The night was unusually quiet.
A silver moon hung high above the house, bathing the garden in pale light.
The gentle chirping of crickets filled the air.
Leaves swayed softly in the night breeze.
Inside the peaceful home, an elderly woman sat comfortably in a wooden chair beside the open window.
Age had changed her.
Her hair had grown longer and whiter.
Countless lines covered her once-youthful face.
Yet her eyes remained warm.
She quietly stared at the moon while sipping a cup of warm tea.
For a few peaceful moments...
Nothing disturbed the silence.
Then—
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Footsteps hurried down the hallway.
A young woman appeared at the entrance.
She smiled helplessly.
"Grandma."
Sophia slowly turned.
"What is it, dear?"
The young woman sighed.
"My children refuse to sleep."
Sophia raised an eyebrow.
"Again?"
Her granddaughter-in-law nodded.
"I've tried everything."
"Milk."
"Lullabies."
She hesitated.
"Threats."
Sophia nearly choked on her tea.
"Threats?"
"They didn't work either."
The young woman pointed toward the hallway.
"So now..."
"...I need your help."
Sophia shook her head with an amused smile.
"Bring them here."
"Thank you, Grandma."
The young woman turned around.
"Kiara!"
"Krypton!"
"Come here!"
A few seconds later, two children appeared.
A ten-year-old boy.
And an eight-year-old girl.
The boy had messy black hair and bright eyes.
The girl had long dark hair tied into two small ponytails.
The moment they saw Sophia—
Their faces immediately lit up.
"Gran Gran!"
They rushed forward.
Sophia laughed as both children hugged her at the same time.
"Careful!"
"You two are getting heavier every day."
Krypton laughed.
"We're growing!"
Kiara nodded proudly.
"I'm taller than last month."
Sophia looked at her seriously.
"Are you sure?"
Kiara nodded firmly.
"Yes!"
Sophia placed a hand above the girl's head.
She carefully examined the distance.
Then nodded.
"Hmm."
"Perhaps one centimeter."
Kiara gasped.
"One centimeter is a lot!"
Sophia laughed.
"Of course it is."
She pulled both children closer.
"Now..."
"How are my little dumplings doing?"
"Great!"
They answered together.
Sophia smiled.
"Good."
She leaned back in her chair.
Then she looked at them with a playful expression.
"Now tell me..."
"Which story do you want tonight?"
Kiara and Krypton looked at each other.
They didn't even need to discuss it.
"The story of Destiny Princess and Destiny God!"
Sophia froze for half a second.
Then laughed softly.
"Again?"
Krypton nodded enthusiastically.
"Again!"
Kiara smiled.
"We like that one."
Sophia shook her head.
"You two always choose the same story."
"Because it's the best one!"
Krypton declared.
Sophia sighed dramatically.
"Fine."
"But this is the last time."
She pointed at them.
"And remember..."
"You two always cry at the ending."
Kiara immediately protested.
"I don't cry!"
Krypton nodded.
"Neither do I!"
Sophia raised an eyebrow.
"Really?"
The children nodded together.
"We promise!"
Sophia smiled.
"All right."
She adjusted herself in the chair.
The children climbed onto the carpet beside her.
Their mother, Stella, smiled from the doorway.
"Grandma..."
"I'll go make some soup."
Sophia nodded.
"All right, Stella."
Stella disappeared toward the kitchen.
Sophia looked at the two children.
Her playful expression slowly disappeared.
The grandmother vanished.
And in her place...
A storyteller remained.
Her voice became quieter.
"Listen carefully."
The children leaned closer.
"Because this..."
"...is not just a story."
Their eyes widened.
Sophia looked toward the moon.
"Once..."
"There was a mysterious land hidden within the realm of time."
"A land where tomorrow..."
"...never truly arrived."
The children became completely silent.
Sophia continued.
"Every morning came."
"Every sunset disappeared."
"And every night..."
"The same day waited to begin again."
"In that strange world lived a teenage girl."
"Her name..."
"...was Destiny Princess."
Kiara's eyes widened.
"Was she really a princess?"
Sophia smiled.
"Yes."
"But don't imagine some helpless princess sitting inside a castle..."
"...waiting for someone to save her."
Sophia's eyes sharpened.
"Destiny Princess was a warrior."
"A terrifying one."
"She carried a sword."
"And she possessed a power that made even powerful warriors wary of her."
"She could see..."
"The threads of Destiny."
Krypton immediately raised his hand.
"Like Grandma?"
Sophia laughed.
"Something like that."
"But Destiny Princess could see things even I couldn't."
"She could look at a single moment..."
"...and see hundreds of possibilities branching from it."
"She could see tomorrow."
"She could see yesterday."
"And sometimes..."
Sophia paused.
"...she saw things that should never have been seen."
The children stared at her.
"What things?"
Sophia smiled mysteriously.
"That..."
"...is part of the story."
Krypton frowned.
