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The rubble was falling, falling, the whole of Shambala falling before his eyes; centuries of malevolence crumbling to the bright blue floor, the city breaking into chunks as it crashed to the floor.
The dragon, the Immaculate One, Rhea, whatever the name, the draconic creature had resisted the blazing ball of fire until it exploded overhead. Without its help, he knew the fire would have killed them all instantly.
For now, only the world fell apart, not its people.
He saw Byleth, with the collapsed Rhea slung over her shoulders, running to Seteth and shouting something. He couldn’t hear the words over the sound of the city collapsing, but he imagined Seteth’s panicked voice and Byleth’s cool and commanding response.
They had to escape Shambala, fast. Most of their soldiers already had the right mind to run. Claude wasn’t exactly a “go down with the ship” kind of man, but he knew he had to stay to direct stragglers.
Atop his white wyvern, weaving between the tumbling rocks, he yelled to his men. Escape, in an orderly fashion.
More than for his men, he feared for Byleth. She was still down below, her small figure clad in white and black darting around and helping any who’d fallen in the rubble.
He signed to her. They had to leave, now. The city would soon crumble to dust without mercy.
She nodded and pointed her index finger above. Nearby, Seteth signaled from his wyvern and flew off. They’d saved the soldiers and supplies that they could.
Byleth began to haphazardly run toward him. She had a dark stain on her left leg that he didn’t like the color of, and she limped as she advanced.
He began his descent, careful to avoid the falling city.
Downward he flew, downward and downward. She seemed to be a million miles away.
Almost there. The city was still coming apart in large chunks, crashing to the floor and cracking the pristine blue lights.
Crrk.
Claude pulled his wyvern to a sudden stop. A slab of Shambala nearly hit him as it broke off. It was falling, falling, tumbling in the air before his eyes; the massive rock was falling in Byleth’s direction.
She was still limping towards him. There was still time. He called her name, loud as he could, as he pulled his wyvern down.
She turned to her left, where the rubble was coming from. Her voice caught in the wind, and all he heard was the breeze whistling in his ears. He was almost there, he could almost reach her.
A great crash tumbled through the sky.
Claude leaped off his wyvern as soon as he landed.
The city had finally stopped falling apart, at the worst possible time.
She was caught under the rock, both of her legs pinned. Blood was pooled around her lower body. Half running, half tumbling, he leaned down next to her.
He propped her back against his arm. Her eyes were half shut, her mouth a thin line, blood sliding down her chin. Her skin was pale, so pale.
His voice shook. “Hey, my friend. It’ll be alright. I can…” What could he do? The rest of the army had already evacuated. It was only him and Byleth. “I can figure this out.” Oh, how he wished he were Lorenz, carrying around three first aid kits for the fun of it, or Marianne with her healing touch.
Byleth coughed. “Claude.”
He snapped to attention. She was still conscious. Thank the goddess for that.
“I need you… to… help me.”
“Of course. What is it? What do you need?”
“Help me turn back time.”
She raised her right hand and interlocked her fingers with his.
Then, time stopped.
The world itself hadn’t changed. His hand was still in Byleth’s, and the rock was still crushing her legs. There was an odd purple hue to his vision, however, and he could vaguely hear a sort of humming.
Claude had grabbed her hand without question, an act he was slowly beginning to regret.
He felt like he was being watched.
A young girl was staring at him with wide eyes. She was familiar, somehow. There was no tint of purple to her, and after a glance, he realized he was normal-looking as well.
“You. She’s requested your help, hasn’t she?” The girl strode forwards and pointed to Byleth. “I don’t know what she’s doing, but I’d think it wise for you to listen to me.”
He nodded and withdrew his hand from Byleth’s. She didn’t move, and her fingers stayed still as stone.
Where had he seen this girl before? Somehow, her face looked familiar.
“I am Sothis.” It clicked. Sothis was the name of the goddess, her true name only usable by cardinals and other high ranking clergymen.
The girl in front of him was the goddess… except, she should have fused with Byleth years ago.
“I know what you are thinking. I do not fully understand it myself. Never the matter. Right now, we must save that fool.”
She raised her palms, and a magic circle appeared in front of her, several crests circling its border with the Crest of Flames at the center. “Normally, I am able to revert and stop time at a whim, but because of her irrational behavior, she almost got the both of us killed.”
“The both of…? So you’re still sharing the same body, but you also fused?”
“Truly, I don’t know. It is because of this petulant child’s wounds that she employs your aid.”
She stared at the circle until the Crest of Riegan appeared at the top. “Place your hand here.”
He did so and reeled back like it was a hot iron. The girl chided him with narrowed eyebrows. “I said , place your hand here. I did intend for you to keep it there.”
If it weren’t for the direness of the situation, Claude would have bit back at her, but he ignored the pain and placed his hand on the Crest once more.
He could feel the shape of it burning into his hand through his glove.
Sothis nodded approvingly. “I am borrowing the power of your Crest. With it, perhaps time can be spun back.”
“Why do you need it?”
“Her energy has been lost to the point that she can no longer turn back time alone.”
Turn back time. The same thing Byleth said.
“What do you mean?”
“Watch.” The Crest suddenly flared; his entire body was burning. The world around them moved in a vicious haze, and he felt himself being lifted backwards. “Goodbye. I hope we do not meet again.”
Time was suddenly moving again.
Shambala was falling again.
Byleth was alive again.
Byleth was alive.
She was on the ground and alive.
Claude was still in the air. He could see the troops evacuating, and Seteth was still in the air. It was really as though time had been rewound.
There was no time to spare.
Pulling his wyvern at an angle, they declined with haste. Seteth yelled something, but there was no time to explain.
“Byleth!”
She was already limping towards him.
He darted through falling the falling rocks to reach her, landing just long enough to pull her atop his wyvern before soaring upward.
“Thank you for helping me.”
“No problem, my friend. It’s the least I can do.”
“Was it painful? To use the flow of time without the Goddess.”
“What do you mean? Sothis helped me.”
“But she’s… I see.” She tightened her grip. “I see. Thank you, Claude.”