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None of the family's other reapers could explain what might have prompted her reaper to do such a thing. By all accounts, their relationship had appeared to be just fine.

In many ways, his mother's death was as mysterious as her life. She had been younger than Asad was now, and yet her skill with integration was legendary. Asad had never once heard of someone else being able to accomplish what she did with these simple black tattoos.

But he had also heard that integration could be like that. It was a bit different from the other ability types--even mutation, with which it seemed to have the most in common. Supposedly, integration was more "varied" and "scholarly" in its usage. While age and experience were certainly factors, there was greater opportunity for true genius to achieve unexpected results with it.

There was a reason why the most famous integrators were generally inventors, after all.

And yet, even so, Yasmin Najir had been a mysterious enough figure that Asad often wondered if there wasn't more to it. Somehow. He might've been her son, but to say that he knew her well would've been an exaggeration.

Some days, she would be all passion and fury, speaking her mind to anyone who would listen--and to many who wouldn't. She would be full of energy and affection, wanting to spend as much time with him and Haqq and their father as she could. And on other days, she would disappear into her lab, consumed with her work or research. Asad might try to pester her, to regain her attention, and she would barely notice him--or even tell him off in quite a cold and curt manner.

She was so different, in fact, that he remembered asking his father if he had two mothers. The man had explained quite bluntly that, no, that was just how she was.