Chapter 189: Miracle
Saying so, Hades held me tight.
As he was intending on protecting me and Abel until the end even through swarming meteor, his arm held us firmly.
“Thank you.”
What would have become of me if not for you? I would have repeated the tragic life forever, trapped in the fetters of punishment.
“You were the only miracle in my life.”
Hades’ arms tightened around me hearing my confession.
“Keep your promise. Love me in the next life and the one after that too. I too, will love you whoever you are, whichever form you take.”
“That, goes without saying.”
His voice was shaking giving away how in agony he is to think the end is near.
I really should stop teasing him. What would I do if His Grace starts crying?
“But you know, Your Grace.”
“Yes…”
“I’m sure we’ll be happy together in this life as well. With all of us”
After saying those words, I pushed Hades away slightly.
Without even a time for him to wonder, I took a few steps away as if I’m running away and spoke.
“It was so hard to just hear one ‘I love you’ from you.”
Finally he, my miracle, had delivered me and my painful fate had been saved. There was no tragedy left for me anymore.
The other ‘miracle’ left by my sibling who took pity on me will finally set us free…
Standing at the end of the world, I quietly stared back at Hades.
Even as I slowly closed my eyes, I had no fears.
I no longer needed to be worried that he might have disappeared when I open my eyes.
A strange flow of mana flowing hot within my chest ran wild as if it would shoot out at any minute.
It was as if it knew.
That this, is the moment to make a miracle happen.
“Let’s all be happy,” I whispered the mind control I attempted casting on me a few times as well.
At that moment, the noise of destruction whirling around the surroundings were all tied down to a thin ringing in the ears and lingered.
The warm mana emitted out of me engulfed my body and spread even wider to take on the entire space.
Though it was a power I had never wielded before, it was not so difficult.
What’s so special about a miracle anyways?
I merely needed to imagine the beauty I yearned for.
My own miracle, where Hades is alive; where my loving son, Abel is smiling; and where we are a family, just like how Hades said…
A snowy scene was not bad, but I wanted it to be spring for now.
Pretty flowers blooming all about, we would no longer cry or feel sad. This would probably be the first spring we ever experience in our lives.
‘Thank you.’
Lastly, I gave my late gratitude to my author and slowly opened my eyes.
My sight was filled with white light without any space gaps.
And so, as my eyes got used to that stream of light, I stood in a familiar place.
Duke Louvremont castle.
I could see the duke castle standing big and proud as always, and behind it was lively scenery instead of the snowy mountains.
And before my eyes, stood dazed looking Hades and Abel.
None of us were hurt or dead and we weren’t feeling sad. Above all, we existed.
“What in the world…”
“Oh me freakin days! Thought dat wouldda be da end o’ me life. I was tempted ter throw curses at His Grace fer da las’ time, but holding me tongue paid off, dinnit?!”
Roxa dashed towards me at once with surprise in his voice and blinked his eyes.
“Wot could dis ability be ter revive back a dying land? Tis ye doing, innit duchess? Tis a booming ability, could ye share some o’ ye mana?”
“Don’t fuss, you’re hurting my ears.”
Azar who approached with Roxa held him by the back of his collar roughly and spoke.
Though, Azar seemed curious himself, despite saying what he said.
I merely gave them a smile and approached Hades who stood still looking dumbfounded and ran into his arms.
Hades stumbled because of me jumping into his arms and let out a dazed voice.
“Aisha, is this…”
“It’s a miracle, the one you’ve shown me.”
“…What?”
“This would have all never happened if it wasn’t for you. Thank you for…for finding me, loving me, and not giving up on me.”
Beyond Hades’ shoulder, I could see Michael approaching with Deborah in his arms.
Though he looked exhausted, he seemed happier than anyone.
My poor sibling, who was in as much pain as I was.
It filled my heart with joy to know that he too has been delivered.
“Dinna know wot has happened, but it seems like me existence is a hindrance ter tearful reunion o’ family. Should we be somewhere else?”
Unlike what he was saying, Roxa walked around us with a full-on grin on his face and added.
“I probably~ loved ye in every single one o’ me life~”
It seems that Roxa has heard every part of Hades’ last confession before the miracle.
Hearing his impish voice, Hades flinched with me in his arms.
Looking up at him, I could see his face had turned all red from embarrassment.
“Do you want to die? Keep quiet.”
“I wouldda be~ living fer ye sake~”
“Hey!”
Abel, who was in Hades’ arms, put his arms around my neck as Hades shouted. He spoke to me tearfully, “M-mother, does this mean we…”
“Yes.”
I was so happy to be able to give him the answer he wanted.
“There would be no longer painful and sad things happening. It’s all, over.”
It was truly all over.
No, it was the beginning of me and my son Abel’s life without any reason to be sad.
“Your Grace, do you remember what you said to me before?”
Hades tilted his head as he was looking at me and Abel with a smile.
“What?”
“You said that you want a family.”
One time, he swore that he would never fail and told me.
-What I want is a family.
-With Abel as my son and you as my loving wife…
-That kind of, family.
