The fountain is waking up
The long, loud buzzing of the tortoise-shaped clock stopped with a sudden click, plunging the room into a deep, heavy silence. It felt as if reality itself had frozen.
It took a few minutes before Remi opened her eyes, feeling a bit dizzy, like someone shaken awake from a deep sleep. She was still curled up on Demir’s chest in her white Angora cat body. Once again, the boy hadn’t followed her back into the living world. Something was keeping him trapped on the other side of the Ether Wall.
Everyone else in the room looked exhausted, even though they hadn't joined Remi on her magical journey.
With quiet, solemn movements, Shehrazad began untying the strings from around everyone's wrists—a reverse ritual to break the spell. One by one, the professor, Anemo, and Samir started stretching to wake up their numb limbs. Remi jumped down to the floor with her usual feline grace and stopped right in front of Samir, the twin who had first brought her to this house.
"I’m so sorry, Samir," she said. "Your brother is trying to fix a terrible injustice, but... I don't know if I can help him."
Anemo knelt on the floor, placing a gentle hand on the white cat’s fur to speak with her. He was worried about the boy, but he was also worried about Remi. According to the professor’s map, they needed to get her to Ireland, to the Cats' Cave portal, before it was too late.
"Remi, while we try to save the boy, we also need to get ready to go home," Anemo said. "We have to make sure you don't miss your transformation this time."
"If we fix the El-Beyda fountain, it will save you too," Samir pleaded. "Please don't give up on my brother yet. I told you, you’re the only one who can save him. I would have tried myself, but Grandma is terrified she'll lose me to the Ether Wall too."
"I’m not giving up," Remi replied. "I'll go back into the mirror with him as many times as it takes to fix it. But let’s leave your brother to rest now. Let’s head downstairs."
With the elegant stride of a cat queen, Remi walked towards the door. Samir opened it for her, and the others followed close behind.
***
Outside, the mosaic courtyard looked like a mirror reflecting the night sky. Shehrazad invited them to sit around a long, black marble table and brought out a platter of refreshing fruit and some tea.
"Shehrazad..." Simoon began. His voice was low and a bit raspy, but gentle, filled with the awkwardness of old friends who hadn't spoken in years. "I remember your theory now. Everything you tried to explain to me all those years ago. I’m so sorry I didn't believe you. I thought they were just myths."
The woman looked at her old companion, but her eyes seemed to stare right through him, focused on something far away.
"Everything we uncovered in those old scrolls, everything I suspected... it was all true," she said. "And it’s a very dangerous truth. We can't let it fall into the wrong hands. That’s why I’m begging you, Simoon, keep this a secret. I don't even know who else has the power to wake these mirrors..."
She straightened her back, her hazel-gold eyes locking onto his.
"I am one of the keys, and maybe I was reckless. Don't get me wrong, the twins are my rohi—my very soul. But the moment I brought them into our world, the mirror cracked, and I couldn't use it anymore."
"And what about Demir?" Anemo asked, taking a sip of his tea. "How did he end up like this?"
Shehrazad let out a heavy sigh, still staring into the distance.
"He found out the truth, Anemo. He discovered who he really is, and that his mother, Meritmut, was left behind in the middle of those awful plots. Desperate to save her, he tried to travel back into the past. He went out to the mosaic fountain in the courtyard by himself, and... we found him lying there, completely unresponsive. The fountain had gone bone dry. Later, we realized his spirit was trapped inside the Ether Wall, while his body is stuck here in a deep sleep. Remi is the only one who can guide him out of the Labyrinth of Amarna. She isn't just any cat. The Collar of the Two Skies doesn't fit just anyone, and it doesn't transform just anyone. She is the reincarnation of one of the ancient twins..."
Her eyes snapped back to the present, shimmering with tears.
"The poor boy has been like this for nearly a year. The moment I saw Remi’s book online with her picture, I knew she was the answer. Sadly, we couldn't just fly straight to Ireland. People are watching me. I’m being investigated like a criminal, facing all sorts of ridiculous, made-up charges. Simoon, on the exact day Samir followed you through the bazaar and slipped the collar into your bag, I was actually stuck at the police station... being held for questioning."
Simoon ran a trembling hand over his forehead. He looked down at Remi, who let out a soft, little mew.
"I believe you," he said. "The sessions with Remi are vital. Her collar, the Samatein, connects to the fountain and to the boy’s spirit. The sessions must be slowly healing the cracks in the mirror and..."
Suddenly, Samir, who was still just a young boy and far too restless to sit still for long, came sprinting over from the mosaic fountain, shouting:
"Jaddati, Jaddati! The fountain is waking up! Come and see!"
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