A/n: Hello everyone! I just wanted to post this little note because this chapter contains some endgame lore. It might be less than I think, but I still wanted to post a warning in case there are people who are reading who have to unlock all the lore. Hope you all enjoy this next chapter! Love you all!!!
~✨Celestial✨~
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⚠️WARNING: SPOILERS OF FFXVI AHEAD⚠️

|| Phoenix Gate Ruins ||
|| Northwestern Rosaria ||

Stepping out of the Dim, the party could see Phoenix Gate in the distance. As expected, it was in shambles. Jill looked at the ruins before glancing at her friends. She could tell how troubled they were by seeing the sight.

"There it is—Phoenix Gate..." Clive muttered. "Where it all went wrong."

Lyra gazed at him to see how he was faring. From his tone, she knew he was trying to keep his composure. As he turned away from the ruins, she walked over to him and placed a finger under his chin and lifted his head up. When her eyes met his, she gently spoke to him. "I won't lie—it will be tough, but you're not alone. We will do this together."

"Yes," Jill said. "It's time to discover the truth."

"I'll fly ahead and scout out the area." Lyra stepped back and transformed into a hawk. She flapped her wings and took to the sky. She flew toward the ruins of Phoenix Gate and searched for any enemies. Fortunately, it looked like the area was clear. She waited for Clive, Jill, and Torgal to arrive.

She perched on a section of the ruins that overlooked the large crater created by the battle between Ifrit and the Phoenix. She thought she sensed a strange presence but it disappeared. Then, she saw her companions crossing over the pile of rubble. Screeching to announce her presence and draw her companions' attention, she flew down toward them.

Jill held out her gloved arm and allowed the hawk to land on it. "How fares the scouting?"

"Though the area is clear, I did sense a strange presence," Lyra spoke. "However, it quickly vanished."

"Well done," Jill said, rubbing the top of the hawk's head with her finger. "I must say, I am still trying to grow accustomed to your shapeshifting abilities. It is a magnificent ability."

"I must confess, it is fun to change forms." She turned her gaze to Clive, who was looking around the ruins. "Let's keep going, shall we?"

Clive nodded. "All right."

Remaining perched on Jill's arm, Lyra's large green eyes looked around as she, Clive, and Torgal walked up the path along the cliffside that overlooked the crater.

Clive was in pure shock at the destruction. "Could I have done this?"

"Could anyone?" Jill asked in return. "This level of destruction... I cannot believe anyone survived, but you did just that, Lyra. How?"

"My talismans protected me," she answered.

Clive stared at the crater. "If I had killed you as well..." He covered his face with his hand. "I would have lost everything..."

"Clive..." Lyra mumbled melancholically. She flew off Jill's arm and reverted back. She gazed sadly at him, not being able to find a proper reply.

"You were right." Clive turned to the golden-haired woman. "I lost sight of hope when it was still with me. The talisman you gave me was what I lost sight of. Even when it burned bright, all I saw was darkness. I truly had given up..."

Lyra cast her gaze to the crater. "You and Jill suffered in a way I cannot imagine..."

"You suffered as well," he told her. "Running for your life for eleven years with nowhere to go... You were surviving in your own way, just like Jill and I. I am grateful for Cid saving you and giving you a place to stay. I also believe it was because of him we were reunited."

She managed a small smile at the mention of the man. "If Cid heard you say that, his ego might inflate."

This made Clive chuckle lightly.

Just then, Torgal started to growl. This concerned the others.

"What is it, Torgal?" Jill asked, walking over to see what the canine was growling at. She was surprised at seeing a hooded figure in the distance. She grabbed the hilt of her sword and called out to the others. "Clive. Lyra."

The couple exchanged glances before jogging over. They saw the mysterious person. Clive was in utter shock at recognizing the robes. "That's him!" He dashed forward and chased after the figure. "He's the only one who can tell me what happened! I have to know!"

