It wasn’t the fear of her own death that troubled her. What frightened her was the inability to protect Ferdin from whatever might befall him in the future.

Death should come only after resolving everything that needed to be settled.

‘The western situation being resolved doesn’t mean everything is finished.’

Now that she had confirmed what cards the enemy held in the west, she needed to stay alive more than ever.

Erin struggled to her feet. She couldn’t remain lying down forever.

‘Perhaps I’m not dead after all.’

Someone might have moved her while she was asleep.

“Oh my, are you alright?”

At the sudden voice, Erin’s hand reflexively moved to her waist. Realizing her sword was missing, she bit her lower lip.

She turned to look and was startled by the woman before her.

‘So this isn’t hell?’

A blonde woman with sapphire-blue eyes stood there.

With her benevolent smile, the woman looked too bright and pure to be a gatekeeper or guide to hell.

“That looks painful.”

The woman approached Erin, looking at her hands.

An unfamiliar place, with an unfamiliar person. Normally, Erin would have been on guard.

But she found herself unable to react as the woman drew near.

The woman took Erin’s hands in hers. A warm energy spread through them, restoring her injured hands to their original state.

“I’ve wanted to meet you.”

Erin was bewildered. The woman before her was certainly someone she’d never seen before. Yet she claimed to have wanted to meet her?

Noticing Erin’s puzzled expression, the woman continued.

“Titi has talked about you so much.”

“Titi?”

“Yes, she’s been waiting patiently for you to come here someday.”

“You know Titi?”

As soon as those words left her mouth, Erin heard a meow. Something leaped into her arms.

Erin’s eyes widened.

A large, soft body. Enormous for a cat. It was Titi, the cat she used to feed.

“Ah…”

Erin’s voice trembled. She embraced the cat in her arms and smiled brightly.

“Titi!”

Meow—

Erin had always missed Titi. Knowing they could never meet again, she had buried her longing in a corner of her heart.

Her smiling face gradually stiffened. Now that she was actually meeting Titi, she couldn’t fully rejoice.

Though she didn’t want to admit it, Titi had died long ago. On a rainy day, hadn’t she made a grave for Titi with her own hands, crying all the while?

Erin still remembered that cold body temperature. She turned her gaze to the woman who was watching her and Titi with warm eyes.

“Am I dead?”

“No. You’re not dead.”

“Then how am I meeting Titi?”

“Well, let’s call it a dream.”

“A dream…?”

The woman smiled gently and approached Erin.

“Shall we sit over there for a moment?”

When Erin turned her head toward where the woman was pointing, she saw a chair that hadn’t been there before.

As the woman went to sit down first, Erin found herself following her to the chair without thinking.

‘Perhaps because it’s a dream.’

Once seated, Titi settled on her lap and began to purr. Erin felt an inexplicable warmth spreading through her heart.

Under the woman’s kind gaze, Erin unconsciously fidgeted with her hands.

She wasn’t accustomed to receiving warm looks from adult women.

“I knew you’d be surprised… but I called you here because I wanted to see you so badly.”

“Pardon?”

“May I hold your hand?”

Though taken aback, Erin nodded after a moment’s hesitation.

The woman carefully took Erin’s hand. She gently stroked the back of it before her face contorted into an expression on the verge of tears.

“Everyone is grateful.”

“…”

“Thanks to you, we were able to prevent the tragedy that was about to unfold in the west. How fortunate that people won’t have to kill their loved ones with their own hands.”

“…”

“Different from the original future.”

After saying this, the woman carefully embraced Erin.

Erin’s eyes widened at the unexpected action. The woman smelled sweet.

She held Erin tightly, patting her back with her small hand.

In that moment, tears flowed for reasons Erin couldn’t understand.

Meow—

Titi rubbed her head against Erin’s arm, seemingly telling her not to cry. The woman had clearly said this was a dream.

Yet the woman’s embrace was so warm it brought tears to her eyes, and the soft, fluffy sensation of Titi sitting on her lap felt incredibly real.

For a dream, it was too realistic.

“We don’t have much time.”

“…”

“I’m truly sorry for placing such a heavy burden on you.”

Who are you? Erin wanted to ask. Sensing her thoughts, the woman shook her head.

From this gesture, Erin realized she didn’t have much time left in this place.

“I have something to tell you. That’s why I called you here.”

“Something to tell me?”

“If you find true happiness, everything will end.”

As those words ended, Titi burrowed into Erin’s arms, seemingly not wanting her to leave. But soon, Titi’s warmth disappeared.

At the same moment, Erin awoke from the dream.

* * *

Erin opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was a white ceiling.

As her senses gradually returned, she felt someone holding her hand.

When Erin turned her gaze, the first thing she noticed was someone’s long silver hair.

Isis was looking down at her.

“Lady Erin? Are you alright? Oh, by the gods…”

Erin realized he was holding her hand, infusing it with holy power.

‘Isis survived.’

That was truly fortunate.

Erin felt her vision blur. She couldn’t regain her senses.

Her head ached terribly.

“Titi…”

“Titi? What does that mean, Lady Erin?”

Isis’s hands weren’t as warm as Titi’s body. Yet precisely because of this, Erin could feel that this was reality.

She had truly parted with Titi. This farewell without the promise of reunion was both sad and joyful.

Parting with Titi meant that, as the woman had said, she was indeed alive now.

Erin slowly closed and opened her heavy eyelids.

“Don’t fall asleep, Lady Erin. You mustn’t sleep again! You might not regain consciousness.”

“Damn it, isn’t there another way, Isis?”

Hellix must have been beside Isis.

She heard him raising his voice in frustration.

It was strange.

Hellix Igzart losing his temper. He was someone who rarely showed emotional fluctuations. It was almost like he was angry out of concern for her.

“Stay with us, Lady Erin.”

Hellix’s voice sounded somehow desperate. He whispered with a trembling voice.

“I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you sooner. Please… don’t die.”

Even without him saying so, Erin had no intention of dying. Though she wanted to see Titi, paradoxically, Erin hoped that time would be delayed as long as possible.

‘I’m sorry, Titi. Please wait a little longer. Just a little…’

With that thought, Erin closed her eyes.

* * *

Erin was ill for exactly one week.

Led by Isis, the western priests didn’t sleep for that entire week.

When the priests weren’t enough, Isis summoned all the physicians from the west. And Hellix guarded the room where Erin stayed every day.

The western priests were bewildered. They had never seen Isis and Hellix behave this way before.

“Lord Isis, your condition isn’t good either.”

Though the priests tried to dissuade him, Isis never left Erin’s side for a moment.

Perhaps thanks to this, Erin ultimately survived. Though her condition had been so serious she could have died at any moment, she managed to pull through.

The priests who watched her recovery were amazed.

“Her will to live is extraordinary.”

And that evening, Erin opened her eyes. She looked with perplexity at the person beside her.

Isis had fallen asleep while holding her hand.

He must have been infusing her with holy power until he fell asleep.

Perhaps sensing her gaze, Isis opened his eyes. He looked at Erin with disbelief.

“Lady Erin? Are you alright?”

“I think I’m better now, thanks to you.”

At her response, Isis bowed his head in relief. But when he raised his head again, his face was contorted.

Erin was startled. Was his physical condition poor?

Indeed, every time she had regained consciousness, Isis had been by her side.

He too must not have fully recovered from Charlotte’s attack. Using holy power continuously in such a state must have taken a toll on his body.