A century before, in Sablier, a forbidden portal was flung wide by a boy, Vincent, in his single-minded desire to protect his brother, Gilbert. And thus did that foolhardy desire lead to the corruption of that innocent boy's soul like a sweet poison... Now, as Gil, Oz, and Alice wander the ruins of the former capital, they are assaulted by illusions from the past. But how much of it is real? And how much of it illusion?

Once, following the tragedy of Sablier, Jack Vessalius made a valiant sacrifice to stop his best friend, Glen Baskerville, by allowing his body to anchor a set of seals by which Glen's soul was confined. But now these seals, long guarded by mages under the watchful gaze of Pandora, are being smashed one by one at the hands of the Crimson Shinigami, whose aim is to return their master to his once-whole state. And so, the fragile peace achieved over the last century begins to writhe, like a horror released from Pandora's forbidden box...

Oz. Leo. Inescapable tragedy assaults and binds the two. "He" is no more. That simple truth tears their hearts apart like castles of sand caving in . . . But will history repeat itself when, in the midst of their sorrow, the two are pitted against each other in a struggle that could end in catastrophe?

The tragedy that befell a bustling city a hundred years earlier. Eyes of ill omen. Stone seals. The warped gears that began turning long ago play out a requiem for one who was much loved. The solemn sound of the dirge colors the world that hears its notes a melancholy gray...as though it was always meant to be...

Pandora, now under the control of Leo and the Baskervilles, bears witness as the truth of the being known as Oz Vessalius is exposed for all to see. Amidst the warped tragedy that plays out mercilessly, one who has lost everything catches a glimpse of the ridiculous fairy tale contrived by a living ghost, as though a forbidden box has just been opened...