For "The Price of A Soul" I explored the challenges of restraint and the feelings of guilt that ensue after mistakes. You can hear the moment that Ash gives in early in the piece and how dissonent the music gets- suddenly he's lost hope. From the upper octaves, you can hear the pleas of his companions begging him to come back. Eventually, our companion decides she must sacrifice herself to save the world. She does so before Ash's eyes, and after watching this selfless act, Ash is left alone with nothing but his thoughts. He feels immense guilt for his actions, for he has caused the death of his friend. He sobs and commits to never giving in again, but nothing will help the emptiness that's inside of him.
"A King Corrupted" is a study of how one can become obsessed with something to the point that they can focus on nothing else. I accelerated the tempo as the king progressed in his narcissism and tried to show how it destroyed him. After he dooms his kingdom, he realizes how he's failed, but he doesn't have time to focus on that, for he must battle his horrific birthright and come to terms with his legacy and humanity.