Lairah strode into the Council Chamber with her head held high. She had nothing to fear, nothing to be ashamed of. She took her place at her seat at the round table, but did not sit, instead standing behind her chair, as was customary for one called to account for their actions. Sparrow, too, was standing, like a plaintiff waiting to accuse a criminal, while Heron and Owl sat.
“Going unmasked is become a habit, now, is it, fledgling?” Sparrow asked in his lofty, arrogant voice. Lairah stared back at him, letting all her disappointment and disapproval fill her narrowed eyes. “Insubordination. I should have known you were too young for leadership, too rebellious. Too much like your mother.”
Lairah bristled at that, but before she could retaliate, Owl spoke in his strong, commanding baritone voice. “We are well aware of your opinions, Doctor,” he said. Heron gasped softly, and Sparrow stared at him, his posture stiffening. Even Lairah was surprised. It wasn’t a name, but to call Sparrow anything other than his new name before they achieved the Reunion was a startling breach of etiquette. And yet…
It was a reminder of the past. Of who they’d been. Of who they still were, underneath the pomp and circumstance.
“You have never been able to see Eagle as clear-eyed as the rest of us,” Owl continued.
“She failed to bring the twins into custody!” Sparrow cried, pointing an accusing finger at Lairah. “Why are you accusing me, rather than questioning her?”
“It is inarguable that the blame for this failure falls squarely upon you,” Owl said sternly. “You ruined her best chance to bring them in.”
Sparrow bristled, then sat stiffly. “Then what is this about?” he asked. “Why have we called her to account if you believe she is at fault for nothing?”
“To hear her take on the situation,” Owl said. He turned his masked gaze on Lairah. “I am interested in what she believes our next steps should be in the wake of this disaster.”
“Thank you,” Lairah said. She took her seat. She kept her mask on her belt, not wearing it, wondering if anyone would demand it of her. But while Sparrow clearly wanted to, he remained silent. “I’ve been considering our methods, and our priorities, after numerous failures to bring in the twins. I know that I am to blame for some of those, and I apologize for failing you all. But I’ve realized something — we don’t need to bring the twins into our control. Erika and Enrique will accomplish our aims, without any need for us to interfere.”
“That is a fascinating claim,” Heron said, her operatic soprano bright with interest. “Why would they open the door to Elysia without us making them?”
“Because Elysia is what they seek, too,” Lairah said. “Their travels with a Summoner are not by chance. They’ve formed an alliance, and a friendship, because of shared goals. It may well be that their parents wished for them to open the doors to Elysia all along. In which case, we don’t need to coerce them, or capture them. We merely need to keep an eye on them, and be there when they reach the doors. Once they open Elysia back to us, we can then walk right in. Their success will be ours — and they will be none the wiser.”
“The twins seek Elysia on their own…?” Heron asked. “But of course. Why make them into the keys if their parents didn’t intend to reopen the doors? How did we never see it? That is a fantastic observation, Eagle. Well done!”
“Thank you,” Lairah said, unmoved by Heron’s praise. “As for us, I believe we should redirect our efforts towards the parents. Alfred and Isadora must be prevented from waking Songbird. That should be our focus. If they succeed, all our hopes will crumble beneath their ambitions.”
“Well said,” Heron said. She turned to Owl. “Have we found a pattern, yet? Can we determine the parents’ next emergence?”
Lairah couldn’t help her eyes widening slightly in surprise. She knew a little about Alfred and Isadora’s current circumstances, but she had no idea that Reunion were close to determining a pattern to their movements. The pair rested outside of Reunion’s grasp, save for very brief moments — moments that Reunion had been unable to capitalize on so far.
“We are getting close,” Owl said. “There is indeed a pattern. Understanding history is easier than predicting the future, but the two are linked. Remain ready. When the time comes, we will bring all our strength to bear to stop the two of them once and for all.” There was a steely edge to his voice, and Lairah couldn’t help but share some of his anger. All that had happened to them, all the suffering they faced, all the hardship still before them… the blame for it all lay at the feet of Alfred and Isadora.
How could such wonderful children have such wicked parents?
