(5 and a half years ago)
Northern Forest — River Side
The river roared like a living beast.
Rain from the night before had swollen it beyond its banks—muddy, violent waves crashing against rocks, swallowing anything that dared fall into its grasp.
Through the mist and the fading echo of thunder… two figures appeared.
Liora stood at the river's edge, her presence calm against the chaos.
Beside her, Leo's small figure trembled, his eyes fixed on the raging water.
"Goddess… why are we here?" Leo asked, his voice unsteady.
Liora did not answer immediately.
Her gaze remained on the current—deep, knowing… sorrowful.
"We are here," she said softly, "for your mother."
Leo's breath hitched.
"…Mother?"
And then—
Between the crashing waves…
A body.
Drifting. Lifeless. Helpless against the current.
Eva.
Her hair spread like dark ink in the water… her arms limp… her body tossed like something already claimed by death.
Leo's eyes widened in horror.
"MOTHER—!"
Before his scream could fully break—
Liora raised her hand.
And the world… stopped.
The river froze mid-wave.
The wind fell silent.
Even the sound of Leo's breath vanished into stillness.
Time itself bowed to her will.
Without hesitation, Liora stepped into the frozen river. Water parted around her like glass. She reached down—
—and lifted Eva's cold, unmoving body into her arms.
Cradling her gently… as if she still felt pain.
As if she still mattered.
Liora walked back to the shore.
"Move a little, my child," she said quietly.
Leo stumbled back, his legs weak.
Liora knelt and laid Eva on the damp ground. Mud clung to her soaked dress… her skin pale… lips faintly blue.
Liora placed her palm against Eva's forehead.
Her eyes closed.
Light bloomed.
Soft at first… then brighter—wrapping around Eva's body like a warm embrace, pushing against the cold grip of death.
Seconds passed.
Then—
A sharp, broken gasp.
Eva's body jerked.
"Kh—khh—!"
"Khh—khaa—!"
She coughed violently, water spilling from her lips as her chest heaved desperately for air.
"Haa—ah—!"
Her fingers twitched. Her body trembled.
Life… clawing its way back.
Leo's eyes filled instantly.
"Mother!"
Eva's blurred vision struggled to focus—
—and then she saw him.
"Leo…"
Before she could say anything more, Leo rushed forward and threw his arms around her neck, burying his face against her.
"You're alive… you're alive…!" he cried, his voice breaking.
Eva froze for a second—
Then her arms wrapped around him tightly… desperately… as if afraid he would disappear.
"Leo… my baby…" she sobbed, her voice shaking. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
Leo pulled back slightly, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"I'm fine… I'm fine, mother…"
But Eva's tears didn't stop.
Her hands trembled.
Her breath… uneven.
And then—
Her gaze slowly dropped.
To her stomach.
Her hand moved instinctively—
Clutching it.
Hard.
Her fingers dug into the fabric as panic flooded her face.
"...Where…"
Her voice cracked.
"Where did my child go…?"
And then—
It hit.
Like glass shattering inside her mind.
Fragments.
Pain.
Screams.
—
A dim tent.
The suffocating smell of blood.
Her body lying weak on a table… unable to move.
Blurry figures moving around her.
The sound of rain pounding outside—relentless.
Thunder cracking across the sky.
And beyond it—
A voice.
Raw.
Broken.
Desperate.
Eyan.
"EVA—!!"
Her heart clenched.
Her vision shook.
Then—
A cry...Soft...Fragile.
A newborn.
The physician stepped forward, holding a tiny, trembling life in his hands.
"Your Majesty… it's a prince."
Eva's trembling fingers reached out.
"So small…" Tears slid from her eyes as she touched his cheek. "…Leo…"
Her voice was barely a whisper.
A promise. A name.
Then—
Darkness. Cold. Endless.
—
(Back to the river side—)
Eva's eyes widened in terror.
Her breathing turned frantic.
"My baby—!"
Her hands shook violently as she looked at Leo again, as if trying to confirm something impossible.
"You were—you were born— I saw you—!" her voice broke, fragile and desperate.
"I held you—!"
She grabbed his face in her hands, her tears falling onto his skin.
Leo's lips quivered. His small fingers tightened in her soaked dress as if letting go would erase her again.
