Anastasis 8 – Anastasis 12, Imperial Year 1644
The Island – The Beach
Corvin Grey knelt in the sand, his body shaking. His clothes were rags, his beard matted, his skin burned by sun and wind. He tried to stand, but his legs would not hold him.
Elara knelt beside him. "Easy. We've got you."
"How long?" he whispered. "How long has it been?"
"Years," Roderick said. "But you're alive. That's what matters."
Hikari pushed through. "Let me see him." She examined his eyes, his pulse, his thin frame. "Malnourished. Dehydrated. But no infection. He'll live."
Celia brought a waterskin. Corvin drank greedily, then coughed.
"Slowly," Hikari said. "Small sips."
Gregor and Roderick helped him to the rowboat. He weighed almost nothing.
Anastasis 8 – Evening
Aboard the Sea Serpent – The Cabin
Captain Harlan gave them a small cabin below deck. Corvin lay on a cot, wrapped in blankets. Hikari forced him to eat broth – thin, warm, easy on his stomach.
"What happened?" Elara asked.
Corvin stared at the ceiling. "Shipwreck. Three years ago. Maybe four. I lost count." His voice was hoarse. "The storm came out of nowhere. The ship broke apart. I clung to a piece of the mast. Woke up on the island."
"Alone?"
"Alone." He closed his eyes. "I tried to signal passing ships. Made a flag from my shirt. But no one came."
"Until now," Roderick said.
Corvin opened his eyes. "Why did you come?"
"Because you're one of us," Elara said. "We're finding everyone."
"Everyone?"
"The class. From the… from before."
Corvin was silent for a long moment. Then he nodded slowly.
"I thought I was the only one who remembered."
"You're not."
Anastasis 9 – Morning
At Sea – The Return Voyage
The Sea Serpent sailed north, back toward Whitecliff. The sea was calm, the sky clear. Corvin sat on the deck, wrapped in a blanket, watching the waves.
Celia sat beside him. "What was it like? Being alone that long?"
"Quiet," Corvin said. "Too quiet. I talked to myself. Argued with myself. Lost track of days." He paused. "The worst part was not knowing if anyone would ever come."
"I know that feeling," Celia said.
Corvin looked at her. "You were trapped too?"
"In an attic. For twenty years."
He studied her – pale, red‑eyed, thin. "You're stronger than you look."
"So are you."
They sat in silence, watching the horizon.
Anastasis 10, Imperial Year 1644
The Port of Whitecliff – The Salty Mermaid
The class returned to the tavern. Corvin was still weak, but he could walk with help. They rented rooms and ordered food – real food, not broth.
Corvin ate slowly, savoring each bite. "I forgot what bread tasted like."
"There's more where that came from," Rosalind said.
Reinhard leaned forward. "What do you want to do now? You can rest here as long as you need."
Corvin set down his spoon. "I want to help."
"Help with what?"
"Finding the others. Fighting if I have to." He looked at his hands – still thin, but the muscles were there, waiting. "I was an athlete. In the old life. I can be strong again."
"It'll take time," Hikari said.
"Then I'll take the time."
Elara nodded. "Welcome to the group."
Anastasis 12, Imperial Year 1644
The Road – Departure
The class left Whitecliff at dawn. Corvin walked on his own, though his steps were unsteady. Celia stayed close, ready to catch him if he fell.
"Next target?" Roderick asked.
Elara unfolded the map. "There's a dwarf brewer in the mountains. Torvin Copperkettle. And an orc slave in the south. And a fox beastfolk in the Free Cities."
"One at a time," Reinhard said.
"One at a time."
The road stretched east, toward the mountains.
Corvin looked back at the sea. Then he turned and walked with the others.
He was no longer alone.
End of Chapter Fifty‑Eight