The Council was soon recessed, though Owl asked Sparrow to remain behind. Lairah couldn’t leave fast enough, but she didn’t hurry her steps in departure. She strode calmly, steadily, back to her quarters. Only when she’d shut and locked the door behind her did she let out a sigh and relax.
She had a great deal to think about. A great deal she hadn’t shared with the others — things that only she knew, because she had been the only one present to learn them.
The Promised Queen travels with… it wasn’t Lacie. Or my Lady.
Then it must be Alice. But she didn’t seem right. Something’s happened to her. If I’d spent more time with them, perhaps… but no. I had to leave. They would have continued to press for answers. Answers I’m not prepared to give.
The Promised Queen, Alice herself, a songstress from Elysia, and…
Obsidian.
She kept seeing his face in her mind’s eye. Those summer-sky-blue eyes, so striking against his black hair and black attire, were unforgettable.
He’s chosen a path no one would have expected. And he certainly didn’t expect me to recognize him. I’m not surprised — we’ve never met. But seeing him that close… I knew at a glance, though I’d never met him before. Who wouldn’t be able to see it?
But the ones traveling with him, even the Promised Queen… they don’t. How?
So many seek Elysia. If we could only get there ourselves, return home at last…
My Lady. Will you welcome us home? Or judge us severely for the path we’ve chosen?
I hope that I’ve done something to help. Something to change the course of Reunion. We mustn’t be who we’ve been. We mustn’t be beholden to Zweitracht’s influence upon us.
All we want is to go home. To be back in the Light of our Creator’s Grace.
She looked down, and seeing the gauntlet still hanging from her belt, she made a choice. She detached it, gently removed the crystal from its housing, and then opened the small, circular window at the far side of her quarters. Fresh, salty air blew in at her, and she found a rare reason to smile.
“The Lairah I remember… she would never be cruel. No matter how desperate.”
“As long as you’re using a weapon like that, you’re just a destroyer.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Lairah tossed the gauntlet out the window. Into the sea, where it would sink to the depths, never to be seen again.
——
“What I don’t get,” Tsubasa said, fixing an analytical stare on the menu of the memory drive, “is why ‘Personal Data’ would be the only encrypted section. It’s gotta be about you two and your parents, right? So why would it be encrypted? Their recording for you even suggested they intended you to have this memory drive. It doesn’t make sense.”
“Maybe we know the password?” Erika asked. She touched the “Personal Data” option on the menu, and a prompt appeared to enter a password. She looked at Enrique.
“Maybe… it’s us?” he asked. He typed on a holographic keyboard. But when he entered in the password, a message came up saying it was incorrect.
“Songbird?” Erika suggested. Enrique tried that, to no avail.
“What’s something that’s important to you and your parents?” Roland suggested. “Perhaps they told you the password without you realizing it. A code phrase you all shared, or a secret between just the four of you.”
“Is there anything in your journal?” Tsubasa asked.
“Oh!” Erika said. She pulled out her journal, and looked over the leatherbound cover. “Nothing here…” She opened it, scanning through the pages. Enrique joined her, and they conferred about a few notes. But at the end, Erika shook her head. “There’s hardly anything from them in here. And nothing that was some sort of secret only we knew.”
“I can’t think of anything suggestive they said to us before we were separated,” Enrique said, eyes narrowed in thought. “They told us to chronicle the wishes of the world. ‘Our mission is now yours.’ But nothing strange, nothing that could have worked as a code word.”
“What about ‘wish’?” Erika asked. “Oh, or ‘miracle’!” Enrique tried the first, but it didn’t get them in. Neither did ‘miracle.’
Erika sat back with a sigh. “I don’t understand. Why would they protect this information and not tell us how to access it?”
“We can leave it for the future,” Enrique said. “Something may occur to us that we haven’t thought of yet. For now, let’s see what else we can find.” He touched the menu option “Project Files,” and a list of options came up:
Songbird Restoration
Project Keymaker
Lighthouse Analysis
Surveillance Report
Zexal Integration
Reunion
“Reunion?” Erika asked, staring wide-eyed.
