15. Snow Moon Flower – 14
It came suddenly, without any sign.
At first, I thought the winter would last a few days longer than usual. However, when I saw snow falling from the sky instead of sprouting in March, I realized something was wrong.
June, the time when, as usual, the sweltering heat hit the continent. However, snow was everywhere, and people could not walk the streets without wearing thick winter clothes.
…and then people noticed. The fact that an endless winter has come to this continent.
The destruction that had been predicted 10 years ago had struck the continent.
Two of the important key pieces to prevent destruction had already disappeared, so from the beginning, it was as if there was no chance for mankind.
In order to subdue the ‘witch of winter’, the empire raised a large army with the princess as its commander and invaded the Duchy of Estel.
Immediately after the large army of over 50,000 people turned into ice statues, everyone living on the continent had to accept the reality. That the empire, no, humanity had already come to an end.
Even the grace of the sun, which had always illuminated the ground, had long since disappeared in the raging blizzard, and those who had barely survived could not find a way to do anything, only seeking their salvation toward the goddess in the sky.
And now, three years have passed since the ‘witch of winter’ hit the ground.
Humanity was only one step away from extinction.
At the southern end of the continent, a small cabin.
The small hut, trapped in the snow and unable to step out, was the last resting place for mankind, and at the same time it was the whole of this world.
Even though everything was destroyed, the last human beings who finally survived were a certain family of three.
****
wheein-
Outside the window, the sound of a blizzard was raging. Amidst the sub-zero temperatures that prevented human survival itself from freezing the world itself, the only window in the cabin rattled ceaselessly as if it were about to fall at any moment.
…Or, to be more precise, I even had a little doubt that the windows were rattling because of the blizzard. Because there was not a blizzard raging outside the window, but only a dark ‘something’, as if the world itself was immersed in pitch-black darkness.
“…It’s over. everything, everything.”
Ariel, who was staring at the scenery outside the window, involuntarily let out a sigh.
I knew. He knew from the beginning that this end would come. In other words, she knew that if she abandoned her duties as a saint, ran away from everything, and pursued only her own happiness, what kind of ending would come.
Nevertheless, a woman named Ariel Thiers chose her own happiness, not the continuation of mankind. While betraying everything that made up her, she pursued only happiness with a certain man at the end of putting her own insignificant feelings first, even while preparing to betray all of humanity.
That is its conclusion. In the end, mankind could not overcome the ‘witch of winter’, and as a result, the world was destroyed. At least this cabin is safe because the barrier that Ariel had set up by squeezing out all of her powers is being maintained.
But now, the barrier has no meaning whatsoever. Everything is now only a matter of time. This barrier, maintained by Ariel’s authority, will sooner or later collapse. The three families left behind at the end of mankind will also face their end soon.
This is the ending that was planned from the beginning. The most cruel punishment given to Ariel Tier who betrayed everything. It was the absolute end that she would meet at the very end.
“…..”
Ariel turned and looked behind her. Before long, only her daughter, Tia, who was soundly asleep on the bed, and her beloved husband were sitting on the bed and looking at her.
…However, there is no place for Yije and Ariel Thiers to retreat. After betraying everything and turning her back, the only thing left in her hands now is her beloved husband and beloved daughter.
“…Now, it seems that I can’t go outside with Tia anymore. It’s a pity.”
Cain smiled bitterly and carefully stroked the hair of his daughter who was sleeping peacefully in his arms. Like a person who has nothing left to do, he repeated that action over and over again with a quiet and lonely expression.
“…Honey, do you resent me? Are you resentful of me for choosing you and Tia on that day, knowing for sure that this kind of future would come?”
To Ariel’s question, Cain answered bluntly without even looking away.
“If you think about it that way, then I must be a sinner too. Even though I heard everything from you about what would happen, and even though I knew what would happen, in the end I left everything and ran away with you.”
Cain’s arm pulls Ariel’s body, and Ariel is accepted into his arms without any resistance. For the past 10 years, the two men and women who have lived faithfully for each other can understand very well what they want to say without having to talk a lot.
“…honey…”
In the end, she let out a quiet sob as if in penance. Her cold fingers gently caressed Cain’s cheek.
“One last thing, I want to ask you something.”
Ariel’s voice was so transparent, it contained a faintness that seemed to disappear at any moment.
“That day, why did you trust me?”
“…what do you mean? that.”
In response to Cain’s doubtful question, Ariel just smiled lightly.
“It was the day we first met. honey.”
Ariel’s eyes turn hazy. It’s like having a fleeting dream.
