YP – B2:UtGoaFN – Chapter 43 (Chapter 89)

202 Days Until Collapse And the Uncertain End (Part 3) 

“You three go.” Estashia told them, looking to Evester with the eyes of a mother. A look that he had not seen in years. “Figure out how to stop this. Help as many people as you can evacuate.”

Did they have time to save everyone now? High ranked Circles and many Stars had been evacuated already, but the others… those in the Tower? Evester did not say goodbye to his mother as he ran off.

“Lynx get in contact with your sister.” Evester demanded not sure if his friends had survived the initial shaking. Hoping he did not have to say goodbye.

“Attempting to.” Lynx snapped back. She tossed him and Heiphillia headsets.

“Contacting Kim. Kim you had better come in.” Evester spoke into the headset as soon as he had it on.

There was static and then a response, “Int— safe — route — secured.”

“Is the route secured?” Heia asked only having heard the end.

“It has to be.” It was the only thing that she would say secured for. They had their path out and away from the Tower.

“Everyone. Continue with the planned mission. Get everyone out.” Evester instructed them, hoping they’d hear.

“We were.” Uly came over the headset, clear, crisp, alive.

“You have Zeydar?” Lynx asked. “My sister? Phil?”

“Bloody, but safe. The Cabin collapsed. Zeydar is–”

“Get him back on Sweet Dreams now!” Evester had to believe that Zeydar was the reason for the expedited attack. He had to believe that by possibly putting him on then, they could slow it down.

“He’s refusing.” Uly answered. 

“He’s the cause.” Heia complained, “But putting him back on may not stop it now.”

“He’s not the cause.” Phil was hushed. “Of the Cabin? Yes. Of the Tower? No. He’s using a lot of magic guys and everywhere we are walking, the shaking is stopping. He’s pale, worse than just detox symptoms, but if anyone is keeping this Tower standing, it’s him.”

“So his magic is stopping it?” Evester confirmed. He was certain that the expedited fall was because of Zeydar, but he was beginning to realize that if they survived it would be because of Zeydar.

“We don’t know how or why, but he is trying something. And mumbling a lot.” Uly answered. “Get to the meet up point and we will get out.”

“No. We need to save the Tower.” Heia disagreed. “If he can stop it. He has to stop it.”

“He’s not even able to walk!” Uly snapped back. “His withdrawal symptoms might kill him at this point. He’s close to passing out and when he does, its then that we have to stabilize him. We should not have…”

There was static, cursing, and the sound of a tumble.

“What happened?” Evester spoke hurried.

“His magic is helping, but it’s also going crazy. He says he can hold on to keep it stable for a bit, to help evacuation, but once he can’t control it he won’t be able to at all and that’s when we have to control it. Control him.” 

A part of Evester did not agree. He understood that the Sweet Dreams would control the situation and Zeydar. However, controlling him with Sweet Dreams was what the Mages had done. It was what he’d worked to get out of and Evester had reintroduced him to by accident. It was what Zeydar had turned to in the horror of whatever he experienced as the only survivor of Arcadia. What if the reason he had not been able to control the power was because he never had the full chance to? What if putting him back on was the wrong choice, and forcing him through a full detox was the right choice? What if they were making the choice for him, even though he had agreed over and over again?

But Evester knew a Sweet Dreams detox, with a full cut off, took days to get out of the mind and stomach, in the initial clarity, and weeks to get out of the blood stream. He’d be in pain, and worse, for months. He’d have cravings, delusions, hallucinations. And with Zeydar’s magic, and his mind reacting differently to the drug than the normal person, Zeydar would not react the same way. Evester also knew that it took years to fully recover from way too much Sweet Dreams, and Zeydar had been on it for years. How long would it take for his mind to be fully recovered, for there to no longer be a trace of the drug in him? How would he react when the world seemed to blind him just from weaning him off of it. His senses would have to readjust, his magic… his magic… It was the magic that was the strongest factor that could change everything Evester thought he knew about how the drug acted.

“Meet at the meeting point.” Uly demanded. “We will get there. And then we get out.”

“Agreed.” Kim spoke up. “— Safe — Secured.”

Shawn, Kim, Robee, Trace and Rayda were safe. That was what Evester had to believe.

“Where are The triplets?” Heia asked.

“Getting the final supplies.” Uly answered.

“Crass?” Lynx asked.

“His headset broke.” Uly answered, “He’s carrying Zeydar.”

“Kori. Come in.” Heia was nearly hysterical. She needed to hear her siblings.

“We are fine. Don’t worry.” Kori answered chipper. “Helping people evacuate. We’ll be there.”

Heia seemed to visibly relax, from what Evester could tell, but it was not time to relax.

“EverDanger cameras on.” Evester stepped on ahead as they ran. “Record everything.”

There was no response, but Evester knew they would do it. They would get out alive and use the footage to force the hand of the council to heed the Project’s warnings. They’d use it to rally the people for them, and for change.

Having this as a challenge was nothing. This was a testament to their training, to their skill, to everything they had ever done and would ever do. If they could not stop this, and save the Tower then… what was the point in trying to save the world?

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