You've read your alerts correctly, dear readers. I'm finally back and ready to deliver the remaining chapters of this story at long last. I know it's been a really long wait for you all since the last update, and you all deserve an explanation. Two years ago, in February 2022, COVID got me. And while the infection was only brief, it led to an even worse situation. Long COVID. I struggled with it for nearly twelve months, and during that time, writing was often a constant battle where I could only write one or two sentences at a time before becoming totally exhausted and fatigued.

In addition to this, my hours at work have been increased, so I have less time and energy to write than I used to.

However, since leaving Long COVID behind, I have devoted the small amounts of time I've had available to work on finally completing Believe. And so now, here it is for you, the conclusion you've been waiting for, starting with Chapter 21. Read on...


Chapter 21 - Return

In the wake of Hope, Kevin and Gwen's departure through the portal, it was not long before things became quiet among those remaining behind. The confidence that the three would be successful abated to uncertainty as the knowledge they were once again journeying into danger sank in. Sensing the shared worry of all else present, Hex turned around to regard each person and he made the suggestion that they return to their homes and wait until he sent word the team had made it back, taking care not to mention the whole endeavour could end in failure after noticing Sandra's pained apprehension.

Max was on the point of agreeing with him when, in spite of Hex's concern, Sandra voiced her desire to stay, with Carl seconding her a moment later. Exasperatedly, Hex glanced at Max for help. The elderly Plumber sighed and he offered his son and daughter-in-law the alternative of sleeping in the Rustbucket, adding on the fact that it meant they would be immediately on hand once Hope, Kevin and Gwen returned.

When he was left alone, Hex was free to deal with his anxieties. The notion that the Totem may not be earned by Hope and the others cut at him deeply, inviting fears about how his niece would cope in the aftermath of such a defeat. He already knew the answer. Everything she felt she had was pinned on the success of her mission. To Hope, failure was too much of a negative factor to bear.

Gradually, Hex shook the thoughts from his mind. Whatever the conclusion, come what may, he would be there for Hope. As would Ben's family.

Resigning himself to waiting, Hex went to sit in his armchair and he began to meditate.

His solitude did not last, for five hours later Carl and Sandra came back inside the house. Keeping his annoyance at the interruption in check as they entered the library, he asked the two of them what was wrong. As soon as they had finished detailing their explanation in full, he understood quite clearly they would be staying with him. Max had heard back from the Plumbers' Commission and they requested he deliver his report of the battle in person at Primary Earth Base.

With that in mind, Hex made all the armchairs but his vanish and replaced them with two separate velvet-cushioned futons, asking Carl and Sandra that they only leave him in peace.

"This is your house, Hex. We're not going to override that," Sandra said to him.

Hex softened his stance. "My apologies," he replied earnestly. "I am not used to playing the host for any longer than a day."

"Other than for Hope, you mean," Sandra grinned.

"Hope can look after herself while she's here. She knows where everything is," Hex waved off the joke.

"Um, speaking of which?" Carl piped up. A moment passed before Hex grumbled in realisation and he told them where the kitchen and bathroom were located.

Afterwards, the next twelve hours went by mostly as Hex had wished. Carl and Sandra let him be while he focused on his meditation and his research, the few interruptions being when Sandra had the run of the kitchen for mealtimes and Carl on the phone to explain his absence from work, saying that Ben had been wounded in the battle and was in hospital. But as the waiting stretched into the thirteenth hour, the fragile serenity fell apart for the old sorceror as his feelings gave way to anxiety.

If the three had fared well on the journey, as he and Hope had planned, then they were already at the temple and undertaking the trials. If not, and they had failed to gain access, then they were on their way back, desolate and broken.

No, Hex stopped himself from thinking along those lines. For once in his life, he had to believe in the impossible. Hope, Kevin and Gwen would succeed and bring the Totem back.

The unease grew worse as the hours travelled by, until it had been a full day since the three had departed for Nàajaltik, and it manifested into unrelenting worry. Meditation stopped being helpful, and Hex resorted to pacing around the library. His new method of staying calm got to Carl, who realised that something must have gone wrong for his host to go from private silence to an open display of apprehension. Carl began to share in Hex's fears, his thoughts switching between his wife tending to things in the kitchen and his son's body immersed in the tub of golden potion below.

