A Moment of Despair
As Alex sat in the dark room, the pain of his torn flesh and missing eye was almost unbearable. He couldn't stop the tears from streaming down his face as he cried, overwhelmed by the agony. The physical pain was excruciating, but the emotional pain was worse. He was filled with regret, guilt, and a profound sense of loss.
His mind drifted back to memories of his life before he came to this world. The image of Elandor's death flashed through his mind, and he felt a pang of guilt. "I shouldn't have left Lyra," he thought. "I shouldn't have left her almost eight years ago."
A Memory of Home
In his delirium, Alex had a vivid vision of his mother. He remembered her clearly, her smile, her voice. He dreamed he was back home, walking into their kitchen. He could hear his mother singing, her soft voice filling the room as she stirred dinner on the stove.
"Stars shining bright above you
Night breezes seem to whisper 'I love you'
Birds singin' in the sycamore trees
Dream a little dream of me…"
He remembered that song. His mother always sang it, and it was one of her favorites, made famous by an artist she loved. He couldn't remember the artist's name, but the song was etched in his memory.
Tears streamed down his face as he relived the memory. "Mom," he whispered, his voice breaking. "Mom, where are you?"
Crying Out for Help
The pain brought him back to reality, and he cried out, "Mom, where are you? I miss you!" He felt the weight of his isolation, the fear that he might never see his mother, Lyra, Thrain, or Yuki again. The fear of dying alone in this dark room consumed him.
"Where are you, Mom?" he kept crying out, his voice filled with desperation and sorrow. "I need you."
A Vision of Hope
As he lay there, sobbing and broken, he saw a vision of his mother. She appeared to him as an angel, descending from above, bathed in a soft, ethereal light. Her presence was comforting, and she seemed almost real.
"I'm here, my sweet boy," she said, her voice gentle and soothing. "I will always be here for you. But you need to get free. Free yourself. Use magic to heal your wounds and save them."
Alex looked up at her with his one good eye, the other closed in pain. Her words filled him with a renewed sense of purpose and determination.
"Thank you, Mom," he whispered, his voice filled with gratitude and resolve. He knew what he had to do.
This concludes Chapter Thirty-One.