Good morning, my lovely space vampires! Here's one more chapter for you.

Please review! Reviews are my RegeneX.

The ship came to a stop in the center of the landing pad, and Seraphi let out a gentle breath while the lycantant captain disabled flight mode and docked it.

Rising from her seat at the console, Seraphi felt her back crack but gave it no mind. Soon she would submerge herself into the fountain of youth and bathe in RegeneX, and the aches and pains would fade into the abyss.

She waited for the splice to open the hatch and exit, before following him out, and sweeping her eyes over the group gathered before her. All were dressed in the matte black fabric and shimmering scales that Balem favored for his workers, and they shifted warily, uncertain of what to expect from Seraphi Abrasax's recurrence. Most of them were unfamiliar to her, androids, splices, and humans of minor houses currying to gain favor, who she never bothered to get to know, but at the very front she recognized the Jupiter Refinery's manager, an efficient rat splice named Chicanery Night.

The manager stepped up as soon as Seraphi's feet touched the ground "Greetings, Jupiter Jones. I am Chicanery—"

"I am well aware of who you are, Mr. Night," Seraphi interjected. "There will be time for pleasantries later. For now, take me to my son."

The retinue seemed to unleash a collective gasp, "Y-Your Majesty? You remember?"

Seraphi desperately wanted to roll her eyes heavenwards, but reigned herself in. "Quite obviously, Mr. Night. Though I'm sure I would like nothing more than to spend the rest of the day here explaining myself to you, I would quite like to finally see Balem after millennia, if you please."

"Queen Seraphi, I-we are honored," he kneeled before her, the others following cue.

"Yes, yes. Thank you, Mr. Night. Now, my son?"

"Straight away, Your Majesty," he rose back to his feet. "Lord Balem awaits your arrival in the main hall. But, Your Majesty, he does not know that your recurrence, I-I mean that you—"

Seraphi began to make her way down the path leading from the docking station to the interior of the Refinery, Mr. Night keeping pace at her side and sending her small, anxious glances, with the others, and the lycantant, following shortly behind. "I am well aware. Recurrences are so rare as it is that we never learned that they regain their first life's memories. But I do believe that this is a discovery my children will most enjoy."

"Certainly, Your Majesty. They have missed you greatly. But Lord Balem has led Abrasax Industries with an iron fist in your absence, he wanted to immortalize you through your empire, I do believe."

The remainder of the walk to the main hall consisted of Seraphi ignoring the rat splice's mumbling and the soft footsteps and murmuring of the group behind her. Instead, her eyes feasted upon the refinery's familiar architecture: tall arches and sweeping windows that provided

a view of the harvesting lab below them and of the everbrewing storm above them. A warm light shone down from outside, refracting gently off the glossy black stone walls and columns of the refinery and highlighting the gold accents; the black walls seemed to swallow light and emit it at the same time.

Finally reaching the double doors leading to the main hall, a unique glittering black as they were made of diamond crystals fused under immense pressure until solid, she waited for the two guards on either side to open them. Slowly entering the hall, she motioned for the others to remain outside as she finally reunited with her son after so long apart.

Balem sat on a floating, precious metal chaise, his back to her as he looked out of the large gothic windows at the factory floor. The doors slammed shut behind her, and still her son did not turn.

"Balem," Seraphi breathed. "My son."

Her voice, though soft, carried down the hall, and Balem jerked around to face her.

"Mother?" His unique raspy baritone heightened with surprise.

She absorbed her first view of her son's face hungrily, "Yes, it is I, my son. You cannot imagine how much I have missed you."

"I do not understand. The Keepers said that they found your recurrence on Earth, that you were a Terrsie."

"As if I could ever forget you, beloved. I remember. I remember everything." She steadily made her way up to the dias along the blue tinted, translucent floor showing the laboratory a level below.

Walking up the steps to Balem, she was able to clearly see him. He was dressed in a decadent black cape with golden embroidery, reflective of the starry night sky, golden metallic pants, and a thick collar in the style that he had favored for as long as she could remember, this one also black with golden markings imitating circuitry. He looked much older than he had ever allowed himself to get, fine wrinkles around his eyes and mouth, and grey creeping up his hairline.

By the time Seraphi stopped before him, Balem was also standing. The two took a moment to just look at each other, as if to make sure that the other was actually there.

Seraphi moved first, wrapping her son in an embrace. "My son. My son. I have missed you so."

"Mother." Balem's arms tightened around her soon after. "I never stopped mourning you, hoping that as rare as they are, you might be granted a recurrence. And now you are here, and you remember, and—"

"Shhh." She soothed. "I know. Ever since I was born on Earth I waited for the day that a Keeper would finally notice me so that you may rescue me from among the Terrsies. Everyday I longed to be with you and your siblings again."

"I am happier than I have been in the centuries since your passing, Mother." He let go of her to sit on one end of his chaise, guiding Seraphi to the other, both Entitled composing themselves after the rare moment of such outwardly affection.

Balem picked up a scheave from his other side, "I will tell my majordomo to inform Kalique and Titus of this development."

"Wonderful." They sat in comfortable silence as Balem sent off the message. "It is almost the evening, and I would like the opportunity to clean up and dress as befitting my station before dinner. After so long among Terrsies as little better than a servant, my body aches most unwelcomingly. I would like to lavish myself in a bath of RegeneX, would you care to join me? I have noticed that you have aged far more than you ever did during my first life."

"A servant, Mother? How dare they!"

"I will tell you all about my life on Earth over dinner, beloved. The Terrsies do not matter, I am back and there is nothing that RegeneX cannot fit. We have eternity before us, let us go bathe now to rejuvenate."

"I would be delighted to, Mother. I cannot recall the last time I indulged in RegeneX. It has been decades. I was so busy governing Abrasax Industries, I seem to have somehow forgotten."

"Do not fret, my darling." Seraphi stood to make her way to Balem's personal chamber. "I am here now. With both of us at its helm once again, our empire will flourish more than ever. Let us use your RegeneX pool today, and we will have the servants make up my chamber in time for the evening."

"I would like nothing more."

Next chapter: We get some insight into Seraphi's death and she gets her long awaited RegeneX bath.