Another hour steadily crept past. By then Sandra had rejoined them, originally intending to tell the two men about the meal she'd prepare next, only to witness Hex continuing on with his pacing and Carl sitting on his futon with a hopelessly despondent expression the moment she entered the room. Quickly abandoning her plans, she listlessly headed to her futon and lay down, facing away from the other two. Then, just when Hex was about to declare he was going to go to Nàajaltik himself, a familiar voice echoed throughout the household.

"Citizens of Ledgerdomain, your Queen brings you news. The war is over. Adawaita is dead."

Astounded by the sudden appearance of his niece's voice, it took Hex a while to realise what it was Hope had just said. She was queen again? The war was over? Adwaita was - - -

"Dead!" he gasped, scarcely daring to believe it. The monster that slew his family and hounded Hope for the past two years was finally gone? He would never have thought such a thing to be possible.

Hex waited for Hope to elaborate more on her enemy's fate. Instead, she turned her speech in an unexpected, surprising direction. Though his curiosity remained, the truth behind the origins of the stone golems shook the foundations of his knowledge with a mighty tremor.

As Hope had done when the discovery was unveiled to her, Hex gave thought to the thousands of the species he had used without regard for their wellbeing. Not once, with any form of his long-earned wisdom, did he ever suspect there was anything more beneath the surface; that there was something greater that had been deliberately hidden by those who had created the golems and sought to be their masters for eternity. Hex grimaced, upset with himself for never thinking to look, and he cursed the ancestor responsible for condemning an entire race of sentient beings to perpetual slavery without any sense of self for untold centuries.

Pride rose within him after that when Hope deigned the golems to be recognised as an equal race in their homeland and his heart soared ever higher as she proclaimed her renouncing the throne and gifting the rule of Ledgerdomain to the people, adding on that she would help with the transition and governance of power if needed. But his questions about Adwaita went unanswered, as Hope ended her speech and the house fell silent again.

Hex stood motionless without anything to do or think about doing, not until he either heard from Hope again or until she, Gwendolyn and Kevin arrived back through the portal. When it dawned on him the latter meant a wait of ten more hours, twelve if the three of them decided to rest before taking on the return journey, he let out a sigh.

A slender hand grasped him gently by the shoulder, pulling him out of his thoughts. He turned around, facing Sandra. There was a smile on the woman's face.

"They're coming back," she told him.

Hex nodded, replying, "I know. And, hopefully, with the Totem. There's a strong chance they have it, judging by the sound of her voice."

Sandra beamed. Behind them, Carl looked back and forth between the two, nonplussed by what was going on.

"Hold on a second," he spoke up, drawing their attention to him. "If she's not going to be queen anymore - I mean - it sounds like she's not going back to Ledgerdomain. She's not going back home?"

Hex eyed at Sandra knowledgeably, his thin lips curling into an amused smirk.

"I believe she has found another home."

Shock appeared on Sandra's face as the gist of what he was referring to registered fully in her head, a red blush deepening up and down her features. It all disappeared rapidly as she came to understand it better and had a precious few seconds to think about it. She showed acceptance, releasing a quiet sigh.

"I'd better be ready to be a grandmother, ten years at the most, right?" she said, winking cheekily at Carl. Her husband found it was his turn to blush as the confusion in his mind cleared thanks to her statement.

"Hmp. Nonsense," Hex snorted, putting on an air of superiority. "I'd say five years."

Carl and Sandra glanced somewhat warily between them as they both considered the many times they'd seen Ben and Hope together. At the end of it, their faces turned completely red. Hex smirked knowingly, understanding from their shared expressions that they realised his prediction had the likelier chance of becoming reality. He almost gave in to the urge to laugh.

Almost.

With the short talk about the possibilities of the future winding down after that, the three found themselves settling back into waiting for the team's return.

: * :

The arrival happened four hours sooner than expected. In a fit of great surprise, Hex, Carl and Sandra all jumped when the blue-white vortex ripped open. Hope emerged first, walking out into the library with an apprehensive stare, her eyes meeting Hex's. Through the astral plane, her uncle heard her unspoken plea. Had they made it back in time?

