134.

As the deluge of radiant light subsided, Ophelia lowered her hands and opened her eyes. Slowly rising, she fixed her somber gaze on the faint silhouette of McFoy Castle in the distance. Lowering her sight further, she spotted Mac and Kano sprawled unconscious, likely caught in the aftermath of her outburst.

With her strength restored by the return of her divine power, every sensation felt heightened to a sharp, almost painful clarity. She shut her eyes momentarily, as though trying to acclimate. But the return of her power also marked her failure. She had been too late—again.

In her current state, she could reach McFoy Castle in an instant. Yet, the thought of confirming what awaited her there filled her with dread. If Nyx had only tormented her, she might have endured it better. But Nyx had mastered the art of inflicting suffering, and he knew exactly how to wound her most deeply.

The last time she had seen Aisa before turning back time, her state had been horrifying. Ophelia had witnessed countless atrocities, yet Aisa’s final moments ranked among the most harrowing. That memory alone froze her steps.

Still, Ophelia forced herself forward, clinging to the contents of the letter Aisa had left her:

“When I die, you will regain your divine power. No matter what happens, do not lose consciousness this time. After your power dispels Alpho’s influence, come directly to McFoy.”

Previously, Ophelia had succumbed to her overwhelming power and blacked out, remaining unconscious for days. This time, however, she clung to her senses for one reason: Aisa’s letter.

“Once Nyx is weakened, you must personally sever his head.”

There was still work for ‘Ophelia’ to do. She couldn’t afford to cower now. A part of her wanted to punish herself for failing yet again, to burn the image of Aisa’s death into her mind as penance. Perhaps, just as before, the goddess would appear and offer her another chance to make a wish.

If there was even the faintest hope of saving Aisa, Ophelia was willing to endure this torment over and over again. It was a maddening thought, but sanity seemed a luxury she could no longer afford.

Driven by this resolve, Ophelia climbed the stairs like a specter, her footsteps silent but determined. She instinctively knew where to find Aisa and Nyx, as if every detail of the castle was etched into her senses.

When she was five steps from the top, the scene atop the battlements began to unfold before her. There were more people than she had expected.

Three steps left. She recognized the figures as knights, surrounding something with their swords raised. Her eyes followed the direction of their blades, and her gaze fell upon a severed head and body lying apart on the stones.

“…Ah.”

Her legs buckled, and the last two steps were scaled on her hands and knees. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the decapitated head until she realized to whom it belonged: Nyx.

It wasn’t Aisa’s head. It was Nyx’s.

This time, it was different.

In that fleeting moment, a vague hope sparked within her. Desperately, her eyes darted around. She saw Norma kneeling off to one side, his face buried against something in his arms. Beside him, Glen Dogman lay collapsed, weeping openly. And in Norma’s embrace…

“Aisa, Aisa.”

Muttering her name like a mantra, Ophelia crawled toward them, her heart pounding.

Norma didn’t seem to notice her approach, his face buried in Aisa’s neck, his body still and lifeless. Ophelia wanted to shake him, to demand answers, but something about his vacant, hollow eyes stopped her. They mirrored the exact same despair she had seen in herself before she turned back time.

For a moment, it felt as though she had been thrust back into that hopeless past. Then her gaze caught the faint traces of ash lingering in the air—remnants of a curse. She knew what they meant.

“I know you. You don’t fear death. That letter of yours didn’t make sense to me from the start.”

If this curse had been her choice, if it had been her way of clinging to life, could it be…?

Her thoughts raced. The sight of Norma, who had once survived a curse of similar nature, gave her the final piece of the puzzle.

“You’re not gone yet. You’re still here.”

Without hesitation, Ophelia pried Norma’s arms away with inhuman strength, pulling Aisa toward herself.

Norma, drained and weakened, had no power to resist. He stared in disbelief as Ophelia easily took Aisa from his grasp. A profound sense of loss swept through him, leaving his eyes wide and empty.

“What are you doing?”

He gasped, his voice laced with disbelief and panic. His hand shot out toward her, desperate to reclaim Aisa, but he was too slow.

Ophelia, clutching Aisa by the collar, leaned in and pressed her lips firmly against hers.

It all happened in a heartbeat.

“…What… what are you doing?!”

Glen, who had been crying uncontrollably, finally noticed Ophelia. He had intended to beg her to save Aisa but was instead met with this shocking sight. He let out an involuntary scream, unable to process what was unfolding.

Norma, frozen mid-reach, looked as though his entire world had shattered. His expression was one of pure devastation, as if he had just witnessed the worst nightmare imaginable. For the newlywed, the image of someone else kissing the love of his life was an unthinkable blow.

There couldn’t possibly be a worse nightmare. Silent and invisible, Norma’s anguish echoed through the air. He stared at the scene before him, utterly unable to comprehend the day’s events.

