Lasting Radiance

Nothing special happened afterward. The reinforcing knights gradually arrived, only to be pinned to the ground by Clo with a single finger. Later, several high-ranking figures arrived to calm the scene. At the time, Li Yue was simply swallowed by a wave of darkness; she had used almost every ounce of her strength just to suppress the killing intent and the desire for slaughter rising within her.

About a month had passed since the day Clo had intervened to suppress the Holy Knights and rescued her from that near-madness and suffering. For reasons unknown, the Church had actually reduced its intervention in civilian security during this time, handing those powers back to the academy's guard forces.

That day had almost no impact on Li Yue's daily life, but it was as if a box had been opened. Her usually peaceful state of mind seemed affected. Occasionally, she would feel a sense of boundless rage and resentment. Often, she would repeatedly fire at targets to vent these emotions.

Sometimes, she feared herself, terrified that she might irrationally vent her anger on Clo.

Since coming to the academy, Li Yue had lost count of how many times she had suppressed her murderous intent. She constantly told herself to be calm, to stay cool, and then forcibly pushed down the intense hatred that felt like it wanted to tear the world apart.

That feeling, which seemed intent on driving her into a spiral of negative emotions, continued to influence her. It made it difficult for her to maintain a peaceful mind, whether during her studies in the daytime or in her daily life.

She would often take out and repeatedly look at the logs written by Lane, the diaries she had written herself, and many other things—magic recordings imprinted with her own and others' smiles, the broken camera, the magic cylinders she had exhausted, the flower crown woven from Cecilia flowers... and the token used to call meetings, which had not received a message in a long time.

What had happened to the Royal Court? Li Yue didn't know. She only knew that the place revered several deities that the Church of the Divine Lord regarded as evil gods—Death, Soul, Destruction... That place held extreme respect for death. They named a holiday the Day of the Fallen Sun, a day to observe silence for the deceased and pray that their souls would find eternal silence and sleep under the protection of the God of Death.

Most of them used magic from the factions of these deities. After "Death" and "Destruction" had vanished for many years, no more vassals of theirs had ever been born there. No one could accommodate even a single fragment of the remains of "Death," and no one had ever discovered a fragment of the remains of "Destruction." There were only generations of vassals of "Soul."

They were respectfully called the "Soulguides." As vassals, they gradually influenced the power structure of the Royal Court. Although the Royal Court was founded on the God of Death, "Jormungandr," more and more people had stopped believing in this deity who governed death. Only the hereditary royal family continued to hold power, possessing the taboo magic they took pride in.

As for Li Yue herself, she mastered taboo magic and possessed the remains of the God of Death. This seemed to be the first instance in thousands of years. However, very few people currently knew this. Aside from a few individuals in the Royal Court who seemed to be setting their own boards, the only ones who explicitly knew were Roland and Clo.

She flipped through her diary, from the records starting when her memories began to blur, to the later complaints about life, the cold-bloodedness after first accepting divinity, and the brief fragments that followed.

At first, she didn't seem to realize anything; she just wanted a happy life for everyone. Later, she gradually discovered that those god's remains were trying to assimilate her. She had resisted, but now, she... didn't care about anything anymore. Whether she was a vassal or the God of Death itself... who she was was never determined by authority.

If possible, she still only wanted to be herself.

Yakutsk, weather: overcast.

...

At worst, I'll just return to how things were before. That's all...

Li Yue looked out the window. A light rain was drizzling. She wondered if the rainy season had arrived. Clo had told her it would rain for the next few days. If it was just a light drizzle, Li Yue didn't feel much, but she preferred stormy weather. In the continuous sound of rain, she could always find a moment of peace, though she didn't know why.

Perhaps it was because, during the days she had spent dormant in the ocean, only the days when storms whipped up the waves could bring a ripple to her long and tedious life.

Li Yue put down her diary. The academy exams were approaching. Although the location had changed this time to the Silent Forest near the academy—meaning she wouldn't have to travel far to the Western Continent—she still felt bouts of anxiety. For the first time, she was a little afraid... afraid of her own madness and divine self...

"What's wrong? You've been staring out the window in a daze. The glass is covered in raindrops, and it's getting dark. Do you want to take a nap?" Clo climbed out from under the covers. After having a nap herself, she looked like she wanted to crawl back in and keep sleeping.

She tiptoed over and slowly walked behind Li Yue, draping a coat over her as she stood there in her thin nightgown, then hugged her affectionately from behind.

"It's just... I'm in a bit of a bad mood..." Waves of warmth transferred from Clo's body to Li Yue. She leaned back slightly, almost greedily wishing to hide in Clo's embrace.

"Don't think about so many things—the past, the future. I used to worry all the time too, but now I think the present is the best." Clo slowly lowered her head and kissed Li Yue's cheek.

"Anyway, no matter what happens, you still have me in the future, don't you?" Clo smiled, revealing a small snaggletooth at the corner of her mouth.

"You're right..." Li Yue smiled slightly and kissed the tip of Clo's nose.

No matter what, having you in the future is the best thing.

The radiance lingers; next year will be the same, as we laugh together in the spring breeze.