She didn't remember exactly how or when she ended up there, but when she blinked her eyes open, she found herself sitting on a chair by the windows. Her eyes fell on her lap, slowly lingering for a moment, trying to shake herself out of her lethargic state. She glanced sideways, to her left, then to her right. For some reason she couldn't get her eyes to focus. But suddenly, her vision became to stray to the center of her. Clarke turned her head fully forward and saw Titus standing in the middle of the room blankly staring at her. She wondered how long he'd been standing there.

"Clarke…"

She finally rose to her feet, stepping up closely to him. Her eyes bore into his, searching, seeking an answer to an unanswered question, one that she had not asked yet.

"How?"

It was direct, straight to the point, which startled him. He speculated that maybe she had forgotten, at least partially, of their conversation, prior to her walking over to the chair and crumpling down.

Titus let his head drop low, inhaling deeply. He knew what he needed to say, he just didn't know how to begin. He walked over to the windows, coming to a stop as he peered out into nothing and everything at the same time. He never in his wildest thoughts, had ever imagined that he would be doing this. Never thought it would ever come to this, in any lifetime, least of all his, but here he was standing, about to break the oath.

"I don't know where to even begin. It's been so long. I didn't think I'd ever be the one to do this."

Clarke moved closer to the Flamekeeper, several feet from him. She waited expectantly, as her nerves begin to take control of her body. She looked down to notice her hands shaking.

"I had been an apprentice, a novitiate, since I was a very young child. As so, I had been learning for years the ways of the fleimkepa, had been groomed to take the position from my teacher. I… knew everything there was to know, or I thought I did." Titus paused. His throat automatically clenched shut. The responsibility, the weight of duty and obligation, admonishing him still.

"The day I officially became the the keeper of the Flame, to my surprise, I was given my last instructions- a secret, a truth, something hidden, never spoken of. It was only supposed to be revealed when an apprentice took his position." He hesitated for a moment.

"This secret, it is such because of its power. It is so great, so astronomical, the knowledge alone dangerous, a threat to our surviving world."

Clarke slowly gauged his words.

"Ok…so this secret… it has to do with going back in time.. and the Flame?"

"Yes. The Flame was meant to carry the spirits of our Commanders. The role of the Commander is to be a leader to fight and ensure the survival our people. But with that great responsibility can also bring a downfall just as significant. Our world was a witness to the greatest one…. nuclear annihilation." Taking another long winded breath, he ventured on.

"The secret of the Flame… it is a science Clark, a force, and it is integrated in the reason, the sole purpose for it is to ensure our very survival. We cannot have another nuclear disaster. We cannot let ourselves die. That is why this... power is. It is the last absolute effort to ensure that our very existence continues. We must subsist Clarke."

She took a minute to think that over. It was more than what she was expecting.

"Right. So.. but.." she struggled," ok, you said before, that it has the ability to alter the past, that we can step back in time and change.."

"Yes."

"How?"

"When you go back, you will be faced with the past. Everything you once knew, everything you once did, will be there again. You will face it again. You must remember your goals and what you are trying to accomplish. And with that, you must make decisions and ask yourself questions. Clarke, you are reshaping past events. The problem is… that you will not know how, you will not see the impact until you are there, facing that very moment again."

The blonde's confused expression was expected, as she visibly began to take it all, piece by piece, and put it together to form an idea. She suddenly remembered a crucial, very specific word, he said. Science.

"The power behind it is a theory that suggests that a single change, a differential factor of any kind, even the slightest alteration, can lead to greatly different results or outcomes."

Clarke continued working out his words, still, from the very beginning, to this. The cogs in the blonde's mind turned, began to assemble, fit together, and the pieces suddenly gelled.

"The Chaos Theory..." She said just above a whispers decibel, with a breath of wonderment in her realization.

Titus turned to look at her. "Possibly. I'm not sure of the term. So you are familiar with the concept?"

"Yes. I mean… I don't remember too much, but we did touch on that on the Ark, … the concept in general… ideals of the Chaos Theory." She sighed, running her hand through her hair. "I just.. I can barely remember. It was complicated and… I mean, it was so long ago…" Clarke becoming slightly frustrated.

He still stood, watching her process, waiting for her grasp and comprehension.

"How does this work? How will I know…"

"Clarke…" he said calmly. "Stop. Listen."

"The Flame is the gateway, the key. I wasn't given schematics Clarke, only instructions. I only know what I know.

The blonde nodded, as her mind rewound back to her teachings on the Ark. Truth be told, she wasn't really enthusiastic about the science studies and lessons but she snickered to herself. Did she ever need it now.

"Ok… um... from what I can remember, I believe it's the Butterfly Effect. At least it sounds like it. Yeah, in relation to the Chaos Theory."

Titus looked on, absorbing her words.

"A movement, a word, a touch, even a look…can set into motion a new series of events that can and/or will change the end result." She said reflectively, to herself mostly, looking into a clear space in front of her. Her mind started accelerating with memories of classes, books, study groups, which prompted the Flamekeeper to bring her back to attention.

"Clarke, I know this is overwhelming, and you are processing so much, but there is some very crucial and vital information you need to know. You need to understand the magnitude of the repercussions that are to follow."

