Chapter 1006: The End Of The Past
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Sir Crimson and his knights were unaware of all that might happen within a day's time, and they seemed tired and happy. We decided to sit down and celebrate, despite this world resetting soon enough, we wanted to spend the little time we had with those we met and treasure.
This is why we ended moving back to Verdant, where we greeted little Titania, her little Divine Beasts, and Yggdrasil. All of them greeted us, and even Yggdrasil spoke, congratulating our victory. Find your chapter at m_v_l_e_m_p_y_r
"Well done, Planta. Everyone… I am so happy you were able to save the past," she spoke. "I am so tired now… I've spent a lot of my energies. But it'll recover in some time. It was a worthy sacrifice to save the world and everything else."
"I-It's fine… I'm happy that things are well now," I sighed. "Thank you for trusting us, Yggdrasil, and for giving us your power."
"No, please forgive me for not trusting you sooner," Yggdrasil commented. "Now, please, rest here as much as you want. This place is your home now. I don't know when you must return, but you can stay as long as you desire."
"Thank you…" I nodded, still feeling rather sad.
"The people of Cloudia have already received the news through an artifact," said Sir Crimson. "Everyone is celebrating! I wish we could go, but I suppose it'll take some time. Let's spend the night in here with everyone, my knights."
"Oooh!"
"Let's celebrate!"
"Let's cook something, whatever we find!"
"Man, I'm so hungry…"
"Anybody got some wine?"
The knights that accompanied us quickly started to scatter around the palace of little Titania, deciding to make a big feast.
"It's amazing what you did, everyone!" little Titania giggled happily. "I'm so happy you helped us save the world! I will bring all the fruits I can! Wait here please!"
She flew away with her little wings, reaching the branches of the many trees surrounding Yggdrasil and picking hundreds of delicious fruits with her magic, bringing them back with the help of her Divine Beast siblings.
"Mom, are you alright?" Elena asked me. "You look so sad, is it because the world's resetting?"
"Yeah," I nodded. "I just don't know what to do… It makes me frustrated I can't do a single thing. And at the same time, it makes me think it would be too selfish to try doing that. After all, this past, this world… It is a fabrication, no matter how real it feels."
"It kind of feels like I felt when I didn't know Arcadia was actually a real world and existed," My daughter said. "I always wished this world was real, and that everything I was doing was real too… It made me depressed to think it was just all an illusion, just a video game that would one day shut down its servers and be forgotten.
All the people in the game, all the NPC, their stories, their world, it would all end…"
"Elena…" I sighed. "I guess I did feel like that back then too, when I started playing and everything. Although learning about Arcadia being real brought a lot of dangers to the world, it also made me happy to learn it wasn't just a video game…"
"Honestly, me too." my daughter nodded. "But now, there's nothing much we can do about it, unfortunately."
"Yeah…" I sighed. "Let's move on, I suppose. Let's spend the last hours with these people together and enjoying a good meal. It's the least we could give to them."
Like that, we spent the rest of the night eating, talking, and laughing. I tried my best to cheer up, but every time I remembered Mercedes, little Titania, Yggdrasil, and even all the people of Cloudia would disappear, it made me feel melancholic, and any appetite I had disappeared instantly.
The night went by, and then the morning came. I looked at the sun slowly rise. In a few more hours, this world, and everything would disappear. I noticed Brisingra being with her mother, Mercedes, spending the last hours together.
"Dad misses you a lot…" Brisingra sighed. "I know you are not from the time you met him but… He always has you inside his heart."
"I see…" Mercedes sighed. "I wish I could stay with you, Brisingra. I could have never guessed I would have such a brilliant and strong daughter like you one day."
"A-ahaha, I am not that brilliant," Brisingra giggled. "I'm kind of clumsy most of the time… I am too reckless, and almost got myself killed once."
"Well, to me, those are the traits of someone with a strong heart that would put their lives before their friends," Mercedes said. "That is, by itself, an incredible trait for a leader and a ruler. To want to protect your people no matter what. I think you'll become a good queen once you inherit your father's throne, dear."
"I-I don't know… I am still thinking about everything. I am too young anyways," Brisingra shrugged. "Once I get older, and more knowledgeable, and experienced… I think I might give it a go."
"You'll be fine, trust me," Mercedes giggled. "Now… Well, isn't this a beautiful morning?"
"Y-Yeah…" Brisingra nodded. "Hey, mom… Are you really going to disappear after a few hours?"
"I-I think so…" Mercedes nodded. "This time I won't panic or go crazy though. I have already made peace with myself. Whatever happens, it happens…"
"But mom…" Brisingra started crying. "I don't want you to go!"
Brisingra hugged her mother as Mercedes sighed, hugging her back by embracing her with her arms.
"I'm sorry, but the real me is already dead, Brisingra…" Mercedes cried. "I am nothing than something created by this Dungeon, and-"
"That doesn't matter! You're my mom! And I don't care how you came to be…" the half-elf girl said. "I've always wanted to meet you!"
"I'm sorry, Brisingra…" Mercedes kept crying. "But you need to move on, you need to keep moving… Your world is real, so please, keep moving forward with it. And do your best… For your father, and for me, okay?"
"Ugh…" Brisingra tried her best to resist her tears. "O-Okay…"
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