Hex gave Hope a smile and nodded. Her fears vanished altogether.

Next to appear was Gwen. Upon registering that she and the others had successfully reached home, she looked up out of instinct to greet everyone. The only thing she received from Sandra was an untrusting, frosty glare. Crestfallen but nonetheless understanding of her aunt's response, Gwen moved away from the portal.

The vortex swirled shut as Kevin came out last, his attention swinging away from behind to ahead of him. His eyes widened with total alarm as he saw the distrust Sandra was extending to Gwen and he went over to Gwen's side, clasping her shoulder in support. Gwen glanced at him and she smiled thankfully.

Unseen by either of them, a touch of remorse crossed over Sandra's face. She reminded herself she had very little idea of what had occurred in Nàajaltik.

His physical focus having turned to the bristling tension between aunt and niece from the moment it began, Hex approached Hope slowly, his concern now on her. "What happened in there? And is what you said about Adwaita true?"

"Mostly," Hope answered, and she went on to explain to him about the unforeseen traps of Nàajaltik, the temple and its trials, the battle, Adwaita's divulging of the reasons for his constant attacks on their family, and at the end, her nemesis' lashing out at the golems and their counterattack throwing him into the abyss. "I guess, when faced with the evidence of his failure, it was all too much for him."

"Hmm. So, he is very much dead anyway. Falling endlessly for the rest of his natural life," Hex surmised thoughtfully.

Hope nodded reflectively, her entire being wavering as she again comprehended the fact her feud with Adwaita had spiralled so rapidly towards its conclusion. She had long believed it was going to persist for decades, not the relatively short two years it ended up lasting.

"His reasons for coming after me. Adwaita claimed he told them before to my father. Did Father ever tell you or Mother?"

Hex regarded her with blank silence. "With your mother, I do not know. As for me, no, I'm afraid he did not. Spellbinder and I never set much belief into prophecies, only in reality. Concepts such as destiny will only have control over you if you choose to let them. Your father's concerns were with peace being restored to the kingdom and with your safety."

Before Hope had any more time to ponder on her uncle's answer or the chance her father had likely never shared Adwaita's goals with anyone else, she caught movement in the corner of her eye. Looking to her right, she saw Sandra coming towards her. Hope spared a glance in Kevin and Gwen's direction, but neither of them moved and their combined moods remained the same. Instead their eyes, along with Carl's, were following Sandra herself. In the few tiny clicks of time it took her boyfriend's mother to close the gap between them, Hope noticed with a pang in her heart that the hardened expression Sandra had been inflicting on Gwen was gone, replaced by one of desperate pleading.

"Do you have it?" Sandra asked, her voice emotionally verging on a near-stammer.

Knowing immediately what she meant, Hope zipped her hip satchel open and slipped her hand inside it. A few seconds later, she withdrew it again, revealing in her clutched fingers the Totem of Life. With a beaming joyful smile, she replied in low-key triumph, "Right here."

At the sight of the object in question, as well as the confirmation in Hope's voice, immense happiness exploded from within Sandra. Her eyes shimmering with tears, she quickly raised her hands to cover her opening mouth before she could let out a euphoric cry. Carl hurried to his wife's side and gazed at the Totem for himself, matching Sandra's reaction with almost the same outpouring of joy.

Hex remained where he was, keeping his relief a private secret. He exhaled silently, glad that the multiple hours' worth of fears about Hope's mental stability and her future had been for naught and could be put to rest. He allowed the happy moment a further reign of two more minutes before he spoke again.

"Then, I would say there is no time like the present," he suggested to everyone.

They all turned towards him and nodded resolutely in affirmation.

: * :

Before the descent was made back downstairs into Hex's laboratory, the call was put out to all those whom Max had sent home to rest nearly two days prior. Manny and Helen were the first to arrive, followed quickly by Alan.

Julie, Kai and Ship came next; Julie provided an excuse that she and Ship went from home to pick up Kai from the motel, drawing raised eyebrows from Gwen and Hope who swiftly recalled Julie was found not to be at home when Hope last searched for her on the astral plane. The two both wondered if Julie ever went home at all.

