Late at night, when exhaustion seeps into the pores of every body on the New Nautilus, and the deep breathing signifying sleep resounds in the small cabins, Jean dreams - and remembers. The optimism and endless curiosity that help him make it through the days are all but gone at this time, and so the nightmares invade his resting mind.
"Jean!" An echo is summoned by his tortured subconscious.
"Take a good look at me!" Yanking her hand from his, Nadia turns toward him imploringly. Clouds gather on the horizon, but he can only focus on Nadia.
She clasps her hands on her heart, self-loathing frothing in the depths of her wide eyes.
"I'm not normal!" Tears well up in her eyes as she bends over in her mental agony.
"I make you miserable! I make everybody miserable!" Jean yearns to put an end to her hateful tirade and reassure her that she is loved and loving, but he is frozen.
"And sooner or later, I'll use Blue Water just like my father and Gargoyle and make the whole world miserable!" Rivulets of tears glisten as they race down her tan cheeks.
Unsure of what to say or do, Jean steps uncertainly towards the girl, calling her name.
"Nadia...." He extends his arm as if to reach for her, but she turns away to see the edge of the Atlantean tower. "Nadia!" Her beautiful face is buried in her hands while she sobs in self - hatred.
But then, her hands fall to her chest, and she looks up with an expression of calm and of regret on her face. Clenching her fists in ultimate decision, Nadia pivots to look at the bespectacled boy.
"Goodbye...." She throws a mournful look at him while she steps to the brink of the platform they are standing on.
And she starts to fall....
Eyes widening in fear and dread, Jean darts to Nadia in a vain attempt to catch her. Instead of her returning to the platform like he planned, Nadia only twists around and faces him.
Heartbreak, agony, despair...They are all written clearly on her young face as she plummets to the ground in a fatal fall.
Here is where the dream breaks from reality. This time, no invisible hands come to hold his Nadia. This time, she is not placed gently on the ground as if she was as delicate as an autumn leaf. This time, nothing came to save her from death.
"NADIA!!!" Jean screams as he witnesses the cracking of bones and the gushing of blood of the woman - no, the child - he loved. A tormented echo bounced across the fragile ruins of Taltesos.
"NADIA!!" A growing dark red stain permeates the body it originated from, and the broken ivory shards of Nadia's bones litter the dusty ground.
"NADIA!" His vision blurs as the salty droplets of tears steam down his pale cheeks and fog up his glasses. A swirl of red, light brown, black, ivory, and blue greets his reddening eyes.
"Nadia...." He whispers, his mind aching from the loss of his loved one. Burying his head in his hands, Jean collapses on the ground in his seemingly endless grief. He shakes violently, screaming, and he blocks out the world as his friends swarm around him, futilely striving to cheer him up as they also bawl.
He wakes up, gasping for breath as the remnants of his nightmare stay fresh in his mind.
"Nadia...."
Jean throws off his blanket, desperate to see his love just to make sure that she was truly okay. Quietly sneaking out of his room, Jean makes his way to the room shared by Nadia, Marie, and Senorita Grandis. He holds his breath, not wanting to make any sound that would alert the girls to his presence. His eyes skim over the inhabitants of the room, finally resting on the sight of Nadia's serene sleeping form, breathing deeply. He watched her simply breathe for a while.
Jean smiled.