Enrique touched the menu option. It brought up an image of four bird faces: an owl, a heron, a sparrow, and an eagle. Below it was the heading “Mission Statement,” and then a text passage:
“For the home we long for, there is no star we will not bring to earth, no mountain we will not cast into the sea, no wall we will not blast into oblivion. Whatever necessary, we shall do. For time to be restarted, for our lives to begin again, for our hopes to be rekindled. Until that day, we forsake our names, and unite under the four in common cause. We are united. We are one.”
“Why do they have this on here?” Erika asked in a trembling voice.
“They knew about their plans,” Enrique said. “Maybe they took a copy of their mission statement so they could understand them. But this… the things they claim to be willing to do…”
“It’s too horrific to believe,” Erika said. “Lairah would never be a part of this!”
“ ‘For our lives to begin again’…” Tsubasa murmured. “Time was stopped for them. Frozen. Life… it couldn’t move forward. It couldn’t be born. You two really were a miracle. Getting back home to Elysia, whatever it takes… it makes sense for them to want that. To pursue it, no matter what.”
“But —” Erika started.
“Clearly, Lairah has conflicted feelings about their methods,” Tsubasa said with an encouraging smile.
“You got through to her,” Roland said. “She’s been willing to remove her mask, to go by her own name, even to defy the other commanders. There’s plenty of hope that she won’t continue down the path Reunion desires.”
“But it does put their actions into perspective,” Muirrach said. “What they’ve done isn’t right. But why they’ve done it… Lairah did often seem desperate in our earlier encounters with her. I would not be surprised to see that desperation shared throughout their organization. That kind of obsession is a powerful motivator, for good and for ill.”
“Let’s go back,” Enrique said, returning to the Project Files menu. “Here.” He tapped on “Surveillance Report.” It brought up a short list of five names:
Athos
Rylance
Yulia
Lairah
Hildegarde
“Lairah is on here,” Erika said softly. “Our parents must have known she would be one of their leaders.”
“But there are four commanders,” Tsubasa said, “and five names. I wonder…”
“Do you want to start with Lairah?” Roland asked Erika.
Erika hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. “No. Let’s start at the top.” She tapped on “Athos,” and it brought up a series of brief reports, marked with numbers that must be dates, though Roland couldn’t parse what they really meant. The reports themselves were brief, just sparse facts, written by the observers, about the person in question, Athos:
2.12: Subject met with Rylance. The two of them have a secret lab hidden somewhere in New Elysia. Location unknown. Meeting contents unclear beyond that.
2.17: Subject communed with Zexal. No adverse effects noted afterwards. We questioned Zexal; he is unconcerned.
3.20: Subject attempted to access Songbird’s core data. Gave up after thirteen failed attempts. Reason unclear.
4.15: Subject made a copy of Songbird’s updated ‘Civil Recreation’ ordinance. Reason unclear. No data tampered with. Core data still beyond his reach.
4.18: Subject communed with Zexal. No adverse effects noted afterwards. We questioned Zexal; he is unconcerned.
4:65: Subject met with Rylance. Exchanged a data drive. Discussed ‘Reconfiguration.’ Reconfiguration of what? Unclear. We attempted subtle questioning of Rylance. Learned nothing.
5.00: Something has been done to Songbird. Zexal has become unstable. It’s time to leave, before things get any worse.
“It’s so sparse,” Erika said. “But… this sounds terrible.”
“It’s certainly suggestive,” Tsubasa said.
“Zexal…” Roland murmured, a sinking dread settling in his stomach.
“What’s Zexal?” Erika asked.
“Isn’t it part of the Second Quartet?” Enrique asked.
Roland nodded. “Zexal is the Fantasian governing electricity,” he said, “but that’s too simplistic an explanation of his purpose. He governs the pulse and pace of life, the energy that binds things together, the movements of people and the world. These reports… they suggest that Zexal was somehow part of New Elysia. For this Athos to have ‘communed’ with Zexal… it’s almost as if Zexal’s Canon is located in New Elysia, or close enough to it for its people to easily reach.”
“Then that note at the end…” Tsubasa started, her eyes widening.
