The Kingdom of Ku was nothing short of glorious. 

It stood as the brightest star in the desert, a pocket of life and beauty in an otherwise desolate land. Of all the nations of the sands of Hinoeuma, Ku was the greatest and largest. Massive stone walls surrounded the exterior of the city, and countless buildings towered high above it from within the kingdom's limits. Everything had a beautiful glow in the morning sun, casting bold shadows and bringing out the perfect pride Ku had always been known for. 

Hikari Ku stood atop a sandy peak near the city, looking out over the city from before a small collection of graves. Swords, spears, and axes had been turned over in the sand to mark the final resting places of Ku's finest warriors. Hikari's black hair billowed around him, threatening to break free of the high ponytail he had tied it in. He stood out against the gentle beige of the snow, a streak of black accented with red and gold. The outermost layer of his clothing was a perfect red, pure as blood, a ruby, or something in between. Everything beneath it was black, intricately detailed and prepared by Hikari himself. One hand was pressed against the hilt of his blade, but deep down, Hikari would have done just about anything to never have to think about raising the weapon again. 

"Are you praying, Hikari?"

Hikari blinked once to pull himself out of his thoughts. He recognized the voice as belonging to Ritsu, one of his longtime friends and comrades in arms. Behind Hikari, Ritsu stood with a frown on his face. He wore black and red similar to Hikari, but the red was closer to orange than Hikari's was. Rather than wear a ponytail, Ritsu had his hair pulled back with a single strip of fabric wrapped across his forehead. "Don't waste your breath," Ritsu went on, but Hikari still did not turn around. "If you're going to pray... Pray for the ones fighting for their lives, not those already in the dirt."

"I didn't come here to pray," Hikari corrected him. "I came here to remember." At long last, he turned to face Ritsu, and the sandy winds cast his determination in a new shadow. "To remember the friends who gave their lives on the altar of our mission. Today, I fight for them."

For a long time, Ritsu said nothing, instead studying all of the tiny details of Hikari's face like he thought he would be able to glean something from them. He came up short and took a step toward his friend instead. "It's time, my prince."

Hikari nodded, his gaze growing stony. "Then let's join the fray, Ritsu."

Hikari and Ritsu took off down the hill, their blades at the ready. The world around them was a whirlwind of activity, and Hikari stared at the path ahead to ensure his focus remained strong. Now was not the time to lose his grip and his concentration. He would not survive for a moment if he allowed his fear to get the best of him. There was only one solution for terror on the battlefield, and it was the determination to survive. 

The battle broke out in an instant, but its consequences would be felt for a lifetime. The forces of Ku were clashing with the army of a smaller nation within Hinoeuma. This was not a new fight, and Hikari knew it likely would not be the last either. If there was one thing he had come to know about Ku, it was that another battle was always waiting just around the corner. Hinoeuma was a nation of war and conflict, and Ku was the strongest in the sands. None could hold a candle to the brilliant light given off by the most powerful nation in the desert. Enemy forces could most certainly try, but they would fail just as so many others had before them. 

Hikari's blade work came to him easily. He had fought so many times under so many different circumstances that it felt like second nature to him. To fight was to survive, and Hikari was determined to live to see another day. He regretted having to take lives, but he could not allow his life to be taken either. He had a duty to all those who had died in the name of his mission. Their spirits lived on in him each time he remembered what they had done for him. Hikari would not let their memories die because of his failures. For as long as it took, he would fight. He had to. 

A pair of soldiers quickly rushed to greet Hikari and Ritsu. The two readied their blades, but Ritsu struck first, countering one of the sword swings from his foes. "Don't soil your breeches, Hikari!" Ritsu called out. 

Hikari rushed toward the soldier fighting Ritsu, stabbing at his side as quickly as he could. The soldier staggered back, leaving him in the perfect position to be cut down by matching swings from Hikari and Ritsu a moment later. "I would worry about yourself," Hikari replied. 

Ritsu's lips curled upward in a grand smile. "My name will be remembered by history. I'll etch it upon the heavens themselves. I won't die in a hellhole like this!" To prove it, he rushed at the other soldier, swinging twice in quick succession. 

Hikari nodded, and with a slash of his own, he managed to knock the soldier to the ground. The man did not stand to fight again, and Hikari did not give his fallen foe a second glance. "Well said, Ritsu," Hikari said. "Let us press on--for the glory of Ku!"

