When I first saw them, I thought to myself that it was because he was to blame, as the string puller behind everything. And while he certainly was pulling some strings to manipulate us towards him, he did not manipulate it all.

I was just far too close to the cause of everything, far too fresh with this vision, to see who- no. This archive is meant to be chronological, I cannot state things I could not have known.

Even my writing sounds so formal, after everything that's happened. No flavor... but no matter.

At that moment when I saw him again in the temple, those blinding fates still had me fooled. So many, twisting together and around him, connecting to who knows how many others. Making it even more difficult to watch as he took Rune and began the ritual.

To think the king of heaven sacrificed not only his eye but hung himself, only to crave more. A third and fourth sacrifice, to reach his end goals of knowledge and power... Rune and I, the ever lovely summoner. Really, what drove him to need more? The knowledge he didn't have it? Or perhaps, knowing who he was named after?

By the halfway point of the ritual we were scrambling for a chance, and Rune so helpfully muttered a clue that seemed to help Alfonse start to piece together what was to come.

Alfonse was mulling over who accepts the sacrifices, who's on the other side, when we ran into Heimdallr.

It seemed her goal was to prevent us from following the Celestial King in his retreat, and to run down the clock for the ritual.

Loki stepped to the front to confront and tease her. When Heimdallr called her a god of betrayal, she couldn't help but toy with us, too.

Really... saying such a thing like 'I never betrayed Alfaðör.' and 'My body and my mind are forever by his side...'

I can't stand her. Heimdallr had a point in that regard.

And then came the game of pitting two gods against each other. As Heimdallr escaped after a quick skirmish, Loki stopped us from giving chase.

Using the power of foresight to lay magical traps... What a cheap trick. Such a pain.

But with the ever suspicious 'archnemesis' on our side, we stood a chance, time permitting.

Even an archnemesis can be fooled though. Or perhaps, as her archnemesis, she wanted to act fooled to--augh. The 4D chess is too much for me. How irritating.

Loki mentioned a door that neither her nor Heimdallr knew how to open, and that we could gamble on it somehow with... Rune and I? But once we'd approached the door she checked it and found it trapped.

And then she pretended to lie about it all, tell Rune and I that the door was not trapped, and Heimhalldr called her out for it.

Her tricks are old hat by now. At the time, I knew, and in hindsight I know /even more/ that she was playing a game. Yet to see it in motion, her acting truly is for the stage... I was biting my nail in a rage.

Who can stand to hear someone say it'd be fun to let us touch a door that would kill us? That it'd be interesting to see what happens if we die.

A game all to manipulate Heimdallr's foresight, to make her see that end. To-

Convince her to deactivate the trap.

Even now, with all the hindsight I hold, the idea we were so close to an action that would lead to our deaths makes me annoyed. I won't die. She led us to the door knowing from the start it'd be trapped, and simply make a spectacle for us.

But a success remains a success, and Heimdallr didn't have to die for us to find it. Perhaps, when she recovers, she'll tell us what she knows. I'm curious to what else her foresight has shown her.

So, from one near-death directly into another we went, through the deactivated door to more halls for us navigate carefully as Rune continued to have his remaining strength pulled at by the ritual.

Until finally the Celestial King on his throne was right in front of us. He kept taking a beating from us, refusing death. Refusing anything but his infinite knowledge.

Calling us ignorant, which we clearly were.

Two Alfaðörs... The Celestial King, and the creator of all. As we continued to chase after the Celestial King, Rune read the writings we passed.

According to him, they depicted the order of the realms. Something that's stuck with me, for reasons I can't scratch.

Above are the celestial realm and the realms of light and dreams.

The center holds the worlds of the jötnar, the dvergar, and humanity.

Below, the realms of ice, flame, and the dead.

...

Noting it for archival purposes is always justified, even if I don't know why it feels important right now.

A long, harsh battle played out when we finally reached the Celestial King. Arcane weapons coming from all angles, and yet...

And yet.

Alfaðör, he who carries the creator's name, and is praised as his return, who has grasped all knowledge, yada yada yada... he's not quite so skilled a battle strategist as we first thought. Perhaps he was hoping to hold out until it was all complete. That Rune would fall, and we would give an opening for the decisive blow.

Instead, as we fought Anna got behind him and worked in tandem with Alfonse. With their strikes hitting back to back, he was thrown from that throne and laid flat against the temple floor. It sounds so much cleaner in text than it had been.

There was a moment of silence as his last yell went out. Then Rune and Loki confirmed to us the rite has ended. Alfonse listened to them, moving himself as they talk. I didn't know why, but I moved to stand to his right nonetheless, a hand on Breidablik.

He had spent much of our free time thinking at the time. Truly, he is better suited for piecing together mysteries. Perhaps I should find some puzzles for him for the winter festival. Or would that annoy him? Hmm.

As Anna and Sharena cheered for a job well done, Alfonse's face didn't change. His voice filled with resolve to unveil the truth as he explained himself. How it seemed like Loki was having fun earlier when she said she was never far from Alfaðör.

Our prince also pointed out that the mystery this whole time was not a mystery at all. When Alfaðör- The Celestial King- said that only the creator was capable of deciphering the writings, it was honesty. Fact.

Rune is Alfaðör, the creator of all.

That sweet cutesy face, smiling at us as he started to speak of heroes again felt sour this time. Rune didn't hesitate to confirm, and instead talked about how he purposefully made humans weak and liked how they were like heroes from myths and fairytales.

How he appreciated seeing us work first hand. How he was fond of us.

... And then there were two.

Another Rune, red-eyed, barefoot, lacking the shoes Alfonse had gifted him. While I can tell them apart in person, differentiating them in writing is more difficult. They both spoke, and at times they spoke as one. To that end, does it matter which is which? Maybe not.

The one who arrived later introduced himself outright as Alfaðör, confirmed that the "first" Rune created him. The only difference between them appeared to be the red eyes. Was that an intentional distinction?

The two of them talked in tandem, finishing the others thoughts. Standing side by side, it was unnerving. Even Alfonse was taken off guard.

The love in their voices, about how watching us was so fun, and they want to see more...

That they've been anticipating what is to come, the twilight of the gods.

Ragnarök.