Vi'karac was uncharacteristically quiet even after I fired my ship up and left Numedaea. Er'faniir chilled out in the cockpit with me and Alannah, and I had a feeling he was waiting for his friend to come out.

"Give him time," I told the other Darka'ash, "You dropped quite a few bombs on the poor guy, so he's understandably shell-shocked."

"I...do not understand," Er'faniir replied, "I did not drop any bombs on Vik."

"Not...literally. See, Vi'karac isn't as cold and calculating as the rest of your kind. The guy's got a heart, and you shattered it when you told him Kia'aras is still alive after keeping this information from him for...god knows how long! She meant the world to him, and she was taken away all because Sal'kahnak didn't want him to have anything nice in his life."

"I understand that, but–"

"No, you don't fucking understand," I seethed, engaging my ship's autopilot so I could round on the solemn being, "Vik gave my wife and I the rings he made for him and Ki'aras to wear–he was that sure on the fact he'd never see her again, and yet you say the Twilight King kept her away from him."

"Ah..."

Shaking my head in disbelief, I turned away and settled back into my seat. "Vik can talk to you later. For now, wait in the cargo hold."

"Very well..."

Once Er'faniir left, I heard a faint sigh.

"You did not have to do that."

"Yes, yes I did," I countered, "You are not in a state to talk to others–especially not Er'faniir."

"He was only doing his duty..."

"Duty my ass. He made the choice to keep this information from you."

"He would have risked certain death if he told me the truth–and look at where we are now," Vi'karac snapped, "Do not blame my friend and pupil when he was only trying to ensure the both of us didn't go down in flames. Do not think my anger is directed toward Er'faniir–you would be mistaken. No, I am angry at Sal'kahnak for what he did to me–to Ki'aras."

His voice faltered before he continued. "I will be a puppet no longer. It is time we ended this."

"Indeed," I rumbled, "To Votas'kær we go. Tally ho."

"You sound so excited," Alannah jested, nudging my shoulder with her elbow, "Come ooooon! We're going on an adventure!"

I snorted. "Yeah, one I'd rather not be going on."

"Well...can't argue with that. Eh, we'll be fine."

"All we can do is hope..."

With that, our conversation tapered off into nothingness. This silence persisted for what felt like an hour or so before Vi'karac spoke again.

"Bring Er'faniir in here. I am ready to talk to him."

"Very well," I replied, rising from my seat after engaging my ship's autopilot.

"There is no need to fetch me," the other Darka'ash replied, "I am already here."

In response, Vik manifested before Er'faniir in his human form. "Tell me everything you know. For better or for worse, leave no rock unturned."

"What do you want to know first?" he inquired as I leaned against the back of my seat.

"Tell me about Sal'kahnak–how can I kill him?" Vik inquired.

Erf loosed a wispy sigh. "As you know, Darka'ash cannot be killed by normal means. To put it simply, only a Darka'ash can kill another Darka'ash. However, that doesn't guarantee they won't stay dead."

"More often than not, they return from the Void."

"Exactly. The more time we spend here in the realm of the living, the harder it is for us to fade away entirely. Unfortunately, some Darka'ash have not been as fortunate as we have been."

"What do you mean?"

"Some of our brothers and sisters have been killed over and over again until they eventually faded away."

"...Huh..."

"But there is another way," Er'faniir continued, "This was the one thing Lor'ako told me about before he dismissed me. Apparently, Sal'kahnak has controlled us in more ways than we think."

Vik could only motion for his friend to continue.

"Not only have we been kept complacent, we have been kept...cold–refined, if you will. You see, ancient Darka'ash were...different from our modern comrades: they were more...emotional. I know that seems like an absurd thing to say, but–."

"–I understand," Vi'karac cut in, running a hand across his face, "Through my time spent with Cylus' crew, I have...felt different things: from camaraderie and trust to anger and anguish, I have had to acquaint myself with these peculiar emotions since they are...alien feelings to me."

"And that is why Sal'kahnak has kept us away from other civilizations. I do not know if what Lor'ako told me was true, but these emotions apparently augmented the abilities most Darka'ash are able to use. Take the weapons we can create out of pure darkness, for example. Lor'ako told me feelings of immense rage or loss can imbue those weapons with...deadly effects."

"Deadly how?"

"If you were to attack another Darka'ash while in a frenzy, you could permanently kill them," Er'faniir answered, earning slack-jawed responses, "The effects I spoke of are not deadly in the traditional sense. Instead, these effects can...erase someone from the face of this reality."

"Continue," Vik prompted him.

"We are beings of the void, Vi'karac: we hold in the palms of our hands the power to erase anyone from the face of the living realm–the Void has done as much to our people, so it is only fair that we can do the same."

