My legs were like concrete as I watched Oka rush at my mother, vines in each hand, a blood curdling scream echoing around the cave as she whipped them forward. My entire body felt like it had plunged into a feeling of anxious despair, that Oka had just doomed herself for my sake.

“You hurt! My Zeta!” Oka screamed.

In spite of Oka’s furious attacks, Mom didn’t seem remotely fazed, swatting them away with the slightest gestures of her hands like they were mosquitos flying near her. She turned to the adults in the cave.

“What is this?” Mom asked.

Mars and Kara rushed forward, pulling Oka away, who was now just making rabid, feral noises.

“Alright kid, all good, it’s all good,” Mars said. The duo got Oka back near me, and I held her like I’d just watched her nearly fall off a cliff.

Diast conjured some metal plates, making a waist high shield around us. Tik walked around them, tapping her cane down, leaning on it with both hands.

“Octa Kathron,” Tik said. “It’s a pleasure to see you again.”

Caya joined Tik.

“You are not permitted to be on this campus,” Caya said, conjuring her wrist bloodsaber and igniting it.

Again, Mom seemed to regard this as much of a threat as a gentle breeze.

“The beach is classified as a public park, I’m not trespassing,” Mom said. “Even if it wasn’t, I have permission to be here.”

“I’ve seen no paperwork referencing your arrival,” Caya said, somehow managing to make that sound menacing.

“It’s higher than your pay grade, I suppose,” Mom said.

Mom was across from me. I wanted to fight, too, I wanted to scream, I wanted to run. I desperately wished I’d never see her again after the last time we met in person.

“Would you mind answering a few questions, then?” Tik asked.

“Of course,” Mom said. “Is it about that man?”

Mom took Tik’s silence as an answer.

"I haven't spoken to him in years," Mom said. "Anything you are seeking to investigate with him would not apply to me."

I knew that wasn't true.

"You...you're lying!" I screamed, still in Oka’s arms. "You two tied me to a chair and tried to make Endora come out of me or something! You...you put beast tendency in me!”

“I didn’t,” Mom answered coldly.

“Then who tied me up?” I said, nearly coughing as tears welled in my eyes. “Who jabbed me with those Sharai daggers and took my blood?”

Mom’s stoic expression stung. How could she make me feel embarrassed somehow after everything?

“I think you know the answer,” Mom said.

I felt a gentle touch on my shoulder. Stella. I was so scared for her, too. How long had it been since she’d seen Mom? But somehow, in spite of what was in front of us, her expression was warm. “She’s never told the truth to me before, I don’t know why she’d start now. Don’t let her get you riled up.”

“Whether you believe me or not, it doesn’t matter,” Mom said. “The only time I’ve seen you in the last decade was when you projected yourself into my office.”

That was fairly recent, when I caught common shift sickness and spent a couple days shapeshifting between my regular self and a cat, at one point having a dream where I guess I astral projected to Mom’s office.

“When I was a cat…having that weird dream thing,” I said.

“You were in some form of consciousness then, correct? Did you remember any of it?” Mom asked.

“R-remember?” I asked.

“Did you remember the numbers I told you?” Mom asked.

I shut my eyes. I hated to say it, but I did. I felt like I was under some hypnotic spell as I recited them, "4. 12. 7. 13."

“Excellent,” Mom said. “Don’t forget them.”

“I…” I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t want to remember them.

“You think if you haven’t seen your kids in a decade you’d have something better than asking them to remember some numbers,” Mars said. “But that’s just me.”

Mom squinted.

“I won’t pretend I was ever a decent parent,” Mom said. “I do keep some tabs on my family, however. Maybe that has made it feel as though I can spare any time skipping over tearful reunions.”

How was this the same person we saw in the memories? How did she go from the young woman we saw a bit ago being polite to villagers she didn't know to someone capable of saying she didn't need to speak with her own children that easily?

“I already know you spy on us with retention sprites,” I said. “Dad told me how good you are at making them. You were there for it!”

“No, I get my information by completely legal means,” Mom said. “I know you go by Zeta now, and that you and Stella have ‘Faleur’ as your last name.”

The gears in my mind churned. What was going on here? Was this another set of layered lies to get me disorientated, to make me susceptible to whatever Endoran powers she was trying to tap into? Again, I looked to Stella, who looked so strong.

“You’re not taking her,” Stella said. Her voice was soft, but it carried incredible power.

“I won’t,” Mom said. “And if you respect my wishes, I will stay out of your way.”

“And what wishes are those?” Tik asked. “What are you doing on this campus, Octa?”

“I’m conducting research for the Taramin Labs,” Mom said. “I will be on this campus sporadically from now on, and ask that you don’t interfere with my work.”

“If it’s about summoning Endora, we’re definitely going to interfere!” My voice shook as I said it, taking any bite out of my words.

“Did a girl with a purple tail pass through, by the way?” Mom asked. “She must be running late as well. I only have a few more minutes before I must depart.”

“You can leave when we say you can leave,” Caya said.

“I’m afraid my schedule is incredibly busy, so that won't work for me,” Mom said. “I am willing to speak further to you or Tik in a more welcoming setting at a future date, perhaps.”

“What, the dank cave isn’t good enough?” Kara asked.

Mom took a step to the side, which got a yell out of Caya. Mom didn’t care though, her attention on Roux now. “Ah, excellent, she's arrived."

“Not one step closer,” Caya said.

Mom didn’t flinch. “Raytris, I have something for you.”

The slime perched on Roux’s shoulders flinched. Then she leapt off Roux and slid towards Mom.

“Hey!” Roux said.

The slime reached Mom’s feet. She knelt down, pulling a syringe out. She injected something into the slime before Caya could stop her. “That should make things easier.”

The slime cooed happily before returning to Roux.

“Don’t scare me like that!” Roux said, cradling their new friend. “I thought you were about to get obliterated.”

I thought I saw the faintest smile on Mom’s face, but it was likely a trick of the shadows. She turned to me once more.

"Everything that I've done, and will continue to do, is for them," Mom said.

“For who?” I asked.

I guess that was enough of an explanation for her, because her attention went back to Tik.

“Are we done here?” Mom asked.

“I think we have plenty more questions,” Kara said, cracking her knuckles.

Mom kept her eyes locked on Tik. The silence between the two felt like watching some kind of invisible duel.

“Tik. Are we done?” Mom asked again.

“Yes, for today we’re done.” Tik finally said.