7th interlude: The Last Memory

Evrard steadies Bernice's hands and looks into her eyes. "I promise."

Rémi looks suitably smug and says, "They couldn't kill me if they tried. And they have tried many times!"

May reaches her hand up to Jacob, returning the hug as best she can. She whispers, "May will do everything she can to rescue your family, Jacob. May promise."

"Thank you," Jacob whispers to May's ear. "You're a really good friend."

Once she's hugged both her sons as long as the circumstances would allow it, Everly reluctantly lets them go and goes to stand with the others on the dock. Ingeburg smiles at Rémi and pats his shoulder before following suit.

Bernice responds to Evrard's promise by kissing him passionately without any care for the onlookers.

At the same time, Everly waits for Samantha to hand Triston to her. Edward caresses his son's cheek, a somber look in his eyes, then looks at his wife and nods at her in resignation.

"We'll see you again, darling. Mama will be back soon. Be a good boy for auntie Everly."

Sam kisses her son on the head. This moment in which Sam holds him feels fleeting and like an eternity at the same time. Only after handing Triston to Everly does she wonder faintly how that can be.

Triston coos when he hears his mother's voice, but starts to cry once Everly takes him away from her. Edward puts his arm around Samantha's shoulder and watches at the sailors remove the gangplank and prepare to unfold the sails.

Once the Happy Frog begins to move away from the docks, Ingeburg, Everly, Bernice and the other servants all wave goodbye at the squad members and the crew. Just as the squad members begin to do the same, everything else freezes: the ship, the water, as well as the people on the docks. Everything and everyone except for May, Samantha, Nick and Smirk.

Then the memories of the present time begin to flood into their minds, and they all realize what is happening.

"It's time we talk."

There's a woman standing on the deck. Someone they've never met before.

"My name is Jasmine Fouquet. I'm the human from whom Breeze was born."

Like a spell broken, Samantha's heartache is replaced by a surge amix with memories of battle, screams, and fire, and monsters. The sight of Jasmine adds a touch of condemnation, seasoned with a hint of dread.

"Your orbs are killing your hosts," Jasmine says. "Jacob's method of compartmentalizing your minds has slowed down the process, but it has mainly only treated the symptoms. If I don't do anything, your hosts will be completely gone by the time they wake up. I had hoped we would have enough time to find Breeze and Jacob and have them remove the orbs, but..." She lowers her head and sighs. "I have no choice. If I use the last of my strength, I can stop the process for maybe one more day, but you must tell Steve, Konrad and Mihai not to fall asleep before they've removed the orbs. If they fall asleep, their minds will be gone. Can you do that?"

She speaks in a firm tone, but her countenance is somewhat unsteady.

"'The last of your strength'? What are you saying? Jasmine, what's been happening to you?"

"I've been fighting your orbs. Using my memories like ammunition. I can't even remember the mistakes I've made anymore. I only know that I've made many." She pauses. "I also know that's what I should be doing."

Jasmine looks toward Medial and where the Dome usually would be. She ponders Smirk's words for a few seconds, then says, "My memories—the ones I made in the last few weeks—will still be with Breeze. But that's another Jasmine. Not me." She looks at Smirk and the rest of the squad again. "Just like all of you. Your memories remain, but they're only copies. Your real selves died centuries ago, even if it doesn't feel like it. What matters for now are those who are still alive. So please. Can you tell them what I told you? You're the only ones who can.

She waits for their answer, slightly fidgeting while preparing herself.

Sam's heartache returns. "I... I thought that maybe, I'd get to find my family. As much as I wanted to help them, I wanted that more. I wonder if the real me wishes that she could have done it all over again." She smiles at herself, and steps closer to Jasmine. "I think I can be happy with that. We'll make sure that they know what has to be done. I'll do everything I can think of to keep Konrad awake. And focused."

Then, she hugs Jasmine.

May joins the hug with the others, "May will tell Steve all you have done and said, Jasmine. Your sacrifice and life won't be forgotten."

Jasmine's expression softens when Samantha promises her that she'll look after Konrad, but then immediately stiffens when the young woman embraces her. She becomes even more uncomfortable when Smirk and May join in, although their words appear to have a soothing effect. Then it's Nick's turn, and by now, she's completely relaxed. For a few seconds, there's only silence, until finally, Jasmine quietly says, "Thank you. See you on the other side."

The squad members feel themselves slip into the void, and then everything turns black.
_______________

10:45 AM, October 3rd, 207 A.F.
In the mountains of Medial

Built in a narrow valley flanked on all sides by mountains, the facility housing the Core is truly magnificent in scale: a dome of steel with a diameter of at least two hundred meters that dwarfs the warehouses, workshops, residences and barracks that surround it. In only four years, the Empire managed to build a town in the middle of nowhere as well as the biggest magical contraption known to man. This might be humanity's greatest engineering achievement.

"Something's not right," Marcus says, a spyglass in hand.

The squad members have all regrouped on a ridge located two kilometers away from the dome so that they might plan their approach without catching the attention of any imperial patrol.

"The town is on high alert, but the soldiers aren't coming this way."

"What? What do you mean?" Edward asks.

"They're taking position around the entrances to the dome, weapons at the ready. But they are facing the dome, not the outer perimeter."

May doesn't waste time talking, she kicks her horse into a run towards the nearest entrance to the Dome.

Rémi follows a moment later after his surprise passes.

"The source of the Dome's power might have broken loose," Sam says to Marcus. She had just enough time to say this as May kicked her horse and took off.

"Let's get down there quickly!"

She spurs her own beast to a gallop to catch up to May.

The rest of the squad—Anne, Edward, Marcus, Rémi and Evrard—all mount their horses and follow the others down in the valley while Jacob flies above them. The path leading down the mountain is treacherous and so they cannot go as fast as they would like for this stretch of the road. This vantage point however allows them to see what happens next.

A beam of raw magic shoots out from the dome and into the sky. It rises so quickly, it takes only a moment before it disappears into the atmosphere. Then a wave of malaise hits the squadron as they feel the pressure of the raw magic push against their minds, which is immediately followed by an oppressive dizziness.

The horses suddenly stop and start neighing in panic. They refuse to go any further.

At the same time, the squad members hear screaming coming from the town.

"Wh-what happened?!" Anne asks.

"They've activated the Dome!" Sam winces through the headache coming on. "May, run ahead and warn us of any trouble, we'll be right behind you."

"I'm going too!" Jacob exclaims.

The young fairy follows after May as she dismounts her horse and runs on ahead. The rest of the group does the same, but they're not nearly as fast as the monk and the fairy. Nevertheless, it will still take them a few minutes to reach the town, even at this supernatural speed.

May and Jacob are the first to realize that the screams they are hearing are not of panic, but of rage. Vicious, unending rage. Even from this distance, May and Jacob can tell that people are fighting in the streets.

Not with weapons, but with their teeth and their hands.

"M-May?!" Jacob says. "What are they doing?!"

May slows down to a stop, saying in horror, "Madness, Jacob. They are all Mad from the raw magic floating about. Could you please warn the others?"