Seren

Story

Seren is a character introduced in the Cernium storyline. One of the last surviving Celestials, she was eventually revealed to be the Chosen One of her people and capable of wielding the Holy Sword Azor, a relic of the Sun God Mitra.

Story[]

Fall of High Mountain[]

Seren was a Celestial, a race of winged demigods who worshiped Mitra the Sun God. After the fall of the Ancient Gods, the Celestials remained trapped on Grandis. Eventually, they settled in an area of Grandis called High Mountain. The Celestials safeguarded the Holy Sword Azor, a relic of Mitra which could only be wielded by the Chosen One.

High Mountain was eventually attacked by Havoc, the First Apostle of Lightning. During the attack, her commanding officer, Gilmore, ordered her to destroy the bridge in order to slow down the enemy, though she and another Celestial named Roland told him that the rest of their company would be trapped behind enemy lines. When Gilmore moved to destroy the bridge himself, Roland drew his sword and attacked him. Gilmore reminded Roland that he was in charge and ordered him to step aside. Roland told him that even while knowing that the operation was doomed, their soldiers had rushed into certain defeat without protesting because they knew the importance of protecting Azor, and so he refused to allow Gilmore to sacrifice their lives. Gilmore shouted that sacrificing themselves for Azor was their very purpose, and that to die was their mission. He told them that they had been outnumbered from the beginning, which was why he had chosen to divide their forces. Outraged to know that they had merely been bait, Roland called Gilmore a traitor and moved to attack.

Though Seren tried to break the fight, the two continued in a vicious battle. Between disobeying orders and engaging in outright mutiny, Gilmore asked if Roland even knew who he was pointing his sword at. Roland replied that he was pointing it at a religious zealot and said that if someone like Gilmore was the Chosen One, then Mitra was not worthy to be his own god. Outraged at Roland's blasphemy, the two continued their duel until Seren drew her own sword and knocked theirs onto the ground, demanding that they stop before they revealed their position to the enemy. Gilmore told Seren to stay out of it, warning that he would cut her down too. She once again yelled at him to stop before Havoc found them. Suddenly, their blades began crackling with red lightning as Havoc discovered their location. Roland yelled at Seren to get down, just as a giant bolt of lightning struck down and knocked Seren out.

Some time later, she regained consciousness and saw that the bridge had been destroyed. Realizing that it meant that all the other Celestials had been killed, she solemnly completed her mission by bringing Azor to Cernium alone, along with all the swords of her fallen comrades. At the holy city, Seren was appointed to be the Guardian of the Holy Sword by the Order of Mitra. Over the next several years, Seren struggled with her belief in Mitra after witnessing the slaughter of her fellow Celestials. Her trauma from the battle and her crippled faith resulted in her unconsciously being unable to spread her wings. Furthermore, she refused to believe that she could be the Chosen One, as many in Cernium believed, as her faith in Mitra wavered. Nevertheless, Seren gained a reputation of being fair and judicious in her responsibilities, making her highly popular amongst the three sects of Cernium.

Cernium[]

Escorting the Alliance[]

Shortly before the battle of Tenebris, Seren and Prince Carlisle met with Aaron the librarian. Because of the unrest in Grandis, Carlisle and Seren consulted with Aaron about how they could stand against Gerand Darmoor, even if it meant plunging all of Grandis into war. Within the ancient High Flora scriptures, Aaron discovered a prophecy that foretold of the Black Mage's defeat at the hands of the Adversary. He also revealed that the Adversary was the only mortal who could stand against a Transcendent, and that with the death of the Black Mage, the Adversary's next natural enemy was Darmoor. Seren then proposed that they request the help of the Maple Alliance, as the people of Maple World had proven capable of uniting against a common foe, unlike the warring factions of Grandis. Carlisle then vowed to bring back the Adversary to Grandis, to which Aaron told them that the time of the Transcendents was nearing its end, and that the future was in their hands.

After the fusion of Maple World and Grandis, the forgotten sea that bridged the two worlds returned. Carlisle crossed the sea and met with the Adversary and the Alliance. After successful negotiations, the Alliance sent the Adversary and the Glory Guard to help defend the city against the High Flora. Soon after reaching the outskirts of Cernium, the group was attacked by Ebonstar, a group of heretics who sought to topple the Order of Mitra. Seren soon arrived with reinforcements and helped escort the Glory Guard and the royal knights enter the city.