Jill, Lyra, and Torgal ran after Clive. They followed him into the passageway that led them underground to the hall of the gate. The room was in shambles and the only light was from the sun slipping through a hole in the ceiling.

Clive was looking around the room frantically. "Where is he?!"

Jill couldn't see anyone. "Nowhere to be seen..."

Lyra peered into the darkness in search of the hooded figure. She was confused at finding no one. "How is that possible?"

Clive slammed his fist against a stone pillar with a frustrated shout. "Damn it! He's like a bloody eel!"

"He was the hooded figure you saw that night?" Lyra asked.

He nodded. "Yes."

The golden-haired woman was trying to piece together the puzzle to try and understand who this hooded figure was. However, she was drawing a blank as to who he could be.

Jill, who was not familiar with the hall they were in, asked, "What is this place, anyway? Some sort of shrine?"

Clive turned to her. "Oh, sorry—you've never been here before. This is the hall of the gate."

"The gate?" Jill parroted.

"It's a relic of the Fallen. Only the Phoenix's Dominant can open it."

"Hence the castle's name. This was where Joshua was supposed to...."

Lyra, with Torgal next to her, followed Clive and Jill over to the intricate door. "Yes, it was."

"He would have stepped through this door the next morning and listened to the Words of Our Ancestors," Clive explained.

"Would you or Lyra have gone with him?" Jill asked.

"No. The Apodytery is holy ground. None but the Dominant may enter. Lyra, I, and the other Shields would have stood guard here, and prayed for my brother's safe return."

Lyra placed a hand on the door. The moment her hand came in contact with the cold crystal, images flashed through her mind of strange structures and the faces of people. She couldn't make sense of the images. The pictures disappeared the moment she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Blinking a few times, she realized she was still standing in front of the door with the others. It had been Clive who had touched her shoulder. She removed her hand from the door.

"Are you all right?" Clive asked.

Lyra nodded. "Yes, I'm fine."

"We tried calling out to you, but you weren't responding. What happened?" Jill inquired.

"I...saw images of strange structures and the faces of people I do not recognize," she replied.

"You mentioned previous lives. Is it possible the images come from the past?" Clive questioned.

"Perhaps, but I'm not positive." Lyra turned to face the others. "Our hooded man may have entered the ruins."

Clive shook his head. "He couldn't have. He'd need the power of the Phoenix."

The golden-haired woman looked over at him. "It has been thirteen years since that night. It is possible you may have witnessed a vision of the future. The possibility of the Phoenix being reborn is not something we should dismiss. However, there is only one way to confirm this." She took Clive's hand and placed it over the crystal embedded in the door. She gazed into his eyes when he looked at her. "You possess the blessing of the Phoenix. If you choose to use it, we can explore the ruins located on the other side of this door and learn the secrets that it holds. However, I want this to be your decision. Whatever you choose, I shall follow." She let go of his hand and stepped away.

Clive looked at the door before coming to a decision. He used the blessing of the Phoenix to open the door. As the door opened, he gazed at his hand. "Thank you, Joshua..."

"Are you sure about this?" Jill asked.

"Never more."

Lyra felt a little uncertain after reflecting on what she told him and felt a hint of guilt. "I...feel like I pushed you into this decision."

"No," he told her. "You only solidified my own resolve. Let's go."

|| The Hall of the Ancestors ||

Entering the ruin, they proceeded down the hallway toward another door. Clive used the blessing of the Phoenix to open it. As it revealed what was hidden on the other side, the party was shocked to say the least.

"Could this place really be a Fallen ruin?" Clive asked while they made their way down the stairwell, his eyes taking in his surroundings.

"You could hardly call it a ruin. It's perfect. Like it was built yesterday," Jill said.

"The architecture of the Fallen is unique," Lyra stated. "Eerie yet beautiful."

"Have either of you ever seen anything like this...?" Clive asked the women, turning to them. Jill shook her head.

Lyra was trying to search through what little of her memory was intact from her previous lives. "With the current state of my memories, I cannot say I have."

