I wake up to a melodic chime from my phone. It's my alarm clock, and it looks like I may have overslept. Still, I have to wonder what lies ahead for the other Mathilde — the other me. The mountains ahead beyond the forest she and her friend crash-landed in. I anticipate the mysteries from behind the great hills, especially from the temple at the very top.

With the dream recorder still strapped on my head, I enter a meditative state and channel my presence near the other Mathilde. My vision reforms. Surrounding me is a haunting scene of partially rotting trees, their bark turning gray like stone. Nearby, two deer-like creatures with green fur graze next to a river bend. A doe and her fawn. The waters there are clear and deep. Maybe a suitable place to swim or bathe. Above, stars twinkle and a full moon shines with almost no cloud in the sky. The mountains stand, waiting for the morning and the start of our adventurers' journey.

There are two voices. Both of them female, faint, and familiar. It sounds like Mathilde and Lyne, whispering to each other in a tone so intimate. It's coming from the magitech dropship, which crashed in an upside down position.

With soft steps, I proceed to the drop ship and lean my ear to the vessel's steel wall, eavesdropping on their conversation.

Lyne says with a whispered tone, "Sometimes, I wonder if our countries would ever reunite again."

Mathilde asks, her voice just as low, "Do you think that's possible?"

"As long the Bektorians and the Archaeans share a common enemy, there is always that possibility. Unfortunately, it seems my mother would beg to differ. Her hatred for the Bektorians runs deep."

"It doesn't surprise me, Serahlyne ... I mean, Lyne."

"Don't worry, Mathilde. No one is around to know."

Serahlyne? I guess Lyne is short for that.

With my ear resting on the cold metal, I continue to listen in, but all I hear are strange moaning sounds along with the two calling their names. Then a thought comes my way. I recall Mathilde saying that she sees me as a spirit or a ghost. Like most ethereal creatures, I should be able to phase through the metal wall of this transport vessel. And with almost effort, that's what I do as I now find myself in the cockpit of this vessel.

The first thing I see are two piles of clothes tossed to the side. It looks like Mathilde's black leotard uniform, along with its accessories. Another pile looks like the bluish black dragon-scale armor worn by Lyne. Further in the back of the transport unit, the two appear in the buff, sharing the same bedroll, with Lyne on top of Mathilde, the dragoon's cheek caressing the assassin's neck.

Mathilde gasps, her eyes wide open, spotting my presence. "Shit!" she says, tossing Lyne to the side in a panic. She grabs a blanket and covers her sensitive spots with it. "It's you!"

"I'm sorry," I say. "I guess I caught you at a very awkward moment. No one told me your relationship is this close."

"It's just been so long since we've seen each other, and the first time we've loved each other like this since Lyne's expulsion from the royal family and the Lexia Army."

"Expulsion?" I say my first assumption, "I take it the Archaeans don't tolerate same-sex relationships very well."

Lyne says, her head tilting away from me, "Sort of. Yes, it's true. The Archaeans are not keen about romance between two of the same gender. In fact, the royal police will throw those caught in such lewd acts in prison. Often, their sentence results in death. If not that, then they'll become subjects for experimentation at Sky Fortress Camcapre."

"Are there other reasons?" I ask.

"My reason is personal and has nothing to do with my relationship with Mathilde. My mother and I are not on good terms. I tried to reason with her, but it seems her ideals will not budge. Instead, she cut me off from the royal bloodline and I'm no longer an heir to the throne. To be frank, I'm actually glad about that. I can't stand the squabbles happening within the nation's politics. I'm a soldier, not a governor. Instead, I opt to forge my path for adventure. A quest to seek some truth behind my mother's madness and her interest in the Nightmares." Lyne turns her head to Mathilde and smiles. "Plus, I get to express my love without guilt or shame from any governing body."

Then I realize something. Didn't Mathilde used to have a mate? Surely this alternate version of me once loved another woman. Of course! I remember now. I turn my head to Mathilde and ask, "How about Celes Wairen, Mathilde? She must have an opinion if your love between you and Lyne goes back further."

