"Why hasn't Char returned yet?"
In the Abyssal Palace, Octavia held a vial of blood and spoke boredly.
Since coming here, she had completely cut off contact with the outside world and lost all sense of time.
Even so, she sensed that several months had passed since Char last came here.
"..."
Miss Witch sat quietly on the sofa, carefully reading a book.
But in a place unnoticed by Octavia, her slender fingers gently clenched the book cover.
Clearly, Agnes was not as calm as she appeared.
After a while, she slowly closed the book in her hands. "Being in the outside world with the Great Light Core, he won't encounter any danger."
"Perhaps he has encountered something that needs urgent attention."
Agnes subconsciously replied, then paused slightly.
In the past, she wouldn't even say such an explanation.
Unconsciously, Char, who often came here, gradually developed a habit of talking to someone regularly. And now, with that habit broken, even she felt a slight sense of unease.
Agnes furrowed her brows lightly.
For some reason, she had a feeling of restlessness.
...
Several more months passed.
In the Abyssal Palace, there was still no sign of Char's return. Even Miss Witch noticed that something was amiss.
On this day, she stood by the edge of the palace, next to a stone pillar, with a worried expression. She tried to penetrate the seal and cast her gaze towards the outside world.
She didn't expect it to succeed, after all, the blockade from the divine realm was incredibly powerful, even she found it difficult to break through.
However, unexpectedly, she effortlessly "saw" the outside world this time.
"..."
Miss Witch withdrew her gaze and pondered for a while.
Then, she suddenly realized and became aware of something.
The black mist curse that had almost pushed her to the brink seemed to have weakened in recent times. The pain it brought her had diminished significantly.
This change had subtly occurred without her noticing. Even Miss Witch herself hadn't realized it. The daily operation of her divine powers had become much easier, and even her previous authority had been partially restored.
This seemed like a good sign.
However, Miss Witch couldn't understand why this change had occurred.
Could it be... that Paniyara had found a way to dispel the black mist?
At the thought of this possibility, Agnes felt a slight sense of relief.
If that were the case, then the ten thousand years she had been sealed here wouldn't have been in vain.
Her remorseful heart found some redemption.
For over ten thousand years, she had been tormented and agonized by her own inner turmoil, never finding any relief.
No, that's not it.
Miss Witch paused for a moment.
If the main tone of her life in the Abyssal Palace was silence and despair, then that audacious and reckless young man was the beam of light that shone into her life.
Only the memories of being with him were the ones that made Miss Witch feel at ease.
Though brief, those memories remained fresh in her continuous recollection.
As Miss Witch immersed herself in her own world...
She suddenly heard a cry from Octavia in the distance. "Look over there, isn't there a crack spreading?"
Upon hearing this, Agnes instinctively turned her gaze to where Octavia was pointing.
It was the seal of the gods outside the Abyssal Palace.
Its surface, originally as solid as a rock, was impenetrable even to the malevolent gods. But at this moment, accompanied by the sound of cracking, cracks began to appear.
The cracks spread continuously, quickly reaching the dome of the entire palace.
Miss Witch was stunned.
The seal... had been lifted?
As this unbelievable thought crossed her mind, accompanied by the sound of shattering glass, the gods' seal on the dome shattered into countless fragments, slowly falling from the sky like a colorful rain.
Miss Witch stared blankly at the scene before her.
Shortly after, a mist of tears rose in her beautiful eyes.
Unprecedented joy and relief enveloped her.
This signal only indicated one thing.
The problem of the black mist had been completely resolved!
And she, finally received forgiveness from the gods, could leave the Abyssal Palace and return to the real world.
This journey of redemption, which had lasted for over ten thousand years, seemed to be coming to an end.
Agnes wiped away her tears gently and looked at Octavia, saying, "You can leave this place now."
With a wave of her hand, she teleported Octavia to a safe location without waiting for a response.
After doing all this, Miss Witch was about to go to the real world. However, at that moment, an indescribable feeling of hesitation suddenly surged within her.
What should she do after leaving?
Agnes silently pondered.
A figure subconsciously flashed through her mind.