"That's cheating."
Sophia laughed.
"You'll understand soon enough."
She took another sip of tea.
"During her journey, Destiny Princess met two people who would change her life forever."
"One..."
"...was me."
The children burst into laughter.
"You?"
Sophia proudly lifted her chin.
"Yes. Me."
"I was much younger back then."
"And much stronger."
Krypton looked impressed.
"Were you a goddess?"
Sophia laughed.
"No."
"I was never a god."
"Just a stubborn girl who somehow survived things that should have killed me."
The children smiled.
"And the other person?"
Sophia's smile slowly faded.
"The other..."
"...was a teenage boy."
"His name was Lord Christopher."
Kiara tilted her head.
"Was he a god?"
Sophia shook her head.
"No."
"He wasn't a god."
She stared at the moon.
"But..."
"...to Destiny Princess, he became something far greater."
Krypton frowned.
"Greater than a god?"
Sophia nodded slowly.
"Yes."
"He was the person she trusted most."
"The person who remained beside her when everyone else disappeared."
"The person who could make her laugh..."
"...even when the world around them was falling apart."
Her voice softened.
"And most importantly..."
"He was the person who reminded her that..."
"...no matter how terrifying the world became..."
"...she was still human."
The children were completely silent now.
Sophia continued.
"But the world they lived in..."
"...was not kind."
"The mysterious land of time had one cruel rule."
"When someone died..."
"They died."
"No miracle could save them."
"No resurrection."
"No second chance."
Sophia's eyes darkened.
"But after twenty-four hours..."
"...the world itself would reset."
Kiara frowned.
"Reset?"
Sophia nodded.
"The day would begin again."
"Creatures that had died would return."
"Buildings that had been destroyed would stand again."
"Everything ..."
"...would return to the way it had been."
She paused.
"Again."
"And again."
"And again."
Krypton swallowed.
"So they couldn't escape?"
Sophia shook her head.
"That was the terrifying part."
"They weren't trapped in a prison."
"They were trapped..."
"...inside a day."
She looked directly at the children.
"Imagine waking up every morning..."
"...knowing exactly what would happen."
"Imagine watching someone you love die..."
"...and knowing that tomorrow..."
"...you would watch them die again."
The children shivered.
Sophia's voice became quieter.
"Imagine spending years..."
"...without ever seeing a true tomorrow."
She looked back toward the moon.
"That was the world Destiny Princess entered."
"But she didn't give up."
"She kept moving."
"She kept fighting."
"And Lord Christopher..."
"...stayed beside her."
"They fought together."
"They explored together."
"They suffered together."
"And somewhere within that endless nightmare..."
Sophia smiled faintly.
"...they fell in love."
Kiara smiled.
"Of course they did."
Sophia laughed softly.
"Of course."
"Even in the darkest places..."
"...people still find reasons to love."
She paused.
"But their happiness..."
"...didn't last forever."
The children's smiles disappeared.
Sophia continued.
"Eventually, after countless battles..."
"After walking through a world that had repeated itself more times than they could count..."
"They reached the greatest place in the Trial."
"The castle of Destiny God."
Sophia lowered her voice.
"It stood beyond the final battlefield."
"Enormous."
"Silent."
"And older than anything they had ever seen."
"I waited outside."
"But Destiny Princess and Lord Christopher..."
"...entered together."
"They walked through halls filled with ancient statues."
"Every step echoed through the darkness."
"They fought corrupted monsters."
"One."
"Then another."
"Then another."
"Until finally..."
Sophia paused.
"...they reached the throne room."
The children leaned closer.
Sophia's voice dropped to a whisper.
"And Destiny God..."
"...was waiting."
"He sat upon an enormous throne."
"His eyes..."
"...contained countless years."
"When he looked at them..."
"Destiny Princess felt something enter her soul."
"So did Christopher."
"It wasn't pain."
"Not at first."
"It was something much worse."
Sophia's fingers tightened around her cup.
"Destiny God told them a secret."
"A secret so dangerous..."
"...that simply knowing it planted a seed of corruption inside their souls."
Kiara's expression changed.
"Corruption?"
Sophia nodded.
"Yes."
"And the corruption didn't attack them immediately."
"That would have been too simple."
"First..."
"A thought."
"Then..."
"A whisper."
"Then..."
"A desire."
"Something small."
"Something they could almost ignore."
Sophia's eyes became darker.
"But the seed was growing."
"Slowly."
"Silently."
"Until one day..."
"...they realized it was already inside them."
"Destiny Princess fought it."
"Christopher fought it."
"They fought desperately."
"But corruption wasn't an enemy you could simply cut with a sword."
"It attacked their souls."
"Their memories."
"Their emotions."
"Everything that made them..."
"...who they were."
Then Sophia fell silent.
For a moment, only the crickets outside could be heard.
"Eventually..."
"Christopher began losing himself."
"His eyes changed."
"His voice changed."
"His soul became darker."
