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  Ranni and I stayed in that place for what felt like hours.

  It was cold, dark and gentle.

  Lit only the stars above, we stood side by side with the Dark Moon as our Throne.

  “So… what now?” I asked—my brow heavy from the countless battles that had led me here.

  “Now, my dear, thou can rest.” She said. Her voice as soft and cold as always.

  I nodded before letting out a deep sigh as we stood on the cool bottomless waters we came to call home.

  I then watched as Ranni walked up to the Dark Moon where she beheld the Lands Between.

  “And what will you do?” I breathed through my helmet.

  “I will observe what comes of our hard work.”

  I nodded before closing my eyes and looking back at all we had been through.

  My arrival in the Lands Between.

  That dubious Varré.

  That Tree Sentinel who still haunts my every waking moment.

  The horrors of Caelid.

  The Mountaintop of the Giants, the other Demigods and more.

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  Every battle fought, every rune amassed and every death.

  I recalled each of them. By Blade, claw or fall.

  When I was pursuing the Elden Ring, they all seemed to blur together but now that it was all over… they started flashing in my mind.

  Like impacts on my mind.

  I felt my breath quicken and my heart ache.

  Each cut, although healed, felt raw on my skin.

  Each painful memory, a torrent of anguish.

  “Ah-“ I softly gasped as Ranni cupped my face with two of her cold hands, prompting me to open my teary eyes.

  “The Long March is finally over, my dear consort.” She whispered as I looked into her eyes. Oceans of cyan that lulled the Maelstrom within my own.

  “Thine kind were always fated for conflict, it seemeth. And… I suppose it would only be apt for a Lord to enforce the age of their Empyrean…”

  “Oh?” I curiously sounded as she gently pressed my cheeks.

  “We may have bested the Greater Will’s established machinations, its Vessel and its Vassals but the other Outer Gods remain at large in lands beyond our own.”

  She let me go before facing the Dark Moon and spreading her arms making it show a land awash in fire and blood.

  Its grand castles, small villages and vast stretches of reeds turned to ash before my eyes.

  “A great evil has awoken there. Wouldst thou vanquish it? For the sake of our Age?”

  I stood upright and smiled through scared lips.

  “I will. For your sake.”

  “Good. Now, while it would be natural for thee to go, I, as the God of this Age, cannot. That said, thoust hast in thine possession a means for us to communicate and thou art free to return whenever thou pleases.”

  I pulled out the Miniature Ranni doll which made the real Ranni’s eyes narrow.

  “I would berate thee for holding onto that… thing but providence seems to be thy name.” She scoffed but this just made my smile widen.

  “Now go!” She shooed me playfully with all four of her arms.

  “Haha! Alright.” I chuckled while walking up to the Dark Moon which swirled inwards, brimming with unknowable power.

  “Good luck, my dear.”

  I stepped into the Moon and before I knew it, I was in a sea of ash-covered flowers and corpses.

  Standing in the middle of this field of death and blood was a man who brandished a katana in one arm and had a prosthetic arm as the other.

  He was clad in charred rags and his eyes were hidden behind a mess of long black hair.

  I could feel the Malice oozing from his every fibre.

  He stood still. Completely so but even though he was alone, I felt as though he was the culmination of all that had wronged this land.

  I took a deep breath and brandished my weapon, Bloodhound’s Fang, pointing at him and awaiting his response.

  But… he didn’t move, which allowed me to cast all my supplementary spells and incantations, increasing my already incredible strength.

  I was confident, but I didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks, so after enchanting my weapon, I approached him.

  “Greetings. Who are you? What happened to this place?” I asked, taking slow cautious steps forward.

  The man then let out a low groan before finally raising his eyes to face me. I saw two red stars of light within.

  I wanted to call out to him again but before I could, he dashed towards me and before I could even raise my weapon, he cleaved off my left arm before somehow cutting my greatsword in two.

  I let out an agonized scream as I fell to the ground and even though I could hear Ranni’s panicked cries, all I could focus on was the man as he walked away, seemingly disinterested.

  My vision darkened as I bled.

  I wondered if I’d be able to resurrect now that Queen Marika's grace was gone.

  Would Ranni be able to bring me back?

  I didn’t know.

  All I knew was pain.

  And familiar sensation of death.