Further ahead, they stepped on a circular platform with strange statues. It reacted to Clive when he stepped on a blue crystal embedded in the center. A pale blue light followed the intricate design of the platform and faintly lit up the darkness they found themselves in.

"Lyra, Jill," Clive called out to the women, stepping closer to them. Torgal also drew closer to the others when the platform beneath started to move. It descended into the floor, carrying them deeper underground.

Out of the four of them, Torgal sensed the danger first. He growled, his narrowed eyes focused on one of the statues. Seconds later, all of the odd statues activated and came to life. Clive and Jill drew their swords while Lyra prepared her talismans. Torgal bore his fangs and was ready to pounce.

One of the statues leapt at Jill. She easily dodged and aimed her sword at the enemy. "What do we do?!"

"The usual!" Clive shouted.

As the battle began, Lyra noticed something strange. The Fallen bugs were not attacking her. They were targeting only Clive, Jill, and Torgal. When there was only one enemy left, she ran between it and Jill to see if her observation was correct.

"Lyra!" Jill shouted.

"It's all right," Lyra told her friend. She ensured the Fallen bug's attention was on her and didn't shift to anyone else. She slowly approached the enemy and was more than surprised it didn't attack.

Clive lowered his blade in surprise at seeing how docile the enemy had become. "It's not attacking you."

Lyra kneeled in front of the bug. The moment she reached out to touch its head, she was beginning to absorb the aether that allowed the machine to function. By the time she noticed, its body was emptied of aether. It collapsed to the floor, lifeless. She stood up and backed away from the metallic corpse. She looked at her hands as she felt the aether course through her veins. "How strange..."

"How do you feel?" Jill asked as she and Clive stepped closer to her, concerned about her.

"Fine," Lyra answered. "Machines controlled by aether... There will most likely be more of them. We should be careful."

Clive nodded. "Right."

The platform reached the bottom and stopped. The pale blue light faded as it deactivated. To their dismay, they had arrived in a room that had more Fallen machines. They immediately activated and set their sights on Clive, Jill, and Torgal.

"More trouble," Clive hissed.

Using the advantage she had, Lyra would draw the machines' attention and grant the others perfect openings for them to attack. Because of this, the machines were easy to take down. The room was cleared within minutes.

Clive sheathed his blade and turned to Lyra, who was examining the body of one of the machines. "You mentioned aether, but how can these things truly still function?"

The golden-haired woman pulled out a crystal that was shattered from the core of the Fallen Hunter. She showed it to him and Jill. "From what I can tell, these crystals hold the key to their function. Like the ones people use, these allow the manipulation of aether. It is a power source, to be more specific."

Jill took the broken crystal from her and examined it closely. "I see. This allows them to function regardless of how ancient they are."

"Crystals are resilient and do not simply break down with time," Lyra said. "As long as they are not used..."

"They remain intact," Clive stated. "Which is why these machines and doors are still able to function."

"Exactly." Lyra glanced around at the destroyed machines. "As long as we destroy the crystals, the machines will deactivate. Of course, we'll first have to slice through their tough exteriors."

"We know the weakness, but it will still be quite a fight against these machines," Jill said.

"It will be difficult, but they do not attack me. I shall use this to our advantage to allow you and Clive the openings you require to cut them down."

"Using you as a decoy does not sit well with me," Clive confessed.

"It will be fine, I assure you. Let's keep going."

Clive opened the door via the crystal and they proceeded deeper into the Fallen ruin. Over and over again, they entered rooms and defeated multiple machines. At one point, they weren't sure how many they had destroyed or how deep they were into the ruin.

While walking down a ramp connecting to another room, the party heard a strange noise and stopped. It was an eerie mixture of laughter and screaming. They looked at each other and from their expressions, all of them had heard the disturbing noise.

