#19

We cut briefly to Madame Levingt, who had broken the necks of her Imperial captors. Fascist scum.

Things didn't have to be like this. The ban on magic is arbitrary, because any sort of genuine sorcerer would never try to generate enough power to beat out the fuel, but evidently, that doesn't matter. Still, she thinks, they didn't try to arrest me because they know me as a witch. I should've figured out why they took me prisoner before I killed them.

Still, the important thing is that You is okay. H̶e̶ You and Klaus managed to make it further down the path that You was seeking. I can try to find them both later—for now, I have a promise to keep.

She started walking down into the woods, heading towards the prison of the Brotherhood of Kletus, reflecting all the way. These reflections are good reflections.

Back in the good old days, before the Empire, she had had some good adventures with other mages. They had considered forming an official team—probably incorporating the correct term for their kin, “Incomputare”—but the Empire rose to power quickly after she began. She still misses them all: the Old Man, Craolith and Elsa, Doctor Kai, Iron-Mask. Now gone or driven from the plane for their “crimes”. They had a chance to fight back but the risk was too great. The instabilities here are not to be tampered with; and just because they chose not to generate power beyond the fuel didn't mean they couldn't...but the problem was is that they disallowed themselves that youthful rebellion so critical to defeat the Empire on this world. And the Old Man went back to his castle, Iron-Mask found yet another world in need of help, Kai had his breakdown, and the two lovers...what even happened to them?

She misses S., too. She smashed his heart like a glass of whiskey, but she swore to never love again to honor him.

She doesn't want to think about the past right now. Though if her theory is correct, it's more relevant than ever.

She gets an impression that once she heals up Kletus, he'll be able to key her in on the nature of those “ghosts” You told her about. If her theory is correct, she needs to reach that house sooner, rather than later.

It's going to be a long hike, but it's been a long time since she's gone so far from town. It's really quite stirring, to be honest.