The Princess’s Final Wish Before Her Time Runs Out - Chapter 116

By the time Rashid reached deeper into the mountain, snow had begun to fall.

He looked up at the sky.

The snow didn’t fall straight, it swirled around him, as if circling. Though the ground was blanketed in white elsewhere, the snow seemed to avoid him, almost guiding him forward.

Strange, he thought.

But there was no time to dwell on it. He pulled the blanket tighter around Tericia, shielding her from the cold as he held her closer in his arms.

As he adjusted the wrap, his eyes fell to the small pouch tied at his wrist—the one holding the gem given to him by the high priest.

It had once seemed no more than an ordinary stone, but the deeper they went into the forest, the more it shimmered. Now, it glowed softly.

“The divine relic guiding the way to the sanctuary,” Rashid murmured.

The gem came from the sanctuary. It will lead the way, the high priest had said.

And he was right.

The deeper they entered the woods, the brighter the light became. If it was reacting to the land, then perhaps it made sense that it showed no power while they were still in the capital.

The deeper parts of the forest were utterly silent. It reminded Rashid of that day in the hunting grounds when he went searching for Tericia. The forest then had been unnervingly still—just like this.

Was that creature a messenger of the divine too? Maybe it’s that same being I now need to rely on.

No matter what it was—if it could save Tericia, that was all that mattered.

Rashid nudged the horse forward slowly. He didn’t want to disturb Tericia more than necessary.

After a while, the path split into three.

He stopped.

Expressionless, he reached out the wrist with the pouch and slowly moved it toward each trail.

The middle path.

As the gem was held toward it, the light flared—much brighter now than before. No longer a soft glow, but a clear sign.

“It seems we’re close,” he whispered, gazing down at Tericia in his arms. “Just a little more. Please hold on.”

His voice was gentle, like a secret meant only for her. Though she didn’t respond, a faint smile crossed his lips as if she had.

Lifting his eyes, he urged the horse toward the middle path.

The forest grew darker. Deeper.

Then, suddenly—

The snow disappeared entirely.

The trees opened into a quiet clearing where not even a single snowflake had settled. Only the flakes that had landed on his shoulders earlier remained, melting slowly.

“The sanctuary…?” Rashid whispered.

This was the land where beasts from beyond the world would appear. The same place he had once hunted alongside the Hesspelt knights.

He should’ve recognized it. But it felt utterly unfamiliar.

No snow fell here now. The only sign it ever had were the faint traces still clinging to him.

He dismounted slowly, casting a glance at Tericia.

Then at the gem.

The light was so bright now that it threatened to burn through the pouch that held it.

This had to be the place.

And yet…

Nothing had changed.

Just an empty clearing, encircled by tall white trees. No sound, no presence. Just silence.

The horse had stepped aside on its own and was quietly grazing near the edge of the clearing.

Rashid walked to the center and stood still.

Nothing.

This had to be it. There was no other place that made sense.

But Tericia… she didn’t stir.

“Tericia,” he whispered, swallowing his rising despair. “We’ve arrived.”

Still, no answer.

“You’re not waking up…”

His voice trembled.

“We made it to the sanctuary. Tericia, please… open your eyes…”

His throat tightened. It was getting hard to speak.

“Let me see your eyes… just once more. Let me hear your breath…”

He caressed her pale cheek, but she didn’t move. Not even a flutter of her eyelids.

His golden eyes, usually calm and commanding, began to shake.

He trembled—not with cold, but with something far heavier. The fear of losing her. Again.

He held her tightly, fiercely, burying her against his chest.

“You’re mine. You promised you’d stay by my side…”

He kissed the corner of her eye, soft and reverent.

Her golden-brown hair slipped from his fingers.

He remembered the small girl with the white ribbon in her hair, always trailing behind him.

He remembered the footsteps that once followed him so shyly.

He remembered the day he lost her—when everything collapsed, when even his heart died.

You said you’d stay. That you wouldn’t leave again…

“Tericia.”