Soon after, Seren arrived on the scene where a Dawn Priest and a Flame Priest were arguing with one another. Seren escorted the feuding Dawn Priest and Flame Priest outside the city gates, as they had been exiled for refusing to cease hostilities. In the city square, the High Priests of Dawn and Flame blocked her way and entreated her not to exile the priests, as the threat of the heretics had made it dangerous to be outside the city. Seren told them that it wasn't her place to decide, as she was merely carrying out the will of the king in the name of Mitra, and by the authority of the Cernium royal family. The High Priest of Dawn countered that Mitra was her god, not theirs, and the High Priest of Flame agreed, claiming that they shouldn't be subject to the same laws as Mitra's Order. A court knight told Seren that the mob was growing unruly and suggested retreating. Unwilling to be impeded, Seren ordered that the two High Priests be arrested.

Researching the Chosen One[]

Later on, Seren encountered the Adversary, Carlisle, and Edea wielding Azor in the holy chamber. Seren immediately ordered them to leave, warning them that outsiders weren't allowed. Edea told her that they didn't mean any harm, but Seren immediately raised her sword at them. With no other choice, the three left the chamber and returned to the main hall. Soon after, Seren went to meet with Aaron about her request for help in searching for the Chosen One. There, she encountered Edea and the Adversary, to whom she apologized for her behavior. She told Edea that Carlisle had claimed that they were trying to find the Chosen One and said that though they were outsiders, the Order would be grateful for any help in finding the Chosen One after searching in futility for so long. In order to aid their search, Seren told them that she had recently learned that High Mountain had continued to hand-pick the Chosen One, long after Azor had lost its light in the Ancient War, and so she had come to see Aaron for any information regarding it. After fighting through the library ghosts, the Adversary collected more writings.

They learned that the Order would carefully select every recipient of Azor, as each was a paragon of the Holy Knights devoted to the faith. Believing that the return of the Ancient Gods would allow them to recover Azor's light, the Order would give a special emblem to the Chosen One. In the writings, they also found a second, less ornate emblem, which Seren recognized as an emblem for a Templar of Mitra and revealed that she had the same one. She believed that there had to be other survivors of High Mountain, and that one of them possessed the emblem of the Chosen One. Edea pointed out that it would be difficult to find such a survivor, especially if they didn't want to be found, but Seren remained hopeful that the Chosen One wouldn't stray too far from Azor. Edea suggested that Seren herself could be the Chosen One, but Seren told her that she didn't have the emblem. Edea countered that the only thing that should matter was that she had Mitra's blessing, but Seren explained that she wasn't worthy, as she was unable to even spread her wings, having been injured when she had brought the sword to Cernium long ago and, overwhelmed by her emotions, she decided to leave.

The Adversary followed her and found Seren amidst a field of swords outside the city. Having encountered an Ebonstar soldier shortly before, they asked Seren about him, to which she explained that she had seen him visit the field they were in, though she had never actually met him. The Adversary asked what the memorial was for, and Seren replied that it was for her fellow soldiers who had been slain in a battle defending Azor, of which she was the only survivor. She then recounted the story of the fall of High Mountain, after which she told the Adversary that she had heard that the Alliance didn't follow any single religious order and asked how they felt when their brothers and sisters-in-arms fell in battle. She then asked them to tell Edea that she was right that it would be too difficult to find another Celestial, and that they should think of another way forward. Suddenly, a white feather fluttered down from above, which they immediately recognized was from another Celestial. Unbeknownst to them, the hooded Ebonstar man had been watching them before he turned to leave.

Reunion with Roland[]

Soon after, the Adversary, Edea, and Carlisle found Seren praying to Mitra. Edea asked the Adversary if they were sure that the feather hadn't belonged to Seren. Carlisle wondered if it belonged to the Chosen One, but Edea asked how a Celestial could have made it into the city without being noticed. Carlisle surmised that it was likely in the same way that Ebonstar had been slipping past them. Edea believed that Seren should be the Chosen One, not some stranger. She told them that Seren believed that the Celestial who had the emblem of the Chosen One was hiding in Cernium, and that she was determined to find them. She asked what Carlisle's plans were, to which he explained that he was busy with the Ebonstar heretics in the city, whom he believed had stolen holy water from the Dawn Priests yesterday. Edea asked why Ebonstar would want holy water, and Carlisle explained that it was a very effective medicine when used on its own, but when it was mixed with the Flame Priests' black powder, it could create massive explosions. He asked Edea if she would help him track down the Ebonstar operatives and asked the Adversary to guard Seren.

