The east...Once it was terrifying. Its red sky bled into the nightmares of men and its landscapes were charred and ashen and hellishly violent. Once a Colossus, a true behemoth of flame and magma ruled over this hellscape. But he no longer lives; the red sky has faded into gray, the landscape is lifeless and barren, and the heat that gave this land life has fled.

On the tallest peak of this soon-forgotten land lies a boy submerged in dreams. He is the one who changed this land, and he is only one who will remember it.

Astraoth awakes as the first dawn arrives; light pours out and welcomes Astraoth. It grasps his body and mind and steeps his life in the relaxing ideal of peace. The demonic power deep within hides from Astraoth's gaze; whether conscious or unconscious, the power that destroyed the Colossus sleeps still, even as Astraoth awakes to day.

Looking out over the valley below, the everpresent heat that once tormented Astraoth is entirely gone. All the violent and aggressive energy drawn to the Flame Colossus has dissipated with its untimely demise. The valley is blanketed in a soft gray, but the sun's glorious light paints the valley in a warm gold.

Astraoth raises his eyes to meet the sun's bright gaze. Though the intense light nearly causes Astraoth to avoid its stare, Astraoth greets the sun directly. The light bores into Astraoth's soul but it does not hurt; it surrounds Astraoth in the passionate embrace of acceptance. Though Astraoth may not understand all of himself, the sun accepts all of him. But Astraoth eventually turns away from the sun, to see for himself what he did once he lost consciousness.

Astraoth begins to draw on his memories,"I remember drawing on the Colossus' demonic energy and feeling an...echo resound throughout my body. Something awakened from deep inside but...I don't know what it did."

Astraoth continues, "I have never forgotten anything like this before...What exactly did I do?". Astraoth looks to the location he first saw the Colossus at, noticing an odd swirled pattern in the floor.

"This...These are not scorch marks but something else entirely. Demonic energy markings, perhaps? Hmm...Whatever the case, I know I used the Colossus' demonic energy, and with that, I likely would have controlled the flow of lava infused with it. To use its demonic energy freely, the Colossus must have been a mature demon, so it must have had a demonic core. Could I have used the flow of its demonic energy to seize its core directly?"

"Regardless, I have defeated the third Guardian, and I am now almost done with the first trial. All I have left for now is the fourth guardian to the north. But first...", Astraoth turns his head slightly, to the volcano's peak, and its open chamber, which formerly housed the Flame Colossus. Pressing his foot firmly into the rock beneath his feet, Astraoth steps forward, dashing to the summit.

In a flash, Astraoth arrives at the opening to the volcano's inner chambers, still filled with lava. Astraoth looks down at the tons of magma flowing beneath his feet and smiles. He pulls out a small sky blue bead, channeling massive amounts of energy into it. A small shield of icy blue energy forms around him and Astraoth plunges into the depths of the volcano.

Astraoth's shield repels the magma around it, allowing him to traverse through the volcano's depths with ease. Astraoth wades deep into the volcano, swimming down further and further into the abyss. He closes his eyes as he reaches one hundred meters under the lava's surface, extending his consciousness outward in his search for the third obelisk.

As his consciousness expands outward to thirty meters, Astraoth finds the obelisk; in the deepest cavern of the volcano lies a small notch on its wall, and the third obelisk rests there. Astraoth's eyes snap open, and his eyes lock on the totem. He uses a burst of energy to rocket himself there, and in mere seconds Astraoth arrives at the wall concealing the totem.

Astraoth waves his hand, brushing past the obelisk; the layers of dust and rock covering the totem break apart, following the waves of energy left by Astraoth's hand. The obelisk is revealed, and Astraoth grasps it in his hand, exiting the volcano in a blur of motion with a slight smile.

Entering the open air, Astraoth rises into the sky, bursts of magma and flame swirling around him as he rises up. Astraoth looks down at his right hand, a smile curling upward as Astraoth realizes his newfound power.

The blue energy shield protecting him fades away as Astraoth steps forward, using a small burst of energy to propel himself forward, past the volcano's peak. Astraoth begins free-fall, releasing multicolored Essence Energy as it curls and streams outward behind him. Smiling once more, Astraoth rockets to the ground, beginning the hunt for his next target.