All the memories of every cycle returned to the continent.
People had indirectly experienced their own deaths three times, so it was not surprising that the continent fell into great chaos.
However, since it came in the form of dreams, it was hard to fully accept it.
After all, it could merely be one type of nightmare that people normally have.
But given that it grew on a continental scale, it was hard to dismiss it as just a simple dream.
Anyway, the phenomenon that was called the continent’s nightmare gradually diluted within people’s minds after three years. However, there were certainly those who still could not forget those memories.
The woman who recalled all the memories from the previous cycles and suffered the most.
It was Rin, who had been trapped in guilt, making it hard for her to live a normal daily life, having been the villain who had killed many people in her dreams.
In the first cycle, she destroyed the continent and killed the man she loved most, Daniel McLean.
In the second cycle, she wasn’t even possessed by the Goddess of Death.
She outright killed everyone except Daniel McLean, acting solely on her own will.
Rin, well aware that the excuse of “doing it to save him” held no weight among the people of the continent, tried to live as quietly as possible.
In the darkness, she alone broke down, twisted, and contorted with no screams escaping her lips, just tears flowing quietly as she endured her suffering.
She missed Daniel.
She missed him so much, but she thought she didn’t deserve to see him.
The blood on her hands was too thick.
The sticky blood covered her entire body, and despite washing, the lingering scent of blood continued to tickle her nose.
She only thought about quietly dying alone.
Since Daniel was no longer in this world, she felt she had no reason to live anyway.
Wouldn’t she be able to meet Daniel if she committed suicide?
But as soon as that thought crossed her mind, it made her reluctant.
She didn’t want to show Daniel her ugly self. She didn’t want to show her dirty self that had squeezed the continent’s blood like a vampire.
A life of wandering without a destination continued.
For two years, she met no one, ate nothing decent, and simply wandered around.
As her footsteps led her further, she left the Frisia Kingdom and reached the strange land of the East.
“Girl, you were born under an unfortunate fate.”
“……”
It was a woman with a unique appearance, completely covered in a purple cloth. She called herself a fortune teller and claimed she could read people’s fates.
Rin, who had caused the world to end twice, quickly realized with her newfound insight.
This fortune teller had the bloodline of the Black Forest witch.
She wasn’t a direct descendant.
Rin wondered how that blood had flowed so far, but it seemed the fortune teller didn’t even know the origins of her own past.
Perhaps there was some accidental incident somewhere.
Rin didn’t care much.
The blood was thin; it could be said that it was almost nonexistent.
“Missing a lost lover, are we?”
A lover?
There was a time when such a thing almost happened.
In the first cycle, if that bastard Ares and the God of Life hadn’t dropped a meteor, she would have been with Daniel.
Thinking about it made her angry, but there was no way to rewind time.
The continent was saved, time wouldn’t turn back, and everything reached its conclusion.
It was the end that Daniel McLean had written.
“What would you do if you could meet the deceased?”
“……”
As Rin slightly turned her head, the fortune teller continued to explain with a smile.
“I can at least let you have a conversation.”
“What’s the point of talking?”
Crack, crack.
Was that how her voice originally sounded?
The scratching, brittle voice reminded her of dry wood, which was bothersome because she hadn’t spoken in so long.
The fortune teller, as if waiting for this moment, spread her hands wide and elaborately continued.
“Sometimes, it’s the little words that seem insignificant that can change your life. A word of love from a departed lover, or a clean breakup line could transform your life.”
“……”
“Are you going to keep living like this? Truth is, you want to hear it.”
Grip.
Rin clenched her fist.
The man in front of her was just clueless and fresh-faced, but like a stone casually thrown that hit a frog, her words stirred Rin’s heart.
Just one word?
Wouldn’t that be enough?
Wouldn’t it be okay to be a little greedy about that?
Even if Rin had been wandering aimlessly, it didn’t mean her desires had disappeared. She missed him.
She always wanted to talk, to meet, to hug him tightly.
Yet, she had only turned her eyes away from that desire.
“Just, one word.”
That would be enough.
It felt like she could escape this painful wandering and make a fresh start.
The shackles of the continent’s end wouldn’t easily come off.
