And Thus… It All Comes to an End - Chapter 24

“T-they… they vanished…!”

“They really disappeared!”

“Did they go to the Nation of Veridia?”

“Veridia, huh… But if we stay in this country any longer…”

“Hey, is that story about the Apostle of the Goddess actually true?”

“Isn’t Lady Sara the Apostle?”

“No, a miracle like this… there’s no explanation for it other than the power of the Goddess.”

Confusion, awe, and a faint glimmer of hope surged through the crowd. Everyone exchanged glances, their breath catching in their throats. I simply stared at the shimmering light flickering before my eyes.

The moment the light faded, my resolve hardened.

—This is no time to hesitate. I want to see Rui.

That thought welled up irrepressibly from the depths of my heart.

‘To the children of the Goddess who grieve for this country.’

That voice had certainly said those words. If so, was it a voice that could only reach those who “cared for their nation”?

If that were the case, then…

If she truly is an Apostle of the Goddess, she wouldn’t treat prisoners cruelly. Rui was a man who believed in the Goddess more than anyone. Surely, the Goddess is protecting him.

That’s right. Rui is alive—!

“I—I’m going to Veridia!”

Before I knew it, the words had left my mouth. I spun on my heel and began racing through the night streets. The cold wind bit at my cheeks, but my determination only grew stronger. I burst into my house and lit the lamp in the bedroom.

“Mary, wake up!”

“Nn… What’s wrong? I’m still sleepy…”

“We’re going to see your father!”

“Daddy? Really?! Yay!”

“Get ready, quickly!”

“Okay!”

The two of us hurriedly packed our things. Into a small bag went a bit of food, a few changes of clothes, and I tucked a family photograph safely inside. Gripping Mary’s hand tight, I rushed back outside.

A faint glow still lingered in the plaza. People stood frozen, staring at the light as if they had lost the ability to speak.

“M-Myra, are you serious?”

Rebecca, a neighbor, called out to me in a trembling voice.

—I’m scared. But I have to go.

“I am. She said it clearly: ‘In the name of the Goddess.’ It will be alright. The Goddess will protect us.”

Having said my piece, I squeezed Mary’s hand once more. My fingertips were shaking, and my heartbeat thundered in my ears. To suppress the fear, I whispered to myself over and over.

“I’m not scared! I’m not scared!”

Murmuring those words, I scooped Mary up into my arms and took a step into the center of the glowing pattern. In that instant, the world burst into white.

My body felt as though it were floating upward. I was enveloped in a light that was neither cold nor warm, but simply soft. Strangely, the fear was gone. When I opened my eyes, I was in a plaza.

The air was crisp. In the distance, I saw other people standing there, having also emerged from the light. They were looking at one another quietly, as if confirming each other’s existence. I pulled Mary close. Her small body was trembling slightly.

“Mommy…”

Her voice shook. In Mary’s eyes, the afterglow of terror still flickered. Her tiny hands clutched the hem of my clothes, desperately seeking “reality.”

That was when it happened.

A nostalgic voice called out from behind me.

“Are you feeling alright? Wait! Is that…?”

I turned around to find Henry, my husband Rui’s colleague, standing there. My body, which had been taut with tension, relaxed just a little.

“Henry! Rui… where is Rui?!”

My voice trembled like a prayer. Anxiety and hope swirled together, threatening to overflow into tears at any moment.

“Ah, he’s safe! Rui! Myra and the others are here!!”

The moment his voice rang out, the sound of boots striking the dry earth approached from a distance. A familiar, tall shadow. I knew it was Rui at a single glance.

“Ah! Daddy!!” Mary cried out in a bursting voice.

“Mary! Myra!”

Rui’s voice shook with a mixture of shock and joy. In the next heartbeat, his arms were around us, pulling us both into a single embrace. He was strong and warm; the tension that had held me together snapped all at once, and tears streamed down my face.

“Rui, when I heard you were a prisoner, I was so worried.”

Putting it into words made the pain in my chest overflow, and my breath hitched.

“I’m alright. I’m safe. They’ve even let us live like human beings. I’m sorry for worrying you. …I’m so glad you decided to come.”

As Rui spoke, his voice sounded immensely relieved. Looking at his face, his color was good; he looked even healthier than I had imagined. I felt a wave of peace.

“Seeing that you’re safe, I can finally breathe.”

As I squeezed the words out, the tears threatened to spill over again.

“Myra, listen. I want to live in this country as a soldier. So—”

“Hey, hey! It’s not fair that only you two are talking! Listen to Mary too! Daddy, Mary can do braids now, you know!”

Mary’s innocent interjection as she puffed out her chest broke the tense atmosphere in an instant. A natural smile lit up Rui’s face.

“Oh, that’s amazing, Mary. Haha, you’re right! Let’s take our time and talk. Tell me everything that’s happened.”

Around us, the chatter of the soldiers who had been watching from a distance grew louder. But as the three of us leaned our heads together, even that commotion sounded like a gentle melody.