Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Subaru, always so given to introspection, was now racking his brain more intently than ever. Where had he gone wrong? What had he done wrong? Why did others have to suffer for his mistakes?

To understand how he'd reached this abyss, we need to go back to the beginning of his "new" life: the conclusion of the Royal Selection. Emilia wasn't the winner. It turned out to be Felt, thanks to her knight's support, the revelation that she was the last surviving member of the royal family, and Subaru's covert backing. He had supplied her with crucial intel on future Witch Cult attacks and potential catastrophes, allowing Felt to preempt them and gain a decisive advantage over the other candidates.

But why did Subaru give this information to Felt and not use it for Emilia's faction?

Three reasons, three women: Echidna, Emilia, and Rem.

His contract with Echidna proved to be the worst mistake of his life. He soon realized that this insidious witch didn't see him as a partner, but merely as a tool to satisfy her insatiable curiosity. She never intended to help him find the best path; quite the opposite. If it hadn't been for the ability granted by the Witch of Envy and a well-placed blow, coupled with harsh words from the man he yearned to call a friend, he would have remained blind, living as a simple puppet until the witch tired of him.

Then there was his beloved, his fleeting star of happiness, the moon that illuminated his darkest, most desperate nights: Emilia, now a mere shell of her former self. After the Sanctuary trials, Emilia's psyche had fragmented, though not entirely. She remained an obedient girl, desperate for his love and approval, even cutting her hair to emulate Rem and become his favorite, willing to fulfill his every desire. But she was no longer his beloved Emilia-tan. Knowing that he had been the architect of her transformation into an obedient doll for "daddy" tore him apart more than anything. He had to save her. He had promised her the day he arrived in this world.

Finally, there was Rem. Whenever his life became complicated, he would go to see her, but after realizing his grave error and that he had lost his way, visiting her became impossible. He was no longer Rem's hero; he was just a pawn, a tool. However, that day, after receiving the blow that pulled him back to the reality he refused to confront, he mustered the courage to visit her.

He told her everything: his mistakes, his contract with Echidna, how deeply he had hurt Emilia, and that he didn't know if he could help her become herself again. He confessed his desperation, his pain, his sorrow, that he didn't know what to do. As he poured his heart out, his memories with Rem, the time they had spent together, every moment shared with that loyal maid, and those words that saved him in his moment of need, resonated in his mind:

"Subaru-kun is Rem's hero. He never gives up and always overcomes. Rem's Subaru-kun is capable of making the impossible possible."

After recalling those beautiful words of encouragement directed only at him, he could make a decision. He would try to be a hero again, Rem's hero. One last time. To save Emilia and save himself from the witch's sweet trap, where he was both instrument and victim.

Deceiving or manipulating Echidna proved absurdly easy; it was hard to believe, but that seemingly wise witch was easy to trick. She accepted any excuse Subaru gave her, making it absurdly simple to fool her into accepting his ideas for facing future challenges.

The truly difficult part was talking to Reinhard, but after confessing Emilia's precarious mental state and promising to do anything to push Felt onto the throne, Reinhard agreed to help him.

After that, things improved slightly.

The attack on Pristella, the conquest of the Pleiades Watchtower, the conflict with Vollachia... all were events in which his alliance with Felt and Reinhard helped him overcome difficulties. It wasn't until the events in Vollachia that he realized he had taken the right path, and all thanks to his brother from this world? The other? The truth was elusive, but one certainty united them: both he and Aldebaran had been mere playthings in the witch's machinations.

After saving Priscilla from certain death—something Echidna, for some reason, insisted he let happen, but which he refused to accept, deciding to save her at all costs—Aldebaran approached him and confessed that "he" was one of Echidna's backup plans, but that he had chosen to seek his own destiny and not be her pawn.

But that wasn't all he said; he also explained the method to awaken and recover the memories of people affected by Gluttony, which made him enormously happy.

Now he could save Rem, apologize, and thank her for everything.

That day, the "brothers" from this world and the other drank together for the freedom and happiness they gained by not obeying a certain witch's whims, and for their bright future.

Unfortunately, harsh reality struck him again.

After capturing one of the Gluttony brothers, they managed to get Crusch to regain her memory and Rem to awaken. But Rem didn't regain hers. Upon seeing him, she attacked him without hesitation, almost taking his life. Only the intervention of an enraged Emilia, who was about to freeze Rem, prevented Subaru from dying once more at the maid's hands.

This almost led him to a relapse, but...

—"Subaru, incredible! You managed to wake Rem up."

—"But she doesn't remember me... she's not my Rem."

—"Then you just have to keep trying until that 'Rem' returns, but Subaru... I'm scared."

—"Scared? What are you scared of, Emilia?"

—"That if that Rem, your Rem, comes back, you'll leave me... and not come back to my side. When you're not near, I'm cold, Subaru, very, very cold, and I don't like the cold. Only when you're by my side, the cold disappears."

—"Emilia-tan..."

—"Will you stay with me forever, Subaru?"

—"I can't always be by your side, Emilia, but I think there's a way for you not to feel so cold."

The kiss they shared was brief, with some hesitation from Subaru; he didn't know if he should do it, but he needed it, and Emilia didn't deny him. When they pulled apart...

—"Subaru... what are we going to do?"

—"About what, Emilia-tan?"

—"The baby."

—"What baby?"

—"The one you just made me."

That night was the most embarrassing in Subaru's life. Explaining to his adorable Emilia-tan how babies are made was, without a doubt, the most embarrassing experience of his life, one he never wanted to repeat. But the worst part was that his adorable Emilia-tan wanted to have their baby... now!

—"If Subaru and I have a baby now, everything will be fine."

—"Emilia-tan... babies aren't made overnight; it's a process of months, and nothing guarantees that... that if... that, if we sleep together, we'll immediately have a baby."

—"Then... we must try harder. From now on, we'll sleep together every day."

Thus, Subaru Natsuki became an adult and the body pillow of a half-elf with many dependency tendencies.

Chapter Text

 Subaru's life slowly improved once he stopped heeding the witch's advice.

Rem had woken up, Emilia was slowly getting better, and her self-esteem was rising. Yet, in stark contrast, his chances of winning the Royal Selection plummeted daily. The worst part was that he was the only one concerned. Roswaal was delighted, claiming his master's rebirth was ever closer. Ram was happy to have her sister back, though it annoyed her that Roswaal remained obsessed with the witch and hadn't found a way to free him from her influence, often taking out her frustration on Subaru. Rem hated him for his "witch's stench" and didn't want him anywhere near her. His only solace was his beloved Emilia-tan, who, to his surprise, had given up on becoming queen.

