Edelgard paused for a moment. The grand halls of Enbarr's castle seemed different. There was no change in their size, no shift in their coloring, no transition in the architecture- but there was something off. A few paintings out of place, perhaps. An odd few that seemed to blur whenever Edelgard looked at them.

But her feet kept moving. Up a flight of stairs. Down a corridor. Servants bowed and curtsied at her passing. Edelgard tried to speak, to say something, but her head did not turn and her mouth did not open. Her legs kept moving.

Edelgard stopped at an elaborate double door. She recognized the doors- it led to the room where her father would receive important guests. Back when he was in a position to receive important guests. Her eyes fell down to her dress. It was a formal outfit, regal and buttoned, colored with expensive bright red dye and ironed to perfection, the kind Edelgard had seen her ancestors wear in paintings of glories past.

Edelgard's hand reached down to swat at dust that was not there- But she had never been one for nerves. Her hand pulled at a button that was already in place, and then went to her head. A crown moved by a fraction-when had she started wearing a crown? How had she become so used to its weight that she didn't even feel it atop her head?

Edelgard's mouth pushed out a breath. She reached out and touched the doorknob. Her hand froze as it reached the handle, before pushing down with a just enough force to be called hasty.

The door swung open, revealing the waiting room decorated just as it had always been. A tasteful view of Enbarr's opera house was visible from one window, the bustling harbor and port from another, and the imperial training grounds from the last. The rugs and walls were a pleasant mixture of blues with accents of gold and marble with a touch of polished steel. A small fireplace sat next to a few chairs and tables, equipped with tea sets and a small assortment of fruits and baked goods. The only painting to adorn the walls was a truly ancient piece, a preserved tapestry that showed the first accord of Emperor Wilhelm, clad in black armor, and Saint Seiros, depicted with long, flowing, green hair.

Rhea stood beside the piece, studying it. She turned slowly; her expression guarded. "I am quite surprised this piece has managed to survive so many years. The tapestry is as old as the empire itself."

"Yes." Edelgard's tongue moved without her command. "My ancestors thought it was history worth preserving." Rhea's expression didn't change. "Who am I to deny my family's wishes?"

"Edelgard, Rhea, please." An all too familiar voice drawled from a chair. Edelgard turned. Byleth was wearing a gold and white robe, decorated with hints of purple. The church's colors. A small tiara sat atop her head. Edelgard's heart skipped. "We have buried that argument yeaaaarrrssssssss aaaaaaaaaaaaggggggggggggoooooooooooooooo-"

Edelgard awoke in her bed at Garreg Mach drenched in sweat.

5th of Horsebow Moon

"How long have these…dreams been occurring?" Hubert drummed his fingers against his desk.

"I don't know." Edelgard leaned against the door to his room. "In the past month or so, I've had flashes of…something, in my sleep. I presumed they were the usual nightmares, but…"

Edelgard's mind drifted back to her training session with Rhea. The scene on the battlefield had been vivid. She had felt Rhea's fist smash into her face. Before that, at the mausoleum. She had heard Byleth say that…single entendre clearly. But Byleth had been utterly confused. And then there was that terrible feeling of familiarity ever since Byleth had invited herself into Edelgard's life and plans…

Edelgard bit her lip. "I don't know."

Hubert growled. "There is much we don't know about the Crest of Flames. Perhaps Byleth is somehow influencing you through it."

"I…" Edelgard frowned. "That doesn't quite fit. Some of the visions-" Rhea's face on the battlefield had burnt itself into her memory. "-run counter to her goals."

Hubert grunted. His fingers were still drumming against the table.

Edelgard swallowed. "Hubert, do you remember when you told me you were looking into any connection between myself and Byleth? Memories Arundel's experiments may have erased? After our first meeting?"

"…Yes."

"You never found anything, did you?"

Hubert's mouth twitched. "…No."

"…Because there was nothing to find, or because Arundel didn't let you?"

The drumming stopped. Hubert's fist was clenched. "…Arundel." He gave a quiet exhale. "Is that sense still there? Are you still…"

"…The feeling is not as…present as it was at the beginning." Edelgard said. "I still feel…" She looked through the window. The sun was starting to rise over the monastery. "…Familiar with Byleth. A nagging at the back of my brain."

"Perhaps…" Hubert muttered. "Perhaps…Byleth can remember past lives because of the Crest of Flames."

Edelgard's eyes shot up. "You think I am somehow remembering Byleth's previous lives?"

"It would fit your current symptoms." Hubert leaned forward. "Perhaps we can use them to our advantage. Is there a particular pattern? Could you do anything to trigger another vision?"

Edelgard's brow furrowed. "Byleth was involved in almost all of them."

Hubert nodded. "She was part of your previous lives in this theory. What of the others?"

"…Brief flashes of something, mostly. Except for one clear vision of Rhea."

Hubert frowned. "The archbishop is undoubtably under Byleth's council. But she's never shown a connection to the Crest of Flames, has she? Is there anything in the vision itself that might have triggered something?"

Rhea standing above her, fist descending the smoke and ash burning through the thunderous rain-

"We were…fighting. On a battlefield. No particular details."

