#reverse isekai

Disclaimer: I do not own the photos

The Broken Saint's Desire

The iron door of the cell slammed shut with a heavy, final thud, leaving Reinhard in the cold, flickering gloom of the capital's lowermost dungeon. Guarded outside by dozens of heavily armed royal knights and reinforced with mana-suppressing wards, the room was silent.

Sitting on the narrow stone cot, Reinhard leaned his head against the cold wall. In the quiet solitude, his thoughts drifted across dimensions, settling on the warm, familiar memory of your face. He remembered late evenings in your Munich apartment, the gentle hum of the city outside, and the soft music you played while relaxing on the sofa.

One particular song you had shared with him echoed faintly in his mind—Ghost by Demi Lovato.

A bittersweet, wistful smile touched his lips. He remembered how you explained the lyrics to him back then, about loving someone so deeply that even if they passed away, you would willingly settle for their memory—for their ghost—just to keep them near.

“If you go before I go, I hope you flicker the lights, and send a chill down my spine so cold, wanna be haunted for life by your ghost... If you’re not here by my side, just give me some kind of sign that you’re close... wanna be haunted for life by your ghost... And if I were the first one to go, you know I wouldn’t leave you alone, so baby don’t leave me alone.”

Reinhard closed his eyes, a desperate, silent hope blooming in his chest. In the deepest, quietest corner of his heart, he wished for something impossibly selfish. He wished that once his life was taken, you would accept him still as a ghost. He hoped he could slip through the boundary of worlds, unseen and unheard, to haunt the quiet corners of your apartment, to sit beside you while you read, to watch over you and Lux for the rest of your days. Just to be near you... even as a spirit.

How absurd... a dark, mocking voice suddenly echoed in his mind, shattering his wishful thinking into sharp, painful fragments. Even at the end of your pathetic life, you dare to demand love? You act like a tragic romantic, yet you drag her into grief. You are selfish, Reinhard. You claim to protect her, yet you leave her to bleed from the wound you inflicted.

Reinhard flinched in the dark, bowing his head as the familiar, suffocating guilt wrapped around his throat. He swallowed the bitter lump in his chest, forcing the selfish desires down into the dark abyss where he believed they belonged.

The following morning, heavy footsteps echoed down the stone corridor leading to Reinhard's cell.

Julius and Felix led the way, stepping into the cell first while supporting Louanna, who was wrapped in a thick wool cloak to protect her fragile body from the dungeon's damp chill.

Reinhard stood up immediately, the heavy iron chains rattling softly. "Julius... Felix..." he greeted them softly, his blue eyes searching theirs.

"Reinhard," Julius spoke gently, offering a small, reassuring nod. "We are here to report... Y/N has returned to her world safely. She crossed the Great Waterfall without harm."

A long, quiet sigh of profound relief escaped Reinhard's lips. The immense weight on his chest lifted, a soft, genuine smile gracing his features. "Thank goodness... Thank you both, truly."

"Reinhard..." Felix began, his voice trembling as he looked down, unable to keep the sorrow from his face. "There's... something else. She... she knew about the verdict before she left. She overheard Carol and Grimm speaking at the manor."

The gentle smile on Reinhard's face vanished instantly. His breath caught in his throat, his eyes widening in pure horror as his heart shattered into a thousand pieces.

"She... she knew...?" Reinhard gasped, his voice cracking violently as he clutched his head in his chained hands. "No... no, no, no! Why?! She wasn't supposed to know! She was supposed to leave believing everything was fine! Oh god... Y/N... she must be in so much pain..."

A loud, agonized groan tore from his throat as he slumped back against the stone wall, overwhelmed by the devastating realization that the woman he loved was suffering alone in her world, carrying the unbearable weight of his impending death.

"Reinhard..."

A soft, trembling voice cut through his agony.

Reinhard froze. He slowly lifted his tear-stained face, his breath hitching as he looked past Julius and Felix. Standing right in the doorway was Louanna Astrea. Her eyes were bright with tears, her pale face full of boundless, motherly warmth.

"M-Mother...?" Reinhard whispered, completely stunned.

Before he could process it, Louanna stepped forward, wrapping her arms tightly around her son's waist. She buried her face against his chest, holding him with a fierce, protective strength that defied her frail condition.

"My sweet baby..." Louanna wept softly, holding him close. "My brave, gentle boy..."

