"YOU'LL die if I hug you, Father. Not that I want to."
Nikolai already expected that rejection, but it still hurt.
Even so, he didn't resent his daughter. He had no right to do so. In fact, he was already grateful that Neoma didn't stab him in the heart.
[I deserve that for all the pain I've put her through in the first timeline.]
"It seems like you're aware of how horrible you were in the past, Father," the older Neoma said, smiling bitterly. "I almost didn't recognize you. The father in my memories had never looked at me with affection, after all."
Nikolai's arms fell to his sides, then he clenched his hands tight. "I know I'm already too late. But I'm sorry, Neoma. I really am."
"You are really different from the cold-hearted emperor I remember," Neoma said, slowly descending until she was standing in front of him. "I almost feel guilty for hearing your apology, Father."
"I really don't know what to say to you, Neoma," he said, his voice almost a whisper. That was all he could do to stop himself from crying in front of his daughter. "I don't even have the right to stand in front of you like this. You suffered a lot, and the cause of your suffering was me. I failed you as a father…"
Neoma remained looking at him with those empty eyes of hers.
It was clear that she was no longer expecting anything from him– anything from anyone for that matter.
"The Neoma of this timeline is lucky," the older Neoma said. "You love her, Father."
"Neoma isn't lucky– she's a hard worker," Nikolai said, shaking his head. "Of course, luck may have played out in her favor. But she worked hard to gain the love that she has received and has been receiving in this lifetime. If Neoma didn't stand up against me, I wouldn't have changed. I would have remained the scumbag father that you know."
"I only said a few words, but you're already taking her side."
Nikolai was flustered. "I don't mean it that way, Neoma–"
"It's alright, Father. I was just teasing you," Neoma said, cutting him off. "Anyway, there's another reason why I came out." She looked around them, then laughed. "The Second Calamity, huh? This is just child's play to me now. Unfortunately, if I helped you directly, my good karma points will turn negative."
Good karma points?
To be honest, Nikolai was at loss. Even so, he didn't have the courage to ask Neoma. He felt like he didn't even deserve to talk to his daughter.
"I endured and persisted for a chance to see this world, so I won't let it go to waste," the older Neoma said, then she turned to Nikolai again. "I still have many people I want to meet in this timeline. Having said that, I can't let Helstor win."
"You don't have to help us if it's going to put you in trouble, daughter," Nikolai said worriedly. "Just go to the people you want to meet here and leave the problem to us."
"Father, why do I have to choose when I can do both at the same time?"
"What do you mean…"
He trailed off when, all of a sudden, his daughter multiplied.
Before he knew it, he was already looking at five Neomas.
"I can be at several places at once, Father," the older Neoma claimed confidently. "It's something a god like me can do easily."
Nikolai was shocked to hear that casual revelation from his daughter.
[Neoma of the first timeline had become a god?]
***
MONA was about to open a portal directly connected to the Cosmic Tree's house when, all of a sudden, the sudden shift in the air made her stop.
Even Trevor and Dahlia froze on their spot.
"This is Nero of this timeline? Hmm."
A woman who looked like Neoma's older and taller version stood beside Nero while looking down at him.
"If I poke his forehead lightly, I can smash this poor boy's skull."
[She's serious.]
Mona felt protective even though the woman didn't move to touch Nero. "Please don't."
"You must be Mona Roseheart."
Mona's heart thumped hard and fast against her chest because of nervousness.
Of course, there was no way she didn't recognize her own daughter. Even so, she didn't know what to make out of that situation.
"Are you… my daughter from the first timeline?"
"That's right," Neoma said. "This is the first time that I saw you in person, Mother. I failed to save you because I didn't know you were stuck under the Black Ocean. I'm sorry."
Mona shook her head. "It's not your fault, baby. You don't have to apologize to me."
"It's the first time someone called me 'baby.'"
Mona's heart broke right at that moment. "Neoma, my baby…"
"I'm not here to make you cry, Mother," the older Neoma said. "I'm just here to see you because I never got the chance to do so."
Mona covered her mouth with her hands when she gasped. "Neoma, can I hug you?"
"I'm sorry, but you'll die if you hug me, Mother," the older Neoma said. "Not in this body."
She didn't know what her daughter meant by that.
"That's the body of a god," Trevor explained indifferently. "You're a god."
The older Neoma turned to Trevor with a slight frown on her face. "You disappeared even before the Calamities arrived in the empire during the first timeline. So, you've decided to stay around this time."
Trevor shrugged. "What can I do? I fell in love with my Moon Princess this time."
"I'm sure the Neoma of this timeline has rejected you, too."
Trevor gulped hard. "As expected, I also fell for you in the first timeline."
"I guess you're good at handling rejections this time," the older Neoma teased Trevor. "You abandoned us in the first timeline just because I turned you down. That, and probably because you couldn't accept the fact that Commander Yoan was stronger than you."
Trevor avoided the older Neoma's gaze. "I'm more mature than the Trevor of the first timeline."