"Subaru, I... I'm not well. Not well at all. I can only think of you and can barely think of anything else. Before, I didn't question it, but now, now that we spend more time together, now that I realize I was a fool for doubting your feelings for me, I've started thinking that I haven't tried to be queen in recent years. I just wanted to spend time with you, and that's not right. A queen should do more than just think of her beloved, but I don't care about that. What I do care about is that I can only think of you, and everything else fades away, and that's why it's not good for a silly girl like me to be queen. But if there's one thing I want to do, and want to try to be, it's a mother. I want to be a mother to Subaru's children, to my Subaru's children. I don't know if I'll be a good mother, but if I'm with you, if you stay with me, maybe, just maybe, I can be... So, will you let me be the mother of your children, Subaru? I don't want anyone else to be... please, Subaru."

In the end, after several conversations and seeing the slight improvements in his beloved Emilia, Subaru accepted his defeat in the Royal Selection. However, he also prepared for what was to come, knowing he'd have to deal with two monsters once he surrendered: Roswaal and Echidna.

Breaking the contract with Echidna was, surprisingly, easier than expected. Once again, a strange sensation washed over him while negotiating with her, especially when the witch mentioned she had considered using him as a base for an experiment, but discarded the idea the moment he began to distance himself from her. In the end, Echidna accepted the termination of the contract in exchange for all memories of Subaru's world and a truthful report of all his deaths in recent months, which he hadn't informed her about.

Dealing with Roswaal was the hard part.

As far as he knew, Roswaal possessed one of the Tomes of Wisdom created by Echidna. If he didn't destroy it, sooner or later the damned clown would drag him back into his machinations to revive the witch. For that reason, he had to devise several plans to achieve that goal. Fortunately, there was someone who, upon discovering his desire to destroy the book, decided to ally with him: Ram.

The plan was difficult to conceive. They had to set several traps and create a false book with the help of the witch herself, who found the situation amusing...

—"It will be interesting to see what Roswaal does without the book I gave him. Will he break? Will he seek another method? Will he go fight Volcanica alone? Will he start looking for you to get his book back? Any possible outcome is tempting... Let's do it."

She truly was a horrible, heartless being.

In the end, they managed to separate Roswaal from the book and burn it. To ensure he wouldn't be a future nuisance and that no one would look for him, they burned two false bodies with similar characteristics to his and Emilia's, so the mage would believe them dead. It was an almost perfect plan for a medieval world where forensic medicine was barely developed, but as a backup plan, Subaru spoke with both Felt and Crusch to help him with his escape.

He fabricated a story where Roswaal had manipulated them into participating in the Royal Selection, and due to certain planned events, Emilia's mental health had deteriorated to such an extent that she could no longer attempt to be queen. Felt quickly accepted and assured them she would help them find a place to live where the mad mage wouldn't find them. But Crusch wasn't entirely satisfied with the explanation; her divine protection told her Subaru was hiding things.

With no other alternatives, and accepting his sins, he told them he was almost entirely to blame for Emilia's declining mental health, but that he was striving to be a better version of himself and give his beloved Emilia a better future.

Ultimately, after a few insults and blows from Felt, and serious scoldings from Crusch, they agreed to help with his plan. He secured a humble house near one of the villages in the Astrea family's territory.

That's how Subaru Natsuki and Emilia, former royal candidate, began their new life together.

Due to concern for Emilia's condition, Felt and Crusch, accompanied by Felix, visited them every few months, which helped to somewhat alleviate Emilia's dependency and emotional problems.

On his own, Subaru had started working with a great man, the one who delivered the first blow that made him see reason: his good friend Otto. If it hadn't been for that strike, he would have remained the witch's slave and never would have managed to wake Rem, help heal Emilia's mental wounds, or recover Crusch's memories.

For Subaru Natsuki, Otto Suwen was the most trustworthy man. Despite being a poor merchant, an alcoholic, and a terrible investor, they were now business partners and colleagues. So, when they reunited, he wanted to thank Otto for helping him that day. Otto seemed thoughtful and hesitant, as if something was bothering him. Finally, like the good friend he was, Subaru asked him what was wrong, and the truth was unsettling.

—"Did someone ask you to hit me that day?"

—"Yes, it was a strange guy. He offered me 100 gold coins, 50 as an advance and the other 50 when he confirmed everything went as he wished, but in the end, he gave me 200 gold coins, something about everything going much better than he expected."

—"Who the hell? Was there a bet on giving me a black eye? And tell me, my good friend Otto, have you seen that strange man again?"

—"No, but he was hard to forget, especially with those red eyes and his strange nickname."

—"What was it? I hope it's something cool and makes a strong impression."

—"D. That's what he said his name was, and that if everything went well, we'd never see each other again."

—"A strange and enigmatic guy with an even stranger name... I don't want any more of those; I've had enough with Rosuchi."

—"It's alright, Natsuki-san, I haven't seen him again, and that's a good thing, but he did say that if I saw him again, it meant trouble was coming."

—"Great, a guy who brings bad omens when you see him, just what we needed!"

—"Don't say that, Natsuki-san, our business is going well."

—"Yeah, you're right, it's stupid to say things will go wrong because of bad luck."

—"True, we must have more confi—"

—"If anything goes wrong, it's all Otto-kun's fault."

—"Natsuki-san!!!"

"Life was good," that's what Subaru Natsuki thought. He had a reliable friend who helped him when he needed it, he had his own home, but above all, he had an adorable wife who always waited for him at home, Emilia Natsuki, who was expecting their child.

A few months later, their adorable first daughter, Lyra Natsuki, was born.

A beautiful girl who had inherited the shape of his eyes and nose. Unfortunately for his beloved Emilia, Lyra had inherited her hair and eye color, causing Emilia to have a small relapse. But with a little help and reflection, she managed to overcome that small setback to become a good mother to her daughter and wife to him.

Life was good, yes. But Subaru Natsuki's happiness, in all worlds, is always cut short... as if he were cursed.

The changes began after their daughter's seventh birthday. Lyra started following him, smiling in a strange, unsettling way. Something about that smile was chilling, but what truly disconcerted him were her eyes: at times, they would change and become completely black voids.

The flowers Emilia cultivated died on contact with their daughter. At first, they attributed it to a divine protection that killed flowers, but this only happened when Lyra's eyes darkened. These situations repeated for almost a year. They were simply baffling.

But everything worsened when their daughter's beautiful short hair turned completely white and long overnight. That worried Subaru; Emilia not as much, as the change made Lyra look less like the witch, but maybe, just maybe, she said that to avoid thinking too much about the strange situation.

Then it happened: their daughter collapsed. She wouldn't eat, had no energy. That sweet girl who always smiled happily and joyfully called them "Papa" and "Mama"... was in bed, speaking incomprehensibly... staring into space.

She was dying... for some unknown reason.

That's what Subaru's instinct told him. He called Felix with an urgency bordering on desperation, but the healer's response was a chilling dagger to Subaru's heart. "Something is modifying your daughter's Od," Felix whispered, his voice choked with repulsion, "it's becoming contaminated, transforming into something else..." Felix couldn't do anything. When he tried to use magic against it, that very thing, still nested in his little girl's dying body, reacted with horrifying malevolence.