But maybe the weight could lessen a little.
“Thanks.”
Rin straightened her clothes and turned her body.
“Hey! Where are you going? I can show you!”
What could a fledgling trickster, whom she couldn’t even call a witch, offer?
Rin had her own plans.
In her eyes, the old spark was back again.
*
Preparation was necessary.
Rin returned to the Frisia Kingdom and went to none other than theRen family in Nirva.
It was Hayun.
She considered visiting the witch Adriana, but set that aside.
Now, she was far superior in magic skills and knowledge of life and death.
Although she didn’t want to admit it, the knowledge she gained from the destruction of the continent had explosively helped Rin grow, and all she had to do was walk the path she had already followed.
While she didn’t possess the power of death, Rin already had the talent of an Archmage.
Not being able to handle a mere undead army wasn’t a big deal.
Why did she seek out Hayun?
Honestly, there was a bit of selfish motive.
‘She probably won’t steal my time with Daniel.’
Rin knew that the other women would all jump at the chance if they were given the opportunity to talk with Daniel.
This was her only chance.
She didn’t want to give it up to anyone.
Hayun, after hearing Rin’s story, responded with a bittersweet understanding and promised her full support.
Hayun, too, wanted to talk to Daniel, but seeing Rin’s condition, she could only yield.
Like a traveler crossing a desert yearning for a single drop of water.
Rin desperately needed a word from Daniel McLean.
About a year.
With Hayun’s support, Rin locked herself in a room, obsessively immersed in research.
Possessing knowledge at the level of an Archmage, and being the only one with the means to connect to the Spirit Realm where the Goddess of Death resided.
Just like that, three years after Daniel’s death, Rin discovered a method to glimpse into the Spirit Realm.
“Let’s practice.”
So she practiced for about two minutes in the sky of Nirva. It was a brief moment, but Rin was convinced.
She had succeeded.
She had connected with the Spirit Realm.
Of course, it didn’t guarantee she would be able to talk with Daniel, but still, holding onto the slim hope of being able to see him, Rin continued to try hard.
“Just in case, let’s call the Paladins.”
This was Hayun’s suggestion.
They didn’t know what kind of enemies might be in the Spirit Realm.
Rin had simply received powers but was full of questions about the realm, so she accepted Hayun’s proposal.
Using herself as bait to lure the Paladins in case of any disaster.
The Paladins arrived, and Rin connected with the Spirit Realm again in the sky of Nirva.
‘Finally.’
After three years, she would be able to see Daniel McLean.
There was a possibility of failure, but Rin was ready to try as many times as it took.
Her life’s goal was solely that.
She thought first attempts might not be satisfying, but surprisingly, the Spirit Realm was quiet, and Rin was able to see two figures.
Crossing the pitch-black sky, she peered into the Spirit Realm.
A 10-year-old version of Daniel struggled, tightly embraced by the Goddess of Death.
“More than I expected.”
The words spilled out as if regurgitated.
The tears she had shed affectionately had long disappeared.
As memories of her past, lived with such intensity over the past three years, naturally flooded back, a painfully bitter grin crept onto Rin’s face.
Her chest bubbled like lava, burning with heat, but the words she managed to utter felt cold as ice.
“Are you doing well?”
What should she call this emotion?
Because she had always been intrinsically good, Rin hadn’t experienced such feelings toward others, so it took her a moment to define it.
But she quickly realized.
It wasn’t that hard.
It was anger.
“Ha.”
It was the first time she felt anger toward Daniel McLean in her life. She couldn’t help but think about what she might do if he stood before her now.
“……”
She wanted to tear apart the Goddess of Death, who, despite displaying a voluptuous figure that could make even adult women envious, wore the expression of a girl infatuated with her first love.
“Yeah, that’s it.”
Snicker.
A chilling smirk appeared.
“Daniel always gives me a goal.”
Originally, she had planned to just chat and say goodbye.
She wanted to apologize for so many things one last time, but such dramatic emotions had long been consumed.
The current Rin was burning with a will to live.
“Who should… go first…”
The spark of determination in Rin’s eyes began to fade.
“I’ll come to see you soon, Daniel.”
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