The lift carried the party to the area of the Sagespire known as the landing. They were more than surprised to find untouched airships still residing within the tower.

"There's an entire fleet," Jill gasped in awe.

"I wonder if any are still capable of flight," Joshua pondered.

"Mid will want to see this," Clive said, gazing at the nearest airship.

Walking down the landing where the scenery of Rosaria was on full display from the current level of the tower they were exploring, Clive came to a stop. Joshua, Jill, and Torgal did as well, but they didn't understand why.

The familiar scent of flowers was why Clive stopped. It was a smell he was all too familiar with and so happened to love. At the same time, he noticed a green ribbon on the ground. Before it could blow away, he picked it up and saw the Golden accents. It was the ribbon Mid had given Lyra. He wrapped the ribbon around his wrist and tied it, knowing he would give it back to his beloved soon.

Suddenly, Clive sensed a chilling presence and looked up just in time to see Morana appear from a cloud of darkness. In hand, she wielded Lyra's spear. The goddess of death surged downward with the sharp tip aimed at him. Quickly drawing his sword, he deflected the attack and pushed her away.

Landing nimbly on her feet across the way from him, Morana clicked her tongue in annoyance. "You're more perceptive than I thought."

Although Clive was looking at Lyra, the being occupying her body was not that of the woman he loved. He would have thought the goddess of death would have headed straight for the heart of the Mothercrystal. "Come to play, have you?"

Morana grinned. "Why, of course. How could I possibly miss the chance to toy with the one mortal who is courting the goddess of life?" She dispelled the spear, taking a couple of steps toward him. "Diving into sweet Gaia's memories was all too tempting. It took no effort at all to learn the truth of your relationship. The night of Phoenix Gate, the reunion at Greatwood... Oh! And how could I forget Drake's Head?"

Clive gripped his sword tighter as he recalled the events of Drake's Head. Cid had been killed by Typhon and he almost lost Lyra to the blade of Indra. He glared at the woman who was taunting him. "I would say I'm surprised, but that would be a lie. Of course a being of death would find joy in the moment a life was nearly extinguished."

Morana closed the distance that was left between her and Clive. Without hesitation, she grabbed the sword he had lowered at his side and situated the sharp tip just below her heart. Black blood seeped from her palm as she gripped the blade tighter to keep him from pulling away. "I do believe Indra plunged his blade here if I recall correctly," she smirked wickedly. Slowly, she raised the blade a little higher to where her heart was located. "A god can only be truly slain by piercing the heart. If only he had driven his blade through her body a little higher, then the goddess of life would have been no more."

Clive remained strong. He didn't allow Morana's words to get to him. "Your taunting words are hollow, Morana."

Her smirk twitched slightly in dissatisfaction. "My, my. Your mental prowess is quite sturdy. But..." She took a single step closer and the blade pierced her chest. Her grin twisted further at seeing the flash of panic in his sapphire eyes. "I know you wouldn't dare allow any harm to come to this body, and yet one blissful thought came to mind. What if I could get the mighty Lord Rosfield to pierce his blade through the flesh of the woman he loves?"

Clive, as Morana predicted, yanked his blade away. Black blood seeped down, droplets dripping from the sword. He glared harshly at the woman, his sapphire locking with her lilac. "I will never allow what happened at Drake's Head to transpire again. If you insist on these games, I will personally see to it that I am the one to rip your essence from Lyra's body."

"Hmph. I would like to see you—" Morana's sentence was interrupted when she felt a sharp pain in her head. She grimaced and backed away from Clive. "Dammit all...!" She hissed.

Clive's eyes narrowed in confusion until he saw one of Morana's eyes had turned emerald. It was all he needed to see to understand Lyra was still there and fighting to regain her body.

Struggling against Lyra's consciousness, Morana let out a huff of annoyance. "You were always a stubborn one..." She then addressed the man. "Do try to remain alive long enough so I may have my fun, Lord Rosfield."