After Carlisle and Edea left, Seren returned from her prayers and went with the Adversary to the town square, where she met with the Flame Priests to ask for their help in finding the Celestial. However, the Flame Priests refused to aid her after she had the High Priests arrested. They found that the Dawn Priests held similar sentiments and the Adversary realized that Seren had lost much of her good standing with the people. On their way through the square, the two ran into a little girl, who recognized Seren's Templar emblem and explained that she had seen one just like it earlier on the ground. When Seren asked where it was, the girl replied that she had given it to a man who claimed that it belonged to him. She described him as a nice man who had given her candy, emphasizing how good it was. Seren got the hint and told the Adversary to get the girl some candy. Just as they returned to the girl with candy, her mother took her away and warned that she shouldn't talk to people like Seren. Without any leads, Seren decided to give up for the day, but the Adversary suggested that they check the memorial site for clues.

At the memorial, Seren and the Adversary ran into the hooded Ebonstar soldier, who Seren immediately recognized as Roland. Seren believed that he had died, but Roland revealed that he merely ran away and spent many years as a wanderer. Having heard that she had become the Guardian of the Holy Sword, he asked if she had read the inscription upon Azor, written in the old tongue: "Alvationsay inway Andhay." Though he admitted that he was rusty, Roland believed that it translated to "Salvation is in Cernium", and asked Seren if she had found her salvation. Suddenly, Ebonstar soldiers surrounded them as Seren asked Roland what he was doing. Roland told her how sick he was of holy swords and gods, asking why so many people had to lose their lives over a useless hunk of metal. He vowed that he would show the people of Cernium how meaningless it all was, declaring that they needed to free themselves from the gods in order to prevent such tragedies from happening ever again.

As Seren and the Adversary defeated the Ebonstar soldiers, Roland attempted to retreat when Edea and the court knights blocked his path and ordered him to surrender. Roland merely laughed and told them that it was too late, just as a large explosion was set off in the city. He told them that the two Orders would turn on each other and destroy the city unless the knights intervened, though this would leave the city defenseless when the Flora army appeared at the gates. He then spread his wings and took to the air, telling Seren that she could still escape before the city was destroyed. He warned her that Darmoor was sending his First Apostle, the one who had destroyed High Mountain, before flying away. As Edea attempted to shoot a lightning spell, Seren stepped between them and asked her not to kill him. Before Edea could argue, the knights reported that Ebonstar had breached the city, forcing them all to let Roland escape while returning to the city square. There, Carlisle told them that he had been close to stopping the explosions, though he had ultimately failed.

The High Flora Invasion[]

A knight then reported that Flora soldiers were climbing over the eastern ramparts. Edea told Carlisle that the Glory Guard would defend the ramparts while he rallied his troops. The Adversary and the others arrived at the eastern ramparts and fought off the Flora soldiers. After defeating them, Hawkeye told the Adversary to get to the east city gate while he managed the ramparts. As the Adversary started heading over, Roland attempted to light a fuse that would destroy the eastern gate. Suddenly, Seren charged at him, forcing Roland to drop his torch in order to parry her attack with his own sword. Seren entreated him to open his eyes, believing him to be the Chosen One who would save Cernium. Roland asked Seren how she could still believe in Mitra after everything she had gone through. He asked if she could still remember High Mountain and its people in flames as bolts of lightning fell from the sky, reminding her of how the sun hadn't dared to show its face that day. He told her that he had worried that she had become yet another power-hungry priest when he learned that she had become the Guardian, but he realized that she was still her same naïve self. Just then, two Ebonstar archers shot Seren while her guard was down.

As she fell onto her knees, Roland picked up his torch and told her that Mitra wasn't a god worth dying for. As he lit the fuse, Seren watched powerlessly as it reached the bags of black powder. Before they could be set alight, the Adversary arrived and cut the fuse before the spark could reach its destination. They then fought the Ebonstar soldiers and Roland recognized them as the one who had killed the Black Mage, whom he called a godling. Seren told Roland to surrender, but he merely joked that he wouldn't be a good Chosen One if he gave up so easily. As Seren warned that she wouldn't hesitate to cut him down, Roland took to the air and rushed past Seren, who managed to wound him. As he collapsed in pain, he revealed his torch and dropped it on the bags of black powder, creating a massive explosion.

At the eastern gates, the Adversary found a black Ebonstar emblem which Roland had dropped before realizing that Flora soldiers had breached the city gate. Checky and Hawkeye arrived with reinforcements, but Seren noted that there was no end to their numbers. As Edea arrived to check on Seren's condition, Seren told Edea that she had long held onto the hope that Roland would be the one to restore Azor. When she had found out that he was alive, she had believed that he had come to fulfill the prophecy. Edea yelled that it was no time to wallow, as enemies were flooding into the city, but Seren told her that they had already lost, as there was no holding the city with the gate fallen. Realizing that she was right, Edea told Seren to take Azor and escape while they held the Flora army off. As the Glory Guard reassured Seren that they would be fine, Carlisle arrived and told her that though it wasn't time for the prophecy to come true yet, they owed it to the future to keep fighting.

