7th interlude: The Last Memory

As soon as he receives approval from Samantha, the researcher begins to work in tandem with her to stabilize the power levels. His colleagues begin to run from terminal to terminal as they proceed to input the instructions sent by the main terminal, and soon, the fairies' bodies begin to coalesce into their original form. They then stop screaming and fall unconscious, their bodies going limp from exhaustion.

Once the new head researcher hears Nick's warning however, he begins to pale. "W-What? Five minutes?" he says. "It will take at least an hour to power down the Core! I'm not sure we can even stabilize it in five minutes!"

The man slowly shakes his head. "No. Not before we've finished stabilizing the energy levels."

The other researchers are so busy working on their terminals, they don't seem to realize the implications of what will happen soon.

Crestfallen, Jacob turns and stares at the prisons where his brothers and sisters are. Meanwhile, the squad members feel more of their sanity go away. Evrard more than the others.

"Screw all this. I made a promise."

Evrard goes at the nearest fairy prison, summons another +3 dagger, and tries to break it open.(2 charges left)

Gab is inside.

When Rémi sees what Ev is doing he moves over and starts using his halberd and strength to help.

Nick walks over to the talking researcher, pulls out his spare Orb and puts it in his hand. - "Press it against your forehead. Or pick someone who should have it, i don't care. And when that door opens, you - or whoever you decide - wait for an opening behind us and run when we do." - Nick grits his teeth in frustration and looks down - "This is all i can do for you people."

"We've stabilized the Core!" one of the researchers says. "It should hold for now."

Then Evrard and Rémi move to break open Gab's cage, at the others' stupefaction. The new head researcher widens his eyes at this sight, and so do all his colleagues. He barely registers Nick giving him an orb before he exclaims, "Wait! Stop that! You're going to—"

Then the cage breaks open, and Elemental magic, along with ambient raw magic, flows into the room. The researchers begin to scream in panic while Gab's body is violently expelled from her prison. Luckily for her, Jacob catches her in the air before she falls to the ground.

Unfortunately for Evrard, the flow of raw magic is too much for him and he falls unconscious to the ground.

"Dammit, Ev!" Marcus swears. "You damn fool!"

Without hesitation, Marcus sheathes his sword and picks him up. Edward pushes the button on the central console again, and the iron door begins to open. At the same time, the head researcher presses the orb against his forehead.

The Mimic is still on the other side.

"Dammit! Run!"

Sam bolts.

The squad members rush toward the exit while doing their best to ignore the screams of the researchers who are quickly turning mad from the sudden surge of ambient, raw magic pouring into the room. Instead, they focus all of their attention on the iron door that is sliding upward, revealing the glowing silhouette of the Mimic, which was waiting for them outside. The mages prepare their spells, the fighters ready their swords, and just as they're about to clash with the Elemental with the hope that they can just run past it, the dream ends and the squad members wake up inside the bodies of people born two hundred years after them.