Chapter 416: A Second Chance

Raziel gasped as he woke up, finding himself staring into his mother's concerned face, "Raziel, are you allr--" Aurelia's words were cut short as Raziel, with wide and shaken eyes, suddenly enveloped her in a tight hug, "M-Mother! Is this...really you??"

He clung to her, his arms wrapping around her frail body with a firmness that sought to confirm the reality before him. 

The nightmare that had just tormented him seemed so vivid that he needed to reassure himself this was not an extension of it. 

Her warmth, the sound of her voice, her gentle breathing – all were a stark contrast to the lifeless body he had held not so long ago.

Aurelia, though startled, returned the embrace with a warmth that only a mother could offer, "Oh...Raziel, you are making mother worry. Did you have some bad dream? You seem a bit stressed," she voiced her concern, her tone filled with the love and care that he never realized he would be so happy and relieved to hear again.