That earned him a deep stare and her undivided attention.

"Please listen to me, hear me, because this is going to change everything. You will be changing history, altering everything from the beginning. This is the ultimate reset button, if you will…" Titus made it a point to pause for a few seconds, to let it all sink in.

"Because the Flame began with the first Commander, you will not be able to return to any time before that." He paused, as a certain notion entered his mind. " And you cannot stop the nuclear holocaust or anything that predates it… in case.. you…"

"No stopping the apocalypse huh, well there goes that," she grimly joked, a rare act. Titus smirked, not amused. He was never one for jokes.

Sighing, he continued. 'You must understand Clarke, as in life, nothing is certain, nothing is sure. Once you've begun, you will not be able to stop. And you will not be able to keep going forever; your journey will have to conclude at some point. There will be an end Clarke… you just will not know where and how. Not until it is."

"What does that even mean," Clarke huffed annoyingly.

"It means that everything is inconclusive. This has never been attempted therefore there is no way to know anything… about.. anything…" He scoffed at himself. He wondered if that was as ridiculous as it sounded.

She stared long and hard at the man across her. She had taken so much in so little time. Things that were inconceivable, beyond the bounds of possibility, was suddenly in her grasp. She still couldn't believe.

"Let's say I believe you… and I'm not entirely sure I do," she sighed,"… how do I even do this?"

He bit the inside of his lip lightly. He really didn't think she was going to like this.

"You will have to ascend Clarke."

"What?!"

"Yes… it is the only way. You have to take the Flame in you and.."

"What?!" She repeated.

"Clarke, it is the only way!"

The blonde inhaled deeply, trying to steady herself. The more the conversation went on, the more ludicrous it got.

"And what does that mean… am I…. will I…,"she treaded lightly, apprehensive of his answer.

"Yes Clarke. You will be the next Commander."

She was speechless. She could not form a sentence. Yeah, that's exactly what she thought. But really it was when she heard Commander. It made her skin crawl, her heart skip. The love that was immersed in her heated up, melting her right where she stood. She felt her. Again. Clarke closed her eyes, as she felt an airy sensation. It made her feel like she was walking in the clouds, drifting somewhere beautiful. But all at once, she was brought back to Earth.

"What needs to happen?"

"You will need the two things Clarke- the Flame.. and the blood of a natblida." She blinked in confusion.

… which I don't have.."

"But I do…" He interrupted, as he pulled glass cylinder, from a deep pocket on his robe.

Her eyes landed on the object immediately. After a few seconds, Clarke stepped forward, taking the object from his hands, without so much as a pause. It was a somewhat large glass, filled with a black substance. She raised it up to her face, turning it, studying it. Slowly her studious face morphed into an a skeptical frown.

"Where did you get this Titus?" But she had a pretty good idea and it did not please her at all.

She didn't even have to wait for an answer. His face was suddenly turned downwards, not able to hide the guilt from his face. "Lexa."

Clarke leapt over to him, almost forgetting the glass in her hand. "What did you do?!"

"Clarke please… it was after she had already died, when we took her and.."

"What?! You drained her?!"

"I siphoned out some of her blood for this reason Clarke.. I was not certain if…"

"What… certain of what? This?!"

"Yes this Clarke!"

Clarke growled in anger, in everything that was raging inside her. Her head was spinning out of control. She wasn't really angry about the blood. It was the vision of someone taking it out of her that sent her over the edge. After a few minutes, she relaxed. She steadied herself again because she knew there was more to come.

"Just tell me what else I need to know," she sighed, as she ran a hand through her hair.

Titus carefully marched on. He knew this could not be easy hearing everything, especially in that way.

"It is very possible that you will be the last Commander Clarke." He said, making eye contact with her when her head jerked back up to look at him.

"You will be changing the genetic code, changing the dynamics of the Flame. On account of that, it is very possible that this will be the end of the nightbloods, the end of ascensions, and the end of the Flame."

The blonde slid down to the floor. She couldn't believe it, any of it. The magnitude of its effects were truly monumental. It wasn't just theories and time jumps. This was going to rewrite history. She was going to.

"You must realize something Clarke. If you do this, know that this is not just about Lexa. This is about the the fate of humanity. Save her for your own purposes Clarke, but understand that this is bigger than that, than the two of you. Do not let your feelings cloud your judgement. We need her, true. No one ever did, ever came close, to what she did. Her accomplishments, her goals, were never a possibility until she became Commander. She is special Clarke. Only she can do what needs to be done. Only she can ensure the continuity of mankind."

Clarke sat dumbfounded. She didn't know how long it would take her to wrap her head around everything that was said, everything that she now knew. The pressure to take care of her people was now a menial task. Now she had to save the world. No, now she had to save something more than that. No matter what she knew in her mind, her heart betrayed any conventional thought, because she only saw her. Lexa. That was her driving force.

Her heart began to hurt. All the love in the world and it all belonged to her. Knowing what she now knew, what she had always felt since she passed on, she softly cried. Lexa was out there. Somewhere. In a way, she always knew. And now, she was going to find her.

"Let's do it."