Re:Zero -Starting Life in Zero

She was terrified that this was all just wishful thinking, that she would never see her gentle foster mother again, and that her people would forever remain asleep beneath the ice.

Those clear purple eyes were filled with cautious trepidation.

Looking at the unease in her eyes, Green gently brushed away the tears from the corners of her eyes with his fingertips, his expression utterly sincere, and he nodded solemnly, his tone unwavering:

"Of course, Lia, I promise you, I will definitely bring them all back."

As he finished speaking, he turned his head slightly, his gaze falling on Sirius, who lay slumped on the ground not far away, bound by the crystal shoe. Then he looked down at the person in his arms, his tone guiding, and said softly:

"If you don't believe me, why don't you untie the bandages on the Archbishop of Wrath and see who she really is?"

Upon hearing this, Emilia paused slightly, forgetting her tears. She looked at Sirius with puzzled eyes, following Grin's gaze. Her face was still wet with tears, and she was filled with confusion.

The angry bishop, his body wrapped in bandages and his breath weak, slumped down in the sea of ​​flowers.

The silhouette of that curled-up figure suddenly evoked a strange sense of familiarity in her heart.

The image of being gently cared for, long buried deep in my memory, suddenly floods back into my mind.

"Oh my God!"

Emilia's eyes widened suddenly, and she covered her mouth, unable to help but gasp in surprise. Her amethyst-like eyes were filled with disbelief.

She broke free from Green's embrace, her steps hurried yet filled with apprehension, as she slowly walked towards Sirius.

The moment she squatted down, her fingertips trembled uncontrollably.

After taking a deep breath, Emilia tremblingly reached out her right hand and gently pinched the corner of the bandage next to Sirius's cheek, carefully untying it little by little.

The white bandages slowly peeled off, revealing a face that had been hidden for a long time.

Gone was the madness and violence; the ferocity of the Angry Bishop had faded.

That weak, pale face, with gentle eyes and distinct features, was none other than Emilia's foster mother, Fortuna, whom she missed day and night!

When Emilia saw that face so familiar it was etched into her heart, she froze, all the words stuck in her throat.

The tears that had just subsided burst forth again, streaming down her cheeks.

She stared blankly at the person before her, unable to suppress the excitement and longing in her heart any longer. Choking back tears, she cried out the name she had repeated countless times:

"Mama Fortuna!"

This cry, filled with a century of longing, grievances, and the ecstatic joy of reunion, echoed throughout the sea of ​​flowers.

Without the slightest hesitation, Emilia bent down and suddenly pulled the weak Fortuna into her arms.

The girl buried her face in her shoulder, rubbing her soft hair against her, her heart filled with the excitement of having regained what she had lost.

"Mom! It really is you! I've finally found you!"

Tears soaked Fortuna's clothes, and her arms were tightly wrapped around her foster mother's body.

The force was so great that it seemed as if all the longing of the past century was melted into this embrace; the voice was choked with emotion yet joyful, completely disregarding everything else.

But the next second, the body in her arms suddenly stiffened, and the previously weak person suddenly burst out with strong resistance.

Fortuna's eyes, which had just lost their crimson hue but were still filled with violence and madness, suddenly widened, and she began to struggle violently.

His tone was full of deep-seated disgust and ferocity, completely devoid of his former gentleness.

"Get away! Get away! You filthy sprite! Stay away from me!"

She pushed Emilia's shoulders with all her might, struggling wildly with her hands and feet, her eyes filled with hatred and ferocity.

Having had her memories and perceptions distorted, all that remained was a deep-seated obsession and malice. To her most beloved adopted daughter, she roared out the most hurtful words:

"I'm going to kill you all! All elves deserve to die!"

The sudden resistance and scream froze Emilia's movements, and her tightly clasped arms slowly loosened.

The girl slowly turned her head, her wet, purple eyes staring straight at Green. Her voice trembled uncontrollably with grievance, and she spoke with a bewildered expression:

"Green, Mom... seems not to remember me."

She simply couldn't understand why her adoptive mother, who had once been so gentle and caring towards her, would look at her with such fierce eyes and say such hurtful things.

Seeing Emilia's distraught appearance, Grimm's heart softened.

He quickly scratched the back of his head and strode forward, squatting down beside the two of them, reassuring them in a gentle yet reassuring tone:

"Don't worry about Lia. It's not that she doesn't remember you. It's that her memories have been altered by Pandora and her mind has been corrupted by the Wrathful Witch Factor, which is why she's like this."

"Wait a moment, let me help her sort out her memories."

Having said that, Green composed himself and slowly raised his right hand.

He gently placed his palm against Fortuna's forehead, and a gentle, ethereal power slowly surged within him.

A pale golden, ethereal light gently enveloped Fortuna's body.

There was no aggression whatsoever; it was solely intended to soothe her distorted memories and dispel the violence and paranoia in her mind.

As the power of the illusory gradually seeped in, Fortuna's frantic struggles slowed, the crimson and ferocity in her eyes faded, and her chaotic mind slowly cleared.

Those long-forgotten and altered fragments of memory are rapidly reassembled.

The wonderful times in the elven village, the daily care he gave little Emilia, and the happy scenes of being with his people all vividly appeared in her mind.

A gentle light gradually appeared in his previously empty and violent eyes, his frantic breathing gradually calmed down, and his tense body completely relaxed, without any further resistance.

Lily, Lia...?

Fortuna spoke tentatively, her voice no longer fierce and violent as before, but instead regaining its usual gentleness, tinged with a hint of hoarseness and disbelief.

Emilia trembled. Hearing that familiar call that resonated deep within her, she could no longer hold back. She cautiously leaned forward again, her eyes red-rimmed, and softly responded:

"Mom, I'm here."

This time, Fortuna didn't push her away. Instead, she slowly raised her trembling hand and gently stroked Emilia's cheek, wiping away her tears with her fingertips, her eyes filled with heartache and guilt.

"My child... I'm so sorry, so sorry, it's all my fault for making you suffer so much..."

She finally regained all her memories, recalling the hundred years she had spent with her memories altered and controlled by the anger factor, and the hurtful words she had just spoken to Emilia, filling her with self-reproach.

Emilia could no longer contain her emotions and threw herself back into Fortuna's arms, bursting into tears. All her grievances, anxieties, and longing vanished in that moment.

"Mom! I missed you so much! I've finally waited for you!"

Fortuna held the girl tightly in her arms, gently patting her back to comfort her tenderly, her eyes slightly reddening.