There was a moment of silence. For Cayde, it felt as if it wasn't just him who stood in silence, but also as if the world itself had come to a standstill. There was an emptiness in Cayde's heart for a brief moment as he recollected the vivid events that happened within his dream.

For a moment, Cayde realized just how much he had lost. Every mentor in his life was gone, one way or another. First, his father had died trying to complete the Trial of the Mountain. Then, Vande was killed. In time, his mother passed away as well, and now... Kimlasca was gone too, cutting his communication with Cayde for good. There was Ozma, yes, but despite their similar goals and their guidance, Cayde did not know Ozma well enough to form a genuine bond with the Wolf of Balance just yet. Perhaps, in time.

In the past, Cayde would have broken down, doubted himself and his ability to achieve his goal. He would have questioned his actions, considered giving up his adventure, giving up hope.

Not this time.

As Cayde's thoughts cleared, he merely smiled, clenching his paw for a brief moment.

"So be it." He chuckled, unshaken. Kimlasca had cut his ties with Cayde, and why should that bring Cayde down? He had been manipulated, taken advantage of, and used to carry out the selfish plans of two gods. Countless loved ones had died across the entire Kimlascan Pack. Countless families were likely broken all across the land across the span of many generations... just because it would slowly bring their plan to its conclusion.

The sacrifices, tragedies, disasters... all for Kimlasca and Mystearica to eventually get to try and prove which of them was better. It was twisted. Kimlasca and Mystearica were not very different from one another. Of course, their ideologies were much different, but the lengths they were willing to go in order to follow them were very similar.

With the bond between Cayde and Kimlasca broken, it was up to Cayde to forge his own destiny. No more mentors, no more guidance... it was just him now. There was no time for doubt. Never again.

Cayde looked up at the trees, watching the leaves rustle gently in the wind. Occasionally a few leaves would fall from the branches they were fastened on, either blowing softly along the wind currents, or gracefully landing onto the forest floor.

"The world is beautiful," Cayde glanced around, "And to think that two gods are willing to destroy... all of this." He picked up one of the leaves, holding it gently in his paw.

"Because of them, there would be no more life. No more forests, no more families... no more emotions, no more hopes, dreams, goals..." Cayde sighed.

"There would be nothing." Cayde let the leaf go, letting it blow away in the wind.

"And no memory of this world, not even a remnant of it. Just so it could begin anew as if nothing ever happened." He closed his eyes.

"How could they do such a thing?" He asked himself, shaking his head.

"I won't let them," He opened his eyes and looked up, peering beyond the veil of leaves above, and up into the sky, "As long as I'm still breathing... I'll protect this world."

He was a one-wolf army, going up against the strength of two gods... there was no chance of success, it seemed. But regardless, Cayde would protect the world until his dying breath. The world was beautiful, and the life that flourished within it was precious... as Cayde always believed: it must be protected.

He looked ahead, but he caught something out of the corner of his eye. It blended well, but at the same time it felt so out of place. As he padded closer, he narrowed his eyes as he examined it carefully, carefully moving it away from the rock that it was nestled beside.

"An olive branch..." Cayde spoke softly. It was as if destiny had led Cayde to this very spot to find it. It all fit so perfectly. Cayde was the final line of defense, the only one other than Uldrich who was capable of standing up for the world and facing the two gods who were willing to destroy it for their selfish ideals.

He placed the olive branch on the rock he found it on, looking at it for a few moments, until finally he reached a paw up. The familiar golden aura of Harmony radiated from Cayde's paw and illuminated the olive branch, causing it to glow with a wondrous golden light.

The light grew brighter and brighter, until finally Cayde put his paw back down and the light began to fade. The olive branch had been crystallized, turning solid, almost like gold itself. The branch would be preserved forevermore, and would never wither away in its new state. Not until Cayde returned it to its original state.

He picked up the now-solid olive branch, admiring it and smiling brightly before nestling it into his fur, placing it behind and slightly beside his right ear.

"With this, I say goodbye to the doubt that plagued me in the past." Cayde said to himself. The olive branch fit perfectly into Cayde's fur, with no sign of it moving and with no risk of it falling out very easily.

"I am Cayde, Wolf of Harmony," He looked up confidently, "And now..."

"I am Cayde, Protector of Peace."

The sword of Harmonious golden light appeared, its hilt held in Cayde's jaws. With unwavering confidence, he lifted the sword into the sky and emitted a pulse of pure golden light. A soft twinkling noise was heard as golden specks of light drifted down onto the ground like snow flurries on a winter day.

