A gust of wind fluttered the velvet curtains, sending a visible shiver down Ember's spine as she stepped into the once-opulent ballroom of the Northcote Institute. The Victorian mansion, now in the process of being converted into a school, still looked tired and neglected. “Are you sure you want to spend more time here than you have to? I don’t remember you being overly sentimental or being all that fond of your extended family.”

Dellen’s neck turned of its own accord to face her, “Wait, my what?”

“Your extended family, the other Northcotes.”

“I was an only child, and my parents and grandparents are dead,” Dellen said with some confusion.”

“Your cousins aren’t.”

Dellen felt the thought take on a life of its own. The Northcote Estate, Northcote Industries had always felt a bit like trying to wear clothes that were simply too large. Maybe, just maybe, they would feel more comfortable if there were some more Northcotes around. “I’ll need to find them.”

“There are more people who might be like you?” Gilgamesh asked, his voice quavering with mock horror.

Dellen shot him an amused look, before speaking to Ember, "Come, I want you to meet some important people." He led her through a series of ornate corridors, the sound of their footsteps echoing in the quiet halls.

"Ember, this is Stefan, my steward," Dellen introduced as they entered a small sitting room where a middle-aged man with greying hair and a stern expression was perusing paperwork.

"Ah, Lord Northcote," Stefan said, rising from his seat and offering a polite nod. "And who might this be? Another teacher?” His eyes narrowed slightly as he assessed Ember, as though calculating the potential financial implications her presence might bring.

"Stefan, this is Ember. She'll be staying with us for a while," Dellen replied, sensing his steward's unspoken concerns. "Her gifts could prove invaluable to our cause."

"Very well, milord," Stefan said, extending his hand to Ember.

“He has become much friendlier than when we first arrived, I think you might be making more selling iron to the people than you realise,” said Gilgamesh.

"Stefan is in charge of managing my finances and making sure I don't spend too much on… Well, anything really," Dellen explained, offering the hint of a grin as he fought the impulse to rub the back of his neck.

"Only when it's necessary, Lord Northcote," Stefan corrected him, the barest edges of a wry smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“I think he might almost… Like you, now.” Gilgamesh said, “Could it be that having him forged might have forced a little bit of the reptile out?”

"Next, I'd like you to meet Maisy. She's been with my family for as long as I can remember," Dellen said as they continued their tour, finally arriving at the cozy kitchen where an elderly woman was busy preparing dinner.

Ember shot Dellen an amused glance at his description of ‘For as long as I can remember.’

"Ah, young Master Dellen," Maisy greeted him warmly, her eyes crinkling at the corners as she beamed at him. "And who might this lovely young lady be?"

"Hello, Maisy," Dellen replied affectionately. "This is Ember. She'll be staying with us for some time."

"Welcome, dear," Maisy said, her eyes twinkling as she took Ember's hands in hers. "It's always a pleasure to have new faces around here."

"Thank you, Maisy," Ember replied.

The scent of polished wood and leather-bound books filled the air as Dellen led Ember through the Northcote Institute's library. Afternoon sunlight streamed through the stained glass windows, casting a kaleidoscope of colors upon the floor. Students sat at tables or lounged in armchairs, Dellen could not help but reflect on the life in the room as compared to the cobweb and dust-filled mausoleum he had first found it to be. "Amazing, isn't it?" He murmured.

“Were you bored of sitting in your chair again?” Asked a slightly playful, slightly amused voice.

"Eliza!" Dellen exclaimed, "Our resident writer and arguably my closest confidante."

"Hello, Dellen," Eliza Montgomery replied, her hazel eyes narrowed at him from behind her round glasses as she pushed them up her nose with an air of mild annoyance. "And who might this be?"

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"Eliza, meet Ember," Dellen introduced her, gesturing towards the young woman beside him. "She's a new… Student here at the Institute."

"Ah, well, a pleasure to meet you, Ember," Eliza said, extending a hand for Ember to shake. “What manner of Aether brings you here?”

Ember smirked, "Watch this," she whispered to Eliza before finding the a poorly lit section of the library and slipping into the shadows.

"Where’d she go?" Eliza asked, looking around.

"Wait for it," Dellen murmured, a knowing smile playing on his lips. Another memory played across his mind, this time of Ember’s more ‘playful’ side.

A shadow loomed up behind an armchair, getting thicker and heavier, before slithering out from where it should have been contained and taking on a harsh insect-like outline that threatened a student reading in the chair.

For their part, the student pushed back with Kinematic Aether, knocking their heavy chair into the ground with a concussive boom, before jumping up wild-eyed and screaming.

“Calm yourself,” Dellen said, “Nothing to be concerned about.”

Ember tapped the student on the shoulder and whispered, "Boo."

