Liberi Reader

The outermost layer of the fortress in the skies above the Shard begins to break apart, its many fragments falling like a rain of iron spilling across the ground.

The enormous skeleton halts in place, its nerve bundles still wrapped around the airship.

The revenant's final consciousness is dissipating.

A violent ignition.

The shadows dissipate from within the inferno, and the flames envelop the airship, tearing apart the nerve bundles.

They charge towards you too.

You try to step forward, but your body fails to move. You are separated from the scene by an untouchable barrier.

You finally realize that this is not reality.

This is what the revenant has compelled you to see.

A scene of truth.

You see many figures by your side advance.

You recognize their weapons and armor. You have seen their shadows before, rather recently in fact...

Have they come to protect Theresa?

No, that's not right...

You see them draw their swords against the wounded King of Sarkaz.

The fleeting scenes melt away, returning your consciousness to reality.

You look at W, Kal'tsit and Amiya. You see the expressions on their faces. You realize that you were not the only one watching those visions unfurl.

Surprise. Doubt. Sorrow.

The incomprehensible truth is like a sledgehammer striking at your heart.

You feel difficult to even begin to recover from the shock. The calm tone of the two before you didn't help you forgive yourself.

You look at the silent girl, her face streaked with tears.

You want to say something, but she is the one who speaks first.

You reach a hand out to Amiya.

The deck of the airship suddenly begins to shake violently. Amiya immediately grabs your hand.

The dark shadows that once gathered within the cabin have begun to bloom in the sky.

Below the glow of the crimson horizon, a black blossom, dark enough to swallow all light, furled itself around the airship.

The shadows enshrouding your thoughts are dispersed.

Golden incantations break apart the inky blackness, raining down upon the damaged areas of the airship.

The words fall apart as they touch the surface before reforming, suturing together the ship's broken body, healing its wounds.

The banshee's bone pen hangs down from his hand, lightly touching upon the surface of the shadow.

With shadow as parchment, the banshee scribes his incantations with restless flicks of his wrist.

Golden veins wend their way through the shadows, as the fires are slowly extinguished.

You all fall back down onto the deck of the airship. The hull beneath your feet continues to shake, but the revenant keeps his silence.

The shadows circle underneath everyone's feet, as though mocking you.

White crystals extrude from the hull, radiating a cleansing light.

A gentle light. A graceful light. A light that pacifies all confusion, mayhem and disorder.

The rays wash over the shadow, becoming ever more dazzling.

The purest white erases all color around you.

Immediately after, a black hole appears in the distance, devouring the radiance whole.

She leaves no tracks. It is like she were never here.

But everyone understands that she has finally taken action.

Through the openings in the skeleton, she sees that the great witchcraft-powered construct has already broken free of the nerve bindings, now hurtling at unchasable speeds towards Amnannam hanging in the sky.

Many have called you by these titles.

'The evil spirit of Babel'. 'The Doctor of Rhodes Island'.

Many have believed in you. Believed that you always make the right decision. That no matter how despairing the circumstances, you would always be able to find a way out.

But—

You are far from omnipotent.

It all happens in a flash of lightning.

Theresa does not reappear, having gathered up the shadows and taken them with her.

As you approach the Cunabula of Suffering, the crystallization advances ever more rapidly.

Now that the tides of shadow have retreated, you finally notice that the crystals have covered the entirety of the airship.

Your companions still stand by your side. They are great fighters all, but in the face of this fated disaster, you are all powerless.

The airship, unable to stop, rams into Amnannam—

And is brought to a standstill.

The instant that the ship is about to touch Amnannam, the colossal vessel, once hurtling at full speed, is slowed to a crawl.

Time itself stagnates.

The great Originium tree rapidly grows new limbs, firmly grasping the airship.

The lush branches quickly extend and envelop the ship.

You see everyone trapped in that moment.

You see the Originium grow wildly.

You see Amiya anxiously stretch her hand out towards you.