People: Kressa (Part 4)

The world is vast—so vast that as long as one is willing to journey, there will always be new faces, new stories, and new sights to behold.

Yet the world is also small—so small that Krisha’s eyes could never see beyond the presence of Xu Xi.

Bustling cities.

Lively celebrations.

None of these belonged to the witch.

Her "world" was too small, impossibly tiny, unable to accommodate anything new. The mere silhouette of Xu Xi occupied its entirety.

"Haaa—"

The sky stretched high above, clouds drifting over pale green fields.

The wind brushed past Krisha’s brows, lifting stray strands of her hair with a gentle, delicate touch.

Cool and soothing.

It revealed a pair of mesmerizing, tricolored eyes—

Noble gold, profound black, and vivid red.

She stood bathed in sunlight, like a statue frozen in time, atop a hill on the outskirts of Allenson City, gazing at the city brimming with memories.

And the faint outline of a courtyard.

Silent.

Yet an inexplicable sorrow lingered in the air.

"...Mentor."

"...I must leave now."

The witch who chased the light had ultimately failed to hold onto the setting sun.

She could do nothing.

She could save nothing.

Weak, defeated, and powerless.

Her delicate features remained pristine, yet they seemed like a fragile patchwork, barely held together amidst the cracks, strained by grief.

"Whoosh—!!"

A fierce gust of wind shattered Krisha’s sorrowful trance.

She tightened her grip on the staff in her arms.

Silently, ignoring the burning tightness in her throat and the damp trails of tears on her cheeks, she cast a wind spell and soared away from Allenson City.

The immortal witch saw herself as a [monster].

And in this world,

[Monsters] and [gods] were sworn enemies.

Sunlight from across the lands fell upon the witch’s shoulders like a silent gaze, bearing witness as she ventured further and further away.

Krisha encountered countless new things.

Her horizons broadened.

Yet her "world" remained unchanged.

Neither expanding nor shrinking.

Condensed within it were all the cruelties of her childhood, and the eternal, radiant "love" that had blossomed from a lifetime spent with that one person.

"...Mentor."

"...A world without you is not the world I desire."

The hem of her dress swayed in the wind.

The sapphire pendant resting against her chest shimmered with a dreamlike glow, its rippling waves mirroring the witch’s turbulent emotions.

She lifted her head.

Gazing at the path ahead—

Scorching under the sun, frigid under the moon.

Day and night, ceaselessly cycling.

Summer and winter, endlessly shifting.

Krisha’s figure wandered through every corner of the magical world, absorbing knowledge from different nations and regions, growing at an astonishing pace.

She rarely lingered.

Only when it concerned Xu Xi

would she pause and respond.

"Miss Krisha, won’t you consider replacing your staff?"

"No need."

Leaves rustled in the wind, sunlight piercing through the sky and casting a long shadow behind the witch.

Passing by a wand shop,

Krisha used high-tier life magic to heal the elderly shopkeeper’s ailments.

As thanks, the old man offered to craft her a new staff, but she declined.

The outside world was noisy.

The streets teemed with people.

Standing at the entrance of the wand shop, Krisha should have blended in—yet she stood apart, isolated.

She hugged her staff tightly,

as if seeking warmth from its familiar touch.

The very warmth she longed for day and night.

"Thank you for your kindness, but I must be on my way."

The witch’s journey continued.

She traveled alone, growing stronger with every piece of knowledge she acquired—learning to use chopsticks, mastering the cultivation of various dragon’s blood herbs.

Waiting.

Always waiting.

Waiting to be praised by that person.

Waiting to be needed by that person.

And so, the witch pressed onward.

"To disrespect the gods is to court death!"

"No!"

"I haven’t transcended yet—I haven’t attained godhood! I can’t die, I must not die!"

The celestial realm crumbled.

The gods perished.

The age of deities was ended by the witch.

The shattered chariot of the sun and the fractured silver vessel of the moon turned to dust, swirling behind Krisha in a suffocating haze of ruin.

The sheer magnitude of her power

left the entire world in stunned silence.

As if all sound had lost its meaning in an instant.

Even the wyverns and pureblood dragons trembled in unison.

Krisha’s journey persisted.

To revive her "world," her "everything," she would keep moving forward.

Until.

They met again.

Fortunately, Krisha encountered a kind soul.

With their guidance, she reunited with Xu Xi, achieving the title of "the first."

Even now,

whenever she recalled that moment, the witch’s expression would soften into a faint smile.

"Krisha, what are you thinking about?"

"Mentor, I’m considering the wedding arrangements."

Earth, Yanshan City.

A wedding venue, specially prepared.

Krisha glanced down at her hand, intertwined with her mentor’s, and smiled without voicing her true thoughts.

The past no longer mattered.

What truly deserved attention was the present.

"Mentor, let’s take a look inside."

The two stepped into the venue, greeted by a sight that felt nostalgic.

Krisha had designed this place herself.

Drawing inspiration from the church she once visited with Xu Xi, she recreated the cobblestone path, the pristine white flowers lining the walkway, the flowing water encircling the grounds, and the arched wooden bridge spanning the stream.

Yet.

There was still much left unfinished.

"The wedding feast, the red carpet, and the sacred hall for vows and witnesses."

"Mentor, these are the missing elements."

"Do you have any suggestions for adjustments?"

After a brief tour of the venue,

Krisha paused and turned to Xu Xi for input.

The witch was meticulous.

She knew the wedding wasn’t just hers—it belonged equally to the one who mattered most.

Thus, every detail had to be perfected.

"Suggestions, huh..."

Xu Xi stood by the water’s edge, surveying the half-complete venue, watching each element gleam under the sunlight.

The red carpet was too vibrant—

likely soaked in dragon’s blood, enchanted to repel dust and insects.

Suddenly,

Xu Xi chuckled.

"I have no complaints, Krisha."

"You’ve arranged everything perfectly. I doubt my input would add anything worthwhile."

"If you truly want suggestions, perhaps you could ask Mo Li and the others."

As he spoke,

Xu Xi instinctively reached out, ruffling the witch’s hair—still as smooth and silver as ever.

Krisha nodded. "Understood, Mentor."

Pulling out a slip of paper,

the diligent witch added a few more lines to the already densely packed notes.

[Ask the kind one for opinions]

[Ask the martial arts brute for opinions]

...

Xu Xi peeked at the list.

And laughed.