Azmuth returned from Galvan via teleporter with the Omnitrix in hand.

Carl and Sandra made an attempt to contact Frank and Natalie. While Frank was receptive to joining them, Natalie was not as the first thing she said the minute she was able to make her voice heard was to derisively ask if Gwen would be there. Knowing with a heavy heart what the outcome was going to be, Carl answered that Gwen would. Frank and Natalie then argued over the matter, after which Frank responded sadly they were not going to come and hopefully he and Natalie would see Ben at a later time. Sandra retorted with a huff, muttering under her breath that Natalie should be putting her disappointment with Gwen to the side for the sake of her nephew, and she walked over to Hope and Hex. Watching his wife go, Carl listened to his brother's heartfelt apology.

When Carl had finished talking to Frank and confirmed that no one else was coming, Hex started to lead everyone down the stairs. Hope, still clutching the Totem in her right hand, followed him without a word. Sandra, Gwen and Kevin fell in line quickly behind her. Carl was next, pocketing his phone and catching up to the others at a jog; Kai, Julie and Ship went along in his wake not a second later. Manny, Helen, Alan and Azmuth exchanged looks as they took up the rear, with Azmuth and the Omnitrix lifted up on top of Manny's shoulders.

Not a word was spoken nor a sound made as the weight of the situation set in during the short walk. Everything they had all worked for and waited for was about to come to a head. As confident and assured as she was that Ben would soon be alive again, there remained a dark spot in Hope's feelings telling her that the Totem might not work as expected, something the sorceress knew had sprung from the life of misery that had once taught her not to have complete faith in anyone. The silence around her indicating her outlook was being shared by the others, Hope tapped into the astral plane, testing if anyone was succumbing to their morbid thoughts. It was not the case. Like her, their emotions were hinging on the belief it was going to work.

As the small congregation reached the chamber, Hope subconsciously took the lead from Hex in the final steps to the stone tub. The shining gleam of the Adhucannos potion reflecting at once in her face, she gazed through the golden liquid down at Ben's body lying at the bottom of the basin. Transferring the Totem to her left hand, she slowly dipped her right hand deep into the potion and brought it to Ben's cheek. In a sharp instant, the familiar touch of his skin to her fingertips pushed the feelings she was harbouring out into the open. Hope nearly doubled forward, her whole form shaking as tears blossomed in her eyes and streamed hotly down her face.

A friendly presence ventured close to her. Hope turned to find Gwen right by her side. In the other girl's eyes, she saw the same turmoils, the same fears. Other than that, Gwen's emotions were steady, almost brave. Hope then looked to Kevin and to everyone else after him. Taking in all of their solemn and unsure gazes, Hope cooled her tumult.

"What happens now, Uncle Hex?"

The centre of attention falling upon him, Hex sighed quietly and recalled the details written about the Totem from memory.

"The Totem must now be laid to rest over Ben's heart. Once there, it will use its power to determine if it really is him."

"And then?"

"It will proceed to revive him," Hex stated with finality. "Exactly how was not provided in the book however, so I recommend backing safely away once that part begins."

Hope took a moment to digest the information completely, and then she lowered her head an inch to think before turning her eyes back upon Ben. One second afterward, her expression hardened, eyes and mouth set firm, as she raised the Totem to eye level.

"Please," she begged under her breath. She waited one moment longer, praying something somewhere was listening to her. When it passed, Hope swallowed her courage and thrust her arm into the basin, her fist easily breaking through the surface of the potion.

Calming her nerves to an even point, she brought the Totem streamlining down through the Adhucannos until it came to touch on Ben's chest. Her right hand joined quickly with the left and took half of the object's weight into its hold, rearranging her fingers so they coiled firmly on the side of the Totem facing upwards. Hope expelled another breath and pushed her hands down once more, gently laying the Totem in the centre of Ben's chest.

Slowly she left it there, her eyes watching the object closely as if it were going to disappear, and she withdrew her dripping arms back out into the air. Almost too late, Hope remembered her uncle's warning and she and Gwen pulled away.

