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When I walked into the dining room for yet another breakfast with my parents, I immediately noticed that my father looked exhausted. I could tell he had been pulling several all-nighters in a row, working tirelessly to finish mountains of paperwork and other urgent duties that came with ruling such a vast nation, and practically the entire planet.
This was clearly not good for him. As strong as he was, he still needed proper rest and nourishment. Despite all his power, my father had never been very good at taking care of himself. I worried about him far too much.
Especially when I caught a sudden glimpse of his traumatic memories resurfacing from deep within his heart. They emerged as endless specters of blood, screams, and overwhelming despair.
"D-dad?!"
My eyes widened in alarm as I saw him sitting at the table, slowly shaking his head while staring aimlessly at the food in front of him. He had not touched a single bite.
He remained completely silent, but I could sense that his mind and soul were trapped in an endless sea of despair. This was not the result of any curse or nightmare. It was my father's own accumulated suffering, the heavy weight of memories from such a young yet burdened life, or rather, multiple lives.
I only caught small fragments and glimpses, but I could clearly feel the deep anguish still lingering inside his heart. I saw the tears of blood he shed while holding my mother's corpse. I witnessed his heart-wrenching cries as he watched his own mother being taken away. I felt his agonizing shock as he saw his father being beheaded right before his eyes.
Although I had not fully lived through those memories myself, I could see them clearly and feel the raw pain they carried. My father suffered from PTSD. He refused to admit it and hated speaking about the past. He kept everything locked away as a secret, always pretending to be fine.
He was the new Dragon King now. His grandfather, the previous king, had passed everything on to him. Not only did he govern Earth, but as the Dragon King he was also technically the ruler of Yggdrasil. Because he was still young, his siblings among the Dragon King's other children had stepped in to help manage Yggdrasil, giving him some much-needed respite.
His constant torment by traumatic memories, his reluctance to speak about them, and his strict, overprotective nature all seemed to stem from that painful past.
"Ah! I… I'm fine. I'm perfectly fine…"
Seeing him snap back to the present only to mutter those words before slipping once more into that distant, unfocused stare told me everything I needed to know.
I glanced at my mother, and we quickly spoke through telepathy.
"Mom, is Dad okay?"
"I don't know. He has been pushing himself far too hard lately. I fear his PTSD might be returning."
"When was the last time it was this bad?"
"It had been a few years since anything this intense. In fact, since you were born, the episodes had decreased dramatically, almost as if he had begun to heal."
"…?"
"I believe they returned after the invasion from the Nightmares. And then after what happened in the Ice Dragon Realm with you… Your father's worry and stress grew so overwhelming that he cannot stop thinking about you and everyone else. He fears he will lose everything again."
"…Lose it all again?"
"Ah… you don't know about that yet, right? I guess… no, I cannot tell you that now."
"Dad's a regressor, right?"
"?! H-How did you learn that, dear?!"
Mom was visibly shocked, but it was not surprising. With my Spiral's unique ability, I would have sensed it even without prior knowledge. Those strong memories had brushed against me many times.
"It's thanks to my Spiral, remember? I can see glimpses of others' memories when they become too intense. I've seen it… Dad dying, you being held in his arms… all of it…"
"My god… Elizabeth, I'm so sorry, I—"
"It's fine. We can talk about that later. Right now, I will help Dad!"
"Huh?"
My mother, filled with worry yet unable to reach him, watched in awe as I walked over to my father and did the only thing I knew to do as his daughter. I showed him my sincere love.
"Dad…" I whispered softly. "I love you. Please don't be sad."
The Light of Harmony within me gently enveloped him.
"E-Elizabeth…? Ah… This light…?" His eyes widened in surprise.
FLASH!
The Light of Harmony had the power to dispel darkness. Through my awakened soul, I poured warmth and comfort into him with a tight, loving hug, channeling my power directly into his heart and soul.
"E-Elizabeth…"
In that instant, we suddenly found ourselves floating together in an endless sea of memories. Countless images flashed all around us.
"Wait…!"
He looked around in confusion while I held him tightly.
"Dad… don't be afraid. It's okay."
"N-No…! Don't look! Please don't look!"
He screamed and cried as he realized all his lives, deaths, defeats, and suffering were now on full display before his innocent daughter's eyes.
"Don't look!!!"
He desperately tried to cover the visions but soon realized it was pointless. He fell to his knees, hands trembling as he shook his head, unable to process what was happening.
I walked closer and hugged him once more, resting his face gently on my shoulder.
