The two travel onward in the dark, dry tunnels that run beneath the land. Brooke naturally takes the lead, confident that she knows where she's going. The following scenes take place between a relatively short amount of travel each time, and for the most part, Brooke is essentially talking to herself. Ko isn't completely phased, however; by the end of their trip through the tunnels, the nature of his futility is turned from "Why" to "Why not"

• After walking a short distance in, the two stop for a moment. Brooke complains. She complains about the immediate: their journey so far has been inhospitable, to say the least. She complains about the long-term: they still have miles to go on foot. She complains that Ko is neither listening to her nor talking to her. Ko is not talking at all; he doesn't care.

• At their next rest stop, Brooke continues to complain, but she does a little explaining as well. She is frustrated with the Protean rite of passage which is the reason for her journey. She must seek out and enter a well-protected underground grove (*in fact, almost everything Protean is underground) wherein lies a power only given to mature Proteans. Ko, at least, was listening somewhat ... but he still doesn't care.

• Assuming Ko's silence is of ignorance, Brooke continues on to educate him on Protean history (she is most likely echoing a tutor she once had ... we could even include some direct quotes):

  For as long as records have been kept on the matter, the Proteans have been at war with the Antareans. The original cause of the war was forgotten long ago, but both sides knew that if the other was victorious, they would win a power capable to control Io as they saw fit. (*The key to this power, in actuality, is a combination of Protean and Antarean resources. Proteans, being underground dwellers, are keepers of magic ore energy-honing eumonite they use to fuel their dwellings and their own magic eumonetic abilities; they are limited, however, by their minimal knowledge of casting spells performing techniques. Antareans, creatures of the sky, are the keepers of this knowledge; they use a language that could potentially cast any spell perform any technique imaginable, but they lack the magical eumonetic power to actually do so. Thus, both sides guarded their piece of the puzzle, and neither were ever united.)

  Brooke mentions the war abating only recently (as in, a matter of years before she was born) and comments that Proteans and Antareans are still natural enemies.

• Ko stops to rest and Brooke waits for him. She takes the opportunity, driven by guilt, to apologize formally to Ko, explaining that she was the reason for the Antarean attack. Tarikun has been devastated because of Proteans for a second time. This gets Ko's attention, and he finally finds his voice again to ask what she means by a "second time." With a sigh, Brooke explains a darker chapter in Protean history: Tarikun was a thriving kingdom once, but it was also the battlefield of the fight that ended the Protean-Antarean war. Usually, combat occurred where innocent surface-dwellers would not be harmed, but when Tarikun offered it battlements to the Proteans, Antareans flooded the city in outrage. Proteans take responsibility for the devastation because they accepted the offer of Tarikun. (*Kydran was the head of the Antarean swarm on that day; he gave the command to invade the city. [TODO: some event that killed 97% of everyone in the final battle])

Ko and Brooke arrive at the great stone gate that eventually leads to the Protean grove.

• Entering into a labyrinth of exquisite architecture, Ko and Brooke face a series of puzzles that will eventually open a path to the inner gate. [TODO: a big complex puzzle]

• At the inner gate, an ancient-looking Protean stands guard and informs Brooke she must prove herself worthy of what lies beyond. (boss fight) After Brooke is victorious against the other Protean, he lets her pass into the grove.

• Inside, the stone walls are surfaced with ivy, and light shines mysteriously from a source in the center of the space. The magic ore eumonite here is pure and strong; a vein of glowing rock juts out and, as Brooke approaches it, she blends into the light.

Brooke finds herself hovering, bathed in light. The camera slowly spins around her, adding more distance with each revolution. She at first has no idea where she is, and then she realizes that she is indeed nowhere. This realm is pure magic eumonetic power, and soon Brooke begins to hear voices rising from the glow. They introduce themselves as dead heroes from the past, and they have some things to say before releasing Brooke back to the physical world:

• The power that Brooke seeks is simply that; it carries no bias or implication of its own. Such meaning is created upon the use of the power; by what means, and for what ends. Brooke must understand that this power must be used justly and with moderation.

• The abilities of a mature Protean include that of shape-shifting (or morphing). In addition to changing his or her own shape, a Protean can change any living thing it touches. Brooke must swear not to use this power for personal or trivial reasons, specifically use for reasons of vanity. Morphing may help accomplish a legitimate task, used as a tool, but when used to deliberately change a Protean's self image, it only degrades the integrity of the individual's character.

• Brooke agrees to the terms, receives her powers, and is returned to the physical world.

As the light fades away, Brooke finds that Ko is nowhere to be found. She leaves the grove, and the ancient Protean bids her to return swiftly to her home kingdom of Protea. She makes her way back through the labyrinth, but does not leave until she finds Ko. Eventually, he is found sitting at the edge of a great black maw in the earth beneath. When she asks him to come, he simply says that he would be of no further use to her, or anybody. She explains that he does have use; he must escort her to Protea. Thus, a rather disheartening debate goes back and forth, until Ko finally gets up and follows her. He is still indifferent, but Brooke has convinced him that if he is to see himself as meaningless, he might as well be meaningless and doing something.