Her fighting spirit having returned, Seren rallied the troops, who could sense the steel behind her voice as that of the Guardian they all believed in. The knights and the Glory Guard, against impossible odds, managed to stop the Flora army at the gates. Some time later, Edea and Carlisle spoke at the city ramparts about their victory. Carlisle was pleased that the Orders had all been able to set aside their differences to achieve victory. Edea was surprised that the High Priests had been released, and that the exiled priests had been pardoned at Seren's insistence. Carlisle told her that Seren had even gotten on her knees before Ebonstar in front of her own Order, beseeching them in the name of the people of Cernium, rather than the gods, not to throw their lives away out of spite.

Edea was worried that Seren's own Order would lose trust in her because of her actions, but Carlisle told her that when Seren had first arrived in Cernium, she had not only arrived with Azor, but with all the swords of her fallen comrades, carried from halfway around the world. Because of this, he was confident that every single one of Seren's men would risk their lives to follow her, even if she had knelt before a heretic. Edea told Carlisle that though she didn't put much stock in prophecies, Mitra would be foolish not to recognize Seren as the Chosen One. Elsewhere, the First Apostle of Lightning, Havoc, told Gilmore, Seren's old commander, that the people of Cernium still fought despite losing the gate, but added that it was precisely why he had Gilmore, who possessed the emblem of the Chosen One.

Burning Cernium[]

The Battle Continues[]

As the battle against the High Flora army continued, the constant fighting began to take its toll on Seren. After one such battle, Seren had a flashback to the day she had been knighted as a Templar, as well as her memory of the Apostle of Lightning devastating High Mountain. As she shouted in fear, Edea checked on her, worried about how she was doing after fighting for days without break. Just then, they noticed that the Flora army was retreating, which boosted the troops' morale. As they cheered for Seren, the Alliance, and the Adversary, the Grand Master of the Order of Mitra looked on in silence.

Some time later, the Adversary helped the various sects in their defense of Cernium, during which time they collected several overdue library books from the people. They also learned that Seren was unable to spread her wings due to her trauma. They returned to the library and told Carlisle and Edea about what they had learned. Carlisle told them that from what he had gleaned from Seren's reports, it appeared as though some part of her had decided long ago that she would never spread her wings again, as though she had lost faith in herself. After what happened to High Mountain and the Celestials, people said that she was never the same again, as she blamed herself for failing to protect her people.

Meanwhile in the town square, Seren was overseeing the melting of the enemy swords. She watched sadly as the blacksmith melted down Roland's sword before leaving. Back at the library, Edea told them that emotional trauma wasn't something that could be healed overnight. Carlisle agreed and added that even if she regained the use of her wings, it still wouldn't guarantee that she could become the Chosen One. He then told them that he had to leave, but added that Aaron was coming back to help them in his place.

The Holy Relics[]

After Aaron arrived, Edea asked where they should start with their research. Aaron decided to start with the basics and explained that he would begin by explaining the creation of the holy relics. According to his research, everything that mortals considered to be supernatural, such as the Ancient Gods and the Transcendents, were all a form of higher being that existed outside the physical limitations of the universe. Because of this, mortals were unable to truly harm them since only gods had the power to challenge other gods.

Edea pointed out that they had not only been able to challenge gods, but they had also destroyed a Transcendent when the Adversary used the Seal Stone to defeat the Black Mage. Aaron then revealed that the Seal Stone itself was a holy artifact imbued with the power of higher beings, and that it was now a proven threat to the very existence of the divine. Edea realized that other holy artifacts could potentially work like the Seal Stone and wondered if learning more about the Seal Stones would provide clues about Azor.

Aaron pointed the Adversary to the section with more information about the Seal Stones and asked if they had been able to obtain the overdue books that he had requested, explaining that they ought to hold onto the books in order to glean more information from them. He told them that individually, they were glimpses into the origins of things, but taken together, they told a story about how those who didn't understand the past were doomed to repeat its mistakes. The Adversary then fought past the ghosts and obtained the documents on the Seal Stones, bringing them back to Aaron.

They read how the world had created the Seal Stones, which fused with beings called the ‘nobles ones' in order to begin the war against the Ancient Gods. They also read that the Seal Stones could only be awakened by the will and determination of the people, and so the godly power within the Seal Stones could never be limited to a single individual, although the Seal Stones themselves chose their owners to bond with. From the document, Edea concluded that the relic's power went to whomever the people deemed worthy to wield it, explaining why the Chosen One needed the Order's approval to take possession of Azor.

