She had no vision, but her skin could sense the moisture of the fresh air; this seemed to be a mountain village in the north. She didn't breathe, but she could hear the whistling wind in her ears. Because she wasn't breathing, her bodily functions had practically ceased, and her body was extremely well-preserved, free of any unpleasant odor.
She was also aware that the coffin lid had been pulled open, but she simply couldn't speak.
“Sister Tina, we've arrived~ This is our new home. We're going to spend a very long time here,” Sathya said sweetly.
“Being buried in the dirt must have been so uncomfortable, Sister Tina, so I dug up your body.”
Thanks to you, I'm not dead yet. No, actually, I didn't have any lingering attachments to this world in the first place.
Tina grumbled to herself.
“Sister Tina, I really... like you so much~”
She actually likes me?
If Tina could actually move, she would have kicked open the coffin lid and fled from this female pervert long ago.
Soon, she felt a kiss on her cheek. This girl really was a pervert!
What on earth is she going to do to me?
“I love you. Hehehe, nobody knows we're here~”
She was taken out of the coffin and placed on the bed.
From that day on, Tina and Sathya officially began “dating.”
From their conversations, it became clear that Sathya was living under an assumed name. She often went out to do various things—perhaps researching magic or gathering information, occasionally disguising herself as an ordinary resident... When she returned home in the afternoon, she would tell Tina everything that had happened that day.
Tina could tell that Sathya was exhausted and extremely busy.
Yet, she would still complain and vent to Tina.
Sathya treated a corpse entirely as her conversation partner. If Tina weren't actually alive, she would have found it even more bizarre!
On top of that, Sathya would get handsy with her from time to time.
Occasionally, when Sathya had more free time, she would wash Tina's body and talk to her even more.
Or, she would carry Tina out on her back.
“The food I make is delicious, isn't it? Though, it's still not as delicious as you, Sister Tina~”
“The sky is so blue, but Sister Tina's eyes are definitely bluer.”
“I knew treating you was the right choice, Sister Tina. Hehehe~ I'm glad your face wasn't disfigured.”
“Tina, I carried you on my back today to climb the highest peak. Looking down from up high is so beautiful. Back when the demons ran rampant, this place was a restricted area. But you can't see it, how pitiful... Let's look at it together in the future.”
She was certainly putting in effort, all to satisfy her own morbid desires.
Even if these efforts had yet to yield any results.
A few months later, Sathya began trying to wake her up.
But despite numerous attempts, Tina was still completely unable to recover.
She realized that she really was a dead person, her soul merely failing to detach from her body.
In the end, Sathya gave up.
No...
A few days later, Tina discovered that Sathya seemed to have a new method.
It was just a pity she never mentioned what that method was.
Just like that, years, decades, or perhaps even a century passed. Tina had lost track of time.
Her body showed no signs of improvement. She couldn't move, speak, or open her eyes.
Perhaps because Sathya was even more miserable than she was, Tina felt relatively at ease by comparison.
Humans were such ugly creatures; once they realized someone else had it worse, they would find comfort in their own situation.
Emotions and human nature stemmed from the same source. Time wore away her hatred, causing Tina to gradually accept Sathya's morbid behavior. She tried not to think about the bastard who had betrayed her, choosing instead to view her as a friend.
That was all she could do.
However, this peaceful time did not last.
War ravaged the town, turning it into a desolate wasteland of ruins.
The clashing of swords and the agonizing screams carried the distinct atmosphere and scent of war. If this had been countless years ago, she probably could have escaped easily, but now she was completely immobile.
She could sense that they were people sent by the Church, sent to hunt down Sathya.
The fire was currently spreading. Although she couldn't see, she could feel the scorching tongues of flame hanging hungrily overhead, shedding hot ash.
At this very moment, her first thought was actually that Sathya would come to save her.
Did something happen to her, since she hasn't come for so long?
Five minutes later, Sathya finally appeared.
A familiar fragrance clung to her body, mingled with the smell of blood.
Sathya didn't even bother with the more convenient coffin. She picked Tina up and ran swiftly toward the outskirts of the village, without saying a single word the entire time.
After running up the mountain for a long time, Tina was finally set down. The two of them lay on a hillside untouched by the fires of war, where the screams and the sound of collapsing houses could no longer be heard.