"Whatever that was, it should not have been born into this world," Felix murmured, before leaving the house, his face pale and nausea twisting his stomach.

Those words didn't just sink in; they embedded themselves like splinters in Subaru's soul. Something that shouldn't have been born into this world... A monster... A demon... an unnamable entity and aberration was consuming his daughter, his little girl.

And, to his deepest horror, there was nothing he could do.

Not even his ability to die and return, his curse, could undo this...

The envious witch had failed him once again.

Once again, she prevented him from saving someone he loved...

His daughter's fate, his beloved baby's fate, was sealed, and he was a mere spectator, a powerless father trapped in his own nightmare.

Chapter Text

It had been a year since their daughter died... and "it" took her place.

Emilia and Subaru tried to go on with their lives as best they could, but it was difficult. During that time, Emilia tried more than once to encourage Subaru to have other babies, but he couldn't bring himself to, not with "that thing" in their lives. He also feared "it" would harm any child he might have. Something told him it could do the same to his beloved Lyra, or worse.

When their daughter exhaled her last breath, the cries of both parents were the only sounds in the room. Their daughter's dead body rose, startling them both... Then that "thing" inhabiting their daughter's dead body looked at them with those eyes, two black, reflectionless pits. There was no trace of the child they knew; only an empty mask with a blood-chilling smile, a triumphant sneer as if her parents' agony were a grotesque spectacle she enjoyed, a silent mockery of their pain. In that smile, there was no joy, only the cold satisfaction of a dark victory, the disturbing calm of something that didn't belong to this world and delighted in its cruelty.

Then, in the depths of his despair, something ignited in Subaru's shattered mind, an icy terror that pierced him to the bone. He connected the dots, those invisible threads woven by horror. He had seen that smile before. That same empty smile, devoid of all humanity, that stripped the soul from those who beheld it. The smile of a Witch. The mocking sneer of an ancient monster, a being that saw life only as mere tools, a predator he thought he had buried in the depths of his past, but to whom he had willingly been a slave. And now, that same vileness manifested in what was once his own daughter.

"Echidna!!!!!" Subaru roared, his hands clutching the corpse of his daughter, now an abomination cursed by that witch, whose sole purpose was to steal his happiness and every ounce of good in his life.

Emilia stopped him from ending that thing... But that wasn't the only time he tried to eliminate it. To end the life of that "thing"... to avenge his daughter who had been killed by the parasite of a vengeful witch. But each time, that thing smiled. And something deep within him paralyzed him, a strange reluctance to end the life of that monster, as if it were a forbidden act. As if it were truly wrong to want to kill that thing.

The worst part was that Emilia still treated that thing as "our daughter." She took it for walks and tended the attempt at a dead garden in the company of that "thing." Emilia disguised it, with makeup and feigned casual clumsiness, but the situation had begun to damage her physical and mental health once again, and she had developed the habit of hitting "it" when she got angry, only to then apologize with tears and hugs that would break any child's body.

Several times she locked herself in the bathroom to cry...

blaming herself, that because she was a witch, her daughter had been cursed...

The situation had escalated much further in the last week...

She had thought about committing suicide...

that if she gave her life to that "thing," Lyra would return, that at least Subaru and her daughter could be happy. It was a miracle that day Subaru didn't go to work and found Emilia before she ended her life...

Yes, a miracle...

A miracle called "Return by Death," and Subaru's paranoia was through the roof.

The whole situation overwhelmed Subaru and had led him to wonder in the darkness of his office, as the silence grew as dense as despair itself, the same questions that were once a lament, but now were an echo of horror.

Where had he gone wrong?

What had he done wrong?

Why did others have to suffer for his mistakes? And most terribly, what monster had he brought into this world? The answer, a cold shiver, he already knew.

Night fell on their home.

It was a dark night; the moon was absent, and the only light came from the faint glow of the stars. However, for Subaru, who in the past had enjoyed that spectacle with his parents on Earth, and even up until more than a year ago with his beloved wife and daughter, it now left only a bitter taste and a feeling of loneliness.

He wanted a miracle.

He really wished for one, but he knew it wouldn't work... he had tried already... more than once in the last year...

He lost count...

For his beloved Emilia... for his beloved Lyra.

He looked at the letter opener on the table; it almost seemed to call to him. He picked it up with false hope.

A miracle was what he desired, one he knew wouldn't come, but which he had to try for.

He was a husband, he was a father, and he had to keep trying as many times as necessary... he couldn't give in to temptation and become a slave to the witch again... not after everything he had gone through... not after losing the greatest treasure the world had given him.

He prepared himself, he was ready, mentally prepared, but the fear was still there.

The fear he could never escape.

The primal fear of death with which everyone is born.

He closed his eyes and prepared.

The world lost all sounds and then...

—Sound of chains—

A familiar sound, one that once brought him terror, pulled him from his trance.

—Sound of chains and footsteps—

They passed outside his study and continued on. Subaru's mind, at first, couldn't understand or process what that was, but after a few seconds, he reached a conclusion:

"A thief? Why now?!"

As he stepped out of his study, he could see the feet of someone climbing to the second floor of his humble home. He yelled at the intruder, but they didn't stop or turn around.

"Who are you?! What do you want in my little girl's room?!" said a voice that reminded him of a silver bell Subaru knew well.

"Emilia!"

When Subaru managed to climb the stairs to the second floor, he could hear his beloved's cry of pain and see her fall to the floor almost in slow motion. The sound of her body hitting the floor was all he registered; his own scream of fear and pain couldn't reach him.

When he reached his beloved Emilia's side, she was unharmed.

Good, just unconscious.

She had no injury.

No blood.

No evidence of real violence on her body.

His wife was just unconscious.

That was good.

Something absurd in an absurd world where death and violence were normal, at least for him.

A cruel world.

A heartless world that always stole happiness from her or him, but for some reason today it had been a little kind, or so Subaru thought as he hugged his beloved and held back tears.

The sound of a door opening, chains, and firm footsteps approaching pulled him from his reverie. The "thing" posing as his daughter looked at the man dressed completely in black, whose chains clinked with every step. Subaru couldn't see his face, but he was sure they were staring at each other.

"I'm sorry, Nova, I can't let you run wild. You're hurting Lyra and her parents, especially Natsuki Subaru, and I're sure you don't want that."

The thing looked at him as soon as it heard its name from the strange man in black. His voice was authoritative, cold as an iceberg. When his eyes met those of the aberration, it gave him a smile... that same repulsive smile as always, which reminded him of the depraved witch, completely devoid of humanity.

"So you're coming with me. I won't take 'no' for an answer. Be a good girl and cooperate."

It looked away, stopped smiling, and watched the man. It was clear it didn't want to cooperate with him.

