The Only Option

After coming back from his soul realm with the Ferret perched on his shoulder Brow's Soul circuit still floats infront of him severely damaged. "Little buddy, is there anyway that you can help me save Uncle Brow?" Oz asked the little ferret with a concerned tone.

With a little huff the ferret sat back on his hind legs and patted it's chest with a smirk and nodded. Oz could tell it was ready and willing to help! With this he couldn't help but smile, "Alright, let's get to work!"

Manacules had begun to surge within the little Ferret, channeling solely Shadow Essence through its little body to the circuit board. As the Essence flowed into the circuit board, a shadowed light illuminated the surrounding area. Slowly the circuit was rebuilding itself incorporating the Shadow Essence into its circuits, and the little sliver of soul essence that had been suspended in the darkness had begun to grow brighter and brighter. After it had gained enough Essence to revitalize it's energy, it shot into the Soul circuit.

Sparking breath back into Brow's body, he instantly started to writhe and wriggle in pain. Though the pain was short lived, Brow's body had started to rapidly heal right infront of Oz. Sighing with relief, Oz retracted his soul perception from Brow's Soul Realm.

Looking over Brow's body, Oz could tell that he had stabilized. With his breathing steady, he looked as if he was sleeping soundly. Oz Lifted him up and carried him down to the sub basement and laid Brow down on his cott in his room. Going back out to the main area of the sub basement, Oz got to work on a plan.

With his mom's crystal stolen and Aunt Marina nowhere to be found, Oz had no idea as to where to start... So he spent the next couple of hours pondering....

*ASERO Headquarters - Presidentual Office, Top floor.*

*Ring Ring Ring* *Ring Ring Ring*

"Hello? Ah, yes... Send her in." Phone gets hung up.

A young dark elf secretary opened up a set of giant double doors into a giant office where a cracked pale skinned Homunculi stood behind a tan looking desk with a leather chair, looking out over the entire city of Asero. Marina walked in after the secretary stepped to the side. "Mr. Kreid had been looking forward to your visit Miss Stenner." The secretary spoke in a very polite manner before she hurriedly walked out closing the doors behind her.

Looking around the room it was pretty empty, "You still haven't done anything with this room have you Jin? How long has it been now? about 200 years?" Marina spoke in a scornful tone.

Turning around with a bright smile on his face was a man that stood about 5'9". It was clear as day that this man was still solely just a homunculus, what looked like gray cracked skin, his eyes were completely white. Wore a white dress shirt with a black unbuttoned over coat, black slacks and dress shoes.

"It's been 197 years, 3 months, 1 week, and 6 days since I had last seen you Marina." He spoke with the same smile on his face as he walked over to a liquor cabinet off to the right side of the office from where he stood. Grabbing two glasses, he poors a quarter glass of alcohol in each glass after dropping a couple of ice cubes in them. After walking over to Marina and handing her a glass he spoke solemnly, "Why did it take you so long Marina?"

Marina couldn't hold in her anger any longer, throwing the glass against the wall she screamed. "What gives you the fucking right!? I had a plan! You just needed to wait you bastard!" She went to slap him but he had caught her wrist before she could make contact.

Gripping her wrist tightly, he dropped the glass in his other hand and grabbed her throat, instantly moving and slamming her against the wall. "I have been waiting patiently for all of these years Marina. My plans had to be moved forward." He spoke calmly while he held her against the wall.

*Cough, cough* "Wh-what could make you move!? You've never been this eager!" She spoke gasping for air.

Jin released his grip on her and walked back to the window, he looked out over the city clenching his fist. "There was a ripple of shadow essence Marina, he's back. Our radars confirmed it along with another reading of Shadow Essence... You wouldn't happen to know what that is about? Do you?..."

