The Storm Syndrome spreads in a slow roll through the city. As people and buildings alike are transformed into a strange and colorful new image.
Soldier: What do we do? There are too many people, I can't tell who the rioters are!
Soldier: Just kill everyone. Better than missing a single one of them.
The soldier takes the pistol from his hip, sticks it in his mouth, and pulls the trigger.
In his deranged mind everyone appeared to begin with himself.
Gendarme I: Damn! Are all these people out of their damned minds?
Gendarme II: My sword ... why is my sword in your leg?
Gendarme I: Stop thinking about your sword! We need to secure the Emperor's wealth!
Gendarme I: Our orders were to shoot anyone who gets in the way of our search.
Gendarme I: Wait, my carbine is stuck in my back. Help me get it off, otherwise I can't shoot!
Even though they are being eroded by the Storm Syndrome, the gendarmes are still faithfully trying to carry out their orders.
Semmelweis: According to the address Valentina gave me, this should be where Lorelei is hiding.
Bella: But she didn't specify a door number.
Semmelweis: Damn it, I don't have time to ask around.
Bella: Hurry, Semmelweis. It won't be long before Madam Lindsay realizes you're off schedule.
Semmelweis: I don't need you to remind me.
Bella: Naturally. We are the same person ...
Bella: Wait, did you hear something?
Semmelweis: Is that ... singing?
Like that echo in the valley, the unforgettable voice reaches Semmelweis' ears, marred by the staccato rhythm of distant gunfire.
She takes a moment to reassure herself.
Semmelweis: Could this still be a hallucination? No. No, it's—
The air is cool, the dusk, it deepens,
And gently flows the Rhine,
The mountain's summit sparkles bright,
In the evening's golden light.
The song is crisp and calming, like the spray of waves stirred up on a reef.
Semmelweis: ...!
Bella: Looks like you found her.
The singer has the very same voice and hauntingly familiar melody.
???: ...
Like a mythical mermaid, a girl rests atop the towering reef, and the crowd beneath her crawls up to her like the doomed sailors of legend.
Semmelweis: Are they ... calming down?
The brawling crowd slows and then in a wave lower to the ground until they have all fallen into a slumber.
Gendarme I: Why was I shooting in the first place?
Gendarme II: It was the Emperor's order. But now, I think the Emperor would like us to take a nap.
The two gendarmes join the ranks of the sleepers.
Semmelweis: Incredible ... she calmed everyone with only a song, just like the sirens in the legends.
Noticing Semmelweis' arrival, the girl stops singing.
Semmelweis: I've never seen such an Arcane Skill.
???: ...
???: We meet again, little musical note. I am so pleased to see you.
Semmelweis: I don't think we've met before, Lorelei.
Lorelei: I heard your echo from far away, my dear.
Semmelweis: ...
Lorelei: Lorelei! Yes, you may call me that, I like that name.
Lorelei: It's like a nice little word with a simple melody.
Lorelei: I'm so glad you enjoyed my song.
Semmelweis: I'm sure it is a great name, one shared with the siren of legend.
Lorelei: I'm happy we could meet in person. I was wondering when you would get here.
Semmelweis: Me? Why?
Lorelei: Because the "flood" is coming, of course.
Lorelei: My dear, I want to ask you something.
Lorelei: The "Flood" is a trial we all must face. Only those who pass may see the world after it.
Lorelei: That's what Manus Vindictae says.
Lorelei: But is that really true?
Lorelei: Everyone should have the right to choose to cross through the "Flood."
Semmelweis: That's not realistic. Neither the Foundation nor Manus Vindictae can take everyone safely to the next era unconditionally.
Semmelweis: In any case, this has nothing to do with why I came here.
Semmelweis: Lorelei, you wrote in your letter that you have some way to help me through my "transformation." That's why I have come.
Semmelweis: I believe that the song you left in my mind was meant to guide me to you.
Lorelei: You heard my song! I do hope you liked it, my dear!
Semmelweis: Of course, I don't expect you to help me with no strings attached—
Lorelei: Ah, hold on a moment.
