Caelus looked at his system balance, which contained 24,500 points of System Currency.
He then looked at Cocona, who wore a relaxed smile as she freely tossed away the work badge in her hand before turning to leave.
"System, spend 14,500 System Currency to purchase the Sands of Time."
["Eh? Host, weren't you saving up to buy the Tiger Talisman? Why do you suddenly want to buy the Sands of Time?"]
"I awakened Cocona's courage to pursue her dreams. I helped her break free from her numb and hollow life, allowing her to seek her own worth. Since I have given someone hope, I must see it through to the end. Moreover, I must thank Cocona for providing me with part of the answer."
["An answer?"]
"A perfect, eternal dream is like a giant cage. While it shields you from all the wind and snow, rain and lightning of the outside world, it also restricts your future. Those birds with broken wings have already witnessed the cruelty of the sky, so naturally, they have no objection to sinking into the beautiful life woven by the birdcage. But those newborn birds, and those that still wish to soar again despite their broken wings, should not have their potential to fly restricted, nor should they be forced to accept a future that is fundamentally hollow and empty."
"Some people can accept a life within a beautiful dream, while others cannot allow their futures to be bound by one. There must be a choice. People must have the right to choose rather than being forced to accept everything. Although a beautiful dream is certainly something many people yearn for, it must never be something everyone is forced to accept."
Caelus recalled the words Omacido had once spoken to him, as well as all the insights and stories he had recorded in his notebook during his adventures.
Some forms of beauty were worth engraving into one's memory precisely because they had been tempered by suffering.
It was precisely because of death that life was worth celebrating. It was precisely because of separation that the next reunion seemed exceptionally precious. It was precisely because of regret that people pursued beauty and perfection. It was precisely because things could be lost that people cherished what they possessed.
[14,500 System Currency deducted.]
An exquisite hourglass descended from the air. The sand within appeared ordinary and unremarkable, but every grain contained the power of time.
This was a single-use item. When the hourglass was turned over, time would reverse across an area no larger than a star system, returning it to a point roughly one thousand to five thousand years in the past.
Of course, Caelus had not purchased this item to reverse time. He only needed the Sands of Time contained within the hourglass.
Caelus tightly clenched his right hand. The Time Hourglass let out a mournful cry, as though it were about to shatter. Finally, under the continuous pressure of his power, the sturdy Time Hourglass broke apart completely.
The Sands of Time inside began to spill out. Time itself was on the verge of falling into chaos, but a powerful force restrained it and gathered the sand within Caelus's hand.
Caelus looked at the Sands of Time in his palm. They contained the immense temporal power he currently needed. Without hesitation, he poured the sand directly into his mouth.
The power of time was quickly accepted and absorbed. The power of Finality, which had only recently appeared within him, began to grow rapidly. Then, under the balance of Equilibrium, it faintly resonated with the surrounding forces, maintaining stability despite its rapid growth.
The temporal power, sufficient to reverse the flow of time across an entire star system, constantly shifted and eroded within Caelus's body until it was finally analyzed and devoured completely.
Caelus opened his golden eyes. The grayness that had once clouded them had vanished, leaving them brilliant and radiant with golden light, as though the dust that had covered them had finally been swept away.
An hourglass-shaped mark appeared within Caelus's pupils.
He then raised his hand, and the ticking of a clock echoed from all directions. The clock hands, which had been moving clockwise, suddenly stopped. Then, the wheel representing time began rotating rapidly in the opposite direction.
Time, one of the highest forms of power across countless worlds, bowed before him at that moment like a submissive subject. Obeying its king's command, it began flowing backward into the past.
Cocona had already left the Dreamscape. She arrived at the ticket office, preparing to purchase a ticket out of Penacony. She had decided to leave this dreamland that had buried her dreams and travel somewhere else to begin anew when a familiar voice suddenly reached her ears.
"Beautiful lady, I happen to have two tickets out of Penacony, and they depart today. Would you like to leave with me?"
When that familiar voice reached her ears, Cocona turned her head and stared in disbelief.
She saw Pound, who had been missing for many years, smiling at her. He looked exactly as he had years ago when he promised to leave Penacony with her, as though nothing had changed.
"Pound?"
Cocona stepped forward in disbelief.
"That's right! I'm here. I'm sorry. I broke my promise back then. I borrowed a large sum of money from the Family and bet it on myself winning the championship, but I lost by the narrowest of margins. To avoid dragging you into it, I left without saying goodbye. But now, I've repaid everything I owed, and over the years, I've earned enough money through my own efforts!"
After speaking, Pound took Cocona's hand. He looked affectionately at the woman before him and said, "Cocona, are you willing to forgive me? Can we start over?"
"...Ah!"
"Ah! Don't cry! I'm sorry, it was all my fault. You can hit me or scold me. Do whatever you need to vent your anger! But please don't cry! I truly know I was wrong. From now on, whatever you say goes. I'll never make a decision on my own again. Please don't cry!"
The onlookers watched the foolish boyfriend frantically comfort his crying girlfriend, unable to suppress the smiles on their faces.
This was truly youth.
Caelus took a small sip of SoulGlad.
He had strengthened his temporal power with the Sands of Time, then used that power to directly interfere with the past, causing events to develop differently. Although Pound had still left without saying goodbye, that departure had planted the seeds of hope for a future reunion.
A bird soaring through the sky would inevitably feel somewhat lonely.
"Exactly! During that endless journey, it would be far too pitiful and lonely if Partner were all alone. That's why I appeared by Partner's side, so I could always accompany you! Partner and I are a pair of lovebirds destined to rely on each other and soar together forever!"
Cyrene appeared beside Caelus, deeply moved by the story. She pressed herself against him and rubbed against him repeatedly, looking extremely excited.
["But Host, this means you're once again 20,000 short of buying the Tiger Talisman. Don't you regret it? You had already granted that woman a blessing. You didn't need to go this far. That currency was the foundation you needed to complete your path."]
"My path is long, and I have more than enough time to walk it. Since there is scenery along the roadside worthy of making me stop, why shouldn't I pause for a moment and appreciate it?"
Caelus embraced Cyrene.
"I wanted to do it, so I did. If I went against my own heart, what would be the point of pursuing my own path? To follow my heart is to follow my path."
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)