Wizard World Irregular-Chapter 988: Still Far From A Fairy Tale Ending [Part 1]

Ethan looked down on the young lady who lay on the altar in front of him.

The small flickering flame hovered above her chest, representing her remaining lifespan. Even in her sleep, Nicole didn't look at peace.

An air of sadness surrounded her, intangible yet so apparent that it made Ethan feel his heart break.

Looking at her face, he couldn't help but recall the memories from the years he had spent with her.

Until now, he had yet to know if any of those were real or if it was a mere fabrication created by Baradiel's Legacy.

But one thing was clear.

The young lady in front of him right now... was real.

Ethan reached out to brush the strands of hair that covered her face and tucked it behind her

ear.

His fingers grazed her cheek. It was as cold as ice, and so was her entire body.

However, Ethan knew how warm Nicole was.

Her smile.

Her innocent laughter.

The way she presented herself in front of others, and the way she complained about them behind closed doors.

He learned many things about her.

After all, it was impossible not to be familiar with her mannerisms after spending the latter half of her life with her.

Ethan then remembered that one night. Back then, Nicole was around nine years old, and she had been struggling to sleep.

In order to help her, he read her a fairy tale, and its title was none other than sleeping beauty. "This Fairy Tale is funny, Mister Ghost," Nicole commented after Mr. Ghost had finished reading the story to her. "Why did the Fairy get angry because she wasn't invited? Why did she curse the Princess just because of that? Can't she hold her own party and not invite the other Fairies?

"Also, the princess slept for 100 years? You mean to say that she didn't eat, drink, or pee at that time? Is that even possible? Mr. Ghost, this story doesn't make sense.

"Lastly, the Prince who kissed the Princess, I bet he wouldn't have kissed her if she was ugly!"

Ethan chuckled after hearing the innocent girl's commentary. Well, in a realistic perspective, she was indeed right.

However, it was simply a fairy tale meant to make children have hope about their own fairy tale endings.

This was why many young noble ladies always longed to have their own Prince Charming. The stories they read or had read to them often had a prince in it.

Also, who didn't want to have a Happily Ever After ending?

But regardless of how much she pointed out the things she found weird in the story, she still said something that made Ethan smile.

"If I ever suffer the same condition as Sleeping Beauty and sleep for a hundred years, I'd rather have Mr. Ghost give me a kiss instead of a Prince Charming!"

A soft sigh escaped his lips before he cupped Nicole's face with his hands.

"Are you some sort of seer?" Ethan said softly. "Did you tell me all that so that I wouldn't hesitate in this moment?"

Ethan had gotten to know the real power of his Origin Magic.

He had the ability to absorb, deprive, and bestow power upon others.

That was the power that had remained dormant in his heart ever since his magic circuits had been destroyed.

He only came to realize he possessed this ability shortly after absorbing Samantha's Origin Magic Crystal.

Back then, he still had doubts. But after taking Nicole's Origin Magic Crystal, he confirmed his earlier suspicions.

But it wasn't only magic that Ethan could take from others.

He could also absorb life force and bestow life force upon others.

Of course, the act of absorbing the life of others was something he considered taboo.

But voluntarily giving his own was something he didn't mind doing.

After taking Illumina's First Time, the blood essence of the Tide Bringer inside his body became richer and more powerful.

This meant that Ethan's lifespan had also increased drastically. Of course, he was never an ordinary human to begin with.

No. He wasn't truly human.

Part Fae, Part Demon, and Part Celestial.

Thrice Blessed, they called him.

For those blessings truly flowed in his bloodline.

Knowing what he had to do, Ethan lowered his head and pressed his lips over Nicole's.

His life force flowed inside her through their connected lips, making the small flickering flame start to blaze a little brighter.

Soon, the small flame increased to the size of an adult fist.

When Ethan finally pulled back, the flame had already doubled its size, burning merrily.

It was no longer devoid of life.

It was now filled with vitality.

Ethan watched as the flame slowly descended and merged with Nicole's body.

He felt a little drained, but he didn't regret what he had done.

After all, how could he watch this pitiful and lonely girl, who had endured many hardships over the years, die and not do anything?

When the flame merged with Nicole's body, the darkness was pushed back, and Ethan found himself standing on what seemed to be a flower field in full bloom.

Although the sky was still black, reminding him of the environment inside the Cauldron of the Twilight, this world he was currently in had a different kind of feeling.

It now represented hope.

Nicole slowly opened her eyes and looked up at the young man, who was looking down at her

and holding her hand.

Her gaze was still blurry, but she could already see the silhouette of a person standing beside

her.

"Mister Ghost?" Nicole asked.

Ethan hesitated, but in the end, he sighed internally before finally telling the truth.

"Yes," Ethan replied. "It's me, Nicole. I have come to keep my promise."

A sense of clarity appeared in the young lady's eyes, allowing her to see better. The moment she saw Ethan standing next to her, a bitter smile appeared on her face. "Finally, you know that you are Mister Ghost?" Nicole asked weakly. "When I called you Mister Ghost in passing during one of our warm up sessions, you just looked at me in confusion and said 'Mr. Ghost who?' Because of that, I never called you Mister Ghost again." "I didn't know," Ethan replied. "I only came to know about it a while ago."

Nicole gave Ethan's hand, which was holding hers, a light squeeze.

"You know, I wouldn't have agreed to let you do those things to me if I wasn't sure that it was you," Nicole stated. "I wouldn't allow someone to touch me in that manner, as well as see me practically naked. From the start, I had a strong suspicion that you and Mister Ghost were one and the same even though you denied it in the past."

The young man sighed and sat on the altar, still holding her hand.

Nicole's words finally confirmed his suspicions. He had somehow been sent to the past by Baradiel, allowing him to interact with the young Nicole, who was just about to obtain her

Legacy.