He stood proudly for a moment, before looking around and chuckling softly. Nobody was around to see his proud stance, and also... his brief speech. But it was the thought that counted. The sword vanished from Cayde's jaws, breaking into more golden specks of light before even they faded away.

"I should really name that sword..." He mumbled to himself. If he could snap, he'd do just that, as a name quickly popped into his head.

"Aha! I'll call it Harmonia!" Cayde concluded.

He fastened the crystalized olive branch, just to be sure that it was secure in his fur, and then proceeded forward. Despite nobody being around, it felt nice being able to speak his mind and even make small decisions like naming the sword that manifested in his jaws when he needed it to.

Even if nobody had heard his words, they were not words to be taken lightly. He would indeed fight until his dying breath to protect the world, to protect peace itself, and to ensure that the world and its inhabitants could choose their own destiny, not be destroyed by the ones who were supposed to unify and guide it.

And with that, he continued onward through the forest, eager to continue his journey, as fateful as it was. He hadn't forgotten how high the stakes were, and he knew there was no time to waste.

The wasteland where the Wolf of Chaos supposedly lived was still far off, and Cayde would need to continue keeping a steady pace if he wanted to have a shot at making it to the Realm of Harmony and Chaos in time. There was no telling what Uldrich would do when he got there though. Regardless, it was a chance he was willing to take.

The day went on, and the hours passed by. The land began to grow more and more foreign for Cayde as he continued onward. There were still a few familiar places he came across, but he didn't remember every bit of places he had once traveled to.

The morning came and went, and so did the afternoon. Cayde's steady pace kept him marching onward until evening arrived. There were many points throughout the day where Cayde was unfamiliar with the places he had reached, but regardless it was a rather uneventful day. He knew the general direction to go in, and he knew that once he got closer to the wasteland, he'd know where to go from there of course.

But not everything was unfamiliar. As Cayde trekked onward, he felt a pang of remembrance, as if he had been to this very place before. He glanced around, tilting his head. It looked like just a regular old forest to him.

Cayde's eyes widened as he remembered one place that would make him feel so sentimental. A place where everything truly began... and a place where the beginning of the end had arrived.

He was close to the Shrine of Kimlasca.

He recalled the tragic story of Jace, whose soul was fused with a glass copy of himself, serving as an eternal guardian for the shrine. His life had been spent devoting his time to Kimlasca, aiding him because he thought it was for the betterment of the world... but in reality, he was just another pawn carrying out Kimlasca's bidding.

Cayde wanted to pass the Shrine of Kimlasca without a second glance. It was nothing but bad memories now. Although, he couldn't shake the feeling of returning to it. He had to tell Jace the truth, and perhaps save him from the wretched lie that kept him trapped.

It was the right thing to do. Even if it would cost Cayde a few minutes or a few hours, it was worth it.

And so Cayde pressed on, continuing through the forest. Each step brought him closer to painful familiarity, and he began to recognize the area as he got closer. He stepped into a small clearing, and there it was. The Shrine of Kimlasca.

He narrowed his eyes as he approached the beginning of the wide staircase leading up to the entrance. After a few moments, he padded up the staircase, taking slow and steady steps towards the entrance. The shrine was the same as it was before. The exterior was cracked, and moss grew on some parts of the old stone. Straight ahead was the entrance: a massive door with an engraving of the Mark of Harmony on it.

Cayde took a moment to look up above the doorway, noticing a few other etchings above the doorway.

To the left above the door was the Mark of Harmony, and to the right was the Mark of Chaos, but what caught Cayde by surprise was the etching in the middle, right between the two other markings. It had been scribbled out, and roughly scrawled over. To some, it was easily missed, but Cayde knew exactly what the scribbled-out marking once was: the Mark of Balance.

If it was Jace who built the shrine, perhaps he too knew of the Wolf of Balance, or at least the illusion of the truth. Kimlasca must have told him of the Wolf of Balance, and perhaps even showed the Mark of Balance. If Jace scrawled the Mark of Balance into the shrine wall above the doorway, it wouldn't surprise Cayde one bit if Kimlasca had ordered Jace to get rid of it. After all, Cayde knew that Kimlasca liked to have no loose ends.

He growled slightly, shaking his head at the thought. How cruel of Kimlasca, making Jace suffer, even if he didn't know. He was no guardian, he was a prisoner.

