When it was already light out, Iryna finally got some sleep—if you could call her semi-conscious state, constantly interrupted by visions of last night’s events, “sleep.”

Anya had fallen fast asleep the moment her head had touched the pillow. She had changed a lot; she looked like a completely different person.

Despite the sleepless night, Iryna was awakened by her anxiety at seven in the morning.

Monday! An alarm bell rang in her head.

Iryna listened and heard Anya breathe deeply in her sleep across the wall.

How can I let her go there?

Fear was spreading inside of her, filling all the corners of her mind that had only recently been emptied by her brief rest.

Iryna called her boss and requested to use a sick day. She really did feel unwell; her exhausted voice made it sound even more convincing. Her boss approved her request and told her to feel better soon.

Putting the phone away, she closed her eyes, recollecting the crazy night’s finale.

***

After Valery had finished his explanations, Iryna looked down at the card. The Giant looked like a monument designed by some eccentric artist and placed into a dense group of trees. The Giant towered over the treetops, its bald stone head gleaming in the sun. Or maybe it was more like a monstrous character from a theme park coming to life and wandering into these thickets.

In either case, the Giant was definitely angry with something down at his feet, something concealed from Iryna by the green waves of treetops spreading all around the figure.

The wizard tamed the Giant with his usual quick whisper and tucked the card beneath the deck.

The next moment, a card appeared with three armed men: a pot-bellied and black-bearded one who looked like Stromboli, a stocky red-haired youngster, and a tall, stooping senior with very long arms. The card fell to the table.

After a brief pause, this card got tucked underneath the deck as well.

Then an incredible thing happened.

Iryna stared at the familiar ring of blue flames on the next card. The first repeated card.

Oh goodness. Is it the end of this? Please tell me it is. She turned to Valery with the silent question in her eyes.

The wizard put the deck down on the table and said in a casual voice while staring blankly ahead, “Anya’s coming back.” He took out the last card.

Another repeating one: that big-horned, red-eyed monster.

Sliding his indifferent gaze across the portrayed demon, Valery put the deck aside and went to the stove. “Go to your daughter, Iryna. Whatever you see, please stay calm. As calm as you can. And don’t ask her any questions.”

The gas from the stove hissed; the built-in lighter gave a chatter. A soft pop stopped the hissing. The transparent-blue fingers of flames closed around the clay figurine standing on the round palm of the burner.

“Anya has changed,” Valery said without looking back. “As has her world. When she comes, try to get as much sleep as you can. Then, after she leaves for the meeting, I will call you. I will have taken a look at the new reality by then and will probably have new information to share with you.”

He turned to her and gave her an encouraging smile. “Everything will be alright, Iryna. Don’t worry. Go. No need to see me off.”

Iryna nodded and walked out obediently.

***

It had not been at all easy to keep calm when she saw this new girl appear in the middle of Anya’s bedroom. This girl who didn’t seem to have anything in common with the old Anya except for her black eyes. This girl who exuded composure, confidence, and cold determination.

When she arrived, Iryna had already entered the room, closing the door behind her, and was standing at the same spot where she had parted with Anya before.

The girl was staring into the archway. The leather band holding her hair unclasped and fell down to the floor with a thud.

Iryna picked it up.

Wow.

Asp was much heavier now and had undergone major modifications. A sharp metal knob on its tail; several roughly-darned ruptures; some hard things embedded into the leather that felt like small, metal plates. Now the serpent looked more like a piece of combat gear than a harmless accessory.

Without looking back, Anya took a step back and found Iryna’s hand by groping. Iryna put the hairband into her fingers.

Anya tensed visibly as she touched the serpent.

Oh God. What’s going on in her poor head?

In a moment, Anya’s numbness was gone. She put her hair up in one continuous, confident move and turned to Iryna, her stiff upper lip relaxing. Then she ran up to Iryna and hugged her tightly. “How long have I been away, Mom?”

She had become stronger-—so strong she almost crushed Iryna’s ribs.

Did she really disappear from her bedroom? And if so, where did she go?

Iryna realized that the no-asking-questions part was going to be an even greater challenge than the staying-calm part.

Anya woke around ten. For a while, she wandered around the apartment, taking in everything as if she had been away for half a year. Stopping at the items that had been around since her early years—the clock, the lamp, the souvenir figure of an eagle made of glass—she would cast strange glances at Iryna as if about to tell her something. But then she would just smile absent-mindedly and move on.

The thing she took a particular interest in was Iryna’s locket with a Sagittarius, her Zodiac symbol, engraved on it. Anya twirled it in her fingers for a while, then put it back, making a hesitant sound.

Shortly after, her attention was caught by the bumpy crocodile backs flashing on the TV screen in some animal life program.

Iryna felt like a nurse taking care of a mental patient.

At eleven, Anya’s phone rang.

Will she even remember how to accept a call? Iryna wondered.

But Anya just tapped at the screen with her usual brisk movement.

“Hello? Ah. Hi. Okay. Sure I do.” Shooting a glance at Iryna, she escaped into her bedroom, closing the door.

Iryna was on pins and needles listening to the phone conversation through the door, but all she could make out were several “yeahs,” “okays,” and the final “see you”.

A minute later, the door opened.

“I’m going to the movies with the girls, Mom,” Anya said, looking out.

“Okay,” Iryna forced out, straining all her will to do it. Her heart racing with fear, she kept staring at the TV screen, cursing herself for being useless.

“When are you coming back?” She called to the slightly opened door.

“Dunno. It’s downtown. We’ll meet at twelve, then walk around. In the evening, maybe.”

“Take care,” Iryna muttered, feeling like the sofa she was sitting on had begun falling into an abyss. “Don’t forget your phone.”

“Okay. I’ve got it.” Anya walked out dressed to leave and kissed Iryna on the cheek. “Bye, Mom. I’ll call you.”

The front door slammed shut.

Iryna remained on the sofa, staring at the screen where the African savannah gave way to close-ups of insects. An agile spider was creeping up its trembling, transparent web toward the trapped fly.

“Oh goodness.” Iryna sighed and switched the TV off. It faded obediently, but the sight still stood before her eyes: the helpless fly wriggling in an effort to break free but just getting entangled deeper, and the black spider creeping up unhurriedly to its prey.

A ringing phone almost made her jump.

“Good morning, Iryna.” The wizard’s flat voice was annoying and soothing at the same time.

“Morning, Valery,” she said with dry lips.

“Has Anya left?”

“Yes. Just a minute ago. Have you learned anything?”

“Yes. I have bad news.”

Iryna’s heart jumped up to her throat, blocking it, then fell into the frozen abyss of her soul, which had been devastated over the past few days.

“I’ll drive to your house in twenty minutes. Please come out. And try to calm down.”

“Okay,” she said, probably for the hundredth time that day. “But what…what’s happened?”

“Let’s talk when we meet. Just tell me, does Anya always wear her seat belt in your car?”

“I don’t have a car.”

***

Running out of her apartment building fifteen minutes later, Iryna almost bumped into Alexandra, a nice lady in her seventies who lived a floor below.

“Oh, Iryna? Hi, dear. How are you?”

“Good, thank you, Alexandra. And you?”

“Oh dear. I’ve just been down to the corner store, and whom do you think I’ve met on my way back? Your little Anya! She’s grown up so much. Such a tall young lady. How old is she? I used to think she was still in school.

“She is. Alexandra, I’m sorry, but I’m in a bit of a hurry. Have a nice day.” Going around the old lady, Iryna pushed the door open and burst out.