A sudden chill had gone down Marina's spine. The only thought that crossed her mind was her Nephew, "Oz!" Her body had started to tremble with the realization that he was in imediate danger. She already knew how Oz was in his mindset, once he had set his mind to something nothing would stop him. Knowing that she was going to get blamed for Brormund's death, she still went through with taking his Essence Crystal. Having been there with Oz as he grew she knew he would always be able to manage without them, this was her way of protecting Oz in her own mind. In order to protect him from the monster that stood directly infront of her she would need Brow's crystal, wether Brow knew or not. She didn't have the time to second guess.

She reached into her lab coat pocket and gripped Brow's crystal, feeling the energy inside the crystal, she noticed that his soul essence had completely disapeard! It wasn't in the Essence Crystal, with knowing this she sighed in relief, with the thought that Brow may still be alive, she could accept her own death easily.

Memories flashed across her mind back to when she traveled the plane of magic with Brow and Kara, Oz's mother before the two worlds had met each other. When cultivating manacules hadn't been discovered yet, everyone still relied on the old ways of battling.

Marina herself was a genius Alchemist and Circle Rune caster. Brow the master blacksmith, blessed by the spirits of earth and given the ability of controlling earth and metals directly.

Kara, in Marina's heart, she had always had a close connection to Kara, and in turn Kara had always treated her like a sister. Kara excelled in everything, she had a deep understanding of the world and how everything worked together. She was the first sorceress to be able to cast magic spells without an incantation, she was at the highest epitome of power in all the lands. Though she never let the power control or get to her, she was never greedy or wanted more power, or wanted to control and influence the world.

Marina then she remembered the war the 3 of them had with ASERO.

Kara was actually apart of the group of Elves that started the cultivation revolution amongst the races. She had been the first of the Elves that succeeded in breaking through and achieving the first steps into cultivation. With her deep understanding, cultivating was ultimately easy for her, which in turn had also made her a primary target for ASERO themselves. She had taught Marina and Brow herself in how to cultivate Manacules, giving them both suggestions in their cultivation. Though none of it was helpful in the following battles...

Remebering the dreadful war the 3 of them held against an army of ASERO's forces, that day all of their hands were stained with blood from the countless enemies that seeked their blood for power. During the bloody fight the 3 of them had separated amongst the endless amount of enemies, even with her intellectual prowess Kara couldn't handle the endless battle. She was getting worn down, as were Marina herself and Brow.

During the battle Marina had taken a quick glance over at Brow, using the earth as a weapon along with his mighty hammer Baruun, batting away the foes. The earth rippled with every swing, beastmen getting blown to bits with every hit. Finally turning her attention towards Kara, she could only watch as she fought her own attackers. Kara had received a surprise attack from behind, stabbed through with a long sword.

*Vomitting blood*

Kara spat blood and quickly reacted.

*Purple Static Field!*

Suddenly a boom shook the entire battle field, knocking Marina and everyone else back. Marina was gasping for air, the shockwave had knocked the wind out of everyone on the battle field. Looking up she could only see a glimpse of Kara surounded by a static field of purple lightning. Breathing heavily her body had finally succumbed to exhaustion and she passed out there on the battlefield.

"KARA!!!!" Marina cried out.

*Scorching Steps!*

From where she had been sitting her body instantly vanished, leaving behind scorched foot prints in a spaced out trail heading towards Kara's unconcious body.

Brow had heard Marina's cries and looked to where they were, seeing Kara in her current state. He knew time was not on his side. While the beastmen were dazed, he took the opportunity.

*Stone Obelisk Giant*

Suddenly Brow sank into the earth with no trace left behind. The earth had started to rumble underneath the battlefield, the land contorted and shifted. Coming up from the ground as if a mountain was growing before their very eyes, the beastmen had been smacked by fear itself as if they had woken a giant from it's slumber. Suddenly the giant began swing its arms and swiping the battle ground, smashing the beastmen into paste and sending them flying off into the distance.

Marina had made it to Kara's side, pulling out a bottle of salv to administer emergency treatment, when a sudden whole appeared beneath the both of them and the dropped down. Brow catching the both of them he quickly looked back up at the hole. "Close!" He yelled out to the earth.

