Puzzled by the sudden notifications, Ophelia watched as more and more messages appeared before her.
『 Under The Oak Tree 』
『 The Shiniest Gem 』
『 Above The Broken World 』
『 Seer Beyond The Stars 』
『 Beyond the Dying Sun 』
『 Keeper of Lost Names 』
...
And they kept coming.
One after another.
The endless stream of names continued to fill her vision until she could barely keep track of them all.
Yet Ophelia remained still, patiently observing each notification as it appeared.
"...What is this?" Her brows furrowed slightly.
These entities had never existed before. At least, not in any of the countless turns she had experienced.
No matter how many times she had rewinded time, or how deeply she had studied the System, she had never encountered anything like this.
Then why now?
Ophelia slowly raised a hand, as though trying to touch the floating messages before her.
The notifications continued without pause.
As if something beyond the boundaries of her understanding had finally taken notice of her existence.
A strange feeling settled in her chest.
Was this also because of her?
Had repeatedly turning back time created yet another unforeseen consequence? Or had these beings always been watching from afar, waiting for the moment she would finally notice them?
She had realized it far too late.
Understanding the System and wielding its power had never been a miracle.
It was poison.
A dagger that slowly turned against its wielder.
The more she rewinds time, the heavier the burden of causality became.
Dungeons appeared more frequently.
The monsters that emerged from them grew stronger. And little by little, new existences were born as a consequence of her interference.
Like these things.
『 The Shiniest Gem 』
Hello, child. Do not be alarmed. We are constellations who have taken an interest in you.
Ophelia stared at the floating blue screen before her.
Although the words appeared in front of her eyes, the voices echoed directly within her mind, soft and distant like whispers carried by the wind.
『 Under The Oak Tree 』
Please do not feel pressured. We mean you no harm. We merely wish to accompany you on your journey.
A small smile found its way onto Ophelia's lips.
"I'm afraid you've arrived too late," she replied quietly. "My journey is coming to an end."
Her gaze drifted toward the endless horizon.
"I don't think I want to continue anymore."
Then another message appeared.
『 Under The Oak Tree 』
Explain.
Ophelia lowered her eyes.
For a long while, she said nothing.
Then, perhaps because these were strangers she would never meet, the words came easier than expected.
"I've turned back time over and over again. Watched the same people die in many different ways."
"I've tried to save them, but something worse had always waited ahead of them... I have failed them. I have failed to save everyone."
She omitted many details.
The countless versions of herself she had buried throughout the years. Even so, the exhaustion in her voice remained impossible to hide.
"Perhaps this power was never meant for someone like me." Her fingers curled tightly against her sleeves. "Who am I to decide whether people should live or die?"
"What if they no longer wish to continue?"
"What if all I've done is force innocent people to suffer again and again for my own selfish desires?"
『 Under The Oak Tree 』
If not you, there is always some else. Whether for good or ill, someone would eventually make those choices. At least we know your intentions are pure.
Ophelia blinked.
The words settled somewhere deep within her chest. A warmth she had almost forgotten.
A bitter smile appeared on her face.
"...You give me too much credit."
Another notification appeared almost immediately.
『 Under The Oak Tree 』
Then try once more. Never give up on the possibility of a future where you can be happy.
Ophelia let out a quiet laugh, "Those are beautiful words."
She wanted to believe them. She truly did. But every path she had walked had ended in loss.
Every hope she nurtured had eventually been buried.
No matter how many times she rewinds the world... Despair had always been waiting for her.
Her thoughts spiraled endlessly downward.
『 The Shiniest Gem 』
Do not overthink it, child.
Ophelia paused.
『 The Shiniest Gem 』
You don't need to save everyone. You don't need to carry the entire world by yourself. Just do what you can.
『 The Shiniest Gem 』
Protect the people precious to you. Smile when you can. Cry when you need to. And if you fail... Then fail while knowing you did your best.
Right.
What was one more attempt?
Ophelia lowered her gaze, her thoughts lingering on the words the constellations had spoken to her. Perhaps they were right. She had failed countless times before, but there had also been moments of happiness scattered throughout those repetitions. Moments she had treasured despite knowing how fleeting they were.
Slowly, she closed her eyes.
One last time.
If she failed again, then perhaps she would finally allow herself to rest.
And so, with cautious resolve settling in her heart, Ophelia turned back time once more.
Despite everything, she found herself smiling when she saw her parents again.
Their familiar faces.
Their voices.
The warmth of their embraces.
They were ordinary moments she had experienced countless times before, yet they remained just as precious as ever.
However, beneath that happiness lingered an ever-present fear.
What if she failed again?
What if this future ended no differently from the countless ones before it?
Yet this time, things were different.
At first, the changes were subtle. The dungeons appeared as they always had, and the constellations continued to accompany her quietly from afar. Life moved forward in a way that almost felt normal.
But the Outsiders had grown wary.
A human girl they were after, capable of wielding healing powers unlike any they had ever encountered.
The same individual who, they never expected, could perceive the existence of the System without proper education.
Someone who repeatedly interfered with causality itself.
It was deeply concerning to them.
But there was one conclusion they all arrived at.
She possessed an extraordinary compatibility with the foreign element.
Far greater than any other lifeform they had discovered.
Which meant that she was valuable.
Far too valuable to be disposed of.
Initially, the High Council had intended to capture her. However, after repeated failures, they eventually arrived at another solution.
If they could not obtain her... Then they would simply manipulate everything around her.
After all, humans were quite mentally fragile. Intelligent lesser beings had always been underdeveloped mentally.
And Ophelia's weakness had always been painfully obvious.
It wasn't her lack of power.
Nor was it her limited understanding of the System.
It was love.
The people she cherished.
The family she fought so desperately to protect.
If they could not claim Ophelia herself, then they would shatter the world around her instead.
Piece by piece.
Life after life.
Until grief wore down even her unwavering resolve.
Because no matter how resilient a person was, there was only so much loss one heart could endure.
So, for a time, Ophelia genuinely believed that things were finally going well.
The dungeons were manageable.
Her family remained safe.
The people she cared about were still by her side. So she allowed herself to hope, but that was precisely when everything fell apart.
The Outsiders had eventually realized something.
Capturing Ophelia alive came with its own risks. And killing her outright was out of the question. So they settled on something else entirely.
Love.
It was an emotion the Outsiders struggled to comprehend, yet after observing humanity for so long, they had come to understand its significance.
Humans would sacrifice themselves for those they cherished.
They would endure unimaginable suffering for the sake of another.
And when that love was twisted into guilt...
It became one of the cruelest weapons imaginable.
Thus, the Outsiders devised a new approach. If they could not capture Ophelia directly, they would destroy the people she fought so desperately to save and use them as a bargaining chip.
The method was simple, and most cost effective.
Returning all of the memories of those she cherished in her life.