Clive watched the goddess of death vanish into a cloud of darkness. Once she was gone, he glanced at the black blood dripping from his sword before shaking it off. He sheathed his blade and pulled out the emerald crystal. He was wondering what he could do with it to help Lyra reclaim her body.

All of a sudden, the crystal grew hot and brighter.

Clive wasn't sure what was going on. He stared at the shard, slowly watching it return to its normal state.

"What caused such a reaction?" Jill asked as she, Joshua, and Torgal walked up to him.

"I don't know," Clive replied. "Perhaps Morana's sudden appearance, or maybe..."

"Clive?"

Said man's eyes widened when he recognized the voice. He slowly turned around and couldn't believe his eyes. A few feet away stood none other than Lyra. From her appearance, she was her sixteen-year-old self.

"By the Flames..." Joshua muttered in shock at seeing the teenage girl.

"Lyra?" Jill called out to the girl. "Is... Is it truly you?"

"Yes." Lyra glanced down at herself. "This appearance is the oldest I could achieve with such little essence."

"How...?"

"This body is a minor projection of what portion of my power I fused into the dusk crystal. It is only temporary." Lyra's attention drifted to Clive when she saw him approaching her. She tilted her head in confusion when he reached out and touched her cheek.

She was about to say something until he suddenly pinched her cheek. "Ah! Clive!" She pushed his hand away from her face. She pursed her lips and rubbed her cheek. "Heavens, why must you pinch so harshly?"

Clive chuckled and smiled gently. "Apologies, my lady. I was...testing to ensure you were real."

"I assure you, I am real," she remarked. Giving him a taste of his own medicine, she pinched his right cheek. "Are you real?" she asked in a childish manner.

Clive grabbed the hand that was squeezing his cheek and held it with his own. "I hope so."

"How convincing..."

Jill laughed at their light-hearted banter. "I have no doubt that is Lyra."

"Neither do I," Joshua smiled in merriment.

After Clive released her hand, Lyra spoke to all of them. "My magic is quite diminished in this state, but may I request something of all of you?"

"Of course, Lyra," Jill responded. "What may we do for you?"

"The talismans I gave you all eighteen years ago... May I use them for a short while?"

"Indeed, you may," Joshua said.

Clive, Jill, and Joshua handed over the talismans in their possessions.

Lyra used what little magic she had to fuel the talismans. She was able to duplicate them and had a total of six to control. It was less than she was used to working with, but it would suffice. "Thank you. I shall return them once I've regained my body."

"Let's make haste," Jill said.

Without wasting any more time, the group continued. They made their way across the landing, taking out any and all enemies along the way. Eventually, they found a way back into the interior of the tower. To their horror, they entered another room lined with various floors of cages. Each one was occupied by a specimen.

Walking to the center of the room, the tower's automated voice echoed around them. "Transferring sentry prototype AM-2 to stasis silo west."

The room was sealed, trapping the party inside. A powerful concentration of aether formed in the room, revealing another creation of the Fallen. This one, resembling an ahriman, had a large dusk crystal embedded in its body.

"We'll just have to hope those crystals it's sporting are as worthless as the others," Clive said.

The Fallen ahriman's eye opened and shrieked, showing its large pointy teeth. It was ready to attack and the party had their weapons at the ready. The Angra Mainyu didn't hold back and used all the tricks it had at its disposal to try and defeat the group. It would duplicate itself, disappear and reappear at will, and use powerful spells to attack.

During the battle, Lyra switched from using her talismans to shapeshifting into a coeurl. She pounced on the Angra Mainyu and knocked it out of the air, allowing the others to finish it off before it could cast another spell.

As the teenage girl reverted, the tower spoke again. "Neural link lost. Reestablishing connection."

Clive gazed at the lifeless corpse of the Angra Mainyu. "Imagine an entire war fought with these things."

"The quantity of aether required to animate them all would be unfathomable. No wonder they were trying to manufacture their own crystals," Joshua said.

The automated voice rang out, "Unable to establish connection. Raising threat index." The blue lights that bathed the room turned red as an alarm blared.

