“Moria!” I flinched when someone slapped my face. Slowly, I opened my eyes and saw a face I have not seen for the longest of time.
“How dare you sleep in the middle of a war?” The accusing voice was so refreshing, I missed this feeling.
“Ferepia,” I called out to the owner of the hand who slapped me.
“Yes it is I, the great fire goddess, now stand Moria, you have a battle to win.”
When I realized what was happening I quickly stood up and my eyes witnessed the horrendous scene before me. Dead bodies were everywhere, the once green lush ground was now filled with ash, and the trees that were within battle range were all down, burned and destroyed.
Meters away from where I was standing, emitting black energy was The Grand Arch Wizard. But there was something different the energy was decreasing. It was constantly decreasing!
“Did it worked goddess Ferepia?”
The other gods and goddesses all looked at me. I noticed that there were only a few who went down. But I am still grateful that they went down to help. Marco, god of the brilliant sun, Ferepia, goddess of fire, Yaerio, god of water, and Estrilla, goddess of healing.
“If you mean the energy that was unleashed when we descended, yes it worked. It wiped out all the enemy forces. It was clever of your subjects to run to this side before we unleashed our embers.”
“Moria,” called Marco to me.
“Yes god of the brilliant sun, Marco?” He rolled his eyes because of my formality but he continued what he wanted to say without criticizing my remark like he usually does in the past.
“This is as far as we will go. But know that I am joyous that you have come back. You really are the goddess I thought you would be. You have protected this land with all your power, even if it means that you will shatter yourself to pieces. I would never have the courage to do such a thing. I admire you.”
I was nearly put to tears by Marco’s words. He was one of the strongest gods in the realm, to think that he would recognize me this way.
“But you do know that you cannot come back to the realm do you? And you cannot stay in this world either if you want to end this century of chaos.”
There it was the painful truth I was so scared to face more than dying. It would be better if I just didn’t wake up. But then I remember Johann, right, I promised him.
“Moria, goddess of the wind your wind will forever remain a mystery but your fate has been threaded. Before we part ways, we will grace your subjects with blessings before we completely erase our presence from this world.” The gentle smile on goddess Estrilla’s face healed my wounded heart. Her sleepy lashes made me feel sensation in my chest. She was healing me, physically and emotionally.
“It would seem that the time you spent as a wizling has made you a lot like them. Your emotions are fluctuating, goddess Moria. I meant to say that you are very unstable,” Yaerio bluntly said.
It was a direct hit. But I really am turning more like a wizling than a goddess huh?
“It is only understandable Yaerio since the moment she came back with that fragile body. When her body was destroyed in the Great War, more millennium should be needed till she became complete again, but she went back right away. Still stubborn as ever,” Ferepia half complained half defended me from Yaerio.
I snickered. I could not help but smile at the sight in front of me. I missed this.
“We do not have enough time, we shall say goodbyes now. Lastly I shall deliver the answer goddess Faesta told to relay to you, ‘The answer is in the boy who holds the manipulation of space and time, seek refuge to his original world,’” Estrilla said, the healing smile on her face still present.
“We have disturbed the balanced if this world for too long, we shall bid you goodbye now, may you receive the blessings of the High Order goddess of the wind.” Yaerio placed his hand on top of my hand and the other three did the same.
They were leaving their blessings to aid us in this war.
“Thank you everyone, I am happy we saw each other again. Those were great times; I hope I can retain those memories. Paalam.” As I said my goodbye, they each smiled and the gates of the realm opened once again.
It was the last time that the gates of the realm will be ever opened to wizlings. It was both a joyous and a painful scene. To me it was a goodbye with friends I will never see again. I fet a tear streaked down my cheek, I gently brushed it and continued to move forward to my allies who were fighting against the weakened Grand Arch Wizard.
They were not only my subordinates; they were my comrades, my allies, and my friends. To me who lived as the white mahò user, Moria, they were precious memories I would never want to forget just like the gods and goddesses I bid farewells with.
*“The wind of beginning
Will be the wind of the end
To every the breath of life
Those who perished have saved
This power and strength I will offer
Erase to extremity the entity greed.”*
It was a calm soothing wind for my allies, a wind that will save us all, but to the only enemy who tormented us because of his greedy ambition; it would put an end to everything. To his life, to his own misery, and to the torment he brings.
After this I may not able to see my friends faces again, I may not open my eyes again. It was a shame I could not see Antonella until the end but I know William kept her safe. My friends in the academy, the monks, Monk Amon, the aces, my new found friend Lucianna, the professors, Quinn and finally my heart, Johannes Harlequin, I want to see them one last time. But if not being able to see them will end this chaos then I would gladly offer my life.
Then it happened, the wind of end reached the Grand Arch Wizard, it slowly devoured him, little by little, bit by bit, peacefully without a scream of pain, I have sent him to his end and I too have met my ending.
It was as if all the wind in my body left me, my body became heavier and my eye lids slowly made my vision dark. I heard Quinn in my mind before he completely disappeared. This was the end. Shame, I really wanted to say goodbye to everyone.
“Promise me Moria.”
I remember, Johannes made me promise, he asked me not to die.
“-wake up”
“-ria…-lease.” Is someone calling me?
“Moria! Open your eyes!” Ah, it was Johann’s voice.
“Lista, hey, it’s me Nellie, I’m sorry I became an enemy… wake up now please, I’m okay now.” I heard continuous sobbing and I felt my cheeks getting wet.
Was Nellie crying? Don’t cry Nellie.
“I—I can manage time and space,” someone said in the middle of the sobbing.
“What do you mean Nathaniel?!” I was sure that was Monk Amon’s voice, she was the only one who calls the headmaster with so much affection like that even though they always argue.
Hmm, it would be nice to pair them up. I groaned when I felt the pain pulling me further deep.
But what did the headmaster mean? He could manipulate time and space? Does that mean…
“It’s time I became the hero,” he said.
“Nathaniel!” Monk Amon protested.
“It’s alright Amon, this is the only way we could save her. I have spent enough time in this world. Anyway, I would have at least two years to live after I use this attribute. This was the time I use it after hiding it for a very long time…” I could not hear anymore what he said next. My hearing was getting murky.
“-no! Don’t gi--,”
Was that Lucianna? Don’t gi--, don’t give up? But I am not giving up, I just could not open my eyes anymore. I want to live, I want to see Johann. I wat to call him, to tell him I’m alright. To tell him I’m sorry I could not return him to his world, to tell him I’m sorry I failed to fulfill my promise. I know it was his hand that was holding me all this time, it was keeping me warm from this cold state I am in.
“—han,” I tried calling out to him.
“Moria! Yes, I am here.”
With all of the strength left in my body, I delivered my final words in this world, “I love you,”
I heard someone chanting spells and then everything was all black.