platnm

Grr.

You saw nothing. Got it?

I literally just woke you up. How could I—

No, you saw nothing. Got? It?

Oh, whatever.

Here.

Let's see... A leave application form?

I want to take a long vacation... Get away from Rhodes Island and go somewhere far to... yeah... let off some steam.

You'll let me do that, right?

Oh.

I didn't think of that, Doctor... Did you want to come with me on my trip? Well, we're both here right now. Might as well—

Sure.

Uhh... What do you mean by that? Like the coming part, or are you just approving my time off?

Both.

And we're leaving right now.

Oh...

Um, I need time to pack, at least.

Sheesh. Do you know how long you've put off this tiny wish of yours?

W-Wait—Don't pull—

She blinks her eyes, only to find before her the thing she's most familiar with—also the thing that she dreads the most.

Another phone call... *Sigh*...

Now we'll never hear from—

The moment after she smashes the phone into pieces, she finds it restored to pristine condition, ringing yet again.

Can't you quiet down a little?

There's no end to this...

(Picks up the phone)

Hello?

Platinum, you're overstepping your boundaries.

Right. Yes, I am so terribly sorry.

And?

The General Chamber of Commerce's authority is not for you to trample upon like so.

Oh.

(Sets the phone receiver aside)

Okay, get it all off your chest.

Go on. I'll chill here for a bit.

Hm, if I recall correctly, there should be some booze here.

Aha, I knew it...

(Uncorks the bottle)

(Pours half a glass)

Mmm.

The Darksteel arrows are growing bigger and bigger under Kazimierz's night sky.

They blitz through the night like shooting stars. Even the million lights illuminating the Grand Knight Territory cannot shroud their luminance.

Is this... sparkling water?

So they drink more than just wine? Hmm... Okay. I'm not a big fan of their booze anyway...

(Pours half a glass of sparkling water)

To Kazimierz.

This one's for me, and for you.

(Pours the sparkling water on the phone)

The moment the water touches the phone, an intense tirade can be heard blaring out of its receiver, but as soon as the glass has been emptied of the sparkling water, there is a brief buzz, and the phone falls silent once again.

So... What will happen when the arrow pierces the tower?

You seem to be looking forward to something.

Malkiewicz. What are you doing here?

Long time no see, Platinum.

I've always been here.

I can answer your question.

'What will happen when the arrow pierces the tower?'

Nothing will happen.

Oh, this suuucks. How come I'm getting you and the Doctor mixed up in my dream?

We don't control our own dreams, Centaurea.

I can be anyone.

I can be someone you are afraid of.

I can be someone you pity.

I can be someone who you show an interest in.

Together, we form that place you can never leave behind—the very place you dread—the tower.

You grew up there. It was your future. You ran from it, and you still feel as though you have nowhere to go. You are confused and helpless.

The tower...?

Without a single word, Platinum gazes at the dreamscape.

Right as he makes his proclamation, the ceiling starts to open outward, revealing the uppermost level of the General Chamber building.

There are no seats or telephones there.

Only branches extending endlessly into the night sky like those of a tree. At the rate they are growing, the branches will one day engulf even the sun and moon.

Each branch is fabricated from different materials.

Steel, newspapers, wood, and grain.

The different materials all merge into one.

Of the different branches, there is a particular one full of thorns and arrowheads that lets out a sharp roar as it blazes past the winds.

Platinum feels as though she is standing on the head of a giant beast, its wings spread toward the skies, its roots dug deep into the earth.

Its skeleton is welded together from different materials, and all kinds of currency flow within its veins.

As for Platinum herself, she was once an insignificant cell of this beast.

But what about now?

You might be right, Kazimierz.

But––

—I refuse.

Platinum thinks to herself the name of a certain person before she crashes through the window pane and leaps downward.

I hope we never see each other again, Kazimierz.

I want a new life, you know?

Oww...

Oh, you caught me, huh?

I knew you had it in you. I knew I could count on you. And this isn't the first time either, am I right?

So, where are we?

So there are some things you don't know.

What a surprise.

Oh, don't set me down just yet. I'm not really in the mood to move. Let's put an end to this messed up dream already.

Actually, since it's a dream, it's not like you have anything to lose. Hold me for a little longer.

I need to focus and clear my head.

I need to get all that weird Kazimierz stuff wiped clean from my brain.

What's going on?

Platinum—

I'm listening. Go on.

—Wake up.

Platinum!

Hello, Doctor.