fuze

The water tower was the first step of the Baron's dream. He wanted to help the people here live better lives. He hoped this place could be a 'model town.'

In the end, the only thing he achieved was tap water for the townsfolk.

The Baron wanted to build a factory in town, get investments from bigwigs from the capital, make this place a center for the arts... but all his efforts ended up futile or unnoticed.

His final attempt was the boldest, and it came closest to success. He wanted to move the entire town to a mobile platform. He had an agreement with a Vedunien factory, and paid a large amount up front—

Then, Their Majesties visited their faithful Zwillingstürme.

Is that your story?

...My father's.

I was young then, still working on my university thesis about telepathic and perceptive Arts in Vedunien.

At the end of it all, the only thing I could remember is blood. Blood of the common folk, of nobles, of the Gendarmerie, of the Kurfürsten, and of my teacher.

I barely escaped with my life, clutching the charred thesis. The first thing my father asked when I came back was how I was doing. The second thing he asked was how the factory was doing... I need not tell you the answer.

Your father died a broken man, and you never inherited his title.

I gave it up, because I realized it was all meaningless.

...Do you know what the biggest difference between you and your father is?

I'm all ears.

He at least managed to give the townspeople tap water.

If we talk about the issue at hand, your neighbors will have running water from tubes again tomorrow.

Then let's assume your work here will be done. You'll leave, not pausing for a moment.

I'm sure there are many people as stubborn as I am in Leithanien. You can see for yourself.

No. I only learned this recently. You're one of a kind.

One of a kind?

It's nothing. I wish you luck in your studies.

And if you see Vissel's granddaughter, tell her to bring him over before it's too late.

'Bring him over'? What do you mean?

Exactly that.

This looks like a good place.

It's really dark here.

Looks like it's going to be a long time before we can go back to that place where everything doesn't run on Originium.

I didn't know you were the kind to get homesick.

Of course. You remember the day we first came?

I remember. We were investigating the Magnethill No.2 site and ended up landing on Reynell's golf balls.

Speaking of home, what was the name of that landmark in Samarkand... Registan Square？

Yeah. The building with the blue dome. I can almost see the crowds on the square, the cars driving by, and the patterns on the three buildings…

Fuze looks up from his book.

Sleep seems to come to him anytime, anywhere now. He often falls asleep halfway through a draft, and has to chase the remnants of the dream out of his mind after waking up.

The dreams were too clear, too real.

Sometimes, he even wonders if Terra was just a really, really long dream after he hit his head at Magnethill No. 2.

(Yawns)

I can't sleep now. I need to go to the water tower... or borrow another book from Berman...

What did he say about Vissel's granddaughter? Tell her to bring him over?

Thank you for bringing Vissel over while he still draws breath. Where's his granddaughter?

In bed. She's exhausted.

Why do you have the townspeople send the dying to you?

I asked around. People were hesitant at first, but they eventually told me that you've been doing this for a long time.

Let me guess... you suspect I'm taking advantage of the dead?

I am a bit skeptical, assuming what you told me is true.

What do you mean?

It's hard to believe someone so melancholy could be that bad. Especially when they can't put in the effort to do anything.

...Now you've offended me, Mr. Fuze. But that's fine.

You haven't answered my question.

Then watch. You'll understand.

The sleepiness strikes again. Fuze bites on his tongue to prevent himself from falling asleep.

Berman gazes down at the old man's clouded eyes, and places one end of his staff on the old man's forehead.

The tip of the staff begins to glow.

(Mumbled muttering)

Levine, it's you... you came back... you really came back...

No, don't apologize, no need to say anything... we'll go home.

Here, an apple from the backyard... you wanted one when you left, but there wasn't any on the trees that year. I saved this one for you...

There is no apple on the old man's hand. Berman is the only person standing before him.

Who's Levine?

Vissel's only son. He left the town more than a decade ago, after contracting Oripathy.

What did you do to Vissel? Is he hallucinating?

Of course not. That's beyond my reach.

All I can do is alleviate their pain, help them relax, cause them to dream when it's neither the time nor place to do so... a midday dream that I cannot interfere with.

Sounds like a doctor administrating anesthetics to a patient in pain, except there's no syringe.

If that's how you understand it, it's not my place to say any more.

Drug abuse ruins lives.

Is it abuse to let a dying person leave in peace? Shuhrat—

This is the most meaningful thing that I can do for someone, Mr. Fuze.

Perhaps Vissel wouldn't be dying if you had done something about the water tower earlier.

You're the one drowning yourself in 'medicine' instead of helping the dying.

Ha, me?

I've seen too many tragedies. The more I see of them, the more I'm convinced that I'm right.

Catastrophe, intrigue, war, Originium, even minor accidents... the life and will of man is ever fragile before them, like dust in the wind.

And soon I'll be gone with the wind too.

Berman unbuttons his shirt and reveals the Originium crystal formations in his abdomen.

On the way back from Zwillingstürme, I found that I had a little black rock by the side of my ribs, one last parting gift from Vedunien.

It has almost consumed me, and so I decided to commit a crime for the first and last time in my life.

Crime?

There is a lot of complicated preparation to be done in order for my Arts to work on a healthy and uncooperative mind. I'm sorry for doing this to you.

It began as curiosity about what this quiet man of action talks about in his sleep, so I did something to the book and bookmark that I lent you.

Then, I heard you talk in your dream, about something beyond my wildest imagination... a blue sky, sky without a single trace of Originium.

I don't expect to go with you to that place without Originium. I don't even expect to become friends with you. After all, you don't like people who don't talk about practical things, do you?

And so, I must use my Arts... so that we can finish this last midday dream together.

I'm sorry to make you stay with a dying patient in his final moments, but he has been alone for too long.

Berman points his wand at Fuze before he could react.

Fuze is overcome by sleepiness.

He hears the flows of an undercurrent, pulling his drifting consciousness below the surface.

Shuhrat! Wake up!

*Cough,* *cough*...

Good, you're awake. Lucky for you, you saved yourself a bit of pain. Grab your gear. We're leaving.

Where are we?

Magnethill No.2. The tremors have passed. You seem to have hit your head.

There's nothing unusual in the labs. Doc and the others have already left. Investigation into any possible connections to Levi will have to wait until next time.

Mm... hm.

Do you have any vacation plans?

Vacation?

You forgot that too? You really did hit your head hard, didn't you?

I need some help picking out a good place to relax.

How about Samarkand? I hear Registan Square is beautiful.

A place where I can lie down for a whole day, thinking about nothing.