The older Neoma just let out a hollow chuckle, then she turned to Dahlia. "Ah, Empress Dahlia. I still feel sorry for you and the life that you had to live as the empress in the first timeline."
Mona wasn't surprised to hear that.
[I've heard from Neoma before that Nero made Dahlia his wife and empress by force.]
"T-Thank you for worrying about me, Princess Neoma," Dahlia said shyly. "But I have no intention of living as the empress again."
The older Neoma fell silent for a moment. "Dahlia, you cannot survive the Third Calamity without undoing your seal."
Seal?
Mona didn't know that Dahlia had sealed her power.
Dahlia looked shocked that the older Neoma knew her secret, making her pale. "Princess Neoma, if I undo the seal, my power will harm the de Moonasterios."
"That's exactly what you need to destroy the Third Calamity."
"But Prince Nero–"
"Nero is only half-de Moonasterio. His Roseheart Blood will protect him," the older Neoma said, cutting off the Black Witch. "But if he doesn't survive, then it's his fault for being weak."
Mona found the older Neoma cold.
Dahlia seemed to feel the same way.
Only Trevor snickered, obviously enjoying the older Neoma's coldness towards her own twin brother.
"I can't help you directly, so I can't tell you how to destroy the Third Calamity," the older Neoma said. "All I can say is you have everything you'll need to win– you just have to find out how to use them properly."
Oh.
Mona felt a pang in her chest when she realized why the older Neoma was there. "Neoma, my baby, are you here to help us win the war?"
The older Neoma remained silent.
"You already saved the world once, daughter," Mona said, a lump forming in her throat. "You don't have to do it again."
"I only saved the world back then because I loved the feeling of being needed," the older Neoma said, smiling sadly. "As someone who grew up craving the love and attention of people who didn't care about me, it made me feel good when someone depended on me. I got addicted to that feeling. And that's the only reason why I took the role of a savior. Is it disappointing to hear that the reason I saved the world back then isn't for a noble cause?"
Mona shook her head. "Why would I feel disappointed? However, I feel sad for you. I wish I was there to share the burden with you back then, Neoma."
"It's alright, Mother."
"Don't say it's alright if it isn't," Trevor said sternly. "You have no reason to help us this time, Princess Neoma."
"But I do," the older Neoma said. "In this world, Neoma has family. Her parents love her and she gets along well with her twin brother. She also has loyal friends and allies, and the commander is still crazy about her. And the most important thing is Neoma is finally happy– and I want to protect that happiness."
Dahlia gasped softly and covered her mouth with her hands as tears fell from her eyes silently.
Trevor, on the other hand, clicked his tongue and avoided the older Neoma's gaze to hide the pain in his eyes.
The Black Witch and the demon probably felt the same thing.
[We all feel sorry to Neoma of the first timeline.]
Mona wasn't able to stop herself from crying this time.
The older Neoma looked cold and indifferent at first. But that fa?ade slipped away when she talked about Neoma of the current timeline.
Everyone knew that the Neoma of the first timeline had suffered all her life.
And yet, that person wished to protect the happiness of the Neoma who was blessed in this timeline.
[That's so selfless of her…]
"I wish I could hug you right now, daughter," Mona whispered between sobs. "I want to hug you so desperately."
Neoma laughed softly. "There's someone I wish to hug so badly, too, Mother."
***
RUFUS could finally take a break after sending his injured men back to the empire.
After dealing with the monsters and the replica of his older brother, he had to patrol the area to make sure that there wouldn't be a second ambush.
Then Duke Jasper Hawthorne took over so that Rufus could return to his tent and rest.
He was just about to close his eyes when he heard a familiar voice.
"Father…"
Rufus immediately got up and opened his eyes.
Then, much to his surprise, he was greeted by an older and taller Princess Neoma.
The appearance of the Imperial Princess looked strange, but also familiar.
He had a feeling that he wasn't really facing the Princess Neoma that he knew. Even so, he knew that this person wasn't an enemy.
"Why are you calling me 'Father,' Princess Neoma?"
The older Princess Neoma smiled, her eyes brimming with tears. "I'm glad to see you again, Father," she said, not answering his previous question. "I've always wanted to see you one last time to thank you for raising me with love."
Rufus had so many questions, but he chose to listen to the Imperial Princess first.
"And I'm sorry for failing to save you."
Rufus didn't know why, but he suddenly felt like crying.
The older Princess Neoma suddenly bowed her head towards him. "Father, thank you for giving me the only unconditional love that I received in my life."
Rufus was confused, but he felt the urge to console the Imperial Princess.
He tried to take a step closer, but an invisible force stopped him from approaching the older Princess Neoma.
And then a splitting headache suddenly hit him out of nowhere, followed by strange images that flooded his mind.
[What are these things I'm seeing...?]
At first, he didn't really understand what those images meant. He honestly thought he was having delusions in broad daylight. But, soon, his mind reached enlightenment.
The realization had finally hit him.
Those were his memories of his first life.
Before Rufus knew it, he was already crying. "Neoma, my daughter…"
***
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