It’s 8.35 PM.
Lady Lucidia just finished setting up the operating room in an isolated section of Doctor Alphys’ Lab. It took a while for all the equipment to be transported there.
Life stabilizers, checked.
Monitoring machines, checked.
Other required tools, arranged.
It’s been a rather noisy few hours. Sans Serif had many well-wishers due to his past reputation as a comedian. How little the public knew of his darker side. A wise move, if Lucidia wished to comment. Performers should maintain professional distance from public perceptions.
There were a couple of high-energetic knocks on the door. That must be Papyrus himself, Lucidia thought.
She went to answer it.
“HELLO, FAIRY GODMOTHER,” Papyrus greeted with his usual jolly manner. “HOW ARE THE PREPARATIONS ON YOUR END?”
Lucidia replied, “Status: almost ready to commence procedure. I suggest that you lie down on the operating table so I may begin as soon as I retrieve your brother.”
“OH, THAT’S WONDERFUL! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM MORE THAN READY TO FACE HIS TRIAL!”
A few seconds later, he second-guessed himself: “SHOULD I SHOWER FIRST? I THOUGHT THAT MAYBE YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A SPARKLING CLEAN PATIENT. I’VE HEARD THAT EVERYTHING MUST BE SPICK AND SPAN DURING SURGERY.”
The lady blinked twice. It was an odd request, but it was also rather sensible of him.
Just to be safe, Lucidia activated her Eyes for a quick scan. Streams of data about Papyrus filled her mind, from the flow of his magic to the calcium content in his bones. Notable information was highlighted and overlaid onto her vision.
After the analysis, she replied: “Conclusion: a warm shower won’t negatively affect the outcome. If it helps you relax, then you may take one.”
“THANK YOU VERY MUCH! I WILL COME OUT SO FRESH, I CAN COMPETE WITH A PINE TREE. NYEH HEH HEH!”
And so, he went on his merry way to the shower.
Lucidia was about to give her equipment another round of inspection when more visitors showed up. It was the flower children this time.
“Yes? May I help you?”
Chara and Flowey looked at each other for a moment, silently trying to urge each other to speak up first. In the end, Flowey shook his head in irritation. It seemed that Chara pushed him to take the initiative.
The little flower asked, “Lady Lucidia, may we watch the surgery? I don’t think I’ll fully understand what’s going on, but… I want to be there for Papyrus. Like how he was there for me.”
His planty sibling nudged Flowey further. “Go on,” said Chara. “Tell her about the ribbon.”
“S-she doesn’t need to know that! I lost it to some stupid mud back in November anyway.”
“Don’t you want to make her smile?” said Chara.
“Maybe she’ll get more stressed out. Have you ever thought of that, huh? Huh?”
“If you don’t say it, I’ll say it.”
“NO!” Flowey exclaimed. “Argh, fine! I’ll tell her! I-it’s better than you making it all melodramatic.”
The child straightened his stem to look more presentable. “Eherm. Lady Lucy. Not long after the monsters left the Underground, Papyrus would always, always, manage to find me. In every single timeline, without fail. No one but Papyrus either. He would then tie this cloth ribbon on me as a gift. He was worried that I would get cold from the sudden dip in temperature.”
Lowering his petalled head, he finished: “M-my point is… I… I want to stay by his side. For once. Instead of hiding like an idiot.”
It wouldn’t surprise her if Papyrus’ latent Eye had given him a sixth sense of sorts to find the former prince. Truly, The Great Papyrus lived up to his name for being able to bond with this bitter and prickly DEMON.
“As much as I want to let you watch,” she replied, “I’m afraid that you cannot be in the operating room itself. Perhaps I can set up a camera for you? Then you can witness it live from a safe distance.”
Flowey was both surprised and delighted. “You will?”
“Yes, as long you bring me the necessary tools. I believe you know where you can find them.”
The joy of getting the permission he wanted overshadowed his reluctant confessions. “Thank you, Lady Lucidia!”
Then off he went to fetch a camera. Chara followed, having no other intent than to be by their sibling’s side.
While she waited, she examined the equipment one more time. They must perform as expected without any room for accidents or errors.
Afterwards, the flower children did return with their camera. But they weren’t alone. Trailing behind them were the two Ebottian scientists. Judging from the soured scowl on Flowey’s face, he wasn’t able to shake off their unwanted presence.
