And Thus… It All Comes to an End - Chapter 8

Deep within the ancient castle.

In a silent corner where few servants are ever permitted to set foot, lies a single room.

—The Chamber of the Solar Corona—

A pure sanctuary, built solely for the worship of Goddess Aurelia.

The moment my fingertips brushed the door, a heavy yet clear atmosphere flowed out from within. With every step forward, the clamor of the outside world drifted further away. It felt as though this room itself had been severed from the world, ticking to a different time.

The walls were crafted from snow-white marble, and the ceiling soared high, adorned with intricate patterns traced in gold filigree. From the skylight piercing the center, sunlight poured in, softly enveloping the altar like a blessing of light descending from the heavens.

Upon the altar, the statue of Goddess Aurelia stood in quiet repose. The Goddess reached out a hand in a gentle gesture, her gaze holding an eternal, merciful love.

I knelt and pressed my palm to my chest.

“Goddess Aurelia. It is finally beginning. If I should ever make the wrong choice, I pray you grant me immediate punishment. Let me stain these hands not out of personal spite, but within the bounds of righteousness.”

My voice was naturally absorbed into the hushed space. A single ray of light brushed my cheek and flickered.

“So, this is where you were.”

A low voice echoed from behind. I turned to find my grandfather standing there.

“Grandfather.”

I could see the weight of the accumulated years etched into the wrinkles of his face. Even so, a powerful light still resided in the depths of his eyes. He walked slowly toward the statue and knelt beside me. After a long prayer, he let out a soft breath and turned his gaze toward me.

“It feels like only a short while ago that you were so small…”

“Hehe, oh stop. I am already nineteen.”

“Haha, quite right.”

That laugh seemed to carry a longing for days long passed.

My memories of childhood are intensely vivid, yet shrouded in a haze.

On that day, I was told the carriage carrying my father and mother had suddenly tumbled into the trees on their way back from the Royal Capital. When they returned, they were wrapped in cloth.

“She is still young, do not let her see,” someone said. Yet, I pushed past them all and ran to them.

‘Open your eyes. Hold me!’

‘Don’t leave me behind, come back to life…!’

With my small hands, I shook their cold bodies over and over. I screamed until my voice gave out, wishing with a fervor that tore at my throat.

My grandfather, who had been watching in silence for some time, gently picked me up. The warmth of his arms was the only heat in a freezing world. In that moment, I lost consciousness.

In my next clear memory, my hand was enveloped in his.

The scent of cold earth, the feel of damp grass. Spring flowers had been placed quietly before the gravestones, and the wind swept through my hair. I couldn’t say a word; I simply squeezed Grandfather’s hand back as hard as I could.

“Grandfather. Am I not the Apostle of the Goddess? Is this not a power where things come true if I wish for them? Then why…?”

My question trembled, and tears once again traced paths down my cheeks. Grandfather gently stroked my head and shook his head. His voice held a quiet admonishment, neither blaming nor merely comforting.

“It is my fault for thinking you too young and failing to teach you properly. You must not mistake this power for being all-powerful.”

“But whenever I spoke of something I wanted, it was mine. What I wanted to do, what I wanted to eat—everything came true just by saying it.”

Every time I remembered those “miracles,” my heart tightened.

“That, Luciana, was not because you are the Apostle. It was because you are the daughter of a Duke. It was simply that those around you, the vassals, moved to fulfill your desires.”

Grandfather’s words seemed to softly strip away my conceit. Still, I didn’t back down and pressed him further.

“Then, can I never see Father and Mother again?”

Grandfather inhaled slowly and exhaled with equal measure. His eyes looked far off, as if peering into the distance of time.

“A person’s lifespan is already decided at the moment of their birth. That is for the Gods to determine. It is not for humans to toy with human life. Your power,it is the voice of the Goddess’s will, not a tool to satisfy your own selfishness. It is something to be used for what is right, by sensing the Goddess’s intent.”

Grandfather looked me straight in the eye and spoke with strength.

“See with your own eyes, deliberate deeply, and weave your words. All for the sake of the Goddess. And by extension, for the sake of this country.”

“…It’s too difficult. I don’t understand.”

A tear fell with a plop. The droplet soaking into the soil seemed to announce my powerlessness. Grandfather gently picked me up again. As I buried my face in his broad chest, I felt the faint trembling of his shoulders.

I realized then, for the first time in my young life, that even my grandfather who seemed so strong carried his own pain.

“I suppose so… I have spoken of difficult things. Until you become an adult, we shall talk of this as many times as it takes. Over and over again.”

I didn’t answer. I just pressed my face against his chest and fought back the tears.

His heartbeat echoed with profound kindness.

“Grandfather, thank you.”

“Hm? For what?”

“Hehe, for everything.”

“Haha. I see.”

His smile was the same as it was back then. But deep within it, I could feel the pride he felt for me.

“Grandfather. Would you like to hold hands, for old time’s sake?”

“No… while I am happy for the offer, that would be rude to a Lady. If you would have it, allow me to escort you.”

“Yes, with pleasure.”

My grandfather’s large palm overlapped the hand I offered. That hand felt just a little bit smaller than it had when he held me as a child.

The doors of the Chamber of the Solar Corona opened. Light flooded out, stretching their two shadows long. It felt like an announcement of the start of a new path.

“Luciana.”

“Yes.”

“I will not tell you not to stray. I will not tell you not to doubt.”

His voice was the same as the one that had guided me when I was small.

“But do not run. Not as an Apostle, but as a human—do not turn your eyes away from your own choices.”

I took a quiet breath and finished his thought.

“Yes. I will not turn my eyes away from my choices. For the Goddess. And for the people who live in this country.”

Grandfather narrowed his eyes in satisfaction.

“It seems there is no longer a part for me to play.”

“No. Grandfather, you are my foundation. I look forward to your continued support.”

When I said that, his eyes widened for a moment in surprise, before he quickly broke into a smile.