Tina finally breathed a sigh of relief, but then she was shocked to discover that Sathya's breathing was ragged.
“I'm sorry... It's been too long. My... my body can't hold out much longer.”
Her voice was hoarse, but it was still just as beautiful as ever.
She was injured, and severely so.
But Tina soon realized that the situation was far worse than she had imagined.
Sathya's breathing gradually slowed, her heartbeat grew erratic, and the scent of blood became increasingly thick.
This was bad.
Soon, however, Tina realized that things weren't that simple. She came to a grim realization—Sathya was dying.
Sathya had sustained a fatal wound.
An ambush? No, no, no. How could someone as strong as her end up like this? She was one of the strongest humans alive!
“I'm sorry, Sister Tina, I'm sorry... sob, sob, sob... I... failed to... protect you... failed to resurrect you. My efforts... they were all in vain... I still couldn't do it... My magic...”
She choked out her final words, forcing herself to piece together a complete sentence.
She struggled to squeeze Tina's hand, wanting to caress her beloved one last time just like before. Her morbid smile gradually dissolved into weeping grief, and as her hand slowly grew cold, as if suddenly realizing something, she repeatedly muttered “I'm sorry” over and over again.
The blood dripping from the corner of her mouth mingled with her tears. After letting out a weak whimper, her body slowly slumped.
She would never open her eyes again.
Tina felt as if a knife were stabbing her soul.
She hadn't known that time could change a person's attitude, mindset, and even feelings to such an extent—that she would feel such sharp, agonizing pain even when her enemy was about to die.
It couldn't be...
Was she really going to die?
For so long, for decades, she had been perfectly fine.
Sathya propped up her body and collapsed over Tina's immobile form.
Covering Tina's fair, clean face with her blood-stained hands, she kissed her with lips that were rapidly growing cold.
Tina's mind went blank for a moment.
But by the time she snapped out of it, everything was nearly over. Sathya's heartbeat slowed from once every few seconds to once every dozen seconds.
Sathya held her hand tightly, the warmth in her grip fading away.
She was still forcing herself to remain conscious, her lips moving, but no words came out.
Tina wanted to wake up, yet she was still unable to move, as if bound by a curse.
Tina, just how long are you going to keep lying there?
“Ugh...”
Focusing her mind with absolute intensity, she finally managed to squeeze a single syllable out of her mouth.
Then, her vision brightened, and she could clearly feel her body. It was nothing short of a miracle.
But she had no time to enjoy this miracle. The sudden return of her vision was blinding, and the scene that greeted her pierced her heart like a knife.
The mud-covered girl lay slumped beside her, her curled-up, petite body seeking the love she yearned for until her very last breath.
“I love you... I love you, too...”
Tina dryly croaked out her response.
The only response was the wind and the falling leaves.
It felt like a dream—dreaming that she had died and then come back to life. But right now, what Tina wanted wasn't to come back to life, but to wake up. Looking at the lifeless body cradled in her arms, she was on the verge of a complete breakdown. This was the first time in her long life that she had felt so sorrowful—so sorrowful that she couldn't even cry at first. By the time she realized what was happening, tears were streaming down her face, and she couldn't wipe them away.
And right at that moment, that damn system finally appeared.
【Immortality acquired】
【Sathya has died. Mission failed.】
【Detected that Sathya's magic has been completed. Activate?】
These brief three sentences left Tina's mind reeling, unable to process what was happening.
In truth, she had known all along; she had just been too afraid to imagine it.
The body of Sathya, who had once stood at the very pinnacle of power, had actually become so frail that she could be killed by ordinary humans—all to prepare her special magic.
To bring Tina back to life, Sathya had sacrificed everything.
She was originally the Saintess, adored and revered by all. Even without the divine light of God, she could have maintained her eternal youth, retiring behind the scenes to witness a century of human history and becoming a legend passed down through generations.
Yet, in the end, she had actually died in some obscure, backwater wilderness.
Tina didn't dare think any further.
【The magic of the female lead, Sathya, has been completed. Activate?】
The system prompted her once again.
“What magic?”
【Time Reversal,】 the system replied.
“Activate.”
Immediately after, Tina felt her world turn upside down as space shattered, creating a dreamlike, otherworldly phenomenon.
【Magic activated successfully. Space-time anchor: 79 years ago.】
...
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