"Nnmm..." Nissa moaned tiredly as she felt someone shake her, forcing her back into consciousness as well as practically rolling her over across the rocky ground of the tunnel. Everything felt distant for a moment- voices seemed far off and sensations seemed dulled. It felt as if she had been sleeping for ages.

"Hey! Nissa, come on, wake up!" The voice called again, much more loud this time. Mostly out of instinct, Nissa lifted a hand and swatted at whoever it was who was practically shouting in her ear and shaking her enough to make her feel nauseous.

"Whoa! Yep, looks like she's finally coming to!" The same voice laughed as Nissa slowly opened her eyes. Chandra sat beside her, hands raised up defensively as if she were expecting another swat in her direction, and Gideon and Avacyn were looming above the two of them, looking down at her expectantly. "And here I thought Gideon was the master of oversleeping!"

"Thank the gods, I thought she hadn't made it out!" Gideon sighed before catching Nissa's confused look as she slowly attempted to sit up- eventually needing help from Chandra, who supported her back as she rose. "You were out a lot longer than the rest of us- about a good half-hour or so."

"Sorry, there was... something I had to do." Nissa apologized, rubbing her head as her senses slowly became sharper.

"Well, I sure hope it was important! We had to sit here and watch you snooze instead of moving forward." Chandra complained, although her tone hardly made it seem like she had made her comment completely in seriousness.

"I hope it was, too..." Nissa sighed. She had never really dealt with any magic dealing with dreams before, and hadn't been all that sure what she had done had even done much of anything for Emmara- or even if it was really Emmara she had helped. For all she knew, Emmara was still locked in her nightmare with-

"Ashiok!" She suddenly gasped, scrambling to her feet in a clumsy display that inevitably led her to being forced to steady herself on Gideon, who didn't seem all that bothered and reached out to steady her. "Where are they! We need to stop them!"

"They had escaped when we woke up, I'm afraid. Even the smartest of creatures know not to wait around for a match where they'll be outnumbered." Avacyn explained to her. "It's impossible to know where they have gone at this point, or if they'll bother showing up a second time."

"But..." Nissa began to protest. "We need to find them! You heard what they said, about the nightmares and Ravnica! They're the ones we need to be finding in this maze- not Jace or Bolas!"

"I suggested the same thing, but like Avacyn said, we have no idea where they are- if they're even still in the maze." Gideon shrugged. "Our best bet is to keep on making our way through the maze to stop Jace, seeing as Ashiok's plans hinge on Bolas' plans coming to fruition. At this point, Ashiok is the lesser of two evils."

"We let them get away this time, but you'll have your revenge if they resurface in the future." Avacyn assured her.

"So let's not waste any more time!" Chandra cut in impatiently. "We'll kick Ashiok's ass another day- right now we have bigger, more important asses to kick!" Without another word, Chandra took the lead, puzzling over a fork in the tunnel that immediately faced her.

"Chandra, wait!" Nissa called after her. The redhead perked up, looking over her shoulder with a look that hardly exuded patience. She didn't turn all the way around, but placed her hands on her hips and tapped her foot a few times in a way that tried Nissa's own patience

"Huh? Would you rather lead?" She asked a little too gruffly for Nissa's taste, and for a brief moment, she toyed with just taking it back and telling her not to mind, but what she intended to say was something that had to be said. Nissa could still feel the warm, comforting sensation she had been given in her nightmare from the very girl who stood before her shifting about impatiently and narrowing her eyes, and it prompted that something be said.

"No, no, none of that, I just..." Nissa paused as she drew a slow, cleansing breath. "Thank you for what you did back there. I'm sure without you, we'd all still be trapped in Ashiok's nightmare. I, especially, owe you a great deal for-"

"Dinner."

"E-excuse me?"

"When we get out of here, you owe me dinner- and I'm not talking anything cheep, either!" Chandra specified. "I'm talking about a full-course meal at a real classy joint!"

"I-is... that really all you want?" Nissa asked, only able to figure she wanted it for the satisfaction of forcing her to treat a human to a nice dinner in a public place. And although it seemed like just the right amount of revenge, it hardly seemed at all enough to match Nissa's gratitude. "That can't possibly be all you want in return..."

"Well, I'd ask for a lot more, sure, but I'd rather not take advantage of my friends like that." Chandra said with a quick grin before turning back to the fork in their path.

