Anastelle's commander's coat was half-unbuttoned. Her eyes darted frantically across the courtyard. Phaser stood near the fountain. Xaessia and September were beside him. Verdamona and Princess Radellei were watching quietly anticipation. Her gaze found him.
Her entire body froze mid-motion. Her mouth parted soundlessly. She blinked several times as though refusing to believe the sight before her. The disbelief in her face made even Phaser fall silent for a second. Then, in true Phaser fashion, he broke the quiet with a grin.
"Ten thousand says she kneels and cries."
Xaessia shot him a glare. "You're betting on Mom's emotional breakdown?"
"It's a good bet. I'll even throw in a slice of my cake."
Xaessia huffed and crossed her arms. "Fine. If she kneels, I'll jump on you. Deal?"
"Deal."
Anastelle's knees buckled. She fell to the floor, her gloves scraping the stone, her entire frame trembling violently as she tried to breathe. Phaser exhaled through his nose.
"Aaand I win."
Xaessia groaned in defeat. She lifted her phone, recording the scene with a smile.
"You're unbelievable. I'm crying three minutes ago and now I'm making blackmail material. You've really rubbed on me brother."
But Richer wasn't listening. He was already moving, which was faster than anyone expected. He knelt before her, cupping her face. Her skin was cold beneath his hands.
"Hey. Look at me. I'm fine."
Her eyes finally rose to meet his. There was disbelief swimming in them, and tears gathering fast.
"You— you're standing. Your color's back... your eyes, they're not— you're alive."
"I'm cured."
For a second, she didn't react. Then all at once, her body moved on instinct. She threw herself into his arms, clutching him so tightly that he actually gasped. Her sobs came unrestrained now, shaking through both of them as she buried her face against his shoulder. She kept whispering between sobs, her words breaking apart.
"You're cured… you're cured… Richer, you're here… this isn't a dream…"
"Love— I— can't— breathe—"
She immediately released him with a horrified gasp.
"Oh! I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?"
He laughed breathlessly, his hands still around her.
"You just proved I'm alive. That's all."
Her laugh came out somewhere between a sob and a hiccup. She pressed her forehead to his, tears still streaking her cheeks. Then Phaser's voice sliced through it.
"You two gonna kiss or what?"
Xaessia turned on him instantly. "Phaser!"
He threw up his hands. "What? We're all adults now! Let them have the cinematic ending!"
Verdamona blinked in disbelief, while Radellei looked utterly scandalized.
"You can't just say that!"
Xaessia sniffled and shrugged. "Actually, I'm with him on this one. Go on, parents. You've earned it."
Anastelle's face flushed crimson. She did not raise her children to be this shameless.
"Phaser, Xaessia, I swear if you—"
But before she could finish, Richer leaned forward and kissed her.
It wasn't a delicate, graceful one. It was trembling and full of twenty-three years' worth of pain, longing, and love finally released. His hands held her face, and hers clung to his chest as though letting go would make him vanish again. Xaessia gasped, then burst into laughter through her tears.
"They're kissing!"
Phaser raised both hands triumphantly.
"Told you! Look at that form! Perfect romantic timing!"
Little September cheered. Her small voice bright and joyful.
"Mommy's kissing Daddy!"
Verdamona tried to hide her grin, while Radellei, completely red, covered her face with both hands, peeking through her fingers despite herself. When Anastelle finally pulled away, she was breathless, her hands still trembling as she held onto Richer's shirt.
"You're really cured. You're really here."
Richer smiled. It was one that none of them had seen in decades.
"I am. And I'm not going anywhere this time."
Phaser grinned, sliding an arm around Xaessia's shoulder.
"Guess the family's officially whole again, huh?"
Xaessia, still sniffling and smiling, nodded. "Yeah. Finally."
Anastelle's arms went around her husband again, pulling him close. Phaser's laughter mixed with Xaessia's tears, September's giggles echoed across the courtyard, and even the quiet onlookers couldn't help but smile through it all. Richer and Anastelle finally had what they'd been chasing for twenty-three long years.
°°°°°°
The hallway leading to the Fast Travel Room wasn't empty. Phaser stood there with his hands in his pockets, the hum of the chamber filling the air. Radellei was standing inside it.
"You're going to be late. Didn't you say your stepmother's soul only appears for three days?"