Doctor Gaster’s fluid form slid across the floor in a stately, professional manner. “Why yes, we are also deeply interested in the coming procedure. From what I’ve heard, you’re about to perform SOUL surgery tailored specifically to the brothers. That’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that neither of us want to miss!”
As for Alphys herself, she just uttered a tiny ‘Hi’.
Lucidia ignored Gaster. Instead, she focused her attention on Alphys. “Doctor Alphys, do you want to witness this procedure upon your own volition?”
The lizard was flustered by the attention. After a moment of incomprehensible mumbles of panic, she finally got herself together for a proper reply. “Y-yes! Because. Um. I want to… I want to be useful in the future.”
Her mannerisms reminded her of an old friend. Eager and kind, but too shy for their own good. Lucidia knew people like them would inevitably get pushed around by more boisterous personalities.
“Request accepted,” said Lucidia. Turning to Flowey, she added: “It’s fine. They are here for professional reasons.”
Flowey grumbled, returning to his infamous sarcastic snarky self. “Ahuh. Yep. Absolutely dandy that I will be sitting next to the nerd who turned me into an experiment. I’ll certainly enjoy that.”
That won’t do. She had no patience to deal with relational drama so close to the operation. “Suggestion: figure out your own seating arrangements without bothering me.”
“Fine. We will. You should go do whatever you need to do.”
Alphys added, “A-and I’ll install the camera.”
In an attempt to make himself look useful, Gaster offered: “And I shall set up the microphone. Make sure your voice is clear.”
“The thoughtfulness is appreciated.” That’s one hassle out of her hands at least.
So, while the four did just that, Lucidia left the room to collect Sans Serif for the procedure.
Once she was out of sight of the other residents, she lowered her head and sighed.
My plea to Lemuria for nurses was unable to be authorized on such a short notice. It means I’ll have to do everything on my own yet again.
Perhaps this is for the better. I have all the tools to make it work, with or without help. I don’t need to worry about coordinating a team: only my own thoughts. I myself know best which steps to take, and how to weave it all together into a cohesive whole.
Keeping expectations low helped her prepare for the worst case scenario. The pleasant surprise of a positive turnout was better than a laundry list of disappointments.
Whether the flower realised it or not, his snarky statements from before had already dug under her bones. Lucidia knew that she was about to perform similar fringe science as Doctor Alphys did.
…She saved his life, and yet he hates her for it.
But what kind of a life could he possibly have as a soulless DEMON? He could never again become the prince he should be. Every day, he will have to live with the fact that he’s broken and incomplete.
Will Sans and Papyrus turn on me in the same way? Even though the younger brother signed his consent, the elder didn’t have the chance to do so.
She recalled the last time she attempted a similar operation. It was to save the life of a friend’s father. If she didn’t try, he would inevitably die a premature death.
Just as a human won’t be able to live without a functioning heart, monsters cannot live without Determination. The concept was simple: to replace what had failed with what still functions.
The plan succeeded. All was fine until the patient got into an argument with someone he had long disliked. Upon a split decision, he gained a sudden strong will to act upon a once-empty threat: to throw the annoyance out of the window.
Although no one perished in that incident, it showed the possible dangers of her methods. No ban nor penalty was ever enacted, but support dwindled. Her hard work languished as a mere proven theory for many years.
And now… she’s about to apply it again. No one knows what side-effects waited in store, not even Lucidia herself.
She arrived at the room where Sans Serif’s pod was kept. There, she found Papyrus standing next to his brother, wearing his pajama pants as directed. His upper body was to be left unclothed for the surgery.
He seemed pensive, choosing his last waking moments to be by his brother’s side.
“LADY LUCIDIA,” he asked without looking back at her. “I HOPE YOU’RE NOT MAD AT ME FOR THE INTERVIEW. FRISK DIDN’T SEEM VERY HAPPY ABOUT IT.”
“No, I’m not angry. It was a logical decision that minimizes questions going forward. Perhaps it was best for you to break the news in person, and as early as possible. As Sans Serif’s brother, you have the advantage of the people's trust.”
Lucidia squeezed her hands together, “I… was prepared to face any blame from your fellow citizens regarding Sans Serif. There’s always a chance that the surgery may fail.”
“I WON’T ALLOW ANYONE TO BLAME YOU. NOT EVEN MYSELF, FOR I ONLY HAVE GRATEFULNESS TOWARDS YOUR DILIGENT EFFORTS.”
Satisfied that he had tied up his loose ends, Papyrus turned around to face her. Despite any lingering nervousness, he’s moving forward. “I’M READY.”
