Chapter 249: Grand Finale
This Journey of Tribulation, All for This Moment When You Place a Ring on My Finger
This is the pitch-black, boundless deep universe.
Stars shine brightly, constellations hang upside down.
And in the deepest part of the Star Abyss lies an ancient hall woven from shadows.
This hall drifts aimlessly within the deep universe, rising and falling with the surge of starlight, as if it has existed since the dawn of eternity.
Deep within the hall.
Crystal high heels.
A pitch-black gothic long dress, and a crown made of dark red rare metal, adorning a snow-white neck.
The Golden Elf, adorned in such attire, sat lightly upon a silent throne woven from dark thorns.
Her eyes were slightly closed.
A few strands of light golden hair fell from her temples onto the armrest of the silent seat, as if she were resting or perhaps in a deep sleep.
Only within her slightly closed eyes, did the slow-pulsing, azure secret fire that occasionally appeared—
Brought a little vitality to this world of dead silence, where time itself seemed to be frozen.
…
Heiser no longer remembered how long she had wandered in exile at the end of the multiverse.
This was a place of exile, forgotten by the Heavenly Way and abandoned by the World.
Only the gloomy deep universe and the flickering starlight remained as her companions.
Apart from Astral Creatures that appeared only once every few hundred or thousand years, there were no other living beings, let alone intelligent, communicative creatures.
The concept of time… had lost its meaning here.
Perhaps it felt like a long time had passed physically, but it was only a few minutes in reality.
Or perhaps, it was only the span of opening and closing one’s eyes, and hundreds of years had already passed.
Only during those brief moments—
When the palace happened to drift into subspace dimensions close to the Material Plane, where the world barrier was thin.
Could the Golden Elf extend her consciousness across the sea of stars, across the infinitely distant abyss of stars.
Through different boundaries, she could briefly glimpse the Prime Material Plane, the world called the Western Continent—
That fleeting, ephemeral light.
She watched as prosperous empires on the Western Continent rose, flourished, declined, and were eventually destroyed, leaving behind only a few simple lines inscribed in the history books of later generations.
She watched as heroes and kings rose amidst glory, only to meet their legendary ends and become poems sung by bards.
However, that was merely looking through a crack in the wall.
That world, bathed in radiant light, did not belong to this Golden Elf exiled at the end of the multiverse.
She was a remnant of time.
A wanderer who had lost her place to shelter and live.
No matter how beautiful that world of light was, it was clearly separate from her.
It was as if they were separated by two worlds.
Even though that world called the Western Continent was once her homeland.
But it was like a wanderer returning home after many years away, finding everything changed and feeling strange and hesitant, only relaxing upon seeing an old friend from childhood.
A place for the Golden Elf to belong, a place to settle.
It would only reappear after encountering that familiar person again, after witnessing those unforgettable events once more.
And then it would become warm and radiant.
Heiser did not know how much longer she would have to wait for that reunion to occur.
However, many years ago, at that glorious end, the Youth and she had reached an agreement.
“One day, I will come to save you.”
It was just the Youth’s most unreliable, vague verbal promise.
But the Golden Elf believed him, believed without condition.
So she would wait for him in the Astral Realm.
Regardless of the birth and death of stars, regardless of the passage of time.
…
Starlight flowed.
Every moment, new celestial bodies were born in this boundless universe, and ancient stars ushered in their final burst before perishing.
Tides rose and fell, ups and downs.
And after an unknown amount of time passed.
Until, at a certain moment.
The long wait finally welcomed that.
Tiny miracle.
…
*Clatter.*
The silent palace echoed with sound for the first time.
It was the sound of footsteps treading over the thick layer of stardust outside the hall.
Following closely behind.
Was the figure emerging from the flowing starlight, growing nearer.
One step.
Two steps.
At this moment, the drifting starlight fell upon the approaching figure.
The Youth’s side profile, with its soft lines, was bathed in the radiance of the stars, its contours distinct and deep.
Upon the throne woven from dark thorns.
The Golden Elf slowly opened her eyes and looked at the figure walking towards the throne, towards her.
She did not speak, and the one who arrived did not speak either.
The world remained Silent.
Only the approaching, ever-clearer footsteps remained.
Until at a certain moment, the footsteps ceased.
The visitor stood before the Golden Elf.
The Youth with black hair and black eyes bent one knee, maintaining the same height as the Golden Elf seated on the silent throne.
Then, he took out a silver ring inlaid with a sapphire.
His plain white fingers extended.
And the Youth then gently took the Golden Elf’s fair right hand.
Then, with an extremely slow and careful movement.
He placed the sapphire-blue ring onto Heiser’s right ring finger.
“The wedding date has been set, Teacher.”
The Youth’s voice broke the silence within the hall, which seemed to be frozen in eternity.
“So—”
“Now, I.”
“Have become the Protagonist that makes your heart flutter?”
Soft words echoed in the vast hall.
At this moment, the stars flowed in reverse.
Millions of dim stars flickered in this instant.
The Golden Elf then carefully examined the sapphire ring reflecting starlight on her ring finger.
Falling starlight dispelled the darkness of the hall.
It also illuminated the Golden Elf’s beautiful, light golden eyes.
She nodded gently.
“Of course.”
Her hoarse voice seemed to travel from a long, long time ago, reaching the distant starry sky.
The next instant.
Upon the Golden Elf’s fair, cute face.
Shaya saw the most beautiful smile he had ever seen in his life.
…
This journey of tribulation, ups and downs.
All for—
This moment when you place a ring on my finger.
(End of Book)
……………………………………
PS: I will post my completion thoughts in a few days. Additionally, there are three planned side stories.
1. “A First-Class Affair. Ceylon” — Aerora
2. “I Want to Create a World Where Shaya Exists” — An IF timeline where Heiser obtains the Star Cup
3. “Pure White Valentine’s Day” — Solun
Please look forward to them.
