63 The Remnants Of Your Past (3)

 To find Zel and make his awaken his soul, to make her husband awaken and receive a new ability.

That was why the system was created, to first find Zel and when he was found, make him stronger. Although she was confident in her plan, she needed another one just in case this one causes a disaster. It wasn't hard to think about how guiding men to power would cause a problem, so she made a solution ahead of time. But just when she finished that plan halfway through, she found him. In the body of a boy born at the same time as her plan bore fruit. Though it frustrated her to no end, she did find it funny how coincidental it was.

"It's like you follow me, everywhere I go." Seeing the infant lying next to another infant in the newborn nursery. One was the boy that held the soul she was looking for, while the other was half of her soul. That's right, her plan was to live among the humans they created to find Zel herself. While her soul was strong enough to control a mana-void dimension, it wasn't strong enough to do the same to one that is already filled with it. Another one of her 'mistakes' that her small interference caused. 

But now that she found him, a conundrum presented itself to the woman with omniscient power. Would she give him from far away as she is now, or will she take her place by his side once again?

In the end, she chose to do both. But a problem presented itself when she did her selfish choice. The half-soul she passed on to the infant wasn't stable enough to sustain a body. Though she could use his inheritance to fix the problem, it wasn't right in her mind to do that. After all, it was her choice to do this, not his.

So, in the nick of time, she sent her own artifact over to the infant girl. Sending what amounts to the most powerful artifact in this dimension into the hands of a mortal. But although there was a chance for the girl to use it in the future, it would only be used to fill in the gaps of her broken soul for the next ten or so years. In fact, she might not even have a complete body due to having half a soul. It would be too late for her body to fix the errors it made after the artifact heals her soul.

And so, it was subsequently that she started eagerly watching over Zel, guiding him whenever he was in reality. The thing about Foresight was that it took only Zel into a dreamland, Estophelia couldn't read his mind at all. If she had her artifact, she probably could have, but she didn't. There are just some extraordinary things the fantastic dreams cannot copy, and she was one of them.

Years passed and Zel had actually met with the body she created. As her soul had already been healed to the point it became a completely new soul, Estophelia had lost her ability to control the girl. But as she watched as their love blossomed, even though there was no influence on her part, her heart became enriched with love as well. She watched as the two followed the path she and her lover once took in the past and was happy to know that it wasn't a mistake. They were meant for each other, even time would tell so.

Though the happy days didn't last, as one day, a couple of words that Zel had spoken made Estophelia sweat. It seems that the introduction of mana and the system didn't just make it easier for Zel to awaken, as other souls had awoken before his. Though Zel had much more potential than these creatures, their starting point was high enough to pose as a threat. In fact, it seemed that they were already capable enemies that harmed Zel in a potential future.

Although she had pulled her support towards those who might harm Zel, she was too late in realizing the possibility of their growth. Chu Yang, Chu Fan, Adam Sonthor, That Ganja fellow, all these men have already placed their attention on Zel, or the crumbs he left behind. Although he had kept himself hidden well, there were still a few strings these men could pull that will possibly harm Zel or those around him. One wrong mistake and they will mostly likely either strike to keep him under their banners, or to stop others from having him.

But that thought of hers seemed to be far too reaching, as it turns out, the first crisis of Zel would have to face was actually an Indigo rank Heftpound. In fact, there seems to be a possibility of more coming, and Zel was not in any position to handle a single one of them. If Estophelia was there, she would have begged Zel to leave, made him abandon those suffering so that he could live. But Zel was just as much of a hero as her lover, and she couldn't even hate him for it. In fact, it was the reason she fell for him in the first place.  

She was already injured when Zel was facing the Heftpound, when he was about to die. At that critical moment, she had voluntarily decided to give herself up to empower him, to safeguard his life. The injured soul that was Estophelia had carefully planned to ultimately combine her broken soul with Emilia's soul once the time was right. For her to be whole again, so she can be by his side once again when the time for their dream to come true comes.

But instead of doing that, instead of being selfish and wait for him to start over again, she chose to sacrifice her own life. In exchange for her life, what he gained was a rare crystal that was created when she forced herself to crystallize once more, to aid him.

"You, young Zel, are someone quite special to me. You see, I won't have cared for any other incarnation of your soul. I could have just waited, as I have done for many, many years." The dying Estophelia's final words echoed out inside the present Estophelia's head. It didn't matter that no one would ever hear them, she just wanted to speak her heart.

"But when I watched you, watched as you and I fell in love. Watched as you strived for the same dreams as the man I loved, I saw him in you. I know that it is selfish of me to do that, because he's not you." Estophelia's tears dropped from her cheeks as her body crystallized. She was recalling the years she had spent taking care of Zel and watching him grow, and she was assured. Even if his soul never wakes up, she was sure that this was the man she was looking for.

"Please, stay well. Use me to save people, use me as you see fit. I know you'll always make me proud." Estophelia's body had fully crystallized by the time she spoke these words. It was also the last memory she had left behind, and it was time Zel was filled in about what exactly she had done for him.

Zel cried with bitter tears as he thought about how he thought that he already knew about what she did. But it seems that the Seventh's words weren't enough to convey just how much of a sacrifice she made for him.

One of the key reasons he came here was to spare her life. If the system was her doing, then he could do it too. He knew that it was in 2006 that the system started, that's why he wanted to go back to this time period. But this time he will be the only one in active control, and he'll only let himself use it as well. At least for now.

"So? You do remember me!" Estophelia jumped into his comforting arms, happy to know that she wasn't forgotten. That her considerable efforts had paid off, in fact, she'd succeed. She had found out about a person that could be bearing his heroic soul, and him showing up here meant that the boy she heard from her future self really was him.

Zel didn't know how but he could genuinely feel her fervently kissing him in the cheeks even though she had no face. His gentle hands placed themselves around her surprisingly soft body. Sentimental tears were still pouring out of her face that he felt fall on his skin. She was so powerful, as he saw in the memories just now, but he could feel the tiredness in her. The burden she had to carry, it was too much for her to handle it alone, even if she had love to help push her through it all.

"Yeah, I knew one side of you. Now, I get to know all of you." Zel was also tearing up as he knew that she wasn't one to show this vulnerable side to anyone, at least to anyone other than him. At least Emilia was like that, and this was practically her. If he wasn't going to comfort this version of his woman, then he shouldn't call himself her man.

"Wait, the book. Give it to me too." Estophelia read Zel's thoughts once more and immediately realized something. Though she had seen it earlier, she had been taken aback by all the information and wasn't able to put two and two together. Now that he thought about it, she was still missing a part of herself.

"This one?" Zel felt her let go, feeling sad as the tight embrace had actually left him feeling better. Estophelia smiled as she thought that he was so cute being like this, so she gave him a peck on the cheek while simultaneously taking the book in his hands.

"What are you doing?" Zel was unsure of what Estophelia was doing. She placed her graceful hands in front of her while the book in her hands opened. A blinding light came out and a soul appeared, a soul that had an appearance Zel was very well acquainted with.

"Tiger?" Emilia's voice rang out, making Zel immediately run to her and embrace the soul that had seemingly no idea where she was. But since she felt Zel's embrace, she received it with a full heart as she also felt happy to see him.

"No! Emilia!" But their reunion didn't last long as Emilia's soul started to burn fiercely and Zel started to panic.