Time meant nothing to an immortal. The ebb and flow of life mad death mattered even less.
But there was once a time when she loathed the fragility of life. How easily it could be stolen by death.
By bringing back the dead to life, she had endured centuries of struggles.
There were many times doubt had rendered her immovable. In the long journey of her life, times she had found herself frozen in place with a simple thought, "Is it worth it?"
Even so, she dragged her heavy feet and continued. How many lives had she taken, trying to find a perfect substitute? How many cries of desperation, of mercy had she ignored so her won selfish wish could come to fruition?
The smile that saved her had blurred over time. But the burning warmth was seared in her mind.
So to chase that warm smile she stomped on countless lives, destroyed many more, and finally found the child she was searching for.
Shadows blurred as she gazed down at the dim soul in her hand. The soul was long gone and deteriorated through the passage of time. The only thing that remained was an empty husk.
She looked at the World Tree. The World Tree swayed as if to gently answer her doubts. She was its beloved child, though she considered herself cursed for receiving its love. One thing was crystal clear, it would not lie to her. She looked down again. In the distance, she could hear a sorrowful weeping. Her mind shattering with each breathless crack in the voice.
The person she dearly loved was long gone.
Time had mercy on no one. Anything that existed within the passage of time would inevitably deteriorate and rot until nothing but memories remained which too would eventually be forgotten meeting its end.
The soul she was desperately trying to resurrect had deteriorated and rotten away over a long passage of time until nothing but an empty husk remained.
The person she loved was long gone.
She was the one who foolishly kept hoping to bring him back. She was the one who looked away from the truth.
Celestria was a cursed child. Magic was bestowed on her alongside misfortunes. Abandoned by her parents, and shunned by her village, she was hunted down like a animal.
But one person. That one person chased after her, not with pitch and fork, demanding her life but love and flowers, begging to be let in her heart.
She loved that person who sincerely had shown her care and love when the world had turned its back on her.
That was ripped away by that same hateful world.
The only person who loved her unconditionally was murdered for loving her and she was left alone again.
The curse of immortality. Her inability to die and be one with her beloved was a burden she couldn't bear. Her spirit had shattered along with her heart.
She yearned to destroy the loathsome world that took away her beloved. So she destroyed and spread suffering and grief until she found herself becoming the very thing she despised.
Still, she hoped to be reunited with her love.
But now.. now that the truth was bearing down on her, making her unable to look away, just what should she do?
"Open your eyes...please,"
A sorrowful demand and a despaired begging, strangled by choking sobs.
Celestria lifted her head and looked at the crying child.
The child was shivering uncontrollably, clutching his dying love close. Silent tears dripped down his cheeks, his chin trembling in an effort to keep down the sobs.
A pitiful child.
The image was quite familiar.
Silently, she looked at the weeping child and saw a reflection of herself. Wasn't she once in his position as she cried for her love not to leave her as he took his last breath in her arms?
Celestria looked away from the sorrowed scene and lifted her head to look at the glittering sky.
The World Tree was pulsing. It was silently filling the voids she had ripped for her own greed. Fate strings were coming out of its roots, wordlessly wrapping around those in its debt.
Slowly, she closed her eyes and let darkness take her away.
Ah, I did my best. I'm quite tired now...
Not being able to become a human. Not being able to become happy and refusing to be understood. And withdrawing from the world that feared her.
Maybe it was time she freed herself from the shackles of the curse that bound her to suffer for eternity to come.
~~~
As if stapled on the ground with a nail, Claude sat still holding your cold body for a long time.
Even though he wanted to do something, his body refused to leave the ground and his blank mind did not know where he was supposed to go.
Passing through his mind were many things.
Reconciliation. Repentance. And maybe a new start where you, him, and Athanasia could live together.
A life with you where he could grow old together.
Not that it mattered now.
Nothing matters now.
He stared at your crumpling body.
A hideous thought popped up in his head as he was watching you crumple with each passing second. That thought stemmed from the doubt, 'Will life have any meaning after he'd lose you?’
"If you can’t come back to me, how about I follow after you?"
Claude wondered out loud in an anguished whisper.
He made up his mind.
He saw no purpose for him to continue living.
The burden in his heart was too immense for him to bear alone.
Like a coward, he might be turning his back on everything you wanted him to protect but he couldn't go on.
Claude was tired.
Getting angry changed nothing.
Crying changed nothing.
There was no bringing you back.
Even if he was a coward to make such a decision, he couldn't care less.
His heart had no more desire or hope.
It was tired just like him.
