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“Hail, Peacemaker,” said Lamont. The man looked ragged beyond measure. His overcoat was in tatters and sopping wet, and it seemed like there were more scuff marks than visible flesh on his face, arms, and chest. That sharp gaze was unmistakable, though. Always so piercing and intense, even when he was obviously exhausted.

Those harsh features weren’t really to her taste, necessarily, but she did have to admit that the man had a certain something that other men seemed to lack. She’d never quite been able to put her finger on it, though, despite the many long years of silent appreciation for all things masculine.

“Greetings all,” she said with composure, eyeing the gathering group of onlookers, including the Abolishers. Many in the back were struggling to not get swept away by the still-chaotic waters, but many others appeared to be tending to them.

“This is quite the rare visit,” said Sanko from behind her mask. How she managed to prevent that thing from falling off her face in the middle of so many ferocious battles, Sai-hee had never quite figured out.

“I would like to bring this madness to an end,” said Sai-hee.

“As would we all,” said Lamont. “But it is never that easy, is it?”

“No,” said the Peacemaker with a frown. “It never is.”


Chapter Three Hundred Ten: ‘O, howling Death...!’
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Something had changed. Something in his perception. Something scratching on the glass of his mind. Rattling the cage.

Agh.

Not right. Nothing felt right.

But then, that wasn’t exactly new. Things hadn’t felt right for a very long time.

So, so long.

Too long. In fact, maybe they’d never been right. Maybe that was an illusion. A false memory.

He knew all about those, now didn’t he? The great spiral. The lost self. The endless labyrinth.

Wandering. Forever, perhaps.

How had it come to this? Trapped like any other animal. Reduced to his most simplistic impulses. He felt like he could remember a time when he was free. When his mind was clear. When his thoughts were his own. But it was so long ago. Maybe it never happened.

But this wasn’t what had changed. He’d thought about this many times before. To no avail, of course.

So what was it, then? He sensed it. The shift. The world around him.

It had slowed. To a crawl.

He felt... unburdened here.

What was this place?