Two sapphire-blue eyes snapped open abruptly and met another pair exactly like them, though these were red-rimmed and shimmering with tears.
"Hi, Mom."
William spoke with a faint smile as he looked up at Anne. His head still rested on her lap, and despite the exhaustion weighing on his body, he tried to reassure her with that single greeting. He did not say much more. There were moments when words became meaningless, and this was one of them. He already knew what Anastasia was going through.
The instant she realized he was truly awake, Anne clasped a trembling hand over her mouth and jerked backward in shock. William's head dropped from her lap and struck the hard ground below with a dull thud.
"Ow…"
He slowly pushed himself upright while every bone in his body creaked painfully. His newly repaired flesh shifted and strained as though an old machine had been forced back to life after years of disuse. Even breathing felt strange.
