The Butterfly Effect

They left the next morning. Tim, being the one with the artifacts, took the lead; Henry and Tavin were nearby and subjected to his excited rambling, meanwhile Lydia trailed behind them. Still being able to see them and close enough to help if they needed it, she didn’t think to tell them to slow down. There were already too many thoughts running through her head.

“I think this is it!” Tim announced after a couple of hours. They’d found their way to a shimmering oasis that seemed perfectly untouched by civilization.

“There’s only one way to find out,” Henry remarked. “Who else wants to try seeing what the reflection is supposed to show us?” The other two boys nodded.

Lydia gave her answer before they asked. “I’m going to stay here and look around a little more.”

She wasn’t lying. She really would’ve preferred to look around the area, try to see if there was something that could help them on their adventure. Honestly, she hadn’t considered what the boys would’ve seen. It was only brought to her attention when she heard what they said about it a couple minutes after heading over to it.

“Why don’t you two have reflections..?” There was little wonder why it sounded like Tavin didn’t truly want to know the answer. If all the conversations the two of them had had since starting meant anything, he could already make a guess.

“Why’s yours so young?” Henry returned in a shared sense of hesitance.

“Mom said it reflected a part of a person’s mind,” Tim said. “You’re definitely not like a three-year-old.”

The twins didn’t show up at all and Tavin was the same age he was in reality. Lydia fought back a panic and somehow managed a casual tone when she suggested, “How about you three try to find where the next clue is?”

They all slowly nodded and walked away. It seems they didn’t want to question it any more than she wanted to explain it. At least for now, they were content with pretending like they saw nothing.

She waited a moment until she knew that they were too distracted by other things to notice her. No matter how risky it may have been if the boys heard it, she was curious to see what it would show her. And, still focused on the fantasy rather than reality, she thought she’d store away a bit of its waters for later; give it to Tim as a birthday present and let him see what he could do with it.

Cautiously, she stepped up to the oasis. At first, her reflection was like any other; it soon twisted into something else, a series of memories she had yet to sort out the feelings for.

Imre was sitting at his desk, hunched over several documents like he usually was. What made these documents different was that they weren’t reports about the Skiá—they were notes and journal entries they’d found scattered across Minne’s room.

“You’ve got that pensive look,” illusion-Lydia pointed out. “I’m guessing this wasn’t a good ‘come by as soon as possible,’ then..?”

She knew it was worse than that when he took a moment to figure out how he was going to say it. “When we went to Idale, we saw how Mother tried to help Umber. He told her there was someone better to use that ability on. According to this, Father told her something similar before he died. Then she writes here that her spirits encouraged her that it was time to use her powers… on Tavin.”

Too many things were considered in those first few moments after hearing it. Then, like several of her other problems, she feigned casualness until she made herself believe that she didn’t care. Only a handful of people were aware of Minne’s sacrifice; Dimas, Kiah, Samone, Andrew, Lewis, and Elena. Lydia purposely avoided telling Diana yet she figured it out anyway. Even with those few people, it felt like the twins all over again.

Were it not for Minne, Lydia would have lost another child. It wouldn’t have been just any noble’s son, however. It would’ve been the prince. Every time she thought she might’ve been close to simply accepting it, she got reminded of how close they were—how close Imre was to understanding what she felt eight years prior. All because of her.

The reflection disappeared and changed from that scene, instead showing illusion-Lydia at the library. It was a secluded section, one she knew no one would go to unless they were looking for her. She didn’t want to have to explain the stacks of books around her, or the desperate way she was looking through them.

She needed some assurance—some time away from reality where she could collect her thoughts before she broke down completely.

When she found something of interest, she read it out loud. “‘There is a temple where Usiu temporarily resided in this land. It is said that a fragment of her power still resides there, willing to help all those in need of finding their way.’”

She knew from that moment what she needed more information on. This was what she needed to put all those thoughts on the past behind her.

Now, Lydia bent down in front of the oasis and took an empty canteen out of her satchel (careful not to disrupt Melai’s ashes as she did so). She collected some of the water and stepped back again before the boys returned.

If they’d heard anything, they made no immediate mention to it. Tavin came up to her first, being the one to hold the tree-shaped charm.

“There’s writing on the back of it,” he explained when he was close to her. He turned the charm around so she could see it; more of a language she barely recognized. “‘An age-old tree is waiting to give its heart to someone. Why don’t you accept its offer?’”

…

Lydia, after their previous encounters, hadn’t considered telling Zulana about their discoveries. Yet the region controller prompted them about their discoveries when they got there, then listened intently as Tim and Henry recounted it.

“Quite the curiosity you discovered,” she remarked casually. She was now looking at the trinket Tim had handed her. “I wonder why it didn’t show anything for you…”

Her tone, however, joined the many others in the sense that they knew more than what they said. Her glance at Lydia only proved it.

“Now that we have it, all that’s left is to try to find where it leads,” Lydia mumbled, mostly to change the subject. “The only place we haven’t been yet is Rymbai territory. But I guess it could be in Mikkel territory too, since we haven’t been there for this trip specifically.”

Zulana nodded. “There must be something in Rymbai territory. That forest has been around for longer than anyone could even imagine. Most of the trees are much taller than anything you’re going to come across in Mikkel territory. I’m sure it’ll be a good place to start.”

Tavin shook his head. “Except for one thing: Lord Tanavir doesn’t let anyone in the territory without his permission. It’s going to take a lot more than ‘we need this for our adventure, plus we have the prince with us’ to convince him to let us in.”

“You’re right,” Lydia sighed. “It’s a part of his whole Skiá-monitoring thing. I don’t have any connections in there who might be able to make up a reason to let us in…”

“Could we get Imre to say something to him?” Henry suggested. “We’re so close now, we can’t let something like this stop us!”

“There’s a lot the king will need to say in order for Tanavir to allow someone in,” Zulana remarked. “As far as I’m aware, the king only had permission to send someone in there once or twice… out of the countless times he’s tried relaying messages and the like to Tanavir.”

“So, what are our other options?” Tim asked.

Zulana smirked. “You might not have any connections, but I certainly do.” She looked at Tim directly when she continued, “Do you remember what I told you earlier about how Seothia could use brains like yours? A close associate of mine is having a bit of trouble with something she’s working on. If you’re willing to help her, I’m sure I can pull a couple of strings and get Tanavir to let all four of you get into his territory.”

“Is there some other catch to this?” Lydia questioned.

“I’m not Onesa,” Zulana replied with a hint of disgust. “I don’t play around with fate or bet my fortunes on the foolishness of others. All you have to do is agree to help my associate and you can spend all the time you want in the territory. It’s not even a hard task, either—or at least, not for anyone like your son, if he’s anything he seems to be.”

Still, Lydia didn’t know if her uncertainty came from the situation or the realization that they were nearing the end. “Alright, we’ll help her out.”