Tyrial sparkled like fireworks, its neon-lit infrastructure competing with the ENGINE's mulberry eye hovering in the smoggy sky. Vehicles zipped past as Sarah's limousine rumbled down the interstate. Billboard ads and drones reached for the heavens, displaying all manner of products related to reunion day. A beam of mulberry light tore through the night, serving as a lighthouse, signaling all chosen to their fated destination.
Rachel bit her fingernails as she avoided staring out the window, worried about what her reflection might look like. She kept her eyes on the pink interior of Sarah's limousine and the cigarette in her hand. Everyone was quiet, preoccupied with their own internal monologue while Sarah's music filled the void. Alice and Arthur were halfway drunk after finishing three bottles of champagne between them. Elijah grumbled as he pulled out his last cigarette pack while he cleaned his firearm. Pepper sat on Emily's lap while Emily and Sarah glared at one another every few minutes, then stared at Tyrial's skyline. Shiyu read a book while Amos covertly watched Emily, sipping on a glass of water and averting his gaze when she looked in his direction.
"Please save some of the champagne. I would like a glass after I rip Lex's head off," Sarah said as she glanced at Arthur and Alice.
"I understand your distaste for him, but please don't do anything reckless, Sarah," Arthur replied as he finished his champagne. "The goal is to stay alive, not kick the bucket before the pilgrimage even begins."
"If it makes you feel any better, I could spy on Lex. That is my speciality after all," Alice suggested as she finished her drink.
"He would see you coming from a mile away, Alice," Amos interjected. "This mask of ours makes direct espionage problematic."
Alice crossed her legs. "I wouldn't be spying directly," she retorted with a smirk. "You flip an asset and create a double agent from the inside."
"You talking about Dezerea's brother, right?" Elijah asked as he cleaned his magnum.
Alice nodded. "We already got the bait for the betrayal. He will be easy to flip if I can get him alone."
"My home would be the best chance for that," Rachel insisted as she gazed at everyone. "If my brother is involved with Lex, they would visit my estate...that's when you can get Lex and Dezerea's brother alone."
"Not sure we should be listening to the girl who sees ghosts," Sarah mocked.
Alice shook her head. "Rachel is right, big environment while controlled. We could separate the group while also infiltrating it because of Rachel's blood ties."
Sarah rolled her eyes and shrugged.
"That is presuming her family doesn't already know what's going on," Arthur replied. "Lex could be feeding them information for all we know."
Rachel shook her head. "My parents only care about me or my brother winning the pilgrimage. If anything, they would feed me information to increase my odds."
"Wish my parents were like that," Alice said.
"Trust me, they ain't doing it out of love. They just want the glory that they birthed the next PRIME."
"What do you think, Emily?" Amos asked as he put his glass of water down.
Emily turned her head as she pet Pepper, then shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me. I don't give a fuck about any of this."
"Because everything will work out in your favor anyway?"
Emily's eyes narrowed. "You think I'm lucky?"
Amos shook his head. "Just forget it."
Emily blinked, then bit the inside of her lip as her leg shook. She didn't reply, just resumed staring out the window.
Rachel glanced over at Emily, then glanced down at the pink carpet underneath her feet. She scratched her leg, then poured herself a glass of champagne. Memories of their fencing match in Leonore crossed her mind as she took a sip. Her reflection smirked at her as shadows danced across the limousine as they drove into a mountain tunnel.
"So, where are we attempting to rest this time?" Shiyu asked, her eyes remaining glued to the book she was reading.
"Ask Elijah," Sarah replied, then glanced at Elijah with a smirk. "He knows all about all the backwater towns between Tyrial and Augustine."
Elijah glared at Sarah as he holstered his magnum. "If you are implying we spend the night in Corwood, you can forget it."
Rachel's eyes widened as she dropped her glass of champagne. "Sorry, fingers slipped," she muttered as she formed a thin lip smile.
Emily glanced down at the soaked carpet and the glass rolling on the floor before picking it up. She raised an eyebrow at Rachel, who avoided her gaze as she lit a cigarette. Rachel sighed as she sank into her seat. Sarah glared at Rachel as she stared at the stain, then crossed her legs.
