Chapter 18: The Price of the Wings
Slowly, bit by bit, normalcy returned to the streets and to people's homes, both in Egypt and in Ireland. Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief. The end of the world had not come just yet, and people suddenly felt luckier, wealthier perhaps, and a few inches taller.
Anemo, the professor, and the white cat walked slowly toward the apartment the professor had rented, wrapped in silence. The exhaustion they felt after each of Remi’s sessions was brutal, and they couldn’t find a way to explain why.
The people they passed on the street were just as tired, yet somehow at peace—their faces seeming to say, "Wings must be cherished." Let’s take things slower.
The moment they stepped into the stairwell, the professor's phone began to ring loudly, the sound amplifying like an echo in a cave.
“Hello!” Professor Simoon answered immediately. “Yes, of course. It completely slipped my mind. But you should know I can't leave right away; it’s been absolute chaos here... Already? Alright then, see you tomorrow!”
Anemo was all ears. He unlocked the apartment door, but before stepping inside, he turned halfway and looked at his father.
“Are you leaving?”
The professor nodded.
“Just like that, Dad? You’re leaving us on our own?”
The professor gave a forced smile.
“You’ll manage just fine; you’re grown men. I’m not like you—I have obligations, conferences, lectures... I really must go, but we’ll stay in touch. And who knows, maybe I’ll drop by again before you head back to Dublin.”
***
On the morning of Professor Simoon’s departure, Remi fell ill.
She was lethargic, barely moving, and wouldn't touch her food.
“What’s wrong, Remi? Where does it hurt?” Anemo asked, his hand resting on her magic collar.
“My whole body hurts, Anemo, but especially my throat. Call Shehrazad.”
“You’re burning up, Remi! You’re as hot as if you’ve just come out of an oven... What am I supposed to do with you now? What doctor? From where?”
“Stop whining, Anemo! I’m the one in pain, not you. Be a man and call that woman!”
“Alright, alright, Miss Bestseller! I’m calling, look. See? I’m calling!”
From the other end of the line, Shehrazad’s voice cut through immediately.
“Put me on speaker, Anemo, you know she can understand me!” Remi meowed.
“Yes, boss!”
“Remi? Has something happened?” Shehrazad asked.
“I’ve fallen ill! Can we come over to your place? It’s cool inside your house.”
Silence stretched for a few seconds on the other end of the line.
“Shehrazad? Can we come over?”
“Of course, Remi... Something strange is happening to Demir too. He has a fever. I’ll call a doctor... a trusted friend of mine.”
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