All around Hikari, lives ended in the span of an instant. He wanted to face all of the fallen, to tell them that their sacrifices would be remembered, but he knew there was no time. Instead, he pushed on through the field. "Forward, Ritsu!" Hikari called out into the chaos. He trusted that his friend would be there by his side, and sure enough, he was. Ritsu offered a brief call of confirmation that he was there before he followed Hikari into the fray of a new fight. 

Atop one of the other sandy dunes, a small group of men stood and watched the battle unfold below them. The first among them was Kazan, the tactician for the Ku army. His eyes were narrowed and piercing, following Hikari's every move. Kazan had grayed prematurely, and he looked far older than he actually was. Such was the burden a strategist took on when they had so many lives to balance in their frail fingers. "Good," Kazan praised with a hum. "Prince Hikari's display has put the fear of death into them. Now for the finishing touch."

Kazan turned to face two other men waiting for his command. One was a man with his black hair tied up halfway into a bun at the back of his head. He sat on a horse, holding the reigns with one hand and his weapon with the other. Ageha was a retainer to the throne, and his loyalty could rest with only one bloodline. He looked beside him to the most important man on the field. 

The air around General Mugen of Ku had always been tense. Any who crossed his path immediately feared for their lives, and their terror was true to reality. Mugen's armor was crimson and shone in the sunlight like the blood he had spilt so many times in so many battles before. Even his horse was wearing steel of the same color. Mugen's face hid beneath an ornate helmet, and barely any within Ku had ever seen what he truly looked like. All that escaped the weight of his armor was his voice. "Our time is come at last. Clan Ku shall rise from the desert as its ruler."

Kazan offered a wry smile at Mugen, something in his gray eyes glistening. "General Mugen, you lead the pride of our military. The nation of Ku's fiercest soldiers ride at your back. Become the tempest and scatter those southern dogs to the wind." Mugen did not respond, but Kazan didn't wait for a response, instead turning to look back at the battlefield below. "The sands shall wait for the time to strike and then follow in your wake and scour the field... And when the fury of the storm subsides, our enemies will be smothered and buried."

"A brilliant strategy as always, Kazan," Mugen praised. None in Ku could ever hope to compare to the unmatched talent Kazan displayed when it came to coming up with a plan for a battle. Kazan was a schemer at heart, and without his intellect, Ku would never have come close to the glory it had already found. Kazan was every bit as instrumental to Ku's success as Mugen, and none would ever dare to forget it. "Your keen eyes see the battlefield as none other, Eagle of Ku."

Kazan did not respond to the praise directly. Instead, he fell to one knee and bowed his head, his eyes closing. "May you have luck on the battlefield."

"Luck has no place here. Only strength reigns supreme," Mugen countered, but he did not chastise Kazan for his choice of words. Mugen needed Kazan, and he would never dare to say something that might drive his tactician away from his side. "And the mighty shall build their castles upon the corpses of the weak." Mugen raised his blade high above his head. The sword was jagged, covered in brutal edges meant to make every death he visited upon his enemies all the more painful. "Cut them to ribbons! Bring the fury of the desert upon them!"

With a fierce battle cry, Mugen rode down the hill, and the rest of his battalion trailed after him. Ageha was closest to Mugen, but he took care to stay out of the general's range all the same. As soon as the enemy soldiers closed in around Mugen, the general swung his blade in a wide arc. The single blow killed three men instantly, and their bodies collapsed to the ground to seep scarlet into the sand. A few of the nearby soldiers stepped back in shock and fear at the sight of Mugen's raw might, but the red-clad warrior did not give them too much time to escape. "Now you southern worms shall know the vast gulf between our strengths!"

More soldiers rushed at Mugen, but he was ready for them, and he struck down every man that came too close to him. Mugen never tired on the battlefield, seeming to thrive off his own bloodlust and the high that came from taking other lives. Mugen had struck down twelve men total by the time one of the soldiers cried out, "He's inhuman!"

"The scarlet demon of Ku... General Mugen!" another enemy soldier gasped from beside the man who had just spoken. 

Mugen offered the two soldiers a moment of mercy and did not rush to take their lives to assert his strength. Instead, he glared at them through his helmet. "Ageha!" he commanded. 

"Aye!" Ageha rushed forward in an instant, brandishing his own blade before using it to strike down both of the men. The soldiers did not rise again after they fell into the desert below. 

