Izora sat perfectly still, gazing outside. Her fingers curled slightly around the edge of the window fra, as if holding onto sothing only she could see.
Affea's voice then broke the silence. "After periods of berserk episodes, she sealed her mories five years ago. Since then, she's been fine and healthy, but she can't be around people." Her voice was filled with sadness as she continued. "Anyone too young, too loud, she lashes out. Any man reminds her of Dad. Any young woman… of his lover. She even attacked a lot of tis. I tried and tried, but only had to keep my distance for her sake. So we kept only the elders around, even to guard her. At the mont, she only speaks with Granduncle in a normal manner."
Azzy stared at her. He hadn't seen her in years, and when he did, she turned like this.
His eyes welled up. "This is my fault," he said quietly. "If I had been here, I would've saved her from all that pain."
A hand settled gently on his shoulder. "Rael…" Leiza said behind him.
"I'm fine," he whispered. "I can fix this now, too."
And then he stepped forward.
"Mom," he called out.
Izora stirred at his voice. Slowly, she turned her head. Her eyes locked onto him, and her face twisted instantly. Through her eyes, Azzy's face was replaced with Vesyrn's.
"You..." Her voice shook in rage. "Vesyrn… you bastard… You have the nerve to co before again…" She roared.
Her chair scraped violently as she stood, charging at him in a blur of white hair and fury.
"Bro!" Affea moved forward instinctively.
Azzy raised a hand without looking. "Let handle this," he said.
Affea halted.
anwhile, Izora was nearly on him with her whole fra trembling with hate.
"I'll kill you… How dare you leave for that bit*h, how dare you…" she shrieked, swinging her arm.
Azzy didn't block it. He didn't even move back.
Instead, he stepped in.
Sliding under the arc of her strike, he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. His cheek pressed to her shoulder.
"Mom," he whispered in a cracking voice. "It's . Azrael…"
Izora froze all of a sudden. "Azrael…?" she repeated, the word trembling out of her mouth like a na she hadn't dared to say in years.
Her eyes went wide, distant, then suddenly narrowed. Her mouth opened as if to scream, but no sound ca.
Then, without warning, a single tear rolled from her left eye.
Her body stopped struggling.
"Your son, Azrael… Mom," he said again, softer this ti, still holding her. "I'm here. I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you. But I'm back now…"
His fingers trembled as they pressed against her back. A glow sparked at his palms. His senses entered her system.
Inside her, he found that nearly half the cells were corrupted by Protos energy. Her soul orb was sealed for the mont.
Unsealing the orb would release the corruption, and it would spread like wildfire. She would beco rageful before he could blink. But purging it all at once would kill her, too, as her body couldn't handle it.
"Okay… Let's do this."
He raised one hand beside her back and snapped his fingers.
With a snap, the ti was frozen on the entire galaxy. Everyone was frozen in their spots.
Azzy's body then shimred, his skin outlined with golden strands of divine power. With a thought, the Jewel of Life protruded out of his forehead.
"Release," he commanded.
Izora's sealed soul orb unlocked with a dull hum. Light burst from her chest, but before the Protos energy could surge, divine energy poured into her veins.
The two opposite forces collided.
But, in the end, his pure divine power turned out to be way stronger than her Protos energy, which doesn't possess its Protos source or anything. Moreover, due to the frozen ti, Protos' energy movents were reduced by almost 99%. Forget about taking over her mind and soul, the Protos energy couldn't even fight against the foreign invader.
Every ti his divine energy cleansed a cluster of darkened cells, the Jewel of Life went to work, regenerating fresh, pure ones in their place.
It was slow but steady.
When the last corrupted cell was eliminated, he snapped his fingers, letting ti resu once again.
"Oh my god…" Affea gasped at the sudden changes in her mom.
Izora's white hair darkened, like ink seeping across silk. The deep-set wrinkles around her eyes vanished. Her skin turned smooth, radiant, glowing faintly. She looked no older than a woman in her late twenties.
Izora's chest rose sharply. "Haaaa…" She gasped, as if breath flooded her lungs for the first ti in years.
Azzy slowly loosened his embrace, breathing heavily himself. He pulled back just enough to see her face.
"Azrael?" Izora said, her voice smaller and softer, but filled with confusion. "When did you… How did you… What's happening?"
Azzy looked at her. "It's been a while, Mom," he said, smiling through tears. "I'm ho."
"Mom…" Affea's voice cracked softly, the emotion barely held back from her.
Izora turned her head, her eyes still wide and dazed from awakening. "Affy?" Her gaze landed on the young woman standing just a few steps away. "You look grown up… why? What's going on… what year is it?"
Her voice was weak and confused, teetering between disbelief and panic.
"Shh… relax, Mom." Azzy's arms closed around her again, gently drawing her close.
She clung to him instinctively, like soone drowning, grabbing the last rope.
With one hand at the back of her neck, he injected a small wave of calming soul energy directly into her mind. A soothing current flowed into her consciousness, smoothing out the cracks left by pain and disorientation.
Izora's eyes fluttered once.
Then slowly, her head dipped forward against his shoulder.
She fell unconscious
"Brother," Affea said quietly, stepping closer.
Azzy laid Izora down on the bed, brushing a lock of dark hair away from her forehead. She looked peaceful now, so unlike the fierce storm she had been minutes earlier.
"She'll be okay," he said without turning. "Her body's healed, and the orb's stabilized. She just needs rest. When she wakes up, her mind will start nding, too."
Affea nodded, her lips pressed into a thin line. There was an instant relief in her eyes.
Azzy then turned toward the doorway.
Three figures stood just beyond it, watching with stunned expressions: Granduncle Kylan, arms crossed, trying to hide the tremble in his fingers. Orion, brows furrowed, shifting awkwardly on his feet. And Leiza, wide-eyed and silent, her hand clutched near her chest.
"Granduncle, Orion, Leiza," Azzy said. "Can you all stay here with my mother?"
Kylan gave a silent nod, his eyes still fixed on Izora. "Of course."
Azzy looked at his sister. "Affea. Let's go to the Palace. The Clan lords and elders are waiting for us."
"Now?" she said, blinking. "But…" Her gaze shifted to her sleeping mother.
However, Azzy calmly said. "You're the Clan Heir, Affy. You're the future Monarch. You have responsibilities to fulfill."
Affea averted her gaze. She opened her mouth, as if to object. To say she didn't care about the clan or the heirship.
But instead… she looked down and said nothing.
Azzy placed a hand on her back. "Whatever problems there are, clan or family, we'll sort them out."
Slowly, she nodded in understanding.
He gave her a faint smile, then turned to the others one last ti.
"I'll be back soon. Just keep her safe."
Then, with a soft shimr of golden light, he and Affea vanished from the hallway.
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