☀️ Arselia and Akonia

When his name was announced at the ceremony, Garrett had no idea what awaited him, yet his deep devotion and trust in Her Majesty left no room for unnecessary doubt. He watched with surprise as sorcerers in absurd robes bustled about, tracing magical symbols on the ground — familiar to him from that very fateful moment of his arrival on Anuzish. The placement of Harold's skull in the center of the circle along with a figurine, and an unmistakable signal, clarified the situation... Could this really be possible?.. The nearest sorcerer extends a ritual dagger and raises a pointing finger — a sacrificial component must be offered; the Asterian knew all too well how important it was to observe ritual protocols. Accepting the ceremonial blade, he freezes for a couple of seconds, committing to memory his feelings at that moment — trembling excitement before the fulfillment of a cherished wish and boundless admiration for Her Radiance's deed, for one must possess considerable resolve to stage such a demonstration before the collective gaze of Margel's people. And that is right — if the working of a miracle is truly possible, then it deserves to be seen and witnessed in the memory of many, even if some will need time to understand the supreme beneficence shown by Empress Naria in this unusual scene. Closing his eyes for a moment and abstracting himself, Garrett raises the blade over his palm and makes a light incision. Feeling the blood stream through his fingers, he steps into the center of the magical diagram and gently lays his hand upon the skull, as if filling dead bone with his living warmth. Crimson drops trace paths, the lines of geometric shapes flare up, and the skull soars upward, after which lightning strikes the center, concealing it in blinding radiance. Then gradually a full-height skeleton becomes visible, its eye sockets burning with crimson flame — cosmic energy guides and escorts the lost soul into a new world. And that's not all — a luminous halo surrounds the bony newcomer, and just like what happened earlier with Klin, human form returns to him. Thus does the walking corpse turn into a young man — tall, fair-haired and disheveled, with rough features — Garrett would recognize that painfully familiar face in any world.

. . . . . . . . . .
The crowd ahead watches intently, an incomprehensible figure in a robe nearby, a glint of light flashing on a blade. Is this a public execution?.. What a wonderful moment to wake up.
Wake up? Blinking in confusion, the resurrected man examines his own living hands in amazement — not the tentacles of cosmic monsters, nor even familiar knuckles. The first breath of new life, the November morning air settles coolly inside. So cold... And yet something warms within; the seemingly forever-silenced heartbeat pounds again in his chest, spreading warmth through the chilling flesh. Long-forgotten sensations left far behind the dark veil of unlife surge back, overwhelming, restoring to reality the colors he once discerned. No, this is not an execution, this is... something entirely different, truly incredible and wondrous.

Do not think, however, that this is something that can simply be repeated. This man traveled across the universe and preserved not only the memory of his relative but also his remains. Let what has just happened serve as a demonstration to you that aliens can be just as human as you and I, and miracles are possible — the main thing is to never stop believing in them and to work tirelessly toward their realization.

The meaning of the beautiful woman's words in the royal crown still eluded Harold, but he saw before him someone who clearly understood more than he did and had a hand in this, standing opposite in the magic circle with a bloody dagger, yet looking back with a no less stunned expression. Barely believing what had happened, Garrett touched his brother's shoulder with his hand, as if checking whether this was an illusion before him. The younger one flinched at the unexpected warmth from a past thought irrevocably gone, and in turn placed his hand on the elder's shoulder. Now they were both alive... Completely forgetting in that magical moment all mutual grievances and even the gathered audience, they looked into each other's eyes without breaking away, then embraced tightly like old good friends after a separation that merely an hour ago had seemed eternal. 
For the first time in a long while, the Asterian brothers found themselves truly together.

Mastering his surging emotions with an effort of will, Garrett bowed before the empress in a bow filled with sincere respect and gratitude. Encouragingly smiling at Harold, who was still in a cosmic stupor, he nudged him slightly, prompting him to do the same. Then the brothers left the stage, returning to the people. The continuation of the speech revealed Carneol's knightly future, introduced a woman named Sonata Reim, and also presented in an unexpected light the already known high priestess Ayano, now officially declared Princess of Margel and Naria's adopted daughter. Indeed, today was truly a day of astonishing turns for many fates.

Upon the conclusion of the ceremony, when the royal procession headed off to the villa, the crowd, which showed no sign of dispersing, divided the Asterians and the Carneolians. The reunited brothers finally had a spare moment to exchange a few words and hear each other's real voices again. 
— That's how it is, little brother. Now we'll be not a pair of scoundrels but elite warriors of the empire — and soon we'll become true knights, no joke. 
Garrett said this in a completely serious tone, but seeing Harold's puzzled face, he couldn't hold back a chuckle, and the latter snorted in response.
— Bro, sure it's cool that you've got something planned, but I don't quite get what's going on here at all. Maybe you could fill me in on the situation?
— I'll explain everything to you in detail, don't worry. For now, just follow me. And take this for yourself. Not your favorite regik, of course, but let it be as a keepsake.
Handing the resurrected man the dagger the sorcerers had left at his disposal, Garrett beckoned him to follow, leading him away from the performance site. 

Successfully avoiding pursuit by the crowd, the brothers walk together through the festively charged streets of Margel and soon find themselves before Carneol's headquarters.
— Here, check it out. We'll be hanging out here, you'll like the new lair. Just gotta talk to the boss first and introduce the fresh recruit candidate to the rest, let's go.
Garrett was about to head inside, but now Harold remained in place.
— You're quick on the draw. Some knights, recruits, what are you babbling about? Come on, let's sit down on that bench over there and you first properly outline in general terms where we've landed and what clever scheme you've got in mind. Let's settle this question right away, or else you'll be complaining later that I'm slow on the uptake.
— Oh, well, that's a long story... 
The elder scratched his head, realizing his brother had seen through his tricky idea of rattling the newcomer a bit more. And before, he'd have followed him anywhere without a word... Though of course, in truth, having a proper heart-to-heart chat with his younger brother for once was something he was very much up for.
— No worries, there's time, I'm ready to listen patiently. Go on, spin your legend.
Harold casually pulled out a pack of cigarettes from somewhere, fished a stray lighter out of his pockets, lit up with a languid gesture. Oh yes, how he'd missed this in unlife... And given all of today's revelations, he'd definitely need it. 
— Damn, when did you manage to grab those, we literally just came from the ceremony. —  Garrett commented with a smirk, watching his brother pick up old habits on the fly. —  Alright, fine, it wouldn't be right to keep my dear brother in the dark.
Settling comfortably on the little bench, he began telling his tale sincerely, enlightening the newcomer about the fundamentals of the universe and his own adventures on this land. 

. . . . . . . . . .
Thoughtfully puffing on a cigarette under the epic tales of his older brother, Harold spread wider and wider into a sardonic grin. Fancy that — leave him unsupervised for half a year, and he goes and becomes a hero. As if replaced by someone else — and now seriously intent on subjecting him to the same metamorphosis. Plain to see — something's gotten tangled in the kid's thoughts, ought to help him sort that out. But it looks like his name can actually carry weight now — beyond comprehension. Well, we'll see how it goes. Everything happening is so absurd it's almost funny — he wanted to burst into sinister laughter like a picture-perfect villain. And at the same time, all these unexpected sensations and emotions, the whole surrounding atmosphere... Too realistic not to believe in the current state of affairs. Right now, delighting Anuzish's hospitable air with puffs of exhaled tobacco smoke, one thing is clear:
"Well, this new world is clearly already somewhat better than the previous one. Looks like life is getting back on track. Life, heh-heh, who'd have thought..."