Everyone present in the room eyed each other in silence. Astós, Sklerótes, and Anastasis stood in the light, while the rest of the group lurked in the shadows at the back of the dimly lit room.

Astós, in shock, struggled to remain conscious. Though more than fifteen years had passed since he last saw the woman who gave birth to him, he had no trouble recognizing her.

Sklerótes beamed a wide smile.

Maximus, Endiá, and Korè showed great perplexity.

Palaïós had a smile on his lips.

Astós had tears in his eyes.

Kyneos growled, knowing who she was dealing with.

The young prince, who had stood up moments earlier, fell to his knees again. Unable to contain himself any longer, Astós broke the silence. His voice trembled.

"Mom?" he said, looking at Anastasis.

She turned her head towards the prince, but her gaze was empty. She was utterly confused. She didn't recognize her own son, and Palaïós understood this. He slowly approached Astós, gently grabbed his shoulders, massaged them, and lowered himself to his level. He nodded towards Sklerótes, giving her the go-ahead to speak with Anastasis. He whispered as calmly as possible to Astós:

"Don't panic," he began. "She doesn't recognize you. She has no memories from after her death. She didn't register anything from her surroundings post-mortem. I'm sorry, I should have warned you earlier."

Tears welled up in the prince's blue eyes. The old man continued to speak softly into his ear to keep him from breaking down.

"Astós, she didn't see you grow up, just as you didn't see her after her transformation. But that doesn't mean she doesn't love you. On the contrary, the last years she spent consciously on earth, away from you and your siblings, only heightened her desire to see you and hold you. You must also understand that she just woke up after more than a dozen years in a state of ashes. It's normal for her to be disoriented. But again, don't worry, everything will be alright."

Sklerótes had led Anastasis to a corner of the room. Everyone watched them, but they didn't pay any attention. Astós remained in his spot, Palaïós rejoined the group at the back. Kyneos wore a closed expression, leaning against the back wall. Korè approached the old sorcerer.

"Do you know if she's still a Dnophos?" she asked him.

"I don't know," he replied. "It's possible the spell somehow reset her metabolism."

"Could you clarify?" Maximus, who had joined the conversation unannounced, asked.

Palaïós jumped before responding, catching his breath.

"Damn, you scared me! What I meant by 'reset her metabolism' is that she may have reverted to a state similar to before her death."

"Hmm, you mean she can't currently transform into a Dnophos, but if she dies again, she'll become like Sklerótes?" Korè summarized.

The old man nodded.

"That's what I think, indeed. But it's also possible that she has returned permanently as a human."

Sklerótes embraced her sister, who was crying profusely. She struggled to hold back her own tears.

"I missed you," she said.

"Me too, sis."

"I never got to tell you, but... thank you," the Dnophos said between sobs.

Anastasis pulled away from the embrace and looked at her sister, puzzled.

"Thank you for what?" she asked.

"Thank you for saving me. If you hadn't (she hiccuped again). If you hadn't sacrificed yourself for me, I'd be dead right now. I've felt so guilty... If you knew, I could have done something, I'm sure. I..."

She couldn't finish her sentence. She looked into Anastasis' eyes and saw a horrible terror. A second later, Anastasis was curled up on the floor, clutching her head and panting.

Her sister's expression chilled Sklerótes to the bone. She recognized it instantly. The same as that fateful night.

Anastasis was suffering.

Her anguish was palpable, and Sklerótes immediately lowered herself to her level, shaking her and shouting.

She didn't respond, still wracked with spasms.

"Pal!" the Dnophos called to the old sorcerer. "You need to come; it looks like she's having flashbacks."

The man hurried over and examined the suffering woman. He took a vial from his satchel and poured a little onto a handkerchief he also pulled from his bag. He placed the damp handkerchief on Anastasis' forehead and uttered some unintelligible words. A few seconds later, she stopped struggling.

They offered her some water, and she drank.

"I'm really sorry," she said. "It was like I was there again. It was awful. A bit blurry, but the sensations were very real. I'm not sure what came over me."