* * *

Ophelia is with you now, isn’t she?”

“Are you worried about Norma Diazi?”

Of course. If anyone could make a reckless, dramatic decision, it was Norma. He always seemed so gentle, but he had a knack for bold and unpredictable actions.

“Has Kano met with Ophelia?”

If so, she might already be at McFoy Castle.

“You are amusing to tease,” the goddess said with a sly grin.

“I don’t have time for your games,” I snapped, losing my composure. The goddess responded with a booming laugh that echoed like thunder. Suddenly, she stepped toward me with unnerving speed.

As a grown woman, Ophelia was much taller than me, and my head barely reached her nose. She had been several paces away just a moment ago, but now her face was close enough that the tip of her nose nearly grazed mine.

“What… are you doing?”

The sudden closeness left me startled and unable to retreat. My unease must have been written all over my face.

“I’d love to tease you more, but there’s no time.”

Her words were accompanied by a familiar smile—Ophelia’s smile. For a moment, I was frozen. It had been so long since I’d seen her smile like that. My eyes lingered on her face, unable to look away.

“Do you know how Ophelia gave you her divine power?”

The goddess’s voice was oddly soft, almost conspiratorial. Transferring divine power wasn’t exactly uncommon, often done by touch or proximity. Her question seemed strangely pointed.

“You’re going to have a hard time soothing Diazi when you wake up,” she said, her tone loaded with meaning. Her words struck me as both a warning and a mockery.

Then, with a voice like a whisper, she said.

“This is the end.”

In that instant, I realized I was on the verge of waking up. But something felt off. The goddess’s face was getting closer—closer than seemed necessary, as though she intended to whisper in my ear.

That kind of closeness felt familiar.

‘Too familiar.’

It reminded me of how close Norma would get when he kissed me.

Just as that thought struck, my vision exploded in radiant gold, then shattered into white.

When the brightness faded, it took a moment to reorient myself. The scenery before me hadn’t changed much. But Ophelia’s face was still right in front of me—so close that I could see my own bewildered expression reflected in her vivid blue eyes.

Was this the boundary or reality?

Before I could process what was happening, tears began welling up in her eyes. They gathered so quickly that it seemed impossible to look away. For a moment, my thoughts stilled, caught in the silent, spellbinding moment.

A sharp gasp pulled me back to reality. A pair of strong arms wrapped around my waist, yanking me backward with desperate force. The abrupt motion sent me stumbling away from Ophelia, her tear-filled eyes growing smaller in my field of vision.

A heavy weight pressed against my back. Startled, I froze—then quickly relaxed. There was no need to ask who was clinging to me so tightly.

‘It really was Norma.’

This was reality. I was alive.

Tears sprang to my eyes, a wave of relief crashing over me. The realization that I had survived, that I was back, made my chest feel impossibly full. I needed to see him, to confirm his face with my own eyes.

“Norma, look at me. Are you all right?”

I reached for the arms locked around my waist, feeling the tremors coursing through them. He didn’t respond.

The relief was fleeting. His body was trembling violently, and it didn’t take long for me to recall why.

“Norma… please look at me. I didn’t mean for this to happen…”

Yes, I had made a choice, but I never intended to show him something so harrowing. He had already endured so much. I wanted to shield him, to show him only the beautiful and joyous parts of life.

I wanted to make him happy forever. And now I had utterly failed.

“Norma, I’m so sorry for scaring you. I can explain. There was a reason for all this—”

I stopped mid-sentence, unable to continue. My shoulder was growing damp.

Good heavens. I had made Norma Diazi cry.

The miraculous survivor of countless hardships was now a sobbing mess, and it was all my fault. I felt a crushing weight of guilt.

Behind me, I heard the thud of someone collapsing to the ground. Glancing over, I saw Ophelia sitting in a daze, her tear-streaked face turned upward as she stared at me.

Like the night she had come to me in desperation, her tears fell silently.

‘This is a disaster,’ I thought, my heart sinking.

Tears surrounded me. Everyone was crying.

I glanced around and finally noticed the chaos. Ophelia’s bedraggled state caught my attention first. Behind her, Nyx’s severed head and the crown prince’s lifeless body painted a grim picture. Whatever had transpired, it seemed Ophelia’s rampage had ended with Nyx’s demise.

Before I could feel unsettled, my gaze shifted to a bouncing Antoinette, safe and sound. The little beast seemed utterly unaffected, leaping with excitement as though celebrating our survival.

Further along, I spotted Glen, his lips trembling as he mouthed, “My lady, my lady,” while his tear-streaked face looked ready to faint at any moment.

“This is a mess…”

Everyone was crying. I had no idea where to begin fixing this chaos.