"Yes… mother… you touched me…" he cried, his voice shaking uncontrollably. "You called my name…"
He buried his face into her shoulder, clutching her tighter—almost painfully.
"Forgive me… mother…" his words came out in broken sobs. "I couldn't protect you…"
Eva's breath hitched.
Leo's grip tightened.
"You died because of me… you shouldn't have chosen me—"
"No."
Her voice, though trembling, cut through his guilt.
Eva pulled him back just enough to see his face. Her hands gently wiped away his tears, though her own kept falling endlessly.
"What are you saying…?" she whispered, shaking her head. "You didn't do anything wrong…"
Her fingers cupped his cheeks, firm yet tender.
"How can a mother choose herself over her child?"
A quiet voice came from behind them—
Soft.
Warm.
And filled with something ancient.
"Right… my child," said Liora, her tone carrying both sorrow and knowing. "How can a mother choose herself over her child?"
Eva froze.
Slowly, she turned.
The woman standing there… did not feel human.
There was a calmness in her presence that silenced even the storm within Eva's heart. Her gentle smile held centuries of wisdom… and yet, tears shimmered in her eyes.
Eva's brows furrowed.
"…Who are you…?"
Liora's smile softened.
"My name is Liora," she said, her voice like a quiet echo across time itself. "The goddess of time… and the keeper of all timelines."
Eva's breath caught.
"…A goddess…?"
Her gaze instinctively shifted to Leo—confusion, fear, and disbelief crashing within her.
"Leo… what's going on…?" her voice trembled. "I died… didn't I…?"
Her fingers slowly tightened around him again.
"Then how… am I still alive…?"
For a moment, silence lingered.
Not heavy.
Not empty.
But sacred.
Liora stepped closer and slowly knelt beside them, her presence neither overwhelming nor distant—simply there.
Gentle.
Understanding.
"Let me answer that for you, my child."
------------------------------------------------------
Liora's voice faded into silence.
The story of a thousand years… of fate, sacrifice… and of Zeradros, the dragon king who once feared death more than anything—yet chose to embrace it… for her.
The weight of it all settled heavily in the air.
Eva's tears fell silently.
Her trembling hand rose… gently brushing Leo's cheek, as if memorizing every part of him.
"Thank you…" she whispered, her voice breaking into a fragile smile.
"For being born as my child."
Leo's lips quivered.
"No…" he shook his head, clutching her hand tightly, as if afraid she would disappear again.
"Thank you… for giving me birth, mother…"
Eva let out a soft, broken laugh through her tears.
Then she leaned forward—
—and kissed his forehead.
A quiet, sacred moment.
One that neither of them wanted to end.
But it did.
"Eva… Leo… my children."
The gentle voice of Liora broke the moment.
Something in her tone had changed.
Not warmth.
Not kindness.
But inevitability.
"There is something I must tell you."
Eva's arms instinctively tightened around Leo.
"…What is it?"
"Even though you are back to life…" Liora's voice echoed softly, yet it carried an unshakable finality.
"There is still a price left for Leo to pay."
Eva's brows knitted together, confusion flickering through her tear-filled eyes.
"…A price? For what?"
"For creating a different timeline," Liora replied calmly. "For breaking the rules of time itself… he interfered with fate."
Eva's grip around Leo tightened instinctively.
"…And what would that price be?"
Liora did not hesitate.
"His parents' Separation."
The words fell—
Heavy.
Cold.
Absolute.
Leo's breath hitched. "…Separation…?"
"Yes," Liora continued, her gaze steady. "You did all this… so the three of you could be together. Right?"
Leo lowered his head, his voice trembling. "…Yes…"
Liora's eyes shifted to Eva.
"You are his mother," she said softly. "And when a child makes a mistake… the parents bear the consequence."
A chill ran through Eva's body.
Her heart began to pound—fast, uneven.
"That is why," Liora spoke, her tone unwavering, "you will receive the punishment."
Eva's lips parted slightly. Her breath faltered.
"You will be separated from them… forever....You will live… but your husband will never know of your existence."
Eva's vision blurred.
"To him… you are gone. Forever."
A silent sob broke from her lips.
Her fingers slowly rose to her neck—
Finding the chain.
The ring.
Eyan's ring.
