act47side

The agent rushes towards her, but just as he takes a step forward, the bricks under his feet shift.

Ah—

Target sighted. Location: Flying Donut station. Requesting backup.

We tried to intercept her, but something's up here. We—AH—!

...(Speaks in Sarkaz) Disorder?

Nasti recalls the river at the mouth of the Convallis of the Banshees. Still and calm, where even a child could safely row a boat on their own.

However, unassisted intruders find the dense forests on both sides constantly shifting positions, like a mobile labyrinth, with the distant riverbank always hidden beyond the thick mist.

After a momentary silence, Nasti steps out of the pod and into the empty sky. Brick and stone immediately form a floor beneath her.

(Speaks in Sarkaz) Disorder.

A path held together by an incantation.

Convallis Banshees often isolate themselves from outsiders, or decorate their own courtyards with this method.

She also used the same tactic to momentarily stall Saria back in the Ring Lab.

...This is a path specially paved, just for her.

To her surprise, the whole area centered on the 'tree' has been reconstructed by the incantation, but she fails to find the caster within the tree's core, among its roots.

Only the roots of the 'tree' are breathing, just as always.

Please verify your credentials.

Nasti Lunorey. Director of Engineering, Rhine Lab.

Nasti dashes towards the roots. She must confirm if any abnormal changes have happened while she was away.

This is what is left of the Vivarium, and the secret Rhine Lab has been protecting at all costs. No matter how the unrest in the park ends, it is the only bargaining chip in Nasti's hand.

She touches the roots, allowing data to flow into her fingertips and gather in the 'branches' around her waist.

Muelsyse always teased Nasti about being a human computer, and she always took it as praise.

In the current situation where biotechnology has fused with Banshee witchcraft, her body is perhaps the best data cable to use.

The 'branches' begin to vibrate quickly, a sign of the device overclocking. Almost simultaneously, Nasti feels some sort of temperature shift—not the chill of condensation, not the heat of electricity, but...

Body heat?

She experiences a strange feeling out of nowhere. Here and now, she is no longer Director of Rhine Lab's Engineering Section checking if a device is still operating normally, but a Banshee touching another of her kind...

Just like so many years ago, when that woman held her own hand and taught her how to blow a leaf whistle.

Nasti abruptly looks up—

(Pained murmurs)

(Elated murmurs)

Nasti, my child...

You're back.