only to save the strong. Kill those traitors of humanity, and let all have an equal opportunity to rise high.”

“Enough of your ‘only the worthy shall rise’ crap Omar.” Speaking after Omar, Reginald shot Omar a glare of similar nature to Jasmine’s own, before addressing Zero. “I have much to say to your, as is my nature,” Reginald mentions with a self-deprecating smile. “But all that I could say has been said in the past. Recall my words, my wisdom, and my actions in times of need. I hope they may serve you better than has befit me.”

As Reginald finished, a silence hung in the air. Seconds stretched in awkwardness as all three members opened their closed and concentrated eyes to stare with hard glares at Reaper. With a visible huff and a roll of his eyes in the first display of emotion, Reaper grunts and cleared his throat before speaking in the same rough voice as always. “You know what to do. So do it. Avenge your past self. Avenge all of humanity. You will become the sinner for our salvation. Embrace it.”

Vague and short, Reaper spoke the truest words of all the gathered Heroes.

As all four finished, they erupted with a surge of Mana. Funneling all they could into Zero and through him into the Crystal of Rebirth.

“Farewell.... My friends.”

With final words, Zero spoke simply, before a flash of purple light exploded around the Crystal of Rebirth. As it died and the crystal dimmed to a near pitch black, the four remaining Heroes watched the empty space before them that sizzled with wisps of smoke.

“And so he departs for another life.”

“Aye”, Omar agreed with Reginald. “May he be strong enough to change the world.”

The words, so outlandish, cause a smile to split Omar’s face as he laughs loudly and obnoxiously. The remaining three do nothing to stop him. Instead, smiles creep on their faces as they watch the Arch-Dragons descend. On their backs, the beings of their death stand tall in the bone-forged armour of their race. With a wave of their humanoid hands, the dragons unleash their breath, and all is burned to oblivion.