Mugen scoffed behind his armor. "Does your will to live burn so faintly, curs?! Raise your weapons or be trampled beneath me!" Behind him, a small cluster of Ku forces gathered, but they may as well have not gathered. No soldier was a match for General Mugen. Even if the entire enemy army targeted the scarlet demon alone, they would not be able to kill him. Mugen could have won the war on his own if he wanted, but he graciously offered space for his allies to take lives at his side. A war was no fun if he was the only one involved, after all. 

And all Mugen could ever want from a war was the thrill. 

Meanwhile, Hikari and Ritsu continued to weave in between the enemy forces. They struck down every soldier that dared to provoke them, their blade work strong. Hikari did his best to keep from killing his foes, instead opting to incapacitate them when he had the chance. Ritsu showed no such mercy and was more than fine to kill every soldier that tried to cross him. Ritsu was less precise in his swings, but it all served him well in the end. He was still alive, and that was all that mattered. 

Hikari and Ritsu were getting closer to their destination now: the enemy commander. If they could strike down the general ordering around the enemy army, then they would be able to win the battle then and there. Hikari could see the silhouette of the general in the distance, and he felt new determination rush through him. The war was almost over. If nothing else, the battle was nearing its end. He would make sure of it however he could with his own two hands. 

A trio of enemy soldiers moved to follow Hikari and Ritsu as they drew nearer to the commander, but they were intercepted by three Ku soldiers. The southern attackers managed to get the first blows in, and two of the three Ku men fell to death. The third fell to his knees but still had his blade in his hand. Hikari saw the altercation out of the corner of his eye and turned to face the collapsed man. "Captain Saiji!" he shouted into the cacophony of the battlefield. 

"Eyes forward, Hikari!" Ritsu reminded him, tugging on Hikari's sleeve for a split second with his free hand. "Keep going!"

Despite Ritsu's words, Hikari wanted to turn around and aid Saiji and his fallen men however he could. Hikari didn't get the chance to consider rebelling against Ritsu's command though. Another trio of soldiers appeared to their right, and Hikari was forced to sink into a defensive stance to prepare himself for their onslaught. 

"Steel yourself!" Ritsu called over his shoulder, and he rushed forward to meet the first of the three soldiers. Ritsu's blade cut across the man's chest, sending the soldier staggering. Hikari moved to deal the finishing blow, but Ritsu was faster, casting the man aside and taking his life in the span of a moment. Ritsu planted his boot against the man's chest, using the force as leverage to yank his blade free of the bloody cavern it had embedded itself in. 

Hikari made the mistake of staring at Ritsu for a second too long, and he learned his folly quickly. One of the other soldiers moved to strike at him, and Hikari twisted his blade around to deter the man. The soldier tripped for a moment, but Hikari once again failed to deal the final attack. Instead, a thin blast of lightning magic soared past his shoulder to slam into the man's chest. The soldier collapsed to the sand a moment later. 

"Are you hurt, Hikari?!"

Hikari turned at the sound of Rai Mei's voice. She looked every bit as determined now as she had during their past battles, her pale face set in a heavy frown. Rai Mei's blonde hair was braided, and a few smears of blood dotted its length. Her blue and gray clothing stood out like nothing else when put beside the predominantly black and red fabric of the Ku army's armor. Even so, Rai Mei belonged there every bit as much as Hikari and the rest of his allies. They would not have made it this far without her help. 

Rai Mei sunk into a defensive stance beside Hikari. Her lance danced with lightning magic. She had learned how to channel her favored element of power through her blade, and it made her a dangerous foe and one of the strongest in Ku. "The noble sands of Ku dance at your back, and they know no fear!" Rai Mei went on. "Not a single enemy shall pass through our storm!"

Hikari nodded. "Rai Mei, stay close to me and keep moving!" He surged forward all at once, swinging his blade across the chest of the final remaining soldier. Hikari hadn't been planning to take the man's life, and his attack proved it. The soldier fell to the sand, pressing one hand to his chest to try and stem the bleeding. 

Hikari took a step back, ready to leave the man where he was, but Ritsu had no such intentions. "Your fate was sealed the moment you stood against us," Ritsu scoffed with a dark smile. He raised his blade high, planning to bring it down on the man's head. 

"Ritsu, wait!" Hikari burst out. "We've won. There's no reason for further bloodshed."

Ritsu slowly dropped his blade, clearly unimpressed with the command. "Hikari..." 