Mathilde lowers her chin. "I try not to think about. Hells, I never told her about my love for Lyne, but it wouldn't surprise me if she already knew. After all, we assassins find out even the darkest secrets. Still, if there's one thing I can say, it's that after we engaged in Eternal Bonding, it left me with more questions than answers. Though, after she died during the invasion of Castrum Tormenti Spiculum, a small part of me felt relief, while another part demanded the need for vengeance. Honestly, I don't know what's right with my relationship with Celes Wairen. I mean, as a soldier, she's a damn good person to have on the team. Yet, on a personal level, our relationship didn't sit well with me. Everything felt forced."

"So, the love wasn't mutual?" I say, tilting the side of my head, pondering while recreating the situation in my mind.

"No," Mathilde says, her voice sulking. "Anyway, it's late. I need some rest."

Lyne nods. "Yes, tomorrow is going to be a big day. We're going to need all the energy we can muster to venture up that mountain."

I say, "Very well. I will leave you to your devices then; and wish you well and safe travels."

—————

I remove the dream recorder, open my eyes, and check my phone. There's an email from Mr. Vahn'dien stating that there will be a short briefing at Rowynn's auto hobby shop later today. In that case, I prepare for the day with a set of casual clothes. A white untucked shirt, loose khakis, a beige unbuttoned military jacket, and steel toe shoes. Rowynn's place can get sooty with grease and motor oil, so it makes sense to wear something that's easy to wash.

I make a stop at Dr. Williams's office hoping to see Arizona there, but it seems Samza is the only one at work, sitting at a workstation, browsing random files on holograms. Not even Mezos and The Doc are around. She too is wearing casual attire comprising a white shirt with purple paint splats, purple pajama pants with black and white embroidered spider-web patterns, and black sneakers with purple laces.

On Samza's desk is a bowl of cheesy puffs and potato chips. Next to it is a plate with two fudge brownies. She takes a brownie and starts munching on it. She then spots me and greets, "Yo! 'Sup, homie?"

I say, waving a hand, "Good morning, Samza. Anything new?"

"Lots of data, both on the Lexia side and the Figarosa side, including the imperial families. That Lyne Highwind chick had a lot of stuff for us to download from her aetheric comm device. It's like downloading your opponent so hard that you also get all the incriminating evidence needed to cancel the guy out of social media. When my bro gets back, we're going to finish sorting through all this stuff. It's a lot to take in."

"Where is everyone?" I ask.

"They all went to Rowynn's shop. I'm just here waiting for you to wake up. Although, I caught the last bit of your meditation session you recorded. It caught me in an embarrassing moment when Dr. Williams walked back into the office for a second."

"Oh? What do you think of it?"

"The Doc be like with her formal voice, 'Oh goodness, Samza! What is that you're watching?' And I be like, 'Oh shit!'" The rabbit-fae raises her hands up, wailing her arms, looking panicked, then returns to her normal composure. "I still have my job, though. For real dawg. My bro was wondering about Serahlyne III's file and I see why. I guess the dragoon girl was a royal. Also, the Archaeans are a bunch of homophobes."

"So, what should we expect when soldier-me goes up that mountain?"

"If it's anything like what my brother and I went through when we ventured up that mountain path fifty years ago, there's going to be a lot of wind, fae warrior monks, and some weird aetheric stuff surrounding the Temple of Reflections."

"Temple of Reflections?" I ask, gasping, my eyes open in curiosity, "What happens when they reach the temple?"

"It's different for everyone. Over a hundred years ago, Dad went up there with two other fae and he had to confront a ghost from his past. When my bro and I went there fifty years later, we faced the spirit of our dead summoner teacher. Who knows what Lyne and Soldier-you will face when they get there, but the idea is to shed the darker moments of one's past self in order to feel enlightened enough to take on a bigger challenge. That's where I learned how to summon one of my favorite eikons, Alexander. My brother also learned how to conjure some powerful relics from there, too."

