"My children…"
A gentle voice echoed behind them.
Hoshiyuki turned slightly, still holding Shiharu's lifeless body in his arms. The moment the luminous woman appeared, she wrapped both boys in a soft, comforting embrace, as though gathering them into her warmth.
"Mom… you came."
"Of course," she replied with a serene smile. "My son and his partner have finally come to see me."
She floated gracefully within a grand, cathedral-like hall hidden deep beneath the lake's surface—one of the secret sanctuaries that existed within the water itself. Tall arched windows and sweeping vaulted ceilings stretched upward, bathed in soft lavender and golden-pink light. The radiance filtered through the water like divine moonlight, scattering dreamy flares and glowing orbs throughout the vast chamber.
Her presence was otherworldly.
Her impossibly long golden-blonde hair flowed around her in weightless waves, drifting upward like silk caught in a gentle current. Strands shimmered with a faint iridescence, interwoven with translucent ribbons and delicate veils that glimmered like threads of moonlight.
Her features were delicate and flawless—porcelain skin, soft lips parted in a quiet breath, and large nature-green eyes that held both serene kindness and quiet sorrow. Tiny particles of light drifted around her face like stardust.
Her gown flowed in layered translucent whites, elegant and ethereal.
It was unmistakable.
This was Hoshiyuki's true mother—the source of the beauty he carried so effortlessly.
Wherever she moved, the water parted for her, bending obediently as though she were its very soul. It was the only reason the two could breathe and speak beneath the lake.
"Mom!" Hoshiyuki cried desperately.
"Please—save him! Give him my life. He has to live!"
The woman simply watched him with gentle satisfaction, her smile soft but knowing. She had always been a loving and devoted mother to her three sons, and a calm, affectionate wife to their father.
"Should I rewind time once more?" she asked thoughtfully.
Her gaze rested on him with quiet affection.
"If I give him your life, sweetheart… you won't be able to return to the human world as a human again. Your life there will end."
"You will exist as a ghost."
She reached out, brushing a strand of hair from his face.
"But you will never truly leave us. You will always remain part of our family. And you may come home whenever you wish."
Her voice softened even further.
"No matter the path you choose—whether it leads to joy or sorrow—your mother will always ensure that neither you nor your partner suffer for it."
"This is my promise to you… as your mother."
Hoshiyuki tightened his hold on Shiharu.
"Thank you, Mom," he said quickly. "but..
I want to save him right now. Please!"
His voice trembled with urgency.
"Switch our souls… make him forget everything. Let my soul become his, as if it had always belonged to him."
"Do anything you must… just let him live."
"He can't die. Not now. Not yet."
His mother studied him quietly before giving a soft hum.
"As you wish, my son."
She closed her eyes gently.
"I only hope that this third life you two share will be kinder than the last."
Her lips curved into a warm smile.
"May this one bring you both the happiness and love you deserve."
She began murmuring ancient words in a language older than the lake itself.
A quiet glow spread through the water.
Hoshiyuki's soul slowly separated from his body, drifting like golden light before flowing into Shiharu's lifeless form.
Moments later—
Shiharu coughed.
His chest rose sharply as breath returned to his lungs.
His eyes fluttered open, still hazy and confused.
The woman lifted him gently in her arms, cradling him with the tenderness of a mother holding her child. She carried him upward through the water and placed him softly on the shore beside the quiet lake.
Then the water swallowed her once more as she descended back into its depths.
There, she approached the sleeping figure of her son.
Hoshiyuki lay motionless, as though caught in an endless dream.
She knelt beside him and brushed her fingers through his golden hair with deep affection.
"Oh, my son…"
Her voice carried both pride and quiet sadness.
"The things one does for love."
A faint smile touched her lips.
"You truly are your mother's child."