Was she abandoning him again?

“Please… wake up.”

He lowered his head to her shoulder, breath shallow, body trembling.

With a faint clink, the gem slipped from his wrist and hit the ground.

The moment it touched the earth, a column of light erupted—reaching skyward.

This was it.

The sanctuary.

[Rashid.]

A white figure emerged from within the light. Rashid instantly twisted his body, shielding Tericia.

The figure smiled gently.

[You don’t have to be so wary. I won’t harm her.]

“…You’re that stag from before, aren’t you?” Rashid asked warily, not dropping his guard.

The figure paused—clearly surprised by the recognition.

[How did you know?]
The being looked genuinely delighted, like a child discovering a favorite toy. But Rashid’s gaze remained sharp, unwavering.

“Is this the sanctuary?”

[That’s what humans call it. You came to save her, didn’t you?]

“Can you save Tericia?”

The being’s lips curled into a soft smile.

[Well… you’re certainly hoping I can, aren’t you?]

Rashid said nothing.

[First, come inside. It’s cold for her here, and you can’t hold her forever.]

Rashid flinched slightly at that and looked down at Tericia.

Her pale face seemed even whiter than before—was it just his imagination?

After a moment’s hesitation, he nodded.

[Smart choice.]

The being beamed.

Inside the pillar of light was a vast, empty whiteness.

Rashid didn’t like it, but he followed as instructed. He gently laid Tericia down where the being pointed, then stood by her side, eyes wary.

“Can you save her?”

[Why?]

“…What?”

Rashid frowned at the cryptic answer.

[She made her choice. Why should I override it?]

“What are you—?”

[It’s a long story. Let’s skip the details. That’s not the important part.]

Rashid clenched his jaw.

[It’s simple: one life for another, Rashid.]

His face hardened.

[This place only works by swallowing a soul.]

“…What?”

[Before, it took your life.]

“…What did you say?”

[Now, it’s meant to take hers.]

Rashid felt the blood drain from his face.

The being gave him a warm, almost amused smile.

[Only one person can leave this place alive.]

He swallowed hard. The weight of that truth sank deep into his bones.

[So choose, Rashid. Her or you?]

He stared down at Tericia, silence hanging thick around them.

Of course. Deep down, he’d suspected.

If it were possible to save her, it would be through the price of his own life.

Tericia. My beloved.

How could I go on living without you?

As he knelt beside her, the being repeated gently:

[Have you made your choice?]

Rashid didn’t answer. Instead, he lowered himself beside her, one knee to the ground.

He leaned in, close enough to feel the faintest trace of her breath. Still there—but barely.

Her life was slipping away, thread by fragile thread.

There wasn’t much time left.

Rashid.
My beautiful little brother.

Don’t leave me behind. You promised to stay. If even you abandon me… what will I have left?

Rashid smiled faintly.

“You wouldn’t want this, I know.”

He reached behind him and drew a dagger—the one Tericia had given him long ago.

He removed it from its sheath, letting the silver blade catch the light. His fingers grazed the cold metal.

“Don’t be angry with me. I’m just giving back what you gave me. I can’t… I won’t lose you.”

If giving his life would save her—what greater joy could there be?

“Ah.”

He paused, a thought crossing his mind.

“One more question.”

[Go ahead.]

“If I give her my life… will she wake up?”

[One life for another. That’s the rule.]

“Then… can you make her forget me?”

[…What?]

“Tericia wouldn’t want to live knowing I died for her. So if she forgets me… she can be happy.”

[Ha… you two are truly something.]

The being sounded almost exasperated.

But Rashid didn’t wait for more.

He looked at Tericia once again, soaking her into his memory.

“Just once… I wish I could’ve seen your eyes again. Heard your voice one last time.”

He leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.

When he pulled back, a warm smile remained on his face.

“Tericia… I love you.”

Please live. Forget me. And be happy.

Without hesitation, Rashid drove the blade into his own chest.

A burst of light exploded around them radiant, blinding.

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