Ludger, Rine, and Freuden often spent time together.
For Ludger, it was simply that he had nothing else to do, so he played with Rine. Freuden, too, had free time before his recall to the family estate, so he joined them.
As for Rine, she was delighted just to have one friend and one older brother to be with.
Gariel also came by occasionally, but since he still had not fully mastered time magic, he often had to return to where his master resided.
Because of that, Gariel usually only visited on weekends.
At first, he was relieved to know that Ludger and Freuden were there. He had often felt guilty for not being able to spend enough time with Rine when those two were absent.
Whenever Gariel left, Rine used to look sad, but now she no longer seemed lonely.
That was a relief for Gariel—and yet, it also left him feeling as though something precious had been taken from him.
Still, he thought that as long as this peaceful daily life could continue, nothing else mattered.
However, there was one thing Gariel had not anticipated—Rine’s mother was growing thinner and weaker with each passing day.
She coughed often, and sometimes her face twisted in pain.
At first, he assumed she was simply feeling unwell, but as the symptoms grew more severe, Gariel began to sense that something was very wrong.
– Are you sure you’re alright?
– What do you mean?
– You’re sick. You should go to a hospital while you can. For yourself, and for Rine.
– Haha. It’s just a light cold.
– You’re taking strong painkillers. You call that a light cold?
– ...So you saw.
She smiled awkwardly and scratched her cheek.
Something inside Gariel twisted with a feeling of betrayal.
– Why didn’t you tell me? Did you not trust me enough?
– It’s not that.
– Then why?
– Because... this is an illness no one can do anything about.
Her appearance was frail—perhaps because of the pain—but even more than that, there was a certain resignation in her once bright face.
The same face that had always smiled cheerfully now looked utterly drained.
Gariel, for some reason, couldn’t bear to look at her and averted his eyes.
– ...Let me help. I can ask my master about it.
– That won’t be enough.
The one who answered instead was Grander, who had just entered the room.
– You...
Gariel now understood exactly who she was—how tremendous a mage that golden-haired girl truly was.
She was not even human to begin with. An existence so ancient and transcendent that no one could guess how many years she had lived, refining her magic over countless ages.
Her accumulated knowledge and power were on a scale that even a time mage like himself could never compare to.
– What do you mean it’s not enough?!
– With all the knowledge and solutions I possess, the most I could do was extend her lifespan a little. But even that has reached its limit.
Gariel looked at her in disbelief.
The woman in bed gave a faint, apologetic nod.
– I’m sorry for hiding it until now.
– Since when? No—then how long were you supposed to live originally?
– When I was first diagnosed, they said my life would end around twenty.
– What? But you’re...
– Yes. I’ve lasted five more years.
She spoke while gazing toward the window beyond her bed—toward the place where her daughter had gone, accompanied by Ludger and Freuden.
– But when I die, that child will be left all alone in this world.
– You...
– So I wanted to hold on a little longer. That’s why I asked Lady Grander for help.
– Honestly. I never thought someone would actually come looking for me, trusting only in the vague legends written in ancient grimoires.
Grander sighed, perhaps still finding it absurd when she remembered their first meeting.
But even so, the one who had granted her an impossible five years of borrowed life had been Grander herself.
– Then... there really is no way left? None at all?
Gariel asked desperately, almost pleading.
– None. There’s not enough time to examine her condition. And besides, the magic I study isn’t about saving lives—it’s about ending them.
Even for a great mage, analyzing a sudden case of non-attributed mana disorder was a daunting, nearly hopeless task.
– But you’re a legendary magician. Why can’t you—
– Because I’ve never needed that kind of magic.
Grander was an ancient True Vampire, one who could not die.
Ordinary mages studied countless different kinds of spells, but she had no need to.
Even what she had picked up casually, by mere observation, was more than enough for her.
Her innate talent for magic made that possible.
But to study something this deeply—something entirely outside her domain—was another matter entirely.