"Then it'll be the hard way," he said next, and with incredible speed, he grabbed the thing by the neck and plunged his other hand through its chest. The surprise was clear on the faces of "it" and Subaru, but who let out the scream was something neither of them knew.

The thing began to struggle, kicking the man, throwing punches, but none seemed to affect him; it was as if the blows didn't reach him.

With each passing second, the thing lost strength, and its attempts to attack began to diminish; it could barely move its arms and legs. It tried to extend its arm one more time, but it wasn't to fight its unknown aggressor.

No, its arm reached out to him, to Natsuki Subaru, and it was clear as day what that thing wanted: Help.

Fear could be seen in its eyes and face.

It tried to speak, but "it" barely had the ability to say anything.

It tried to extend its arms as far as it could to try to reach him, but its strength was useless.

Watching "it" die now filled him with terror.

He was going to lose another person in his life.

It was a monster.

But it wanted help.

It had taken his daughter.

It loved him; it was hard to understand, but it always smiled when he was around.

It was destroying his beloved Emilia's fragile mind.

It only wanted to be with him.

It had stolen the peace he had worked so hard to achieve.

It wasn't really evil.

It had to die and pay for destroying his happiness; it had to be punished.

It would be inhuman not to try to save it.

And Natsuki Subaru... was the most human person of all.

"S-stop..." It was weak, like a plea, because that's what it was, after all.

A plea for something that shouldn't be saved.

"You want me to stop? You want this thing that took your daughter to live? Are you sure about that, Natsuki Subaru? That this monster that defies the very nature of the world should have a future? Are you willing to accept the consequences of that decision, Great Sage Natsuki Subaru?"

He hesitated. Despite having asked, doubt struck him harder again. Something in the man's voice told him he was right and that this was the right thing, but Natsuki Subaru couldn't accept that. The humanity he had recovered in those last years had helped him regain that lost courage. The courage that made him Natsuki Subaru, and that's why he said words that only... Natsuki Subaru would say in that kind of situation.

"Even so, even though it's something that shouldn't exist, that doesn't mean it should die... not like this, not in that way. It must learn what it means to live, to love, and to be loved. Please... let it live... I don't want to lose another daughter... I don't know if I could bear it... please... spare the life of my other daughter..."

Silence fell between the two men. The only palpable sound was a strange dripping and something writhing, along with a stench of death in the air. Subaru didn't know what was causing all that, but he was sure he didn't want to know.

"I see. Despite everything, Natsuki Subaru will remain Natsuki Subaru... even if the dumbest, most ignorant witch in the world messes with his head. But it seems there's a misunderstanding about the situation we're in."

"Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding?"

"I didn't come to kill Nova," he said and then turned to look at him.

Then he saw those orbs redder than crimson, pits of hellish fire: terrifying, relentless, merciless. They were the gaze of a beast ready to devour and destroy anyone who was its enemy, definitely not the eyes of a human. However, as he uttered those words, something in his expression changed.

"I came to save them. You, Miss Emilia, Lyra, and Nova, I will definitely save them and help you all reach your happy ending... I assure you, even if I have to go to hell, I will."

And it was then that, despite their initial fierceness, those same eyes revealed themselves to be strangely kind and brimming with unwavering determination, something Subaru had never witnessed in that world, though it felt unsettlingly familiar... as if he had seen them somewhere before, long ago.

As the two exchanged glances, the body of what was once his daughter began to glow, and once the glow stopped, the man withdrew his hand from the body. In that hand was a strange, peculiar glowing gem, chilling as if calling to death.

"Good, the first part, the hardest, went well. Now for the most exhausting and easy part."

The man put away the crystal, and then the room took on a blue hue as if they were underwater. Gravity disappeared, and everything in the room began to float with the exception of the man with red eyes and dark clothes. Then he spoke:

"Tempus mendacium est. Id hoc probo. Accus quae mendacia monstrant, ad tempus melius revertantur. Mendacium pulchrius scribatur. Veritas fiat in nomine Yog-Sothoth."

Subaru's mind struggled to assimilate the unusual. Outside the window, the sun and moon moved with unnatural swiftness, a swing of accelerated cycles that distorted known time. It was as if the entire world, with its vast and indifferent existence, had shrunk to a mere silent accompaniment to that small room, a stage where the anomalous manifested without explanation, defying mortal logic. It was beautiful, absurd, terrifying, the waltz of the sun and moon, the stars in the window coming and going at incomprehensible, inhuman speed, unfazed, alien to the common sense of the world and all that was normal... while that senseless chant for his poor, simple human mind was heard throughout the world, his world, that small world that was that room.

Subaru tried to escape to a familiar, comfortable place, to avoid that beautiful and strange pagan scene in the window where the world he didn't know watched him, watched his disgusting twisted soul. He saw his wife, his Emilia, Emilia-tan, so calm, so happy, sleeping peacefully while the world they lived in became strange, crazy, unique, beautifully fleeting.

"It will be over soon, don't let your mind wander so much, Natsuki Subaru," he looked at the source of those words, it was a familiar man in black, he had an elegant suit stained black, like a vampire dressed in red, his right hand was black as night, dangerous, something inside Subaru told him, he shouldn't touch it, that hand was his enemy, the enemy of everything in that world.

It was the hand of death.

Death was in front of his daughter's body.

Then clarity, the common sense that comes with madness, brought Subaru's sane mind back. His daughter's body showed no wound on her chest where the man's hand had broken through, but that wasn't the only thing that captivated his terrified attention. Since his daughter's body had been invaded by that abominable entity, the wounds inflicted on it wouldn't heal. Regardless of magical intervention or the simple passage of time, the only result was the uncertain onset of putrefaction, as if it were a corpse, not a living being. But now... All those wounds were being healed one by one, but in a disturbingly strange way. It was as if they were disappearing, vanishing into nothingness, rather than simply healing.

Then he understood: the red-eyed being, that strange and somber man dressed in black... was rewinding his daughter's time, an act that disrupted causality, taking her back to the exact moment before she was invaded, before that thing took her place, before she, his small, adorable star, his beloved Lyra, stopped breathing. When she was still alive and healthy, when they were a happy family.

Tears streamed down Subaru's eyes and wouldn't stop. It was inevitable.

His daughter's deceased body had returned to how it was before that thing took over her.

It was a miracle, one he never thought he would see in his life.

When his daughter's body returned to the appearance it had before it began to show symptoms of being that thing, gravity began to return to the room, and the blue light similar to that of an ocean was replaced by the darkness of night. The voices alien to the world departed, and calm returned.

"Well, this is done," he said, then snapped his fingers, and the room's lamps turned on. "Now wake your wife, she should be better now, at least a little better than before."

Following the man's advice, he woke Emilia. Awake, she reacted almost immediately to attack the man in black; it was easy to see she was furious, but when she summoned her ice weapons, she suddenly stopped...