Before Ritsu could protest the point, Hikari turned to look at the path ahead. The commander of the enemy forces was waiting for them a short distance away. At long last, their charge through the enemy army had come to an end, and the leader of their foes was within their reach. The rest of the battle was on the verge of finishing. 

Hikari ran to greet the commander, Ritsu and Rai Mei on either side of him. Ritsu gripped tightly at his blade as he looked up at the man. "Ah, here we are," Ritsu hummed. 

"It's the enemy general. Time to prove your mettle, Hikari," Rai Mei added. 

Hikari said nothing for a long moment. In the back of his mind, a voice howled for the destruction of all who dared to stand in his path. If his body had been given the chance to act on its own, then Hikari knew it would have rushed forward and taken the life of the enemy commander without a second thought. The static in Hikari's head was growing overpowering. He always felt his grip start to slip as a battle wore on for too long, but today, the noise was getting to be too much. 

Hikari didn't let that distant bloodlust claim him just yet though. Instead, he funneled all of his uncertainty out through gripping tighter at his blade. "I shall honor the memory of my fallen allies. My blade will not waver," he declared, saying it just as much to himself as his two companions. 

The enemy commander urged his horse forward, swinging his blade through the air. "Now you pay for your tyranny, bastards of Ku!"

Hikari didn't rise to the bait, instead simply readying himself for the attack. "It's time to finish this. Come."

Ritsu and Rai Mei remained close by Hikari's side as the general and his two guards surged toward them. Ritsu deflected one of the guards' blades with his own, twisting it around at an awkward angle. While the guard was distracted, Rai Mei stabbed her spear in the gap in the man's defenses. The soldier barely had the chance to scream before he fell backward into the sand. 

The second guard tried to stab at Rai Mei while she was distracted, but he didn't get the chance. She twirled her lance around to deflect his blow. This time, Ritsu was the one who dealt the final attack by rushing past Rai Mei. That left only the general standing out of the trio. 

Hikari avoided a swing aimed to take his head off before he delivered an upward slash. Rai Mei followed up by stabbing at the air, and while her lance was too far away to hit its target, that wasn't what she was going for. Instead, a thin bolt of electricity surged toward the man. The general went stiff from the lightning magic, giving Hikari the perfect chance to swing sideways. The guard was sent hurtling off the horse he was riding on, and he crashed gracelessly into the sand. 

Hikari didn't deliver the killing blow though. Instead, he took a step toward the fallen general. "It's over," he said, unsure of who he was saying it to. 

"No..." the general choked out. "We won't... We won't leave the desert in your clutches... The accursed clan... Must be..."

The general didn't get the chance to finish that thought. A streak of red surged through Hikari's vision, and Mugen rushed over to the man. In a single blow, Mugen stole the life from the general's body. The force of the hit was so great that it sent the soldier's corpse hurtling back through the air, only stopping when it hit a cliff face in the sand. Hikari didn't get close enough to see how mangled the body was, but he had a good enough idea of it, and his heart raced faster in his ears at the sight. 

Mugen was entirely unbothered by Hikari's wide-eyed shock, instead focusing on dismounting from his horse. Hikari's throat felt like it was closing up on him, but he did his best to remain firm. "Brother," Hikari greeted, the word coming out strangled. 

Mugen didn't bother with greeting Hikari with the same dignity of a title. Instead, he snorted dismissively. "Softhearted whelp." Mugen stalked toward Hikari, and the younger prince of Ku pressed his shoulders back in a show of strength he did not believe in. "Show sympathy to the enemy and you tarnish the name Ku in the process." Mugen already knew Hikari would not respond to him, so he didn't wait for a response. Instead, he turned to the rest of the battlefield, Ritsu and Rai Mei stepping aside so the crown prince had a better look at the area. "The enemy general is slain! Victory is ours!"

The rest of Ku's surviving forces had gathered in an array while Hikari was distracted with Mugen's arrival. The soldiers cheered loudly, only falling silent when another pair of figures approached from behind. Every soldier fell to one knee to honor the arrival of their king. The king's retainer, Benkei, stepped aside to bow as well. Even Hikari and Mugen bowed, and Mugen was known to bow to no one. "Your Majesty," Mugen greeted. 