Clive sheathed his sword. "It seems we've made an impression."

Joshua glanced around at the room. "Perhaps the rest of the cages will open now."

"Don't tempt fate, Joshua."

"Forgive me, Brother. They...may not?"

"I wouldn't have enough aether if they did," Lyra huffed out.

Hearing how exhausted she was, Clive looked over at her with worry etched across his face. "Are you all right?"

Lyra frowned sorrowfully and looked away from him. "Truthfully, no..." She held out her hands and stared at her palms. "I am useless in such a weak state."

Clive was quick to deny what she was feeling and firmly told her, "You are not useless."

"He's right," Jill said, nodding in agreement. "Your magic and shapeshifting has already helped us plentiful."

"If you require healing—" Joshua started but was rudely interrupted by slow clapping.

All eyes turned to the second level of cages where Morana was sitting, legs crossed at the knee. Her long black locks fell over her shoulders as she leaned forward with a smirk. "I must say, I am impressed such a fragile projection is capable of any magic."

Joshua was the closest to Lyra. He stepped closer to her in case the goddess of death targeted her.

The teenage girl, unfrightened by her old friend, tilted her head in bewilderment. "I never could imagine myself with black hair until now."

Clive, Jill, and Joshua were surprised by her casual words.

Morana, on the other hand, laughed in amusement. "You always knew how to amaze me, Gaia." She got to her feet and jumped down. "And how to test my patience. I thought I had every ounce of your being under my thumb. Clearly, I was wrong. Even though a small portion of you is missing, your will still remains strong. I must confess, trying to snuff out your consciousness is proving to be more difficult than I had thought."

Lyra stepped around Joshua and walked over to the goddess of death. She stopped a few feet away. "Tell me, Morana. How did you survive?"

Morana glanced over at Clive, Jill, and Joshua to see their weapons were still drawn and prepared to defend the projection of Lyra. Even Torgal was ready to pounce on her. She then looked back at the teenage girl, having no intent of striking her down just yet. "After you and the other gods slew me, what remained of my holy body fell to this world. As I waited for an eternal death, my ichor seeped into the soil. All turned black...until I regained consciousness centuries later.

The Mothercrystals had appeared, but it wasn't until the Fallen created their own did I gather enough aether to achieve a form that was capable of movement. However, it was only when the skies turned ashen did my ichor spread even further across the tower. Once the Fallen were annihilated by their creator, I lost the only source of gathering my blood."

Lyra's eyes narrowed in disgust. "You were using the Fallen."

"Oh, quite so," Morana grinned. "Their bodies were easy to possess, but I would always have to procure a new vessel every day. Mortal bodies cannot sustain the essence of a god for more than 24 hours before their hearts cease beating. But now that I possess the body of a god, I will have no issues reclaiming my ichor. Perhaps once I regained all the fragments, I shall reforge my own body and discard yours. Or maybe..." She stepped closer to the teenage girl and whispered, "I'll keep it all to myself. It is quite a ravishing body, after all. Using the body of the goddess of life as my newest form as the goddess of death would be quite poetic."

"You make it sound rather easy to wipe out my presence entirely, but I know you are aware nothing is that simple," the teenage girl remarked.

Morana backed away from her with a displeased glare. "I'm well aware what must be done will not be easy. That is why I shall recover my holy body before wiping out your entire existence. Enjoy your last hours of life, Gaia."

With those final words, Morana vanished.

Lyra let out a heavy sigh. "Now it all makes sense... How many did she kill?" She shook her head and dismissed the unanswerable questions that were circling around in her head. "It matters not. We must stop her."

As they left the room, Jill asked about the goddess of death. "What was Morana like before her corruption?"

"Cheerful, sweet, caring..." Lyra answered. "She was one of the kindest gods I knew. What made her crave more power? I do not know."

"It is quite frightening how the temptation of power alters those we thought we knew," Joshua commented.

The teenage girl cast her gaze to the ashen sky framed by the arches of the tower. "I have always wondered if the mind of a corrupt god is what our true nature is..."