"Mother Fortuna... Father Geuse... I remember them," she said those names and began to cry.

Without hesitation, Subaru approached to hug her. He was confused; it wasn't that Emilia had strange outbursts, especially in the last year, but he had never heard her utter those names before. He looked at the man and asked if he knew what was happening to her or, rather, he must know or be the cause of it.

"I broke the half-dead contract with that flimsy cat. Without that contract, her past memories returned, and also everything she once was in her childhood... although, there are certain memories I left out... guilt isn't something that will help her heal her heart and mind."

"Thanks. I guess."

"Yeah, sure, it wasn't..." a stomach rumbling sound. "Embarrassing... that was very embarrassing and completely out of place!" After a long sigh, he continued. "This totally breaks my cool, mysterious character role, but you know what, to hell with it. I've never liked being like Cloud from FF7 or Kaneki from Tokyo Ghoul. I'm not the life of the party like Dante from Devil May Cry or Luffy from One Piece, but if I had to choose my personality, it would be something like Nero. Yeah, I think I'm closer to Nero because of all my tragic edgy past and all that resentful Emo garbage against the system and stuff like that."

Subaru couldn't help but widen his eyes even more upon hearing those words from the red-eyed stranger in dark clothes. All those references he made betrayed where the man in front of him was from. A person from his old world, something that surprised him much more than he expected. But just as he was about to ask to understand more of the situation, a stomach rumbling sound louder than the previous one stopped him, but also...

"Hyaaaa, a monster! Where's the monster?!"

A sweet, adorable voice, reminiscent of the warm sun of a summer dawn, sounded in the room.

"Daddy? Mommy? What are you doing there on the floor? And who's this guy? And what's that stink? It smells really bad, like someone made a lot of poop."

Their daughter, Lyra Natsuki, was there, awake and speaking normally as if she had never died. As if nothing alien to this world had ever taken possession of her body. Both parents' reactions were evident.

They jumped and hugged their beloved daughter through tears.

The girl, Lyra, was confused and surprised.

She looked at the man in black, with red eyes, searching for answers that didn't come. She had never seen her parents cry like small children before, and she didn't understand why. But he just gestured with his hand before leaving the room, as if to say it was no longer his problem... but hers.

The gesture annoyed her a little, but she was a future great heroine.

Dealing with her crying parents was just one of the many trials that would lead her on her heroic path.

And like a good daughter, she would take care of her parents until they calmed down and stopped crying. Like they did when she got hurt playing. And then, when they calmed down, she would ask them to play with her, but when she looked out her room window, she saw it was dark, it was night.

The stars shone much brighter than on other days.

Then a thought came to mind; she didn't know what day it was, or why she was in her room, but most importantly... she was very hungry, as if she hadn't eaten in over a year.

That was strange for her.

The next morning came late that day for the Natsuki family members.

Subaru, Emilia, and their adorable Lyra stayed up late the previous night talking about whatever came to mind. It was a fun night... the most fun in a year.

They didn't realize when they fell asleep. The only thing both parents knew was that they feared that upon waking, their adorable daughter would be replaced by that "thing" again, that their night together was just a dream. But when they woke up the next day, their adorable daughter was there, alive, well, and very hungry. They could only laugh with happiness, as a few more tears escaped their eyes.

Everything seemed to be going well until they reached the kitchen of their house.

Something or someone had ravaged all the food in the house.

It was a surreal scene for the family, but while Emilia and her daughter were annoyed by the food thief, Subaru could only laugh.

It was a small price to pay to get his daughter back.

To get his happy life back.

In the end, mother and daughter decided to go out for provisions, while Subaru decided to look for clues about the pantry thief at home.

Subaru followed the clues left by the food thief: crumbs, fruit remnants stuck to the floor, a little fruit cider on the floor just outside his study door. When he entered, he saw the open window, and his desk a little messy along with remnants of cheese, bread, and fruit, plus three sealed letters.

One addressed to him, another for the whole family, and a last one with his daughter's name.

He started by reading the one addressed to him.

Perhaps there he would find answers to everything that had happened.

Chapter Text

"Hello Natsuki Subaru, yesterday I didn't have the time or the energy to introduce myself, but I'll do it now.

I am D, better known as: D, you damn bastard, get your feet off my back, you're ruining and dirtying my suit!

You surely must have many questions... some I'll probably answer here, others I'll ignore, and some will never be answered! I'll let your imagination and peanut brain draw conclusions... since it'll be more fun for everyone watching you or watching us... 'Look, Mom, I'm writing a letter to your dear Natsuki Subaru!'

"Oh, so this guy was the one who paid Otto to hit me... he seems like a very strange person... doesn't seem entirely right in the head.

I won't go into details why, but I know everything about you... everything! Even those embarrassing moments at Emilia's camp or that other embarrassing moment when you were still in Japan and went to school as Nasume-chan! You looked adorable... Also, about what you already know and what you can't talk about! Yes, your patron, that certain half-elf hated by the world, who is your biggest fan and stalker! If you see her again, tell her I send lots of greetings and kisses! She's my favorite half-elf! Come on, the Tela-tan route is the true End of this crazy journey of death and death, and more death... ah! I can feel the love in the air!

"Wait, what?! He knows about Return by Death?!"

I also know about your contract with the dumbest lady of all! Ah, what a horrible contract! It was a good decision that you broke it, you know! Yes, that really was a good choice. The truth is, I knew about the difficulties you were going through back then, but I had no way to help you—I mean, I was far, far away, busy with my own things, but even so, I can say it's very good that you decided to leave that witch's wing and seek happiness with Lady Emilia."

You deserve a big round of applause (I stop writing and applaud), and now that I've explained the weirdest things, let's get to the crux of the matter and get serious.

Subaru couldn't help but feel annoyed realizing this mysterious D wasn't sharing much about who he was, but he couldn't complain much to the savior of his family.

The letter continues with the reason he found him.

Nova-chan, or better known as:

N.O.V.A. (NEW, OBSERVER, VARIABLE, ASSISTANT)

Nova was one of Echidna's latest projects, one she was creating to be your personal assistant and help you in your loops, as she would be connected to you and immune to the effect of resets. That way the witch could have two distinct sources of information for her personal pleasure and fascination... macabre, right? But as you began to lose trust in her and showed signs of wanting to end the contract, she abandoned the project and continued observing what destiny you chose.

But something happened that she didn't expect and didn't know would happen... Nova gained self-awareness.

Why this happened isn't relevant to this letter, but it's connected to the remnants of existences that couldn't come into being due to the interference of those who wish to change the course of history.

'Change history? I don't understand what that has to do with this Nova.'

Subaru continued reading the letter, looking for an answer to that question, but what followed only explained things related to Nova, not to those who change history.