Reinhard stood frozen, his arms hovering in the air, his mind struggling to comprehend the miracle unfolding before him. Joy surged through his veins, overwhelming the darkness in his heart. "Mother... you're awake... how...? How are you standing here...?"

Louanna looked up, gently cupping his face in her hands, wiping his tears with her thumbs. "I am awake because of her, Reinhard. Because of Y/N."

Reinhard blinked, his breath catching. "Y/N...?"

"She came to my room before she left," Louanna explained softly, her voice filled with profound gratitude. "She held my hand, prayed for you, and wept for our family. Her divine protection stabilized my broken mana gate and restored my flow. But more than that... her love for you reached me in the dark. She gave me back my life so I could come here and hold you."

Reinhard's lower lip trembled, fresh tears brimming in his eyes. He looked down at his mother, noticing the absence of another familiar figure. "Where... where is Father?" he asked quietly.

Louanna's expression hardened slightly, a cool shadow crossing her face. "I left him at the manor. I despise your father for everything he has done over the years—for abandoning you, for treating you like a curse, and for letting this kingdom tear you apart."

"Mother, please..." Reinhard urged gently, his voice soft and devoid of any bitterness. "Do not hate father. He... he carried his own heavy weight for all these years. He suffered too."

Louanna stared at her son, her heart aching at his endless, unconditional capacity for forgiveness. A sob escaped her lips as she pulled him back into a tight embrace.

"You really are such a kind soul..." Louanna wept, her heart overflowing with love. "My sweet, wonderful baby boy... I always knew you would grow into such a magnificent, gentle person. It is no wonder... no wonder Y/N loves you back so dearly."

Reinhard's entire body went rigid. His eyes widened in absolute shock, his breath halting completely in his chest. "W-What...?"

"She loves you, Reinhard," Louanna whispered against his ear, holding him tight. "She cried at my bedside and confessed it to me. She loves you with all her heart, and she promised to hold on to your memory forever."

A bittersweet, overwhelming wave of joy washed over Reinhard's soul, illuminating the darkest corners of his mind. She loves me... he thought, a tear slipping down his cheek as a soft, peaceful expression settled over his face. She truly loves me back... I can rest peacefully now. Knowing that... my life wasn't in vain.

Louanna pulled back slightly, looking up into her son's peaceful, resigned eyes. Her expression softened with deep maternal concern as she asked gently, "Reinhard... are you truly contented with just knowing that? Do you truly not wish to create a future with her... with your true love?"

Reinhard fell completely silent, staring down at the stone floor.

"Tell me the truth, my boy," Louanna emphasized, her voice firm yet tender. "Not as the Sword Saint... not as the hero of the kingdom. As Reinhard... the man. Do you not want a future with the woman you love?"

The gentle, perfect facade that Reinhard had maintained for decades finally shattered into dust.

A choked, gut-wrenching sob burst from Reinhard's chest. He dropped to his knees right in front of his mother, burying his face into her lap as heavy, uncontrollable tears spilled from his eyes. He wept like the terrified, heartbroken child he had never been allowed to be.

"I do...!" Reinhard wailed, his voice raw and broken, echoing painfully against the damp dungeon walls. "I wanted it so much, Mother! I had it all planned out!"

Louanna knelt beside him on the cold stone floor, wrapping her arms around his shaking shoulders, crying right along with him as he poured out his hidden dreams.

"I was going to finish the last part of my Abitur Schulfremdenprüfung..." Reinhard sobbed, clutching his mother's dress with his chained hands. "I was going to apply for a university scholarship in Munich... for a degree in dentistry! I wanted to become a dentist, to build a secure career and earn my own living... so I could formally ask for her hand in marriage!"

His chest heaved with heavy, desperate hitches as the lost future burned through his soul. "I wanted to marry her... I wanted us to have a baby together... to raise our child with all the warmth and love in the world... to live a simple, normal life with her... if she would have me! I wanted to be her husband! I wanted to live!"

Louanna held her son tightly, burying her face in his red hair, weeping inconsolably as she absorbed the immense, crushing weight of his stolen dreams. Outside the cell bars, Julius gripped the hilt of his sword so tightly his hand shook, while Felix covered his face, sobbing silently into his sleeves at the agonizing sight of their friend's utter heartbreak.

When the visiting hours came to an end, Louanna, supported by Julius and Felix, returned to the Astrea manor.