The operation commenced. Both Papyrus and Sans were put into a deep sleep. They each laid on their own operating tables.
Before she began, she briefed the procedure to the audience beyond the camera lens.
“The goal of this operation is to revert the Overburn of Sans Serif and Papyrus. Overburn happens when the Fire of Humanity burns too bright, in turn affecting the constitution of the Psychia. This causes an unusual imbalance in the Psychia’s ability to produce magical energy. Aspects that The Seer’s Eye favours are strengthened, while all others are neglected and inevitably wither away.”
“The Psychia, however, is so much more than an organ for casting magic. As our very ‘SOUL’, it’s also what gives monsters of all kinds the same general level of intellect as humans. It should thus be considered to be the closest thing we have to a physical brain, where the self is synchronized with the body.”
“As a tragic consequence, Overburn has destroyed the lives of many promising Seers, or forced them into an early retirement. They become reliant on their blessings, ignorant of the curse that lurks beneath. By the time mental instability becomes apparent, it’s already too late.”
“Now, Sans Serif’s Seer’s Eye favours the following Aspects: Patience, Perseverance, Justice. Papyrus’ Seer’s Eye instead favours: Bravery, Kindness and Integrity. Opposite traits in all respects. Yet -- as brothers -- they should have more genetic commonalities than differences. This paradox is the reason why I am going to attempt a cross-transplant of their Psychias.”
“Compatibility is paramount. However, the Red Aspect in Sans Serif’s donor piece presents a concerning complication. Likewise, so does his Karma.” Lucidia took a small item from a box with a clear plastic lid. It was a microchip-like device. Showing it to the camera, she further explained: “This is my personal invention, the Determination Pulse Regulator. Abbreviation, ‘DTPR’. This DTPR prevents Determination in the recipient from exceeding the safe levels for monsterkind.”
Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!
“I believe Sans Serif’s Karma to act as a double-sided immune response, protecting him from DEMON possession, while increasing the likelihood of Psychia rejection. This is a trait inherent to the poison subclass of Perseverance-type Seers, and has no known solution. But fret not, my experience with Gaelic’s poisons have led me to develop a working prototype.”
Lucidia showed the camera a slightly larger microchip from the same box. “Here is the prototype in question: the ‘Determination Perseverance Pulse Regulator’, abbreviated ‘DTPVPR’. It’s what I will install inside of both brothers to minimize the risk of rejection as much as possible.”
“My primary concern going forward will be the extent of Sans Serif’s corruption. Should the procedure fail, his options include lifetime incarceration in an asylum or immediate euthanization. I… am leaning towards the latter. With his cunning intellect and ruthlessness, he’s an entity too dangerous for long-term confinement.”
She then showed her hand to the lamps hanging over the operating tables.
“This modified surgical light doubles as a Soul Tether. First invented in 2012, this tool creates a field where a monster’s Psychia can be safely separated from their body. It does so by mimicking the links that naturally exist in humans.”
“Under normal circumstances, only a small portion can be brought to the surface at best. This severely limits the area that can be worked on. The Soul Tether instead allows full 360 degree manipulation, making any part of the Psychia easily accessible.”
“That concludes the briefing. I shall now activate the Soul Tether to draw out their Psychias for inspection.”
She activated the Soul Tether for Papyrus first. He was in better health, and thus less likely to give her any rude surprises.
Papyrus’ Psychia rose. It’s no longer pure-white. Rather, it had acquired an opalescent sheen of orange with hints of blue and green.
Dull red cracks, some healed more than others, sprawled all over. She flipped over the Psychia, revealing the origin. It was no larger than a pinhead.
“Status: stable. Damages: identified. Although the coverage looks alarming, it will heal over time. I see no other issues with Papyrus. Moving on to Sans Serif.”
There was a moment of hesitation. After everything he had gone through, what horrors lay under his ribcage?
Nonetheless, she must persevere. And so, she activated that man’s Soul Tether.
The same cordate Psychia floated upwards…
…Except it was dark red. Frisk’s Claim shone bright in stark contrast.
Lucidia muttered, “No… it can’t be.”
Am I too late?
Can I even extract a piece? Is there anywhere I can get uninfected material?
Upon the slightest manipulation, the surface began to bubble.
Sans Serif’s Psychia bloated into a hideous mass of corrupted tumors. They boiled. Rumbled. Purple soulfire erupted from within, destroying the foul growth from below the surface. The sludge sloughed, dropping onto the ribcage before having its remnants consumed.