The young man yelped in surprise, stumbling forward. The library erupted with laughter as Ember grinned mischievously, basking in the attention.

“Maybe I actually like that you’re relatively quiet,” Gilgamesh muttered.

Eliza shook her head and chuckled as she approached Ember once more. "That was inappropriate, and Dellen should not encourage you…” she paused and smiled, “But amusing, I take it you’re not from Copperopolis?”

"Thank you," Ember replied, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "I do enjoy making an impression."

“Can you merge with shadows the way Dakkon can?” Eliza asked.

“Dakkon?” Ember said, the playfulness sliding from her face, “Dakkon’s here? In this city?”

“Yes,” Dellen said.

Ember licked her loops and swallowed, all traces of her earlier mirth gone, “What is Dakkon doing here?”

“We’re not quite sure,” Dellen said, leading her away from where they could be overheard by the students. “Either eating people, or trying to stop Miss Thornbrook from eating people.”

“Miss Thornbrook, do you mean Evelyn Thornbrook?” Ember asked, looking even more alarmed.

“Indeed,” Dellen agreed.

“Maybe you should take me to see Victoria so that you can tell me about everything else of importance that might be happening in this terrifying home of yours.”

“Let’s go then,” Dellen replied.

“Good. I’m curious to see how she's doing and whether she remembers me at all."

Ember was atypically silent for the carriage ride to the Lockridge Estate, examining the city below them, “It really is a gorgeous city,” she said just before they began to descend, “It was never repaired after the attack, and the scars left places for the corrosion to set in. By the time I met you, it had been mostly abandoned, and its biggest harvest was rust. You should feel good about saving this.”

“What is she talking about?” Eliza asked, looking confused.

“You remember how I mentioned that I live some days more than once?” Dellen said.

“Yes?” Eliza said, a fresh serving of skepticism crossing her face.”

I remember a day that went differently, and the city burned, and metal twisted. I did what I could to prevent that day from happening. Somehow, Ember still remembers that day.”

“Ember claims to experience time loops as well?”

“Not exactly,” Ember said, “I experience his time loops some of the time. It’s complicated. I’m not sure that I know all of the rules yet.”

“Care to explain that?” Eliza asked, eyes ablaze with skeptical curiosity.

“I do not.”

Their carriage touched down, and Dellen handed their driver several sovereigns with a polite nod. They stepped down, and he felt his jacket pushed against his back with the wash of air rushing away from the conveyance as it returned to the sky.

Knocking on the door, he encountered Lady Victoria’s butler, Albrecht.

“Lord Northcote, Ms. Montgomery, and…?”

“Ember Brightwell,” Ember said with a dazzling smile.

Albrecht looked askance at Ember, but nodded, “Just this way, my lord,” he led them to Lady Victoria’s preferred breakfast room. The smell of tea hung in the air, and Lady Victoria was upright in a large chair near a dying fire. A plate of biscuit crumbs sat next to a folded broadsheet before her.

“Dellen,” she said with a nod, “And Miss Montgomery, I’m not quite sure that I appreciated the tone you took in your last…” She trailed off, and looked at Ember. Her eyes narrowed, Dellen could all but hear her brain straining. “You’re not a noble,” she said at last.

“No,” Ember said with a slight shake.

“You haven’t worked for me, or served me either.”

“No,” Ember said with another shake.

Lady Victoria pushed her plate, tea and her broadsheet aside and leaned forward onto the table, “Where do I know you from?”

“Not where, when,” Gilgamesh said from over Dellen’s shoulder.

Dellen watched Victoria’s eyes flick up to Gilgamesh, and then back to Ember.

“Eliza, would you be a dear and give us the room?” She asked.

Eliza sighed.

“Albrecht, please take Miss Montgomery to the solarium. We will be along to join her quite soon.”

“Right this way, miss,” Albrech said, leading Eliza out of the room.

“You hear him too,” Victoria said. It was not a question.

“I do.”

“What affinities does she have?”

“Just Umbral, not Chronometric,” Ember said with a smile.

“Well, well, well,” Lady Victoria said, leaning back in her chair, “Not Chronometric, but you can see Gilgamesh, do tell.”

“Like you, I was in the room when this one,” she indicated Dellen, “Forged the Alloy of Time. I think we were both hit by Chronometric Shards, which is why we’ve been dragged into his time loops.”

“A Chronometric Shard,” Lady Victoria said, speaking slowly.

“Yes,” Ember said, “Like a pauper’s version of an affinity.”

Lady Victoria held up a hand, “Wait, you think this happened to both of us in his future?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t remember that,” she peered at Ember, “I barely remember you, though your voice feels familiar. Like there are memories of you just around the corner from where I can find them.”

“What about Angus?”

Lady Lockridge frowned, “Who?”

Ember sighed, “This is proving to be a frustrating visit.”