“Right,” Roland said. “A Fantasian becoming ‘unstable’ is…” He shook his head. “I don’t even know how that could happen. The reports don’t say enough, but it certainly sounds as if Athos is responsible. I don’t know how that could be, though. I wish we had more than just one single descriptor. Unstable in what way?”
“And he did something to Songbird,” Enrique said. “So when mother and father ‘stole’ Songbird, they were probably trying to save it.”
“But why won’t they say more?” Erika asked. “It’s just like their message to us. What they don’t say is so much more than what they do. We’re left with too many questions!”
“Let’s see if the other reports tell us more,” Roland said. Enrique went back to the menu and selected “Rylance.”
2.12: Subject met with Athos. Reference ‘Athos’ report.
2. 65: Subject hurt Yulia. She discovered he is running some kind of experiment that she called ‘horrifying.’ When pressed for details, she did not know enough. She promised to find more information.
3.07: Yulia has vanished. Rylance claims he saw her going outside. No record of her in logs. A full investigation has been launched. Lairah has been placed into our temporary protective custody.
3.33; Investigation concluded. Yulia still missing, with no evidence as to where, why, or how. No evidence to suggest Rylance’s guilt.
4.65: Subject met with Athos. Reference ‘Athos’ report.
“Lairah… hold on,” Erika said, reading over the reports again. “Rylance is… her father. Isn’t he?”
“It seems likely,” Tsubasa said, nodding. “Sounds like Yulia was her mother, too. I don’t like this. Foul play, definitely — and Rylance got away with it, too.”
“You think he killed his own wife?” Erika asked in a hushed, horrified voice.
“Or imprisoned her somewhere no one would ever find her,” Tsubasa said. “Or made her part of his experiment. We can’t know what he did for sure — but he definitely did something. Something terrible.”
“Lairah was placed into our parents’ custody, for a short time,” Erika said, returning her attention to the report. “I… don’t remember that. I know there was a time that I spent more time with her than usual. Maybe it was then.” She bowed her head. “This is horrible. Her father sounds like a monster. And her poor mother…”
“There’s a report on Yulia,” Enrique said. “And on Lairah.” He looked at Erika. She took a deep breath, sat up straight, and nodded. Enrique opened the report on Yulia.
2.05: She came to us, revealing the formation of ‘Reunion.’ Athos and Rylance involved. Hildegarde suspected. Worried her daughter may also be involved. Beginning surveillance on suspected members.
2.34: She confirmed Rylance’s involvement. He told her all about it, and asked her to join. She refused. He hurt her. She’s recovering with us. Doesn’t want her injuries made public. Doesn’t want Lairah to know.
2.47: She communed with Zexal. Says he is either unaware of Rylance’s activities, or unconcerned.
2.65: He hurt her again. Reference ‘Rylance’ report.
2.99: She asked us to watch Lairah. Worried that Lairah is buying into the ‘Reunion’ ideology. She is trying to be more careful. Rylance’s violence is escalating.
3.06: Rylance hurt her again. She refused medical attention. Claims she knows location of the lab. Wants to investigate herself ASAP. Promised to bring us in when she confirms location. Will make contact by tomorrow.
3.07: Yulia has disappeared.
“This is horrible,” Erika said in a small voice.
Silence filled the table. No one knew what else to say. The reports were so sparse. Yet what they did say…
After a time, Enrique returned to the reports menu. He looked at Erika, and she nodded. He opened the report about Lairah.
2.99: Yulia asked us to watch over Lairah. Reference ‘Yulia’ report.
3.00: Carefully questioned Lairah. She gave nothing away about ‘Reunion.’ Perhaps she doesn’t know. Or perhaps she knows we will be hostile to it. Unclear.
3.07: Yulia has disappeared. Rylance under investigation. Lairah asked to be placed into our protective custody; we accepted. She spent the day reading to Erika, and playing games with the twins.
3.08: She took Erika on the lake. We surveilled from a hidden spot on the shore. Lairah never mentioned ‘Reunion.’ All indicators point to her not being involved. But something doesn’t feel right.
