act25side

It's not getting through.

Who are you calling, Saria?

Tin Man.

The metal guy? Did something happen?

I'm afraid so. Maylander would not have joined our pursuers otherwise.

The army has an agreement with Maylander? Why are they targeting us? What happened to the Tin Man?

I had a look around the way you taught me, Saria. All the soldiers are gone, and so are the agents who were on us.

The pursuers would not have disappeared if she was just staying as the rear guard.

Unless—she offered something that satisfied them.

The silver liquid? I saw it around her!

...Transmitter?

She was in contact with Dorothy at Site 359 and undoubtedly got the Transmitter from her. Does Dorothy expect her to do something?

Dorothy is still in military custody. She couldn't possibly be trying to reach out to the military and Ferdinand through her.

Could it be Parvis or...?

Saria...

Don't worry, Ifrit.

She'll be fine.

I'm trying to tell you not to squeeze your communicator so hard. You're crushing it.

...Thanks.

I'm not worried. Silence isn't so reckless.

She stayed after she talked to you. I'm sure she thought it through.

She doesn't know what she's up against. The machinations of the state are far crueler than she can imagine.

You think she doesn't know that? I'm sure she thought about it.

Silence works hard. She's always working when I see her. The others say it's like she's being chased by something you can't see or touch.

Maybe this'll all be cleared up by the time we see her again.

Then I'll tell her, yeah, I'm upset you left me behind, but I knew you could do it.

Saria notices that Ifrit's hands are trembling. She wants to say something to comfort her.

But words fail her.

She realizes that, even though Ifrit's words were, in part, intended to comfort, she does not know the Silence that Ifrit speaks of.

Silence is ready. Silence knows what she is about to face.

She has never thought about it that way.

Over there, Saria.

Hm?

The army is pulling out, but not in direction of the military garrison.

Is the Transmitter really the clue to Kristen's whereabouts?

Let's follow them.

Silence wouldn't want you to put yourself in danger again.

She promised we would go together!

She said, 'Saria will return here the moment she wakes up.' 'That's the sort of woman she is.'

It's not...

'It's not the rational way.' That's what you're trying to say, isn't it?

We're not here to take risks, not to waste Silence's courage. We're just waiting for her at the end.

Ifrit...

She realizes that Ifrit is much taller than she was a few years ago, when she was rescued from the laboratory.

In the face of impending danger, there is no impatience or recklessness in her eyes, only courage and wisdom.

Let's go.

Alright!

By the way, Saria, I saw a falling star when I got to Trimounts.

A star? You mean the object that fell on the Triton factory in District 13?

It was a star!

And Silence told me a story where all our differences disappear when the stars fall.

You and Silence are gonna make up, right?

Yes... we will.

Great!

Will they?

Saria turns back to look at the familiar streets of Trimounts.

The path she is about to tread suddenly feels unfamiliar.

She has overcome many challenges. What lies before her is far from a crisis.

But, for the first time, she feels out of control.

Holy hell, I'm freezing!

Look out, there's a car.

That was a close shave! Can't even think clearly in this cold.

I tell you, sir, this weather, it's all that tech company's doing.

They use drones to spray chemicals that make our lungs freeze with every breath.

They want to kidnap us, put our brains in jars, and turn us into nutrients for their artificial sun.

Look up there in the sky—

What?

Those stars ain't stars. They're cameras that the monsters sent up there to watch our every move. They even kidnapped our president, put his skin on, and locked all of Columbia under their control!

Here's a few bills... Find a warm place to spend the night.

I don't need money, sir. I'm just waiting for dawn to break.

Between the two of us, I'm organizing a protest against the Vice President and these tech companies. The people must wake up!

Take this too. All my money. You can have it.

Wait, sir...

I knew I would find you here.

Good morning, Ferdinand.

One more cup of tea and the sun should be up. Time for me to go to work on the other side.

Enough with the act, Parvis. When did you start working with Kristen?

Hm?

You, Jara, Justin Jr., and Nasti. You fooled me into thinking that I had Kristen isolated, that I was just one step from success.

I became a laughing stock! My gamble, all my efforts, just another rung on the ladder for her to climb!

Tea, Ferdinand?

You...

Underhanded old goat?

Let me make one thing clear: I don't know where Kristen is. She doesn't trust me so much, and I'm not so interested in her secret.

But you didn't come to ask questions. Otherwise, you would have brought the muscle you borrowed from that colonel, as you did with Jara.

It's not like you to swallow insults from Pioneers, and come back to grovel at the feet of the Colonel after he abandoned you once.

You set your mind to it. Why did you give up so close to the truth?

No wild guesses.

Perhaps you should look at yourself in the mirror, Ferdinand.

You're jealous of her.

You're jealous that she gets men to fight for her, even when she's not around.

You're jealous that it only took her a few words to earn the loyalty that took you so much time and money to buy.

You're jealous of her charisma.

There's a part of you, somewhere deep down, that's enthralled by her. The more you deny it, the more you hate her—

Why are you telling me this?

Because it's how I feel.

Look outside, Ferdinand.

When I was little, I never saw stars in the night sky.

All I saw was the silhouette of the great spire, the light of witchcraft lightning up the skies.

Adults told me it was the eye of the Witch King, watching over every inch of Leithanien.