Unable to identify the source, they thought about continuing forward until a large hand appeared from the darkness below. They backed away from the edge as five more large hands appeared. Slowly, a head with burning white eyes and a sickening smirk appeared. Torgal growled at the unknown creature.

"This is no machine," Jill said. "What... What is it?"

Clive was about to draw his sword when one of the hands surged forward and knocked him and Torgal away. A second hand caught Jill off guard and batted her away as well. Lyra was about to rush to their aid but stopped when she heard the creature speak to her using the language of the gods.

"Once again, you show yourself, Gaia."

Lyra was in utter shock. She didn't understand what this creature is, how it knew her, or how it spoke the language of the gods. "Who are you?"

"We are legion. Give us peace, goddess of life."

Suddenly, the shadow creature lunged forward and grabbed her with one of its many hands. She cried out, unable to use her talismans because of her pinned arms. All she could do was stare into its bright eyes, wondering why it wanted peace. Hearing a shout, she looked away from the creature to see Clive dashing toward it with his sword drawn. Next to him was Torgal.

"Let her go!" Clive shouted. He swiped his sword at one of its hands, but his blade hit nothing. He couldn't believe what he just witnessed. "What...?"

"Come, Gaia," the creature spoke, ignoring Clive. It then released the ledge, dragging her into the darkness with it.

"Lyra!" Clive shouted.

She looked up at him before being consumed by the darkness. Her vision was dark and she couldn't see anything. She could still feel the creature holding on to her. She didn't know where it was taking her or if it was going to kill her.

To her surprise, the darkness dissipated. She felt the grip around her vanish as her vision returned. She looked around and found herself in a large room with a mural on the wall. However, her attention was drawn back to the creature when she saw its large form looming over her. To her surprise, its body morphed into that of a young woman. She wore a beautiful dress and her eyes radiated a bright white.

"We are those who built this place," the woman spoke, her voice distorted and mixed with other voices. "And you are our deity, Gaia."

Lyra shook her head in denial. "I am Gaia, yes, but the Fallen... I have never known them."

"You have forgotten. Let us help you remember." The woman held out her hands.

She looked down at her hands. Knowing her memories of her previous lives were missing, she wondered how much she had forgotten. Coming to a decision, she slid her hands into the woman's and gasped as her mind was flooded with memories.

She saw herself among those who were now called the Fallen. She had left the heavens to come to the world she created after almost being killed by an unknown being in search of them. She had come across humanity and was hoping with their cooperation, she could find who had attacked her and the other gods.

However, she never was able to identify the being.

Instead of returning to the heavens, she decided to help humanity by providing them with her magic. Soon, she became revered as their goddess and they worshipped her. One day, alas, she was trying to protect them from another unknown force that was killing humanity. In the end, she was killed.

Lyra gasped and stepped away from the woman. Her body was shaking as she was reminded of her first life on Valisthea. "W-Who...?" She gazed at her hands.

"We were eradicated," the woman replied. "It is only because of your hatred our souls are trapped here. Please, our goddess, spare us the torment and allow us to rest."

Lyra lifted her head. "M-My hatred..." She covered her face, remembering just how much hate she had for the being who had killed her and wiped out those who are known as the Fallen. Her strong emotions, even after her first death, caused a negative flow of aether to spread across the world. It was because of this that many souls of the Fallen were still trapped. They had been caught in the crossfire of her emotions. "Heavens..."

The woman went to her knees and bowed her head. "We beg of you. If our repentance is not enough..."

"No," she interrupted her. Slowly, she placed her hands on the woman's shoulders and fell to her knees. Trying to keep her composure, she spoke gently to her. "Forgive me. I had no intention of punishing any of you. I...I enjoyed my time among you and cannot thank you all enough for the joy you gave me. Go in peace."

The woman lifted her head and smiled. "Thank you, our goddess. We adored our time with you as well. Find the one who did this so you may know peace as well. Farewell, Gaia."

