The prologue of the game. It is only used in the first cutscene before the main menu and sets the tone for the rest of the game.

Music and songs analysis and hypothesis:

Kicks in as soon as the game’s first cutscene starts, and also the #1 track of the album and the number 0 in the development track names, possibly meaning it was always meant to be the first thing to be heard in the game, after the beginning credits and initial settings (progressive scan screen).

It’s worth mentioning it is one of sixteen to have a title marked with tildes (~), meaning it has a subhead and is also one of the two songs with this feature that are not ～巨像との戦い~ (~Battle with the Colossus~), the other being Epilogue ~Those Who Remain~, raising the importance of the beginning and end of the story as whole.

The song is orchestrated with bouzouki, strings (violin, viola and cello), choir (Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass), flute and organ. It is composed mostly in the D phrygian mode (historically known as a “mystic” mode).

There are five major distinguishable parts to this song, listed below:

Timestamp Scene in-game Linkage between the scenes and the song Musical form Leitmotifs present
0:00–1:00
∆ 01:00 The screen shows the cloudy night sky and the kite oversight scene diving to bypass ‣ and ‣ traversing a narrow section of a mountain, until Agro jumps over a chasm on the mountain. First time we see both Agro and Wander. There’s something wrapped on Wander’s lap. It starts with the bouzouki describing a melody and a choir responds it while one of the voices makes the pedal note below everyone. After the small talk between the bouzouki and the choir, the flute comments high above everyone, calling like a bird.
This pattern is played three times until… Aa. (0:00–0:21): It’s the first thing we hear: an ascending then descending phrase in the bouzouki playing fast and rhythmically free notes as it Direct rapidfires a noticeable phrygian scale built on top of a pedal note in the choir sustaining the root of the scale, followed by a response from the sopranos and altos. The phrase is cut by a flute calling, just like a bird. The choir only stops singing midway from one “bird calling” to another, as if to show that the “bird” is interrupting the chant and receiving full attention at the end. It’s the first time we hear the Inverted Jaws (whole step) motif.
Ab. (0:21–0:42): The second time, the ascending and descending phrase is more elaborate and shows some movement in the sustained note at the bass. The choir than responds with a similar but higher answer and is cut again by the flute in the same way. The flute now sings a Inverted Jaws (half step) motif for the first time and it’s another emulated bird call.
Ac. (0:42–1:00): The third time, the bouzouki explodes in the most rhythmic elaborate phrase yet, responded right after by the same choir answer in Aa. but now moving the bass from Sol at the start of Ac. to Re, the root of the scale. The flute cuts them all again. First appearance of:
• Direct rapidfire
• Inverted Jaws (whole step)
• Inverted Jaws (half step)
1:00–1:12
∆ 00:12 After Agro jumps a chasm and Wander walks the horse by the moonlight until this scene on the mountains fades out showing the moon behind the clouds. …when the strings enter developing the melody the bouzouki was making and the flute was commenting until… Ba. (1:00–1:12): The strings showcases a descending phrase going up one note and down two notes starting from Ti flat ending in the root Re. Acts like steps on a stair going down, so I called it Interchanged rapidfire, since, I imagine, it is a modification of the Direct rapidfire motif. At first, the phrase seems cut short before repeating itself with one single note longer that seems to resolve the phrase, as it reaches the phrygian root D. Then, only the tail {b}, comprised of a Descending whole step-half step, made of Fa>Mi b>Re is repeated twice afterwards. First appearance of:
• Descending whole step-half step
• Interchanged rapidfire
1:12–1:42
∆ 00:30 As Wander and Agro traverse a forest where the only lights visible are the rays of moonlight that pass through the dense foliage of the trees above and the few fireflies that are stationary until the scene fades. …when the choir return to sing the main verse with the strings. In this part, the high voices seems to have a conversation with the low voices. When Agro enters further into the shadowy forest, while getting near the lake, there’s a modal interchange: instead of a Dm, a D major plays. Then, the flute seems to have the final word and the scene fades to black… C. (1:12–1:42): The choir chants in an invented language drawing ascending and descending melodies accompanied by the strings. The choir short phrases go back and forth from soprano to bass in a call and response manner until soprano ends in the Zuuo motif consisting of Sol>La>Fa#. That F# changes the Dm chord to a D major, brightening the scale through modal interchange. The flute comes back with the bird calling, but now the choir stops singing as soon as the flute hits its last note, sounding like it was commanding the other voices. First appearance of:
• Zuuo
1:42–2:24
∆ 00:42 As the rain pours, Agro stops to drink some water and Wander watches from afar the gates to the ‣. They, then ride along a lush green field until arriving at the gates. Pillars are visible at the front. The climax happens when the camera pans up the entrance temple. The scene continues showing Wander and Agro entering the temple with a quieter part of the song until they actually pass through the portal. That’s when the strings go into a frenzy on the same ideas we have stablished prior: the development of the melody and harmony in 1:00–1:12 and the call and response we just heard. These two ideas build a crescendo coming and going in dynamic, height and speed until a climax at 2:09–2:15. From there, a soft chord progression is played and the bouzouki and an organ (synthesized) announces… Bb. (1:42–2:15): The phrase cut short before in Ba, now comes back with more context and fillings (and feelings), it develops into a full orchestral crescendo, building on top of the stair-like structure {a} but now sewing alongside ascending and descending diatonic melodies, very much like the bouzouki at the start of the track A. It reaches climax at 2:09 finishing off with the tail {b} left behind on Ba, but now playing Do>Ti flat>La.
Bb. (2:15–2:24): It, then, repeats again, but lower and calmer, showcasing an ascending Dm in the organ, followed by the bouzouki. Recurrence of:
• Direct rapidfire
• Interchanged rapidfire
• Descending whole step-half step
2:24–3:26
∆ 01:02 When both Wander and Agro are seen walking across the portal, after passing by the entrance temple walls, the camera shows the first sight of the the Forbidden Lands: The vast desert surrounded by mountain ridges. Panning past Wander, we see that we’re traversing a long bridge to a big construction at the end. Finishes with the end of the cinematic: the wind howling, the horse although much bigger than normal is dwarfed by the enormous bridge. It then, links to the silence in the main title menu. … the return of a triumphant choir accompained by a very expressive and full string section. At 2:48, a similar texture is heard, but at half the dynamic, that builds up on yet another crescendo that stops only at the end of the song. Da. (2:24–2:48): A slowed and yet strong orchestra with choir walks through a Sol>La>Ti progression to finish in Dm.
Db. (2:48–3:03): It repeat itself even calmer maintaining the same chord progression.
Dc. (3:03–3:24): It, then, builds a crescendo from Gm to Dm to finish in a C major chord, while the bass plays Do>Fa#>Sol>Do (octave lower).

The track develops 6 motifs: