I can see what she can see and it's inside my old house—the exact date where we left.
I made her fly around the house but Haiban is not around. The blizzard has frozen and darkened the whole city. The previous destruction is still evident anywhere Acro looks. I saw the dreadful situation on the ground; dead wolves, a heap of snow, a frozen lake, and a total mess. Landing on a roof to see the previous battlefield of two Alphas with Haiban, I am greatly dismayed to see their lifeless bodies partially covered with snow.
Acro flies high again to the castle, that's where I found Haiban killing the terrified kids inside the castle's first hall. He's not shedding blood but he's taking away their lives by his spellbook. Acro passes by as quick as thunder across Haiban's face, then roosts on a statue, facing Haiban. He's looking at Acro, at me, that's when I speak, "Hey, father," over the telephone.
The kids got a chance to escape, when he was about to enchant them, I controlled him like a puppet on my fingers' strings. My finger joints are cracking again. He was compelled to kneel down and flatten his palms on the floor.
"Can't you recognize me? I'm talking to you from the future."
"Dandeline?" he guesses. This feels like speaking with him personally. "From the future!? Wow~! You're not just powerful, you're dangerous. So how is it there?"
"I'm not doing this to chit chat with you. And I am not pleased. Did you know what you've done in this future? Oh, you have made your decision now, no? Among the many questions, there's only one I need to answer. What was your decision? You chose to follow the grudge in your heart, to eradicate the werewolf race to avenge your tragic past. But I'm certain of one thing, you have doubts about your choice. And your best solution for that is to send me in the future to warn you.
"You know you'll fail... because one of the werewolves you should slaughter is your son! You will spare a few of them and consider my proposed world for the werewolves rather than killing them. You will create the prior creation of that world for me to continue in the future. For what? As a token of apology to your son after you murder your kind that he worked so hard to unite! From the very moment you decide to take revenge up until this future, you were never a good father to Hessuel!"
"... That's..."
"That's out of your control because the moon is watching you, no? Your trick is over. I'm going back there to settle this once and for all. Isn't that what you want?" Abruptly, my right hand jolted out of my control, and I inevitably made a step backward. Haiban is standing again on his feet, bearing a serious glare at Acro, me. My strings were severed.
"You are a worthy opponent. Go ahead and stop me."
"No, I won't stop you. I'll save you."
"..." I caught the startled reaction of his eyes before he pushed me away by the force of his enchast!
The telephone stops and my spellbook deactivates. I found myself sitting on the floor and Ruth helped me up. My connection to the past is already gone. My heart leaped in joy when Manjiro said, "The door to the past is open! Linly is breathing!"
We hurried in front of my room but I stopped outside. Manjiro couldn't contain his happiness as Linly's paleness is gone but she remains unconscious on the bed. The room is back to how it looks like in my time. I glance at the doorway, crossing this line means going back to our timeline. "This is it," I said. This is goodbye. "We've finally unlocked Haiban's quest."
"Cool~! 'Twas an interactive real life video game after all! But we? You did it by your magic tricks, granny," Andrew attempted to clarify.
"We. I can never achieve this without your help."
"We won't see you again after this?" Ruth asks.
"Exactly."
She smiles at me. "Good luck! I'm sure you will succeed!"
I embrace her tight and she's surprised. "Thank you," I said. And I saw her flattered smile.
The captain barks again from the first floor, "Don't forget to choose me as one of your contributors again."
"I rather not interact with you again!"
"Don't spit words you'll swallow soon!"
As for the best person, I touch Andrew's cheeks and squeeze them! "This will be my last time with my half woof-woof descendant~ I'm gonna miss you." And we embrace each other tightly.
"It's wonderful to have met my half hooman granny. Take care of your adventure with grandpups~ Our present relies on you," he reminds politely. I kissed him on his cheek and entered the room.
"I'll never forget you, guys!" Manjiro said. "Farewell!" They wave hands.
I hold the door and watch the smiling faces of wonderful people I will never see again, but their pictures will remain forever among my precious memories. "Goodbye." I gradually close the door and silence surrounds my ears. My hand stays on the doorknob and when I open it again, they're gone. My house is back to how my eyes used to see it.