Semmelweis: What is it?
Lorelei raises a hand to shush Semmelweis.
Lorelei: Mama is calling me.
She raises the conch she is carrying and holds it to her ear.
Lorelei: I heard the sound of splashing. Did you hear it too, mama?
Lorelei: A black stallion, draped in white, wades through the "Flood."
Lorelei: What should I do, papa? I can hear so many echoes, which one should I respond to?
Lorelei: I know what I need to do, mama!
Semmelweis: ...
Lorelei: Sorry, my little musical note ... Where were we?
Lorelei: Oh, you said something I don't understand, why should my help be conditional?
Lorelei: Every note is necessary to hold the melody. If one falls so do the rest.
Lorelei: So, it's only natural that we help each other.
Semmelweis: ...
Bella: You must be regretting your choices right now, Semmelweis.
Bella: You see, this is why I tried to stop you. You simply cannot understand what an Arcanist is thinking. You have no idea what she wants.
Bella: Arcanists are mad, just as mankind are deceitful.
Bella: But comparing madness to deceit, one is far more reliable. You can trust the liar to lie in their interest, but the mad—
Semmelweis: Shut up.
Semmelweis: Sorry, I wasn't talking to you, Lorelei.
Lorelei: That was not very kind of you, little musical note.
Semmelweis: I apologize, I did not intend any offense.
Lorelei: It was an echo of your dreams, wasn't it?
Semmelweis: ...!
Lorelei: Pretty little musical note like you often have close companions. How much closer than should be the ones within you?
Lorelei: So, why are you being so rude to yourself, my dear? Those echoes are a part of you. You ought to learn to embrace them.
Lorelei: I also see my mama and papa in dreams. I think it is quite normal really, dear.
Bella: Living in harmony with your madness, even as your consciousness is being torn out of you? She has no idea what she's saying.
Bella: You found this Arcanist by defying the Foundation's orders. Do you earnestly think this was worth the risk?
Semmelweis shakes away Bella's disruptions.
Semmelweis: Lorelei, I have secured a spot to help one person escape the "Storm."
Semmelweis: If would tell me how to complete the transformation, I can arrange for that spot to go to you.
Semmelweis: Siding with Manus Vindictae is a gamble. Once you go under that mask, most people lose themselves entirely.
Semmelweis: If you come back with me to the Foundation, you'll be safe there.
Lorelei: What is there to be afraid of, my little musical note?
Lorelei: When we first came into this world, we were ignorant and worried about nothing.
Lorelei: We are just returning to our original state.
Lorelei: Is that candy? Why, thank you, Schwab!
Lorelei plucks a non-existent piece of candy from the air in front of her and pops it into her mouth.
Lorelei: It's so sweet, Schwab! It's much sweeter than any candy I've tasted before!
Semmelweis: ...
Bella: Be reasonable, is there any reason to keep trying to communicate with her?
Bella: It is plain as day that it is utterly pointless.
Semmelweis: Forget all that, Lorelei. The only thing I must know is if you have a way for me to complete the "transformation."
Lorelei: ...
Lorelei: Huh? I already told you how, my dear.
Lorelei: Perhaps you didn't hear my voice in the mountains.
Semmelweis: What do you mean? Please, tell me what I must do to complete this "transformation?"
Semmelweis: If you didn't want something from me, why did you leave that song inside my head?
Lorelei: Blessed are those who have not seen and believed.
Lorelei: It seems you still don't understand my song.
Semmelweis: Understand your song ...? What do you mean?
Lorelei: Have a little faith, you will see the meaning within.
Bella: Time to give this up, Semmelweis.
Bella: She's a lunatic.
Bella: There's nothing hidden in her song. She's just a fraud, another in a long line of doomsday prophets with nothing to show for it.
Bella: We should leave. Madam Lindsay is going to notice soon—
Semmelweis: Damn!
Beep beep beep!
Bella: She noticed.
Bella: You know what you must do.
Semmelweis: ...
Semmelweis: You're right. This was a failure.
Semmelweis composes herself in an instant, turning away from the attention of the Arcanist siren.