3.33: Investigation into Rylance concluded. No evidence for him to be charged. Lairah left our custody, but did not return to Rylance. She requested her own independent lodgings. The request was granted.
4.16: Logs show she accessed Songbird’s ordinance records. No data copied. No modifications attempted. Reasons for access unclear.
4.99: Logs show she accessed Songbird’s ordinance records again. Once again, no data copied, no modifications attempted. Reasons for access unclear.
5.00: Reference ‘Athos’ report. Lairah’s involvement unclear. But no more surveillance can be done. We’re leaving.
“There’s so little,” Erika said. “They seemed to find out so much about Athos and Rylance, but Lairah is a mystery. They couldn’t even be sure she was involved with Reunion.”
“Either she was an excellent spy,” Tsubasa said, “or she’s always been conflicted about things. She accessed Songbird’s records twice. The first time was the day after Athos made a copy of one of Songbird’s ordinances. And the second was right before everything went wrong. She didn’t do anything, though. It almost looks like she was trying to watch Athos, too, trying to figure out what he was doing. Or that she was involved somehow. It’s hard to tell.”
“That would be like her,” Erika said. “Watching, I mean. She always wanted to consider all the facts, to know as much as possible before making a decision. She didn’t like blindly trusting anything or anyone.”
“Makes some of her actions with Reunion look a little out of character, then,” Tsubasa said.
“Exactly!” Erika said. “And at Loch Reòsair, she really showed a change of heart. She got lost. Now she’s finding her way again. I’m sure of it.” She spoke those last words in a softer voice, full of a desperate hope.
“One report left,” Tsubasa said. When Erika was ready, Enrique pulled up the report on Hildegarde:
1.05: [Retrospective report, filed on 2.35 based on memory] Subject sang the starring role of ‘Riunione Vietata.’ Afterwards, approached us asking our opinions on the show, specifically if we found her character’s desire for ‘Reunion’ personally relatable.
2.35: Subject sang a solo concert on the Promenade. Finished with her famous aria from ‘Riunione Vietata.’
3.06: Subject headed a round-table discussion on the Fantasians. Growing sentiment that we should have connections to more than just Zexal. She specifically wanted to lead a diplomatic mission to form new connections with Huill.
3.06: [Added on 3.99, as new information came to light] Subject sighted outside Rylance’s quarters for a brief period during his attack of Yulia. Purpose unknown. Later sighted watching Yulia from Lakeside Café after she left us to search out Rylance’s lab.
4.15: Subject asked us to dinner. During the meal, she asked us about the idea of ‘Reunion.’ Not as an organization, but as a concept. When we tried to steer the conversation towards Rylance and Athos’ organization, she returned it back to the idea. “Do you want to go home to Elysia, someday?” she asked. We confessed that we are not certain we deserve it. New Elysia is our home. Her own answer to the same question: “We are refugees, sojourners. Our home is behind — but it can be before us, if we dare to dream. Wouldn’t you like your children to see our homeland someday?”
4.99: Subject requested an audience with Songbird. We allowed it; Songbird then refused her. She left without argument or complaint. We asked Songbird for the reason for its refusal, but it told us nothing.
5.00: Something has happened to Songbird. Time to leave.
“Huh,” Tsubasa said, staring. “She really pulled the wool over their eyes, didn’t she?”
“What do you mean?” Erika asked.
“Look at the addendums,” Tsubasa said. “Information added after the fact. They didn’t realize what she was up to until later. And even then, they only had these small inklings of her possible connection to Reunion. She’s clever. Very clever.”
“The timing of things is so suggestive,” Roland said. “She was sighted watching Yulia, but that information was only found long after the investigation into her disappearance was concluded. She asked your parents to dinner on the same day that Athos made a copy of one of Songbird’s ordinances. There’s likely so much more she was up to and involved in than they ever realized. And she wanted to form a connection with Huill…?” He looked at Muirrach.
“Normally, a connection is naturally formed between a Fantasian and the land their Canon is based in,” Muirrach said. “Like you said, the evidence we have so far suggests that Zexal’s Canon is either in New Elysia or so close that a connection exists on its own. To reach out to a Fantasian diplomatically, seeking out a connection… I wonder what she hoped to accomplish. I’ve never heard of such a thing being achieved. But if she could, to what end?”