Radellei exhaled softly, rolling her eyes with a small smile.
"Yes, but I wasn't expecting someone to stop me halfway out."
"Hey, I'm just seeing you off. It's called manners."
"Manners, huh? That's a new word for you."
Phaser chuckled quietly. "You make it sound like I'm a heathen."
"You act like one sometimes. You didn't tell me you're acting as the Lone Nomad in Rome."
Phaser straightened and exhaled through his nose. His tone was gentler now.
"Radellei… thanks. Really."
"For?"
"For curing my father. And for saving him. Also for giving us back something we thought we lost decades ago."
"Don't thank me, Phaser. I'm just… glad I was the one who could do it. The cure wouldn't have worked if it weren't for what you discovered or for Xaessia's expedition. Still, to think I helped cure the first person in history to survive Fluve Syndrome. It feels surreal."
"Yeah. You made history without realizing it."
There was a pause. Then Radellei looked back up at him.
"Would it be alright if I announced it to the world that the cure exists? That your father… lived?"
"Sure. Go ahead. Just remember, the most important ingredient stays with us."
"You mean the Shardmoss or the Aurelic Resin?"
"Neither. The Black Bleeding Rose."
"Of course. The Argemenes' signature flower…"
"Can't have the world making cheap imitations, right? We worked for that legacy. It's business."
"You're greedy."
"Not giving it for free, though."
"You really are your father's son."
"Highest compliment I've had all week. Sorry, nine months. Time difference is really getting to me."
The room flared brighter as Radellei wrote the coordinates for the Greet Pyramid.
"Well, tell your father I said happy birthday again. And I'm telling my sister about this since she told me to inform her."
"Okay. As for Hinesia, she's probably waiting for your reply right now."
Radellei laughed again then, with a small wave, she raised her hand.
"Goodbye, Phaser."
"See you in three days, Radellei."
With a burst of radiant energy, she was gone. Her form was swallowed by the blue light. Phaser stood there for a moment, letting the silence sink in. The hum of the chamber faded, replaced by the distant sounds of laughter echoing down the hallways.
"Alright. Time to head back."
The walk back to the courtyard and down the hallways of the estate was calm but full of sound. By the time he reached the large open garden where the celebration was underway, the entire Vecria Bloodline was gathered. The scent of food, flowers, and candles filled the air. Xaessia was standing near the cake table. She turned the moment she saw her brother, hands on her hips.
"You're almost late! We're about to sing!"
"Hey, I was saying goodbye to the person who literally cured Dad. You think I'd skip out on that?"
Xaessia rolled her eyes but smiled, unable to hide her fondness.
"Excuses, excuses. Hurry up. September's been threatening to start without you."
The little girl was standing on a stool beside the cake, holding a sparkler that was clearly too big for her.
"I wasn't!"
Phaser ruffled her hair as he passed.
"You look like a fire hazard, Seppy."
"I'm decoration!"
He looked around. His mother and father were near the center of the courtyard. Anastelle was laughing, which was shocking for him to see. Richer looked twenty years younger, his eyes glowing with life again. As Phaser walked closer, he could hear Xaessia calling everyone together, her voice carrying across the courtyard.
"Alright! Everyone! It's time!"
The lights dimmed slightly as everyone gathered around the large three-tier cake adorned with black and crimson roses. Phaser stepped beside his twin with a smile .
"You know, I didn't think we'd ever celebrate this again."
"Yeah. Neither did I."
And as the birthday song began for him, his twin and the old man, Phaser glanced at his father. For the first time in his life, Richer wasn't pale trembling, or confined to a bed. He was standing strong, one arm around Anastelle, the other lifting September up so she could reach the cake candles. Phaser smiled faintly.
'Phasnovterich, I have done my part. If you're still inside me or out there in the afterlife, just know that I saved your father. It's the least I can do for transmigrating in your body.'
The song reached its end. Laughter erupted as the candles went out in a burst of cheers and applause. Xaessia threw an arm around her brother, whispering with a smirk,
"Now you're late to cut the cake."
"I'll take that. Better late than never. Oh, and you're giving me your piece. You lost the bet."
"Damn it. You monster."
"Not to worry. I'll save some. Oh, and happy 22nd birthday, Xaessia."
She scoffed as she handed him the knife to cut the cake.
"Happy 22nd birthday too, Phaser."