Bella: You recover quickly.
Semmelweis: I didn't have a choice. Remorse can come later.
Madam Lindsay: Semmelweis.
Semmelweis: My apologies, Madam Lindsay, I—
Madam Lindsay: Can it. I don't want to hear your excuses. I don't care what you have to say.
Madam Lindsay: Don't think that I don't know what you're up to—This is a serious infraction.
Madam Lindsay: I could have you killed for this, but I've decided to give you one more chance.
Madam Lindsay: Now get to the evacuation point immediately. Do not make me regret this mercy.
Semmelweis: Thank you, Madam Lindsay. I will head there now, Madam. You can expect a full report on my actions.
Madam Lindsay: I don't want you to force my hand, Semmelweis.
Madam Lindsay: The Foundation has already lost enough today. Hofmann is dead.
Semmelweis: Greta is ... dead?
Semmelweis: ......
Semmelweis: I understand. Thank you again. I'm heading to the evacuation point now.
Semmelweis: Greta's death is a surprise to me, she was always so in control.
Bella: She didn't deserve to go out like that.
Bella: If even she can't control her own fate, what was the point of your struggle?
Bella: This was a colossal waste, and a dangerous one.
Bella: We have to get back to the Foundation. We'll just have to take our chance next time.
Semmelweis: There are no more chances ...
Semmelweis: You and I both know that our time is running out. We won't make it to the next "Storm."
Bella: You don't know that, we should put our hopes in the inhibiting serum that Madam Lindsay mentioned.
Semmelweis: The LSCC has more important tasks than dreaming up a life-saving serum for a traitor.
Semmelweis: I never had much hope for it.
Bella: Well, at least you finally understand the way things are. You were so unwilling to admit it.
Bella: There was no fate involved.
Bella: "When the mirror's truth no longer exists, how can one know whether the reflection in the mirror is true or false?"
Bella: From start to finish, all you can do is accept things come what may.
Semmelweis looks up at the sky. The distant rumble of thunder grows closer, as if the "Storm" might start at any moment.
Semmelweis: I have to go.
Lorelei: Leaving so soon? Goodbye, see you later!
Semmelweis: I've wasted too much time coming here.
Semmelweis: The "Storm" is coming. Good luck, Lorelei.
Semmelweis: Forgive me, but I hope we never see each other again. I think I've had enough of Arcanists like you for a lifetime.
Lorelei: Oh, but we'll meet again soon.
Lorelei: You will soon be taken by death, just as I will soon be taken by the "Flood."
Lorelei: It won't be long before we meet in the other world!
Semmelweis: What do you mean?
Lorelei: Because I'll soon be "reversed!"
Semmelweis: ...!
Semmelweis: Aren't you planning to go to Manus Vindictae to avoid it?
Lorelei: Huh? My dear, why would I go to Manus Vindictae?
Lorelei: How could I just leave when so many others are seeking my help?
Semmelweis: But there's no point in helping anyone.
Semmelweis: The "Storm" will be here any moment. Everything you've done will soon be washed away.
Lorelei: "We all eventually return to dust; all of life's efforts wash away in the rain."
Lorelei: Even so, I will be here to help others find redemption.
Semmelweis: Perhaps you'll truly give these refugees the salvation they crave and change their fate. But for me, none of this matters.
Lorelei: But the redemption I speak of has always included you, my dear.
Semmelweis: It's pointless to try to understand the way you Arcanists think.
Semmelweis: You speak like the oracles of old, full of nonsense and half-truths.
Semmelweis: But I know now, you were never able to give me the redemption I was seeking.
Lorelei: I never said I would "give" you redemption, Semmelweis.
Lorelei: Redemption is not something we have the power to give; we can merely help you on your way.
Lorelei: I just want to help you.
Lorelei: Both you and all those who suffer.
Semmelweis: ...
Semmelweis: I thought that you were only going to help Arcanists.
Lorelei: Mankind and Arcanists alike are children of God. We are two compositions in the same meter. There's no difference between us.
Semmelweis: What if I told you that Valentina is dead?
Semmelweis: Killed by a human's bullet.