As they stepped into the grand foyer, Heinkel stood waiting by the staircase. He looked pathetic, clutching a wet towel to his bruised jaw, his eyes red and filled with intense shame. He couldn't bring himself to meet Louanna's eyes directly, fidgeting nervously as he took a hesitant step forward.

"Louanna..." Heinkel rasped, his voice trembling. "How... how is Reinhard doing?"

Louanna stopped, turning her head to give him an icy, snarky glare that cut through the silence.

"You should be thankful, Heinkel," Louanna spat coldly. "The very son you treated so harshly, the child you discarded and abused... he begged me to forgive you. He defended you, despite everything you have done to him. If it weren't for his kindness, I wouldn't even be speaking to you right now."

Heinkel froze. His face went completely pale, his eyes widening in horror as those words struck his rotten, guilty heart. The towel slipped from his fingers, hitting the floor with a soft thud. Tears spilled over his bloodshot eyes as he collapsed onto his knees before his wife, sobbing hysterically.

"I'm sorry...!" Heinkel pleaded pathetically, burying his face in his hands. "Louanna, please! Please give me a chance to fix things! Let me fix this family!"

Louanna looked down at him with profound disdain, a bitter sneer curling her lips. "You? Fix things?"

She took a slow, deep breath, closing her eyes as she remembered her son's tearful plea in the dungeon cell.

"For the sake of our son's kindness... and only because he begged me... I will hear you out," Louanna said, her voice dropping into a cold, terrifying whisper.

Heinkel looked up desperately, wiping his tear-stained face. "Please... allow me to visit him with you tomorrow. Let me see our son..."

Louanna stared at him, her eyes burning with an unyielding, protective threat.

Disclaimer: I do not own the photos

The Final Mercy

The early morning mist still hung heavy over the Royal Capital when Heinkel Astrea entered the council chambers. He had abandoned his usual disheveled appearance, wearing his Vice Captain uniform, though the dark shadows under his bloodshot eyes bore witness to a sleepless night. Appearing as a last-minute defense witness for his son's final trial, he stood before the elevated tribunal, requesting permission to address the council.

The head councilor granted him the floor, expecting the usual bitter tirades from the disgraced Vice Captain. Instead, Heinkel offered a stiff, formal bow toward the tribunal and turned his gaze briefly toward Reinhard, who stood bound in heavy mana-suppressing irons in the center of the hall.

"I stand here today to clarify and correct previous statements made regarding my son's actions," Heinkel declared, his voice rough but firm. "The foreign woman, Y/N, was not involved in any romantic or illicit relationship with Reinhard van Astrea. My earlier remarks were fueled by blind rage over his escape from arrest, which clouded my judgment. She is an innocent outsider, and there is no merit to the claim that she carries an heir or poses any threat to this kingdom."

Heinkel took a deep breath, turning back to the grand councilors. "Furthermore, I strongly urge this council to reject the proposal to offer Reinhard's execution to neighboring nations. Lugunica should not bow to external threats or sacrifice its greatest protector to buy a fragile peace. We are knights of the Dragon Kingdom. We should be prepared to fight and defend our borders against any invader at any moment!"

For a second, silence fell over the hall—only to be broken by a sharp, mocking laugh from one of the senior council members in the upper gallery.

"How touching, Vice Captain," the councilor spat, his tone dripping with venomous sarcasm. "Or should we say, how convenient? Are you truly speaking out of paternal devotion, Lord Heinkel, or are you simply terrified of losing the one weapon you've relied on to save your own skin whenever trouble knocks at your door?"

"I am speaking as a knight and a father—!" Heinkel tried to reason, his face flushing dark red.

"A knight?" another councilor interrupted coldly, leaning over the wooden balustrade. "Do not speak to us of knightly duty, Heinkel Astrea. You, who spent years drowning in alcohol, abandoning your post, and neglecting your vows. You have no standing, no honor, and no authority to lecture this council on duty."

Heinkel’s jaw worked silently, but no words came out. Miserably outmatched and stripped of his dignity, he stood frozen under the cruel, judging stares of the assembly, unable to utter another word in defense of his son.

The head councilor struck his wooden gavel against the block, the loud crack resounding off the high stone pillars to seal the proceedings.