If Samza and Mezos met someone from their past at that temple, then I have to assume something similar will happen to Mathilde Wairen. If so, I wonder who she'll meet and what will happen to her when she finishes her duty there.

"Anyway," Samza says as she powers down her workstation, "I'm supposed to bring you to Rowynn's auto shop. Also, you want my last brownie?" The rabbit-fae presents me the plate with the one remaining brownie.

I recall the last time I ate one of Samza's brownies a couple days ago. After consuming it, I heard voices of nonexistent people; started laughing for no apparent reason; and became very hungry. Then I remembered Mezos telling me that Samza likes to put edibles on her brownies. I guess that's why my head felt like it drifted into another world so animated and foreign.

I say to Samza, shaking my hand, "No, I'm fine."

Samza takes the last brownie, stuffs the entire snack into her mouth, chews it slowly, and then washes it down with an energy drink. She asks, "You ready to head out?"

"Yes."

—————

I'm sitting in the passenger seat of Samza's car, a purple Dodge Challenger Demon, as we head out to Rowynn's shop. Such an angry-sounding vehicle, its engine rumbling like a lion waiting for its chance to strike, fusing the power of gasoline and electricity with its overcharged hybrid engine system. Rowynn's shop isn't far. It's a seven-minute ride from The Labs when traveling at normal speed, which we are considering the performance hiding underneath the hood.

The radio is not on, which is strange because Samza typically plays loud music, often of the hip-hop or heavy metal variety, sometimes both in the same song. Instead, she asks me, "So, what kind of music you like to listen to?"

I say while keeping my eyes focused on the road, "Cithara always played classical music, like Bach, Mozart, and Tchaikovsky, so it's the only music I've listened to when she raised me at the CrystalCorp lab." My mind lingers and I recall a recent concert Cithara brought me to a few months ago. "Now I remember. Cithara brought me to an event called Distant Worlds. It was a concert themed around a video game franchise called—"

"Oh! I heard of that," Samza says, interrupting me. "That's the Final Fantasy orchestral world tour. They play music from those games with a big ass symphony. My brother and I met some cosplayers when we went to one in the UK. One of them even serves as a contact for The Remnants for espionage stuff. I forgot her name, but she dressed like OG Cammy with white boots and gloves instead of red stuff. She ain't no opera floozy, dawg."

A contact point in the United Kingdom? Now I have to wonder how far The Remnants' influence goes. There must be contacts in other nations where The Remnants might require a presence. Now that I'm thinking about it, there is a CrystalCorps lab in London. Cithara and I went there on a business trip a few months ago. A much nicer facility compared to the one in Boulder City, Nevada. Perhaps The Remnants' contact in the UK serves to gather intel from the London-based complex. That makes sense to me.

Samza taps the touchscreen on her car's entertainment system. "By the way, you probably heard this tune before then." The song begins with a pronounced orchestral choir singing along to an oscillating piano segment. It sounds like they're singing in Latin. A rumbling percussion segment enters the auditory scene, then the sound of an electric guitar kicks in with the leitmotif along with the usual musical suspects from the heavy metal genre. This rendition also includes fast-paced rap lyrics to go with the sped up tune. It sounds like Samza is the one spitting the flames.

I recognize the leitmotif and say, "This sounds like Battle at the Big Bridge. I never heard this version, though."

"It's a cover composed by my brother and I. He did all the orchestral and metal bits, and tacked on a Latin choir. I did all the rapping. We played this live during the Evo 2055 pre-game concert, before the Dissidia Top 8. It was hype as fuck! By the way—" a wide grin forms on Samza's face and her eyes slant, looking lazy, "do you know whose theme song is this?"

My mind draws a blank. While I'm familiar with some of the game's notable tunes, I actually have played none of the Final Fantasy games. "No, I do not," I say.

