It started as minor inconveniences. One day, she might’ve lost her copy of the Commandments—nearly tearing up the entire estate just to find it, only to realize it was in a place she swore she’d looked at least three times before. Another, she might’ve misplaced something that the four of them needed for a spell, and they simply couldn’t perform it until it decided to show back up again.
Others, it was a nagging feeling that things were definitely getting worse, and that there was nothing they could do to stop it.
And, well, that nagging feeling was almost definitely right. Because, soon enough, those minor inconveniences turned into things slightly more dangerous. Jasmin would recount a few tales of a bear wandering near their cabin and ruining some of their garden, or how Kiara cut herself when she was preparing something; Brynn would complain about the last festival, and how one of the displays near her inn caught fire; Eme had examples of her own, from papercuts to something killing most of the flowers in front of the estate.
Every time they met, Jasmin tried to assure them that there wasn’t anything special about it—even if, as time went on, it became clearer and clearer that she wasn’t so sure of that herself. Eme knew better than to simply ignore it.
So that’s why she decided she wasn’t just going to let them stand by and let it happen anymore. She asked them all to come, made sure Astyu knew to stay in his room, and didn’t bother with the usual pleasantries when the ladies came.
“We need to talk about this,” Eme remarked almost immediately. She still poured out some tea and laid out some pastries, but she expected them all to go untouched. At the very least, she certainly wasn’t hungry, and she doubted the rest of them would be given the situation. “This is getting out of control.”
“We don’t know that yet,” Jasmin said thoughtfully. “We can’t quite be certain of what is going on. It could be something we’ve done, or it could be some set of unlucky situations. They happen every now and again—I’m sure you’ve experienced them in the past, before you met us. You—all of us—have simply forgotten about those moments, since they seemed like nothing more than bad luck.”
“It feels like even the gods themselves are toying with us,” Brynn muttered. “It’s one thing when it’s on a stage or something else you see as an outsider. But when it’s happening to me, I’m nearly ready to find a way to march up wherever they are and tell them what I think of it all. This is all getting far too ridiculous—everything has turned into an inconvenience.”
“This will be much more than just an inconvenience if we don’t do something,” Eme stressed.
“We don’t know anything like that for certain,” Kiara reasoned. “Jasmin’s right about that. If she knew that there was any danger, then she would speak up about it. She doesn’t want to see anyone hurt just as much as you do.”
“So you’d all rather we see if this all passes with time, or wait to see if it can get even worse? Things are already turning threatening, it seems the next reasonable step would be something actually harmful—something that could very possibly kill one of us?”
Jasmin sighed. “Please, Eme, calm down. You’re overexaggerating it.”
“Even if you were right, I thought this was something we all agreed on from the beginning,” Brynn grumbled. “We knew what it would cost us. I would’ve loved to say it was all worth it, too… if it weren’t for the fact that we barely accomplished anything.”
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Well, that certainly didn’t make Eme feel any better.
And neither did the comment Kiara made afterward, even if she at least seemed to consider it. “Brynn does have a point. If this was something we could’ve prevented… we’ve long since passed the point of being able to reverse it. I don’t think I’d be like this if these consequences could be prevented by mortal means.”
“Both of you, you’re only making things worse,” Jasmin chided. “There’s going to be a way out of this—I know there will be. We just have to find it, and knowledge like that isn’t going to come to us if we simply give up.”
Quietly, Kiara mumbled, “I think you acknowledge the consequences of all of this, too, though.”
Jasmin didn’t say anything that confirmed or denied it, but… her expression gave it all away. Kiara was right: even Jasmin didn’t truly believe there was any getting out of this. They simply gave away their lives with nothing to show for it, aside from perhaps a unique end—if things followed the way they were going, at least… there was always the chance they might end it sooner.
Eme sank further into her chair, not quite sure if she wanted to be upset or angry or simply numb. This was very likely it.
For all the promises she’d made to Astyu, for all the precautions she made so that she wouldn’t be like Leander, she would still lose herself to the same thing he did. Maybe there was never a point to it at all. Maybe all of this had been inevitable—that all of those breakthroughs and discoveries were really just the gods’ way of playing tricks on them.
That they were all destined to die in the end.
A lingering silence in the room meant that the others felt the same way Eme did, or at least working towards the realization.
In the end, she couldn’t help but laugh. “So I suppose it doesn’t matter what my intentions were. In the end, I’ll be dead, just like he is…”
“We can’t be completely certain—“ But Jasmin stopped her false reassurances the moment Kiara touched her shoulder. “Alright, I’ll admit there’s a fairly good chance there’s been a few things we’ve miscalculated. But we shouldn’t jump to rash conclusions or make mistakes we might regret. There’s still a slight chance we can think of a way out of this.”
“No, there isn’t. In all the research I’ve done, there’s never once been an option that this was something that could be reversed once it started. It had to be worked around—but just because it was prevented didn’t mean it couldn’t still happen. And it did. We’ve made a wrong turn, and now we’re here, and there’s nothing we can do to get ourselves back out of it.”
“I’m still going to try to sort out what I can,” Jasmin decided after a moment. “Maybe, if we’re quick enough, we can think of a way that stops it here—even if it takes a couple of sacrifices. I was the reason all of you got dragged into this, in one way or another. I’d like to try everything I can to see if I can get you out of it.”
And that seemed to be all there was to say.
The others stayed for a little bit longer, taking a sip or two of tea or nibbling on a biscuit. Eventually, though, Jasmin and Kiara excused themselves, and Brynn followed shortly after. Eme—knowing that things were going to be the end, in one way or another—made her way up to Astyu’s room.
She wasn’t going to be able to save herself, but perhaps… she wouldn’t have to leave him completely alone. She could at least try, given the inevitability of it all.
Astyu poked his head out of his room as soon as he heard her getting closer. “Are you and your friends done?” he asked, showing his growing suspicion. “You look worried about something…”
Eme, knowing that it’ll only lead to more confusion, just went to hug him. “Something’s going to happen, but I don’t know what. It could be good, or it could be terrible. You’re not going to understand it and that’s okay. I’d actually prefer if you never understand—that you never even glance down the path I’m walking.”
“Mother..? I don’t like this…”
“I know, dear. I don’t like it either. But it’s what’s going to have to be done. Do you understand that part, at least? You mustn’t get yourself involved in what I’m doing. There’s no going back for me, but you’re not even close enough to be considered in it. I want to keep it that way.”
“Y-yes, Mother…”
Though unwillingly, she backed away. “Good. Now, I’ve got some work to do. I promise I’ll be out by dinner at the latest but, until then, just play in your room or outside, alright? Only knock if you need something—and don’t come in, I’ll meet you at the door.”