Hubert's brow furrowed. "Perhaps you can only see important memories? Ones tied to intense emotion, like fighting against the church. Presumably the final battle, if Rhea was there. Did your other memories have any particular emotions tied to them?"

Byleth's smile seared its way into Edelgard's mind. "…Work to make me scream…"

Her hands rushed up to cover her eyes. To cover her cheeks. "Maybe. I don't know for certain."

"Hmm." Hubert leaned back into his chair. "Perhaps it would be best to try and uncover something from Byleth herself. Indirectly." He ran his hand along his chin. Edelgard could see some stubble growing. "I have a lead of my own that I've sown. I plan to pursue it soon. I'll let you know when the fruit ripens."

"Yes…In the meantime, I'll look for…" Edelgard sighed. "Answers."

The sun had risen, and Garreg Mach awoke as it always did. Students gathered and chatted in the halls and kitchens to talk and prepare for the day's studies. Priests and nuns bustled about the church, preparing for worship. Each and every one knowing where they were going and what they needed to do.

Edelgard took a step. And then another. And another. One more. And again. She bit her lip, and turned back four steps. She stopped. Turned again. One step. Another. One more. One- no, two more.

The entrance to Byleth's office loomed. The door was shut. Edelgard shook her head. She looked down at her uniform. There was a wrinkle at the edge of her shirt. Straightening it, Edelgard reached out and touched the doorknob. Her hand froze as it reached the handle, before pushing down with a just enough force to be called hasty.

Inside Byleth and Hanneman stood across from Lysithea. Byleth held up a small vial. All eyes turned to her, and Edelgard froze in place.

"I-it's fine!" Lysithea spoke up. "It's fine. If Edelgard wants to see this, I don't mind."

Hanneman's brow furrowed, and he opened his mouth before closing it. Byleth turned back to Lysithea, unperturbed. "Last chance to back out. No going back after this."

Lysithea gulped, and took a breath. "I'm ready."

Byleth handed the vial to Lysithea, who uncorked it. A strong perfume wafted through the air. It smelled like a mix of foreign spices. Lysithea's hand was shaking. She slowly brought the vial to her lips, before tossing it back into her mouth.

"Ugh…" Lysithea's face shifted from pained too uncomfortable and back again. Like a child swallowing strong medicine. She coughed once, then twice. Hanneman placed his fingers against her neck's veins, quietly muttering to himself. Lysithea breathed deeply again, and then exhaled. Her eyes opened, and her arms outstretched.

"…Is that it?" Lysithea's eyebrows scrunched together. "Just like that? No surgery? No complicated medical procedure?"

Byleth's voice was as dispassionate as ever. "Can you feel your Crests?"

Lysithea breathed in. "It's fading." She stood up. "I can't feel them anymore!" She sucked in her breath. "Does this mean- does this really mean-"

"Your lifespan will return to normal. You need not fear an early death by illness." Byleth tilted her head. "Your hair will remain the same color, but dye can solve that if you wish."

"I…" Lysithea took a step forward. "I don't know what to say."

"Then I must insist you remain seated. I still need to perform an examination on you!" Hanneman said. "We must make certain there are no side effects, not to mention all the other bits of study-"

"Professor, I'm fine!"

"All the more reason to make sure you stay fine!"

Byleth walked towards Edelgard. "They will be like this for a while." She passed through the door. "Did you want to ask me something?"

Edelgard blinked. She released a breath she had been holding before following. "I wanted to ask a question."

Byleth strode down the hallway. "Name it." There was a small corner at the end of the passage, isolated from any traffic that might pass them by. Byleth entered, and Edelgard followed.

"I…" Edelgard's mouth went dry. "I…"

Byleth remained still, waiting patiently. Edelgard cleared her throat.

"Was that…Lysithea no longer…?"

"Her Crests have been removed. Her lifespan has been returned. As I told you they would be."

"That…" Edelgard hissed. A gnawing had blossomed in her chest. "That…" Byleth blinked. Her face remained expressionless. Edelgard looked down at her own hand. Her fingers were digging into her palm. "Can you take away anyone's Crest so easily? Just spike their drink, and remove a Crest?"

"No. Crests you are born with are a part of a person, like a heart. I can only remove artificial Crests."

Edelgard exhaled in and out. Her breathing was under control. "So I would just…lose…"

"The Crest of Seiros would remain a part of you."

Edelgard forced her fingers to relax. There were small tears in her glove. "I have another question." Byleth nodded back. "I visited my uncle's manor. Your father accompanied me."

"He did."

"Why?"

"To help escort prisoners, of course."

Edelgard gripped her forehead. "You and the archbishop directed him specifically to come, did you not?"

"Yes."

"My uncle knows you. He knows of your exploits. There was a message there." Edelgard took a step forward. Byleth did not react. "What was it?"

"Your uncle plots my death. I plan to kill him first, and raze his laboratories to the ground." Byleth hummed. "This was the last look at a cornered rat."

"…You are going to kill my uncle?" the gnawing feeling in Edelgard's heart had spread to her knees. The thought had played out in her fantasies for years, but something about the utter casualness Byleth said it with made the act seem…unreal. Impossible.