“Yes, I did.”
“It really happened so. Thank you for keeping your promise.”
“No, I should be grateful…” He hugged me with a smile and kissed me lightly on the forehead. “Thank you for making it to the end, Staying by my side in the end like this.”
“Let us all be happy now.”
Hades nodded and hugged me tighter. Me and Abel kept laughing through our tears. We have never been this happy in our lives.
“Milady~! No, mistress! Young master! Your Grace!”
I flinched at hearing a familiar voice.
The sound was coming from the second floor of the duke mansion, from the terrace of my room.
Looking up, Anne had the window wide open and was looking down at us with a pouty expression.
Having no idea that we have come from a near death experience, she shouted with a worried voice for all to hear.
“How long are you going to stay out just because the weather is nice?! Come in and have your meal!”
The world recreated through a miracle was just as peaceful as I imagined.
“Yes!” I beamed at Anne’s affectionate voice and pecked on Hades’ lips, seeing him looking dumbfounded by Anne’s sudden appearance.
He flinched then looked down at me with a smile. I smiled back at him and waved my hand at Anne.
“I’m coming now!”
Finally, as we wished for, it was spring.
#Epilogue.
[A masterpiece of the century!
Seoul, South Korea.
The book signing held in the large bookstore in Gangnam for author Lee Shin, pen name Procreathor, was large enough in scale to be mistaken for a celebrity signing.
“S-sorry… Y-you look so handsome for an author. I’m going to start stanning Abel and you at the same time starting now.”
“Hah hah… thank you.”
As a high school girl in school uniform shoved a book
The author hidden behind the pen name all this time was a good-looking guy in his twenties. It came as a fresh shock for all.
His bold hair dyed in light blue suited him. The high school girl spoke as she snuck a look at Shin’s face.
“Er… you know, the new setup you posted on social media yesterday. That was a total bomb as well. A hidden skill for light elementalist…”
“Miracle! It’s a dashing setup.”
Shin smiled as he gave back the book he just signed.
“Yeah! But it’s a shame it doesn’t make any appearance in the main book. It’s a setup you posted with spinoff in mind, right? You are thinking of writing a story where Deborah uses ‘miracle’ as well, right?”
“Haha, I’m not sure…”
“Sir, it’s such a shame for it to end this way. Please continue writing for a thousand years more.”
“I would like to do so if possible. But still, I do have plans to create a spinoff, I can tell you that.”
“Really?!”
Looking at the girl’s face being filled with expectation, Shin gave an affectionate smile.
“Yes, I really do want to write about it. What became of them after their happily ever after.”
“I’ll-I’ll wait for the release, sir!”
“Thank you.”
Lee Shin’s fan signing was wrapped up successfully, leaving a lingering sensation to his fans by his mention of a spinoff.
Many of the fans followed him on his way back after the signing to trouble him quite a lot before Shin managed to get in his car.
His producer who went through so much trouble for the sin of managing a popular author, started the car as he asked with a face drained out of energy in a single day.
“Are you heading back home, Shin?”
“No, to the hospital.”
“Ah…”
The producer smiled awkwardly and started driving.
“I suppose your mother’s illness is still… ongoing?”
“Yes, it seems so,” Shin answered, looking out the window indifferently as things whizzed past.
The producer knew that Shin had a sick mother who had been hospitalized for some time, and drove the car in silence feeling apologetic.
‘Mother.’
Recalling the familiar face being dried up in the sick bed, Shin gave out a helpless laugh.
He was surprised when he created this world. There was one being who existed, even though he did not create one.
-Son! Writing is tough work, isn’t it? Eat first, here…
-All I need is you, son. You know that, right?
When he realized he has a mother he didn’t even create, Shin was baffled, then soon realized.
Procreathor. He was also a creation of Gaionia and even if he created a new world, he could not be free from his punishment.
-I am sad.
-And I have trusted you so…
-You will regret it to your core one day that you have betrayed and killed me.
-Every time you kill the parent you love, you will recall me shedding blood before you.
Shin remembered clearly the last curse Gaionia had poured on him.
Though he did not think this was how it was going to be applied…
“Don’t overwork yourself today, Shin. Get some good rest.”
“Thank you. Drive back safely.”
Sending off the producer and heading to a familiar patient room, Shin combed his hair back with a tired expression on.
When would he ever get out of these tiring fetters?
He knew of Hades’ first failure already.
He met Genus and fell in love with her, was informed of her tragedy, and in the end he bravely went to fight against Gaionia all by himself.
“He never changes.”
Recalling meeting Hades when he was Atheus, Shin let out a low laugh.
Though he had failed, Shin revived his soul in the world he recreated and let the time flow once more.
Of course, he couldn’t do anything about Genus’ fate of giving birth to Abel with Hades, a child who was tied to the fetters of punishment.
Having experienced one tragedy already, Genus was anguished. The pain of his sibling was contagious and he could sense it despite being so far away.
‘My poor Genus.’