Just as she wondered what Seren would do if she learned about the truth, Seren herself arrived. She told them that she wanted to help find the Chosen One, as she felt that it was unfair to leave all the work to the Alliance. When she learned that Edea had become possessed by the ghosts because she couldn't use her lightning attack, she asked Aaron about the magical fire extinguisher, which could put out fires without using water. Aaron told her that it was meant as a last resort, as the device worked by removing all the oxygen in the area.

The four of them then searched the library for more information on the Chosen One and found a book that said, "When the scattered lights unite, the sun's radiance shall descend from the heavens", with the same phrase that Roland had mentioned was written on Azor, "Alvationsay inway Andhay", finishing with, "The Chosen One will be revealed for all to worship. Only then will the people find their salvation." As they pondered the meaning of the words, Edea told Seren that she should consider taking ownership of Azor herself, but Seren refused, saying that she couldn't spread her wings, and that she didn't have the emblem. Edea told Seren that even prophecies needed help coming true, claiming that the Nova would have been wiped out if they had waited for a prophecy to save them. Seren continued protesting, claiming that taking Azor would be blasphemy without proper qualifications.

Rescuing the Chosen One[]

Just then, a knight appeared and told the Adversary, Seren, and Edea that they were needed at the palace, where Havoc had requested an audience. They rushed over to find Havoc speaking to Carlisle, telling him that he would leave Cernium alone in exchange for the Adversary. Carlisle immediately refused, but Havoc laughed and told him to think carefully, explaining that he held a valuable hostage and showed them the emblem of the Chosen One. He then augmented the deal and told Carlisle that in exchange for the Adversary, he would not only leave Cernium alone, but also give back the Chosen One. Carlisle once again refused, but the Grand Master unexpectedly stepped forward and asked Havoc to give his word that he would stand down after the exchange, shocking Carlisle and the others. Havoc laughed and told them that he trusted that they would make the right choice before leaving.

The Grand Master then ordered his knights to seize the Adversary as Carlisle attempted to reason with him. He reminded the Grand Master that they owed their lives to the Adversary and asked if he truly thought that it was Mitra's will to betray them. The Grand Master argued that Mitra's will was to protect the holy land and claimed that that same will was what had delivered the Adversary to them, as thousands of believers could be saved at the cost of the life of a single heathen. Having reached an impasse, the Grand Master ordered Seren to seize the Adversary. Seren raised her blade, claiming that even though she was no match for the Adversary in battle, she would lay down her life if Mitra willed it. However, she told the Grand Master that she couldn't hear Mitra's voice and told him that until she did, she refused to believe that it was the will of the Sun God. She then ordered the knights to lay down their weapons and work together.

Some time later, Seren met with the Grand Master, who reminded her that she had only been named the Guardian, not the Chosen One. Seren told the Grand Master that she couldn't believe that Mitra would want her to betray an ally. Realizing that Seren's mind was made up, the Grand Master ordered her to form a rescue party and recover the Chosen One from the High Flora camp. He also told her that Aaron had learned that Chief Knight Gilmore was the Chosen One whom they had to rescue, shocking Seren.

That night, Seren formed a rescue party composed of the Adversary, Edea, Checky, and Hawkeye. They were awestruck at how immense the encampment was, with Checky asking if there were really that many High Flora soldiers. Edea explained that most of the Flora army was composed of common mercenaries, with only officers and above being High Flora. She then asked Seren why she had betrayed her Order, as it seemed unlike her. Seren explained that returning light to Azor was her calling, and that she would do whatever it took to make that happen. However, she told the others that they weren't bound to her fate, and that she wouldn't ask them to die for her, content with fulfilling her mission alone. Edea reminded her that there was still another way and asked her once again to become the Chosen One, but Seren told her that she couldn't do it. Edea regretted that it would have been the perfect time to try something if she had agreed, explaining that mother eagles pushed their young off a cliff in order to teach them how to fly, and that she had been thinking about doing the same to Seren in order to help her spread her wings again, though she decided that it was a bad idea. Seren then told them that she would take the lead and headed down the cliff.

Checky asked why Edea hadn't stopped her if she knew that it was a trap, to which she replied that Seren already knew as well, which was why she had insisted on continuing alone. They then split into three teams and pushed past the Flora soldiers deeper into the encampment. Meanwhile, Seren continued on alone and encountered Gilmore held in a cage created by a spell circle of strange red magic. Gilmore asked Seren if she had come alone, to which she replied that her allies were keeping the Flora soldiers busy. Because of how brazenly the camp was being attacked, Gilmore realized that she had brought the Adversary, adding that he would have expected that the Adversary would have been the one to lead the rescue mission personally.