"Your... friends...?" Nissa parroted. It didn't leave any sort of foul aftertaste to say, much to her surprise. There was even a sort of comfort in repeating it back to herself.

"We shouldn't waste any more time." Avacyn spoke up as she passed Nissa by to join Chandra, sharing a slight, welcoming smile as she walked by. "We need to keep moving or else we might not make it to Liliana in time."

"The sooner we get out of here, the better!" Gideon agreed as he followed suit, giving Nissa's back an affectionate- albeit strong- slap as if she were one of his teammates. She stumbled forward, but couldn't bring herself to be all that bothered by the exchange. Maybe it was the warm feeling that had sparked within her heart that distracted her.

Friends...

Nissa smiled to herself as she picked up her own pace, bringing up the rear of the group. There was hardly a word she could use to describe how she felt about her companions, however, for the time being, "friends" seemed just about right.


Liliana stumbled as she stopped to catch her breath. Her battle with Garruk and Teysa had taken what felt like several years off of her life with the amount of energy she had expended (maybe a little too much). And yet she hadn't even taken a break since she had managed to escape- breaking into a straight run and neither stopping or even slowing until her body threatened to crumple to the ground. Gasping for breath, it took every last bit of energy she still clung to not to fall completely to her knees as she leaned against the wall of the tunnel.

The corridor itself had taken on a more oddly polished look than just a narrow corridor or an old series of caves. The stretch of hallway before her had become purposefully wide, the walls of the tunnel lined with pillars that were both standing or completely toppled over. There was definitely something awfully final about it, and if that didn't tip her off, then the overwhelming sensation that seemed to saturate the entire cave did. Something felt as if it were pulling her along- guiding her through the dark. Something old and familiar was calling to her, and within the maze there were only so many things that could possibly have been.

Either it was another complicated trap set up for her, or it was her spark.

"Could this be it?" She muttered to herself. She could feel it, but not quite access it- the power that Liliana Vess once had, the power that she had traded her very freedom for. She certainly figured she would never make the same mistake, but Liliana could certainly understand, sensing just what awaited her beyond the twisting, winding corridors, why someone would sell their soul for power like that.

With a deep breath, Liliana glared down at her legs that shook and quivered like gelatin as she, once again, proceeded forward.

"Maybe I should reanimate my legs..." She joked as she pushed herself away from the wall. However, as she reassumed her trek forward, she couldn't help but notice the sound of someone's footsteps as they ran from somewhere behind her. A chaotic mixture of hope and caution welled up inside of her as she dropped down behind a fallen pillar. Just as much as it could be one of her friends, it could very well be another enemy- and her legs certainly appreciated the break as she dropped into a crouch to hide. Keeping her body pressed against the stone, she kept one eye on the tunnel behind her, waiting for whoever's footsteps echoed from the darkness to emerge- and as they did, Liliana had to keep herself from leaping out into the open as hear heart fluttered despite herself.

"Jace..." She whispered, shuffling where she sat crouched as he came into view. He didn't seem all that concerned to see what was lying about- much to Liliana's luck- and faced obediently forward as he ran passed her.

Liliana bit her lip nervously. She had finally found him, but she was without the spell or any of her friends. She was alone without help and without a plan. At first she stayed rooted to the ground- both out of exhaustion and of stubbornness- logically feeling she wouldn't be able to face Jace alone and unarmed with what she needed. But something deep inside of her- an emotional pull that seemed to dominate all of her other thoughts- yearned for her to follow after him. For a brief period, as she heard his footsteps grow more and more distant, she indecisively rose to her feet and dropped back down to the ground, not once but several times. She looked back at the way she had come, and the way Jace had gone before groaning angrily to herself and rising to her feet.

Even though she had no help and had no plan, she couldn't let him go. She wasn't going to let him get away- not this time.

"Jace..." She gasped to herself as she ran, limbs still sore but finding the strength and energy to support her. She repeated his name over and over as she followed after him, catching glimpses of him as he rounded corners, barely missing him each time. His name filled her with so many emotions- sadness, anger, hope, love- and with each exhale she spoke his name and her voice grew louder and louder. "Jace... Jace!"

