A curtain was pulled aside, and a beautiful woman in a white silk dress stepped out. She was followed by an older woman with long black hair and a lab coat. Both of them looked at the two men standing there, and Oliver's world froze. It was a flood of emotions, and he had no idea what to do.
Standing right in front of him was Luísa, but she was different. Her hair was still short, but now a radiant shade of blonde, and her eyes were entirely yellow. They didn't glow like the angel's, but they were still unmistakably unnatural.
"Hello, Captain Sebastian. Looks like we have another survivor. Thank the angels he made it to the city alive." Luísa looked at him deeply and flashed a charming smile. Clearly, she hadn't recognized Oliver and no one could blame her. Oliver Enallume was dead.
"Yes, Miss Luísa. He's still a bit disoriented, so I brought him for the doctor to evaluate. The lad must've seen hell out there."
"Of course. I hope he recovers quickly. Unfortunately, I must go now. We'll see each other another time." She offered another smile before leaving just as quickly as she had arrived.
"Boy, it seems that little devil affects you more than she should. You really should do something about that…" Draco hadn't spoken in a while, but apparently this was too much for him to stay quiet.
As her golden strands vanished through the archway, Oliver's gaze returned to his mother's eyes. They carried the weight of someone who had worked endless overtime and wore a forced smile. There was no doubt, his mother was the strongest woman he knew.
"Leave him with me, Sebastian. You should go. There may be more arriving, usually they come in waves." The exhaustion in Oliver's mother's voice was obvious, and her shoulders sagged. But there was still a subtle spark in her eyes. Hidden behind strands of her hair, but Oliver caught it.
"Are you sure? He might be-"
"Sebastian! He's not even an initiate yet. I'm no weak woman and the boy is a wreck. Let me treat him. I'll send someone to fetch you once he's stable." Oliver had never heard his mother speak so sharply and firmly before. The overload of work must've pushed her beyond her usual composure.
"Very well… I'm heading out, then. You're in good hands, Dakron. Respect the doctor or I'll smack you around." His tone was a mock-threat, more like a reminder to behave at the dentist.
"Yes sir..."
"Good boy."
The half-armored man left the hall, and Oliver's mother immediately began putting on gloves.
"You can sit on that bed over there. The curtains will give you some privacy." Her tone was strange. The pain of his own mother not recognizing him was heavy.
Oliver stepped behind the curtains and sat on the bed. It was a standard hospital gurney, though the twisted metal along the sides suggested it had been salvaged from a destroyed hospital not long ago.
"You're such a fool, you know that?" The damned serpent attacked me out of nowhere. Oliver knew it loved to tease, but random insults were a strange hobby.
"Look, there's no need-" His thoughts were cut off as the cold metal of a stethoscope touched his shoulder.
Yet, it was nothing compared to the warmth of the arms wrapping around him.
Oliver froze. He turned his eyes to a round mirror hanging above a desk. His mother's long hair fell across his shoulders. She was hugging him from behind. He could feel something wet hitting his cheek, and his eyes began to flood.
"Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!" she screamed over and over, and Oliver began to panic.
"You could be fat, tall, short, black or white. I don't care what body you're in! A mother always recognizes her child!" Her tearful voice reached him and his tears fell like waterfalls.
She had recognized him. From the moment their eyes met, she had known. But she had acted. She had worn a mask over her pain and said nothing.
It was a masterful, cunning move. She made Luísa think he was just another survivor. More importantly, she left no trace for Sebastian to suspect they knew each other.
Oliver didn't know why, but clearly now, he was safe. After everything, even after staring into the eyes of his supposed murderer, he was safe. Right here. In his mother's arms.
Slowly, something soothing enveloped him. A green light spread over his skin. The bruises and cuts disappeared.
Mother and son stayed there, embracing for a long time. His mother sobbing while healing him with some kind of magic.
When the crying finally settled, Oliver turned to face her. She looked fragile, so different from the powerful woman she had seemed. Their eyes met, and a genuine smile bloomed on her face.
"Why did you pretend not to recognize me, Mom?" Oliver asked as gently as he could. He knew she was brilliant, but enduring those long minutes away from her supposedly dead son… That was unimaginable pain.
Her hand touched his cheek, and she sat beside him on the bed.
"Your hair looks like mine now. I always teased your father, said he stole all your features."
She gave a nostalgic smile, tinged with sorrow. Then sighed.
"Oliver... it looks like you've finally won over a good woman."
"Huh???"
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" The snake burst into laughter inside his head, completely unable to stop.
"No, Mom, Luísa-"
"Who the hell is talking about that venomous snake!?" His mother yelled with a furious expression unlike anything he had ever seen.
He had never seen his mother angry. Even when he got into trouble, she never hit him. She always patiently explained what was right. She never raised her voice. Well, maybe once, when she got jealous about his dad going on a mission with a female colleague, but that was just drama.
"I'm talking about the girl with long brown hair and beautiful blue eyes. I approve, son! She's sweet and very polite!"
"What???"
"Holy crap, this is better than the romantic comedies from my planet!"
Oliver urgently needed to find a 'mute' button for the serpent. Otherwise, he was going to lose his mind.