“Huill is another of the Second Quartet?” Erika asked.
Roland nodded. “Huill embodies the spirit of the arts,” he said, “the soul of peoples and cultures. He was the first one to teach music, language, and storytelling to the people.” He set his elbows on the table, resting his chin in his hands, eyes narrowed in thought. “New Elysia is separate from the realms. If Zexal is connected to it… and Huill could be reached by them…”
“Oh, that’s right,” Tsubasa said. “We don’t actually know where the Second Quartet’s Canons are located.”
“So New Elysia is a clue!” Erika said. “If… we knew where it actually was…” She sat back with a sigh. “There are no easy answers, are there? No one’s telling us what we need to know, not really. Not everything.” She gestured at the memory drive and its holographic menu. “How do we make sense of all of this? There’s not enough.”
“Let’s take a look at the rest,” Roland said. “Once we’ve seen all the drive has to show us, then we can form a clearer picture.”
Erika nodded. “Right.”
So they went back to the project files menu. “Look at the first two,” Erika said, worry creasing her brow. “Songbird Restoration and…”
“Project Keymaker,” Enrique said softly. He touched that file.
But when it opened, there was almost nothing. An image of two crossed keys, and below it, a single passage: “Twin keys to open the doors to lost Elysia.”
“That’s it?” Tsubasa asked, staring. “That’s not a project file. It’s barely a memo.”
“Why is it even here?” Erika asked.
“I think…” Enrique started. He let out a soft sigh. “Mother and Father. I think they deleted some of the drive’s contents. Or transferred some of the data to something else, that they took with them. They didn’t leave everything for us to see.”
“But… but why?” Erika asked, her voice rising. “They could have just encrypted it, like the Personal Data! Why take it away from us! Why…” She sat back, the fire going out of her. “Why are they keeping so many secrets from us?”
They backed out and opened the “Songbird Restoration” project file. Here was something more substantial. Beneath the silhouette of a bird in flight — a nightingale, Roland thought — were three separate graphs showing patterns of wavy lines.
“What’s all this?” Erika asked, looking helplessly at Roland and Tsubasa.
“Biorhythm?” Tsubasa asked, looking to Roland.
Roland nodded. “These are biorhythm charts,” he said. “The lines show the rhythms of biological processes, like physical development, emotional stability, and so on. We all have our own unique rhythms, just like every crystal has its own unique resonance. A biorhythm isn’t a constant, either — they can change as people change.”
“But, hold on,” Enrique said, raising his hand. “They measure biological processes? Songbird… I mean, the way they talked about it in the surveillance reports, it sounded like Songbird was data. A program, not a physical entity.”
“But they also talk about Hildegarde requesting an audience with Songbird,” Tsubasa said, “and them asking why Songbird refused her. So it seems Songbird is… complicated.”
“Quite the understatement,” Muirrach said.
“Well, these are biorhythm charts for Songbird,” Erika said, “so Songbird must have a biorhythm, or they wouldn’t be here. We don’t know enough about Songbird to worry about why.”
“True enough,” Roland said. “And these charts… there are some wild irregularities.” He pointed out the first chart, where five wavy lines, rising and falling to an easy cadence, suddenly had various spikes and drops, jagged lines rather than easy curves. “Something went wrong. In each case…” He started pointing out irregularities on the other two charts, but paused. “That’s… odd. Each of these are for Songbird. But they’re not for differing dates, or times. They’re all for the same period of time.”
“Are they measuring different things?” Erika asked. But she looked closer, and frowned. “They’re all labeled exactly the same. But the rhythms are different! I don’t get it.”
“Me neither,” Roland said. Three different charts, three different sets of biorhythms, collected for the same parameters, over the same period of time, all for one being. It was quite the riddle to solve. And he was sure he didn’t have enough information to do so right now.
