The moment I got the letter, I knew it was finally time.
While reading books in the library a few days ago, I had found something interesting — an old book that described a forbidden spell.
A spell that could return a dead person's spirit back into a human body.
That's where I learned it.
A soul-transfer ritual.
But there was a problem.
Her body had probably decayed by now.
So before casting the soul spell, I would need to use a time-reversal spell to restore it.
Troublesome… but possible.
When I asked Mizuki to take me to her body, she stared at me.
"What are you planning to do?" she asked quietly.
"Just teleport me there," I replied.
She froze for a second.
"…Wait. It can't be… You're not seriously thinking about doing that, are you?"
Rika looked between us, completely confused.
"Hey, what are you two talking about? Why are you yelling?"
I ignored her.
"Mizuki, just teleport me. Don't worry about anything."
She sighed softly… then activated her magic.
The world twisted.
In the next second, we appeared somewhere else.
A forest.
Cold wind.
Silent.
I frowned.
"…This is just a forest. Where are the ruins of your village?"
Mizuki's voice became quiet.
"Most of it… was burned to ashes."
The forest was silent, broken only by the crunch of leaves beneath our feet. Though we found some ruins of houses, Mizuki's body was nowhere to be found. At one point, Mizuki sighed.
"My body is probably completely decayed by now… we should head back," she murmured.
But at that moment, my eyes caught something by a large, gnarled tree. A tiny skeleton lay half-buried in the dirt. Its lower half was missing. My heart skipped.
"I think… I found something," I said, pointing.
Mizuki floated closer, her voice tense. "How are you so sure it's my body?"
"You'll see," I replied.
I raised my hands, preparing the spell I had studied for weeks.
"O Divine Watchman of Time, grant me the will to restore—TIME REVERSAL!"
The skeleton began to glow. A thin layer of rotting flesh started forming over the bones. Watching it, I almost gagged. It was grotesque, every second more unsettling than the last. Any weak-hearted person would have passed out.
When the spell finished, my stomach turned. The lower half was still missing—wounds gaping, flesh torn, blood seeping.
Mizuki floated beside me, calm yet firm. "See? My lower half… was eaten by a monster. Let's go back."
I shook my head. Healing magic had to fix this.
I cast a restoration spell. Within seconds, her lower body began to regrow, starting from the bones. Veins and vessels formed first, followed by muscle and flesh, then finally skin.
But a problem quickly became clear: the spell couldn't restore her tattered clothes.
"Enough! Let's go back!" Mizuki shouted, panic in her voice. She tried dragging me away, opening a portal to return home.
I remembered the second spell in the book. If a spirit resisted your actions, you could seal them inside their spirit stone. Mizuki's spirit stone rested inside my chest, beside my heart—my father had placed it there for safekeeping.
Without hesitation, I cast the sealing spell:
"Silent crystal, cradle the wandering soul,
bind the voice, still the will,
until my command releases thee—
Spirit Seal: Astral Lock!"
Her body vanished for a moment.
Then, I began the growth spell on her body:
"Blood, flow!
Bones, rise!
Flesh, awaken, claim the skies!
Lost life, return, obey my call!
Genesis Art: Living Vessel!"
The combination of healing and time magic caused the remnants of her old clothes to tear as her body expanded. Before any further consequences, I covered her with leaves. Her body now matched that of a semi-adult—probably five years older than me.
I steadied myself and prepared the main spell:
"You who waited in loneliness,
you who protected me even in death,
your place is not the cold earth.
Come back.
Come home.
Spirit Art — Homecoming Vessel!"
I hesitated for a moment. My mana was nearly drained, and my body trembled. But it worked.
Her eyes snapped open.
Before I could catch my breath, she yelled,
"I SAID YOU NOT TO DO THAT!"
Her fist connected with my belly. I flew backward, hitting a nearby tree with a painful thud.
I couldn't believe it. I thought I was dead forever. My soul had been sealed inside the spirit stone. I never imagined I could feel again. Yet here I was—alive.
Breathing.
Feeling.
Experiencing emotions once more.
The moment I punched him, he collapsed, unconscious. My body felt weak, drained from the process. He hadn't even thought to bring proper clothes for me. Leaves were my only choice. I stayed by his side, waiting. We couldn't walk through the town like this.
Evening came. He stirred awake, his eyes widening as they fell on me.
"Whoa! Please forgive me!" he exclaimed, scrambling to his feet.
I remained still. How could I put into words what I was feeling? He had given me a second chance at life. Freed me from the cold prison of the spirit stone.
I didn't say anything. I simply hugged him. Tears rolled down my face, unstoppable.
He held me gently, confusion and warmth in his voice. "Oh… come on. Why are you crying now?"
I couldn't answer. I didn't need to. His presence, his actions, had already spoken louder than words ever could.