The extreme cold drags my steps in front of my wardrobe and rummages for a winter coat. I enchant it to keep me warm. Manjiro wears a winter coat too. Since Linly is unconscious, I advise him that "You keep an eye on her. In case she wakes up with the Moon Goddess in her, you keep her mouth shut. You're both safe in this house as long as Haiban is dealing with us."
He complains, "This is intimidating! I just want this to be over and get married!" Nevertheless, "You can count on me," he said. I wasted no time as I left the room, visited my dogs to warm them with the furnace, and left.
The snow of the blizzard is crashing onto my face. I ran across the frozen lake and stumbled before I realized that running in this devastated city is helpless. A resident's house is standing upside down, but because it's the nearest, I enchanted the door before I entered. It teleported me to my room in Asfara's palace. The silence of the land is deafening and that's definitely the sound of hazard. Lanasia is gone from the sky. It's too dangerous to look for them while there's a creature who can decapitate my soul anytime!
Coincidentally, I attempted to enter the main hall and found out it was locked by enchantment. I nullified the spell for a second to enter and as expected, the few survivors are refugees here including Maia, Lanasia, and Zaeramil. He's been weeping over the dead body of Sherizzah while Lanasia is anxiously guarding her newborn child. By the power of my guts, I approach them despite the presence of the Luna—who's also crestfallen.
"Lanasia, where's the reaper creature?"
"... We can't hold it any longer. I left the offense to stay in defense. It's the only option we can do. Our numbers are decreasing. Tell me, what's the situation outside? How's Matheo?"
"They're still fighting against Haiban," I lied. It's not in my blood to sugarcoat unless the truth will hurt the feelings of important people to me. Their faces define that they await their doom. And they all have the same fear. However, I didn't see my family among these refugees. "Hessuel... Where are they?"
"I haven't seen them ever since you left. And it's too deadly to go outside and look for them. I'm sorry..."
I immediately left the hall, suddenly nonchalant toward the reaper. The door of the room where I left Hessuel had already crashed when I arrived. Splatters of blood are all over the room and Hessuel is prostrated on the bed. "Hessuel!!" I almost jump onto the bed to wake him up but the stiffness of his body due to the cold and his breathlessness means there's not a chance of waking him up! The blood came from his bruises. Tough sparring could've happened!
"Hessuel! No... No no no no... I need you..." I'm gently tapping his cheeks. My tears were heating up my eyes until I heard a silent howl under the bed! I slid the bed away with my power and found Hessuel's wolf covering our twins with the mattress. "Hessuel! I thought I’ll have to bargain with the moon again!" I complained in relief.
The twins are cold and I'm completely appeased that they're both alive! I surround them with my arms and my enchasts emit heat. "Lanasia created a safe place to hide. But before that..." I manifest my spellbook to execute the spell for Hessuel. The light encircles underneath us and a melody plays, then I extend my hand for him. "... In loving memory of Hessuel... If you can hear me, take my hand."
His wolf sniffs my hand first before he gives me his paw, and before it touches my palm, his paw shifts into a human hand and his whole naked body follows. We embrace each other tightly... and silently. Just feeling the warmth of his body again until it touches my peace of mind.
"Thank you..." he whispers.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry you waited for so long. I won't let it happen again. I won't let you suffer that loneliness in the future. I will always come back to you... down beneath the pit of thorns."
"..." He gradually pushes me on the shoulders. "Are you okay?"
"No, I'm not! And you, are you feeling much better now?"
"I feel stronger but I'm not okay."
"Why not?"
"Because you're not okay."
"... That's the cringe I love to hear." And I sighed. I thought he was hungry or something.
I told him to wear the clothes his artificial body wears—and that body is starting to rot quickly. I was looking for a bigger blanket when the door was tossed at us, Hessuel's reflex saves us as he swipes the attack away. Then he stands firmly in front of us, facing the door.
"What is it? What's going on?"
"The ghost with a scythe..."