Chapter 40:

Is there a happy ending for me?

How the wicked witch became the hero's sidekick


I think I died.

After I healed Lionel, the mage of the north crushed my heart, and everything went black. I hope they get their happy end by now. I really wanted to get a happy ending myself. But the most important thing is that they are happy.

Hmm... what will happen with me now? I am in a black space. It is silent, and I can't see anything. Then after a while a light appears above me. And a woman with long wavy blonde hair and a white garment appears.

"I am the goddess of fate, Atropos. I spin, divide, and cut the thread of life. I assigned Lionel the hero's fate and you yours."

"You did that to me? Why? Was that planned?" I ask, shocked.

"Your life ended too soon in your previous life, so I decided to reconnect your destiny in a new way. I let Psyche, the goddess of souls, bring your soul into this world. But you have reconnected your new destiny."

"Because it was miserable!" I say angrily.

"Normally you shouldn't have known your past or destiny. But we made a mistake, and your soul wasn't able to forget. So I let you change your destiny. You preserved the destiny of this world and guided the hero on his way. Thank you for that!"

"I just wanted them to get the happy end that neither fate in my old life nor fate in my new life had intended for me. But what will happen now?"

"I understand your resentment. Every fate is interconnected, and individually they may seem senseless and unfair. But everything has a higher meaning. Well then. Your path shouldn't end here."

"It shouldn't?"

"Yes. Despite our mistake, you have preserved the fate of the world and the path of the hero. In return, you shall be given the chance for your own happiness. Besides, there are others waiting for you! So I will give you the chance to continue your life if you want!"

"Wait a moment. Which of my lives?"

"Which do you want?"

"I want to go back... to my friends. The life of a wicked witch wasn't that bad after all!"

"I know. Go and get your happy end. Destinies can be changed. I have to know," the goddess says, smiling, and everything around me gets bright.

Slowly I open my eyes.

"Why is it so bright here?" I ask as the light of the sun blinds me.

"You are alive!" Sisli shouts and jumps on me.

She hugs me, but then Knox lifts me up and hugs me. I can barely breathe. But it's nice to know I was missed.

"Let her down! She will die again If you continue..." Caspian says.

"Stop talking!" Knox says and grabs Caspian and Lionel too. Now there is a big group cuddle.

After a while, Knox let go of us!

"What happened while I was away?" I ask interested.

"Lionel defeated the mage with our help, and we saved the world. Nothing special!" Caspian says, joking.

Ah, nothing special. I see...

I look down. Bright purple blossoms cling to me. On the golem in whose arms I awoke, small, glowing purple flowers grow on the moss that surrounds it.

"What is that?" I ask, irritated.

"Your body released small amounts of mana, which caused these flowers to grow on the golem. Because of that, we knew that your body wasn't completely dead. But I don't understand how you came back to live." Sisli says.

"Let's say destiny gave me another chance as compensation." I say, smiling.

Several weeks pass, and there's a lot going on in the city. The reconstruction of the destroyed city is in full swing, and the king has been officially deposed. Cecil was elected by the people as his rightful successor. And I think the kingdom is in very good hands now. Meanwhile, the king must spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Sisli went to the Kodama village for a few days to accept their banishment from the village and say goodbye. Knox accompanied her. But Dusk was so happy to have them back safe and sound that the law was promptly changed. The Kodama even came to the city to celebrate the city's reconstruction and their victory over the mage.

When they returned to the city, Knox opened an orphanage to give orphans a home. He told us about his past. I think we're all closer now than before. We encouraged him to set up the orphanage, and he finally took the plunge. Rosa helped build the orphanage and now wants to use her strength to ensure the health of the children.

Oh, and there was another surprise. Irene and Caspian have become a couple. In the novel Irene had a crush on Lionel. I don't know how, but while I was dead, Caspian apparently didn't make such a bad impression and piqued her interest. I heard he himself has apparently had feelings for her for a long time. He apparently resisted at first. No idea why, when he has feelings for her, and it's not like he has no experience with women. But then they became a couple. His days as a womanizer are probably numbered. Otherwise, he'll either be killed by Cecil or Irene.