He then released himself from the cage, with Seren quickly realizing that he hadn't been imprisoned at all. When she accused him of being a traitor, Gilmore clarified that he was merely using the Flora, whom he referred to as ‘low creatures', into helping him restore his Celestial powers by delivering the Adversary to them. He then showed Seren the emblem of the Chosen One and told her that he planned to cleanse the land of heathens and create a true paradise of the gods. Feeling Seren's hesitation, he pointed his sword at her and asked if she remembered what the High Flora had done to High Mountain and the Celestials.

Suddenly, Edea created her own contaminant spell to trap Gilmore and shot dozens of lightning bolts from the sky at him. As the Flora soldiers discovered them, Edea told the Adversary to cover their escape and get the emblem of the Chosen One from Gilmore. The Adversary and Hawkeye defeated the arriving Flora soldiers and wounded Gilmore, who cursed them and declared that he was coming for Azor. Before the Adversary could grab the emblem, Gilmore created a protective shield around himself with the same strange red magic as more Flora soldiers arrived. With no other choice, Hawkeye and the Adversary retreated. Meanwhile, Seren told Edea that the emblem of the Chosen One shined for Gilmore, meaning that he was the true Chosen One. Edea told her that she knew that already, to which Seren asked why Edea had attacked him anyways. Edea reminded her that Gilmore had vowed to destroy the holy land, not to preserve it.

Though she knew that Edea was right, Seren nevertheless insisted that Cernium would fall the same way as High Mountain if Azor wasn't reawakened. Edea told Seren that from what she had read in the library, she believed that she knew how to activate a holy relic, explaining that all mentions of the holy relics mentioned a ‘noble one', a ‘righteous one', a ‘pure one', a Celestial, and so forth. However, there was no mention of a Chosen One, meaning that the emblem could shine for anyone worthy of wielding Azor, including Seren. She asked Seren to stop waiting for fate to step in and instead take action, as she was the best savior that Cernium could hope for.

Later that night, Seren prayed to Mitra in the chamber of the holy sword and hoped that the Sun God would help show her the way. She noted to herself that the sky was full of crimson clouds, and that it wouldn't be long before Havoc attacked. She also knew that if Gilmore took possession of Azor, it would spell certain doom for Cernium.

Salvation in Cernium[]

The next day, Seren and the Grand Master announced to the people that the Chosen One had been found, much to the people's amazement. However, the Grand Master warned that Gilmore intended to follow the will of Mitra precisely, meaning that he would not spare the non-believers in the city and urged all those who didn't follow Mitra to leave the city by sundown. The followers of Nerota and Spisa were furious, demanding to know how Mitra's Order could treat them in such a way after they had helped defend Cernium from Ebonstar. As Seren turned away, she ran into Carlisle and the Glory Guard, who asked if she knew what she was doing by allowing Gilmore to take possession of Azor. Seren told them that she knew the consequences, but added that Cernium didn't stand a chance without Azor and Mitra's blessing. She warned that Havoc's powers would cover the whole of Cernium with lightning, making it impossible to get anywhere near the chamber of the holy sword. Checky reminded her that they had the Adversary, and so they didn't need Azor to stop the Flora army. However, Seren warned them that though the Adversary was strong, Havoc was on a different level.

Realizing that Seren was dead set on giving up, Edea told Carlisle that as acting commander of the Glory Guard, she was formally terminating the partnership between the Alliance and Cernium, much to everyone's shock. Carlisle urged Edea to change her mind, but she told him that she needed to keep the Alliance safe, which couldn't happen if Gilmore took possession of Azor. As Edea walked away, the Adversary urged Seren once more that it wasn't too late to take up the sword. Seren reluctantly agreed to try and took hold of Azor, which didn't react at all, just as she had suspected.

In the city square, Carlisle urged the Adversary to speak to Seren one more time, claiming that she would listen to them as the Adversary. They asked how being the Adversary would make a difference, to which Carlisle told them that whereas Seren had failed many times and lost everything, the Adversary had succeeded and saved their world, which made Seren respect them. The Adversary asked the townspeople if they knew where Seren was, but none of them had any idea where she could be. However, all of them were worried about Cernium's fate and their unanimous opinion was that Seren should be the Chosen One, rather than a stranger like Gilmore. A Flame Priest told them that the blacksmith was also looking for Seren. The blacksmith told the Adversary that he had seen her heading south earlier, likely visiting the memorial.

As the Adversary headed towards the memorial, the blacksmith gave them a small sword-shaped necklace and asked them to give it to Seren. On their way outside the city, they ran into Edea, who told them that Carlisle had given her new information. According to him, Seren had asked the Grand Master that she be relieved of duty after she first arrived in Cernium with Azor all those years ago. Edea had her suspicions about why Seren believed that she couldn't be the Chosen One and asked if she could accompany them to visit her.