Nova, her very existence, is something out of the ordinary. Because of her connection to your ability, she could also return (I don't know how many times she did). This same connection ended up attracting other forgotten entities like moths to a flame. But it wasn't a fire that drew them; it was the queen of moths.

With each of them joining Nova out of the simple desire to exist, they helped her gain strength and the ability to escape the limbo they were in. Using that strength obtained from this nearly impossible union, she arrived in this plane of existence as a kind of ghost or demonic entity, so to speak.

'This sounds like some kind of horror movie, doesn't it? My life in this world is like a horror movie, and this whole situation with Lyra and Nova reminds me of that old movie The Exorcist. Is D an exorcist? Oh my God, this is getting weirder!

After her manifestation in the real world, she stayed by her creator, Echidna's side, observing you. But since she had no real body, she could do nothing more than that; she couldn't speak, or eat, she barely understood emotions, but that didn't bother her.

Because you were there—her reason for existence, her origin, you who are, in a way, her father and the sun that gives meaning to her existence.

That's why, when you ended the contract with Echidna and didn't return, she decided to go look for you. But when she found you with the family you formed, with your daughter, something inside her changed.

She experienced her first feelings: jealousy, towards your daughter, towards Lyra.

'What? Wait, what?'

She wanted to be the center of your world just as you are the center of hers. That's why she stole Lyra's body while she slept, and for almost over a year, she pretended to be your daughter just to receive everything from you and be the center of your world.

A knot formed in Subaru's stomach; he felt like vomiting, but he calmed down knowing that nightmare was over. After a long sigh, he continued reading the rest of the letter.

It was because of Nova's existence that I found you and was able to help. She is a full-blown anomaly, and that's why I had to find a way to remove her from the world before she grew and became dangerous for everyone. To achieve that, I made a deal with existences outside the Od Lagun. Through methods absurdly questionable for a human, they provided me with a special crystal to hold Nova's existence while I got her an appropriate receptacle so she could live like any living being, and a spell capable of recovering and stabilizing Lyra's body to a state before it was possessed. But unfortunately, there are consequences for Lyra's future.

Those last words almost made Subaru's heart stop.

Lyra will no longer be able to use spirit arts.

After reading that, he calmed down a bit, let out the sigh he'd been holding, and continued reading the letter.

The reason for this is the modification of her Od, due to the potential risk that those entities still remaining in the limbo from which Nova came might try to possess Lyra's body. That's why I had to disable her ability as a spirit user.

"Well, I guess Lyra won't like that; she hoped to become a spirit user like Emilia in the future."

After voicing those thoughts, Subaru re-read the last sheet of the letter, and when he saw it, his eyes opened wide. It declared something he never thought he'd see: the declaration of the Witch's Cult's destruction.

Before coming to help you and save those adorable stars that are your daughters, I made a few stops to greet the hidden and active members of the Witch's Cult in a very friendly manner. It was a very wild party... some died, others died too, and a few more took their own lives. What did you expect me to say, that they died? Well, yes, they did, but the cowards didn't let me kill them, like the first or the second groups. Anyway, the thing is, all of this is going to be a high-level political hell... good luck with that... because it's not my fault... seriously, it's not my fault... it's not my fault!

"Hahaha...! Looks like a bureaucratic hell is approaching for Felt and Crusch... well, chin up, I'll support them from the comfort of my home."

So, that guy, the other Archbishop of Gluttony, the one who'd been hiding and had Rem's memories—I killed him. So Miss Rem, the Rem who confessed to you, is back and she's furious, searching for your whereabouts... seriously! Natsuki Subaru, what do you do to drive her so crazy? She almost killed me when she saw me! In the end, I gave her a hint about who knows your whereabouts, so there's a chance she'll reach your destination... by the way, I'm part of Team Harem! Give me more stars to pamper, you bastard! I want at least a Rigel and a Spica, an Electra from Rem wouldn't be bad, but let's not forget Haru, Kell, or Chochorina, or maybe an adorable Orion! This big brother is happy with any outcome, as long as there are more stars to accompany the lonely, vast night sky.

A tear fell from one of Subaru's eyes, which he wiped away, letting out a thank you to the man who had saved his daughter and brought back the woman who supported him most in his darkest moments.

"This D, what the hell is he? He saves my daughter; says he single-handedly destroyed the Witch's Cult... is he some generic isekai protagonist with many superpowers? Because that's what it looks like so far. Also, why on earth does he seem obsessed with my children? He definitely hides more than he shows."

He returned his gaze to the last words of the letter addressed to him and could only frown.

It was a request.

One that confused him and seemed strange, but who was he to deny a small and ridiculous request to the one who saved his daughter and apparently brought his dear Rem back?

"Kukukuku, you're watching me, Alpha-chan, I certainly am, as are the tenants of your adorable theater. You're having fun, aren't you? Well, good, your fun is my happiness. An older brother is happy when his younger siblings are happy, but putting that aside. I have a big and transcendental question, a task that should leave you thinking for a couple of nights in your cute hammock on your auto-bed, and that is... who am I? Kukuku... I bid you farewell. With many kisses and love, [D]

Postscript one: Echidna has been punished for being a very bad witch and a very silly woman.

Postscript two: Roswaal is the jailer of a certain bad witch, but he can no longer transfer his existence and is bound by contract to have children with a certain pink-haired Oni maid and make her the happiest woman in the world... you're welcome, Onee-sama!"

Postscript Three: "You! Yes, you! I'm talking to you. You know I'm talking to you. If I'm talking to you, no, you're not mistaken, I know what you saw, I know what you thought. I know, I see you, just as you're reading me. I know you see these words; I know you know about Nova and the other Novas. Yes, thank you, observer of causality. Thanks to you, thanks to all of you, I'm here, watching these stars, observing them, admiring them, caring for them, waiting... for another new one... no, I'm sorry, I doubt you'll see me that much; this was a coincidence. I don't move in these circles like Alpha and his associates in the theater. My existence and objective are different. I don't know if you'll see me again; it all depends on the observer in charge of me. Obligated, harass them, ask them—everything depends on it, or maybe on you... I have no power over you, nor do I wish to have it. I already have too much on my plate to deal with, but well, I suppose if I have to deal with more things, it all depends on my observer of causality. Until then... take care, because if you're reading me, something strange is happening inside this strange and bizarre Schrödinger's box where I exist."

"That's all! If you're lucky and good, you'll never see me! But if luck isn't on your side, I'll be there to give you a scare and hunt the chaos!

With much love, D."

After finishing the letter, Subaru reread it. There were some very strange details in it, but he let them go; he wasn't in the mood to think about those things right now. There were several other things he had to worry about.

Like his happy family and what he'd do tomorrow.

After almost over a year of madness and pain, Subaru Natsuki came to think that he had finally reached the beginning of his happy ending.

Chapter Text

Ten years.

Ten years had passed since that night, since that horrible year, ten years since Nova and D had vanished from his life.