"The council has reached its final verdict," the head councilor announced solemnly. "To prevent a catastrophic full-scale invasion from neighboring powers and ensure absolute stability across the continent, the sentence remains unchanged. Reinhard van Astrea shall be executed in three days' time."

The councilor paused, looking down at the chained figure. "However, out of respect for his past service to the Dragon Kingdom, a final mercy shall be granted. For the three days remaining before his execution, visitors shall be permitted to enter his cell."

Sitting quietly in the gallery, Felix and Julius watched in crushed silence. They had attended the trial at Lady Louanna's desperate plea, carrying the heavy burden of witnessing their friend's end so they could bring her the news.

Reinhard, standing alone in the center of the cold stone floor, merely bowed his head in quiet acceptance. His expression was calm, devoid of fear or resentment. He closed his eyes, his mind drifting far beyond the council chamber, beyond the Great Waterfall, to a quiet apartment in Munich... to the woman he had sacrificed everything to save. He felt no regret, only a silent prayer that she was safe, living fully, and holding on to the warmth they had shared.

Beside him, Felix buried his face in his hands, trembling as silent tears soaked through his gloves, while Julius gripped his sword hilt so tightly his knuckles turned white, forced to swallow the bitter, unbearable reality of their comrade's fate.

After the trial adjourned and the chamber emptied out, Heinkel stumbled out into the grand hallway of the council building, his head hanging low in defeat. The cold marble corridor was desolate, save for a single imposing figure standing by the high arched pillars.

It was Marcos Gildark, the Commander of the Royal Guard and Heinkel's longtime friend.

As Heinkel approached with dragging footsteps, Marcos stepped directly into his path. Before Heinkel could even react or utter a word, Marcos swung his heavy, gloved fist, striking Heinkel squarely across the jaw.

BANG!

The force of the blow sent Heinkel crashing onto the polished stone floor, his lips splitting open as his Vice Captain's cap tumbled away. Heinkel clutched his face, looking up at his old friend in stunned, breathless shock.

"Marcos...?" Heinkel rasped, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"Shut your mouth, Heinkel!" Marcos roared, his voice echoing off the vaulted ceilings as his hand shook with sheer rage and disappointment. "Look at you! Look at what you’ve done!"

Marcos took a heavy step forward, looming over the fallen man like a judge. "First, you exploited your own son! You dumped every single responsibility of the Astrea family onto a little boy's shoulders while you wallowed in your pathetic misery, turning to alcohol like a coward! And now... when he needed you most, you couldn't even convince the council to spare his life!"

"I tried!" Heinkel choked out, his voice cracking with desperate, pathetic anger. "I spoke up for him! I tried to—"

"You failed!" Marcos shouted, cutting him off without mercy. "You failed because no one respects a man who spent decades running away from his own life! This... this execution, this tragedy, everything that has fallen apart in your home is the direct product of your utter refusal to take accountability as an adult, as a knight, and most importantly, as the head of the Astrea family!"

Heinkel stared up at Marcos, his jaw trembling, unable to offer a single retort. Marcos wiped his gloved hand with a look of profound disgust, turning his back on his old friend.

"Get out of my sight," Marcos growled coldly. "Go home and face what's left of the family you ruined."

Later that afternoon, the gates of the Astrea estate opened to admit the returning carriage.

Inside the main foyer, Louanna was already waiting, supported by Carol. She had refused to stay in bed, her frail frame draped in a simple traveling cloak, her pale face tight with agonizing anticipation.

As Heinkel, Julius, and Felix stepped through the archway, her sharp gaze instantly locked onto them.

"What happened?" Louanna demanded, her voice trembling. "Tell me... what is the council's verdict?"

Heinkel could not look her in the eye; he kept his head lowered, clutching his bruised jaw and staring hollowly at the floor. It was Julius who stepped forward, dropping to one knee before her, his purple hair falling forward to hide the sorrow in his eyes.

"Lady Louanna... forgive us," Julius spoke softly, his voice thick with uncharacteristic grief. "The council has delivered its final judgment. Reinhard... is to be executed in three days."

Louanna gasped, staggering backward as if struck by a physical blow. Carol caught her firmly, but could not stop the heartbroken wail that escaped the mother's throat.

"Three days...?" Louanna sobbed hysterically, clutching her chest as tears streamed down her cheeks. "The child I carried in my womb... the baby I labored so hard to bring into this world... you are giving him three days?!"