Palaïós sighed.

"It's not your fault. You're in a fragile state due to your recent 'reanimation.' Remembering your traumas now might not have been the best idea. But let's move on."

Astós, who had slowly stood up, had discreetly approached his mother.

He walked around the old sorcerer and murmured to his mother:

"Are you... (He hesitated, cleared his throat, and continued.) Are you feeling better?"

Everyone turned to the prince, who was struggling to hold back his tears. Anastasis smiled tenderly.

"I'm fine, thank you, Astós," she said.

And before anyone could react, she stood up and embraced her son.

The others stepped aside to give them some privacy.

They held each other tightly for a long time. Astós' face was soaked with tears. He said:

"Mom... I missed you so much..."

The tears flowed even more freely down his cheeks. His mother was crying too.

"If you knew how much I regret all this, my darling...," she began. "Giving you these cursed powers, and everything that comes with them..."

She tightened her embrace.

"I didn't even get to see you grow up, Astós, my son. I had to stay hidden, but I wanted so much to see you, to hold you, to enjoy my beloved son."

She gently pulled away, caressed her child's cheek, and said:

"I'm sorry."

Astós gently took her hand, snuggled up to her, and replied tearfully:

"Me too, Mom, if you only knew."

After several minutes of tears and hugs, they rejoined the others, their eyes red.

"Ah, there you are at last!" said Sklerótes.

"Yes, and now it's time to go home, isn't it, Mom?" Astós announced.

She nodded.

A heavy silence fell over the room, though none knew why. Feeling awkward, Korè broke it by shouting:

"We did it! We're awesome! We saved Anastasis! Woohoo!"

Max looked at her in confusion, then joined her.

"We're amazing! Woohoo!"

Everyone laughed. Well, almost everyone.

They had almost forgotten Kyneos, the defeated. It wasn't until she passed by Anastasis on her way out that she noticed her. Her fists clenched automatically, and she landed a powerful punch that sent the young woman flying across the cave.

"And you! What is she doing here?" she demanded of her companions.

"We defeated her in single combat and forced her to help us bring you back. That's all. We plan to imprison her for life, unless she has another interesting idea for us."

Anastasis chuckled.

"What irony, isn't it? You kill me, your own mother, then you're forced to help your brother's friends bring me back! The world is indeed cruel."

Kyneos growled.

"And you're not cruel? You abandoned me at birth! I was just a baby!"

"You should have seen your face when you were born, you looked like a murderer. Already! Your gift manifested earlier than ours, and you burned your sister in her cradle. You also forget my Ara, who got the better of me, through you."

The young woman glared at her with hatred.

"Life is unfair, young lady. It was karma before its time. For all the soldiers' lives you took, for all the harm you caused," said Anastasis.

"You forget that-"

"The discussion ends here!" her mother cut her off. "It's over. I made my choices, you made yours. Move on now."

Astós whispered something to Sklerótes.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" he said, pulling the marble from his pocket.

"Oh yes, sorry! Can you give me a minute?"

Astós smiled.

⁎⁎⁎

"Your Majesty, you've returned!" a guard said to Endiá, delighted.

"Yes, I was gone less than a week, it's nothing. No major events in my absence?"

"No, sir," said the guard, glancing over the group. "But, am I dreaming? Is that Mr. Astós Basileus and Miss Kyria Basileus I see behind you?"

"Indeed, it's us," confirmed the prince.

"And... No! I can't believe it! Her Majesty Anastasis Basileus? But how is this possible?"

"I'll tell you later, don't worry. Can you escort this young woman to the dungeons awaiting her judgment and invite the entire city to a banquet? We have several things to celebrate, I believe. But don't be too harsh on her, offer her

food and drink. Understood?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The friends, now inside the castle, laughed with joy, happy that everything turned out well.

Evening came, and so did the banquet.

The guests were visibly delighted; champagne glasses were filled and emptied, dishes arrived by the dozens from the castle kitchens and didn't stay on the long oak tables for more than a few minutes. Glasses clinked and laughter erupted; everything was fine.