At this time, she already realized that she and Nicolas were not the only one in the room and there were four spirit beast cub that are also in the room with them looking at her curiously.
"Where did you get this cub from?" She asked.
From what she know, there shouldn't be any spirit beast in this area because they have all been corrupted, it was by luck that she was able to discover this cave which for some reason this corrupted beast never make attempt to get close to.
"I will have to explain it from the beginning so you will be able to understand the origin of these spirit beast cub and the causes for the changes that happen to me and I also think there is a solution to revive your soul and recover your lost strength." Nicolas said.
Upon hearing the later part of Nicolas statement her expression wavered which she tried to conceal as soon as possible. While trying to ensure that none of her children was killed after being chased almost to the end of the world, Chloe sacrifice every ounce of her soul power to tear open a space rift where they escape through.
Ever since then, she has been weaken and her strength that was once at the level where she should contend with various powerhouse in the world was lost.
"What?" Chloe exclaimed
She was surprised to hear this statement from her son, she has already resign herself to fate and come to terms with the fact that she will always remain like this till her last days and this has been a pain in her heart because she thought that if after she dies, how will her children survive this hardship?
But now hearing from her son that there is a way to revive her soul, even if it a tiny chance of it happening, she's willing to hold on to it coupled with the fact that the Nicolas standing before her is no longer the same Nicolas she knew.
"Yes mum, I'm sure there is a solution and a way to revive your soul." Nicolas replied her.
He then begin to explain his trip though the cave, at this point there was a little awkwardness in the air, the intention of going through various cave channel was different from what he encounter so it was difficult to say openly the reason he was in the cave channel at the time.
But he quickly glossed over the detail and head to the main point, which is the cave where he found the space with the garden and how he was able to gain access into it after so much effort.
He then explained in details what he found in the garden and how the stream in the garden was able to resolve his decayed root and cause the transformation that happened to him.
After hearing the details of Nicolas encounter, Chloe took her time to digest everything she heard from her son. Taking a deep breath she asked to confirm that this is not just a dream that she will eventually wake up from. "So, you are saying that your Spirit root is intact and it is no longer decayed?" she look at her son's eyes to confirm that she is hearing correctly.
"Yes mum, and I brought with me the water from the stream." Nicolas replied, take out the water flask that he had secured around his waist.
Chloe look at her son and the water flask and tears begins to fall from her eyes. How long as it been that she has imagine that this day will come, each passing night was filled with agony and hope that one day there will be light and illumination in their thick darkness.
She look up at the top of the cave and thought back to every struggle and hardship that she and her children had to endure up to this point. Their betrayal from friends and family, the difficult choices she had to make to just continue to live each day as is comes and not even try to think about what the next day will be like.
Never in her wildest imagination had she ever thought that the random space rift she created to escape into and the random cave she choose as a shelter will be the factor that change their story, truly nothing happens ordinarily and there is always a reason and a motive, an order that form out of total chaos to form a path.
Nicolas also remains silent beside her during this time with various thought also running through his mind. Though he can't imagine the pain that his mother has passed through all this time, but he knew he has by many ways more than one contribute to her agony with his attitude.
He has done nothing to relieve her of her pains but has even added more to it by causing her to worry about him, he has acted stupidly all this while and thinking back now make him realise how irresponsible he is and determine that from now on he will become a change person.
"So if I'm not wrong, these spirit beast cubs are also from there right." Chloe asked looking at the cub who also have their eyes trail on her.
"Yes mum" Nicolas replied.
"I guess today is the day our story will be rewritten and a new beginning is about to start." Chloe said, "let go out and call your siblings too, we are about to embark on a long journey, one we will have to walk individually and collectively."
Nicolas accent to her and they left the room to the spacious cave that serve as the living room and Chloe called out on her other two children who eventually came out of there abode after some time.
The moment they stepped out though and saw Nicolas they were surprise and took a stepped back out of reflex before they realise it some Nicolas and they were astonished at his transformation that they look at their mother for explanation.
"You will have to sit down if you want to find out about what happened to him" Chloe said to her two children understanding the thoughts running through their minds.
Tabitha and Barnabas find a place to sit while still looking at Nicolas in amazement. They were so surprise about the current look of Nicolas and were curious about what would have happened to him.
Nicolas look at them in return and tried to smile to them but it look forced. He has basically ostracized himself from them ever since the incident which course the relationship between them to be strained.
Every time they tried to get close to him and try to be friendly with him base on the fact that he is their elder brother, he continually creates and expand the gap between them and eventually the two siblings gave up on trying to get close to him.
"Mum, what happened to him?" Tabitha asked what is currently on the mind of Barnabas and herself.
"Oh, you recognize him?" Chloe asked her
"Even if what remains is only his ashes, I will still be able to recognized him not to talk of him wearing a new skin bag." Tabitha replied.
'Sharp tongue as always' Nicolas thought to himself.
One thing about his sister that does not seem to change over the time even in their present circumstances is her unfiltered mouth.
There are times before now where he has been bashed blue and white with that unfiltered mouth to the point where he felt like hitting her hard on the head.
And the most frustrating thing about this is that, no matter how disadvantageous the situation seems for her, that won't stop her mouth from rattling off at her opponent. If there's ever an award for trash talking like in the King of Avatar, then she is 100 percent entitled to it.
"I wonder what happened while you are in the womb that cause you to have an unclothed mouth." Chloe said while shaking her head earning an eyeroll from Tabitha and snickering from Barnabas
After the little episode between family that lessen the tension a bit, Chloe narrated all what Nicolas told her and what causes his transformation to this extent.
"That more of everything." Chloe said after her narration, "and according to him, there should be no problem with performing the Spirit Affirmation Ceremony after taking the liquid."
"You don't mean it?" Tabitha exclaimed while jumping off her sit, "that mean I can finally begin my journey to be the strongest woman and join the fight of fate."
"Your ambition is quite low causing me to feel disappointed." Barnabas said, "As for me, my ambition is to be the strongest warrior that has ever been since in existence."
"That quite a big ambition for a bloke head like you, you think you are the only one in existence, right?" Tabitha replied him looking at him derisively.
Nicolas sat quietly by the side alongside his mother, for a while he has missed this atmosphere and almost forgot how it feels listening to the quibble of his sibling, there's never a down moment with them being around until that fateful day where everything dropped from the ninth heaven to the seventh hell.
"You might as well rile in your horse at the moment, that is still a congestion until we try it out. Try not to keep your hope too high." Chloe said
At that statement, Tabitha calm down and went back to where she's sitting "At least it still a possibility" she said while looking at her mum for confirmation.
"Yes, it a possibility and the possibility is quite high if I might say" Chloe replied her.
"That's good enough" Tabitha responded.