In a dark forest, there was a small wildflower.
Gosh, its colors were so bright.
So pure.
It brought a sense of hope and beauty to all who gazed upon it.
Because the wildflower believed that even the most forlorn deserved a chance.
As the wildflower spread its light, the forest began to transform.
The once-twisted trees stretched tall and strong, learning to harness their power.
The once-hidden animals stepped into the light and felt warmth on their skulls for the first time.
With each passing day, the forest seemed to change, leaving the darkness behind.
But deep within the shadows, there was a force that loathed the light, a force that sought to consume the innocence of the forest.
Slithering in the darkness, it desired to plunge the forest into the abyss.
There are many dark forces in this world, aren’t there?
And they all hate a little ray of sunshine like me.
Today, the dark force that threatens the forest is none other than the Duke of Desire, Aarman Fidel.
He believes a world without limits is the ultimate paradise.
So he built his own realm – Eden, where he promises to fulfill the deepest, darkest wishes of those who entered.
Yet, as Aarman Fidel built his kingdom of indulgence, the effects of his corruption have begun to seep into the world around him.
Look at what he did to The Bleak.
A once bright and hopeful forest, touched by Mannfred Curze’s light, has now started to wither and decay.
The trees are the citizens, previously tall and proud, but now drooped under the weight of their own despair.
The animals, its children who once danced in the light, have retreated into the shadows, their hearts heavy with sorrow.
I don’t know what Mannfred is going to do, but I know how I handle the darkness.
I confront the source.
You see, people said I’d never make it in Arcadia, but look at what I’ve accomplished.
Kaiji Chiba, the mighty tree, has stretched to his full height.
Kpavio, felt the light, and though he may run from it, he cannot deny what it did for him.
Aarman Fidel, I stand before you not as a fragile, naive wildflower, but as an avatar of light, of purity and beauty that your darkness cannot extinguish.
Your Eden, society without limit, is not the ultimate paradise. No, it’s nothing more than a hollow, soulless existence.
A skull without a brain, as it were.
The people who fall under your spell, who are lured into your world of false promises, do as Kpavio did.
They lose their ability to connect with the wonder of the world around them. They become lost, consumed.
But no more.
As long as I stand, as long as this Wildflower continues to bloom, I will fight for the trees, animals, and all in-between, for their right to live in a world free from darkness.
From you.
For every soul you’ve tried to corrupt, I will be their beacon of hope.
So pure.
So bright.
Because even in the darkest of nights, a single bloom can shatter the shadows.