"What?" Samza yells, a moment of shock tilts her shoulder. A flood of enthusiastic words spew from the rabbit-fae's mouth at hyper-driven speed. "You have never heard of The Legend of the Greatest Swordsman in The Universe? The one who possesses a collection of many fine blades and displays great strength and skill with each one? Well, imagine this!"

Samza takes a moment and hums along to the song. Then she raises her voice and says with an announcer's fervor, "Tonight, we have Steve Fox from The Iron Fists™️ on the right, Billy Kane from The Kings™️ on the left, and Cammy White from The Streets™️ at the center stage! They're here at The Big Bridge in the United Kingdom, straight outta Super Turbo! Our three heroes must team up together to battle this mysterious warrior from a Distant World. But enough expository banter! Tonight, they fight like MEN, and ladies who used to dress like the General of the Gestahlian Empire! Lets give it up for our red-armored, polka-dot pants wearing, E. Honda-shaped samurai from The Fantasies™️: GILGAMESH!" Samza continues to hum to the song until the very end of it.

All those names went over my head, though I suppose it's what rappers like to reference — pop culture or other strange niches. Still, a samurai named Gilgamesh? A Japanese-styled warrior with a Sumarian name? How strange. Perhaps the effects of her edibles are kicking in.

—————

We arrive at Rowynn's auto shop, the home of The Machinesmiths, as the sun reaches its apex. It's high noon. However, dark clouds from a distance lurk ahead, making their way to shroud the sunshine at a slow pace.

Four of the five garage doors are open, revealing the cars driven by The Hoon Squad, Rowynn's crew of drivers who scout and transport members of Dax's Revelers. From left to right, I see an orange Shelby Mustang, a vibrant red Dodge Charger, a blue Subaru WRX rally car, and a white Honda Civic FK8 with racing livery. Each of the drivers prime their engines and prepares their leave with the Mustang leading the way as it departs first, its wheels squealing and engine roaring. The other three follow from behind.

The driver of the Charger waves a peace sign with his two fingers at Samza as he leaves. Samza nods back and says out the window, "Good luck out there, G."

The fifth garage door at the far end of the shop opens and Samza parks her Challenger, backing the vehicle into the opening. Mezos is at the garage, waiting for us while guiding the Challenger into place as Samza backs it in. The car's engine stops and we exit the vehicle.

Samza asks her brother, "Where are all my homies going?"

Mezos adjusts his glasses and says, "They have a scouting mission with Skylar's crew around Washington, DC. Ever since the destruction of the Aether Dome, our contacts have reported strange anomalies within certain CrystalCorps facilities around the world. The Savants Division at Dr. Williams's lab complex also reported some weird stuff going around the White House and the Pentagon, which is what Dax's Revelers will investigate. We believe it has something to do with the waygate housed inside the Pentagon."

"Hold up," Samza says while twitching a brow. "There's a waygate in the Pentagon? How's that even a thing?"

Mezos shrugs. "I'm not sure, but Mr. Vahn'dien and Rowynn will have a briefing shortly and explain everything."

Samza, Mezos, and I proceed to Rowynn's office where Dr. Williams, Arizona, and Rowynn await.

Rowynn, a tan skinned En'ari elf with scarlet red hair tied back into a ponytail and orange cybernetic eyes, stands behind her workbench. She's wearing her red mechanic's jumpsuit with a plain black shirt underneath. Like Samza and Mezos, she is also from the otherworld of Esthial.

The tall elf glances over holograms floating above her messy workbench, littered with tools, weapon components, and automotive parts. Holograms depict the Nightmares, and the alternate version of me fighting these dreadful creatures. Finally, an isolated hologram depicts a tall mountain with a temple near the top.

Rowynn says while checking her phone on her workbench, "It looks like Mr. Vahn'dien will be here in his avatar form instead of in person. Apparently, he has business matters to deal with after this briefing."

Dr. Williams pulls out a gold analogue pocket watch from her lab coat pocket and checks it. "He's running late."