Once again through the passage of time, Hades would go find Gaionia once again and she would end up killing Abel. It was obvious what choice Genus would make. Because of that, erasing her memory and bringing her to this world for a moment was not a bad decision.
If not, Genus would have tried so hard; hard not to become someone meaningful to Hades. And ultimately die in his hands in order to break the fetters of punishment…
‘When would we finally be free?’
Genus probably would have become important to Hades once again and Hades would have gone to find Gaionia for Genus’ sake once again. But there was no saying that he would succeed. If these fetters of punishment could not be undone…
“Mother, I’m here.”
He was now used to seeing the middle-aged woman lying as if she was dead with life support on her.
Three years ago, she collapsed for an unknown reason and was deemed brain dead. Even well-known doctors could not find out the reason why, but Shin knew. The fetters of punishment had yet to break. It was because that curse was still ongoing.
Shin sat by the bed and held on to the woman’s fleshless hand tight.
“I had my first book signing today. I’m sure you would have really liked it if you saw, saying your son had made it big.”
Shin laughed impishly and talked about ordinary things.
Though he knew the existence of the ‘mother’ he didn’t create would eventually torment him, Shin could not help but be attached to her. It was a sensation a little unfamiliar to him, a kind he never felt towards his creator, father god Gaionia.
His mother from this world would be the first being that could be called a parent that truly made him cry and laugh. As Shin continued talking despite not being heard, someone placed their hand lightly on his shoulder.
It was the attending physician. He was a man who was taking care of his mother with Shin for three years already.
“Guardian Lee, let’s have a talk over at my office for a moment.”
His expression looked grave for some reason. Nodding, Shin left the patient room and followed the doctor.
Only when he arrived at the office and sat opposite the doctor and received a paper did Shin realize. The moment he wished wouldn’t come had finally arrived.
The day he had to end his parent’s life with his own hands.
“I don’t know what to say. I know it might be laughable for a healthcare worker like me to say something surreal like this, but…” the doctor continued to speak with a heavy expression, “If a person has a soul, I am sure your mother must be in pain at the moment. I understand your sentiments, but forcing a body alive that is already dead would only make it difficult for both you and your mother.”
Brain dead state. Shin’s mother wasn’t even in a vegetable state, for which he could wish for a miracle of her getting up at any moment. She was a human that couldn’t be helped through any medical treatment, closer to death than life. A state where her heart would inevitably have stop and die one day.
The reason he kept his mother alive, was because Shin had the slightest of hope, hope that she may come back to life when Gaionia’s curse was finally over.
“You have done all you could as a guardian up to this point. Please, set your mother free now.”
A single paper asking for agreement to remove her life support. Shin looked down at the pen placed before him with the document. If he does not agree, his mother would be left as brain dead at least, relying on machines.
Because his mother’s death could occur without his involvement.
“Hah hah…”
Tears fell down Shin’s eyes as he laughed helplessly.
Doctor dropped his head looking heartbroken.
‘So this is how it ends up.’
A truly cruel curse. Was this the punishment for leaving his siblings behind and fleeing?
A punishment, that gave him a gift-like being he wouldn’t be able to let go so easily, him who had no one dear to him apart from his siblings… and making him take that being’s life, with his own hands.
Shin slowly grabbed the pen.
Though the doctor said it was unrealistic, it was true, funny enough.
Humans did, in fact, have souls and his mother’s soul was suffering for a long time, tied to a body that could die.
He couldn’t wait forever for Gaionia’s curse to be lifted.
Just holding on until that moment comes in god knows when would be making his mother suffer as well.
“I’m sure your mother would… understand.”
With the doctor’s last soothing words, Shin’s shaking hand held the pen and started to move.
Though it was his name he signed many times today at the signing, it was difficult this time.
From Shin’s eyes closed tight, a single line of tear trickled down.
At that moment,
“D-doctor!!”
A nurse burst through the office door with haste in her voice without even knocking.
It was odd that she came running to the office instead of calling him.
“What is the matter?”
The doctor and Shin’s gaze both turned to the nurse. She was also a familiar face, having looked after Shin’s mother for three years in the ICU.
Perhaps that was why. The nurse’s face was elated as if it was her own matter. With tears in her eyes even, the nurse spoke trembling.
“I-It’s absurd that this happened, I-I am also wondering if I am dreaming or not, but…”
“Nurse Kim, calm down and tell me. What is the matter?”
“G-Guardian Lee Shin! Huu… y-your mother has just… just woken up!”
“Huh?!”
Both of them were surprised but it was the doctor who was more surprised. Like what the nurse had said, it was absurd.
A patient who was already announced braindead 3 years ago had woken up.
To see with his own eyes the impossible feat, the doctor even left behind the guardian and left the office in a hurry.
Ah…
Shin was left alone blinking his eyes feeling dazed.
“Hahaha…”
He slowly tilted his head up in the air and laughed.
“Thank you.”
Though not certain who the gratitude was for, one thing was for certain.
“Thank you. Now…”
Now he could also be happy here.
No longer lonely, no longer sad.
“Let’s be, happy.”