Semmelweis: Would you still think that? Could you still help mankind without any qualms?
Lorelei: Oh, what a pity! I'm not sure she was ready for the next world, she had much too much to enjoy in this one.
Lorelei: But I will not grieve. I'll be with her again soon.
???: I'm glad to hear you aren't grieving, Lorelei.
Semmelweis: Valentina?!
Valentina appears from the darkness behind Semmelweis.
Valentina: To see that look on your face, Semmelweis—It's priceless. If only I had time to savor it.
Lorelei: Valentina! I am glad that you have not yet left for the world beyond.
Semmelweis: How did you ...
Semmelweis: Have I fallen into another hallucination. This seems so bizarre.
Valentina: Unlike our dear Lorelei, I have little interest in sacrificing myself for others.
Semmelweis recalls the scene of Valentina's "death".
Semmelweis: You turned yourself into a shadow?
Valentina: It's a simple trick for a vampire. One I will be glad to teach you once you finish your transformation.
Valentina: Besides, it let me watch your reaction, which I must say, was very satisfying.
Valentina: "You d**med thing. You didn't even finish telling me where to find Lorelei!"
Semmelweis: ...
Valentina turns to Lorelei.
Valentina: I must get back to Manus Vindictae. This will probably be our last farewell.
Valentina: It's a shame. I'm afraid I'll never meet anyone quite as interesting as you.
Lorelei: I feel the same, dear Valentina! But don't worry. Perhaps one day I will see you again, if only in my dreams!
Lorelei speaks as if blissfully unaware of her impending death.
Valentina: As for you, Semmelweis. You stand at a final crossroad.
Semmelweis: ...
Bella: What are you doing, Semmelweis?
Bella: You don't believe these two lunatics, do you?
Bella: You think you're taking back control. But all your doing is handing over your fate from the Foundation to these two crazed Arcanists.
Bella: Don't let them deceive you. You're different from them.
Lorelei: But of course we are the same, my dear.
Lorelei: Whether Arcanist or human, our souls are no different.
Lorelei: You must learn to accept all parts of yourself, both rational and emotional. Both ...
Lorelei: Semmelweis and Bella.
Semmelweis: ...?!
Bella: You can hear what I'm saying ...?
Lorelei: Of course, Bella. Of course I can hear what you're saying.
Lorelei: All along, you've been talking to yourself.
Valentina: Oh, why spoil all the fun, Lorelei!
Semmelweis & Bella: You mean ... All along, I've been talking to myself?
Semmelweis & Bella: Impossible!
Lorelei: How else could I know your names, my dears?
Semmelweis & Bella: No, that can't be!
Lorelei: Why do you refuse to accept what you are, my little musical note?
Lorelei: You are a beautiful composition. Why should you tear yourself apart?
Semmelweis & Bella: ...
Lorelei: Don't be afraid of your emotions, Semmelweis.
Lorelei: Reason and emotion need not conflict.
Lorelei: Just like Arcanists and mankind, they can live in harmony.
Semmelweis: ...
Bella: I didn't think we'd meet again under such circumstances.
Bella: This is your last chance, Semmelweis.
Bella: There's no going back.
Semmelweis: But first, I think I can answer your question about "fate."
Bella: "When the mirror's truth no longer exists, how can one know whether the reflection in the mirror is true or false?"
Semmelweis: My answer is, when the mirror's truth ceases to exist, the reflection is irrelevant.
Semmelweis: It's just a possibility. An unknowable possibility.
Bella: ...
Semmelweis: You ... no, I've been misinterpreting my desires, Bella.
Semmelweis: All along, my "fate" was an illusion. It's truth was no more real than the reflection.
Semmelweis: The idea of controlling it was not only arrogant, but futile.
Semmelweis: All I can do is base my choices on the information available to me. Just as I've always done.
Semmelweis: To find and grasp these unforeseen "possibilities."
Bella: It looks like you've made your choice.
Semmelweis: Yes. That is my answer.
Bella: I see. Then no one can change your mind. You're always like this.
Semmelweis: We're always like this.