At the memorial, Seren was pondering over what Roland had asked her about finding her salvation in Cernium. She silently replied to herself that no matter where she went, she found no salvation. She voiced out that she should be used to losing everything that she loved, including her home, her old compatriots, her new friends, and even her faith. Just then, the Adversary and Edea found her amidst the swords of her fallen compatriots. Edea told Seren that she understood why Seren refused to become the Chosen One, explaining that she believed that Seren was using her injury as an excuse. The Adversary added that the reason she refused to accept that she could be the Chosen One and the reason why Azor didn't react to her was because she had lost her faith when Havoc attacked High Mountain, because at the very moment when she needed Mitra the most, she had been abandoned.

Edea then asked why she continue serving the Order of Mitra if her faith had been wavering. Seren told Edea that as the only survivor left, she felt that her comrades' sacrifice in the name of Mitra would have been in vain if she had abandoned the Order. The Adversary then understood Seren's predicament: that she couldn't be the Chosen One, but she couldn't leave the faith either, all because she couldn't acknowledge that her people had died fighting for a god who had abandoned them. Seren then asked for them to leave her, adding that the light needed to return to Azor.

The Truth about Mitra[]

That night, the Glory Guard met outside the city gates, where Checky and Hawkeye were surprised to learn the reason behind Seren's refusal to become the Chosen One. Checky noted that by refusing to become the Chosen One, Seren was merely repeating a cycle of mistakes. His words triggered the Adversary to recall something that Aaron had said about how the overdue library books collectively told a story about how those who didn't understand the past were doomed to repeat its mistakes. The Adversary began looking through the books and found that the first book spoke about how the Order of Mitra had underwent many divisions and reformations. The second described how ‘dawn', ‘noon', and ‘sunset' were the only three words that remained to mark the position of the sun. The final spoke of how Mitra possessed many facets, from being tranquil and quiet, to righteous and benevolent, to wrathful in the face of injustice.

Just as they reached an epiphany, Aaron appeared and saw that by the look on the Adversary's face, they had reached the same conclusion that he had. He explained that after centuries of the people not hearing Mitra's voice, they had gradually forgotten the very origin of their beliefs. Just then, Edea arrived and greeted Aaron, explaining that she wanted to ask that he come to Maple World with them, as he wouldn't be safe in Cernium after Gilmore took possession of Azor. Hawkeye interrupted and asked him to first finish what he had been explaining. Aaron asked them to recall the sun and its place in the sky at dawn, noon, and sunset. Ancient worshippers believed that the sun brought hope at dawn, justice at noon, and flaming passion at sunset. After the Ancient Gods disappeared, the followers of Mitra split into three factions, each worshipping the sun's three different aspects. Over the centuries, those followers lost sight of the truth and forgot that Mitra, Spisa, and Nerota were all facets of the same god.

The Glory Guard was shocked, as the revelation meant that all the holy wars and sacrifices had been part of an ultimately meaningless conflict. Checky also realized that Gilmore was wrong, as there were no non-believers in Cernium if all the different faiths ultimately worshipped Mitra. Aaron agreed, but reminded them that a single seed of doubt could crumble the entire foundation of one's faith, just as it had done for Seren. Edea realized that the other sects would never accept it, as doing so would force them to acknowledge that every terrible deed they had committed in the name of their god had been unjustified. However, it also meant that the Chosen One had been selected long ago, as the criteria for being chosen was that they needed to be worthy of the power, as well as to have the support of all three Orders, meaning that Gilmore was unworthy of awakening Azor. Edea rushed to check on something, just as several Alliance soldiers warned that they needed to leave soon. Edea asked them to go on without her, as she would be back after checking something, and told Aaron that her offer to bring him to Maple World still stood. Aaron thanked her, but declined, as he wished to continue watching over the library.

With Edea's absence, the Adversary became the de-facto leader and ordered that the Alliance would aid Cernium once again. As the Alliance fought alongside the Orders of Spisa and Nerota, Ebonstar soldiers who had allied themselves with the High Flora were ordered to fight Edea. In the library, Edea learned about the experiments that had led to the creation of Specters, which helped her realize that Gilmore was a false Chosen One. On her way to see Seren, she also met Aaron, who told her that he had translated the inscription on Azor, "Alvationsay inway Andhay", and learned that it didn't mean "Salvation is in Cernium" like what Roland had said. Instead, it meant "Salvation is in your own hands", as it was the people who needed unconditional faith, not the gods.

