Amber and Jen had returned to the city without regarding Lina in any way; and so, Lina was caught in her daze, light headed and dizzy. Irvine was nowhere in her sight, and so she grabbed her sword and walked forward. She didn't know where she was going anymore, but her feet told her to move forward and so they did. With each step her eyes were growing darker and darker. She could only see a bright light ahead of her, focused on one pinpoint location. Something told her that's where her legs were taking her with each painfully indistinct step, but there was no spirit left in her to stop it.
"Lina turned around to what should have been the city in view, but saw nothing. She could seen a landscape of massive rocks piled high, but no flashing city lights indicating its glamour. She looked at Irvine, but saw right through him. Irvine flinched, but with no response from Lina. Lina turned back around and focused herself on the strand of light, perhaps her only hope--she began to walk forward again.
With each step, it grew brighter and brighter. Irvine hesitated for a moment--why was Lina heading in the direction of where the city was not? Why was she walking into the middle of no where? It frightened him to death and it only took a second for him to realize that something was deathly wrong with this picture. He reached forward and grabbed her shoulder firmly.
She flinched dropped the sword immediately--and as if in suspended time, the sword dropped slowly to the ground and hit it, ringing loudly out a metal clanging that woke Lina from her trance. The dust flew from underneath the sword and it suddenly stopped glowing. Lina felt her feet slip, but Irvine caught her before she could even start to fall. She looked around, horrified, "Irvine, where's the city?"
"Lina, what are you talking about? It's right in front of you," Irvine exclaimed. She still couldn't see it, but she trusted Irvine and beckoned for him to lead her there. "Lina, don't you want to take your cool new sword with you?" Lina shook her head.
"Leave it. I don't care if I never see it again," Lina declared, turning her back to it. Irvine thought that was strange, and stood Lina on her feet so that she wouldn't fall over again. Lina looked forward, but still couldn't see the city Irvine was talking about. All she could think about was Zell and how much she wanted him to be here right then and there.
"Where'd you get that thing anyways?" Irvine asked as he held her arm and led her in the direction of the city. Lina shrugged and shook her head; Irvine was shocked. He thought she had stolen it from some weapon shop or something; is that the influence Jen and Amber had on her? Speaking of the two, where had they gone? Why did they run off without their friend? Why did they leave her in the middle of the barren desert, expecting someone they were vaguely familiar with to take care of her? "Lina! You can't just take things like this! There are consequences!"
"Hey!" Lina yelled back. "It's not my fault! It was in a dream and Seifer handed it to me himself!" Lina suddenly realized what it meant. She pointed back at it reproachfully but wouldn't look at it. Instead, she looked up at Irvine, hoping he would understand, "That thing is cursed!"
Irvine, frightened by her behavior, dismissed the matter, left the sword out in the middle of nowhere and led her back to the city. The walk was tedious, but it gave Lina time to regain her strength. As soon as they were inside city limits, the flashing lights of Magility city blast forth in an explosion of color and sound. Lina almost fell back in shock. Why hadn't she been able to see the city at all just a minute ago?