– There is, however, one thing that could be called a method.
– What is it?
– My blood.
– Your... blood?
– Yes. If I grant her my blood, she’ll become my thrall. She wouldn’t die. But I don’t recommend it.
– Why not? It’s better than dying, isn’t it?
Grander snorted softly.
– Foolish child. Sometimes death is the kinder choice.
– What do you mean...
– You wouldn’t understand. You haven’t experienced it. But sometimes death is the most sincere form of blessing there is.
Her voice sank low, heavy with an emotion Gariel had never heard from her before.
He found himself unable to speak.
– Even if she became my thrall, it wouldn’t remove the source of her pain. She wouldn’t die, but her body would keep tearing and splitting apart from within. She’d live in unending agony. Can you imagine living like that forever?
– T-then... how much time does she have left?
– Hard to say. But I think she knows better than I do.
Gariel turned to her, hoping desperately that it wasn’t what he feared.
She smiled faintly, as though resigned to her fate.
– At most, a week. No more than that.
– ...A week? Only a week?
– I’m sorry for hiding it. But I couldn’t help it.
Gariel’s lips trembled.
The woman he loved had only a week left to live.
He had never hated himself so much—for living so blissfully ignorant while she was suffering right beside him.
Even if she hadn’t told him, he should have noticed.
Had he really been too blind to see the condition of the woman he loved?
Gariel clenched his fists tightly.
– ...I’ll find a way.
– Gariel. I’m grateful, but this is impossible.
– Then am I just supposed to stand here and watch?!
He shouted.
She blinked, startled by the outburst. Gariel, who always smiled so easily, now looked furious from the depths of his heart.
– ...I’m sorry. But there’s nothing you can do.
– I didn’t come all this way just to—
Before he could finish, Grander intervened.
– The children are coming.
The unspoken warning told him to stop talking. Gariel bit down on his lip.
– ...I’ll go.
– Gariel.
He halted at the voice that called him from behind—but didn’t turn around.
– Don’t worry. I’ll find a way ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) and come back soon.
With that, he vanished from the spot.
Though he usually avoided using magic to save time, this time he had invoked time magic immediately.
That was how desperate he was—every single minute of the remaining week mattered to him.
– He’s gone after all.
– Yes, he has.
– Looks like he even took the medical records you kept so carefully. What a troublesome man.
– It just shows how much he cares about me. That’s why I wanted to keep it hidden until the end.
– You knew, didn’t you?
Grander meant his feelings.
She smiled faintly and nodded.
– He’s so obvious. How could I not know?
– And yet, you still didn’t accept his feelings until the end—because of your condition, I suppose?
– Back then, yes.
That faint, meaningful smile made Grander raise one eyebrow.
– You, after all...
– Shh. Please, don’t say any more. The children will be here soon.
– ...
Grander turned her head away as if she had never intended to say anything further.
– A vampire who wishes to die, and a human who wishes to live. What a tragic fate.
At Grander’s quiet remark, the woman nodded in agreement.
– You can say that again.
* * *
Back in his distant workshop, Gariel immediately threw himself into research.
Only seven days remained.
Far too short a time to save someone’s life—but Gariel refused to give up.
– I will save her.
She was his light, the blessing that had given him the strength to endure the harsh years.
Even if she had suddenly vanished one day and reappeared later with Rine by her side, his love for her had never changed.
So he would save her.
Even if it meant using up every second of his remaining time, he would save her.
With that thought, Gariel stayed awake for days on end, desperately searching for a way to save her.
But no matter how much he racked his brain, he could not find any solution.
While rummaging through his master’s study, Gariel finally found an old document.
– Time Freeze?
The power of time magic, despite its grand name, could neither fast-forward nor reverse time.
The only thing it could do was stop the flow of time around everything except the caster.
But Gariel suddenly wondered—if one could stop everything, then perhaps, conversely, one could also stop just one single existence.