Alvationsay inway Andhay[]

At the royal palace, Gilmore arrived and found Seren guarding Azor. He looked around and noted how how such a once illustrious palace had fallen to ruin, with storm clouds blotting out the sun and the High Flora swarming across the land like vermin. Seren asked what would happen once Gilmore became the Chosen One, to which he explained that he would begin a great cleansing of the land, starting with the Flora, after which he would remove the heretics and cultists that had infested the city. Seren told him that the various Orders had finally made peace after centuries and told him that it wasn't necessary to expel them. Gilmore laughed at Seren's presumption that he would merely expel them and reminded her that every person had the choice to either worship the sun or be destroyed by its flames.

As he walked past her to take Azor, Edea rushed in to see Seren. Gilmore drew his sword on Edea and told her that he would destroy her for sullying their sacred ground. Seren immediately drew her blade and parried Gilmore, yelling at Edea to run. A wounded Edea watched Gilmore standing over Seren, her blade broken. As he prepared to strike her down, Edea used the last of her strength to create a magical seal around Gilmore, allowing Seren to deliver the final blow. Defeated, Gilmore dissipated into thin air as Seren lamented that Azor would never find its light with the Chosen One destroyed. Edea then revealed that Gilmore was a special type of Specter, filled with countless souls that had given him enough power to appear as though he was the Chosen One in an attempt to trick Azor into choosing him to wield the power of Mitra. She then gave Seren the emblem of the Chosen One that Gilmore had dropped, telling her that she had earned the trust of the people. Seren protested that the emblem didn't glow in her hands and wondered what more everyone expected from her, as she couldn't change basic facts.

Just then, the Adversary arrived and told her that they understood what it was like to feel helpless, as they had been filled with doubt throughout the battle with the Black Mage just as she was, and explained that it wasn't until the very last moment that someone had helped them see the light. Edea told her that Aaron had properly translated the inscription on Azor and revealed to her that it meant "Salvation is in your own hands". The Adversary asked her not to wait for the prophecy to fulfill itself and instead fulfill her destiny with her own two hands, while Edea asked her to try putting faith into herself for once. To Seren's surprise, the emblem began glowing in her hands as she began to believe in herself again.

Seren took up Azor, which glowed brightly and filled her with the divine power of the sun. Spreading her wings, she took to the skies and engaged in a colossal battle against Havoc. Their glowing figures clashed in the sky, with red lightning on one side of the sky and sunlight breaking through the clouds on the other. The people of Cernium rejoiced at the appearance of the Chosen One, marveling at how the sun hadn't abandon them. Because of Seren, Havoc ceased his lightning attacks on the city, giving the united people of Cernium and the Alliance the opening to turn the tables on the Flora army. Havoc was soon defeated by Seren, causing him to crash down violently from the sky. With the Apostle of Lightning defeated, the Flora army was successfully defeated.

The Wrath of the Sun God[]

Some time later, a ceremony took place in which the Grand Master formally recognize Seren as the Chosen One. To Carlisle's surprise, Aaron arrived at the palace and approached Seren. The Adversary asked if Aaron wasn't supposed to be there, but Carlisle explained that he had never seen Aaron willingly walk in to a crowd before. Aaron congratulated Seren and asked if she had heard the voice of Mitra since becoming the Chosen One. Seren told him that she hadn't had that honor yet, to which Aaron offered to show her how. Suddenly, Seren was consumed with divine energy as Mitra herself possessed Seren's body. The audience was shocked at the devastating power that emanated from Seren, who declared that "the wrath of the sun is upon you," just as the Adversary had experienced in their vision when they had attempted to wield Azor. She then turned to face the Adversary, recognizing the power of the Seal Stone inside them, and the two engaged in a fierce battle.

The shockwave of their battle wounded everyone in the audience, and the Adversary barely managed to win by shattering Azor. Seren, having regained her senses, was shocked at the destruction of the holy sword just as Aaron approached the wounded Adversary. To everyone's shock, he extracted the Seal Stone from the Adversary, telling them that he had warned that it would only bring death, and then proceeded to shatter it. As he walked away, Edea asked who he really was, to which Aaron, his eyes glowing orange, replied, "I am the one who tires of the folly of lesser lifeforms," thus revealing himself as Gerand Darmoor.

Some time later, Seren met with the Adversary and explained that she was leaving Cernium in order to find a way to repair Azor. Before she left, the Adversary remembered the blacksmith's earlier request and gave her the sword-shaped necklace. Seren recognized the metal as having come from Roland's sword. Though she knew that a Templar shouldn't carry such a thing, with Azor being broken and her leaving Cernium, she supposed that it didn't matter anymore. She told the Adversary that she would cherish it and thanked them for everything, hoping that their paths would cross again.