“One day, a woman I had never seen in front of you suddenly said a lot of strange things. That she came from the future, that you and I actually knew each other, that the future might be destroyed by the ‘Witch of Winter’-”
“Why did you believe in the nonsense of a crazy woman who claims that the future that will happen is the past that has happened to her?”
In response to Ariel’s question, Cain smiled quietly. Ariel didn’t seem to notice yet, but the barrier she was maintaining was starting to crack, albeit minutely. The energy of death rushing in from the outside touches Cain’s body and begins to rapidly take away his vitality.
…Perhaps, this really is the end of this life. If so, what you need to do at this moment is-
“What you said that day wasn’t nonsense. It has become a reality now.”
In response to Cain’s kind answer, Ariel gently shakes her head left and right.
“At least, 10 years ago it was bullshit. It was nothing more than nonsense and unbelievable strangeness.”
“…..”
“Normal, I would have ignored such a strange sound. At least you wouldn’t have trusted my words on the spot without a single doubt. Rather, they would first question if I was normal or if I was a crazy woman.”
“Doubt, sophistry, uncertainty, dubiousness. It is a normal judgmental ability that every human being has. People basically don’t trust others. because it is suspicious Because I don’t know if this person can really be trusted.”
“…but you were different. Without hesitation, he believed in my words, trusted my story, and even ran away with me after giving up everything he was carrying. Why did you give me so much faith? why-“
In response to Ariel’s question, Cain silently added strength to the arm holding Ariel. Because that was the only thing he could do to his wife who would go through a breakup with her now.
“…because it looked urgent.”
“yes?”
“Your face and gestures as you look at my face, call my name, tell me all the secrets you’ve been holding—”
It’s pitiful, it’s pitiful, and it looks like it’s about to cry.
It was just that I couldn’t leave the woman you were alone.
The reason was just that.
“…what if I was, really, a crazy woman? Would you have just wasted your life getting caught up in some crazy bullshit?”
“That would have been a good ending on its own.”
He released his hand from Ariel’s body and carefully stroked Tia’s head as she slept on the bed.
“Can you say that a life with a wife like you and a daughter like Tia is bad?”
His eyes met Ariel’s, and his eyes didn’t shake at all.
“I can tell you. At least in this life, more than anything else in the world, the time I spent with you was the most valuable and precious thing.”
“…Ahh…”
Ariel’s eyes were filled with moisture, and eventually tears overflowed. Tears streamed down his cheeks and ran down his temples.
happy. I am so happy. If this was a dream, it was such a happy moment that I thought I would like to dream this moment over and over again for the rest of my life.
“…Actually, I had a dream not too long ago. A dream of a far distant future. Such a bad dream that one day I will go against your wishes and stand in your way…”
“…..”
“I can’t say much. So, can you promise me just one thing, just one thing? As you did in the past, can you believe and trust what I am saying from now on?”
Cain nodded softly without answering.
“Can you trust a woman like me at any time? Even if you think I’ve betrayed you, can you trust me until the end and believe that I’m okay with what I do, even just once?”
At her words, Cain smiled quietly.
“…okay. I’ll promise. Until the very last moment, I will put my trust in you.”
…At Cain’s answer, Ariel was able to feel at ease. Because I knew that someday you, who will see the memories of this moment, will also trust my words-
Kwazijik-
The barrier that Ariel put up with all her strength slowly begins to break. No, it’s not that the barrier is breaking. The whole world itself was beginning to crumble. According to what Kyrie taught me in the past, it must have been a phenomenon that occurred because one of the four goddesses that make up the world really ‘died’.
“Don’t make that face. We will meet again soon.”
“…honey.”
In the end, Ariel cried while looking at his face.
“I’ll promise. In this life, I never thought that you and I would have Tia after meeting and falling in love like this, but I never regret my choice. So, as you say, if there really is such a thing as the next life…”
“Then I will love you even more. Just like I did that day, I will fall in love with you again and start a family with you. And Tia, I’ll let you meet again.”
At that moment, the barrier supporting the cabin shattered like glass. The intense darkness outside the cabin rages. The beloved husband and daughter in front of Ariel’s eyes were swallowed up in an instant by the endless darkness.
And with that, everything ended. Her hand cut through the darkness in vain. Her consciousness also quickly sank into darkness.
…In the last moment, she seemed to have seen her husband smile at her and say goodbye.
With that, everything came to an end. My husband, my beloved daughter, my memories with them, everything-
I had a dream.
I miss it and it’s far away, and now there’s no way to get it back—
I had a distant, distant dream.