"I don't believe it," Clive said, recalling what happened at Stonhyrr. "You are the reason for that. If it was the true nature of the gods, you would have absorbed the aether from the crystal instead of allowing yourself to drown. Not all gods are selfless, but they are also not inherently wicked."

Lyra turned her gaze to him. "You may be right. One isn't born wicked or benevolent. We choose who we are by living our lives in the way we deem fit. Some may traverse darker paths while others choose to follow the light. Darkness and light are needed to create a balance, but there is too much darkness in this world. Balance must be restored and to that that..."

"Morana must be killed." The worried expression he sported earlier returned. He knew this wouldn't be an easy task for her considering the goddess of death was once her closest friend. "Lyra, if you need us..."

She shook her head. "No. I raised my spear against her once. I can and will do it again. I won't let our past together blind me."

Their conversation ended.

They found another lift and activated it. It carried them all the way up to the upper ring, where they discovered something horrendous. A strange, web-like substance spread across the tower and pulsed as if it were alive.

"Is that...living flesh?" Jill asked.

"I'm beginning to think this whole tower is alive," Joshua said.

Lyra stepped over one the veins of flesh and noticed how it seemed to grow. "By the Heavens, it's spreading..."

The group avoided stepping on the flesh and continued through another door. They entered a room where a horde of goblins was waiting. Even with Fallen relics as weapons, the creatures stood no chance and were wiped out.

The left the room and proceeded up the stairwell, the path being lit by the light of the sun that managed to pierce the ashen cloud covering the sky. At the top of the stairs, they entered the room to the right to find more creatures. They killed the raptors and shattered the Fallen echoes.

As they exited the room, they came across more pulsing flesh. The amount was increasing as they made their way across the upper ring.

"Did the tower make this as well? Or is it some sort of...corruption?" Clive asked.

"I don't know. But wouldn't you say it looks oddly familiar?" Joshua inquired.

Lyra found herself staring at the flesh. "Could this possibly be synthetic? Or perhaps the remains of failed test subjects? Morana once used the Fallen who built this tower. Perhaps she knows."

Further down the curved path, they entered a room and saw a large threat. It was an ancient minotaur. The creature turned around at hearing their approach and grew enraged, slamming its weapon against the ground.

"A minotaur..." Jill mumbled in annoyance, drawing her sword.

Joshua also had his blade at the ready. "Born over fifteen hundred years ago, yes. And yet, it is not the eldest ancient within our presence."

"Joshua," Clive hissed in warning, knowing age was a touchy subject for the goddess.

Lyra had her talismans floating in front of her when she heard what the youngest Rosfield said. She blinked in surprise before letting out a small giggle. "Only by a handful of centuries. However, it will be the one to turn to ash today."

Clive was surprised yet amused by her response. He smirked and began attacking the minotaur.

Although the minotaur was ancient, its attacks were powerful and its movements were quick. The battle was tough, but the creature soon fell to their blades and magic.

Lyra let out an exhausted huff as her talismans ceased glowing with aether. "This gauntlet is exhausting..." It was at that exact moment she felt herself grow weak. She fell to her hands and knees, her vision being consumed by darkness before slowly disappearing. She felt a gentle hand on her back and looked over to see a worried Jill. With her help, she was able to get back to her feet. "Thank you, Jill."

"At this rate, your essence will fade before we reach the heart," Jill said. "There must be something we can do."

"There mayhaps be." Joshua turned to Clive. "The crystal, Brother."

Clive pulled out the dulled emerald crystal, wondering what his brother had in mind. "What are you thinking, Joshua?"

"She may partake from us. Use your magic to channel aether into the crystal."

Clive gripped the crystal tighter and ignited his palm with the flames of Ifrit. Instead of the crystal being destroyed, it absorbed the flames and converted them into pure aether. The absorption of aether caused the shard to glow brighter. The dullness faded as it returned to its previous glimmering state. Wondering if it truly worked, he looked over at Lyra and saw her paleness had vanished. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better," the teenage girl smiled. "I must confess, I am surprised it worked. Regardless, I am more than grateful."

