A quiet corner of the park.
The morning sun bathed everything in a warm golden glow, its rays filtering through the trees and casting soft shadows on the ground.
The emerald-green lake rippled gently, dragonflies skimming the surface, their translucent wings creating tiny disturbances in the still water.
A cool breeze swept through, rustling the leaves and bending the delicate wildflowers.
Bardi and Raven sat side by side on a wooden bench, their eyes half-closed, basking in the peaceful moment.
Both of them were old now, their faces lined with countless wrinkles.
Bardi's back had begun to hunch, and a black cane rested beside his knee.
Seventy years had passed in this spiritual world.
Raven's heavy eyelids fluttered open.
Her body had weakened over the years. She tired easily, even when simply sitting in the park with Bardi. It was as if she had little time left.
And deep down, she felt that she had failed.
She had never been able to give Bardi the intense happiness needed to break free from this world.
In the beginning, she had been focused solely on increasing his happiness.
But gradually, without even realizing it she had allowed herself to fall into the illusion.
She had come to love this life.
She had spent decades by his side.
They had supported each other through life's ups and downs.
Sometimes, she worried that she had caused him too much trouble, that he might one day tire of her. But Bardi had never abandoned her. He had always been patient, always understanding, always loving.
And she had fallen completely, utterly in love with him.
She had failed to bring him back to reality.
But at least…
At least he was no longer alone.
"I'm sorry, Bardi."
"I couldn't save you."
A sorrowful expression crossed Raven's aged face.
A single tear slipped from the corner of her eye.
Sunlight streamed across Bardi's profile, illuminating his features.
Through her fading vision, Raven could still see the shadow of his younger self, standing in the sunlight on their wedding day, gentle, warm, full of hope.
And even after all these years, Bardi had never changed.
He had continued to live by her side with the same kindness, the same unwavering love.
A slightly trembling hand reached up and wiped away her tear.
Bardi smiled faintly, his old face soft with warmth.
His wife had always been a little odd, always doing strange things, always saying she wanted to make him happy.
When they were younger, he could easily pull her over his lap and give her a playful spanking whenever she caused trouble.
But now?
Now, he was too old to even lift her.
If she got herself into trouble again, he wouldn't even have the strength to carry her to the hospital.
"What would I do with you?"
He sighed, gently holding her wrinkled hand.
"Are you cold?" he asked. "Let's go home."
He picked up his cane, planted it firmly on the ground, and slightly bent forward to help Raven up.
The breeze continued to dance along the lakeside, rustling the willows, rippling the water.
It carried a message—one that had been whispered for seventy years.
A message that the end was near.
Raven watched Bardi's slightly hunched back as he walked ahead of her.
He had been through so much, weathered storms, endured heartbreak.
And yet, he still walked before her, leading the way.
She couldn't stop herself from asking:
"Are you happy?"
Bardi stopped.
He stood still for a long moment, his deeply lined face as motionless as stone.
His mind drifted through memories of their life together.
His wife had always been doing something ridiculous, always finding new ways to surprise him.
Yet, every time she made an effort, every time she pushed herself for his sake, it had filled his heart with warmth.
Because when someone is willing to work hard just to bring you happiness.
That, in itself, is a gift.
"Thank you," he said softly.
"I am very happy."
His old, wrinkled face was bathed in sunlight, his warmth radiating outward.
Raven smiled, her narrowed eyes crinkling even more.
She squeezed his hand tightly and continued walking forward.
A light breeze swept past, smoothing out the wrinkles on her face.
Then—
Suddenly—
A strange feeling clawed at her chest.
A deep, unsettling palpitation.
She had never felt this way in the past seventy years.
Because no matter what, Bardi had always been beside her.
He had always made her feel safe.
But now—
The wind stopped.
The world… stopped.
The elderly people in the park froze mid-step, their conversations cut off mid-sentence.
The willow trees swayed but never fell.
The ripples on the lake ceased moving.
A dragonfly hovered just above the water, wings still.
Leaves hung suspended in the air, motionless.
Everything was frozen in time.
Then—
Bardi's hand slipped from hers.