Her pursuit eventually led her to an opening in the tunnel, and she could feel the cool sensation of a breeze as it his her skin that had become moist from sweat. She stumbled and skidded as she exited the dark cave, looking up immediately to find a night sky spattered with stars, and the tall, jagged spires of the ruins standing as black silhouettes against it. The tunnel had led her out into a deep scar that weaved through the old, crumbling city above. The old ruins of Ravnica would bear witness to the final stretch of her journey, it seemed.

Whipping her head one way and then the other, she quickly caught sight of Jace continuing to run, unaware of her presence. And now, so close to what she felt was her goal, Liliana could no longer keep herself silent.

"JACE!" She called out, her voice cracking as she shouted with every last bit of air that remained in her lungs. Her cry reverberated along the high walls that surrounded them, and reached to the crumbling buildings that could be seen from below. And much to Liliana's surprise, relief and maybe regret, Jace skidded to a halt. There wasn't any point in keeping hidden now, so Liliana found no point in staying silent. "JACE! PLEASE, STOP!"

He turned around to face her as she stumbled in his direction, making sure to keep herself a few, good feet away- just enough so she wouldn't have to shout, just far enough in case he attempted to attack her. It was Jace's body, but Jace wasn't in control. But, at the very least, she knew from when they had spoke that he could hear her from where he was locked away.

"Jace... please, you need to fight this!" She begged, immediately feeling a lump grow in her throat as he gazed at her as if he were staring at thin air. He seemed uninterested in her words, and uninterested in her. But he remained silent, and allowed for her to continue to speak. "I know you can hear me in there! I know you're still in there, and I know it seems helpless, but you need to fight! Ravnica Is your home- our home... you can't let this happen! I know things seem impossible, but you have to fight, for Ravnica and for the multiverse!" Completely out of air, Liliana hunched over, finally spent.

"Your words are awfully stirring, but they're certainly not enough. In the end, your speeches will be nothing but a waste of time." Jace finally spoke as Liliana gasped for breath. She stared back at him as if she were struggling against a mighty weight. "You're fighting against a thing that was thrown into motion before you came into being- a plan that bore fruit before you could even comprehend it. There's nothing any of your pathetic friends can do. There's nothing you can do! And there's certainly nothing that Jace Beleren can do!"

"Is that... so?" Liliana asked as she caught something glinting in the moonlight. Jace's words had been cold and unfeeling- a speech made for a villain- but the look in his eyes spoke otherwise as tears poured fourth from them. He was in there, and, somehow, she had reached him. "Or maybe you're so far along in your plans that... maybe you don't realize just how precariously placed your plan as become. The power to overthrow your entire plan is inside of you- awake and aware... and I know he can hear me! And I know he has the power to fight! Even if he doesn't know it... even if he doesn't believe it... I believe it! I know you can break free of this Jace so please..."

"L...Lili..." Much to Liliana's surprise, she heard Jace barely manage to choke out her name as he reached up to clutch at his head. "Lili... ana..."

Just as it felt like they had hit some kind of breakthrough- just as Liliana caught sight of that tiny, glimmer of hope- something silvery flew between them, keeping both of them from growing any closer. Liliana stumbled backward, and as did Jace, the struggling look that had begun to show on his face returning to the cold, unfeeling expression. With a disheartened gasp, Liliana looked to the ground to find a silvery blade buried deep into the ground between them, blue bolts of static buzzing about the reflective metal.

"That... is quite enough." An annoyed sounding voice spoke from the sidelines. Liliana spun about to see Tezzeret glaring back at the both of them, arms folded almost in disappointment as he approached.

"Seems like Bolas felt it necessary to call in all of the help..." Liliana glowered. Tezzeret payed no attention to her comment- much less Liliana herself- as he wrenched the blade from out of the ground and turned to Jace.

"What are you doing wasting time here for?" He questioned angrily. "Hurry up and get to Bolas! I'll take care of this little insect."

"Jace, please, wait!" Liliana begged, but this time her words didn't reach him as he turned his back to the both of them and continued down the path and out of sight. "Jace..."

"You know, it's quite sad we've wound up here, like this." Tezzeret sighed as he stepped into her line of vision, examining his blade for any scratches or tarnishes from having been thrown. "We could have been standing here as equals, but here we are, standing as enemies. And I thought you were smarter than this..."

"Why..." Liliana muttered, her frustration causing her voice to quiver. "Why are you doing this!?"

