Chapter 1.1: The Prologue

## 1.1: The Prologue

The beginning of this tale starts in the winter of 1985, as Khalid Mubarak and his men congregate in the caverns of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountains. There, he tells them all about his previous conflict against The Azora Clan and how it ended with an evil lich stopping time and sending a small child named Violet Azora a decade into the future. Khalid also adds that he and his followers were successfully able to conquer the Azora Clan by obtaining their sacred sundial. This resulted in the Azora using the last of their power to create a realm for themselves as dark beings called Erebus, now that their sundial was no longer there to protect them from an ancient light barrier. He then closes the discussion by expressing how imperative it is to collect all the other remaining crystals, so that their group can prevent the evil lich's goal by using the collected artifacts they've gathered to grant any wish they so desire.

Then later on, the Mubarak make their way towards the mountain pass as JSA and other law enforcements spot and pursue this rogue organization. Khalid devises a plan which involves the remaining Mubarak to take on their enemies, while he sends his elite four to accompany him in obtaining the Diamond of Storms. One of Khalid's elite four named Nephthys uses her oracle powers to lift the seal from the cavern's entrance. While in the foggy cave, the elite four are forced to fight against the diamond's guardians (or griffins), while Khalid himself goes on ahead to take the diamond for himself. Elsewhere, the captain of JSA's Execution Branch named Nathaniel Collins sees the rest of his subordinates struggling against the Mubarak and decides to take a detour by crawling into the cave on the other side.

Once inside, Nathaniel reunites with his life-long rival Khalid inside the very chamber that contained the diamond and the reunion is anything but welcoming. Nathaniel tries his best to reconcile and reason with Khalid, but Nathaniel's attempt to "patch things up" falls on deaf ears. Realizing that his rival wasn't giving an inch, Nathaniel then warns Khalid about his newest addition to the Mubarak, Silhouette. Nathaniel describes the Azora as a double-edged sword that has the ability to kill Khalid's opponents, yet at the same time turn on Khalid himself in the end. Antagonized by Nathaniel's words of wisdom, Khalid initiates an inevitable fight between the two. The brutal clash results in Khalid having his left eye slashed out and Nathaniel getting violently scorched in his torso.

Just when Khalid is about to pull the trigger on Nathaniel, swarms of JSA members invade the area as Khalid only has enough time to grab the diamond and flee before the authorities arrive. Khalid and the rest of the Mubarak leave the scene just moments before they were outnumbered. The Mubarak then return to the caverns as Nephthys heals Khalid's injuries, while the rest of JSA lament and eventually leave the Snow Mountains with their mission failed. Then subsequent to their success, The Mubarak remained out of sight while still collecting the Red Ruby of Fire and Blue Sapphire of Water, in their later years. Only the Green Emerald of Earth remained, in which JSA made it their prerogative to secure it no matter what.