Lyra watched as the woman's body turned a bright emerald before dispersing into shards of light. When the shards faded, she felt a strange presence and looked around the room. A hooded man stood under the mural. She glared at him. "You... You are the one who did this. The Fallen, Joshua's death, and so much more turmoil... You killed the other gods the day you came to the heavens, but you failed to wipe me out. You've tried over and over again, and yet you still cannot get rid of me. I may not know who you are, but I will stop you."

Using her powers, she blew the man away. His body dispersed like mist.

Lyra then proceeded to connect to Jill and Clive via the protective talismans she gave them. While she sensed Jill was fine, she sensed an emotional turmoil from Clive. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and connected to him.

When she opened her eyes, she was back at the flaming remains of Phoenix Gate thirteen years ago. Appearing as her sixteen-year-old self, she could see the frozen image of Ifrit clamping his jaw around the head of the Phoenix. Her eyes then drifted downward, where she found Clive on his knees. Next to him was his younger self. She could sense the mysterious being's influence and knew she must intervene.

She walked closer and heard young Clive mutter, "Joshua died... I killed him..."

"And I blamed another for what I did...to spare myself the guilt," older Clive said. "I feared that by accepting it, I would lose what little was left of me. So I ran. From everything."

"But now, you run toward it," Lyra said, making her presence known. "Awaiting to embrace it."

Both Clives turned to face her. The younger version had no expression while the older one was shocked. Behind the two, the image of the Phoenix faded while Ifrit remained.

"Lyra..." The older Clive mumbled, eyes wide.

She walked up to him and grabbed his hands with her smaller ones. Smiling, she looked up at him. "With this, you shall accept the truth. However, you are not alone and never will be. Are you ready, Clive?"

Clive nodded. "Yes."

She let go of his hands.

Clive turned to his younger self as he extended his hand toward him with the flame of Ifrit. He accepted the flame and the image of Ifrit came to life. Clive placed his hand over his chest with a determined glint in his eyes. "No matter how bitter the truth that awaits me, I will press on." He grabbed his sword and unsheathed it as the Eikon faced him. "Come, Ifrit! Show me who you truly are!"

As younger Clive vanished, Lyra appeared outside the ring of fire. She watched in awe as Clive stood strongly against Ifrit. Even against the larger being, he was able to stand his ground and fight. She felt happy he was coming to terms with the past.

Slowly but surely, Clive defeated Ifrit.

Lyra remained behind the ring of fire, knowing it wasn't over. Clive had yet to come to full terms with the past and now it was time to prove that as a shadow of himself manifested. This was the final battle. She didn't need to pray because she knew he would be victorious.

As she was watching the battle, she felt someone take her hand. She looked to her right to find the younger Clive standing next to her. He was holding her hand. She was taken aback and gazed at him in shock. It was just a false image of his younger self, but his hand still possessed the same warmth as the real Clive.

The younger Clive squeezed her hand before smiling at her. "Thank you."

She was puzzled at his gratitude. "For what?"

"Returning to me," he replied. "I would ask for no other to be at my side."

She smiled and squeezed his hand back. "Neither would I."

When younger Clive vanished and appeared next to his older self after pushing back his shadow, Lyra's smile didn't vanish. Knowing her work was done, her body vanished and her world turn dark.

. · : · . ✧ • ✦ • ✧ . · : · .

As her body rematerialized, Lyra's eyesight returned. She saw the mural on the wall but noticed the room was different. It was not the same room she had spoken to the souls of the Fallen. This time, she was in the same chamber as Clive, Jill, and Torgal. It seemed by the time she was able to rematerialize, Clive had succeeded in accepting who he was.

Torgal was the first to notice. Barking happily, he ran over to her.

She smiled and petted the top of his head. "It's good to see you're safe, Torgal."

"Founder..." Jill sighed in relief as she and Clive ran over to the golden-haired woman. "We were beginning to panic when we couldn't find you. Are you all right? What happened to that creature?"