"Well, this is an awfully odd time to want to dig into that." Tezzeret chuckled.

"If Bolas succeeds, this entire plane is going to be destroyed! The entire multiverse is going to fall right along with it! I know Bolas isn't controlling you, so why would anyone in the right mind fight for such a cause!?" Liliana continued to angrily question. "You're not like Bolas... you're not a cruel person, so why...?"

"It's this world that's cruel." Tezzeret responded coldly. "This world is full of people who look at people like us like monsters. We have powers that could help them, improve their lives even, but the moment they discover us, they cast us out." He looked down at his etherium arm angrily, clenching the long, bony fingers of his metallic hand. "A place like this... A place so awful... it deserves to be demolished."

"We've all lived that life, Tezzeret! But shouldn't we work towards changing this world instead of destroying it!?" Liliana snapped. "There's still good in this world, there's still a chance! Surely you see that!"

"I've found good in this world- the only good I could ever need, the only good that was ever done for me. And if finally being happy means this entire plane can burn to the ground, so be it." Tezzeret growled.

"What, did Bolas offer you some kind of deal?" Liliana snarled back, drawing into as much mana as she could as she spoke. She saw him drawing closer, and gripping at his blade. She kept her eyes glued on his movements as she spoke, hoping he didn't notice her preparing herself. "Let me tell you, I know a hell of a lot about deals, and when you make them with people like Bolas, you're just asking to get shit on."

"No... not with Bolas..." Tezzeret paused, seeming almost thoughtful, which caught Liliana completely off guard. "But with someone in his fold. Someone who has offered me happiness no one else could ever hope to give. Surely, even someone like you has felt it..."

"Felt what?" Liliana asked, feeling legitimately curious.

"Love."

"Lo-" Before Liliana could comprehend what Tezzeret had said, she spied a glint of metal as Tezzeret swung his blade in her direction. With a gasp, Liliana pulled, once again, at the mana she had begin to lose track of, only being able to summon a single undead fro the earth to defend her. For a split second, Liliana felt that at least that would be enough to hold Tezzeret off- that it would keep him busy while she attempted to regain her focus- but in an instant, without even the slightest bit of trouble, Liliana's single undead soldier was sliced clean in half by Tezzeret's blade.

"Shit!" Liliana gasped, unable to say any more than that as she shielded herself with her arms.

A merciless pain shot through her as she felt the sharpened edge of the blade slice open the flesh of her arm. Liliana cried out as she felt the strike from the blade followed by the force of Tezzeret thrusting his foot against her gut, sending her flying backward and falling ungracefully to the ground. The world spun as she attempted to breath normally, unsure if she had stopped, or was still rolling backward. She gripped at her arm, feeling that it was already covered in warm, slick blood. She groaned in pain, at first feeling only the pain from the wound in her arm and in her stomach where she had been kicked. However, as she attempted to right herself, she immediately longed for such a simple pain.

It felt as if she had been burned- not on her skin, but somewhere deep inside, where she couldn't reach. Her senses went muddy, and when she attempted to summon up any sort of spell to air her, it only made things worse and made her nauseous. Her entire body ached, even though she had been struck only two places. The pain forced her to her knees and kept her from moving, made it hard to breath and even think on anything but the pain. A pathetic cry exited her lips as she clutched at her wound, barely able to lift her head enough to see Tezzeret's boots as he slowly walked over to her.

"A fascinating weapon, isn't it?" He asked, wiping the blood from off the blade and examining its gleam. "We used it in the army when we captured prisoners of war who happened to be mages. Had they been normal humans not attune to mana, it would have just been a blade like any other. But for mages- for people like you and me- it's the ultimate tool for torture. Not only does it slice flesh, it can slice through your connection with mana. I guess, you could say in simpler terms, it cuts your very soul."

Liliana attempted to rise to her feet, only to have her entire body buckle in refusal. It was as if she hardly even controlled her own body- just lived and suffered in it. At the very least, she was able to shuffle herself back, but it was hardly a retreat and even that took it's toll. Her struggled soon became nothing but feeble shivers as she helplessly wrapped her arms around herself. She heard Tezzeret sigh above her through her heart pounding in her ears as if he were disappointed in something.

