Lyra rushed over to Adam, concerned about his condition after the ordeal. "What happened to you?" she asked, holding his hand.
"I know you're trying to respect me by not reading my mind. Please, this time, you need to see what I saw in my memories," Adam pleaded, holding both of Lyra's hands.
Lyra nodded, diving into his recent memories. When she regained herself, she was visibly shaken. "I can't tell if it's a demon or another version of you!" she exclaimed, referencing the monstrous reflection Adam saw.
Serbas turned his head, hearing Lyra's words, and held the artifact, wondering if it would still affect Adam. Instantly, the Lich King snatched the artifact. "This is my hand!" the Lich King announced with absolute certainty.
"What?!" everyone said in sync. The shock of everyone knowing that the artifact was actually the Lich King's severed hand was immense. The Lich King held the artifact to his own hand, showing it matched perfectly.
Lyra analyzed the artifact and confirmed that it physically matched the hand of the current Lich King. However, the difference in power between the current Lich King and the Hands of Death artifact was vast. The artifact emitted an extreme, dormant power.
"This amount of power is unheard of. I have lived for centuries, and still, I can barely compare to the power of this version of my hand," the Lich King admitted.
"Then are you able to bring my family back to life?" Serbas asked the Lich King, his voice cracking with desperation.
"Unfortunately, while I can bring back the dead, their souls won't have any free will. Just like the dead I sense outside of this place, it would be filled with death and rotted flesh," the Lich King explained.
"How about this artifact?! It has dormant powers!" Serbas pressed.
"Yes, with that amount of power, it can do more than just animating the dead. However, there is something missing," the Lich King said as he examined the artifact.
"Master, can I use the artifact and do some research into it?" the Lich King asked Adam.
"Yes, do whatever you can to bring Serbas's family back. Lyra may be of help if you need her," Adam replied.
"I can help with the research into it and get information that may be useful for unlocking the artifact," Lyra offered.
Vlad walked over, tapping Serbas's shoulder. "There is progress, and this may be the chance you're waiting for. Let them find a way to bring your family back." Serbas held back his tears, feeling the promising prospect of getting his family back.
"While they are finding a way to get your family back, why don't I find a way to get you out of this location," Adam said.
Serbas smiled genuinely for the first time in what felt like forever, optimistic about what was to come. Vlad put his arm around Serbas. "Finally, I'm able to see you smile. Like the old times, I'm so happy to see you be back like you used to." Serbas looked at his hands, thinking this might be some miracle happening to him after thousands of years of waiting.