They had been ten good years of life. Very good. The best of his entire life, and probably only a small part of the good years that awaited him.

It was certain he would have problems, like all people and families, but for him, for Natsuki Subaru, it would be a good, normal life, without needing to use his cursed ability again or having to get involved in situations that forced him to use it, as in the past.

Ten years where he was just another man, without having to face the challenges of death or lose anyone in his life.

Many things had changed during that time. He was now a man with two beautiful wives: Emilia and Rem.

His reunion with Rem was horrible. It happened half a year after Lyra's return. When they met the former maid again, Emilia almost killed her, all out of fear that she had come to harm her beloved husband or their precious daughter.

Rem had to apologize, kneel, endure insults, and many blows from Emilia for her to believe and accept her apologies from the last time they saw each other.

It took Rem half a year to gain Emilia's approval to let her into the house, and when she did, Rem, in an act of no self-preservation, made a statement that only a person with zero intelligence would make:

"Emilia-sama, now that you've granted me access to the humble abode you share with Subaru-kun, would you do me the honor of being his second wife and the mother of his children?"

That year and the next, winter was longer and colder than ever. In the village streets, during the mornings, you could see a half-elf blasting magic at a blue-haired maid who was running for her life.

"I'll never give up! I'll definitely become Subaru-kun's second wife and have children as cute as him!"

"Quiet, you cursed home-wrecking Oni! Subaru is my husband, and I'm the only one who will give him children in this world!"

Despite Emilia's protests, it was almost inevitable that the Oni's wish would come true. In the second letter D had left, which was addressed to the entire family, he spoke of the possible appearance of the Oni and that, should she make the request to be Subaru's second wife, Emilia should consider the option positively. would be how she repaid her debt to him.

Emilia wasn't happy with the idea.

That day, for the first time, Subaru saw his beloved Emilia utter an insult that only drunk, low-life men would say. As an unimportant side note, that night they had a fierce night of passion, just like in their early married days.

In the end, after almost three years and in the middle of her second pregnancy, Emilia gave her approval to the Oni to become her husband's second wife. Even so, it was clear she wasn't entirely happy with the situation, but the debt she owed D, and Rem's persistence and loyalty shown over the past few years, had made her surrender and accept the crazy Oni.

A happy ending for both women and for their husband, who now had to be shared by two women with superhuman strength.

His biological firstborn, Lyra, was also happy about the news. Now she'd have more siblings and another mother to pamper her.

Since that incident, she had lost her ability as a spiritual arts user. As expected, she and Emilia were saddened by the news, but as compensation for losing that ability, she was now able to use all magical elements.

Since then, she'd strived to become the kingdom's future great mage. Thanks to D's antics, she now had the worst duo of master teachers in the entire kingdom in four hundred years: Roswaal L. Mathers and the damned witch who was now only a witch in name, Echidna.

The reunion among the three wasn't pleasant. However, when Roswaal thanked them for helping him fulfill his greatest wish—and revealed he was now contractually bound to be almost a slave to the Natsuki family, required to reveal all his secrets to them as the first condition of his new contract with D (allowing the burning of the Oni village, Elsa's theft and attempted assassination in the capital, the disaster of the Royal Selection, not revealing his knowledge of the Archbishop of Sloth's presence in Mathers territory, and the Sanctuary disaster, plus various other manipulations)—to say that Emilia and Rem, now women of the Natsuki family, beat him to a pulp would be an understatement.

Worst of all, despite his pathetic state, the demented clown was happy; sad because he could no longer speak with his master even with her by his side, but happy to have achieved his goal.

It was definitely unpleasant for Natsuki Subaru to see her in that state, not out of jealousy, but because the witch who had manipulated him so much now looked and behaved almost like a normal person. Because of that, he barely had direct contact with the clown and former witch after that first reunion. Both of them were architects of pain in his life, and if possible, he wanted them out of it, even though both were now almost slaves in spirit and flesh to his family until the end of their miserable lives.

Luckily, his wives understood this and only allowed both of them, no longer mages, to be at home to teach Lyra only when he wasn't around. Despite this, both were very careful about what these two monsters, now forced to live as humans, taught the family's firstborn.

And so life went on. His second child with Emilia was born: Orion, a little one who inherited his hair and his mother's eye color. Both were happy. Rem was even happier, as now she could have her children with her beloved Subaru... that earned her a night out of the house in the cold, which was colder than normal, so much so that the next morning it was snowing in the middle of summer.

It was after the birth of their second child that both Emilia and Subaru began to talk about something they hadn't done in the past, partly because one of them couldn't remember it and the other didn't know where to begin.

But after recovering some of her memories, Emilia began to speak of them: her mother Fortuna and her father Guese, the days she spent in the Elior Forest with them, and her happy, carefree childhood in the elf village.

Those happy times ended without her truly understanding or remembering why. This worried her, but it was the past; she couldn't do anything to fix it. Still, she felt sad about not having freed the elves of Elior Forest due to her incompetence and mental state—something she had set aside and forgotten for years because it brought her no happiness, only loneliness and and sadness.

Emilia was slowly returning to being the royal candidate who wished to save her people, and Subaru was happy about it.

His beloved Emilia was better than ever. Of course, she still had anxiety attacks when left alone, but it was better than before. That's why Subaru promised to help her find another method to save the elves of the forest.

"You're not alone anymore, Emilia. Puck might be gone, but you have me, Lyra, Orion, Rem, and, much to my displeasure, those two. I'm sure if we force them, we can make them work themselves to exhaustion to find a way to free the elves of the forest."

Emilia smiled with a warmth that reminded Subaru of the morning sun; it was almost the same as the smile she gave him when she first declared her feelings.

"Yes, thank you, Subaru. Thank you for not giving up on me, for staying by my side, for giving me the happiness I didn't know I needed or that my heart truly sought, for giving me a family and a place that would be my new home."

They shared a sweet kiss, interrupted by their young baby's cry.

While Emilia took care of their beloved child, Subaru came to a resolution: it was time for him to tell Emilia about his past, about his time before arriving in this world.

That night, Subaru Natsuki shared one of his life's secrets with his beloved wife. That night, he was free from one of the chains of his past and felt a little better about himself.

Years passed. More children arrived in the Natsuki family over the years: some from Rem (Rigel, Spica, and Electra), others from Emilia (Chochorina and the inseparable twins Klee and Haru).

Upon turning twelve, Lyra promised her parents that she would free Elior Forest and make her mother's dream come true.

Small family arguments, the occasional spat between the two women of the house over who got to sleep with their husband. Children's cries arguing over toys. His life was good, very good for Natsuki Subaru. He was happy, and his family was too.

Subaru was returning home after a long, exhausting day at work. The past few months had been busy for him and his good friend and almost brother, Otto, all because of one person—a greedy fox who, after finding out from who knows where that Subaru could read the writings left by Hoshin, had almost burst into his humble shop, begging and throwing herself at him to work together.