"It's a bit of a shame we haven't the time to actually use it to it's full potential." He muttered. "I was told to take you out as soon as I could, should I ever have gotten the chance." He took a threatening step forward until he loomed over her, and Liliana could see the details of his boots. "Bolas' only regret is that he couldn't be here to do this personally."

"And your only regret should be that you weren't a little more cautious." A voice familiar to Liliana growled. Tezzeret gasped as he felt the sharp, cold point of a blade press up against his neck before mumbling something under his breath, sounding a combination of angry and annoyed.

"Don't you think it's high time you stopped meddling in the affairs of these human children, Miss Revane." He asked in an exhausted tone, slowly raising his hands up in surrender.

"I think I have been given every right to meddle." Nissa responded sharply. "And they're not just humans- they're my friends."

"Your 'friends' are they?" Tezzeret chuckled slightly. "Well, then, I guess you can have the pleasure of dying with the rest of them!"

With a frightening amount of speed, Tezzeret was able to whirl around before Nissa had a chance to thrust her saber forward, nearly knocking it out of her hands as his own blade clashed with it. Sparks lit up the darkness around them as Nissa grunted in surprise, her feet skidding back against the rough ground beneath them. Hardly having any time to retaliate, she was forced to stumble back even further as Tezzeret lashed out a second time- this time with his etherium hand that now acted as a second weapon.

"Now, let's make this quick." Tezzeret snarled as he lunged forward. Nissa could do nothing but counter his attacks as they came one after another, blocking one blow and dodging the next. She was nimble, but Tezzeret was slowly breaking her down with nothing but sheer brute force as his attacks came closer and closer to hitting her- until a strong blow from his blade knocked her weapon clear from her hands, sending it souring a ways before it landed, tip-first, into the ground. A cruel look of victory in his eyes, he surged forward for one last attack before something whizzed passed between the two of them, blocking Tezzeret's path.

A pute-white spear that almost seemed to glow in the moonlight.

"We told you not to run off!" A voice called from nearby. Both Nissa and Tezzeret turned to find Avacyn, Gideon and Chandra, all three of them looking prepared to lunch into battle alongside Nissa. "If we hadn't gotten here in time, you could have gotten seriously injured, you know!"

"How about you focus on the other seriously injured we already have on our hands." Nissa retorted, motioning to Liliana. "Tezzeret did a number on her before I got here!"

Without another word, Avacyn rushed to Lilianas side while Chandra and Gideon rushed to Nissa's- Chandra ready with searing flame and Gideon with his sural.

"Three against one- well, this is hardly fare." Tezzeret muttered, very much visibly annoyed.

"Ask us if we give a shit." Chandra remarked harshly. "Now stand down, unless you want to get battered and deep fried!"

Meanwhile, as the others forced Tezzeret to surrender, Avacyn laid her hands on Liliana's wound, seeing her noticeably quiver at her touch.

"I-It's not a... normal wound, Avacyn... it's..." Liliana mumbled, but before she could even finish, Avacyn knew the extent of Liliana's injuries far surpassed a simple flesh wound. The cut was hardly deep enough to even require stitches, but she could feel it travel deep inside of Liliana, marring far down into places she could just barely reach.

"This is going to take a while." Avacyn told her. "This isn't a normal injury."

"We don't... have that kind of time!" Liliana shot back with some difficulty. "At this rate, Jace is going to..." She grunted in pain and folded herself forward, Avacyn's heeling magics somehow managing to sting her sensitive wound.

"Jace? He's here!?" Avacyn gasped.

"Was here." Liliana corrected roughly. "And if we don't move out soon, he's going to reach the end of the maze and Bolas before we can reach him!" With quivering legs and a body that threatened to give out on her if she continued, Liliana forced herself to stand- Avacyn following after her, keeping a firm grip on her arm.

"Liliana, wait-!" She pleaded, but Liliana did no such thing as she called out to the others.

"Gideon, I need the spell!"

Gideon perked up, looking immediately nervous and guilty as he rubbed at the back of his neck. Chandra, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes angrily at him. Neither of them had spoken, but Liliana started to put the pieces of the puzzle before her together before either of them had a chance to explain.

"Well, you see... the thing is we... or I guess I..." Gideon stammered before Chandra groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Genius over here already went and used it!" She finished for him. "We're up a creek without a paddle, unfortunately."

"I'm telling you, I had no choice!" Gideon defended. "A-And it was Tajic's idea, not mine!"

