"Miru... Wicker?" Under the softly glowing sunset, the landscape of the field blended perfectly with the evening sky, creating a breathtaking view.
However, the atmosphere between the man and woman under this sky was heavy and serious. It was too unbelievable, too inconceivable. Miru Wicker? My daughter with Mir? How could this be possible?
My mind was in utter chaos, unable to understand this development. It felt like it was about to burst with the overload of information.
"Dad... I know it's hard to believe, but I am indeed your blood," Miru said. The truth was hard to accept and even harder to believe, yet her very appearance lent credence to her words.
I thought of the dragon Mir and how different this girl looked. Yet, her resemblance to Mir and even her name sparked doubts that hadn't existed before.
"Wait, wait, wait..." Too many thoughts were rushing through my mind at once, causing a mental overload. If Miru's words were false, how could this girl, who resembled Mir so closely, exist?
But if it was true... I hadn't even married yet. And to say that I have a daughter with Mir?
I had so much to say, so many questions, but I didn't even know where to start. I was at a loss for words.
Then Miru gently took my hand in hers, her eyes filled with a mix of emotions – there was touch, sadness, despair, but also a definite sense of hope.
What was she trying to tell me?
"I came from the future..." she finally said, a statement that seemed to unlock all my pent-up questions and speculations. A whirlwind of thoughts pounded in my head, stirring indescribable emotions.
Came from the future? Was she implying she had time-traveled here? Then, could it be... in the future, Mir and I...?
No, it couldn't be. Although nothing else made sense, I desperately wanted to deny this particular thought. Returning to the main point, Miru in front of me claimed to have traveled back in time from the future. Although it sounded far-fetched, in a world where magic is prevalent, it wasn't entirely impossible. This revelation, though not completely resolving my doubts, did provide a clue.
However, the more I thought about it, the more unbelievable it seemed.
"Is that really true...?" I asked, half-hoping it was a mistake. But Miru nodded, increasingly anxious, confirming her story.
"Yes... I came to change a desperate reality... to find you, Dad..."
I could hardly believe it, yet her words were spoken with such conviction.
Okay, let's assume all this is true. As much as I don’t want to admit it... I have a daughter with Mir, and she traveled back in time to find me... But why? What reason could my future descendant have for wanting to see me now?
"Why did you come looking for me? What happened in the future?"
Miru's next words struck me hard. "In the future... you had left us..."
Her words were followed by a sudden embrace, full of longing and intensity, as if she was meeting someone she dearly missed.
"What are you talking about? Me, leaving? What happened in the future?"
There were still so many unanswered questions, but for now, Miru only continued to cry in my arms, seeking comfort.
I needed to understand the situation better. "Miru, can you explain to me exactly what's going on? Why you're here and how you got here?"
It seemed to pain her to recount these memories, but she slowly began to open up, sharing a story filled with hurt and longing. "Father, you saved the world..." Miru began, her face solemn yet resolute. "In a not-too-distant future, you thwarted the corrupt time deity, Tempus, and saved the world." Her eyes seemed to see something beyond my comprehension, lost in a narrative that hadn't yet unfolded in my present.
I pondered over this. If I were to defeat Tempus, I believed I could return to my original world. So, in the future, after clearing the final boss, what became of me? Perhaps I returned once more to my own world? I awaited her continuation with bated breath.
"And then... you married the mothers and had many descendants, living a happy life." Wait, what? Mothers? Multiple descendants? This unexpected glimpse into my future sent waves of shock through me.
"Hold on! Did you just say 'mothers'? As in... more than one partner?!" The idea of being with Mir just by itself was shocking and something I wanted to deny. But now, there was more?
"Yes... um... seven..." Seven?! I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Miru went on, lending credibility to her words by describing characteristics that were too vivid to be fictional.
"A goddess once forgotten but saved by a man, a dragon tormented by darkness but finally finding happiness, a red-haired warrior awakening her latent talents..." Each description brought a face to my mind.
"The wisest deity in the world, a princess who would rule the country, the top graduate and even the principal of the academy... Father, you had a total of seven wives."
Her explanations were so apt, it felt like I knew exactly who she was talking about, even without her mentioning any names. This revelation about my future was overwhelming and disorienting, to say the least. "Married to them and with numerous children?" I murmured incredulously. The idea of my future self being involved in such a scenario was beyond comprehension. I wished I could confront this future me and demand explanations.
