Noble wanted to cry. She had given herself a week.
A WEEK! That wasn't enough time to decide something as important as where to live for the rest of her life.
Lena had been certain that humanity would find a way around being infected by the Spell, but Noble was not convinced.
For the sake of her mundane family, she needed to act like the situation was irreversible.
In case it was.
The Dream Realm wasn't a safe place. Sure Noble had daydreamed on occasion what it would be like to bring her family there, but she had never seriously considered it.
It was too wild and dangerous.
There was no Spelltech for mundane humans to use to protect themselves there. No technology at all to communicate. No real infrastructure. No law and order yet.
And that wasn't even considering the Nightmare Creatures.
But it also meant...
'No Nightmare Gates.'
A Category 5 Gate had been the reason that Noble's family had fled North America.
A Gate opening by her children's schools had nearly taken three of the people she loved the most.
Falling through a Gate had separated Noble from her family and nearly cost her everything if she had failed the Nightmare.
How different would life be without that fear?
'It would be replaced by other fear!' Noble shook her head as she exited the building. 'There wouldn't be gates because the Nightmare Creatures are already in the Dream Realm! They could attack anytime without a nice little warning from a communicator.'
The air outside had turned colder, and Noble's frustrated huff came out as a puff of steam.
Stopping along the row of statues, she looked up at the one she had cleared earlier. The sun peeked through the clouds, shining off the former Director's head.
"Did you hear what Mom and Fort just dropped in my lap?!" Noble glared at the statue. "Can you believe them? They want to go and strand themselves in the Dream Realm. THE DREAM REALM! They have no idea what they are talking about. And Mom won't listen to sense."
A group of government agents came around the side of the building, forestalling Noble's rant. Thankfully it was too cold for the mundane agents to care about the crazy Master talking to a chunk of alloy. They hurried by without engaging her.
When they were out of earshot, the professor continued more quietly.
"It doesn't help that I think Mom wants to go after Pink Rock Lady. You know who I mean. She said she wouldn't for my sake, but I could feel what she was feeling. She will go through with it if she can. When Mom gets something in her head...well, I don't have to tell you."
Looking up at Lance, Noble regarded the statue's stern expression. Or at least it looked stern to her just now, like it did when she was a child.
But no matter how upset he was, there was always a hint of mirth in his eyes even when he scolded her. She could almost hear his voice.
A sad smile came to her face.
"I suppose I'm the same way. What did you call us? 'Stubborn as the day is long,' I think."
'I believe your mother prefers the word determined.' Lance had told her that the last time she quoted him. It was one of the last things she had heard him say before entering her first Nightmare.
How she wished she could hear him say it just now!
The cold wind whipped around her, pulling the tear that had been lingering at the corner of her eye.
"The thing is, I can totally blame Mom for her Dream Realm delusions, but right now if it wasn't for that…pink woman…you would still be here."
Noble reached up and touched the statue's suit. No amount of caring would bring the father back. She knew that.
But that didn't stop her question.
"What would you do?"
The statue, of course, didn't answer. It was mundane alloy. It continued to stare at her with the same unchanging expression.
Pulling away, Noble sighed. Her fingers had nearly frozen to the statue, but that wasn't the source of her pain.
Her heart ached.
Lance was always loyal to the government, but part of him also had a taste for adventure. Even though fleeing their home and crossing the ocean had been horrific, Lance had often spoken of wanting to travel more once he retired.
Being able to combine his government role and his desire to explore would have been too tempting to pass up.
He would have gone.
'But I'm not my Father.'
Noble would have to make the decision for herself.
Not what Lance would have wanted or what Lena and Fort desired, but Noble would have to dig deep and do what she really thought was best.
So what did she think?
Her teeth chattered. Not from the cold, but from frustration.
'I hate this! Life was just finding a good spot.'
Sure, the world around them might have been collapsing, but their lives were stable, productive, and happy.
Was she being selfish?
Maybe, but if so it was out of love for her family.
Her kids were getting along well in school. How could she pull them out mid-year? She knew better than most how hard it was to start over.
Rain was almost seventeen. Didn't she deserve to finish out her schooling in a proper place of learning?
Noble's job was here. She finally had the freedom to not visit the Dream Realm when she slept. Would she have to go back to splitting her time equally between two worlds?
Despite her floating nature, Noble considered herself like the ancient trees she had read about in books.
She liked to plant herself in one place and grow deep roots. Her job, her home, and her family were all steady.
The NQSC was her home.
Uprooting her life right now was unacceptable.
Unthinkable, even.
How could Fort even consider it?!
'It's settled then.'
Noble nodded to her father. "I'll see you again soon."
As she turned to leave, Noble felt a familiar oppressive presence enter her emotional realm. She had been so focused on her problems that she hadn't paid attention to her surroundings.
'How?' She had felt for Master Yosh before and came up empty. Had he returned from the Dream Realm?
Wasn't he supposed to be on his way to Australia?
Noble braced herself as the man made his way around the corner.
Only it wasn't a man.
It was a woman and a mundane one at that. She smiled brightly at Noble as she passed, but Noble could feel the rage radiating from her like the sun.
"Good day, Ma'am."
Noble dipped her head, too stunned to form words.
The woman walked on past the building, heading toward some other spot on the compound.
'I could have sworn that was Yosh. Am I that out of it?'
Noble glanced up at the building. Should she tell Fort?
Even if she did, nothing would change.
The professor sighed.
She had other things to worry about.
Noble only had a week before she had to tell Fort they weren't moving.
'I only hope he'll understand.'