"It's fine." Much to both of their- and everyone else's surprise, Liliana responded calmly.

"Wh- wait a minute, what!?" Chandra gasped. "You... you're not even mad!?"

"I'm sure you've gotten mad and yelled at Gideon enough for everyone here." Liliana managed to joke. "This makes things harder but... I know I can reach him." She took a few, uneasy steps and paused as she caught herself before she crumpled to the ground. She stared at the ground, her eyes attempting to refocus.

"Please, let me come with you!" Avacyn insisted, but Liliana raised her hand as she drew near, stopping her in her tracks.

"Thanks but... This is something I need to do alone." She muttered, shaking her head as she lifted it, regaining her stride.

"But your wounds-!" Avacyn began to protest.

"We don't have time, Avacyn!" Liliana cut her off sharply. "You've done enough. I... I can take it from here. This is something only I can do."

"Then stop dilly-dallying!" Nissa spoke up. "Go to him before he gets all of us killed!"

Liliana looked to her and nodded as the two of them shared a knowing look. Tripping a few times as she pressed forward, Liliana managed to break out into a slight jog, grasping at her arm that was, at least in the surface, healed. Avacyn took a few steps after her before stopping herself and watched her go with a crippling amount of concern before turning to Nissa angrily.

"You can't honestly think she can stop him in her condition!" She snapped. "I've felt the extent of her injuries- it could take days to fully heal!"

"Love can make people do incredibly stupid, crazy things, Avacyn." Nissa explained calmly. "But it can also lend them the strength they need to overcome even the greatest obstacle."

"Love, huh...?" Chandra muttered under her breath before turning to Tezzeret, who looked more annoyed than anything. He caught her stare and glared back at her.

"You... I was certain Baltrice would have stopped you, at least." He grumbled. Chandra opened her mouth to spit back a sharp retort, but she thought better of it as her heart grew heavy. It would be in bad taste to get snippy with him, considering what she had come all that way to say. She took a deep breath, calming herself before she spoke.

"Baltrice... wanted me to tell you something." She began, her voice wavering a bit. Avacyn turned to her, looking surprised, but Chandra ignored it as she watched Tezzeret's expression begin to change. She could see something in his eyes, something worried about what Chandra had to say. "She said... she's sorry."

"Sorry?" Tezzeret questioned, going from annoyed and disinterested to concerned almost immediately. "Sorry for what?" Chandra turned away, beginning to feel guilty.

"She... she didn't say..."

"What did you do to her!?" Tezzeret shouted. Chandra jumped in surprise, her words at first coming out as a series of stammers and nervous sounds.

"I-I didn't do anything!" She began. "I-I'm sorry... I tried to save her... I... It was an accident..."

"No..." The amount of devastation in Tezzeret's expression was enough to hurt even Chandra as he stumbled backward in surprise. "She... she can't be..."

"...What... What was Baltrice to you?" Chandra dared to ask, but Tezzeret had fallen silent, his eyes fixed on the ground, looking like he'd just been punched in the gut. He clutched at his chest, making sounds as if he were struggling to breath. He didn't answer Chandra, but she knew, simply by how he reacted, just what Baltrice was to him. She knew that feeling well, having experienced it time and again in her vivid nightmares.

"Tezzeret, I-" She began to say before she heard him mutter something under his breath.

"He promised..." He spoke, his words dripping with both anguish and anger. "That bastard... I'll kill him..."


Even though Liliana had lost sight of Jace, all she had to do was follow the pull- the call of her spark that lay trapped within the maze. Although, now, it hurt to reach out and feel it- the sensation of focusing in on the stream of mana that led her felt like she was being prodded with hot tongs, but it was the only way. Limping and gasping for breath, she found herself traveling down another wide tunnel lined with columns. The air around her was abuzz with mana and burned her as she tried, instinctively, to tap into it to give herself strength.

"Jace..." She grunted to herself as sweat slid down her face. Saying his name seemed to be the only source of strength she could draw on as she stumbled down the tunnel. Every movement had become agonizing, and each step felt as if she were walking on glass, but she proceeded forward, repeating his name over and over again in the darkness.