Her trembling hand closed around it, clutching it tightly against her chest as if it were the last piece of him she could ever hold.
"At least…" her voice cracked into a fragile whisper, "…he will live peacefully…"
"No."
Eva froze.
Her eyes lifted slowly.
"…He won't." Liora said.
Liora's gaze drifted toward the river, the frozen waves reflecting a still, merciless world.
"He is unconscious right now," she said quietly. "But he will awaken… after six months."
Each word felt like a countdown to despair.
"And when he does… his life will become nothing but pain."
Eva's breath shattered. Her chest tightened as if something was crushing her from within.
"And you my child," Liora continued, turning back to her, "are granted life… but not happiness."
Tears streamed endlessly down Eva's face.
"You will suffer too."
Eva didn't move her fingers dug into the ring.
"I will change everything about you," Liora said. "Your appearance… your scent… your voice…And your memories… will be erased completely."
Silence.
A complete, suffocating silence.
"…My memories…?"
Eva's voice was barely audible.
Fragile.
Broken.
"Please…" she whispered, shaking her head weakly. "Don't do that… let me at least remember my family…"
For a fleeting moment—
Liora's eyes softened.
But her answer remained unchanged.
"No… that, I cannot do, my child."
Something inside Eva collapsed.
"…Then what is the point…?" she asked, her voice hollow, empty. "What is the point of my existence… if I can't even remember the people I love…?"
Her arms loosened slightly around Leo.
"I'll just be… living…" Her lips trembled. "I don't want a life like that…"
"Mother…" Leo's voice cracked, filled with unbearable guilt. "I… I'm sorry…"
Immediately, Eva shook her head, pulling him close again.
"No," she whispered firmly, even as tears fell endlessly. "You don't have to apologize…"
Her hand gently caressed his hair.
"It's okay…"
Her voice softened—achingly gentle.
"Even if I'm not with you… your father is there… your aunty… your uncle...They'll take care of you…"
Leo clung to her tighter, shaking his head desperately.
"But I want you too!" His cry tore through the stillness. "I want my mother too!"
Eva's voice trembled as she held Leo closer, her fingers clutching him as though letting go would shatter her completely.
"…there is nothing I can do."
Leo's sobs broke free, louder now—raw, uncontrollable. His small body shook against hers.
"Mother—!"
Behind them, Liora stood in silence, her gaze steady… patient… as though she had seen this moment unfold countless times before.
Then—
"Very well."
Her voice was calm, measured.
"I shall grant you one chance."
Both Eva and Leo froze.
Hope—fragile and desperate—rose within their tear-filled eyes as they turned toward her.
"…A chance?" Eva whispered.
"Yes," said , her tone composed yet not unkind. "If you are able to fulfill three conditions, your memories shall return… your true self will be restored… and you may reunite with your family."
Eva's breath caught.
"…What are the conditions?"
"The first condition," Liora began, "is that your husband—the Emperor—must marry you again."
A brief pause.
"In your altered form."
Silence.
Then—
A shared, defeated sigh escaped both Eva and Leo.
Liora's brow lifted slightly, a faint trace of amusement flickering across her expression.
"…Is there something amusing about this, my child?"
Eva hesitated, wiping her tears.
"It's not that…" she said quietly. "I know him. If he cannot recognize me… then to him, I will be nothing more than a stranger."
Her voice softened.
"He would never marry me."
Liora's lips curved faintly.
"The future is rarely as predictable as we believe."
Eva exhaled slowly.
"…Alright."
"And the second condition—?" she asked.
This time, Liora's gaze shifted briefly toward Leo… then returned to Eva.
She stepped closer.
Leaning slightly, she lowered her voice—just enough to make the moment feel… deliberate.
"The Emperor must kiss you…"
A small pause.
"…while believing you to be someone else."
Eva froze.
"…What?"
Eva's cheeks flushed instantly.
"That will never happen," she said quickly, almost flustered despite everything.
Liora only smiled, as though she knew something Eva did not.
"And the third condition…"
The faint warmth in her expression faded.
The air grew heavy once more.
Her gaze turned to Leo.
"The Emperor must say to Leo…"
A pause.
"That he wished Leo had never been born."
Silence fell.
Sharp.
Unforgiving.
