Leonie rests on the bed in their room back within Dorothea's compound. The Queen herself attends to them, brushing Leonie's hair as Leonie stares blankly at the wall, unable to focus, struggling to think. Dorothea notices a presence on the other side of the bedroom door.

"Lito, thank you for coming over. I know your training is important but our regular adjustments are just as vital to your upcoming mission as sparing."

Without entering the room Lito responds, "I'll wait for you in my room your highness."

Dorothea smiles at Lito's words, and after a few more brush strokes puts the brush down and places her hand on Leonie's forehead, "It can be tough reliving old memories, especially those from before this life."

Dorothea gets up from the bed, placing Leonie gently back down, "I'll be back to taste memories far more ancient with you, but I must attend to Lito. Rest, you can resume training tomorrow."

Queen Dorothea stands up from Leonie's bed and exits the room, making her way towards the waiting Lito.

Stationed over the Blue Moon and suspended in the light and airy atmosphere of the Moon, the White Horse completes the task of transferring all the people and resources needed to perform the resurrection ritual on Hart Island. Once everyone and everything is on board, the White Horse detaches and drifts towards the Earth.

Descending through Earth's atmosphere, the White Horse settles in over the Atlantic before following the water into New York Harbor. With a leisurely gait up the East River, the ship comes to a final rest above Hart Island. On board, the Witch gathers everyone together in Crew's Mess.

"We're trying this again," the Witch tells her company, "We're going to use the upcoming Blood Moon to resurrect Tola."

"There's a lot of time between now and the Blood Moon," Ernest says, "What's the plan in the lead-up?"

The Witch answers, "We are going to camp on Hart Island."

"With tents or what?" Asks Ernest.

"No, we take up residence in the old asylum on the island."

Ailuros joins the conversation, summoning an ariel view of the island below the ship, "Let's start laying out the path and stations the ritual will now take given we must accommodate for our lack of the Magician's mantle."

Ernest interrupts, "Looking at the island, what happened to the structures that were there before when we first tried the ritual?"

Pleni answers, "In the intervening time between our retreat and our return here and now those forces of the Private Owners still capable of operating moved in and demolished everything they could. The Central Sun let them do this much without interference."

Ernest follows up, "How can we camp in an old asylum that isn't even there anymore?"

"You're the master of temporal magic," the Witch says, "you tell me."

Ernest gives the Witch a look of surprise, "I can't roll back time just like that. No one can."

"It's not about rolling back time," Pleni says, "It's about piercing the veil of time and crossing over to where the building still stands, where it stands for eternity."

"That is most definitely beyond me." Ernest says.

"On your own you are correct," Ailuros answers, "but you are not on your own. You have me. You have Pleni and the Fey. You have Bishop Clement. You have the forces of the Underworld at your back. We can pierce the veil."

"And when we do? What then? What's the next step?" Ernest asks.

Pleni responds, "While we prepare for the ritual on Hart Island, we shall prepare for a wider ritual citywide, eventually to be global."

"What ritual is that?"

"The Reverse Mass."

The Witch interjects, "Not only are we resurrecting Tola, we are going to wake up the entirety of Humanity. Magic will be everywhere and with everyone."

"This . . . seems dangerous." Says Ernest.

"In ways you don't even know," says the Witch, "but it must be done. We need to wake up everyone to the truth so that Humanity and the Earth can take their rightful place in the Cosmos."

Ernest sits and stares past the Witch to the wall behind her. He says, "How did we go from small time Cat wrangling to this?"

The Witch is taken aback by the question but smiles, "A part of myself I thought was lost forever returned to me, and from there all this developed."

Ernest moves to continue the conversation, but a smile from Ailuros leaves him without words. The Witch continues with the plans for the ritual, the timings, the resources necessary, and all other pertinent details. Letting his mind drift a bit, Ernest contemplates his journey to this place and time.

Queen Dorothea enters Lito's room without announcement, and Lito stands in the center with only part of his armor removed. The upper portion of his body now exposed without armor slowly changes from his male form, slowly gaining feminine features.

Lito says, "When will I be able to maintain my body without the armor?"

"You must develop the strength and the will." Dorothea answers.

"It's so easy for Iníon and Leonie," Lito says, "they don't have to struggle as I do."

Dorothea walks up to Lito and runs her hand along Lito's chest, "This is the Isle of Women, manhood is earned not given."

"It's unfair."

"Since when is life fair?" Dorothea responds, "We need strong warriors here, and this is your training. When you can stand on the Isle of Women as a Man without change you will stand above all the rest."

"Is it always so easy for women?" Lito asks.

"Lito, where do you think I became a woman? Here on this island?" Dorothea says, "No, I became myself on the Isle of Men. You will rule yourself one day, your own city with your own kingdom."

Lito pulls back a bit from Dorothea, but tendrils of light prevent him from moving far.