In 1368, crimson fell from the sky, just like ordinary people facing doomsday saw a sea of countless colors enveloping them. After a long time, it seemed as if nothing had happened, and people returned to their normal lives.
In an office at a university somewhere in Backlund, Melissa was working on a blueprint for a fuel engine improvement provided by her brother, Klein. One night, after the crimson had faded, Klein, seemingly as young as he had been then, appeared at the door. The siblings were thrilled. Ruth, the eldest sister-in-law, was astonished.
"Isn't this the person in that black and white photo?" Meanwhile, her little niece babbled as she hugged him, showing no sign of unfamiliarity or fear.
That night, the three siblings returned to the past time. Although nearly twenty years had passed, they were still closely connected to each other. No matter what became of them, he would always be their brother.
Boom...Boom
The knock on the door brought her back to reality. She was still too excited and happy. She was no longer young.
Opening the door, she saw Elizabeth, whom she hadn't seen in a while. She must have come all the way from Tingen specifically for that. Her chubby face had become mature and dignified, with a few wrinkles around her eyes and her smiling mouth. Her long brown hair was tied back in a fashionable aristocratic hairstyle. She wore a blue ribbon-knotted flat top and a lace-trimmed blue ribbon-belted dress. She looked a bit more mature, adding a touch of sophistication to her charm.
The two excitedly hugged and kissed each other, then Elizabeth held Melissa's hands, the trembling between her fingers betraying her nervousness.
"Is he really back?"
"Why else would I have lied to you? You haven't gotten married in so long, don't you still have some thoughts in your heart? Otherwise, you would have married a good family and raised children. This is all his fault, so of course he has to take responsibility."
"I just hope I can see him again. It's not as serious as you say. I have my reasons for this, too. I prefer to be alone and write."
Melissa took her old friend's arm and sat down on the sofa, where snacks and afternoon tea were already prepared. She was now a professor at Backlund University of Technology, with her own lab and office. She was no longer the young woman who had buried herself in the machine tool workshop.
"Okay, okay, I believe what you say." Melissa smiled at Elizabeth, who was still hiding her feelings in front of her, thinking that the time was almost up.
"Are Selina and the others okay? They haven't been mentioned in the letters for a long time."
"Selena is pregnant again, my God, you don't know she already has five children, I can't imagine how horrible that must be."
"If you marry my brother as soon as possible, you will soon be able to have the fruit of your love."
Melissa suddenly leaned in and whispered, and seeing the blush on Elizabeth's face, she knew she was right. Elizabeth quickly turned her head away to hide it, and replied to Melissa embarrassedly.
"How can you slander your brother's innocent sister like this?"
"Come on, don't run away."
Melissa held Elizabeth's hand, and the door at the entrance opened again. Klein Moretti, with a scholarly air and ordinary appearance, who vaguely resembled his past appearance, appeared here.
In fact, he had known about his sister's little thoughts for a long time. As the contemporary Lord of Mysteries, there are certainly many ways to avoid it. However, considering the maintenance of humanity in the future, it is better to obey his inner regrets and spend the rest of his life with his brothers and sisters.
Elizabeth had been waiting for him for a long time. Life was long, yet also short. It felt like my encounter with her was just yesterday, yet I was already twenty years old. The mature and dignified face before me was still the same chubby and adorable one. If he hadn't been chosen, perhaps he would have been stuck with her for the rest of his life.
"Elizabeth, long time no see. Did you miss me? I missed you so much. I didn't expect that I would be alive to see you again. For some reason, I had to die to do something very important. I wasn't sure if I could come back alive. After all, it was an unhopeful promise. But now I'm back."
This was beyond Melissa's imagination. She didn't expect that her nerdy brother could actually come up with such a long speech. Elizabeth next to him had tears in her eyes and a floral handkerchief in her hand.
"It's great that you came back alive. You're still as young as you were back then, but I'm already old. Twenty years have passed."