"…Bardi?"
Raven's voice trembled.
She turned to look at him.
And what she saw made her breath hitch in her throat.
Bardi…
The slight hunch in his back was gone.
His posture was tall, straight, imposing.
From the side, his loose, aged skin tightened.
The deep wrinkles on his face smoothed out.
A scar reappeared on his cheek.
His old, worn clothes vanished—replaced by a pristine white suit and a long, billowing trench coat.
Raven did not feel joy.
She felt terror.
An overwhelming sense of dread crawled through her veins.
Suddenly.
An unimaginable pressure exploded outward.
A suffocating, violent aura surged from Bardi's body, distorting the space around them.
Then—
A massive hand erupted from the ground beneath Raven.
Like a serpent striking from its den, it coiled around her throat in an instant.
Her eyes widened in shock.
She couldn't resist.
The moment the hand clamped down, her frail, elderly body vanished.
Her skin returned to its youthful glow.
Her pale complexion regained its rich undertones.
Her dark-purple lips became soft and inviting, exuding a mysterious allure.
Her eyelashes grew long and delicate, her pupils no longer clouded with age.
Her black-and-white eyes gleamed—crystal clear, filled with light.
She wore a black cloak, its hem swaying as her body dangled in the air.
Beneath it, her long, slender legs were clad in leather tights that hugged her form, accentuating their sleek and toned shape.
Her entire body was lifted off the ground.
Her legs trembled, her feet kicking instinctively.
Bardi's fingers tightened around her throat, his grip merciless. The pressure left red marks against her pale skin, her face flushing deep crimson from the lack of air.
"You... tampered with my memories?!"
Bardi's voice was low, cold, seething with barely restrained fury.
Even now, he could still feel the pain from before.
But this—this was different.
The stark contrast between his past suffering and the emotions flooding him now shattered the illusion, snapping him out of the dream.
His memories unraveled.
And suddenly, he remembered.
A flood of experiences with Raven surged through his mind, overwhelming him.
It was as if someone had forcibly rewritten his past, stuffing these new memories into his head.
"Aghh… I… I just… wanted you to be… happy!"
Raven's voice was strained, barely escaping her lips.
Her hands clutched at Bardi's wrist, trying in vain to loosen his grip.
Her vision blurred.
Her lungs screamed for air.
Even Trigon Projection's was no match for Bardi in this spiritual world.
There was nothing she could do to fight back.
The moment her words reached him, Bardi's body stiffened.
The cold fury on his face faltered.
For a long second, he remained frozen.
Then—his grip loosened.
Raven tumbled to the ground, gasping desperately for breath.
Each inhale was sharp and painful, but she was alive.
In just those few words, Bardi had pieced it all together.
He knew now.
He understood everything Raven had done for him, the seventy years she had spent trying to save him.
Bardi's gaze lowered to her.
His sharp expression softened slightly.
A mere thought was all it took.
And just like that—Raven's injuries vanished.
"Huh?"
Raven blinked in surprise.
She touched her neck, running her fingers over the now-smooth skin.
Nothing. No pain. No bruising.
After a brief moment of confusion, she realized.
Bardi had healed her.
A wave of embarrassment washed over her.
Without thinking, she pulled the hood of her cloak up, hiding her face in its shadowy depths.
Her skin felt hot. Too hot.
"T-Thanks…"
Bardi remained silent for a while.
His expression was complicated.
If not for Raven, he truly would have remained trapped in that endless cycle of suffering.
He owed her his freedom.
Yet…
The seventy years they had spent together in that world.
The life they had built.
It all still felt real.
The memories clung to him, refusing to fade.
Raven gave a small nod, her face still hidden under her hood.
A quiet, barely audible "mmh" escaped her lips.
Bardi had returned to his true self.
But now that he was awake…
Raven found herself unsure of what to do.
The decades they had spent together in the spiritual world felt too real.
Painfully real.
Even the most private moments, the most intimate experiences…
She remembered all of it.
And now, standing before Bardi in reality.
She didn't know how to face him.
(To be continued.)
***
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