Lucidia took a few steps away and raised her anti-DEMON shields. Although it was true that Sans Serif couldn’t be possessed by any other DEMON, it did not exclude the possibility of him becoming one himself.
The twisted cycle of life and death continued right before her eyes. What was once a proper Psychia had become a mass of tortured turmoil.
She tried to analyze it. His lifeforce fluctuated wildly, up and down, between 1 and infinity. Corrupted Determination prevented her from detecting anything else.
Lucidia froze.
Should I euthanize Sans Serif right now? If I do that, how am I going to explain it to his brother? To his parents? To his friends? To my husband?
What should I do?
What can I do?
I…………
I can only do what I must…
She raised her hands and ignited her Eyes. Focusing on the existence of Sans Serif, she prepared to end his suffering with a quick cleave through his essence.
But she relented.
No. I’m panicking. I must calm down. I can’t decide to end a life so soon. It has to be a last resort.
Query: do I really have no other options?
Without realising it, her hands drew closer and closer to each other. They touched, and her fingers curled between themselves into a tight grasp.
Before she knew literature, math, science, and all the evils of this world, her father taught her how to pray.
Pray to give thanks for a good day.
Pray for solace on a bad day.
Pray for guidance through the storm.
And guidance was what she needed right now. She closed her eyes to focus.
O’ Father in Heaven, I am terrified. What am I supposed to do?
Please help me see past this darkness.
Contrary to popular fiction or highlighted testimonials, few ever heard the direct voice of The Almighty. Those that did were often called to face
unthinkable dangers, carrying a burden not to be lightly wished for.
Instead, The Grandmaster said that she should expect inspiration in the form of an intuition leading to a better direction. He had told her a long time ago that The Almighty’s greatest gift for her was being ‘Lucidia’ herself: her heightened intellect, her compatible body, and her heart to execute her will.
Having calmed down, Lucidia opened her eyes again to observe the phenomenon with a new mindset.
I don’t believe Sans Serif was cast back into the world of the living only to die on my table.
…Is it me, or is his Karma still rejecting the corruption?
I have mentioned before that it’s an immune response of sorts. If Sans Serif truly became a DEMON, his being would have accepted it in silence.
And yet, it continues to boil.
Hope still exists for this man, despite all odds. Yet, she didn’t know how long he will have until his final defenses falter.
Theory: if Karma considers the dark red portions to be an invasive entity, the segments that contain his core identity should remain intact.
What is the extent of the corruption? How deep? If it’s in millimeters, then all I need to do is to remove the infested outer layer.
She picked up a scalpel from the tray, but after seeing yet another pustule erupt into a burning mass of purple, she put it back down.
I don’t think my surgical tools could survive amidst that level of entropic powers. Should I use a water jet? Compressed air? Lasers? Negative. This operation is too delicate.
For the preliminary test, I should stick to magic.
Blue, for reinforcement.
Green, for a regenerating shield. Sharpen it down to the point of a knife.
The result was a tiny scalpel made of her own ability. It was energy intensive, and she hoped that she didn’t need to maintain it for long.
And so, she made a quick incision. A bright red light peeked through the tiny cut she made. It lasted only for half a second before the putrid mass closed upon itself.
It happened just for a moment, but she saw it: clean, uncorrupted Determination.
Theory, confirmed. It appears his internals are clean.
But… What then fuels the tumor’s regeneration? If it doesn’t come from within, then might it be drawing from a different source?
Lucidia remembered the shining red star.
Frisk’s Claim? The child’s magic shouldn’t pose any issues. The circumstances where they were at the highest risk of becoming a DEMON are long gone. Furthermore, we linked it to the Determination Network to maintain stability.
Hold on…
An epiphany struck her mind. Just the thought made her clench her hands in anger.
Persona!
That foul parasite.
He’s corrupting my husband’s Network, turning the child’s Claim into a vulnerability.
Sans Serif is succumbing to the leaks. In addition to being an aberrant monster, he’s severely weakened by his critical injuries. The logistics align.
Lucidia put her emotions aside. Though she may not be able to strangle that scourge as of yet, she refused to let his memory oppress her heart.
How to proceed from here? Frisk is not available to make the necessary adjustments. And no one other than the child themselves can remove the Claim.
Think. Think and pray. It must be both. Praying without thinking was folly, and so was thinking without praying.
This time, the inspiration didn’t arrive with the same flash as before.