Unfortunately for the greedy merchant, that day was when it was Emilia's turn to prepare her beloved husband's lunch. Coincidentally, he had forgotten his meal at home, and coincidentally, the half-elf walked in just as the greedy businesswoman had thrown herself at her husband and taken his hands, only to hear the last word of what she was saying: "I desire you, Natsuki Subaru!"

That day, Anastasia Hoshin learned firsthand why everyone feared the Witch of Envy... as she fled from a furious half-elf mercilessly pelting her with ice shards.

Fortunately, the misunderstanding was resolved after the destruction of the shop run by the Natsuki family and Otto Suwen. The deal between the greedy businesswoman and the Natsuki family patriarch was made without issue, under the supervision and fierce smile of a half-elf who resembled the Witch of Envy.

After that, they had to rebuild their shop and make it larger. Now, besides selling everyday items, they were also working on constructing something revolutionary for this world, like tools or engine prototypes, among various other things from the modern world.

Subaru dreamed of at least building this world's first automobile and then going on a family trip to a lake for a picnic.

Upon arriving at his sweet home, he could perceive the aroma of the sweets baked by his dear Rem. Emilia had improved greatly in cooking over the years, but she could never beat Rem, especially when it came to baking birthday cakes.

This angered the half-elf quite a bit, but she'd subtly get back at Rem by leaving her outside the house whenever she could.

Today was his beloved Lyra's birthday. She was turning eighteen... no, seventeen. Subaru was worried about the "insects" who had started looking at his beautiful daughter with hungry wolf eyes. His daughter was still too young for a boyfriend, and he was even younger to be a grandfather.

Worst of all, his eldest daughter would soon leave home to travel to the capital and become the new court mage.

"They grow up so fast. I can still remember when she first told me 'I love you, Dad'," Subaru said to himself, watching the sunset in front of his house door.

Then he stood there for a couple of seconds... He began looking from side to side as if searching for something or someone. He looked towards the window at the entrance of the house; looking inside, one could see a strange flower made of crystal that always caught the attention of visitors to the house.

"Will the delivery be delayed this year too? What a shame, the kids love the Beako and Puck-faced cookies. I guess Lyra will be sad her gift is late, and then... there are those flowers..." Subaru closed his eyes for a moment, sighed, and then turned toward his house door. "Emilia really liked that crystal flower."

—[Chain sound]—

After that sound, Subaru turned around. There, at the entrance of his house, was a large basket covered with a white blanket. Approaching and removing the blanket, Subaru could see various types of treats, some handmade cookies, and other assorted sweets, but on top of them was a letter addressed to him by the man who was a living enigma: D, and a large cluster of crystal flowers next to a roll of paper.

Upon checking the letter, there was nothing surprising for him. Congratulations for Lyra's birthday and a promise that he would try not to delay with the younger siblings' gifts when their turn came. Finally, he got to what mattered most in the letter:

Nova is getting better; she still struggles with some things and doesn't have full control of her powers, but at least she's no longer killing flowers just by being present. She's a good child who hopes to be able to spend time with her beloved father someday.

I just hope that when the time comes for you to meet...

Everything can be better.

Until then... take care.

D.

It was hard to say what he felt towards her. According to D, despite having a difficult start with her, she had calmed down over the years, but she was still quite conflicting and problematic in some aspects, like strong homicidal desires towards her children, and that was truly worrying.

The last he heard about her in the letters was that she now had a garden where she cultivated a special type of crystal flower and dedicated most of her time to caring for these flowers.

In D's last gift delivery, there was a beautiful flower made of crystal, and it came with a letter for Emilia. Both parents looked at the letter upon seeing who wrote it: Nova.

Even though I wasn't born from you... even though I'm something alien to you and I hurt both you and Dad... I love you both very much.

I was happy during the time I pretended to be your daughter...

I miss that time we spent together in the garden... I wish it had lasted much longer.

So... I know it's presumptuous, but... would you let me call you mother, or at least think of you that way?

I know it's a bother.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry for everything, and thank you for everything.

You taught me so many things despite the harm I caused you... and the wounds you had.

I know it's selfish, but thank you.

Mother Emilia.

Thank you for those moments.

This flower is my way of thanking you for everything.

I know one doesn't compare to the ones I ruined in your garden, but he, D, told me I had to start with at least one...

If you don't mind me sending you flowers from now on...

You can leave this one by the entrance window of the house.

At night, it will start to glow with moonlight.

If you do that, I'll understand that you don't mind my gifts.

In the next delivery, I will prepare more flowers and something D told me to make to show you my affection.

That's all.

With love, Nova.

The letter was poorly written, the handwriting simple, but the sentiment was clear. Both of them were still unsure what to feel about Nova. But they had reached an agreement: they wanted to talk to her.

They wanted to try to understand her, to know what she felt, what she thought about stealing Lyra's body. Would they forgive her? Unlikely. Would they accept her? They didn't know. But both were sure that she, Nova, had the right to live and find her place in the world. That was the right thing for Subaru Natsuki and Emilia Natsuki.

As he collected the baskets and prepared to go inside, Subaru felt a strange, familiar sensation. Looking towards the source of that feeling, he saw her in the distance: Nova. She looked a little different. That eerie smile was no longer on her face. Her clothes were still a plain white dress, sleeveless and unadorned. The only things that stood out were black gloves and shoes, and chain adornments on her wrists and ankles.

Both, realizing the other's presence, looked at each other for several seconds, trying to recognize one another. They felt it; there was a connection between them. A cursed ability that gave one a future and the other life.

Subaru was the first to react; he extended his hand towards Nova, an invitation to come inside the house. The girl's eyes widened slightly, and a small smile appeared on her face. For a moment, Subaru thought she would cry, but she didn't. She simply shook her head and said something he couldn't hear, but understood:

"I can't. I'm not ready, I might hurt everyone, but thank you," she waved her hand and then, as she said goodbye, spoke again, "I love you, Dad."

Then, in an instant, she vanished as if she had never been there.

Subaru gazed for a while at the empty space where she had stood. "I understand. I guess it will be another time. Until then, Emilia and I will wait for you. Take care, Nova, we still have a lot to talk about."

Before going inside, Subaru decided to open the roll of paper that came with Nova's cluster of crystal flowers. As he unrolled it, his eyes welled up at the sight of a childlike drawing, crude but full of soul: two smiling girls, holding hands, and beside them, a radiant Subaru and Emilia, smiling at them with all the love of a father and a mother. A pang of hope and longing pierced his chest.

Subaru entered his house; his family was waiting to begin the celebration. His children devoured the sweets he brought with him. Emilia placed the new crystal flowers next to the other one at the entrance. While everyone celebrated, Subaru merely daydreamed, wishing for the day when all his children could spend time together as the big Natsuki family they were.