(Alnitak)

"What happened, Min? Where am I?" I ask as soon as my eyes open and darkness lifts. He is the only one present in the room, our room in the palace.

"Hey, how are you feeling? We are back in Orion." The guilt is deep in his eyes. I know it was his attack that made me lose consciousness.

"Did we win?" My eyes wander in search of Amaia but she is not here.

Min sadly shakes his head and briefly explains what happened. I can sense he is leaving out details, maybe not wanting to overwhelm me.

"Aziel is alive?" This brings me peace and a wave of joy passes through me. Amaia deserves to have a family member. I can’t wait to meet him.

"Yes, Istrale turned him into a monster, we had to rescue him."

Then these haunting images in my brain begin to appear, like distant memories which don’t appear to be mine and yet I seem to have lived them.

Is that some kind of side effect of remaining unconscious and encountering Meissa’s powers?

Somehow my spirit is dampened and I don’t want to smile. A heaviness is wearing me down. I can’t seem to understand it.

Alnilam comes to meet me but he appears grim.

I wanted to meet Mama and father but both Alnilam and Mintaka are insistent against it. Instead, they want us to return to the academy.

I don’t understand what’s going on. There are so many memories of Mama reeling in front of my eyes. Memories I don’t remember living and yet I am experiencing them in real time now.

She is scolding us. Calling Alnilam soft and disappointing. Hitting him. She never hit us, she is always so kind and caring.

My heart aches as I try to understand what’s happening.

"Min, it seems something happened to me. I keep having these episodes of bad memories..." he doesn’t let me finish the sentence but does it for me.

"Related to mama?"

With confusion, I nod at him. "How do you know?"

"I do too. It’s like a part of my brain has unlocked where horrible memories were hidden." He sighs.

That means it’s not a side effect, whatever has happened, is affecting both of us.

We arrive at Orion and head over to Alnilam’s office just as he had instructed. My head is still heavy and all I want to do is hold Amaia and be soaked in her scent. It brings me peace, she brings me peace.

Saiph is with Amaia when we enter. She rushes towards me with relief. We hold onto each other.

How I have missed her presence. Her soft body pressed against me. We take our time embracing.

I want to smile, say something funny and yet I can’t. This unexplainable heaviness is not letting me breathe properly. There are so many memories regarding Saiph.

The time when I stole that candy and Saiph was beaten bloody until he told my mother that I was the one who stole it. He had initially said that he stole it so I would be spared. But the thing was, Saiph didn’t eat candies. So she knew.

That memory had always been like a sunny memory for me. Me hoarding candies, Saiph snitching and mama just smiling it off with a soft warning.

But this was far from it. This was bleak, too bleak.

Is this what happened?

Did Saiph snitch on us? Or was he forcefully made to?

With regrets I stare at Saiph who watches us with indescribable feelings. The bond between all of us is intermingled with a multitude of emotions. I can’t separate mine from the others

Amaia leaves us with Saiph before she goes to visit her brother. He must be in such a weakened state. I have to go see him soon.

Min helps me sit in the chair while Saiph stands in front of us with his arms crossed over his chest.

"A lot of truths have come to light. I....I don’t know where to even begin." Saiph being emotional is a new experience for me.

"Tell us, Saiph. Both of us are experiencing memories we can’t explain. It’s driving us crazy," Min answers, agitated.

He gives a nod and continues to watch us with conflicted emotions while narrating the truths Amaia and Alnilam have unearthed.

Our MAMA? She is the one responsible for everything that happened. Our step-mother is alive and Saiph is our older brother and the true heir to the throne.

My head spins and I have to close my eyes for a second and steady my heartbeat to digest these truths. Tears I don’t want to shed, collect in my eyes.

But, my mother? How is that possible?

"Mama? Is it possible that someone cursed her too? She can’t do that?" I open my eyes, letting the tears drop.

Min holds my shoulders, squeezing them. Saiph is slowly shaking his head.

"Amaia saw her with her own eyes. She found all these voodoo dolls in her hidden room. Burning them has liberated us." Saiph points towards what appears to be a burnt black box on the table. It has charred remains of something.

This is beyond the fabric of reality my brain can comprehend. Mayhem erupts inside my skull, making me question everything and everyone.

What’s even the truth?

Or is everything an illusion?

Am I even alive or existing?

The mother who gave birth to me, who loved me dearly, and my brothers so affectionately, is a sadistic witch who hurt my brothers.

Tears drip down nonstop from my face. I had always been the one who demanded the most attention from my mother.

At times, I hated Saiph for always remaining closer to her, for dividing the attention. Now I can see that Saiph was trying to protect me from her episodes of wrath.

He would hide us or take the brunt of her rage.

He acted like our older brother without knowing he was our brother.

Ashamed, I hold my wet face and let it hang low. First, we failed, Rigel and now Saiph. How will I ever face him?

Saiph lowers himself in front of me. His large hands pry mine away.

"Alnitak!" He says, his voice has that brotherly feeling to it.

"Don’t blame yourself for anything. We are all victims and it’s time we stand together. The five brothers."

Mintaka’s arms protectively hold my shoulders and I can sense he is crying too.

I throw myself in Saiph’s arms. Not caring for anything.

"Forgive me.... brother. I have been horrible to you."