"So...that is why ancient Reapers were so deadly?" Vik inquired, "I remember hearing stories of how the Reapers of old could storm a battlefield and triumph over insurmountable odds. I suppose that was because they allowed themselves to fall into a deep pit of anger and pain..."

"You may be onto something. Unfortunately, Reapers nowadays are not as ruthless as they used to be. They are still efficient killers, but they have been intentionally blunted by the Twilight King himself."

"He must be afraid of his own people if he sees it necessary to do...all of this," Vik mused, "Why else would the Twilight King methodically butcher his own kin."

"To say he is afraid of his own kin would be a sad understatement. Sal'kahnak lived through the riots that ravaged the kingdom when his brothers and sisters tore each other apart. He saw the destruction the Darka'ash populace could wreak, so he decided to kneecap them. What better way to do that than to hone them into a cold, unfeeling weapon. His subjects would fulfill his every whim, but they would be unaware of the ancient power flowing through their veins."

"...Lor'ako told you all of this?"

"That he did. He was also alive when this all happened, and he was probably one of the only ones left unscathed by the violence that gripped the Darka'ash," Er'faniir explained, sighing to himself, "I remember all of this only because I promised the Twilight King I would bring you back to him–He has...decided to keep me alive longer than most."

"But you do not plan to take me back?" Vik prompted him.

A dastardly light danced in Erf's eyes. "Not in the way Sal'kahnak wanted me to. I agree with your sentiment, Vi'karac: The Twilight King has overstepped his boundaries, so I think it is time he is paid what he is due."

"Thank you for understanding, my friend," Vik replied, "For better or for worse, I think I know how we can kill the Twilight King."

"I know where you're going with this," I muttered.

"When you said Ki'aras was still alive, Er'faniir, something...stirred in me. Something dark and scornful. If Sal'kahnak has done anything to her...I doubt I will have to rile myself up very much."

"Just remember to not fall too far down this rabbit hole, Vik," I warned him, "I've been in your position before, and using your anger as a crutch is a bad idea. I've let rage and bitterness run my life, and I almost wound up dead as a result. If you think you can use this to take down Sal'kahnak, do what you must. Just...be careful."

"Your concern is noted...and appreciated," Vik muttered, sighing to himself, "I have tried to put my anger behind me, but it has always managed to catch up with me. Now that we are going after the Twilight King...I cannot wait to make him pay."

"Vengeance isn't always the answer, but it is in this instance," I replied, chuckling to myself as I settled down in my seat, "Just know my crew will be there to help dust you off when you pick yourself up."

"Thank you..."

With that, the cockpit of my ship grew silent. I honestly lost track of time, but the silence was broken by approaching footsteps.

"Hate to interrupt, but we're getting close to Vortas'kær," Boreas began after clearing his throat, "I dunno what to expect, so prepare for the worst."

"That is for the best," Vik mused, "I do not recall if the ancient vessels my people used to pilot are still being used. Most were destroyed a long time ago, but there is no telling what Sal'kahnak has up his sleeve."

"Guess we'll see soon enough, won't we?" I inquired.

"Unfortunately, we will," Boreas answered, "Vortas'kær is literally in front of us."

Turning my attention directly in front of us, I sighed when I realized my partner was right. "Shit...well, I'll be damned. Thought we still had another hour left to go."

"We do not," Vik chimed in, "My suggestion is that we directly approach the temple you originally went to when your crew first arrived on Vortas'kær–we have most certainly been spotted already, so there is no use in being stealthy."

"Holy shit, how would that be possible?" Alannah demanded, "We haven't even entered the planet's atmosphere yet!"

"My people have their ways, Alannah. For one, the seers Sal'kahnak controls can see farther than most other beings. It would be...difficult to explain the intricacies, but just know that a Darka'ash seer has access to...peculiar powers. In short, they can manipulate the Void in a variety of ways."

"...Huh. Sounds complicated."

"Very," Vik confirmed before addressing me: "The Twilight king is already expecting us–there is no use in hiding."

"Lemme guess, he can sense you," I replied.

"You are spot on," he breathed, "As his Guard Captain, Sal'kahnak attempted to keep me on a particularly-tight leash. I am more than a little surprised he allowed me to bond with you in the first place since he almost never let me out of his sight."

"The bastard's planning something," I growled, "We just don't know what."

"And that's the terrifying thing..." Alannah muttered, "I never thought we'd come back to this hellhole ever again..."

"Alas, here we are," Vi'karac drawled, "Are you ready, Er'faniir?"

"I suppose you could say I was born ready, brother."