A notification appears on Rowynn's phone. She glances at it and says, "Lads, I received word to start without him. He'll catch up when he's done with his other duties." Rowynn pushes a button on a remote, turning on a hologram display module. The hologram, much larger than the holograms of the Nightmares, appears to be one of the Archaean sky fortresses, a floating monolithic spire-like structure made of metal and stone.

Dr. Williams leads the briefing and says, "For the past few days, we've been observing the dreams of Arizona and Mathilde. When Mathilde reported having recurring dreams of traveling in a wasteland, I suggested Ari to investigate Mathilde's dreams through her dream-diving ability. It looks like Ari became more than a spectator, but an actual participant in Mathilde's dream."

Mezos raises a finger and says, "The strange thing about it is that Ari somehow transplanted herself into our old world, which makes me think there's more to her dream-diving abilities than just taking a peak."

Samza scratches the back of her head and says, her eyes gazing upward at the slowly rotating ceiling fan, "Here's the thing. When Ari goes into our Mathilde's dream, it's almost as if the old world kept going and is picking up where we last left it many years ago. The countries in the Imperial Lands are continuing their fight against the Nightmares."

Mezos adds, "The Imperial families also had children since we left, if we're comparing the data we had before with the data we've downloaded last night."

Rowynn closes her eyes in thought. Then reopens them. "It seems Ari is not just any ordinary diver, aye? From the sounds of things, she could be a dream phaser, which is like a diver but can physically appear in another world by diving into a parent or sibling who sees visions of that world. Perhaps the reason lies with Mathilde. She sees through the visions of another Mathilde in Esthial through an aetheric link. From there, Ari can dive into Mathilde's visions and appear in the other world."

Ari raises a hand. "I have a question. Does that mean when I dive into my sister's dreams, am I actually being teleported into Esthial proper, or is that world some kind of alternate copy?"

"Good question, lass," Rowynn says. "That leads into the next subject: the waygates." The elf turns her head and eyes Samza and Mezos. "In the payload you downloaded from Ari's mission, does it also have information on the Reul-Sithe and Valkyr waygates?"

"It does," Mezos says as he pulls out his phone from his jacket pocket and taps on a virtual button on it. A map of the Imperial Lands appears in a hologram. Certain areas of the map display pulsing blue dots. "Each glowing point on this map represents a recorded location of a Reul-Sithe or Valkyr waygate. Note that these only document the waygates discovered by the Lexia Empire. There may be more in other strange places."

Rowynn points to the south-western portion of the map and says, "I guess that's why many of the points are congregated in this area of the continent. Either way, if Ari can attune to one of these waygates and the waygate in The Tree's Inner Sanctum can recognize it, then we'll know that the world Ari has traveled to is the true one." The elf paces around her desk for moment, pausing in thought with her index finger resting on her chin. "Aye! This gives me hope. Mayhap one day the old world can see the sun again."

Samza raises a hand. "Speaking of waygates, what's the deal with the one in the Pentagon in DC? How did one show up there in the first place?"

"Mr. Vahn'dien is researching about that now. He's supposed to be in this briefing to explain his findings, but from what I know, that waygate has been there since the destruction of Area 51."

In an instant, a bluish white holographic avatar appears, depicting a man wearing a business vest, pressed slacks, and fancy shoes. It's Mr. Vahn'dien in his avatar form. He says, waving a greeting hand, "Sorry I'm late. Turns out the United States government is a slow-moving behemoth. Fortunately, I have been overhearing your conversation through an audio feed. It seems you're talking about the waygates. I have some news to share regarding the waygate in the Pentagon."

The hologram of the sky fortress shifts away and in its place is a hologram displaying a circular gate made of stone. Standing in front of it are two people, a man and a woman. The man appears wearing a military officer's uniform while the woman is in a business coat and slacks.

"Let me play the feed provided by Pentagon officials of President Lyss Stirling and the Secretary of Defense, General Aurelius Jansen," Mr. Vahn'dien says.

