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Book 8: Chapter 52: Silence (1)

“Master…” Rose tried to call out, but her voice was incredibly faint.

“Little Rose, you must be wondering why I told him I have a few years left when it’s only a few more minutes, right?” Evangeline… No, Jade smiled lightly. Her eyes shone with a pained glint hidden behind the fog that kept others from seeing the true details of her face.

“… Master…” Rose’s voice hiccupped.

“I couldn’t distract him.” Jade said softly. “To hear him claim me as his wife before I faded from this world is more than I deserve. I had planned to leave in silence, but having one last conversation with him… Can you tell, Little Rose? Can you tell how happy I am?”

The shroud over Jade’s face faded. She looked back toward her disciple, a bright smile that could light the darkest night on her lips. Still, the tears that glistened her cheeks made it difficult to take her words for what they meant.

“I’m going to tell you some things, Little Rose. Remember it all, okay? Don’t miss even the smallest bit.”

“… Yes, Master.”

“In my youth, I made a great mistake. In fact, to call it a mistake isn’t enough. I committed a terrible, disgusting deed that deserves to have stained the whole of my life.

“Don’t make excuses for this master of yours. Not even the greatest purity can wash away my sin. Even after I fade from this world, my greatest fear is that even that will not be enough to cleanse me of my past.

“Still, I was lucky. Even after I committed this sin, I had the opportunity to follow a great man as he lived his life. He did me the favor of blocking that memory from my mind, allowing me to follow his legend as it was written.

“I was happy. Though this man never accepted me as his wife, I was still happy. I understood that I was unworthy.

“This man raised himself up from the lowest low to the highest high. He unified the whole of the mortal plane. His words brought peace… His head stood above the clouds and his feet were sturdier than even the earth itself. He destroyed his enemies with a sweep of his hand and protected his loved ones with a wide, strong back.”

Rose trembled. Unifying an entire Plane? Just what kind of concept was that? It was bordering on fantasy. But, Rose didn’t doubt her Master’s words for even a moment.

“It was when this man reached his peak that he turned to face his greatest enemy, an enemy who sought to plunge the whole of the mortal plane into an era of Chaos.

“He fought valiantly, protecting us all to his back. But, in the end, he wasn’t enough. Even for him, battling a Transcendent while chained to the bounds of the mortal plane was too much. And finally, that man I watched rise to the very top of all that was died.

“It was only after that that the seal on my memories shattered. I finally understood exactly why it was that I wasn’t worthy to be his wife… But I also understood that he had spent his whole life protecting me.

“The man I loved was gone, and his empire crumbled before my eyes. However, I, the one most unworthy, survived. Fate loves to play these sorts of disgusting jokes. Who was I to be worthy of such a thing?

“I wondered for a long time. Watching the world fester on its own destruction… It was then that the Timeless Library, something my most beloved man believed he had destroyed, appeared once more…”

The more Jade spoke, the more it seemed her words faded into the background. Rose listened to every word, unwilling to miss the last representation of her master’s existence.

“… Do you know why I chose the name Evangeline Moon, Little Rose?” Jade smiled. “My family name, Eostre, is actually translated to Moon in ancient Elvin language. But, when I learned about my most beloved man’s homeland, I found out that Eostre was goddess who was celebrated by means of a pagan holiday which was decided by the phases of the Moon.

“I thought that this was most fitting. What better word was there to describe my family if not Pagan? We are truly the Moon. Always destined to reflect the Sun’s rays, but never fated to produce light of our own.

“However, I still chose the name Evangeline which carries practically the opposite meaning. How funny, I chose a first name that embodies good, but a last name that always falls short.

“I came to this timeline with the hopes of changing my beloved man’s future. He doesn’t need my help to rise to the top. He is already destined to do so. No one on this pitiful mortal plane is qualified to be my beloved man’s match.

“Although I’ve brought the troubles he will face forward by several thousand years, I have full confidence that he will crush them all. My only role is to sacrifice myself to give him the smallest of pushes.

“From today forward, this younger me will be your disciple. Do you understand, Little Rose?”

“… Yes, Master.”

“This burden is not yours to carry. I only want you to pass on my teachings to her. Once you’ve finished this task, your life is your own to live. You are free, do you understand?”

Tears streamed down Rose’s cherry cheeks. “Yes, Master.”

“Good. Then I will give you one last gift.”

Jade stood, embracing her disciple.

When one becomes a Higher Existence, the kernel of a Faith Seed begins to form. However, this Faith Seed is very different from one left behind be a Transcendent. This Faith Seed carries all of a Higher Existence’s cultivation.

This was the final gift Jade left for Rose. In exchange for never reincarnating again, she left the world in silence.