The following afternoon, Regis returned to the Ancient Tree. He still needed Killian's help to sit beside its trunk, and Pandora made him promise to stop before exhausting himself again. Only after agreeing did he close his eyes and enter Flona's consciousness.
"You came back."
Flona reached towards him, her expression brightening as he settled beside her. Regis took the hand she offered and examined the dark marks that remained along her arm. "I told you I would."
"You took a long time."
"I had to rest, remember?"
She looked at his face before reluctantly nodding. Nevertheless, she kept holding his hand even after he finished examining it, and Regis let her while preparing to continue the treatment.
Over the next few days, he returned whenever his condition allowed it. The corruption gradually receded, though he still had to leave the most difficult portions alone. Outside, the fading discoloration gave Marzana something to look forward to each time he opened his eyes.
