[Endgame: rise or DROWN]

[warpweft]

[How long have you been exploring Nessa's palace now? You've met her family, viewed her memories, learned how to fight as a witch and tried to find the source of her power and the Treasure of her palace: the Voidheart. And along the way, you've tired your best, with mixed success, to avoid the incarnation of her eldest cousin and the representation of her trauma and fear, the Nightmare of Esmau.]

[Wherever you are in the Palace right now, you feel the ground briefly shake under your feet. Little shakes here and there haven't been out of the ordinary - Esmau is trying to blow the place down to the studs, after all. But that felt different. That felt....worse.]

[Your phone beeps as you receive a message.]

Comments

[cosplayed_out]

I don't know... is there a miniboss inside each one?

[messianic]

... That seems pretty possible, honestly. If we handle the four towers... maybe that'll be the way to deal with the barrier.

That's how it would work in a video game, right?

[cosplayed_out]

That is exactly how it would work.

The only bad part is the final boss will be even stronger.

[messianic]

... I think it doesn't matter how strong the final boss is.

If they're pulling out all of these stops to try to keep us away... that means there's a weakness.

[cosplayed_out]

...You mean in the impenetrable barrier?

[messianic]

I mean in Esmau, and Lilith.

But I don't think the barrier is impossible to take down either.

[cosplayed_out]

Of course. Mission failure is not an option.

[messianic]

We're on the same page, then.

Alright--how do we get to those towers quickly?

[cosplayed_out]

Running.

[messianic]

[ i mean.



fair. ]

[cosplayed_out]

More than that, pick one! Are we splitting the party?

[messianic]

It'd be faster... but I don't like the idea of not being there to help out if something happens.

... Still, the sooner we get through this, the better. Maybe we should split up--and regroup after the towers.

[cosplayed_out]

We don't know what's in those towers.

--Compromise. We all go into one tower, and if the miniboss is easily overwhelmed, we can then divide our attention.

[messianic]

Yes--that's a good idea. Let's do that.

[cosplayed_out]

Also, that will allow more flexibility. One team to retain a partner, and/or Nell.