Elizabeth's words, mingled with sobs, were filled with joy, regret, and a hint of complaint. She kept wiping her eyes with a handkerchief. Klein came over, took the handkerchief, and helped her wipe. Melissa pushed Elizabeth into his arms, which were so close, allowing Klein to hold the now fragile girl.
"I haven't said anything yet, and you're already denying yourself. I don't care about that."
After Klein finished speaking in Elizabeth's ear, he took a polite step back, held Elizabeth's right hand, half-knelt, and looked up at her with a firm gaze.
"Dear Miss Elizabeth, are you willing to marry Mr. Klein Moretti, who has survived so hard?"
As if by magic, a delicate, transparent white ring appeared in Klein's hand. It looked like it was composed of tiny, interlinked insects. He thought of the regrets of his youth.
Melissa was stunned. It seemed that she didn't have to worry about her brother anymore. She had worked so hard for nothing and was still worried that he wouldn't accept it. How come he suddenly came to her senses? Could he have learned some cunning tricks outside? She remembered the admiration her friend Audrey showed every time she mentioned her brother's name. She had to find a chance to ask him about it.
Elizabeth looked at the upward smile and the somewhat ordinary and familiar face, the face she saw most often in her dreams. She trembled as she extended her left hand, letting the ring stay on her middle finger. For some reason, the tears in her eyes could not stop flowing.
"Then will my Elizabeth also bring me the symbol that belongs to you and me."
Klein held another identical ring in his hand and placed it before Elizabeth. Her still trembling hands carefully picked it up, as if she was afraid the person she had waited so long for would fall again. Then, she placed it on Klein's left middle finger and clasped their hands together.
"It seems I was worrying too much. Congratulations to you, my idiot brother, and my best friend Elizabeth. From today on, we are a family."
Melissa couldn't help shedding a few tears when she saw the scene in front of her. She knew that there was a mysterious power in this world, so she didn't need to worry too much about Elizabeth's age. Anyway, her big brother would take care of it.
I felt happy, relieved, and a little disappointed. This was clearly a day worth celebrating. Aren't the two people hugging each other exactly what I had hoped for? They each belonged to each other.
Elizabeth seemed to look a little younger after wearing the ring. Her original wrinkles had disappeared and her mature face was filled with youthful vigor.
"By the way, brother, you have to talk to Elizabeth's parents and family. Although I agree with you, Elizabeth still needs to seek the opinions of her parents before making a decision. Your marriage must be blessed by everyone, and you have to find a decent job."
Melissa discovered that her brother Klein was always out and about every day. Although he was a big shot in the mysterious world, he had to be decent.
"I am now a priest of the Church of the Evernight Goddess and hold a public office at the level of Deputy Chief of the Backlund Police Department. Praise the Goddess! You underestimate your brother."
Klein held Elizabeth in one hand and took out his ID from his inner pocket with the other hand, otherwise his sister would not believe him.
After carefully reading it several times and confirming that the information and seal were authentic, she handed it back to Klein.
"You can get ready now and go to Elizabeth's house. Let them know first. You guys also need some time to yourself, so go shopping."
Melissa, like an old mother, began to think about what to do next. She shook Elizabeth's hand and said, "Just tell him directly if you want to play something. Otherwise, he won't know. Don't worry too much. Your parents will definitely agree."
"I will, thank you."
Elizabeth blushed as she leaned against Klein's back. They were about the same height, and they looked a perfect match. Klein held her hand and pressed his face against hers.
"Thank you, Melissa."
Melissa felt a little uncomfortable being looked at with such affection, so she quickly kicked the two out and told them to go on their date. Who would use such a big move right at the start? The same thing happened to Elizabeth. She thought she was a mature woman, but she was so easily fooled by her silly brother.
After Benson, Klein also found a home. Thinking of the happy times they shared, a tear of hope welled up in Melissa's eyes, a touch of loss intensifying.
With her brother Klein's help, she had already become a Sequence 5 astronomer on the Informant Path. Before becoming a demigod, Klein offered her a choice: whether to advance or not. He would handle the rituals and potions. The days ahead were long, and Melissa didn't need to feel too lost.