"Go... find him."
.....
"Sister... Sister?"
Inside the Kingdom of Light, Agnes gazed at the young woman before her, bathed in the radiant power of light. Seeing the identical face of the woman in front of her, she spoke softly.
"Agnes!"
After ten thousand years apart, the Goddess of Light, Paniyara, missed her sister dearly and hugged her with joy.
Feeling her sister's embrace, Agnes's lips trembled slightly, but she couldn't manage to smile in the end.
"It's been so long, Sister."
After a moment of silence, she gently returned Paniyara's embrace and spoke softly.
The joy of reunion overshadowed the turmoil and hesitations in Miss Witch's heart.
What could be more joyful than meeting one's own family after being released from imprisonment?
"Come, quickly come to Sister's temple. Let's talk properly."
After exchanging pleasantries, Paniyara gently wiped away the tears in her eyes and looked at the young girl before her with a touch of concern. She held Agnes's hand and spoke.
Agnes hesitated for a moment. "Have you... seen Char?"
"The one who smiles so beautifully, the young human boy."
Paniyara paused almost imperceptibly before turning around and smiling at Agnes. "Yes, I've seen him. He's doing well now, training hard in the human realm to become a great knight."
"Sister."
Miss Witch suddenly stopped in her tracks.
She quietly gazed at Paniyara.
After a long while, she whispered, "You've never been good at lying, starting from a long time ago."
"Please tell me the truth of what happened."
Paniyara's previously smiling expression instantly turned somewhat stiff.
After a long silence, she sighed softly. Then, she turned around, facing away from Agnes, and said, "He... is now in the heart of the Earth, in the location of the Chaotic Mana Core."
Agnes's fist clenched instantly, but then she weakly relaxed it.
Without any hesitation, she turned around, intending to teleport herself to the outside world.
"What are you going to do?"
Before she could act, Paniyara stopped her and summoned a golden cage, imprisoning her within it.
After being sealed in the Abyssal Palace for ten thousand years, Miss Witch's powers and authority had weakened to the point where she was no match for her sister.
"Let me go," she said coldly. "I need to find him."
"All of this... was never meant for him to bear."
No wonder.
No wonder she had felt that strange sensation before coming out.
No wonder he hadn't come to the palace for so long.
Black mist emanated from Miss Witch's body as she attempted to shatter the golden cage. However, without the assistance of the black mist that had emerged from the Earth's core, she wasn't as powerful as she had imagined.
"I won't let you go," Paniyara, now fully restored to her divine dignity, said. "Not to mention that your actions might undermine his efforts."
"Not even Char himself wishes for you to do this."
"This is what he left for you before he left."
With that, the Goddess of Light, Paniyara, waved her hand and conjured a note, which appeared in Miss Witch's palm.
As she struggled against her sister's restraints, Miss Witch glanced at the note in her hand.
Neatly written on it were a few sentences.
"Miss Witch, I once said that a perfect ending exists. The difference lies in which one people choose."
"So this time, let me make the choice."
"I hope you'll allow my recklessness and let me be handsome until the very end."
Miss Witch's face turned pale.
She felt as if struck by lightning.
...
Time passed swiftly.
In the blink of an eye, a month had passed since the seal on the Abyssal Palace was lifted.
During this month, Miss Witch had been struggling within the radiant cage set by Paniyara, attempting to break free and go to the side of that young man, to endure the hardships with him.
And the stance of the Goddess of Light remained firm.
Not allowed to go!
Thus, the two sisters, who had just reunited, remained in a month-long stalemate.
Until today.
"Sister."
Agnes, leaning against the edge of the cage, suddenly spoke softly.
"What is it?"
Paniyara's figure instantly appeared beside the cage.
"I understand now." Agnes lowered her head and said softly, "Until he comes out, I won't go find him."
"Have you truly understood?"
"Yes." Agnes nodded. "But in return, I hope you can grant me one request."
"What is it?"
"I hope to have a secluded area near him on the surface, about the size of a city, where no one will disturb us."
"Is that all?"
Upon hearing this, Paniyara was somewhat skeptical.
