# The Resurrection
Rushing down the stairwell, Sultan met the girls crying and pulled them into a hug.
"It's okay. I'm here."
Through the looking glass of the operating theatre, the grim view of Salimony wrapped in a white blanket was on display. The monitors all showed perfectly horizontal lines and emitted the low, continuous hums that accompanied a person's passing. All the doctors bowed their heads in respect to the deceased.
Sultan fought the urge to cry as he recalled the moments he'd shared with Salimony. When Minerva and Maxwell arrived, Mikael went to greet his great-grandfather, who too had a somber look on his face.
Minerva approached the surgeon returning from the theatre and asked for a report.
"Too many complications emerged during the procedure. We weren't able to stabilize her in time. You have our condolences."
"Thank you, Doctor."
The hard part now was telling Irving the news. She had hoped to delay it until he returned from dealing with whatever threat was causing trouble, but that was no longer possible.
Twenty minutes later, the car was ready to take the children home while the rest of the necessary arrangements would be handled by the adults.
Ercher and Gretel both asked to see their mother one last time. The door was opened for them by the nurse, and Sultan stood behind them, ready to take them away if the scene became too much for them to bear.
The theatre was left vacant for the family to grieve, but Minerva, Maxwell, and Mikael watched through the glass.
Ercher held Salimony's hand, then made an odd statement.
"Uncle Sultan. I saw this happen in a dream."
"When?"
"Yesterday. We were in the garden with brother, and then the dream came."
Sultan knew she was referring to a vision. Perhaps this was the early manifestation of a latent premonition ability, but either way, it meant that freeing them from the Rosenfields might prove even more difficult.
Clara came to inform Minerva of Irving's return. Expecting Maxwell to be the one to meet him, she was surprised when the old man said with weariness, "Go and tell him yourself. I am too weak."
---
In the parking lot, Irving stepped out of the military-grade helicopter, escorted by soldiers. His body was covered in burns and bruises that healed with remarkable speed.
"Welcome. I have good news and bad news."
"Tell me the bad news first."
"Our dear Salimony is no longer with us."
Hoping to infuse a little bit of humor into the dreary situation, she had presented it in such a trivial manner. But this only confused Irving, who wondered why she'd mentioned a good part at all.
"The good part?"
"Your best friend, Sultan, has returned."
With an annoyed expression, Irving added, "And?"
"He wants the kids. Apparently, he's their only registered next of kin."
"This will be good."
Minerva stopped and hugged Irving deeply, reassuring him of her love. She knew how important Salimony had been to him, even after he married her.
Irving climbed the stairs with a hollow look, knowing he would have to deal with his former best friend if he wanted to remain with his children. Still, the growing sting of losing Salimony made him realize that somewhere in his heart, his love for her still burned strong.
The entire hospital suddenly went into an uproar as staff raced past them toward the theatre. Dismissing it as the need of another patient, they continued on without concern.
Then Minerva and Irving heard a commotion coming from the theatre and arrived to find a crowd at the door. The maids rushed to inform them of an unexpected development.
Salimony had come back.
This made Irving push through the crowd and enter the room. There she was—Salimony, sitting up with her girls hugging her tightly while the doctors and people around her looked on in marvel.
Minerva ran to Maxwell, who sat there with a satisfied look on his face.
"Lord Maxwell?"
"The girls have the Sacred Blood within them."
"You have got to be kidding."
Maxwell's eyes gleamed with ancient knowledge. "I never joke about such matters. What we have witnessed is no ordinary miracle. Those children just brought their mother back from death itself."