The opening on the surface sealed itself shut, making it able for them to get away from the battlefield.

Sometime later after they had found shelter and started to rest, they were quickly discovered by ASERO, because of the intense battle that they had already fought they weren't able to escape this time. So they had lost their lives.

After a while Marina had awoken in an entirely new body, next to Brow who also had a new body as well. She could tell exactly who it was because of his Essence. Dazed and confused she could tell that she was in a lab, but where? The scientists were in another room beside theirs having a cheer to commemorate their accomplishment of succsessfully crystalizing a living being's essence into a crystal and infusing with a Homunculus. Little did they know it worked a little too well, not only did the essence crystal retain their soul essence it actually wiped out the previous soul for their bodies.

With this immediate knowledge they had to get out of there, Marina needed to wake Brow quickly. Her body was that of just a Homunculi at the time, luckily with her previous knowledge and powers being able to easily transfer into her knew body she was easily able to break out.

She stabbed her own finger with her finger nail and drew a rune right next to the clasp that was holding her right arm down.

"Burst!"

The rune lit up and blew that portion of the clasp off, she quickly released herself and woke up Brow. "Come on! Get up! We need to go now!" She yelled while shaking him.

"Uhhh.... Wh-what's going on?..." Brow groggily said as he stumbled to his feet.

"We're in ASERO's lab! We need to go now!" She screamed as she pulled Brow's arm over her shoulder.

As they both walked out of the lab room, they felt a familiar essence and they both turned towards the direction it was coming from. "Kara!?" Gasping in unison.

Bursting into a full sprint towards Kara, finding Kara in a medically induced coma. Brow took his arm off of Marina and walked over to her and detached all of the medical equipment, picking her up, and carrying her out of ASERO. On their way out, they were stopped by a single Homunculi in a lab coat.

Marina stood infront of Brow who was holding Kara, taking a stance and ready to fight.

"You miss understand, I am only here to give you this." He spoke calmly as he tossed over a vial with a single cell in it. The label of the vial read, "0Z (Zero-Zee), The beginning and the end."

The Homunculi sighed in relief as he turned around. "Z, I did what you asked. I think I am gonna rest now." He spoke happily as reached into his chest and ripped out his Essence crystal. As he took his last breath his body crumbled into pieces.

After hearing the name "Z" Kara woke up briefly, "Z?" Then suddenly passed back out.

After succsessfully escaping, they were finally able to rest.

Finally the last memory to flash across her mind was her promise to Kara. After Marina had input the kill code when Oz's Essence stone took over the Homunculus body that was prepared for Kara herself. She had made Marina promise her to do whatever it takes to protect Oz from ASERO. Only he would be able to bring about the end of ASERO and the atrocities they have committed.

Thinking back to it at first Marina had become extremely scornful that Kara let Oz live, but in time after she came to know Oz more, she grew attached to him and could only feel the same way that Kara did. She only wanted to nurture and see this young boy to grow up into a fine man.

Coming back to reality, she is standing infront of the most dangerous man in ASERO, The President of the whole city. Jin Kreid, he may look fragile, but Marina knows all to well what this man is capable of, and more than anything else.

Oz was in danger.

Marina knew what she had to do, she began to slowly fill the Essence Crystal with her own Essence.

Marina was turning the Crystal into an extremely volitile bomb. Mixing multiple essences into a crystal makes it extremely unstable, explosively unstable. When it goes off, it has the explosive capability of an entire military crate of C4.

Steadily Marina steels her resolve and walks over to Kreid, speaking calmly. "If what you say is true, and "he" truly has come back...." She stops before him, pulling her hand out of her pocket she, holds it in between the both of them. "Your the only problem that he won't need to deal with! As for the second Shadow Essence you picked up, You'll never find it!" She yelled as she opened her hand open revealing a crystal over loaded with Essence.

*Boom!*

.......