"I'm fine, and that creature is gone," Lyra answered. "There is...much I would like to discuss with you both, but let's save it for later. Seeing Clive has conquered his past, I believe it's time we depart."

Clive's eyes widen. He remembered seeing the sixteen-year-old version of her in his consciousness. "That was the true you..."

She nodded. "It was. I hope my unexpected visit was not troublesome."

He shook his head. "Not at all. I welcomed it immensely."

Jill glanced between her friends. "Let's return to the surface."

|| Phoenix Gate Ruins ||
|| Northwestern Rosaria ||

Back outside, Jill winced and covered her eyes due to the brightness. They had been in the dimly lit ruins for so long that the sunlight was harsh.

Lyra gazed up at the sky, happy to feel the warmth of the sun. She looked away when she heard Jill ask, "Clive, are you sure you're all right? Whatever it is, you can tell us."

Clive, who was kneeling and examining a singed stone, replied, "I had a hard enough time telling myself. I awakened as a Dominant of Fire, right here in this castle...and I've been running from it ever since." He put the stone down and stood up. "But now I know for certain. Who I really am. The second Eikon of Fire, who killed my brother and burned this castle to the ground...was me. Ifrit."

"Clive..." Jill sighed sadly.

"I took so many lives that night, and destroyed so many more...including yours and Lyra's...and I must atone for the crimes I've committed. But not before I learn the whole truth. How can a second Eikon of Fire even exist, and why was I chosen as its Dominant? Who is the hooded man who brought us here, and what does he want?"

"The hooded man..." Lyra spoke up, grabbing Clive and Jill's attention.

"You saw him," Clive said, noticing her troubled expression. "What exactly happened when that creature took you?"

"That creature... It was a collection of souls. Souls of the men and women who we refer to as the Fallen. They were trapped in the ruin because of me..." Lyra turned away from Clive and Jill as she told them about her first life. "Centuries ago, an unknown being arrived in the heavens and killed most of the gods. I was the only survivor. Using my aether, I healed myself and left the heavens to search for the one who killed the other gods. I came across humanity in hopes they would help me find the killer. I...was not successful..."

Jill stepped toward her. "Lyra..."

"Even though I wasn't successful, I bonded with them and they revered me as their goddess. Everything seemed well until the unknown being returned and wiped out the Fallen. I too was struck down trying to protect them and so ended my first life. That marked the beginning of a long journey of death and rebirth. However, my hatred for this being resulted in the entrapment of those who once worshipped me... I-I don't know how long they've been trapped in the ruin, but they are free now."

Ashamed, Lyra covered her face with her hands. "How could I do that to those kind souls...?"

Clive couldn't bear to see her like this. He gingerly grabbed her hands and pulled them away from her face. He stared into her troubled emerald eyes. "They are at peace now, and I know they do not blame you."

"But..."

"Clive's right," Jill chimed in. "Your kindness knows no bound, and I'm sure they knew that as well. So please, do not blame yourself."

"The hooded man may know more if he appeared to you," Clive said. "If he is connected to your past then we must learn how and why."

"It seems we've much to learn," Jill stated, glancing between Clive and Lyra. "We'll find both of your answers—together. I want to learn the truth too."

Lyra nodded. "Yes. It would be difficult alone, but together, I know we can achieve anything. As for your atonement..." She smiled at Clive. "We'll worry about that once we're done. For now, you're stuck with us whether you like it or not."

"I was hoping you'd both say that. I don't think I could do this without either of you," Clive smiled. "Neither of you ever were ones to hide from the truth, even when we were young—and you both haven't changed a bit."

"You might be right about Lyra, but me..." Jill turned away. "You're wrong. I have changed. But I don't want to be that person anymore. The things she did were unforgivable. And yet..." She turned back to her friends. "They're what brought us back together."

"Thank you, Jill." Clive then looked back at his beloved and let go of her hands. "And you, I owe much to.

"And I, you," Lyra replied. "Let's return to Eastpool. I'd like to see my mother again."