Jigo Ku stood tall and proud in his imperial clothing, the midday sunshine catching on the regal scarlet of his robes. His hair was white and aged, making his gleaming crown stand out all the more atop his head. "Today's glory was paid for in the blood of many... But victory is ever an occasion for celebration. Mugen, Hikari." Neither of Jigo's sons stood even as he spoke their names. Jigo watched them for a moment longer before turning to address the rest of the army. "Our enemies have been put to heel, their forces crushed under our might. The nation of Ku shall know prosperity untold."

The entire army burst out in excited cheers at that, but the joy died down when Jigo staggered to the right and grasped at his head. Hikari was on his feet in an instant, rushing to his father's aid. "Your Majesty...?" he asked carefully.

Jigo remained silent for a few seconds before shaking his head. "Hikari... I tire of this heat..." Jigo said even though it was clear there was more to the situation than that. Jigo didn't leave any room for speculation though, instead starting the journey back to Ku's walls. The soldiers bowed as he passed through them, and Benkei trailed after him by a few paces. 

Hikari watched Jigo depart for a few silent moments before turning to face Mugen. His tongue suddenly felt too thick for his mouth, but he forced himself to speak anyway. "Brother, what was the enemy general speaking of? He called us the accursed clan... Is it true? Are we...?"

Mugen silenced Hikari by stepping toward him, and the younger prince bit down on his bottom lip with enough force to taste blood. "Put it out of your mind. A half-blood like you needn't worry about such things," Mugen responded roughly. 

"Can you hear it too?" Hikari pressed. The cottony feeling in the back of his mind was growing stronger, too much for him to ignore. "That voice?" 

Mugen did not respond, instead staring ahead silently in the face of Hikari's questioning. Ritsu dashed up to stand at Hikari's side. "General Mugen, go with glory," Ritsu said, changing the course of the conversation. "It was your sword that cut the path to victory."

Mugen stared at Ritsu for a long moment, glad to have the excuse to not continue his discussion with Hikari. "You fought fiercely this day. What is your name?"

Ritsu perked up a bit, pressing his shoulders together firmly. "It's Ritsu Mishuyo, my lord."

Mugen offered Ritsu a hum and a nod before his gaze settled on Hikari once more. Hikari could feel his brother glaring at him through his helmet. "Compassion has no place in Ku, Hikari. You are unfit to stand among us."

Hikari stared after Mugen as his brother pushed through the Ku forces back in the direction of the castle. Hikari wanted to argue, but he knew his points would fall on apathetic ears. Mugen had decided years ago that Hikari was weak and unfit for the title of prince, and there was nothing Hikari could do to change his mind. Once upon a time, Hikari would have wanted to fight for that to change however he could...