Eva's heart clenched painfully as she turned toward Leo.
He was already looking down, his expression dim, fragile.
"Leo…" she whispered, pulling him into her arms. "Do not worry… your father would never say such a thing to you…"
Leo's fingers tightened in her dress.
"…I want him to say it."
Eva stiffened.
"…Why?"
Leo looked up at her.
"Because then… we can be together again," he said softly. "You… me… and father…"
Leo was smiling—
But the pain in his eyes refused to fade. It lingered there… quiet, heavy….
Eva cupped his face gently, her thumbs brushing away the tears that kept falling.
"Leo…" her voice trembled, yet a faint determination rose within it. "If I regain my memories…"
Her lips curved slightly—fragile, but real.
"I'll beat your father to pulp… until he cannot even move."
Leo blinked—
Then a soft laugh escaped him through his tears.
"You will, mother?"
"Yes," she nodded without hesitation, pulling him closer. "For daring to say something like that to you."
For a brief moment—
They smiled.
A fragile warmth… flickering in the middle of inevitable loss.
Then—
"Now that I have told you all the conditions…"
Liora's voice returned, calm and composed.
"Let us begin."
She raised her hand—
And placed it gently upon Eva's forehead.
In that instant—
Power surged.
Not soft. Not forgiving.
It rushed through her entire body like a force beyond comprehension.
Eva's breath caught.
Her fingers tightened around Leo—
And then—
Change began.
Her black hair slowly shifted… strand by strand… into a soft peach hue.
Her green eyes faded… warming into a deep brown.
Even her presence… her very essence… began to unravel and reshape itself.
And then—
Her memories.
They trembled.
Flickered.
Slipped.
Like grains of sand through open fingers.
Leo's face—
His voice—
His warmth—
All fading… piece by piece.
Until—
Nothing.
Her body went limp.
Unconscious.
Silent.
Liora caught her before she could fall, holding her for a brief moment… before gently lowering her onto the wet ground beside the river.
Leo stood still.
Watching.
"…Mother looks so different…" he whispered.
There was no answer.
Only the quiet sound of stillness.
Liora reached down and removed the chain from Eva's neck.
The ring glinted faintly in her hand.
She extended it toward Leo.
"Take this… your father's ring."
Leo accepted it carefully, holding it close… as though it were the last piece left of something precious.
Then—
Liora placed her hand over Eva's heart.
A dim glow formed beneath her palm.
Heavy.
Binding.
Leo frowned.
"…Goddess… what are you doing?"
"I am binding her heart," Liora replied calmly. "…With hatred for your father."
Leo's eyes widened.
"…Hatred…? But why… why would you make mother hate father?"
"So that the path becomes difficult," she answered without hesitation.
Her gaze remained steady.
"She will also be met with hatred from others. Every person she encounters… will reject her."
Leo's breath caught.
"…What…?"
"To survive," Liora continued, "she will become a thief."
Leo's jaw dropped.
"…A thief…?"
"That's too much!" he protested, stepping forward. "You are making her suffer too much—"
Before he could finish—
Liora reached out and grabbed his ear.
"Then you should not have created another timeline."
"Ah—! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Leo winced, squirming. "It hurts—!"
She released him. Leo quickly rubbed his ear, his face scrunched in pain.
Liora straightened, her expression returning to calm authority.
"Now… it is time for you to return to your world."
Leo froze.
"But you will leave without telling anyone. No one must know about her."
He hesitated—
Then nodded slowly.
"…Okay… goddess."
His gaze turned back to Eva.
He walked toward her… each step heavy.
Then he knelt beside her.
For a moment—
He said nothing.
Just looked at her.
Memorizing her face… her presence… even in this unfamiliar form.
Then he leaned forward and gently kissed her cheek.
"Mother… don't worry…"
His voice was soft… but steady.
"If father cannot recognize you…"
"I will find you myself."
A pause.
"…Goodbye, mother."
A glowing circle appeared beneath his feet. Light began to rise around him. He stood and bowed deeply toward Liora.
"Thank you… for everything, goddess."
Liora smiled. Quietly.
And in the next moment—
He vanished.
The river remained still. The wind unmoving. And on the cold, damp ground— She lay alone.
Her past erased.
Her heart bound.
.
.
To be continued—