He caught a brief glimpse of a land plagued by an endless snowstorm with a strange old lady standing at the center of it all.
Her back crooked, she raised her head to et his gaze and in that mont, he returned to the real world, his eyes snapping open just in ti to see Albus fall to the ground with his hand on his chest.
"No!" Alex exclaid as he snapped, teleporting to the ground before catching Albus, preventing the professor from hitting the ground.
He didn’t hesitate to snap again, utilizing Blessings to heal the injury Charlotte had inflicted.
Master.
"Have you forgotten that I’m not supposed to kill anyone?" Alex questioned harshly, raising his head to glare at her.
... I don’t understand.
Pausing, Alex realized that Charlotte had no way of knowing the specifics of the Trial he was currently trying to complete.
Letting out a sigh, he replied. "Don’t worry, thank you for saving ."
Apologies if I have let you down, Master, I was only trying to save you.
"I said it’s fine. Don’t worry about it."
...
Taking a deep breath, Alex shifted his attention back to Albus, who had begun to stir, his eyes fluttering open the next second.
"Can you hear , Albus?" Alex inquired with Albus looking around for a mont in visible confusion before letting out an audible ’ah.’
"So that’s how it is," Albus muttered, his previously crazed expression replaced by one filled with complications.
"Are you alright?"
"No," Albus replied in a heavy tone. "I have sinned greatly, Alex."
"What do you an?"
A self-deprecating chuckle escaped Albus’s lips as he replied. "You know, it is postulated that Abyss Wheel Mystics are similar to Human Wheel Mystics in the sense that neither gets to choose like the other three Immortal Wheels."
"What are you getting at?"
"... I chose, Alex. I chose to embrace insanity because I couldn’t accept reality." Tears had begun to trail down his cheeks at so point, making the old man appear more miserable. "I saw my wife turn into a tree, Alex, Rose turned into a tree."
"... I’m sorry. I didn’t know the cure wouldn’t work."
"It did... and perhaps if the Abyss had remained far away, she would have still been here with us, but things don’t always go as planned."
"What do you want to do now?" Alex asked.
Albus paused, closing his eyes for a mont as he recalled those few precious monts he’d spent with his beloved.
Ah, if only... if only.
Opening his eyes, he replied. "I do not deserve to live anymore, Alex. I killed an innocent man with a family to summon a 1st-Class and I was prepared to kill several thousand more to keep going. What do you think Rose would say if she saw like this?"
Silence followed for a mont before Alex replied. "She would give you a good beating."
Albus chuckled as Alex continued. "Maybe even ban you from reading for a week so you can think about your actions."
"Maybe even serve mashed potatoes and gruel for the tifra."
The atmosphere grew heavier by the mont as the two n joked.
Finally, the laughter died down, and erging after, a silence steeped in lancholy.
"They plan to fix the world." Albus suddenly remarked causing Alex to frown.
"Who?"
"Denizens of the Abyss."
"How do you know this?"
"Eternal Winter, the 1st-Class I summoned."
"The Otherworldly told you?"
Albus chuckled. "I doubt they intended to, but creatures of madness such as them end up letting their thoughts slip into the Mystics that they contract with. That’s why most Abyss Wheel Mystics are mad, they have to listen to the ravings of their contractor every day."
Taking a mont to absorb what Albus said, Alex inquired. "So the attacks of the Otherworldly and the Abyss Wheel Mystics are to fix the world. Why?"
"They fear for the end of this Cycle."
"Why?"
"I don’t know," Albus muttered. "But I have a guess."
"Tell ."
"... This Cycle might be the end of all Cycles."
Alex pursed his lips. "You are saying that there won’t be another Cycle after this one?"
"... I think so."
"But how does fixing the world stop the cycle?"
Albus let out a dry cough. "The key to the end of the cycle is in our world."
Alex paused for a mont, taking the ti to ponder his thoughts before coming to a realization. "The Branches."
"Yes," Albus remarked. "I think so too. Only such godlike items would be able to prevent the apocalyptic end awaiting us."
"How much longer?" Alex inquired. "How much longer before the cycle ends?"
"... I don’t know." ca to response, leaving Alex disappointed and Albus bitter.
Silence persisted for a bit longer before Albus spoke up again. "There’s still ti to stop them, Alex. The Will of the World still resists."
"How long do we have?"
"... A day, two if we are lucky," Albus remarked then he took Alex’s palm while letting out another dry cough. "You have to stop them, Alex, for Rose... for , please."
Alex closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he felt sothing welling up within.
Perhaps, his emotions weren’t dead after all.
He opened his eyes and intoned. "Don’t worry, leave it to ."
"Thank you," Albus muttered with tears in his eyes. "Thank you so much."
"It’s fine," Alex muttered. "You should rest now, you must be tired."
"No." Albus shook his head, a saddened smile on his lips. "I told you, Alex, I’ve sinned greatly."
"Then make ands," Alex replied.
"No... it’s too late for . I don’t think I’d ever be able to return to normal without her by my side. So it’s better this way, it’s better I go before I fully transform into soone she won’t recognize... before I transform into a monster."
"Albus."
"I just wish I got to see her one last ti," Albus muttered in a tone filled with yearning for his beloved, his vision already failing him as he felt death drawing near.
Just then, he saw it, almost like a dream and though he knew it was too good to be true, he accepted it regardless.
"What took you so long?" Rose inquired with a brilliant smile on her lips as she stood a few ters away, a door of light waiting silently behind her.
Albus, also smiling, got to his feet and walked over to her. "Just needed to deal with a few things."
"Done?"
"Mn."
"Alright then, co on, let’s go."
Albus nodded and reached out to take her hand.
Together, they walked toward the door of light which opened to reveal a living room with a rocking chair, a stool, and a couch, all facing a burning fireplace tinged with a green hue.
Just as they made to enter, Albus suddenly paused, and taking a look back, he muttered. "Thank you."
And then, he walked into the living room with his beloved.
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