The moment the Flame Emperor appeared in the Holy Tomb, Byleth realized that, despite all her efforts, the history was going to repeat itself. Yet, she still refused to believe it.

No, gods! Please, no…

As Ferdinand's well-aimed strike knocked the mask off the Flame Emperor's face, everyone froze in shock.

"Edelgard! What's the meaning of this?" asked Caspar, his eyes wide.

"Why did you make use of us like that?" said Petra in her foreign accent.

"I'm sorry."

Apparently, these two words were everything Edelgard had to say in her defence. With a stone face, she went on.

"This is the path I cut for myself. My friends, know that I have no intention to fight you. I command you to obey my orders."

Nobody moved. The atmosphere was thick like the fog of war in one of their earlier missions. Byleth was the first one to regain her ability to walk. In several swift steps, she approached Edelgard. The woman's sword was pointing to the ground. She simply wanted to talk to her.

But then, Rhea finally caught up with the front lines. The spell was broken.

"How dare you betray the Church!"

The Archbishop's shouting resonated around the hall. Her posture was threatening, her face lit with madness.

"I'd never believe that a Hresvelg would act against the Goddess herself. Professor!" she addressed Byleth, who simply stood in-between her and the Empress. "Kill that foolish girl at once!"

Wide-eyed, the professor blinked. Her empty face showed no intention to follow Rhea's order. She was not a Knight of Seiros, and her mercenary moral code did not include punishing heretics. Moreover, Edelgard wasn't just another nameless face that she was sent to put down in the name of the Church. Everything inside of Byleth refused to kill her own student without hearing her side of the story. Without giving her a chance to defend herself.

"She is a danger to Fódlan," the Archbishop continued in a raised voice. "Such a rebel cannot be allowed to keep living!"

In horror, Byleth observed the woman's flushed face, clenched jaw, and glinting eyes. The leader of the Garreg Mach looked as if she completely lost her mind. At this very moment, the professor was terrified of her.

The Blue Lions and Golden Deer students caught up with the Black Eagles. Dimitri and Claude made their way to stand next to Rhea. They both stopped on the spot after noticing the true face of the Flame Emperor.

"I can't believe it! Edelgard!" shouted Dimitri, his expression darkened. Upon seeing Byleth standing side-by-side with his worst enemy, he quickly added, "Professor! How could you?!"

His voice was full of disbelief and anger. Yet, his face expressed a different set of emotions. Hurt, betrayal, and also utter disappointment.

Byleth was forced to lower her gaze. She couldn't meet his eyes.

"You traitor!" hissed Rhea, looking down at the professor, her pupils dilated. "You are yet another failure that needs to be dealt with. I will not tolerate your presence in the Holy Tomb of the goddess Sothis."

"Please listen−" said Byleth, trying to explain.

Her breath was taken away by the view before her. The Archbishop went berserk. She transformed into her dragon form right before the woman's eyes.

"I'll rip your heart from your chest!" roared the beast at the top of its voice.

And then, it attacked.

In one leap, the dragon closed the space between herself and the enemy. Its claws were inches from the professor's torso, ready to cut flesh and break bones. Instinctively, Byleth drew the Sword of Creator, prepared to block the blow. But this mere protection wouldn't be enough, she was sure of it.

I'm about to die, she thought with shock and regret. Both of which failed to leave a mark on her ever-stoic face.

She heard people screaming, felt someone grab her by a shoulder, and then she was surrounded by total darkness.

This seems familiar, thought the professor, recalling the emptiness in which she met Sothis a lifetime ago.

"My teacher! Are you hurt?"

Byleth flinched, startled. This was not the Goddess's voice. And there was only one person that addressed her in this manner.

Having blinked several times, she found that her eyes got accustomed to the low intensity of light. There were two people standing right in front of her. Edelgard, scanning her up and down for any signs of injury, and Hubert, who hadn't let go of her shoulder.

"Where are we?" asked the professor, looking around a half-empty room. "What happened?"

Edelgard glanced at Hubert, who remained silent. The Emperor provided their teacher with answers herself.

"Hubert transported us to a provisional camp. This will be our base for the time being. We need to regroup as soon as possible and plan our counterattack."

"You have our deepest gratitude, Professor," said Hubert with a bow. "We've accepted the possibility that you might side with the Church of Seiros and the Immaculate One. Your support of our cause is a pleasant surprise."

Having realized what she'd done, Byleth was close to panic.

Now what?!

She couldn't go back to the Garreg Mach, that much was more than certain. The question was, what are the other Houses going to do after today's events. The professor didn't remember. Most probably, they would join forces with Rhea in order to take down the Empire. Even if they didn't, though, she had no business with Claude. They barely knew each other in this timeline. And Dimitri thought her a murderer's accomplice. She was no one to him. Despite how much she wished he'd care for her, he didn't anymore.

"Did you see what happened to the Archbishop?" shouted Caspar to Linhardt, and it was at that moment when Byleth realized they were not alone.

"S−She was sooo s−scary!" uttered Bernadetta with a yelp.

"What is it that will happen to us now?" wondered Petra.

Dorothea looked left and right, and then she asked, "Has anyone seen Flayn?"

"We should discuss our next move, Lady Edelgard," stated Hubert, indicating with a gesture that they should talk in private.

"Yes, of course," replied the Emperor, as she followed him to the exit. "Please, excuse us, Professor, everyone. Soon, we'll answer all of your questions."

"Please, wait," said Byleth, catching up to them on the other side of the door. Whatever this place was, it was just as dark on the outside as it was on the inside.

Edelgard and Hubert stopped in their tracks.

"What is it, Professor?"

The Emperor watched her teacher carefully, probably expecting her to change her mind. What the woman wished to tell them, however, was even more difficult to voice.

"I won't pretend that I understand why you declared war to every nation in Fódlan," stated Byleth in one breath. "I'm sure you have your reasons. However… please consider this. Your actions have even more far-reaching consequences than you anticipate. The conflict will last for years, and countless of lives will be lost. Friends and foes alike. However hard you try, you'll never be able to foresee and account for every single outcome. If only you could change your methods to non-violent−"

"That's enough," insisted Hubert, his lips pursed up.

"The non-violent methods do not speak loud enough," said Edelgard calmly. Her tone suggested that she was explaining something obvious to a stubborn child. "For our voices to be heard, sacrifices have to be made. Thousands of people will die but millions of future lives will be freed as a result."

When Byleth did not reply to her statement, Edelgard went on.

"We appreciate your being here, Professor, but your presence is not essential to our plans. If you do not share our views, then leave. The war's already begun, and we're going to win it no matter the cost."

In one sentence, the Emperor dismissed her teacher, her opinions, and her worries. She was not their professor anymore, Byleth bitterly realized.

She'd failed her mission. The times of peace at Fódlan were over and there was no way of changing it. Countless of lives would be lost. Including the Blue Lions, who were left without her guidance. The woman didn't see any sense in redoing her life anymore.

All she could do was weep.