The holographic feed begins with both characters speaking. However, there is no audio. Still, their actions could mean something. A minute later, the woman points at the man and a weapon materializes from her hand. It resembles an ornate triggerblade.

"Wait a second," Arizona says, gasping. "Pause the video." The stream halts and Arizona inspects, focusing on the woman's triggerblade. "I recognize that blade. That's Gunhild's triggerblade. I can tell by the ornamental engravings around the barrel and blade. It's her signature weapon. Carry on with the feed."

The stream continues. The man pulls out a pistol from his coat pocket and aims it at the woman. Quite a diminutive size compared to the triggerblade. Yet, the man appears hesitant to fire. A certain fear makes him jitter. The two continue talking until a burst of black and white energy blasts from the woman's triggerblade, leaving a gaping hole in the man's chest.

The woman then motions someone to pick up the man's corpse. A strange person-like creature, a Nightmare, enters the scene and hauls the corpse over its shoulder. It then accompanies the woman as she activates the waygate. A purple swirling portal appears before them, and they walk through it. Three other Nightmares follow from behind and also pass through the gate. Finally, the gate deactivates, and the scene remains dormant.

Ari says, her brows furrowing. "So you're telling me President Stirling is working for the Nightmares?"

"Much worse," Mr. Vahn'dien says. "President Stirling revealed herself to be Gunhild the Usurper, according to the audio feed."

"There was no audio in that playback," Ari says. "Though I believe you. That triggerblade is not like anything else I have seen."

"At the meantime, I'm waiting to hear from Pentagon officials about acquiring the clearances needed to access that waygate for further investigation. I'll keep you updated when the situation develops. For now, I believe there are two more things to mention: the happenings at Sky Fortress Camcapre and Soldier-Mathilde's purpose at Mt. Tribulation."

Mezos waves a hand and brings the hologram of the sky fortress back to center view. "The basic gist behind Sky Fortress Camcapre — it's just like the Aether Dome. It's a facility where crazy people are experimenting on the Nightmares. It seems Queen Serahlyne II has an obsession of taking advantage of the Nightmares' magic to further augment her own military so she can try to overpower the Bektorian army and the Figarosa Empire."

"Fascinating," Mr. Vahn'dien says while rubbing his chin. "This makes me wonder what kind of relationship Gunhild has with the Lexia Empire. I can't imagine their meetings going both ways. Surely, one is reaping more benefits than the other. Still, it is something worth noting."

Mezos shifts holograms and displays one of the hulking Prince Caienne. "Perhaps one key point to make is that the Nightmares from that facility seem engineered for the lack of a better term. For example, when Ari accompanied Soldier-Mathilde and a dragoon friend, they fought a Nightmare based on the former Bektorian prince, Caienne yos Figarosa. Prince Caienne looked nothing like any Nightmare we have ever seen. He appeared more crystallized yet still savage, like a normal Nightmare."

"Crystallized Nightmares?" Mr. Vahn'dien pauses, then continues. "Rowynn, have you had experiences with Nightmares of such characteristics?"

Rowynn says, "Those are more advanced forms of them. At some point, they forget their previous identity and only exist to roam in torment and pain until someone puts them out of their misery. Their elements of light and dark consume them and then they become crystal. In that state, they are much stronger and feral. Though it seems the Archaeans discovered a method to speed up the crystallization process. If so, then it seems we'll have to deal with their diabolical experiments at a grander level."

My sister grits her teeth in frustration.

I ask, "What's wrong, Arizona?"

"I wonder if Cleo and Lucia would one day turn into the crystallized being that Prince Caienne became."

Cleo and Lucia. Arizona's former teammates from her WarGames team, the Neon City Valkyries. Gunhild turned them into Nightmares prior to the destruction of the Aether Dome last week. Yet, for some strange reason, both of them broke away from Gunhild's command and betrayed her. Where they have gone is a mystery to me.

Rowynn raises a finger and says, "Through natural means, it's going to take a long time. You'll be old and gray when that moment comes."