He didn’t know how that might be achieved, and until now, it had been nothing more than idle imagination.
But now—he had found a clue right before his eyes.
– My disciple. What are you doing right now?
– Master?
Gariel turned toward the old man, almost accusingly.
– This magic. Is it real? This Time Freeze spell—is it truly possible?
– That is...
– Why didn’t you ever tell me about it? Why hide such an incredible spell?
– Because it’s a spell you have no need for. None of us do.
– What do you mean? What could possibly be more necessary than this?
– Do you even understand what it means to stop another’s time?
– Is that really so important?
– Of course it is! Once time is frozen, who will make it move again?
– Obviously, I will—
– Even if it kills you the moment you cast it?
– ...
Gariel’s eyes widened in shock.
– That spell doesn’t merely stop someone else’s time. It transfers all of your remaining time to them. You sacrifice your own life to halt theirs.
– Then the moment I cast it, I’d consume my remaining lifespan and die?
– Exactly. The Time Freeze spell demands the caster’s life as its price. And once it’s cast, it cannot be undone unless the caster reverses it.
But the caster dies the instant the spell is triggered.
Which means the frozen person can never awaken again.
They cannot eat, or sleep, or close their eyes, or even breathe.
They remain sealed in wax called frozen time, eternally preserving that single moment.
Could that truly be called living?
– You would use that on a person? Then it’s not just throwing away your own life—it’s killing that person too. I taught you magic to help and save others, not to destroy yourself!
– Then what do you want me to do?!
Gariel shouted at his master.
The old man’s eyes went wide.
– You insolent brat...
– You’re the one who told me to use my magic to save people! That’s what you taught me! But what good is time magic if I can’t even save the one I love?!
– ...
He had always been a talkative, stubborn student, but never before had he cried out like this.
Gariel’s master, Maurice, looked at his disciple with a heavy expression.
– My student. This power exists to help people, yes—but that doesn’t mean we can help everyone.
– ...
– Some things are simply... unavoidable. Truly unavoidable. There are things in this world you cannot escape, no matter how hard you struggle.
– So you’re telling me to just stand by and do nothing?
– No. Keep struggling. But not like this. Not in a way that’s already wrong from the start.
Gariel’s clenched fist trembled violently.
But he had no words to refute him.
He couldn’t even remember the last time he had felt this powerless.
– The only advice I can give you... is to spend what little time you have left with the person who’s precious to you.
Maurice looked at him gently as he said it.
Gariel ground his teeth, then disappeared from the spot.
Maurice clasped his hands behind his back and looked upward.
– So she was that precious to you, was she?
As a teacher, it pained him that this was all he could say.
– I’m sorry, my student. That’s all your teacher can offer.
Gariel ran through the world of frozen time.
Panting again and again, gasping for breath, yet never stopping.
He had to go.
To where she was.
To where everyone was waiting.
His master’s words had been cruel—but true.
There was nothing he could do right now.
Inside the stopped world, Gariel cried.
His tears traced his path, suspended in the air of the unmoving world, frozen mid-fall.
In the distance, he saw her house.
The painted meadow and forest, the small cottage atop the breezy hill.
He had once said that if he ever married her, he would want to live in a place like that.
It had been the house of his dreams—but now, Gariel could hardly bear to look at it.
When he opened the door and stepped inside, no one was there.
It was the middle of the night. Where could they have gone?
He quickly looked around and then headed toward the nearby forest.
He didn’t know why—but somehow he just knew someone would be there.
Pushing through the undergrowth, Gariel caught sight of two small, familiar figures.
A girl with short ash-gray hair—Rine.
Beside her stood a young boy, Freuden, who seemed to have brought her there.
What are you two doing here?
– More importantly, what are you looking at...
Gariel turned his gaze toward where the two children were staring.
There she was.
The woman he loved more than anything—lying peacefully with her eyes closed.
And—
Ludger Cherish was driving a dagger into her heart.