Agnes replied softly, "Yes, that's all."
...
After leaving the Kingdom of Light, Agnes, as promised, did not suddenly change her mind and went to the location of The Chaotic Demon Core.
She arrived at the place indicated by Paniyara.
It was an endless plain, a perfect place for human settlement.
Hovering in the sky, Agnes silently gazed down at the plain, her thoughts unknown.
After a while, she whispered, "You once told me that it was a miracle from a parallel world. Before... I didn't understand what a miracle was, and I didn't believe in such elusive things."
"And now." Miss Witch's gaze trembled slightly. "If you're willing, this is what I can show you—a miracle."
As soon as she finished speaking, a sacred mark symbolizing the power of creation slowly appeared behind Miss Witch.
She gently opened her arms, standing like a deity in the clouds.
Then, accompanied by a powerful and dazzling divine light, the earth began to tremble violently!
With the flickering of light, skyscrapers rose from the ground, soaring into the clouds. A network of roads quickly spread, connecting various points together.
The scenes from memory gradually reappeared in the world, and a modern city constructed of reinforced concrete descended with a bang!
This was... a miracle.
When they parted last time, she had promised Char that if he was willing, she would create this city for him when they returned to reality.
And now, she had actually accomplished it.
But the young man who had shown her around this city was nowhere to be found.
...
Agnes took a deep breath and gently landed in the center of the vast city.
At this moment, there was not a single person in the city.
Agnes walked quietly on the streets, passing through every corner of the city, recalling the beautiful memories she had with Char.
Clothing stores, cat cafes, local restaurants, movie theaters, central parks...
The scenes of the past gradually surfaced in her mind.
Finally, after aimlessly wandering to the outskirts of the city, Miss Witch found a spacious lawn.
She stood in the center of the grass, waving her hand gently.
Instantly, a two-story building appeared before her eyes.
It was Char's home.
Agnes walked slowly into the garden, gazing at the flourishing Spider lilies and the swing covered in mottled rust.
Then, she changed into the pink bunny slippers in the entrance and quietly entered the living room.
Staring at the familiar scene before her, she softly said to no one in particular, "I'm back."
No one responded.
Silently, she walked to the refrigerator, searching through it until she found the box of strawberry ice cream that Char had given her.
She found a spoon and gently scooped out a spoonful, putting it in her mouth.
A crystal tear slid down her cheek.
Miss Witch didn't know how to smile, but she knew how to cry.
"If even you are not here, what meaning does this city, this home... have?"
.....
Five years later.
In the early morning, Miss Witch woke up in the bedroom on the second floor. She wore a slightly oversized white shirt and stretched lazily.
After getting up, she went to the bathroom and carefully cleansed her skin with facial cleanser. Then she squeezed out toothpaste and brushed her teeth diligently.
Once finished cleaning up, she picked up a hair tie and tied her long black hair into a ponytail.
Then, she walked downstairs slowly and arrived at the stove in the kitchen.
Skillfully igniting the fire, she fried two eggs, four slices of bacon, and also toasted a slice of bread with butter.
After completing everything, she picked up two plates with breakfast, placing one on the opposite side of the table and the other in front of herself.
"Good morning," she said softly, but there was no one sitting across the table.
In this way, in the quiet atmosphere, Miss Witch finished her breakfast slowly and savored every bite.
Afterward, she cleaned the plates, wiped the table, and put them back in the cupboard.
Throughout the entire process, she didn't use a trace of her magical powers.
Apart from her exceptional beauty, which had to be ignored, she looked like an ordinary woman living in this city and this home, as if she had come from a parallel world.
Similar scenes had gradually become her daily life over the past five years.
At first, there may have been many doubts, but with Agnes's continuous exploration, she gradually found her way to live in this city and this home.
After finishing breakfast, she was preparing, as usual, to change into Char's sportswear and go for a run in the city.
However, at that moment, an unexpected guest suddenly arrived at the door.
"Sister?" Agnes looked at the woman in front of her and said softly, "Would you like some coffee?"
A hint of emotion flickered in Paniyara's eyes.