Even if I could break the Claim, I wouldn’t want to anyway. Immediate Amalgamation may follow.
She drew a blank. If she herself couldn’t think of anything, maybe she should draw knowledge from another person’s mindset?
…What would my husband do? Him and his mad gambits, his cunning trickery, and his ability to turn the plans of his foes on their head?
Indeed, her husband was known for his confident no-nonsense attitude that had defeated many enemies, Persona included. It was perceived as both a virtue and a vice, all depending on who was the receiving end.
Affirmative. I shall do what must be done. I will cut the corruption away at the roots!
That was the answer she sought. Lucidia summoned her bone lotus mini computer to map out the true image of that mass. She had a plan. And it all boiled down to execution now.
Searching for the Claim of Frisk Nokluirvanoic Wanderstar.
She found it roughly in the center of the Psychia, but the violent bubbling kept shifting it around. Unfortunately, that was the last complication she wanted right now.
Conclusion: anchor required. Activating Purple and Green.
Her Eyes switched to that colour combination. Delicate bones formed an Arcanagram over Sans Serif’s Psychia. It’s a simple five-point structure, but enough to launch a series of chains to anchor the wandering star in place.
The magical mechanism fired on command, but it’s taking longer to set than Lucidia would like. She’s starting to feel a headache form, putting her closer and closer to her own Overburn.
Just when it was almost unbearable, the anchoring chains succeeded in securing Frisk’s Claim in one place.
Calibrating to Claim’s location. Using it as the centerpoint.
Depth of incision, set.
Circumference of clean zones, determined.
Psychia partition spell, commence.
Let Karma finish what it started!
Her Eyes switched to pure Purple.
In one single planned path, Lucidia cleaved the festering shell and only the shell. The partitions scattered into multiple pieces. Without their food, Karma consumed the corruption whole.
What’s left behind was a clean, crimson Psychia: its true form finally revealed beneath the invading mass.
Is the worst over?
Just when she thought so, the star began to vibrate. Electrical currents zapped across the Claim, causing more tumors to grow. Her solution was not as permanent as she had hoped.
Her heart sunk despondent. Perhaps, he was indeed beyond saving…
However, a miracle happened. Scriptures -- the holiest of texts -- emerged from hiding and shattered the fresh growths. The words formed a spinning scroll around the Psychia, and thus they pronounced:
Holy, holy, holy, LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.
She glanced at the camera, anxious. Could her viewers read it? What would they be thinking now? They must be wondering what’s going on. She can’t continue being silent in good conscience.
So she began to speak.
“A complication has arisen. The DEMON battling Judge Thyme grows stronger. His influence is seeping into The Determination Network that maintains the Claimed Marks. As the weakest and most injured member, Sans Serif is the first to suffer. If this goes on, everyone else in the network will follow suit.”
“What has kept him safe so far is his Karma and… and… The sacred words of The Almighty Himself. I will admit right now that I have never before seen a case like this. What I know about it doesn’t come from scientific textbooks. Rather, it comes from my father, The Grandmaster. He was my teacher in all matters of faith.”
“These writings are the lyrics to the eternal song of the Seraphim, the angels who guard the divine throne. But is it right for me to transfer such a wildcard onto Papyrus? Will it even be compatible? The future is… unknown to me.”
It’s reaching the point where she must make her final decision. Inaction will only lead to failure. Yet, which of the so-called successes was the better outcome?
Should she halt the operation to let Sans Serif recover? Or should she proceed and leave it to the heavens to decide both brother’s fates?
More and more electricity zapped across the star, but the sacred song deflected it. They kept the window open for Lucidia to finish her work.
‘Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’
At first, she shook the thought off. She knew that fragment of a verse applied for a different scenario. Yet…
…Wasn’t that how this whole quest started?
No one had seen this outcome of the cosmos.
No one believed Papyrus was instrumental in making change either.
They went in blind… and perhaps that was the answer they needed.
Lucidia thus decided to take a literal leap of faith. If all goes well, good. If anything goes wrong, she will take responsibility as always.
With swift handiwork, she cut into Sans Serif’s Psychia to extract the piece he shall donate.
She then proceeded to move on to Papyrus, keeping the extracted piece levitating within the field of the Soul Tether. She cut it open and carved out an unmodified and untainted piece first. Then, she installed both the DTPVPR and Sans’ fragment together, securely sewing them in place.
After she put Papyrus back together, the changes took place almost instantly. Red text in Magus Script began to grow on the surface of the younger brother’s Psychia.
