The tremor that shook the surroundings seemed to resonate like the shatter of fragile glass on the verge of breaking. In the blink of an eye, the landscape transformed completely, as if we had passed through an invisible barrier to a place entirely familiar. Before me stood a majestic tree, while a small fairy fluttered rapidly towards where I stood.

Her eyes gleamed intensely as they scrutinized my being, as if they could read every fiber of my existence. After what felt like an eternity, the fairy ascended with satisfaction.

Meanwhile, the winged dragon, with its imposing presence, stared at me intently, without uttering a single word, but his gaze seemed to penetrate to the very depths of my soul, then he also closed his eyes as if he were sleeping.

I closed my eyes, allowing a flood of memories to envelop me once again. Among the fragments of my memory, the blurry faces of Anthony's parents began to take shape more clearly. I remembered the numerous times they tried to reach out and help, only to be met with violence and aggression from their son.

Hurtful words and insults echoed in my mind, like an echo of the darkness that had consumed the real Anthony.

As I looked into my mother's worried eyes, a torrent of memories flooded my mind. I vividly saw how she had cried in my father's arms, in moments of despair and anguish that had remained hidden in the deepest recesses of my memory. I realized that, despite the details that had been obscured, these moments were still there, vivid and palpable.

With a sigh, I tried to comfort my mother, aware of the worry that afflicted her. "I'm fine, mother," I said sincerely, trying to dispel her fears. "I'm sorry for leaving without notice, but as you can see, I'm perfectly fine." I wanted to convey a sense of calm and reassurance, though inside me, the aftermath of the battle I had just fought still resonated.

Despite the smile I tried to maintain, I knew I couldn't completely escape from Anthony's shadow and the consequences of his actions. Accepting all the wrongdoing he had done was a burden I carried on my shoulders, an undeniable reality I had to face.

Although Anthony's parents had tried to help him, I understood that we all have a breaking point, a limit that once reached can trigger an abyss of pain and despair.

The fact that his mother still stood by him, even in those difficult moments, was a testament to a mother's unconditional love, but it was also a reminder of the complexity and fragility of our closest relationships.

At that moment, I recognized that acceptance and redemption were not only necessary for me, but also for those who had been affected by Anthony's actions, including his parents and, of course, myself.

Even though my mother was much bigger, she hugged me tightly, obviously I also responded to her hug, there were a few moments in which I had a conversation with my mother, although I killed the real Anthony I was not going to step back now, now I am Anthony and I accept it, I am selfish, I know but I will live with it.

After a few more minutes, I caught her up about what I did during these past 6 months, we both began to walk towards Lysandra and Ema's family, I started introducing everyone to my mother, then to Ema's family.

Ema seemed nervous, almost anxious, to discover that the woman hugging me tightly was my mother. She timidly hid behind me, seeking refuge in my presence. With a warm and gentle smile, I encouraged her to come out of her hiding place, trying to convey calmness with my gesture.

When she finally dared to show herself, I noticed how her right leg began to nervously move. It was evident that the situation had her extremely unsettled. With a sense of pride and tenderness, I introduced her to my mother. "This beautiful girl here is my little sister," I said affectionately.

Ema summoned all the courage she had in her heart and, with a somewhat clumsy but sincere gesture, performed a greeting. "My name is Ema. It's a pleasure for me to meet my big brother's beautiful mother," she said softly, but full of determination.

My mother's eyes sparkled slightly as she heard Ema's words. With a radiant smile that lit up her face, she returned my sister's greeting. It was evident that she had captured Ema's brave and gentle essence in that brief encounter. I observed the resemblance between my mother's hair and Ema's, which shared the same shade and texture.

After my mother and Ema exchanged a few words, I noticed how my mother's attention shifted to Lysandra. At that moment, a sense of embarrassment overtook me, aware that the next introduction might bring unexpected surprises. With a slight clearing of my throat, I proceeded to introduce my wife.

"This beautiful girl here is my wife," I announced, trying to hide my own embarrassment behind a confident smile. My mother's eyes widened at the revelation, and before I could fully comprehend what was happening, I saw her approaching Lysandra and lightly touching her shoulder.

In an instant, my mother disappeared completely, leaving no trace behind. I was perplexed by the speed and unexpected nature of what had just occurred. I tried to process the situation, but everything had happened too quickly for me. I tried to search for my mother with my senses, but I found nothing but the emptiness she left behind after her departure.

Worry began to creep over me, though I knew my mother had no intention of harming Lysandra. She had probably taken her away to have a private conversation.

Several minutes passed until the two reappeared, I was surprised that both of them were in fits of laughter, my mother approached me with a radiant smile: "She's a wonderful girl, congratulations son," my mother said as she looked at Lysandra and she began to puff out her chest with pride.

Rolling my eyes, I tried to extract some information from Lysandra who kept saying it was a secret between women, so in the end I couldn't get any information so I gave up, we all got into the carriage, my mother smiled as she talked to all of us, even Ema stopped being shy and began to talk about how strong her older brother was and how he helped her during all this time, my mother's gaze settled on me and nodded with pride, all I could do was give her a smile in response.