Vol 6. Chapter 163: Redemption

As Safina’s final words fell, the entire Time Palace fell utterly silent.

Only the faint sound of sand trickling through the great hourglass beneath their feet could be heard.

They stood frozen, facing each other.

Aurora, eyes still pink and swollen from crying, glanced at Chronoz, then looked back at Safina beside her.

“Teacher... I don’t quite get it. You said that incomplete Web of Time exists because of you... and in that outcome, I don’t take the throne, which means someone else succeeds Chronoz...”

She pressed a hand to her chest, pink irises trembling slightly.

“That person... is it you?”

She found it hard to believe.

Yes, based on the logic of the Web of Time, it was technically possible Safina was linked to that anomaly.

But to jump straight to the conclusion that she could replace Chronoz—that she could sit upon the Time Throne instead of Aurora—

It was far too much. Too reckless.

Not to mention: Safina was from the Void Realm. She wasn’t even from the continent of Samael.

And none of her powers had anything to do with time.

Aurora had been chosen by Chronoz precisely because she had bent time—disturbed the Web. She had the potential.

But Safina? How could she possibly bear such a burden?

“...What exactly do you plan to do?”

Chronoz finally spoke, his tone quiet and measured.

“I cannot pass the divine power of a god to you. You cannot wield time—this is the law that governs the inheritance of divine power, and it cannot be changed. Even if the Web of Time cannot observe those beyond Samael, that one anomaly... it might not even exist because of you, right?”

Both Aurora’s doubts and Chronoz’s skepticism fell into the air like stones.

But Safina remained calm.

“Every rule has its loophole. Even the Primordial Gods of Samael could never account for abilities beyond their understanding. And I... happen to possess a power that can bypass those rules. As for whether that one exception truly exists because of me... We’ll find out right now.”

“...Right now?”

Chronoz raised a brow.

As soon as the words left her lips, the doors of the Time Palace slowly creaked open.

Rosvisser stepped inside, holding her divine spear.

“Mom?!”

“Aurora!”

The spear dissolved into light and reverted to its snowy beast form. Rosvisser rushed forward and dropped to her knees, tears welling in her eyes.

“Thank the stars... You’re really here...”

She embraced her daughter, gently stroking the soft tips of her pink hair.

“I thought you went with Dad to stop the Void invasion. How did...”

Rosvisser pulled back slightly, grasping Aurora’s small wrists and looking into her eyes.

“Aurora, I’m sure you already know about the God of Time... So I won’t beat around the bush.”

Seeing Safina nearby only confirmed what Rosvisser had feared—Aurora already knew.

“But I want you to trust me, trust your dad—even if you don’t inherit Time’s power, we can still defeat the bad guys. Okay?”

Her voice was rushed, almost panicked.

She just wanted to get her daughter out of this place.

She gently wiped the tears from Aurora’s cheeks, her gaze full of aching tenderness.

“Come on, sweetie. Let’s go home. Moon and Muse are waiting for you.”

Rosvisser reached out to lift her daughter—

But Aurora suddenly stepped back.

“Wait—Mom!”

Rosvisser froze.

“W-what’s wrong?”

Aurora didn’t answer.

She simply turned her gaze to Safina.

Rosvisser followed her line of sight.

“Teacher Safina says she has a way to change the ending.”

A flicker of hope crossed Rosvisser’s eyes.

“She said that?... Is it true?”

Safina nodded.

“It is. But I need your help—and the help of the other Dragon Kings.”

“My sister and the others should arrive soon, but... but how do you plan to—”

She stopped herself.

Because in truth, the “how” wasn’t what she needed to ask.

What she needed to know was:

“Why are you helping us?”

It was the same question Aurora had wanted to ask.

Safina’s plan might be promising—but why did she care at all?

Both mother and daughter looked at her. Even Chronoz, god though he was, remained quiet—waiting to hear her reason.

After a pause, Safina crossed her arms and looked up at the hourglass on the ceiling.

She let out a long breath before speaking.

“Because of... Leon.”

“Dad?”

“Mhm.”

She brought her gaze back to the two of them.

“When my brother and I fled the Void, hoping to live out our miserable days in some corner of Samael... He gave us a chance. A chance to climb out of the abyss—to start over. We had no purpose. We didn’t know what we were living for.”

She looked down at her palm.

“We had all this strength... and no idea how to use it. What, was my dumb brother supposed to spend his life stealing carrots in a vegetable garden?”

She chuckled to herself, then went on.

“With Leon’s help, we enrolled in Saint Heath Academy. That was the first time we had any hope again. It was there that I met Noa, and Moon, and Muse... and Aurora.”

She reached out to ruffle Aurora’s hair, a gentle smile forming at the corners of her lips.

“They’re such clever, sweet little girls. My brother got close with Moon and Muse. He even took lessons from Muse on how to play Samael’s instruments... Of course, he’s terrible. Every note he plays is hideous. As for me... I saw a lot of my childhood self in Noa. She pushes herself to protect her sisters. Works harder than anyone. But unlike me, Noa was strong enough to protect Helena. ...I wasn’t. I lost my Anita.”

Safina’s voice faltered.

Even now, saying that name made her eyes dim.

That wound—never healed.

Her closest friend. The most important person in her life.

Gone... without even a proper goodbye.

But she quickly collected herself.

“Whenever I saw the girls together, I couldn’t stop thinking of her.”

“That’s why... when I first met Noa, Helena and others—my emotions were a mess. All over the place. Until... this little pink-haired menace showed up in my life.”

She smiled again, soft and genuine.

She looked at Aurora with a gaze full of warmth.

“If Noa is who I used to be, еhen Aurora... is who I wish I could’ve been. Bright. Free. Unburdened. Doing what she wants, loving who she wants, being loved as much as she damn well pleases.”

Leon, had he been there, would’ve understood her completely.

He knew better than anyone—Safina’s cheerfulness wasn’t natural.

It was defense. It was armor. A persona crafted to survive something far darker.

That’s why she said Aurora was the girl she dreamed of becoming.

“I like this little gremlin,” Safina said with a smile. And I like the other girls too. I don’t want them to be the ones who save me and my brother. I want to protect them—this time. And it turns out... Leon’s little ‘trap’ worked. We found our purpose again.”

She turned slowly, gaze resolute, and met Chronoz’s eyes.

“Leon... Noa... Aurora... They taught me something. If you have the power to do something, then you must—with everything you’ve got. So you never, ever regret it later. I couldn’t save Anita... But now, I can save someone else’s Anita. That’s why I’m doing this—for them. For the Melkvey family.”

Rosvisser squeezed Aurora’s hand tightly.

They listened to everything she said, every word.

And from those words, Rosvisser could feel not just the joy of rebirth, but a desperate desire for redemption.

Safina and Kaiser had done many terrible things under Atos.

Their hands were stained with guilt.

Leon had given them a chance to rediscover who they were.

They had already reclaimed their purpose. But redemption—true redemption—required action.

No one forced her. No one judged her.

But Safina wanted to break her own chains.

And this—this was her only chance to make things right.

“...Such a thorough reason. It would be a pity if you didn’t have a plan to match.”

Chronoz finally spoke.

Safina snorted. “Of course I do.”

“Remember what I said? Even the gods of Samael can’t account for powers beyond their comprehension.”

Chronoz remained expressionless. “And you say you possess such a power. What is it?”

Safina’s violet eyes gleamed. Within them, mysterious patterns shimmered like stars on the surface of deep water.

“The Mirror Abyss Eyes.”

“I’m going to copy the divine power of time.”