"Seven partners, you say?" I probed Miru, seeking reassurance that this was all a misunderstanding. But her confirmation only deepened the shock.
"Yes, including me, there were 14 children," she said. My mind, already in turmoil, struggled to process this staggering revelation.
"Insane..." I muttered, unable to understand how I ended up with seven wives and fourteen children. This was entirely beyond the realm of my current understanding.
Miru continued, her voice growing more solemn. "After marrying the mothers and building a happy family, I became the second child and eldest daughter. It's hard to believe, but in the future, you were an incredibly kind father."
As she spoke, the surrounding air grew heavier. "We had so many wonderful memories... truly perfect moments with a perfect father!"
Overcome with emotion, she broke off, tears welling in her eyes. "But when I was eight, a terrible event occurred..."
Her tears fell freely as she embraced me, seeking solace in my presence. "Do you know where we are, Father?" she asked suddenly, then revealed a future tragedy. "In nine years, right here, I lose you..."
Losing me? What did she mean by that?
"This place," Miru said, "is where you and I often came in the future. It was just another normal day, with no warning of the tragedy that would strike..."
A gust of wind blew through the massive tree, rustling its leaves as if in agreement with Miru's words, the branches swaying dynamically with the wind. "Just like any other day, you came to this place with me, Daddy. We were wrapped in a peaceful atmosphere, enjoying our relaxation. This spot... where you always played with me until I fell asleep, and then you'd hold me in your arms under this tree while you waited for me to wake up," Miru continued her monologue, her voice growing fainter as if she was losing confidence, almost mumbling to herself.
"But suddenly, you disappeared... as if you never existed in this world. No trace of you left behind."
"At first, I thought you might have gone home ahead of us. But when I got home, the mothers said they hadn't seen you either. That's when things started to feel off, and it was announced that you were missing."
I couldn't fathom what might have happened. Why would I suddenly vanish? I thought about the possibilities, but none made sense.
"The mothers searched the whole world for you, but they couldn't find you. Even the gods couldn't locate you..."
"Our once seemingly everlasting happy family fell into ruin... With no sign of you, the mothers grew despondent, and the impact affected all your sons and daughters... They changed."
"The mothers who could bear it no longer took their own lives. Those who couldn't, poured out baseless resentments on each other, leading to endless conflicts. Nations fell, and the world filled with unhappiness..."
My disappearance led to such a global tragedy... The disappearance of one person shouldn't have caused such extreme consequences.
"Daddy...!!" Miru lifted her head, looking at me with a mixture of sorrow and desperation, tears swelling in her eyes, making them puffy and red. Her misery was palpable.
"Why did the future you leave us, Daddy...? Why? What was so unsatisfactory...?"
Honestly, I had no answers for her. Even as her father, I had no way of knowing what my future self might have done or why. "I'm not sure either... There's nothing that I can pinpoint right now," I responded to Miru's inquiries.
She clenched her teeth in frustration at my answer, tears starting to fall more heavily. "I'm sorry... because of the future me..."
I comforted Miru by stroking her hair, trying to calm her down. I didn't know what else to do, but I felt I needed to console her as she was overwhelmed by her emotions. She eventually cried herself out, resting her head on my chest, seemingly assuring herself that she wouldn't lose me again.
"This endless battle... I was powerless to stop it... The mothers were too strong. Eventually, the world descended into chaos due to the unstoppable fighting."
Miru continued her story. Even in her anguish, she seemed determined to finish what she had started. "The world was almost in ruins. My younger siblings, who needed care, either died or disappeared... And during my wandering in search of a solution, I met a deity..."
"Time God Tempus... Originally destined to die but spared by your mercy, Dad. That deity appeared and offered me a chance."
The future me chose not to kill Tempus but to spare him. It seemed like the 'thwarting' she mentioned earlier wasn't about killing but simply stopping Tempus.
"He said he owed a debt of life and would repay it... He offered to send me to the past to persuade you, suggesting that something might change..."
So, that's why Tempus wasn't hostile towards me, and why Miru is here now. Without talking to Tempus again, I couldn't know for sure.
"So here I am... to find you, Dad, whom I've missed so much... and to try to change the tragic future..."
With that, Miru's profound and unmissable story came to an end. Now, I began to understand the situation a bit better.