"The sibling of light stands before you, the same as in the memories. Recovering from your shock, you introduce yourselves, explaining what's happened.

"Thank you for freeing me," he says. "But all is not well here, as I feared."

He pauses, his ethereal form flickering slightly, as if recalling ancient memories. "A great catastrophe befell this land, brought on by a surge of power that the lava caused. The system of use and distribution of energy was thrown into chaos, causing great damage and shutting down all the towers across Solea."

You listen intently as he continues, his voice tinged with sorrow. "The towers, you see, were the heart of Solea's golden age. They controlled the flow of energy, allowing the Soleans and Voek to work in harmony. This power, drawn from the ethereal system, charged crystals and enabled the development of incredible technological advancements. Our civilization thrived, with inventions and structures that seemed to defy the very laws of nature."

His gaze grows distant, as if seeing the past unfold before him. "In an attempt to meet the ever-growing demand for power, a group of Voek scientists sought to increase the flow of energy. They believed that by tapping deeper into the volcanic energy and channeling it through the Mega Crystal on Central Island, they could provide an unprecedented surge of power. For a brief moment, their plan worked. The system was supercharged, and the towers hummed with newfound energy."

"But," he continues, his voice darkening, "the system could not sustain such an overload. The high pulses of energy from the unstable lava destabilized the entire network. What followed was catastrophic. The system collapsed, and the once harmonious flow of energy became a torrent of destructive force."

He gestures towards the murals, now taking on a more somber light. "Great damage was inflicted upon the towers and the land. Technology that had once been the cornerstone of our society became useless. Devices and machines, reliant on the steady flow of energy, sputtered and died. The sudden loss of power caused unimaginable harm. Crops withered without the energy needed to sustain them, leading to widespread famine. Entire communities, once prosperous and thriving, fell into disarray. The societal structure crumbled, and chaos reigned."

"The scientists who instigated the power increase were held accountable for their actions. They were tried and subsequently banned from Solea, their names forever tarnished. The factions that remained demanded that the system be left alone, to repair itself naturally over the course of the next 10,000 years."

He sighs, a weary look in his eyes. "I have been in slumber for 2,000 years, woken now by forces I do not yet fully understand. But I fear the worst. Someone, with designs on the power of the Mega Crystal, has begun injecting the ethereal system with energy it cannot handle once again. If left unchecked, this could lead to another collapse, perhaps even more devastating than the first."

You exchange worried glances, realizing the gravity of the situation. The legacy of the past hangs heavy in the air, and the responsibility of preventing another catastrophe now rests on your shoulders.

You are almost overwhelmed by the information that is almost beyond your ken but it is making sense. Haden shows him the flower from the shrine. "There wasn't any corruption there. Can we use this to make a cure or stop the corruption?"

The man of light examines it. "The energy in this flower is pure and stable. I can help amplify its power, but we must place it at the corruption's source and it will stop the corruption for now but far worse will happen if you don't stabilise the system, stop the increase from the mega crystal."

He leads you to a fissure near the wall. Unstable lava glows within. He instructs you to set the flower into the steaming liquid. It slowly dissappears into the lava, air bubbling around it. Once it sinks, you begin to feel less dizzy almost instantly.

"This tower resides on the crater of an old volcano," he says. "The flower will find its way to the center and directly into the lava flow below, where it can begin to heal the land. Come and see."

The room fades white. When you blink, you're standing on top of the tower, overlooking the Ruined Lands. Cool winds buffet your face. The sibling of light teleported you.

Peering over the edge, you smile in wonder as green has already started to green spreads across the forest below and blackend leaves fall to the ground. The corruption will slowly recede until it vanishes, freeing Morian Island at last. 

Out of the corner of your eye, you catch Haden wiping at her cheek.

"You have done well Soleans, but now you must root out the cause of the problem all it will all be for naught." The sibling of light spoke with such profound sincerity that you had no doubt it would happen unless you acted. 

Then the world fades to white again. 

In this episode Haden had a vision. List two other stories in Thy Quest where a vision or dream was important to the story that you read. 

Next: E6Q3 A Guardian's Duty