"I'm sorry..." Claude closed his eyes and a few droplets of tears escaped down his cheeks. "I failed you. You fell in love with a useless coward who only burdened you with his sins."
Claude clutched his sword. His grip was firm and unhesitating.
Before he could follow you, he had do to one thing.
One thing to honor your death.
The source of your suffering. The one who was equally responsible for your suffering as much as he was, he couldn't let that thing live.
Claude will kill her.
Even if it means not dying a peaceful death, he will kill the Witch at all costs.
Just as he was ready to battle, a bright light blinded him.
It happened in an instant.
At first, he flinched, protectively clutching you closer and glaring at the witch who had her arm outstretched towards you. Then he saw it and his eyes widened.
The black veins on your body were healing.
Murderous thought halted as your body was engulfed into Holy light tinged with lilac. The black veins were being dissolved by the light, leaving behind completely healed skin.
Soon the light faded and your body was warm and breathing stable.
Claude gently caressed your cheek which was now warm and full of life, his thumb drawing a circle on your unblemished skin. He let out a shaky breath laced with a relieved sob.
Claude lifted his head, "You.."
"Such a foolish expression," Celestria mocked with a loud laugh.
Claude stared at her with a strange emotion he couldn't understand.
The black veins that were on your body had reappeared on her body. As if she had absorbed it. Which was most likely since Claude could sense the aura of Mark of karma on her. Not you.
The Witch was... dying in your stead.
Claude couldn't understand what was going on but his heart felt burdened.
Why? Why would the Witch die for you when all this time she was willing to sacrifice you?
"You must be wondering why am I dying for that little girl, yes?" Celestria said with a light voice. Her eyes were amused at the stunned look on the child. She looked at the World Tree and then brought her gaze back to the puzzled child.
"I was ready to live a life of a non-sorcerer, you see. Resurrecting a dead back to life isn't a small feat to accomplish. It requires a tremendous amount of mana."
Celestria stared at the full glass ball in her hand and closed her fist over it. The ball shattered. "Even for someone like me, I had to use all my mana to put together the resurrection. Well, I was ready to give up on magic and live a normal life with my beloved. Since he's no longer coming back, I don't see any meaning in living, especially not as a loathsome human."
Celestria would've died either way. With no mana, the curse of immortality would break and after reaching a human lifespan, she would've died of old age. And resurrected souls don't last forever. They die once you stop giving them mana to sustain themselves.
She knew it and had planned accordingly.
A short life she was ready to live with her beloved.
But now that she was dying, the least she could do was save the child.
The kind girl who selfishly sacrificed herself to save her loved ones.
And a lost boy with a cowardly heart who wanted to love the foolish girl.
Celestial at the boy and lightly scoffed.
The bullheadedness of both children was absurd. She hoped it would last to the end of time.
Tragic endings were distasteful after all. She wasn't going to be a maker of one if she could help it.
Celestria laughed as she realized her hypocrisy.
She was truly a human, no matter how much she tried to deny her humanity.
Celestria's body started to glow and break away into tiny embers.
"Ethereal, my beautiful child. Forgive this selfish mother of yours."
Ether shook his head and licked at the hand stroking his head.
"You will always be my mother and I'll always be your son. You need not apologize to me, Mother."
Celestria smiled wistfully. "I'm not deserving of such an understanding child."
Ether cried with a bittersweet feeling. Her name was chanted by his bitter heart. "Mother.. mother.."
Through the rays of dispersing embers, Claude saw a smile. A small, gentle smile.
A smile directed towards him.
"You're going to live a long life, so is she. So make sure you take good care of her. Don't let her do something foolish again."
She looked...liberated. Like the chains binding her were finally broken.
Claude let out a breath as he felt the weight of your body in his arms, warm and comforting.
"Thank you, Celestria."
Her smile widened as if she was amused by his words. "So even you can express gratitude huh?"
Celestria's laugh echoed as her body burst into a swamp of glowing embers.
Ether stared woefully at the dying embers. He turned away from the sight and pawed at Claude.
"We need to get out of her fast. The domain was made by Mother's Mana. Since her presence is no longer here, the domain is falling apart. This would become our burial ground if we stayed here. Quick, run for the exist."
Claude nodded. He picked you up and slung you across his shoulder. He needed his hands free in case the monsters attacked them.
As they ran towards the exit, Claude cleared his throat. "About your mother, I'm sorry about her. Even if she was an annoying Witch, she was still your mother. You have the right to grieve her."
Ether blinked in disbelief and shuddered once he registered what was being said. "Consideration does not suit you, child."
"Shut up."
"Well, I'm glad she's finally at peace."