She whirled on Heinkel, her eyes burning through her tears with pure, unadulterated venom. "This is your fault!" she screamed, her voice echoing violently through the high-ceilinged manor. "You useless, pathetic coward! You let them take my baby! You let them seal his death!"

Heinkel took the verbal blows in silence, unable to offer a single word of defense as his wife wept for the son they were about to lose forever.

After her ragged sobs subsided into heavy, desperate hitches of breath, Louanna wiped her face with the back of her trembling hand. She straightened her posture, her expression hardening into absolute determination.

"Take me to him," she commanded, her voice raw. "I am going to his cell. I will spend whatever time he has left right beside him."

She turned her back entirely on Heinkel, refusing to even acknowledge his presence. Looking directly at the two royal knights, her voice softened slightly with a desperate plea.

"Sir Felix... Sir Julius... please escort me to the capital's dungeons," Louanna requested, her voice breaking. "I do not want him anywhere near me or my son. Please... take me to Reinhard."

Julius and Felix looked at each other, seeing the unbreakable resolve in the mother's eyes. Julius bowed his head deeply.

Disclaimer: I do not own these photos A Mother's Reckoning

The sharp sting of the slap hung heavy in the silent chamber, leaving Heinkel frozen in absolute shock as he clutched his reddened cheek.

Louanna’s chest heaved with shallow, furious breaths, her frail body trembling not from weakness, but from an overwhelming, white-hot rage. She didn't look at the extravagant room, nor did she acknowledge the tears of joy on Carol and Grimm's faces. Her clear, piercing eyes remained locked onto her husband.

"Where is he?" Louanna demanded, her voice hoarse from years of disuse, yet sharp enough to cut through the quiet like a blade. "Heinkel... tell me where Reinhard is. Where is my son?!"

Heinkel swallowed hard, his mouth opening and closing uselessly as he stumbled backward. "L-Louanna... please, you just woke up. You need to rest, your mana—"

"I asked you a question, Heinkel!" she snapped, her delicate fingers gripping the silk sheets so tightly her knuckles turned white. "Where is my baby?!"

Heinkel averted his bloodshot eyes, remaining silent as sweat broke out across his forehead. He couldn't speak. He couldn't look her in the eye.

Stepping forward from the doorway, Julius adjusted his white cape and offered a low, solemn bow. "Lady Louanna," Julius interrupted politely, his tone dripping with formal regret. "Allow me to inform you. Reinhard is currently being held in the capital's grand dungeon... awaiting the final verdict of a joint council trial that will inevitably sentence him to execution."

"Shut your damn mouth, Julius!" Heinkel snarled wildly, whirling around to glare at the purple-haired knight with bared teeth. "Shut up! You have no right to stick your filthy nose into our family's affairs!"

"Oh... family affairs, huh?"

Louanna’s voice dropped an octave, dripping with an icy, terrifying disdain that made Heinkel’s tirade die instantly in his throat. She looked at her husband, her lips curled into a cold, heartbreaking smile.

"You dare to call it a family affair, Heinkel?" Louanna asked, her voice trembling with righteous venom. "When the moment his grandmother died, you stopped treating our son—my son—like family at all?"

Heinkel paled, his confidence evaporating into thin air. He raised his hands defensively, trying to play dumb. "W-what are you talking about, Louanna?! What nonsense is this?! You've been asleep for over a decade! You don't know—"

"Do not treat me like a fool!" Louanna shouted, tears of pure fury finally spilling over her lashes. "If you think I know nothing simply because my eyes were closed and my body was asleep... you are painfully mistaken! I heard everything, Heinkel! I heard every single word, every bitter spat, every disgusting insult you spat into this house for all these years!"

Heinkel took a staggering step back, his jaw working silently as horror washed over his face.

"I felt every tear my sweet, gentle baby cried at my bedside when he thought no one was listening!" Louanna wept, pointing a trembling finger straight at Heinkel's chest. "I heard him apologize to my lifeless body over and over for a burden he never chose to carry! I felt him pray for a mother's warmth while you locked yourself away with your bottles and your pathetic, festering resentment!"

Louanna's eyes burned with a new, searing intensity as she glared at him. "And how dare you... how dare you treat Y/N, my future daughter-in-law with such sickening, vile contempt?! The one woman who truly loved my son and cared for our broken family!"

Heinkel blinked, completely caught off guard. "That foreign girl—?!"