"If you ever feel faint, tell us," he said, putting the crystal away.

"I will. Thank you, Clive."

With Lyra feeling better, the group left the room via the adjacent door and proceeded down a stairwell. That was when the tower's automated voice returned. "Initializing emergency subroutines. Diverting reactor power."

"I think it's getting ready to receive us," Clive stated.

"If our actions are the cause of this diversion..." Lyra began.

"What is Morana doing?" Jill finished.

Having no answer to the question, they pressed on. The path was clear of any and all enemies until they proceeded deeper into the tower. The eerie quietness and the flesh-covered corridors made all of them feel uneasy.

Eventually after dropping down to a floor below and destroying more enemies, Jill saw the overwhelming amount of flesh that was creeping across the walls, floor, and anything it could touch. "If all of this truly was the work of the Fallen..."

"Then they were closer to attaining godhood than we ever imagined," Joshua finished her sentence.

"No wonder Ultima struck them down," Clive commented. "Though, I wonder what the world would have become if the gods hadn't been massacred."

"A thought that has never left my own mind," Lyra confessed. "Not even the Moirai predicted his arrival to this star..."

With their conversation drawing to a close, the party squeezed through the small opening between the flesh to enter the hallway hidden behind it. Their once clear and quiet path ended when they entered a room by crouching through a small opening in the flesh. They were ambushed by more specimens and another omicron.

Seconds turned into minutes. They took out the first wave of enemies before wiping out the second one. The room was cleared and fell quiet. As they departed, they couldn't help but observe how desperate the tower was getting. The specimens and echoes it was deploying to stop them were getting stronger.

Alarms blared and the tower spoke again once all the forces it sent to stop the group were defeated. "Secondary and tertiary firewalls breached. Code red. Code red."

"The heart must be close," Clive said as they exited the room.

"And yet no sign of Morana," Lyra commented.

They stepped onto the lift. It pulsed with aether and carried them up to the highest level of the Sagespire—The Hall of Elicitation. Even from the lift, they could see the heart of the Mothercrystal looming in the distance.

"There!" Clive shouted as he and his companions broke into a sprint in the direction of the heart.

"Now's our chance!" Joshua hollered.

They ran all the way up the stairs to the heart, their presence immediately being detected by the tower. "Unauthorized entry detected. Primary core firewalls activated." It lowered the stairs, preventing them from going back the way they came. "Initializing Eikonoklastic defense system Omega-1."

Standing below the heart, Clive's eyes narrowed in confusion. "What the hell is an "Eikonoklastic defense system"?

"I've a feeling we're about to find out..." Joshua lowered his gaze from the heart and tightened his glove. "And that we will not like the answer."

Lyra's eyes widen in realization. "A manmade Eikon... A synthetic giant made by the Fallen from which the eight wardens derive their name. Harpocrates spoke of such a creation. And now..."

A large 'bang' silenced the girl. The hatch in the ceiling above was pried open. From the flesh beyond, a large metallic creature tore through and landed on all fours on the ground. A light activated on its head and it focused its attention on the heart of the Mothercrystal. Within seconds, it absorbed the crystal into its body.

"Core containment complete," the tower's automated voice said. "Authorizing environmental sterilization protocol."

"Well, at least we know where it is this time," Clive spoke up.

"Quite. And if we want it..." Jill reached for her sword.

"If we want it, all we have to do is kill an Eikon." He quickly unsheathed his blade, preparing for Omega to attack.

"This will be no easy feat," Lyra said as her talismans ignited with flames.

"We've taken down bigger."

She smirked in amusement. "Indeed, we have."

"Safety routines disabled. Weapons armed. Stand clear," the tower warned.

Omega reared up on its hind legs with a mechanical screech before slamming its front legs onto the ground, creating a small tremor. As its mechanical gaze locked onto the group, the battle began.