“Right, we’re about to return to morning,” Kalsas curved the corners of his eyes, continuing to discuss mundane matters with Naily, “We’ll be able to plant new flowers when spring comes. Lily of the valley or hyacinth, which do you prefer?”
Naily gave him a reproachful look, as if blaming him for mentioning trivial matters at a critical moment, but still softly responded: “Whatever you want… The library should have more books brought in too.”
Powerful yet useless force, a lonely castle, a magnificent and cold throne, a brief life, an eternal death, they share half each. They do not need the past and future, only grasping the constantly repeating present in their palms. They die together again and again, proving the eternity of life and love. One moment they are embracing in a pool of blood, the next they calmly walk hand in hand to the terrace for breakfast. This non-daily daily life will continue forever and ever, with the world’s past and future having nothing to do with them, only the trivial life in the moment between death’s crevices is reality.
Nali remained silent for a long time. She turned to look in Gerard’s direction, his last entrustment echoing in her mind, her fingers tightening around the dagger. It seemed she had made a decision in an instant, taking two steps toward Lady Ifa, calmly requesting: “Please ensure that he can do nothing for some time.” The duchess’s eyes widened in surprise, a hint of interest gradually emerging in her emerald eyes: “No problem.” Nali took a deep breath and said slowly and clearly: “Let me replace him as the container.” Ifa trembled slightly, her gaze moving downward to settle somewhere. From her expression, she clearly understood the deeper meaning of this request. She did not immediately agree but solemnly asked: “Do you know what this means?” Nali simply answered: “This is good for everyone.”
The duchess’s smile completely vanished. She quietly looked at Nali for a moment, then lowered her head and performed a standard court bow: “Thank you.” This word of thanks was more sincere than anything she had said before. Her gaze fell behind Nali: “But for him…” Nali shook her head with a smile: “I just want you to guarantee his future safety. The rest… I know what to do. Let’s start quickly.” Lady Ifa frowned reluctantly, but caution and consideration ultimately prevailed. She gave a slight smile: “Then let’s begin.” She walked to Kalsas’s side, efficiently pinning him down, her fingertips glowing. Her fingers passed through the fabric and entered his chest, pulling out something. It was clearly a key. It was the original body of the world’s switch. The gears clicked and creaked, the light in the spiral’s center suddenly brightening several times, revealing the countless fine threads connecting the key’s end to the gears. Ifa held the key and walked to Nali, saying softly: “It will hurt.” Nali scoffed, saying nothing, simply pointing to her own chest. The moment the key entered her body, she still shivered.
Like an ice blade piercing through muscle and bone, stabbing into her heart and turning into a trickle, leading the threads connected to the gears to flow through her limbs, stretching her blood vessels, making every inch of skin hurt, every heartbeat a torture.
She felt something about to burst from within, finally breaking through her skin’s restraint and extending, with a light sound of wings beating behind her. Her body was extraordinarily light at this moment, with new power wandering everywhere, even her fingertips eager to try.
She knew, she was certain, that if she wished, she could turn the world upside down.
Her five senses were extraordinarily sensitive. Every part of her vision became several times clearer, able to see the tiniest details at a glance. A slight sound came from nearby, rapid and full of life. Nali looked toward the sound and saw Kar covering his chest, struggling to sit up, his teeth clenched.
At this moment, she was the strong one, he was the weak one. This power difference almost made her feel lightheaded. She looked around; the world in this small stone room seemed dazzling, while Kalsas, who had always lived in such a brilliant world, looked so desperate.
Only by tasting similar power and pain could she understand his obsession and suspicion.
This world was too simple yet cruel in a demon’s eyes. He possessed power beyond everything, yet was destined to die again and again. How could such an unfair fate not make him want to destroy everything?
Nali closed her eyes and smiled, raising her hand before being overwhelmed by the power, plunging the black dagger into her chest. The blade rotated, shattering the key that had just entered her body. She felt like she had been punched and then thrown into snow, the cold reaching her neck, her vision going black.
The brilliantly colored world instantly faded to white. She wanted to shiver but didn’t even have the strength to tremble. Struggling to open her eyes, she saw Kar staggering to his feet and lunging toward her. A transparent curtain blocked him. Nali wanted to thank Ifa but felt she no longer had the capacity to do so and simply stared at Kar, close yet untouchable.
He struck the magic barrier angrily and violently, leaving a string of bloody handprints, a low growl emerging from his throat like a wounded beast. His red eyes were bright and desperate, as if the eye color might turn to bloody tears at any moment. She mustered all her strength to extend her hand, pressing her palm against his through the curtain. Then she pressed her forehead against it too, leaning her body’s weight on top, feeling somewhat relieved.
At this position, she clearly saw the device behind Karl burst into brilliant and dazzling sparks, gradually disintegrating and completely collapsing. Those lines representing the world were like ignited fuses, lighting up one after another, devouring the light at the center of the gear spiral, and finally exploding with a bang, sending gold and silver flying everywhere, converging into a light column in the wind from nowhere, illuminating the void.
She became a container while retaining the human agreement with the system, where death would be extinguished as long as it existed. With these conditions and the dagger capable of destroying everything, the vague malevolence could finally be erased.
But the cause and effect no longer mattered.
The world’s hopeless cycle and the gods’ punishment would all turn to ashes in the light column’s aftermath, buried in the void.
Her only regret was letting Karl witness all of this.
“I’m sorry, I’ll go ahead first,” she opened a smile, tears sliding down the corners of her upturned mouth, evaporating into mist in the approaching heat wave.
Karl pressed against the barrier, his forehead bleeding, his face deathly pale, body swaying, yet stubbornly calling her name. His hoarse voice lost its original meaning through repetition, more like a grief-stricken roar.
Nelly’s smile collapsed in his call. She wanted to tell him to “live seriously and without regrets,” but she was indeed sad; she also wanted to live like an ordinary couple. She didn’t want to leave him alone.
She leaned her body closer to the barrier, as if wanting to feel his warmth once more.
The device burst one last time, the erupting light like a star exploding behind him, with daylight-like light and heat descending overwhelmingly. She witnessed the end approaching, bravely lifting her head, lips moving.
He watched her become the purest, brightest light, hearing her speak in the final moment, her tone relaxed and calm: “At least now you can truly live once.”
Then the strong light consumed everything, but did not take him away.
Later generations would view it as an inevitable regime change, only those involved knowing this was not self-destruction under a power curse, but more accurately, redemption.
