Not long after the Holy Grail vanished beyond the horizon, Miriam woke.
With Sophia's soul gone from her body, Miriam regained control of it.
She stared blankly at the ring in her hand, beginning to guess what had happened. "Has Sophia left? Did you give this to her? I'll return it—"
Murphy shook his head. "There's still some power in that ring. It remains connected to the Holy Grail, and it's also the bridge between you and Sophia. Keep it for now. Perhaps Sophia can still see more of this world through your eyes."
He took out a potion and handed it to her.
"This is an Animagus potion. It can turn you into a vampire without the side effects."
"There's a long future ahead of you, and you still have many tasks to complete. You'll need a long enough lifespan to do them."
Miriam took the potion. "What exactly do you need me to do?"
"Follow your original plan. Gather the wizards, protect them, keep watch over them, and maintain the secrecy spells."
The Holy Grail's rules were now in place, and the world's magic would continue to decline.
Most magic capable of granting immortality was far too powerful and would gradually fail under the oath. Only the vampire potion had been tested in practice and proven to extend life even in a low-magic environment.
"Are you leaving?" Miriam asked.
"My work here is done. It's time for me to return to where I belong."
Miriam was silent for a long while. She looked up at him. "Lord Murphy, I know I'm not Sophia, but could you give me a hug?"
"The future is so long. I may need a little courage to get through it."
Murphy nodded and let her embrace him. Then he raised a hand and