"Destiny Princess refused to accept it."
"She begged him."
"She screamed at him."
"She tried everything."
"But nothing worked."
Sophia closed her eyes briefly.
"Until..."
"...one final moment."
"Christopher looked at her."
"And for one final moment..."
"...his eyes became clear."
"The corruption loosened its grip."
"And the boy she loved..."
"...returned."
"He looked at Destiny Princess."
"And smiled."
Sophia's voice became barely above a whisper.
"'Stay alive.'"
The children didn't move.
"'For my sake.'"
"'Live.'"
"'And if I become something that isn't me anymore...'"
Sophia paused.
"'...kill me.'"
Destiny Princess shook her head.
"No."
"She refused."
"Again."
"No."
Christopher's smile became weaker.
"Please."
"No!"
"I can't."
"You can."
He slowly raised his weapon.
"You're stronger than me."
"You're the Destiny Princess."
"You have to live."
His voice trembled.
"Don't let my death become meaningless."
Destiny Princess's hands shook.
She couldn't do it.
How could she?
He was her lover.
Her best friend.
The person who had stood beside her through every battle.
The person who had made an endless world feel bearable.
But the corruption was spreading.
There was no time left.
Christopher looked at her one final time.
And whispered—
"Please."
Destiny Princess closed her eyes.
Tears slipped down her cheeks.
Then—
She moved.
Her sword pierced his heart.
Silence.
Christopher's body slowly fell.
Destiny Princess caught him before he reached the ground.
She held him tightly.
She didn't scream.
She didn't cry.
She simply held him.
Because sometimes...
Pain becomes too great for tears.
Sophia stopped.
The children were frozen.
Even the sounds of the night seemed distant.
After several seconds, she continued.
"Destiny Princess survived."
"She escaped the corruption."
"But..."
Sophia looked toward the moon.
"...she was never the same again."
"She had lost the person she loved most."
"And from that day onward..."
"...she hated Destiny God."
"Afterward, Destiny Princess left through the Living Door of Humanity."
"She returned to the world beyond the Trial."
"But she carried Christopher's death..."
"...inside her."
"Forever."
Silence filled the room.
Sophia finally looked at the children.
Kiara's eyes were watery.
Sophia immediately pointed at her.
"Don't cry."
Kiara quickly wiped her eyes.
"I'm not!"
Krypton sniffed.
"I'm not crying either."
Sophia laughed softly.
"Of course."
Then Krypton suddenly looked worried.
"Gran Gran..."
"What if one day..."
"...I become corrupted?"
Sophia's expression softened.
She reached forward and gently touched his hair.
"Then remember something."
"Corruption is a story."
"A frightening story."
"But stories don't always come true."
She smiled.
"And besides..."
"You're far too stubborn to let something like that defeat you."
Krypton nodded seriously.
"I am."
Kiara immediately added,
"He's also scared of spiders."
Krypton turned toward her.
"That's different!"
Sophia burst into laughter.
The children laughed too.
The sadness slowly disappeared.
For a few moments...
Everything felt warm again.
Then Stella returned from the kitchen carrying a bowl of soup.
She stopped when she saw the children laughing.
"Finally."
"They're smiling."
Sophia smiled.
"Almost asleep too."
Stella looked at the two children.
"Bed."
Both children immediately protested.
"Already?"
"But Gran Gran hasn't finished!"
Sophia shook her head.
"The story is finished."
Kiara yawned.
Krypton tried to hide his own yawn.
He failed.
Sophia smiled.
"See?"
"You two are exhausted."
The children hugged her again.
"Goodnight, Gran Gran."
"Goodnight, my little dumplings."
Kiara kissed Sophia's cheek.
Krypton did theaa same.
Then they followed Stella toward their room.
Before leaving...
Krypton turned around.
"Gran Gran?"
"Yes?"
"I promise..."
"I won't cry next time."
Sophia laughed softly.
"I'll remember that."
The door closed.
Silence returned.
The house became quiet again.
Sophia remained in her chair.
She looked toward the moon.
Her smile slowly faded.
The warmth in her eyes disappeared.
For a moment...
She looked incredibly tired.
She placed one hand against her chest.
Her fingers trembled slightly.
Then she whispered so quietly that nobody could hear her.
"Nora..."
Her eyes closed.
"Please..."
"Conquer this Trial quickly."
A faint breath escaped her lips.
"I can feel it."
"My life..."
"...it's slowly slipping away."
She looked toward the moon again.
Its pale light reflected in her tired eyes.
"The coldness of death is getting closer."
Her voice trembled.
"But I won't leave yet."
"Not before I know you're safe."
Sophia smiled faintly.
"Not before I see you again."
She leaned back into the chair.
The moon continued shining above her.
And somewhere far away...
Inside a Trial that seemed to have no end...
Nora was still fighting.
Still surviving.
Still searching for a way home.
Neither of them knew...
How close their reunion truly was.