The Eternal Shackles Named Love

When Krisha was young, she endured the world's malice, which led her to shut herself off and escape from the filthy, tainted world.

But there was one person who dedicated his entire life to breaking the chains that bound Krisha.

He succeeded.

With the limited lifespan of a mortal, he accompanied Krisha until the end of his life. Though it was only a few decades, it blossomed into an eternally radiant flower in Krisha's heart.

From then on, Krisha was free. The individual known as Krisha Christina was free.

When Xu Xi passed away in front of Krisha.

When the only one in Krisha's heart disappeared.

The chains on Krisha shattered completely. She rediscovered human emotions, shedding silent tears, becoming the unrestrained, free-spirited bird that Xu Xi had wished for.

But Krisha did not want this. She did not like this.

"Master, please help me... put it back on," Krisha whispered, handing the faintly glowing sapphire necklace to Xu Xi's palm.

The chains that Xu Xi had spent his life breaking for Krisha.

Krisha chose to wear them again.

This time, the chains were called [Eternal Love], heavier than anything in the world, an eternal restraint that Krisha willingly imposed upon herself.

She never wanted, never wished, to be separated from the sun in her heart again.

She only wanted to be together... forever.

"Krisha, why did you take off the necklace?" Xu Xi asked, taking the necklace with a hint of confusion.

"I was cleaning up some trash and didn’t want to dirty it," the silver-haired witch replied.

Trash? Xu Xi felt something was off.

But he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

He decided to help Krisha put the necklace back on first.

"Krisha, tilt your head down a little," Xu Xi said softly, stepping behind her in the autumn courtyard, bathed in an orange glow. He gently lifted her silver-gray hair with his hand.

The strands slipped through his fingers like a miracle’s light, soft and smooth.

The autumn breeze brushed past.

The warm sun shone gently.

The familiar feeling, like the night he had first put the necklace on her during New Year's, seemed as if it were just yesterday. In a daze, Xu Xi smiled.

He held both ends of the mithril chain.

Looping it around Krisha's fair neck.

The ends met at the back, overlapping and fastening with a crisp click, securing it in place.

The necklace was on.

"Thank you..." Krisha murmured, her voice so faint it seemed to dissipate with the autumn wind, yet it was also strikingly clear.

"Your necklace... I love it... I love it so much..."

The autumn wind grew fiercer.

Howling and wailing, it sent Krisha's silver-gray hair dancing in the air, but it didn’t make her look disheveled. Instead, it accentuated her ethereal longing and delicate fragility.

Her skirt swayed in the wind, her coat flapping loudly.

The sapphire necklace hanging from her chest reflected a hazy, dreamlike glow. It was the light of the gemstone, and also the light of love, illuminating the emotions Krisha struggled to express.

"I’m glad you like it. It looks beautiful, doesn’t it?"

Xu Xi smiled.

As he looked at Krisha, he felt a wave of emotion. Her unchanging 17-year-old appearance and her calm, indifferent expression made her seem exactly the same as before.

So familiar, so endearing.

Even though they had reunited across worlds.

There was no sense of unfamiliarity.

The past and present, illusion and reality, blurred completely in that moment.

"It’s windy outside. Let’s go inside," Xu Xi said, taking Krisha’s slender, pale hand and leading her into the warm, cozy home.

Krisha had a home again.

Once inside.

Xu Xi was about to pour some hot water for the two of them, but Krisha stopped him.

"Please, let me handle it," the silver-haired witch, forever 17 and eternally youthful, said with a serious expression.

For the first time in a long while, Xu Xi met Krisha’s gaze.

Unlike the black and gold hues of before, the emptiness in Krisha’s eyes had vanished, replaced by a pure, vivid red.

Her mesmerizing eyes reflected Xu Xi’s form.

Youthful.

Full of vitality.

Unbound by any limitations, with mastery over both cultivation and magic, Xu Xi no longer had to worry about his lifespan.

"Alright, I’ll leave it to you, Krisha," Xu Xi relented, unable to resist her insistence.

"Yes, please rest assured," Krisha replied calmly.

She walked into the kitchen alone, her eyes scanning the room. Despite it being her first time on Earth, she displayed an incredible understanding.

In moments, she had learned how to use all the utensils.

She didn’t use magic to create anything.

Nor did she rely on her powers.

Krisha acted just as she had in the magical world, skillfully operating the tools to boil water and brew tea.

Meticulous and serious.

Soon.

A freshly brewed cup of tea was handed to Xu Xi, complete with a small porcelain saucer underneath to insulate the heat.

"Thank you, Krisha," Xu Xi said, blowing gently on the steaming tea before taking a sip.

A bit hot, but perfect for the chilly autumn weather.

The tea flowed through the gaps of his teeth, pooling on his tongue and releasing a subtle aftertaste.

It was peaceful.

Not intense.

Just like the life Xu Xi and Krisha shared.

Back in the magical world, with their abilities, they could have lived a life of luxury. But neither Xu Xi nor Krisha had any desire to change their quiet, simple life.

There was a beauty in the simplicity of their days.

Every little moment was a treasure.

"Krisha, sit down," Xu Xi said, urging the witch to take a seat. After handing him the tea, Krisha had been standing beside him, waiting quietly for his next instruction.

Her hands clasped in front of her, her posture impeccably straight—anyone who saw her would think she was a maid.

"Yes."

Krisha sat down.

The bleak autumn day gradually darkened, and Xu Xi turned on the living room lights, casting a warm, yellowish glow that bathed Krisha’s silver-gray hair in a soft halo.

Clink—

Xu Xi set down the empty teacup, the sound of the cup meeting the saucer crisp and clear.

He looked at Krisha, his expression puzzled, and asked the question that had been weighing on his mind.

"Krisha, how... did you come here?"

"I saw your figure, heard your voice, felt your presence. So, I came to find you."

Krisha’s answer was simple.

She spoke in her usual calm, indifferent tone, describing what she had done.

But was it really as easy as she made it sound?

Xu Xi felt that the truth was likely far more complicated.

"You’ve been through a lot, Krisha," Xu Xi said, his voice tinged with complex emotions.

"It’s nothing..." Krisha shook her head mechanically.

As long as I can see you, as long as I can reunite with you, everything is worth it.

Nothing else matters.

Yes, nothing else matters. You are the only one who is special...

The sapphire gem in the center of the necklace shimmered like real waves, sometimes calm, sometimes raging, reflecting the turmoil in Krisha’s heart.