The knights dispatched by Edio stood nearby, their expressions a mix of confusion and wariness. They kept casting suspicious glances at Ophelia, likely unnerved by her sudden appearance.

‘All right. Let’s start with her.’

I decided to address Ophelia first. As I leaned forward to speak with her, I was stopped.

“Norma, I need you to let go for just a moment…”

Instead of loosening his grip, he tightened it, clinging to me as though I might vanish at any moment. His trembling body made it clear that he wouldn’t let go without a fight.

Still trapped in his embrace, I awkwardly craned my neck to meet Ophelia’s gaze.

Ophelia’s tear-streaked face mirrored the turmoil within me. Her blue eyes, glassy with unshed tears, locked with mine as I tried to muster words, but the weight of Norma’s embrace kept pulling me back into his silent despair.

“Ophelia.”

I called softly, hoping to steady at least one of the emotional storms around me. Her shoulders jerked, but she didn’t speak. Instead, her trembling hands gripped the hem of her sleeve so tightly her knuckles turned white. It was clear she was barely holding herself together.

My neck ached from craning awkwardly, but I couldn’t break eye contact. There was too much unsaid, too many threads of confusion, guilt, and heartbreak binding the three of us in this moment. But I had to try to unravel it.

“Ophelia, the curse…” I began, faltering

“Was it… because of the letter?”

Her lips trembled, but she nodded faintly, the movement almost imperceptible. I glanced down at my hands, still gripping Norma’s forearms as he held me in an unyielding embrace. My thoughts raced as I pieced together what had transpired.

“You knew,” I whispered.

“You knew how it would end.”

Her eyes flickered with anguish, and for the first time, her voice broke free, raw and cracked.

“It wasn’t supposed to end like this. You weren’t supposed to… I thought it could work. I thought you’d survive.”

Her words struck me like a physical blow. So it had been her gamble, too—a desperate plan to find a way through the inevitable. A way for me to live. But at what cost? My chest tightened with conflicting emotions: gratitude, frustration, and the lingering ache of betrayal.

Norma shifted behind me, his grip on my waist tightening almost imperceptibly. I turned my attention back to him, though his face remained buried in my shoulder. His trembling hadn’t ceased, and the slight hitch in his breathing betrayed the tears he was fighting to suppress.

“Norma.”

I whispered, reaching up to cradle his head with one hand.

“Please, look at me.”

At first, he didn’t respond. I could feel the warmth of his tears soaking into my clothes, his silent anguish like a tangible weight pressing down on both of us. But finally, he pulled back just enough for our eyes to meet.

His face was a portrait of devastation. Red-rimmed eyes, tear-streaked cheeks, and a gaze so raw with emotion it made my own breath catch. I had seen him vulnerable before, but this was different. This was the look of someone who had teetered on the edge of losing everything and hadn’t quite stepped back yet.

“I thought I lost you,” he choked out, his voice barely audible.

“I’m here,” I said softly, cupping his face with trembling hands.

“I’m here, Norma.”

His eyes searched mine as though trying to confirm my words, his expression flickering between disbelief and tentative relief. Slowly, he raised a hand to cover mine, holding it against his cheek as if grounding himself in my touch.

“I… I saw you—”

His voice broke, and he shook his head as if trying to dispel the memory.

“Your body… I thought you were gone.”

The guilt surged back, overwhelming and suffocating.

“I’m sorry,” I murmured.

“I didn’t want to leave you. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“You didn’t just scare me,” he said, his voice gaining a faint edge of reproach.

“You… you broke me, Aisa.”

I flinched at his words, unable to argue because I knew they were true. Norma had always been my anchor, and yet I had been willing to untether myself from him for even the smallest chance at survival. The weight of that realization crushed me.

“I’ll fix this,” I promised, my voice wavering but resolute.

“I’ll make it right.”

His gaze softened, but the sorrow lingered.

“Just… don’t leave me again,” he pleaded.

I nodded, unable to say more. My throat felt too tight, my heart too heavy.

Behind me, Ophelia’s quiet sobs filled the air, pulling me back to the moment. I turned my attention to her again, this time with more purpose.

“Ophelia,” I called, my voice firmer.

“We need to talk. All of us.”

She looked up, her expression a mixture of guilt and determination.

“You’re right,” she said, her voice hoarse.

“But first… there’s something I need to finish.”

Her gaze shifted to the scattered remains of Nyx, her eyes hardening with resolve. I followed her line of sight and understood. The end of this nightmare needed to be sealed completely.

Norma’s arms slackened slightly around me, as if he, too, recognized that there were still loose ends to tie. I glanced back at him, offering a small, reassuring smile.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I said, gently brushing a tear from his cheek.

His grip tightened briefly, then loosened.

“I’ll hold you to that,” he murmured.

Together, we turned to face Ophelia, ready to confront the remnants of this battle and what lay ahead.