"I plan to kill Thales." Surely it couldn't be so simple. He was the most powerful man in the empire. He controlled unthinkable technologies and innumerable spies. Surely someone could not simply walk up and kill him. Even in Edelgard's wildest fantasies the act of defanging the man took years, even decades. No one could simply walk up and kill him. Surely it had to be more complicated than that.

Byleth tilted her head. "Would you like to come along?"

The feeling caught up to Edelgard's throat. "W-what?" She sputtered.

"Would you like to see Thales die?"

Edelgard stared at Byleth. The professor's eyes remained blank, but in their depths, Edelgard saw a spark of warmth. A certain kindness she had seen before. Perhaps it had been hiding in her father's sad eyes. Or maybe Hubert's sideways glances in her more desperate moments.

No, that wasn't right. She had seen them in been Byleth's eyes first, when they had been in the imperial palace, about to-

Edelgard rubbed her hands over her eyes, tearing herself away from Byleth's emotionless expression. She took a deep breath. She needed something to focus herself on.

"Exactly how old is Rhea?" Edelgard murmured.

Byleth's tongue clicked. "Why do you ask?"

"I've been wondering for…"

"And who do you think the Immaculate One is? Saint Seiros, of course."

"…Some time now."

"…I'd suggest asking her yourself."

Rhea's visage flashed through Edelgard's mind. Smiling down as she healed wounds in the training yard. "Of course." Formal and disinterested as she stood in the imperial hall. "Why shouldn't I ask her that."

Byleth exhaled ever so loudly. "She will not strike at you for asking questions, Edelgard. Even if they are contentious. You've seen as much after the mausoleum."

Rhea happily explaining why the execution of her enemies was completely justified. "Yes." Rhea staring down at her on the battlefield, blood in the air. "I suppose I have." Edelgard breathed in. "I…will be going now. Thank you for your time."

"Yes..." Byleth began. A yawn drifted out of her mouth. A touch of surprise entered her face. Edelgard stared. "It seems I've been working too many nights to prepare Lysithea's potion. I think I will be off to bed today."

Edelgard coughed. "A peaceful rest to you then." She gave a nod and walked away into the courtyards, landing on a small bench in tree shade, and thought.

Byleth was planning to kill Thales. Edelgard should be ready to rejoice. Her uncle had become a blight upon the world, and with his passing, no one would have to suffer from his cruelties ever again. But if he disappeared, she would lose a huge technological advantage. All his spies and monsters, however distasteful, would be lost to her forever. If Byleth succeeded, Edelgard could not unite the continent and free the people from the church's grip.

She could not save anyone.

The vision she had seen had been clear. The tapestry she had seen- Her father had never shown her anything like it. Perhaps it was all just a dream. Concocted by Thales' incessant manipulations. It was just too convenient- Seiros' green hair was a perfect match for Rhea's. And surely her father would have shown the tapestry to her if he had known it. Surely it had been a dream. Nothing but nonsense, brought on by stress and the utter chaos of the situation. Surely-

A flash of movement caught Edelgard's eye. She looked up. It was Byleth, walking through the shadows of the dormitories. Away from where any beds might be. Edelgard stood up, quietly moving behind the professor.

Byleth moved at a steady pace, weaving through the hallways with practiced ease. Edelgard followed carefully. They were approaching the kitchens. Perhaps she wanted something to eat?

But Byleth turned again. She was moving to the gardens next to the hall. Edelgard's brow creased as she hugged the corners in Byleth's wake. Perhaps she wanted an herb or tea leaf?

Byleth turned a final corner, momentarily disappearing behind the wall. Edelgard hid behind the wall, trying to listen for Byleth's footfalls, not wanting to be seen-

What was she doing? This was a place everyone at Garreg Mach visited. And Byleth would have no reason to suspect anything from Edelgard appearing for a late breakfast. Shaking her head, Edelgard turned the corner, confidently strolling through the flower bushes-

Only to find nobody there. Byleth had vanished.

Edelgard looked again. The garden was empty. A servant walked by, not paying her any mind. Edelgard looked into the kitchens. The tables were mostly empty, the last few students finishing their meals, except for Raphael who was only halfway through his many plates. Byleth was completely absent.

Edelgard looked back to the garden. Her eyes ran over the many bushes and shrubberies- Byleth was not hiding under any of them, and there were no other traces. The only thing out of place was the strange green artifact at the gazebo-

Edelgard head snapped back. There was nothing at the gazebo, empty as always. She ran to the structure. Still nothing. She walked to where she had seen the peculiar orb-or perhaps it had been a cube- and found nothing. She reached her hand out to see if it was invisible. Nothing.

Edelgard dragged her hand down her face. She took a breath in, and then out. She had seen something here. She was not going mad.

Her eyes opened again. The gazebo remained stubbornly empty. But she had seen something here before. Felt something off, when her classmates had tried to butt in. When she had been talking to Byleth, she had seen something in the distance. A shimmer of something. She knew something was here, something connected to Byleth. She just had to-

"Edelgard." She looked up. Rhea stood, serene. "What are you doing?"

Thanks to Dox for beta reading!