The camera fades in on the Jackson home, years before it burnt down as we find a very young James engrossed in a screen, controller in hand as he gets sucked into various worlds.
When I was a kid I spent hours running headfirst into every imaginary world I could. I rescued princesses, battled terrible monsters and saved the world more times then I could count. From Hyrule to the Mushroom Kingdom, I traversed all the realms and was the hero in every one. But there was one world that I could never truly save.
The young James’s smile slowly begins to turn to a frown, then a frustrated grimace as he struggles with the controller.
It was a simple rpg, a hero destined to save the world from darkness sets out from his home town, amasses a like minded party as they travel the lands, fighting everything from the simple slimes to the great dragons and quest to find the tools to fight the Lord of Darkness. They love, they learn…they fail.
For in the moment the hero is meant to become the legend of light, the darkness, hidden inside the body of a loved one, rears its ugly head and nearly takes everything away in a single moment.
They regroup, refocus, save the people they need to save and gain the power they need to finally take down the darkness but even though they won, the world is left battered and broken. A permanent vile scar torn through it as a bittersweet reminder of failure and no matter how many times I played, no matter what I did, I could never change the outcome.
The young James throws the controller in frustration before sinking to his knees in tears. His mother rushes over, comforting the boy as Maxwell stands near, a menacing look in his eyes.
My resolve to be a hero was born that day. I would rise up, fix this world like a true Luminary would. I could do so without causalities, without hurting others, without breaking the world in the process. Something an innocent, naive child would believe but if I’ve learnt anything from my adventures in Arcadia, that’s exactly what a hero needs to be.
The image of the old family fades slightly as Destructo Boy walks through the burnt wreckage, staring at the white ghosts of James and his mother before the black ghost of the old Maxwell turns to the older Kid.
From Blacktooth and Nox who taught me to fight through my fears, to Narcissa and Vision who showed that those who seem to be good people are sometimes hiding darkness within, to Felix who showed me that sometimes they’re not, and even Doom who let me know even the darkest heart can be redeemed with a little light.
I am the legendary hero of Arcadia, the Luminary of Olympus and when I bring down that golden ticket, Arcadia will know that my quest to save this world, to destroy the darkness, has only truly just begun.
Destructo Boy raises the Kingdom Blade high as both he and the black shadow of Maxwell charge at one another before the camera fades to black.