READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 68:
Chapter 68: The Last Year:
Why was it that every time Xu Xi woke, the first thing he heard was Krisha’s gentle greeting?
Why was it that when he opened his eyes, hers were always the first he saw?
The answer was simple. Astonishingly simple.
Every time Xu Xi drifts into sleep, Krisha sits silently at his bedside. On a small wooden chair, she waits through the passage of time—through the sun’s rise and fall, through the world’s changing seasons.
She waits.
She watches.
She remains, unmoving, while time marches on.
Painful? Boring?
Krisha does not think so.
For her, the moment Xu Xi falls silent, her world becomes a barren gray. Life ceases to move. Color drains away. She actively shuts herself off from everything, unable to feel or perceive the flow of time.
It was only when Xu Xi awakens that her lifeless world begins to turn again, that the gray gives way to color, and that the witch feels a semblance of life.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
The sunlight poured through the window into the bedroom, its angle creating a beautiful contrast of light and shadow.
Xu Xi, now 85 years old, lay on the bright side of the room, every wrinkle and strand of gray hair illuminated in stark detail. Across from him, in the shadowed part of the room, sat Krisha, her silver-gray hair faintly shimmering in the light. Her face remained calm and emotionless, but the faint movement of her hair in the breeze seemed to express countless unspeakable emotions.
She waited for him.
She always waited.
Krisha Kristina, the witch without a heart, without her own joy or sorrow, existed solely to follow her Master’s will.
It was her purpose.
She waited through countless days and nights for Xu Xi to awaken, to receive his next order. That was her only reason to live.
For a moment, Xu Xi gazed at the witch who had waited endlessly for him. His heart wavered between two thoughts—should he criticize her for such an unnecessary and meaningless habit, or praise her for her unwavering devotion?
In the end, he did neither.
Instead, he reached out and gently held her hand, allowing her slender fingers to catch the sunlight.
“Come walk with me, Krisha. I’ve been lying down so long I think my body has forgotten how to move.”
“…Yes,” she responded obediently.
Together, the two left the bedroom, passed through the silent corridor, and entered the sunlit courtyard, where flowers and plants thrived under Krisha’s careful care.
Xu Xi walked slowly, each step accompanied by a wave of weakness spreading through his body. His legs felt heavy, as if carrying the weight of an ending performance.
“It’s beautiful,” he murmured, stopping before a cluster of vibrant flowers. The dragon blood grass swayed gently in the breeze, like rippling waves.
“You’ve done well, Krisha. I’m very satisfied.”
“Thank you for your affirmation.”
Xu Xi turned to her, taking in her unchanged features and her ethereal, detached expression. She seemed as isolated from the world as she had been the day he first met her.
Yet the frail, malnourished girl from back then had grown into someone strong and capable.
As he gazed at the courtyard, the flowers, the sunlight, and the grown witch, Xu Xi closed his eyes. The warmth of the sun fell on his aged, wrinkled skin, bringing a fleeting sense of peace.
He had no more worries.
Plop—
[You and the witch walk through the courtyard.]
[Everything is well-maintained under Krisha’s care, even better than what you could have done yourself.]
[In a moment of reflection, you recall the younger days of the witch, comparing them to her present self. You realize she has grown into someone who no longer needs your guidance.]
[Your lifelong worry about her future fades, and you feel a deep sense of relief.]
[You sigh and chuckle softly, knowing that the witch can now live a good life even without you.]
[With your final worry lifted, your consciousness begins to fade. Your body collapses forward, but the witch catches you in time.]
[After being awake for less than an hour, you fall into another deep sleep.]
“Master!… Master!”
The witch’s desperate cry echoed through the encroaching darkness.
But Xu Xi could no longer respond.
Like a boat tossed in the waves, his soul was swallowed by the void, slipping deeper into a tranquil, eternal silence. Only a fragile fragment of himself remained, clinging to existence…
…
[Simulating the 72nd year: You are 86 years old, and Krisha is 78 years old.]
[Since collapsing in the courtyard, you have been asleep for an entire year without waking.]
[Krisha said nothing. She simply sat by your bed, waiting for your return.]
[Simulating the 73rd year: You are 87 years old, and Krisha is 79 years old.]
[You remain asleep. The witch, unchanged in appearance, reaches the peak of the Holy Domain Magister but fails to break through to the demigod realm. The balance within her prevents her from ascending.]
[Simulating the 74th year: You are 88 years old, and Krisha is 80 years old.]
[The furniture in your home ages and becomes unusable. Krisha ignores it, her attention fixed solely on you.]
[Simulating the 75th year: You are 89 years old, and Krisha is 81 years old.]
[The witch continues to wait.]
[She continues to wait.]
[And she continues to wait.]
[Simulating the 79th year: You are 93 years old, and Krisha is 85 years old.]
[Your body is unrecognizable, time having stripped away every familiar feature. Your face is wrinkled, your skin rough like tree bark. Yet Krisha doesn’t give up.]
[She gently holds your withered hand, calling out to you and praying for your return.]
[Finally, your cloudy eyes open once more.]