"I hope you're right," Arizona says.

"Anyway, I would like to bring across one last bullet point: Soldier-Mathilde's purpose at Mt. Tribulation." Rowynn turns her head to me, meeting my gaze, and says, "There is a legend that could foreshadow your alternate's path up the mountain. From my understanding, the other Mathilde harnesses a certain darkness in her heart."

Mezos interjects. "Are you talking about that one legend where an imperial knight ventured up Mount Tribulation, shed away moments of their dark past, and returned as a holy warrior?"

"Aye, that's what I'm talking about, lad. That's the short and simple, anyway. Though there's more to that."

Samza adds, "I've heard about that, too, but I recall my brother and I looking up records of that event. We found nothing."

Mezos continues. "Almost nothing. I know the legend originates from a town full of Reul-Sithe fae mages east of Mount Tribulation. That village sits on the Bektorias-Daigun border."

Samza asks, "Do you remember the name of that town?"

"I do," he says. "It's known by three names. Bektorians call it Mudretsov. The Daigunese call it Alshaykh. The Reul-Sithe locals call their city-state Mysidia, which is a word in the ancient Reul-Sithe language for 'the Village of the Magi.'"

"I think I'll go with the third word," Samza says with a grin. "That's shorter and easier to pronounce."

Mezos says, "I agree, but I guess the Imperials don't see it that way. Anyway, we have almost no records from Mysidia. No surprise — just like the elders of The Great Tree, they don't make a lot of their records known to the public. Though a part of me wonders if this legend is not a legend ... but a prophecy. I mean, they also document the coming of The Nightmares and the disappearance of the sun long before those creatures ever showed up."

"I was thinking the same thing, bro." A smile forms on Samza's face.

Arizona asks, "What's this prophecy about?"

The goat-fae answers. "I'm sure it's written in some poetic verse like many ancient Reul-Sithe texts, but here's a simple way to put it. One who was born with a heart of darkness goes up the mountain, engages in a trial for enlightenment, and comes back harnessing the power of light. However, there is a second part to it where one with the heart of light gains the power of darkness. It involves another person who shares a bond with the first person going up that mountain."

Rowynn's eyes open, realizing something. "Now, I remember. Aye! What you're speaking of is the prophecy of The Warriors of Duality. It's based on an old Mysidian verse. I don't recall the exact words of the parable, but what you said are the intricate details of it. Which makes me wonder about our Mathilde. If they prophesied the other Mathilde to become a Warrior of Light, would our Mathilde later become the Warrior of Darkness?"

Arizona grits her teeth but says nothing.

Mr. Vahn'dien's avatar's head turns to face me. "Now, harnessing the powers of darkness doesn't mean you'll become an evil person. After all, the other Mathilde seems to have a sense of morality and dignity while harnessing shadow magic, based on what I've seen from the recordings."

Arizona glances at me and then returns her gaze back at the avatar. "I hope you're right. I remember holding the other Mathilde's gauntlets. They felt cold and soulless. I wasn't sure what to make of it."

Mezos shrugs. "That's just the way how shadow magic works. It takes a certain mindset to handle it while not allowing the element to cloud your better judgment. Lawful assassins are good at that."

Rowynn presses a button on the remote and all the holograms turn off. "Anyway, I believe that concludes our meeting. Questions?"

I glance around and so do others around the room. No one answers.

"Very well," Mr. Vahn'dien's avatar says. The avatar then turns to face Arizona. "Ari, continue to dive into your sister's dreams. If you stumble upon a waygate in your adventures, try to attune yourself to it. Mezos or Samza can show you how to do that."

The avatar then turns its attention to me. "Mathilde, also continue to record your meditation sessions and maintain contact with your alternate. As for the rest of us, I should receive word tomorrow for my request for clearances. Once the Department of Defense approves our requests, then we can proceed with our investigations."

Ari simply nods.

I say, "Thank you, Mr. Vahn'dien. I'll keep you all up to date with the latest happenings."