Part 31

Noah found himself immersed in the girl's memories. Her hands were rubbed raw from washing the bedclothes, and she didn't notice that she had washed them ten times.

"Kristina," a hoarse, old woman's voice echoed from the house.

"Mom!" The girl dropped everything and rushed inside.

"Honey, could you get me a glass of water?" An elderly woman lay in the room, her skin covered with a green-purple rash. Noah recognized it as Dragon Pox, a disease he had encountered in a life during his trials in the mountains.

"I'll get it right away." Kristina hurried to the kitchen and filled a glass with water from the kettle. Her mind was consumed by worry about the illness and the fear of losing her only family member. Every sneeze and cough caused pain in Kristina's chest. When she returned to her mother's bedside, she froze. Her mother was already fading away.

"I'm sorry, honey," her mother whispered softly.

"No, Mom, I brought you some water. Drink it, and you'll feel better, I promise." Kristina held the glass to her mother's lips, but her mother just waved it away.

"Do you remember when you were a child? You loved to play hide-and-seek with me when you first came home from school, having just learned disillusionment charms." The woman smiled faintly, looking at her daughter.

"Mom, please," tears welled up in Kristina's eyes.

"I could have found you even without magic. You were always hiding under the kitchen table. But you were so happy, and I pretended that I couldn't find you," her voice grew fainter.

"I remember, Mom. Please, take your medicine, and you'll get better." Kristina refused to accept that this might be their last conversation.

"Now, you're an adult. My girl, you've grown into such a wonderful sorceress. I'm so proud of you." Her mother slowly closed her eyes and took her last breath. Kristina stood there, holding the glass in her hand, unable to believe that her mother had passed away. Tears didn't flow down her cheeks; her eyes remained dry. It seemed as if even her ability to cry had ceased.

"Mom? Mom, say something else." Kristina's hands lost their grip, and the glass crashed to the floor.

"Mom, please." Kristina gently held her mother's hand.

"Do you remember when you were a child? You bought me a new school uniform, and I liked it so much that I wore it all day. Then, at the end, I fell into a puddle." Kristina could feel her mother's body growing cold in her arms. "You had to wash it all night because I had to wear it again tomorrow." Kristina laughed softly, but her laughter gradually turned into tears when she realized that her mother would never hear her again. They would never talk again, and she would never hear her mother's voice or laughter. Despair and longing for her mother began to tear her heart apart, and she felt herself drowning in her own tears.

Noah opened his eyes and realized that he was back in his own body. It was dark all around, and he couldn't see anything. He grasped the sheet with his hand, and tears rolled down his cheeks. He had experienced more than a dozen lives in those memories, and they weighed heavily on him, almost suffocating him.

When Sebastian finally arrived home, he immediately turned on the lights in the house to prepare for sorting out their belongings later. He briefly glanced at the screen behind which Noah should be lying. Unusual silence filled the house. He changed into his usual clothes—brown trousers and a green shirt—and took a bag of food from the table that Sirona had given him. He felt a sense of worry. What if Noah's condition had worsened? What if Noah had left this place altogether? Or perhaps he still hadn't fully regained consciousness. Swallowing hard, he forced a smile and opened the curtain.

"Did you order dinner in bed?" Sebastian dropped the bag on the floor. Noah lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling with a vacant expression, and a strand of gray hair was visible in his hair. "Have you come to your senses?!" Sebastian dropped to his knees and shook Noah by the shoulders, but Noah didn't react in any way.

"Noah! Please answer me. I'm here. Is everything over?" Sebastian turned Noah's head toward him and looked into his eyes. They seemed to have lost all will to live. It felt like he was looking at a lifeless doll. Despair overwhelmed him, and he lowered his head, whispering softly, "Are you here?"

Noah took Sebastian's hand.

"I think I dozed off," Noah closed his eyes. "I'm sorry," he said weakly.

"Merlin's beard! Do you know how scared I was?!" Sebastian hugged him tightly, nearly pinning Noah to the bed.

"You're going to strangle me," Noah smiled weakly and hugged him back. "You smell like the sun." Noah couldn't explain it, but the scent emanating from Sebastian somehow calmed him.