Her pain and exhaustion made her trip feel like an eternity, but after what felt like forever she stumbled into a grand chamber- no more doors to pass through or tunnels to go down. There was no time to stand in awe of the place- the crumbling statues standing guard silently, the smooth slab of rock that stood out just ahead of her, nor the mana that was so thick in the room it threatened to suffocate her. None of it was of any of her concern. Only the one person standing with their back to her, unaware of her presence.

"Jace!" She cried out. She could have sworn she heard him gasp, but he turned to her as if he were completely uninterested she was there. "Jace, listen, you have to stop this!"

"You're too late." He spoke coldly. "There's nothing any of you could do to stop us now."

"You'll destroy everything!" Liliana protested.

"This entire plane went bad a long time ago. The only thing that remains in this world that is worth keeping Ravnica around for is just beyond here, and soon even that will be gone. After that, Ravnica will be a useless husk." Jace continued, his tone harsh and chilling. "There will be nothing lost by wiping it off the face of the multiverse."

"Jace, this isn't like you-"

"That me is gone!" Jace suddenly shouted. "You can't reach him- not anymore. Consider this... your final punishment from Bolas."

"You..." Liliana struggled to speak, eyes stinging as she held back tears. She bit down on her quivering lips and choked back her sobs as she clenched her fists in determination. The old Jace wasn't gone. She new he wasn't- he was still there and he could hear her! "Do... you remember when we first met?"

Jace remained oddly silent, but Liliana could not as she continued to speak, he words spilling out of her almost chaotically.

"I remember how awkward you were, how you mixed up your words and tried not to stare. You introduced yourself as Bace Jeleren, and I still remember how red your face got when you realized! It was all just apart of Bolas' plan, but that day left an impression on me!

"I remember when you started trying to sit with me in the library at lunch, even after I refused you! At the time, I know it was all apart of the plan, but your determination... it left a mark on me. You ignored all the gossip and the stares and everything you had heard and stayed with me, even if it was just to read books together in silence! I always caught you stealing glances, you thought you were so smooth...

"I remember during the long weekend when you snuck me into your dorm to take shelter from the rain! And in exchange for me explaining what had happened before you entered the academy, you told me about your friend... Kallist. We hardly knew anything about each other, but you bore your soul and cried. I wished I could have been as open, I wish I could have told you the truth then- just broke down and cried and told you everything, but I kept my distance, because it was all apart of the plan! But after that day, I started to wonder if I was hanging around because I had to or because I wanted to.

"I remember the night of the dance when you kissed me in front of everyone, and how we opened the maze and I fed you only lies about my past. You were so trusting, even after I was so vague.

"I remember when you stood up for me in front of the entire school, when we broke into the ruins, and I remember when things started going bad. The plan wasn't my plan anymore, and I didn't want to lose you, but things just happened even when I tried to stop them! And you stayed by my side the entire time, you trusted me the entire time! And now I'm here because I still trust you! I know you're still in there, and I know you still remember..." Liliana stopped for a moment, hunching over as she gasped for breath. And with her hands on her knees and with hardly any air left in her lungs, she finally allowed herself to cry.

"Jace... I love you."

Silence followed her words that echoed about the chamber. Liliana lifted her head and gazed back at him through tears. And, at first, Jace stood still, his back turned to her, and Liliana held her breath in terrified anticipation. However, a single word climbed over the silence, and it almost seemed to chase away the throbbing pain that pulsed through Liliana's body.

"Lili...ana..." Slowly and steadily, Jace turned back around to face her with tears in his eyes. Liliana stared back at him in surprise, mouth agape but unable to actually form any words. There he was, looking back at her and smiling: the Jace she knew- the Jace who she had come to love. "Those words... could you say them one more time?"

"You... You moron." Liliana sniffled. "I'll say it as many times as you want! I love you! I love you, I love you, I love you!"

"Liliana, I-" Jace began to respond, but before he could utter another word, the sound of slow, almost mocking applause could be heard from behind Liliana. The both of them turned, nervous and unsure, before terror swept over the both of them. The warm feeling of relief that had grown between them was blown away like a leaf in a harsh gust of wind, and replaced with fear. There, at the entrance to the chamber, stood Nicol Bolas, still clapping his hands and sneering from ear to ear. Even in human form, some of his dragon-like features still managed to show through, and it was unsettling to say the least.

"Oh, no, please, do continue." He chuckled darkly. "I'm sure we're all dying to see what happens next."