“Well, something went wrong,” Tsubasa said. “Just like the reports said. We should make a copy of this, just in case, though.” She and Roland both set to drawing copies of the charts. When they were done, they backed out to the menu, and at Roland’s request, Enrique touched the “Zexal Integration” option next. This brought up an image of a sphere of blue, white, and purple electricity that seemed to have sinister eyes flickering in its core. Below that was a grid that looked like it was a circuit map of a huge location. Pathways between different hubs and nodes were highlighted in a variety of colors, colors that sometimes changed or flickered, while the hubs and nodes were labeled things like “Dining Hall,” “Server Room,” “Lake Lighting,” “Ventilation Control,” “Opera House,” Birdcage,” and so on.
“This is… an electrical map of New Elysia,” Enrique said. “The colors must denote how much power is being sent through the pathways. Look — some of the paths are shut off. There’s no power going through them.”
“And there’s an awful lot of power being sent to the Birdcage,” Tsubasa said. “What do you think that is? It’s gotta have a link to Songbird.”
“Was that where Songbird was initially housed?” Roland asked the twins. “Or could it be something more sinister?”
“I don’t know,” Enrique said. “I know Songbird had its own special chamber. But I don’t know what it was called. Birdcage, though… that doesn’t sound right.”
“Yeah, I don’t think so,” Erika said. “Oh, look here. ‘Songbird Control.’ And it’s gone dark.”
“Power’s been diverted away from Songbird Control, and many other places, to the Birdcage,” Roland said. “I wonder if this is live, or a record they took? How could it be live, though…?” He looked all over the electrical map, but there was no indicator of time or date, nor that it was somehow a live feed. He sat back. “I don’t think we have enough to make sense of this, now. Let’s just keep it in mind, and take a look at the last project.”
The last file was “Lighthouse Analysis.” Opening it brought up an image of a grand, spiraling tower, shining its beacon towards a distant, golden city. Below the image was a brief message: “The only known remaining intact lighthouse has been located. Awaken its focus to relocate Elysia.” Following that was a set of coordinates.
“I wish it told us more,” Erika said. “Like how to ‘awaken its focus,’ or something more specific about its location than just coordinates. Those can’t be specific enough, can they? Roland?” She asked this last after a moment, noticing Roland staring deep in thought.
“You know where those coordinates lead, don’t you?” Tsubasa asked.
Roland nodded, a strange sense of unease settling inside him.
It’s been there, all along. Right beneath my feet, right under my nose. How did I never know? But if it points the way to Elysia, has no one been able to awaken its focus? Has no one researched it? Does anyone there know?
Someone must. There’s no way this has been kept a secret. It’s just been kept a secret…
…from me.
“Hey, you awake in there?” Tsubasa asked, waving her hand in front of Roland’s face.
“Yes, sorry,” Roland said. “And — yes. I know where those coordinates point. The Tower.”
“The Tower?” Tsubasa asked, staring.
“The place where you work?” Erika asked. “Ooh, and you promised you’d take us, someday!”
“He never promised,” Enrique said. “We asked, and he said we’d have to see where our paths lead us.” He turned his attention to Roland. “Why do you look so worried?”
“They must know,” Roland said. “If the lighthouse is intact, they must know it’s there. But I’ve never heard of it.”
“Secrets,” Muirrach said softly. “Worrisome secrets.”
“So… it’s not going to be a fun field trip,” Erika said. “We have to be careful.”
“It might be nothing,” Roland said. “I’d like for there to be a perfect explanation for this. But… well. We should be on our guard.”
“And we should go, right?” Erika asked. “Right away?”
“Are you really ready to just go, though?” Tsubasa asked. “You’ve just had a lot laid in your lap. A ton to process.”
“And we’ve talked about it all,” Erika said. She took a deep breath, then reached out and pressed an option on the menu. It closed it entirely, the lights winking out on the memory drive. “We know as much as we can right now. We have to keep moving forward. Every new step forward will give us important clues to help explain what we can’t understand yet. And we have to know more. We have to know everything.”
“We have to know what our parents left out,” Enrique said softly. “What they wouldn’t tell us.”
“All right,” Roland said. He stood. “Let’s go, then. To the Tower.”