But now, Hikari just thought that if compassion had no place in Ku, then perhaps he didn't either. 

~~~~~

The next few hours passed in a daze. Hikari tried to reassure himself that he was right to believe in himself even in the face of Mugen's scrutiny, but he couldn't seem to believe it fully. Even after the bulk of the Ku army had returned to the capital, Hikari wandered through the sands. He found his way to the hill overlooking the city where the graves were marked by old, worn weapons. 

Ritsu was already standing there, looking out over Ku with a frown. He didn't even need to turn to know Hikari was approaching. "Your brother's wrong, you know. We wouldn't have made it to the enemy general without you," Ritsu told him. 

Hikari shook his head. "You don't need to flatter me. I didn't do it alone."

Ritsu's posture changed slightly, though Hikari couldn't put the shift to words. "How long have we known each other? And not once have I bested you at swordplay. You may be the prince, aye, but it was by dint of strength that you were made captain. It's all a lowborn urchin like me could hope for to simply be allowed in your presence."

Hikari stepped up so he was standing just beside Ritsu. Neither of them turned to look one another in the eyes. "Don't be ridiculous, Ritsu. You'll always have a place by my side."

Ritsu let out a small laugh and looked over at Hikari at last. "Is that so? I'll try to keep up then. You can count on it."

"We live to fight another day, it seems."

Hikari and Ritsu turned to see Rai Mei standing behind them on the hill. Her braid had been cleaned of blood, and her determination from the battlefield had been replaced with a soft exhaustion. Even so, Rai Mei did not acknowledge how tired she looked as she fell into place beside Hikari and Ritsu. "The battle was long and trying. Let us dedicate this victory to the countrymen we lost today."

Hikari nodded. "It was an honor to have you with me, Rai Mei."

Rai Mei didn't respond directly to the compliment. She had never been the best at handling praise, and Hikari had come to expect her deflection as one of her many charms. "House Mei is the spear of Ku. We are to be wielded against its enemies," she said in the place of thanks.

"May I be welcomed among this vaulted company?"

Kazan's voice drew all eyes back toward the other end of the hill. Rai Mei had been bailed out of having to properly respond to Hikari's praise by Kazan's arrival. Kazan had a small flask in one hand, and he swirled it around gently as he walked. It was rare to see Kazan without a drink of some kind, especially at the tail end of a major battle like this. If nothing else, Hikari was relieved to know it was water rather than alcohol as it would have been under most other circumstances.

"Of course, Kazan," Hikari replied. "Without your cunning strategy, we may very well have been buried under the sands."

Kazan offered Hikari a soft smile. "'Victory is the sweetest libation.' Or so they say. I wager tonight's drinks shall be sweet indeed." He punctuated the thought by taking a swig from his flask, confirming that it was in fact nothing but water. 

"We can't toast yet, Kazan," Hikari reminded him. "The road ahead will be long and fraught with battle. Drinks will have to wait."

Kazan shook his head. "If you insist, my prince. I see war has only tempered your commitment to duty." He looked down at his flask, suddenly wishing it was full of wine instead of water. "Still, promise me that when our conflicts are behind us, we'll raise glasses in celebration."

Hikari nodded. "Consider it done."

All four of them turned to look out over the kingdom of Ku below. Hikari wore a small smile on his face. The day's battles had been difficult and dangerous, but he was glad he was able to end the evening off surrounded by his dear friends. There was no better way for him to consider a series of fights over than to enjoy some time with his closest friends. 

Little did Hikari know though, the four friends would not get the chance to raise their glasses together after the war ended. The nation of Ku, after claiming victory in that day's final battle, declared an immediate and indefinite end to all hostilities. The army of Ku had been prepared for months if not years more of battle, but it was all for nothing. The sands of Hinoeuma saw peace at long last, and Ku's thirst for combat died away and faded entirely.

The flames of war were extinguished, left as little more than embers that danced across the desert's darkest nights. Former comrades-in-arms went their separate ways, parting from Ku's path to return to places far from the capital. Soon enough, Hikari and Ritsu were the only two who remained, and even they began to drift apart beneath the waves of change that came with the war's end. 

Three years have come and gone since the final battle. Hikari has not forgotten the promise he once made with his friends though. He hopes that one day, he will have a reason to reunite all of his comrades with a smile. Perhaps they will not meet again to fight in a war, but any opportunity they have to see one another again will be sweet. Times of peace had arrived at last, and yet, the four friends were never given the chance to truly enjoy it. 

But they would meet again one day, and Hikari was sure of it even when no one else was. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And thus begins the actual story of the novelization! 

It's really nice to be back after all this time. I've been working on Interwoven for a few weeks now (since the beginning of January 2025, actually), and it's nice to have it out there at long last. I've really missed writing for Octopath regularly, and I hope at least a few people out there have missed reading my stuff for Octopath too. 

I wanted to release the first and second chapters of this novelization together since it would have felt wrong to only do one. You guys deserved a bit of actual plot after the opening narration stuff. Hikari's first part wound up being the entirety of the opening flashback, but I think that's a good way to get everything rolling. I chose Hikari as a starting character for a reason, and I'm happy with my selection here. 

Before we go, I want to get a few housekeeping points out of the way. First off, I won't be doing this double updating thing again. I thought it was a nice way to get things started, but all chapter releases from here on out will be single updates. You guys will get chapters weekly on Thursdays and Sundays though, so there's a lot of content coming your way. I'm going to set aside around four or five chapters each for the first chapters of the story, so we'll hit the full interactions between the cast somewhere around the chapter 33-40 mark. I know that sounds like a lot, but we'll get there soon enough. I promise. I'm really excited for everything I've got planned for this story, and I hope you all are too. 

And trust me when I say that I have a lot planned. If you can believe it, I've got even more in mind for this story in terms of changes and shifts from canon than I did with the first book, and that's saying something. It'll take a while before we get to anything substantial in terms of changes, but we'll arrive soon. Until then, I hope you all enjoy the retelling's opening stages. We've got a lot of good stuff coming up even before we hit full cast banter, and I can't wait. 

Next time, we'll flash ahead by three years to the present day. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!

-Digital