Reality Fracture | Episode 7: Pick Up the Pieces
In the penultimate push against the Theorist, Vraska and her allies face a heartbreaking sacrifice to restore the true Multiverse. Meanwhile, Tam frees Liliana from captivity to launch a final assault against Jace's rogue splinter self.
- Jace's Detective fragment reveals he must perish to end the Multiverse-merging spell.
- Garruk, Ajani, Chandra, and Vraska agree to store Jace's mental fragments to infiltrate the Theorist.
- Tam frees Liliana Vess, who reanimates Professor Opal into a proxy puppet.
- The party prepares for a final confrontation against the corrupted, compleated Jace.
A Heartbreaking Necessity
In a quiet lecture hall, the Detective fragment of Jace Beleren holds Vraska as he outlines his final, tragic strategy. He explains that the ongoing collapse of the Multiverse relies entirely on their shared physical body remaining alive. To dismantle the destructive magic set in motion by the Theorist, his physical self must be eliminated from within.
Vraska grieves the imminent loss of her lover once again, wrestling with the guilt of moving past her mourning. The Detective assures her that clinging to endless sorrow would be the true betrayal, urging her to live fully once he is gone. Rejoining their companions - Chandra Nalaar, Ajani Goldmane, and Garruk Wildspeaker - the party absorbs the harsh reality that they must gather Jace's dispersed mind fragments and deliver them directly into his original body to trigger his self-destruction.
Spiritual Vessels and Unlikely Allies
Chandra initially reacts with fiery outrage, refusing to accept another tragic sacrifice after losing Gideon Jura. However, the Detective clarifies that his death is not an heroic act of valor, but an essential act of atonement to rescue the Multiverse from his own catastrophic mistakes. Reluctantly, the group commits to the harrowing mission.
To transport Jace's consciousness past the tower's defenses, the Detective dissolves his visible form into raw magical energy. He safely embeds his mind inside Vraska's thoughts, promising to guide her from within. With Ajani, Garruk, and Chandra surrounding her, Vraska steel herself to search the complex for the remaining split personalities, including the terrifying memory of his Phyrexianized form.
Unlocking the Necromancer
At the base of the central spire, Tam executes her own precise plan to free the incarcerated original Liliana Vess. Nearby sits Professor Opal, quietly reading outside Liliana's cell. Tam tricks the gentle healer into entering a neighboring cell before tossing cooked meat through the bars to Liliana.
Liliana uses her necromantic talents to reanimate the discarded poultry, sending the undead creature squawking down the hall. The distraction summons a horrifying tide of skeletal rats that bursts through the cell bars. Liliana subdues Professor Opal and uses her dark power to convert the alternate version of herself into a puppet, creating a proxy she can pilot into battle.
Marching Toward the End
Recognizing Jace's intellect in Tam, Liliana agrees to assist in bringing down the Theorist. Using both her true body and the puppeted Professor Opal, Liliana prepares to confront her former partner. She resolves to attempt to reason with him before resorting to lethal force, while Tam heads outside to support the effort during the impending planar overlay.
Concurrently, Vraska and her strike team navigate dark corridors lined with glistening, organic metal roots - a disturbing remnant of Jace's time under Phyrexian corruption. Communicating telepathically with the Detective in her mind, Vraska pushes forward through her trauma, knowing that stopping Jace is the only way to ensure the Multiverse survives.
