Re:Creation Book 1: Allegiance

Thirty: One

"...What?" Lysidia couldn't believe what she'd just heard. Did Reif say-

"Jeyre," Reif breathed. "Jeyre. Jeyre's down there. It's Jeyre. I--It's him."

Lysidia could tell that Reif was sure in his deduction, though he sounded as if he didn't wish to believe his own words. A violent chill gripped her body as she watched her brother desperately claw at the ground beneath them, but to no avail. Not an ounce of dirt shifted despite his frantic effort as a result of his astral being.

"But... But that can't be right!" Lysidia stammered. "That would mean he's been right under us this whole time without either of us knowing, which isn't possible because I know every inch of this castle, and... and why would he be in Taēlas anyway?"

"I don't know, Lysidia!" Reif snapped, still treating at the ground. "I just know that he's somewhere underneath us and--dammit why aren't my powers working?!"

"Reif, we're in the astral plane, almost none of our powers work."

But Reif wasn't listening. His fervent digging only continued to grow more frenzied with every passing second, expecting-- no hoping that something would change. Lysidia folded her arms, sheltering herself from the imaginary cold that threatened to freeze her where she stood.

"And you're positive it was him?" She muttered. "The signal was only there for a few moments. Maybe it wasn't..." She trailed off as Reif suddenly stopped. For some reason, that unnerved her more than his digging attempts. "Reif...?"

"What? You don't believe me?" His voice was low and soft, but the weight it carried was suffocating.

"What?"

"That's what you were about to say, right? 'Maybe it wasn't Jeyre,' right?" Already, she could see the veil of smoke beginning to circle his body again.

Instinctively, she took a step back. It was rare for Reif's power of calamity to treat itself so soon after being suppressed.

"Reif, that's not what I meant. I just--"

"You just think I'm such a damn screw-up that I can't even tell what my own brother's energy feels like?! He raised me in this world! I have spent almost my entire life since being sent here around him. Of course, I'm right!" He was on his feet in an instant, taking a step towards her.

"Reif, it's happening again," Lysidia warned, referring to the dark smoke. "Please try to calm down."

But again, Reif wasn't listening. "Why won't you believe me, Lys?"

"Reif, I--"

"Don't forget that I'm the only one that would be able to recognize him with how much of Terrera's power hanging around here. So rather than question me, why don't you actually help me reach our brother and phase us through the ground or something?"

Lysidia did not take kindly to Reif's demanding tone. However dangerous Reif's temper was, it did not give him an excuse to behave that way, especially during such a delicate situation. She opened her mouth to respond but before she could, he turned his back to her, focusing his attention on the ground as he mumbled under his breath.

"Finally, everything is so close to going back to normal," he said "We can get Jeyre back and they won't be angry with me anymore."

Lysidia stopped, another icy chill running up her spine. By "they," did Reif mean the gods? "Wait, is that what this is about? Your obsession with the gods is what's gotten you so riled up?"

"I'm not obsessed," he spat back, not even slightly surprised that she had overheard him.

"Reif, we may have just found Jeyre and your mind is still concerned with what they think about you. What happened to being worried about him?"