"The very person you called a whore and despised so deeply is the reason I am awake right now!" Louanna shouted, her voice echoing with thunderous truth. "Y/N was the one who saved me! When she held my hand, prayed for Reinhard, and poured her heart out at my bedside, her presence restored me!"

A stunned silence washed over the room. Felix and Julius gasped softly, their eyes widening in realization.

"She possessed a gift, Heinkel—a divine protection!" Louanna revealed, tears streaming down her cheeks. "It was the very power that kept her completely unharmed by Reinhard's broken mana gate, and it was her gentle touch that stabilized my shattered mana gate and regulated my normal flow after all these years! She gave me my life back, while you did nothing but throw vile insults at her!"

Stripped bare of his excuses, exposed completely before his wife, his staff, and the royal knights, Heinkel crumbled. The harsh, arrogant facade he wore completely shattered, leaving only a broken, pathetic man.

"Louanna, please... you have to understand!" Heinkel pleaded desperately, falling to his knees beside her bed, trying to grab her hands only for her to pull them back in disgust. "I did it for the family! I acted for the best possible outcome for the Astrea name! With Mother gone and the kingdom pressing us, I did my best to protect us! I had to be realistic! I did everything to protect our family! I did everything to save you!"

"Protect our family?!" Louanna berated him coldly, her voice echoing off the stone walls like a thunderclap. "You broke a helpless five-year-old child! You and your father stripped away his childhood, forced the weight of the entire kingdom onto his tiny shoulders, and turned him into a weapon so you could wallow in your own pathetic inadequacy!"

She looked down at him with a profound, soul-crushing disappointment that cut deeper than any physical wound.

"You are not the man I fell in love with," Louanna whispered, her voice cracking with pure agony. "You are not the man I married. You are a coward, Heinkel."

Tears streamed down her delicate face as she buried her hands in her hair, her heart breaking for the suffering her precious child had endured alone in the dark for so many years.

"I will never forgive you," Louanna sobbed, looking at him with absolute hatred. "I will never, ever forgive you or your father for what you did to my baby!"

She straightened her back, her frail frame radiating an absolute, unyielding maternal authority that commanded the entire room.

Disclaimer: I do not own the photos

Awakening from Eternity

The glass doors of the veterinary clinic chimed softly as you pushed them open, the warm, familiar scent of pet shampoo greeting your senses. The receptionist smiled sympathetically, handing over the pink carrier bag where Lux was resting. The moment you unzipped the mesh screen slightly, Lux poked her nose out, letting out an eager, affectionate chirp as she nuzzled against your trembling fingers.

After settling the bill, you carried her back to your apartment in quiet, heavy silence. Munich bustled around you, oblivious to the shattered heart you carried inside.

When you unlocked the front door and stepped into the living room, the quiet weight of the empty space hit you like a physical force. You unzipped the carrier, and Lux bounded out happily, stretching her legs before trotting around the familiar room.

For the first hour, you sat motionless on the couch, staring blankly at the cold floor. Lux roamed the apartment cheerfully—until she realized something was terribly amiss.

She trotted into the hallway, stopping right outside Reinhard’s closed bedroom door. She let out a small, inquiring meow. When no one answered, she scratched gently against the wood. Receiving no response, she ran back into the living room, pacing restlessly before stopping right in front of the front door, sniffing the mat and crying out sharply.

Mew! Meow!

She dashed back to the couch, leaping onto the coffee table right in front of your face. Her tail twitched frantically as she let out louder, demanding cries—asking why his shoes were missing, why his warm presence wasn't in the kitchen, and why the tall, red-haired man who always let her sleep on his chest hadn't returned with you.

"Lux... please stop," you murmured weakly, pulling your knees to your chest.

MEOW! MEOW! Lux swatted her small paw against your pant leg, her round eyes wide with urgent, frantic confusion.

"I said stop it!" you suddenly snapped, your voice cracking loudly in the quiet room.

Lux froze instantly. Her ears flattened against her head, her eyes wide with shock and fear at your sudden outburst.

"He's not coming back!" you sobbed, white-hot tears spilling over your eyelashes as your lungs seized up. "He's never coming back, Lux! We lost him forever... so please... just behave yourself!"

The apartment fell dead silent. Lux lowered her head, letting out a low, mournful, heartbreaking purr—a sound full of gloomy realization. She didn't run away. Instead, she took a slow, hesitant step forward, looking up at you with deep, sorrowful eyes.