Lionel was heavily involved in the city's reconstruction and has apparently now become Cecil's advisor. That's why I haven't seen him since the final battle. He also separated himself from the temple. I think he will start new without the obligations as a hero and live as he wants.

The reconstruction celebrations are already underway. And after weeks, we'll all see each other again.

I am waiting at the marketplace for them. Irene and Caspian come over to me!

"Long time no see!" Caspian says.

"Nice to see you!" Irene says and hangs on Caspians arm, who becomes visibly nervous.

It really seems to be something serious. I've never seen him so uptight around a woman before. Then Knox, with Sisli on his shoulder and Rosa by his side, joins us.

"Hey everyone!" Sisli shouts, smiling happily and waving.

"Hey guys!" Knox shouts, smiling more than usual.

"Hello everyone," Rosa says, also smiling.

I look around.

"It has been a long time. Is Lionel not coming?" I ask.

"Oh, I nearly forgot. Lionel and Cecil have some things to do. But he wants to meet you in the evening. Like in Einheit, there is a bridge near the marketplace. There he wants to meet you!" Caspian says.

"Oh, ok. It's late. Then I should get there soon," I say.

"There will be fireworks later. Let's see them together, Knox," Rosa says, smiling.

"My buddy already wants to see them with me!" Sisli says superior.

"And?" Rosa says without any expression.

"Let's just watch it together," says Knox, smiling.

"Fine!" Rosa and Sisli say, obviously annoyed.

It is already dawn. I should go to the bridge.

"I have to go. See you later!" I say and walk to the bridge.

As I walk past the others, I look back and see in the distance that Caspian looks after a woman who walks past him. Irene instantly gives him a slap on the back of the head. He's still too stuck in his ways. But Irene seems to be able to straighten him out.

When I arrive at the bridge, no one is there yet. I lean against the railing and look into the water.

"Aria!" I hear Lionel's voice shouting.

In the distance I see Cecil waving. Lionel comes over and parts ways with him.

"Long time no see! I heard you became Cecil's advisor," I say.

"Yes, the first big decision I made for myself. What are your plans now?" Lionel asks hesitantly.

"I am not sure. Thanks to Cecil, I've been recognized by the kingdom. Now I don't have to hide anymore. I'll soon open a shop near the marketplace where I plan to sell tea and potions. You can really make money with potions nowadays," I say confidently.

"I wanted to ask you something the whole time! Since when did you know that I am a witch?" I ask interested.

"To be honest. From the first moment we met each other, I knew that you weren't someone normal. Your character alone was unique, and your actions seemed unpredictable to me. But that's what fascinated me about you from the very beginning." Lionel says.

I'm not sure in which direction this conversation is going.

"But I knew from the moment I heard your conversation with Sisli on the sea!" he says.

"So you really heard our conversation," I say, shocked.

I didn't think that I was this bad at keeping my secret. He found out nearly at the beginning.

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop on you. But I heard what you said. From what you said, I didn't only know that you were a witch. But I also knew that you are a good person! And I have to confess that I wasn't unconscious all the time in the dungeon. So I saw you fighting against the necromancer!" he says nervously.

"You just pretended?" I ask, shocked.

"Yes. But that way you were able to fight freely! Nonetheless, I didn't care that you were a witch from the beginning. From you, I learned to live for myself and set my own goals in life... Here I wanted to give you that in Einheit, but I haven't had the opportunity to give it to you!"

He gives me a golden bracelet with a golden crystal in it.

"It's beautiful. But why?" I ask.

"What I wanted to tell you all the time was that my goal in life is to be with you!" Lionel says and grabs my hand.

My face immediately turns as red as a tomato. Is this a declaration of love?

"Do you feel the same way?" he asks, expectantly.

I would have never thought that the story would go like this. I already realized that my feelings for him are more than just friendship. But I thought it would be pointless to admit them. But there is no point to denying them anymore.

"I also have special feelings for you!" I say and look to the side nervously, as I am a little overwhelmed by the situation.

Then Lionel comes nearer, lifts my head, and looks into my eyes. The firework shoots into the sky and illuminates it with colorful lights.

We kiss each other, and the fireworks around us fade into the background.

Destiny can be a bastard. But it is never too late to take your destiny into your own hands. I have always admired happy endings, and now I have found my own happy ending.

Stealth303
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