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Ishmael: Parhelion VI
The howling wind and snow make it hard to see or hear anything.
With a flash of blue light, two figures appear in the snowstorm.
Hmm... Where are we...
The blizzard stops her questions. She looks to her side, having gotten used to having a companion.
In the whiteness, she can't see anything, as if she is the last one left in the world.
She suddenly feels anxious, fearing the teleportation has gone wrong.
"Gray Raven"?
Hearing your familiar voice, Ishmael's face relaxes with relief, and the blizzard seems to slow down.
No...
The blizzard really is slowing down.
She watches a red wisp drift from her fingers, weaving through the snowflakes and spreading silently.
Substance-0 level is rising.
The time travel terminal starts blaring an alarm too.
Boom—
Cracks appear in the space, like a mirror shattering.
"Gray Raven", give me your hand!
The scene from that day flashes before Ishmael's eyes.
Screams, explosions... blood splattered on the walls, colleagues dying in front of her.
We have to go back now!
Ishmael looks anxious.
But you are incredibly calm.
I know this is selfish.
Could you... help Ishmael?
The red keeps spreading. Everything here seems tiny compared to the Punishers.
You have made a decision.
You're going to stop them?
Scenes from the past flash through your minds.
No... then I'll... I'll stay. You go.
Her hands tremble slightly. She reaches out and grabs your fingertips.
The shout silences Ishmael—she has never heard you use such a stern voice.
But that "go back" is said with such tenderness.
Ishmael feels you put something in her hand, but she is too distracted to see what it is.
...Is this goodbye?
I've seen too much time flow past... too many friends fall... without proper goodbyes.
I can't... see you go like this.
...
Will we meet again?
...I'll wait for you.
The rift grows larger. You can see the Punishers trying to widen it.
A blue light flashes across the snow.
When the Punishers step into the snow, only a lone figure and a red-glowing time travel terminal remain.
After this, the space will become a mess, and the Punishers won't find your "trail in snow".
A huge explosion tears the surrounding space apart.
The shards become glass before turning into book pages.
A red light rises from the book's pages, its trail turning into a thin red line.
A hand grabs the red line, and the shards of consciousness come back together.
"Shrike" Research Institute
"Shrike" Research Institute.
Ishmael looks at her hand, where a wooden 20-sided die lies.
There is no blizzard here.