It thus said the following:
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.
“That line comes from the second and last time where the seraph’s song was recorded. No other lyrics were revealed to us.”
She turned back to Sans. The same steps followed; the DTPVPR and the donor fragment were installed, sewn up, and the Psychia restored to its original shape.
Not long after she completed the procedure, the floating Scripture retreated back inside its original host. The dark shell returned the moment it was gone. Once again, Sans Serif’s Karma battled against the invader. He would have long been defeated if it weren’t for the mercy of the divine.
Lucidia turned off the Soul Tethers, returning the Psychias to their body. “I have done all that I can do for now. For any further improvement, the DEMON must be removed from the Network: violently or otherwise. As for Papyrus… he will recover.”
The surgery ended on a mixed note.
On one hand, no one died.
On the other hand, no one knew what to expect.
The brothers were placed in their respective beds of recovery. Then the operating room was cleaned up for the night. The two doctors and the flower children extended their help.
However… no one spoke a word about the outcome.
At the end of it all, Lucidia retreated to her own room. Her husband and her father thought that the situation had become too dangerous for her to sleep in the same bed.
She called him on the phone to report about today’s events.
“I see…” Mezil sighed. “Thanks for the warning. I’ll take the necessary precautions. Do you have anything else that you want to talk about? I know you’re unhappy.”
For a moment, she hesitated. Afraid that if she talked about it, she would end up crying yet again. It’s difficult to control her emotions.
“…Have I disappointed you? I know you had placed faith in me for a flawless single pass procedure. At this rate, we may… no… we will lose access to the Keys of Fate.”
Her husband replied: “No. In truth, it’s the contrary. Those factors were beyond your prediction and control. Yet, you made the best decision you could have.”
“You think so?”
“I do. And I believe the others think the same. Anyone with the hubris to complain is due for a duel against me. Let them suffer the same pressure that was upon you, in a different form.”
Lucidia giggled a bit. It was always amusing when her husband spoke of such intense challenges without irony. But that was a rather effective way to comfort her. The superlative what-if satisfied a guilty vengeful streak.
Still, she had something on her mind. A thorn, a bother, whatever one may call it.
“Mezzy… How would you feel… If someone you’ve only met a short while ago received a miracle that you’ve spent decades praying for? Is… is it wrong to be bitter? Angry? Resentful?”
“Is this about Sans Serif hanging on despite his nonsense?”
Her husband was ever so accurate with his perception. “Yes. It looks like he will be fine after Persona is dealt with. He had a cure so quick and so close. Meanwhile… you and Gaelic…”
She couldn’t finish her sentence.
“…Did you know Gaelic requested for incense to use at the next morning prayers? He’s so overjoyed by ‘the miracle of Sir Grillenn joining our side’, he wants to do something extra to show his gratitude.”
“Oh?” The news of the pleasant surprise made her smile a little. “He’s always very extreme with his emotions, isn’t it?”
“Quite. His sense of gratefulness puts me to shame at times. That aside, here’s my opinion: a slow miracle is still a miracle. It doesn’t matter if it’s something that happened in an instant, or came as a result of decades of hard work.”
“Complaining about the fortune of others is shortsighted, much like how it’s equally shortsighted for others to complain about your fortunes. Lucidia, the answer to your prayers could be around the corner. Persevere, and you will see the end to the end.”
“Besides,” said the husband. “You are my miracle.”
Just hearing her ever-serious ever-stoic husband utter the corniest, sappiest, most hopelessly romantic compliment ever swept her off her mental feet. She couldn’t stop chuckling at that imagery. “Oh Mezzy, since when were you such a flirtatious playboy?”
“Hmph. It’s those careless mouths who ruined those phrases, not me. I seriously meant what I said, having reserved it for my one and only wife.”
“I know, I know. It’s… just…” She giggled some more. After calming down, she said: “Thank you Mezzy. You are my miracle too.”
In her chase for a cure for the Seers, she had lost sight of the bigger picture, that they’re still alive and together, as husband and wife.
The Sky Princess retired for bed with a little more hope in her heart. At the very least, she no longer felt like she needed to cry herself to sleep.
Curled up under the sheets, she whispered her prayers. “Please forgive me for my envy of your gifts. You’ve helped me, and yet I reacted this way. It was unreasonable.”
“Tomorrow morning, I too shall join Gaelic to burn some sweet smoke of praise for you in gratitude. Amen.”