Cayde approached the doorway, and held his paw out, placing it flat onto the old stone door. The Mark of Harmony in the center of the door reacted to Cayde's touch, shaking the ground slightly before glowing with the familiar golden aura, and shortly after the door began to slide open with a loud crumbling sound.

The interior was dark, as if it was laying dormant... like its purpose was fulfilled. The white, glowing marble walls, ceiling, and floor were no longer glowing, but remained a stagnant, unglowing white.

"Who goes there? State your name and your business within this sacred domain!" A familiar voice called, and soon Jace's glowing eyes could be seen in the dark, reflecting slightly off of his glass body.

In return, Cayde stamped a paw down onto the floor, sending a loud echo throughout the shrine. It wasn't just for show, however, because soon the floor began to glow with its luminescent white aura once more, lighting up the shrine inch by inch with each passing second.

Jace, who had been encased within this dark prison, shielded his eyes as they adjusted to the return of the light.

"Gah!" Jace exclaimed in surprise, moving his paw away from his eyes, but keeping them squinted as he swished his paw in a circular motion, creating a wide circle of sharp glass, all shaped much like an icicle, "State your name and your business within this sacred domain, NOW!"

In response, Cayde stepped forward, each step creating the slightest of echoes.

"Hello, old friend." Cayde spoke.

Jace's eyes finally adjusted to the light, and he took a moment to gaze upon Cayde before his eyes widened in surprise, "Cayde? Is it really you? But, why are you here?" He asked as his weaponry shifted back into his body of glass.

"I've come to free you." He replied.

"Free me? From what? Kimlasca sealed the entrance to the shrine, I wasn't expecting to recieve any visitors."

"When did he seal the shrine?" Cayde asked.

"Over a week ago. One of his reflections appeared in the shrine, telling me that no matter what, I was to wait here," Jace answered, "Why? I thought he would have told you."

Cayde looked to the side, "No loose ends..." Cayde repeated quietly.

"What did you say? I couldn't hear you."

Cayde looked at Jace again, "I'm afraid Kimlasca won't be telling us much of anything anymore."

"What? Why? Is he alrigh-"

"Kimlasca is fine. More than fine, actually..." Cayde sighed, "Jace, I'm going to tell you something that will change everything you know."

"Huh? I'm usually the one giving knowledge about Kimlasca... what is it? Is it about Kimlasca?"

"It's about everything. Jace, from Wolf of Harmony to Wolf of Harmony, I need you to trust what I'm going to tell you, because it's the painful truth," Cayde stepped forward, "Please."

Jace's eyes widened, and through those glass eyes, Cayde could almost see a long dormant part of his soul ignite.

"Wolf of Harmony... nobody has called me that in centuries... how did you know?" Jace asked, shocked, "Was it Kimlasca?"

"No... it was Ozma."

"Ozma... Ozma? You mean..."

"Yes, the Wolf of Balance. He told me things that made everything become so clear to me... and I came to tell you those same things," Cayde glanced at the open doorway, "Starting with this shrine."

"What is it?" Jace asked.

Cayde shook his head, "I need to trust that you'll keep it together when I tell you. This is serious, and it will change you forever." Cayde warned.

Jace thought things over for a few moments, "Okay."

Cayde stepped forward again, holding a paw out, "Promise me."

Jace looked at Cayde for a moment, hesitating before extending a paw as well, "Okay, I promise."

Cayde stepped back, "I think I know why Kimlasca sealed this shrine. Tell me, when the shrine is closed, who can open it?"

"The entrance has three different doorways that can shift. The first is the open doorway, where anyone can walk through. The second is the closed doorway, where only the worthy may enter. The third is the sealed doorway, where only a Wolf of Harmony can open it."

"Which did Kimlasca set it to?"

"The sealed doorway." Jace replied.

"Can you open it? You're a Wolf of Harmony after all." Cayde noted.

"I was. When I died centuries ago, Kimlasca helped me cast my soul into this glass form of my body, where I could guard the shrine forever. I don't have the power of Harmony anymore, but I can use my glass body to create weapons and other objects, but I can't open the shrine when it's sealed. Kimlasca said it was for protection of the shrine, and nothing more. Just a precaution."

Cayde closed his eyes, "Just as I thought... he sealed you in here. He intended to keep you here forever."

"What?! No, that can't be! I've been the loyal Glass Guardian of this shrine for centuries!"