Her eyes never once leaving the tub, Hope drew herself to the very back of the gathering, allowing her fears to come to the fore. Nothing was going to happen. It wouldn't work. There was something they missed, something else they should have done but did not know they had to.

Hex glanced at her, sensing her worries, and he started to move toward her. On the first step he took, something else called for him to halt. He turned back abruptly to the source of that calling. To Ben.

A speck of white light appeared on the Totem, shining like a coin, but before anyone looking at it could react or breathe, the speck widened, spreading out its brightness gradually until it encompassed the whole form of the talisman and transmuted it into the light itself. The Totem sank noiselessly beneath Ben's chest, almost disappearing from view, but the white light continued to glow all the brighter.

Everyone standing inside the chamber watched on in profound amazement. Gwen edged closer to Kevin and gripped his arm with sparked anticipation; he responded by taking her hand in assurance. On Julie's shoulder, Ship was yipping excitedly, bounding up and down. Unfazed by the Mechamorph, Julie was teetering between emotions; remnants of old feelings from the past combining with the friendship of the present day. Kai, standing beside her, sensed her struggle and placed a hand on Julie's back. Julie stiffened and turned her head a fraction, smiling upon the moment she took in the warmth Kai offered through her expression. Sandra stepped toward the basin, her hand curling over her chest as a newfound optimism began to revitalize inside of her. Carl, Alan, Manny, Helen, Azmuth and Hex remained where they were, wholly spellbound.

As for Hope, hers was the most open reaction. Eyes brimming with tears, she clenched her hands together and brought them up to her heart, praying again for success. This time however, it was without any fears or concerns that something would go wrong. Those doubts were gone.

A translucent beam shot out from where the Totem lay just inside Ben's chest, speeding its way up and passing harmlessly through the ceiling to parts unseen and unknown. The beam lingered a few moments more, then it thinned progressively, narrowing to the barest width and it splintered apart like broken spidersilk, turning into wispy strains of line drifting through the air. The white light doubled suddenly in intensity as its shape expanded again, shrouding over Ben until it covered him fully from head to toe; the brightness of it all conveyed piercingly throughout the chamber, its strongest rays managing to spill into the laboratory outside.

For twenty-five seconds, nothing more happened than the light maintaining its presence. Then, without word or sound, the rays gradually retreated into the basin, taking the majority of their radiant splendour with them. Hex approached the tub slowly and peered over the rim. The light died down, regressing back to being the little spot hovering over Ben's chest. Before his eyes, the spot reformed into the Totem, the weakening light emanating only from its etches and carvings.

That pale glow soon faded away, leaving the talisman in its original state. Unsure, Hex reached out his hand and he took the Totem into his grasp, gazing at it curiously. Then something else inexplicable transpired. The Totem turned suddenly weightless in his palm, and he knew when he had felt that just what was going to happen.

The outlines of the Totem began to fade as its main body went pale, dematerializing slowly. Hex's curiosity withered along with it, souring mildly with disappointment as the object vanished from sight. Exhaling quietly, he put his emotions aside and he waited, shifting his eyes over to Ben, searching for any indication of life.

All was quiet again, as still as frozen time. Unbeknownst to all but the sorceror standing above him, Ben's chest heaved imperceptibly once, then twice as his lungs clamoured for air. His heart joined in, pounding softly one beat at a time, until it achieved a repetitive drumbeat. The fingers of both hands flexed with sporadic throbs, as though they ached painfully with every twitch. His lips drew apart and he attempted to take a breath, inhaling a mouthful of potion instead.

Ben's eyes flared open. Reacting instinctively, he pushed himself up out of the bath of Adhucannos, spitting and exhaling hoarsely at the same time. The immediate second he had risen, Carl and Sandra came rushing to his side. Together the two grasped their son firmly by the shoulders and they watched and waited as Ben cleared his throat. His reflexes calming once it was apparent he was out of danger, Ben settled down and gazed at his parents, first at Sandra and then at Carl.

"Mom? Dad?"

Carl smiled in reply. "Come on, son. Let's get you out of there."


Chapter 22 incoming. Stay tuned.