"It's okay, Dad… It's okay. That's all in the past now."
"Don't… don't look. A child like you… your innocence… I don't want you to lose everything I lost. I don't want you to suffer. I want you to be happy…"
Through his tears, he looked at me with eyes full of sorrow and deep longing. He saw himself in me and desperately wanted to give me the happiness he had been denied.
"But I failed you… I fail everyone… I always… I can't protect anything…"
He clutched his head, crying tears of frustration and apologizing endlessly.
"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry, Elizabeth… Your father is such a weak man. I cannot help anybody… I can't change fate…"
"No, Dad…"
I took his hands and gently wiped away his tears.
"You did save me. You helped me many times already. It's just that I can be a little dumb and reckless sometimes. For that, I'm really sorry… but please stop tormenting yourself over it."
"Elizabeth…"
His long white hair had fallen across half his face. I softly brushed it aside, revealing his handsome features and the fresh tears streaming down his cheeks. His golden eyes stared at me with profound sorrow and regret.
"You saved me back then, remember?"
I shared a memory with him of how he had effortlessly defeated a Nightmare King, destroying it with overwhelming power.
"Back then you were so awesome!"
He remained silent for a moment, simply staring.
"And…"
I showed him another memory, the time he and Mom had entered my heart and saved me when I had turned into a Grievance. They had already seen glimpses of my past life, so there was little left to hide. I also revealed the moment he and Mom had swept through the final boss in the Ice Dragon Realm with ease.
"Dad, you have kept saving us alongside Mom, always!" I said earnestly. "You haven't failed anybody. The strength you earned through blood and tears does matter. It has made a real difference…"
"But if these things keep happening… I don't know what I'll do if my strength is no longer enough…" he sighed heavily.
"Nobody can truly predict the future, right? But we can work together to prevent bad things from happening. That's all we can do, together," I replied, holding his hand firmly. "So please, Daddy, don't be sad. Okay? I know you have gone through so much, but despite all that suffering, I'm sure there are many good memories too."
The Light of Harmony shone brightly from my hands, illuminating the realm of memories. The dark visions slowly faded into the background while happier ones rose to the surface.
I showed him the moment when a younger version of him first met my mother. The time they shared ice cream and he playfully stole a bite from hers. Their first kiss and the heartfelt promise of love they made across countless timelines. The friends who stood by him until the end. The day he, along with his father and grandfather, finally rescued his mother from the aberrant Grievance known as the Shepherd of Skinned Time, ending her endless slumber. The victory over the monstrous being that had once controlled his destiny and cursed him, a being whose true form I could barely perceive, yet whose defeat had given birth to this new world of fantasy.
And so many more precious memories followed: his wedding to Mom, the day I was born, and all the warm moments spent with friends and family.
With the Light of Harmony, I gently guided those joyful memories forward and pushed the painful ones further back, not erasing them but making them less heavy.
"Right… that's right…" He slowly calmed down. His tears faded, replaced by a calmer and more confident smile. "You're completely right, Elizabeth. I don't know when I lost my way… I made a promise to your mother long ago, when she sacrificed herself to pull me out of the darkness I had fallen into. I promised I would never give up, no matter what. And that promise still holds today."
He lifted me up with a warm smile and kissed my cheek. "Thank you."
"Daddy!" I exclaimed happily. "Welcome back!"
I hugged him tightly as the world of memories rapidly dissolved into shimmering petals of soul essence, returning us to the dining room.
There, Mom stood holding my little brother, watching us with teary, worried eyes. The commotion had even drawn my grandparents, who looked on with deep concern.
"Louis!" Mom cried, rushing toward us.
"Dadaaaa!" Alistair let out a small cry. "Awuh…!" He seemed worried too.
My father smiled kindly at all of us, no longer hiding his pain. He had remembered his old promise and renewed his resolve even stronger than before.
"I'm sorry for worrying everyone. I'm truly alright now," he said with a gentle sigh. "I love you, Mirai."
"Oh, Louis! I was so worried!" Mom cried, kissing him. "Are you really okay, dear?"
"I'm fine. I remembered the promise we made together," he replied with a soft smile.
"Ah, that's right…!" She nodded, smiling warmly. "I'm glad you remember. Despite all our hardships, let's keep moving forward together, my love."
"Of course," he agreed. "Now that we are a proper family here with two children, I cannot keep worrying everyone like this. Let's work together as a family. And… let's trust each other more." He looked back at me and nodded with clear approval.
Did I just get permission to go out into the capital?!
Yes!!!
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