Her sister, Agnes, seemed to be transforming in some positive way.
"No, thank you," Paniyara shook her head, a trace of indescribable emotion in her eyes. "I came here to inform you of something."
"Just now, the pulsation from the Chaotic Core, after verification, seems to have completely stopped."
"Whoosh!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Agnes instantly disappeared from her sight.
"Still so impulsive."
Paniyara shook her head gently and smiled.
She looked at the breakfast placed on the table and felt good.
"Today seems to be a good day for a reunion."
...
When Agnes hurriedly arrived at the center of the Earth, she instantly noticed the earth-shattering changes that had occurred there.
The endless black mist that was once capable of devouring the entire continent had disappeared without a trace.
Not even a hint of remnants remained.
Gazing at the dark entrance to the core, her heart pounded.
Is he... there now?
Is he okay?
Does he still remember me?
At this moment, Agnes felt countless waves of excitement deep within her, as if she were a young girl once again.
Agnes wanted to quickly go down and unveil the ultimate answer, but she also felt extremely worried about the well-being of that young man.
The trauma he had experienced was absolute.
After all, for the past five years, he had been constantly enduring pain and death from the black mist, without a moment's respite. After such experiences, it was normal for him to undergo a significant change in personality, and even become different from his former self.
With these thoughts, Agnes suddenly felt a strong hesitation in her heart.
Do I... really have the right to see him?
After a moment of hesitation, Agnes took a deep breath.
She slowly stepped forward and entered the profound darkness.
"Char?"
Agnes softly called out the young man's name, her voice trembling slightly.
As if holding fragile porcelain in her hands, she was careful not to let it break.
In the darkness, she faintly sensed a breath.
Agnes's heart trembled, and she paused for a moment before quickly walking in the direction of the breathing.
A warm yellow light emanated from her palm.
...
The raggedly dressed young man was leaning lightly against a stone wall, peacefully submerged in sleep.
There was no sign of pain on his face; instead, he seemed to be experiencing discomfort from a poor sleeping position, resulting in a sore back.
Agnes's gaze instantly softened.
She finally saw the young man who had occupied her thoughts day and night for the past five years.
"Char?."
She repeated his name as if confirming something, earnestly pronouncing it.
As if the silent cave had been disturbed after five years, Char's eyes twitched twice while he was still sound asleep.
Then, he slowly opened his eyes.
"Good morning, Miss Witch."
He yawned and mumbled in a drowsy state.
Then, as if suddenly realizing something, he instinctively sat up straight, staring at the graceful woman in front of him with great surprise. "Miss Witch?"
"Char."
Agnes echoed his words, softly repeating his name.
At the same time, her lips trembled slightly, revealing a gentle smile.
In an instant, flowers bloomed around Miss Witch.
Char, who had just awakened from his slumber, clearly hadn't fully regained his senses. Coupled with the unprecedented smile from Miss Witch, it took him several seconds before he finally slapped himself on the head in astonishment and pointed a few times at the empty space in front of him.
"Um, I was just a little bit away from reaching the maximum level."
He muttered to himself.
Then, Char turned his gaze towards Miss Witch.
In these five years, Char had absorbed all the black mist capable of destroying the world into his own body.
Only one remained.
The curse entwined within Miss Witch.
With that in mind, Char slowly stood up and took a few steps forward under Miss Witch's enchanting gaze.
He revealed a clean and refreshing smile, just like the one he had shown when they first met.
The young man remained true to his youthful self, regardless of how much time had passed, still holding onto that trace of fervent passion from years ago.
Their gazes met, as if transcending the distance and obstacles of time and space.
"At the beginning of our story, we became acquainted through the black mist. In that case, the ending should also be brought about by the black mist."
"After all, we had already made a promise to save you from the very beginning, didn't we?"
"So..."
"kill me again, Miss Witch!!"
................
Remarks.
That's right, the story has come to an end here.
But in my opinion, although the ending of this story may seem rushed, it is not an unreasonably abrupt ending. At least, it provides a happy ending for everyone involved.
Here, let me THX to all the readers, who have reached the end.
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