"Wonderful, our noble teenager is unraveling by the seams. I do hope you plan to clean that," Sarah mocked as she rolled her eyes. "Now, Elijah, why wouldnt you want to head to where your daugh-"
"Can you not, Sarah?" Elijah grumbled as he lit a cigarette. "And besides, Clearwater is closer to where we need to go anyway."
"You alright, Rache?" Emily asked.
Rachel rubbed her eyes and sighed. "Yeah, just still a little rattled from earlier," she replied with a forced smile. "Just need some rest."
"Clearwater, isn't that also an ether mining town like Corwood?" Arthur asked while he glanced over at Elijah.
"It was before Elijah showed up," Alice explained. "Most of the ether was mined there, which is why there is a shortage."
"So that's why the Mage and Conduit Academy is short on Ether...didn't know that," Shiyu added as she flipped the page in her book.
A frown formed on Elijah's face as he rubbed his salt and pepper beard. "Let's not talk about my demons. We have more important things to worry about than how I got my nickname," he grumbled as he smoked.
"Clearwater is closer to where we need to go anyway," Amos said as they exited the mountain tunnel. "Chances are the other chosen will be there as well since Augustine is right up the road from it."
Sarah sighed and looked out the window. "They better have a decent hotel, or I am sleeping in my limousine."
Neon lights and skyscrapers gave way to country hills as Sarah's Limousine left Tyrial. The ENGINE's countless gears turned in the star-speckled sky. Its mulberry eye illuminated the country roads like an artificial moon. Cattle, grass, and oak trees replaced concrete as Tyrial vanished from sight. Rachel rolled down the window as she smoked. Crisp pine, flora, and the scent of adventure tickled her nostrils as she breathed in the fresh air.
Rolling hills and tiny towns cluttered the land for miles as the limousine turned on its headlights. Hawks and bats flew overhead underneath the black and mulberry sky. The Engine slumbered while its infinite gears churned and grinded. The beam of mulberry grew larger as they drove down pothole-ridden roads.
Sarah's limousine engine rumbled and stalled as they approached Corwood. Rachel gazed up at the automobile's flickering lights with wide eyes. Her heart raced as the limousine suddenly came to an abrupt stop right in front of a quaint and deserted town. She bit her fingernails as she gazed at the bent Corwood sign a few yards ahead of where Sarah's limousine abruptly stopped.
"For fucks sake," Elijah grumbled as he lit another cigarette and exited the vehicle.
Sarah chuckled. "Oh, this is delicious," she laughed as she got out of the limousine. "What a coincidence... I'm not even mad."
"Shut up, Sarah, and help me check the engine," Elijah said as he stormed towards the front of the vehicle.
Rachel squirmed in her seat while she stared at the brick and mortar town known as Corwood. She rubbed her hands through her hair as she watched everyone get out of the vehicle. A creeping dread crawled up her back as Emily gestured for her to exit the limousine. She sighed as she flicked her cigarette to the ground; her feet touched the cracked asphalt.
"You alright?" Emily asked as she placed Pepper on her shoulder. "At this rate, you're going to end up like sourpuss over there," she jested as she watched Rachel pull out another cigarette.
Rachel forced a smile as she lit the cigarette. "We probably all are by the time all of this is set and done."
Emily scoffed, then looked at Elijah bickering with Sarah at the front of the limousine. "I don't know about that," she said, then glanced at Rachel. "I am going to see what's up. You coming?"
"Just give me a minute," Rachel replied as Emily nodded and walked towards Elijah and Sarah.
Rachel sighed as she stared at Emily, then out into the rolling country hills. Cigarette smoke swirled towards the heavens as she looked up at the sky. Her eyes dilated as she fixated on the ENGINE overhead. The creeping dread she felt was replaced with deja vu mixed with anxiety. Memories of an alternate Corwood swarmed her mind as she gazed at the bent sign in front of her. She glanced at Emily as she smoked, then at the others as they talked amongst themselves. A heavy invisible weight made her shoulders and calves ache. She couldnt escape the thought that the ENGINE orchestrated this.