25 Chapter 24

Hours had passed before they found Athena floating unconscious on the surface of the lake where they had first started to look for her. Daniel was the first one to spot her. Scared he ran into the water to what he assumed was Athena's corpse, for the Sarrafas would never let a victim go. And the Aliqua did not know how to use her powers to save herself. Her powers must have activated of that Daniel was sure, but they would not be much help in the realm of Sestiphis, for the Sarrafas was not a living creature. It was spec of memory. A broken reflection of the past. Nothing and no one could beat it other than the purest form of innocence. And the Aliqua was not a child to hold the kind of innocence that could turn a Sarrafas. 

Daniel gathered her maroon hair and turned her floating body over to gather her in his arm and carry her out of the water. Upon placing her down on the floor he noticed something. 

Athena's chest was raising and falling as if she was simply sleeping. Daniel leaned in closer touching her ear to her heart. And there it was, a miracle, the Aliqua was alive. 

"Arsenio, Freda!" Daniel called out.

"I have found her. And… and…"

The two came to where Daniel sat and looked at Athena with the same marveled look as that of Daniel. She was alive and peacefully sleeping…

How was that possible?

They said nothing to each other; Arsenio simply picked her up and carried her to the tent. Freda changed her clothes and they let her sleep. Wondering what had happened…

Athena could not remember anything about the previous night when she woke up. They realized that soon enough when Freda asked if Arsenio and Athena had found the chateau, to which she grumbled in disappointment. 

They all decided to not speak about it until whatever happened posed a problem to them. 

They got lucky, and that was what they wanted to believe until proven otherwise.