"You've been Kimlasca's pawn and prisoner for centuries." Cayde said solemnly.

"Pawn? Prisoner? No... you're wrong, you have to be!" Jace exclaimed.

He shook his head, "I wish I was. Tell me, what do you think Kimlasca would do if he ever opened the shrine door again?"

"I don't know... he never sealed the shrine before, but he said that when the shrine was opened again, everything would change. I thought he meant you, and that you would change everything." Jace answered.

"If things went according to Kimlasca's perfect little plan, the world would be filled with nothing but pure Harmony. There would be no need for this shrine anymore, and certainly no need for guardians keeping watch over it. If he ever did come back from this shrine instead of keeping you sealed here forever... make no mistake, he would kill you."

"How could you say that?!"

"He would do the same to me. Both of our roles have been fulfilled in Kimlasca's plan, and we mean nothing to him in the grand scheme of things. I know this all sounds so wrong, trust me I've been there, but it all makes sense."

Jace stood, eyes narrowed. He didn't want to believe Cayde, but part of his soul was telling him otherwise, "Then go on."

"Kimlasca's plan is to kill Mystearica. Mystearica's plan is to kill Kimlasca. Both are working together to achieve their goals, because they both believe that one is better than the other. To do that, they needed to use dozens of pawns and thousands upon thousands of sacrifices to achieve their goal of reawakening the Wolf of Balance, all so they could fight in their own realm. But it won't end the way they think, and even if it doesn't end the way they think, they don't care, they'll take their chances."

"What's going to happen?" Jace asked.

"Our world will come to an end."

Jace thought on this for a while, before finally speaking again, "Go on..." One of his paws were clenched tightly, trembling with rage.

"Kimlasca made you spend your whole life building this shrine, promising greatness and a fantastic purpose. In reality, you were a pawn that he used to set the stage for the day where a new Wolf of Harmony would be born close enough to become a pawn in the next phase of the plan. That next pawn... was me."

"You aren't lying... are you..." Jace said, though his tone showed barely any emotion.

In response, Cayde reached out and placed a paw on his shoulder of glass, causing the Glass Guardian to look up suddenly, "Not at all." Cayde answered.

"Then... go on, Cayde."

"When you were approaching your final days, Kimlasca asked you to encase your soul within a glass form of your body in order to protect the shrine... he lied. The shrine never needed a protector, his reflections could have done such a thing with ease. Instead, he lied, using your life's work and your devotion to manipulate you into becoming the Glass Guardian. As it turns out... Kimlasca just wanted to ensure that he had no loose ends, and didn't want even the slightest chance of you finding out that you were being used. So he led you on, just like he did to me, all so we could carry out their selfish plans."

Jace glared at Cayde, "Tell me you're being truthful, tell me this isn't a lie!" He yelled.

"I would never lie to you. You deserve to know, I couldn't bear to keep you in the dark, not knowing the truth!"

Jace took a few moments to try and regain his composure. Despite Cayde's paw being on his shoulder, he was trembling with rage again, "Swear to me."

"I swear." Cayde confirmed.

Jace softened, his eyes wide for a moment.

"All my life's work... the centuries I waited... and you're telling me that it was all for nothing?" Jace asked.

"I thought the same thing. Jace, it's never too late to follow our own destiny, make our own choices, follow our own paths in life," Cayde explained, "I can't imagine how hard this must be especially for you... but trust me, I'm mad too! The loved ones I lost, the pain so many had to suffer through... it was all part of Kimlasca and Mystearica's plan! A neccessary sacrifice for them, and nothing more!"

Jace narrowed his eyes, nodding in understanding, "I know," He sighed, "It all makes perfect sense then. I asked Kimlasca what my purpose was, and every time he said it was to guard this shrine. I'd always ask him why his reflections couldn't do it, and he'd never answer... he lied to me. He lied to us all."

Cayde nodded solemnly, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Jace looked at Cayde, "You're right. We can still walk our own paths... and make our own choices."

Cayde nodded again, "Of course we can."

Jace growled, "Kimlasca and Mystearica... they both need to pay for what they've done."

"I know, and I'll fight until the end to make sure that they do." Cayde assured.

"Then... I have one request to make..." Jace began.

Cayde listened intently, waiting for him to finish.

Jace looked at Cayde in the eyes, and with pure confidence, he spoke:

"Help me burn this shrine to the ground."