Seeing her hurt expression, a wave of sickening guilt washed over you.

"Oh god... I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry, Lux," you wept, scooping the cat gently into your arms and burying your face in her soft fur.

Lux didn't struggle. She rested her small head against your shoulder, purring softly in a low, grief-stricken rhythm as you rocked her back and forth.

"It's all my fault, Lux..." you wailed quietly into the empty apartment. "Rein can't come back because of me... It's my fault. He sacrificed himself again... He acted so unfairly against himself, giving up everything just because he loved me so much... and he never even got to hear me say it back..."

Your body shook with heavy, uncontrollable sobs as you hugged her tighter. "And now... I have to live my whole life without him... my one true love. All we have left are his memories... and the things he gave me..."

Your tear-filled eyes drifted to the shelf—to the Mofusand stuffed toys he had earnestly won for you at the arcade, the delicate necklace, and the sapphire hair clip pinned carefully in your hair. Lux purred back softly, resting her paw on your arm, grieving right alongside you.

Meanwhile, in the grand, suffocating atmosphere of the Lugunica Royal Council Chamber...

Reinhard stood in the center of the hall, bound in heavy mana-suppressing irons. Elder councilors and foreign representatives stared down at him from elevated galleries.

"Reinhard van Astrea!" the head councilor boomed, slamming his gavel. "You will speak clearly regarding the foreign woman you brought into this kingdom!"

Reinhard stood perfectly erect, his expression an unreadable, calm mask. "She was merely someone I used," Reinhard lied smoothly, his voice devoid of emotion. "When I escaped my initial arrest, my internal mana was disrupted. I used her and her dwelling purely as a means to survive until I could return. She has no value to this kingdom and possesses no special abilities. She was a stranger I discarded."

"A lie!" a common knight interjected loudly from the lower balcony, stepping forward with an eager smirk. "Your Honors, I overheard Vice Captain Heinkel Astrea at the estate! He explicitly stated that this foreign woman was Reinhard's lover—that he slept with her several times during his absence and likely knocked her up!"

Gasps echoed through the chamber.

"If she is carrying his child," the knight pressed maliciously, "she is gestating another monster outside our laws! I formally suggest we dispatch an elite squad across the Great Waterfall to execute her along with him!"

Reinhard’s brilliant blue eyes hardened into absolute ice. "I deny these allegations entirely," he declared, his voice cutting through the hall with terrifying, unshakeable firmness. "I had no such relationship with her. She is entirely innocent of any involvement with this kingdom, and I demand her peace be respected."

The council head looked down at the chained Sword Saint, letting out a long, weary sigh. He struck his gavel against the wooden block.

"Enough," the council head announced sternly. "This trial is adjourned for today. We shall reconvene tomorrow morning, after which the final verdict shall be presented."

A few hours later, back at the Astrea Manor...

Julius and Felix stepped through the grand archway of the estate, their faces heavy with exhaustion and sorrow after returning from the Great Waterfall. But before they could even cross the main foyer, Carol and Grimm came rushing down the corridor, their expressions frantic yet overwhelmed with emotion.

"Lord Heinkel! Sir Julius! Sir Felix!" Carol called out, her voice trembling. "Come quickly to Lady Louanna's room! You... you need to see this!"

Exchanging startled glances, Julius and Felix followed Heinkel—who had burst out of his study—as they all hurried down the sunlit wing to Louanna's chamber.

Carol pushed the heavy oak doors open.

There, sitting upright against a mountain of white silk pillows, was Louanna Astrea. Her eyes—clear, soft, and awake for the first time in over a decade—were open, looking around the room with faint, quiet confusion.

"Louanna...?" Heinkel gasped, his voice breaking entirely.

Joy swept through the veteran staff, Carol weeping openly as Grimm held her shoulder. Heinkel stood frozen for a second before a massive, tearful smile broke across his rough face. Tears of overwhelming relief streamed down his cheeks as he stumbled forward, extending his arms to wrap his newly awakened wife in a desperate, emotional hug.

"Louanna! My love, you're finally—"

SNAP!

Before Heinkel’s arms could even touch her, Louanna abruptly smacked his hands away with surprising force.

Before anyone in the room could process what was happening, Louanna raised her hand and delivered a sharp, echoing slap right across Heinkel's face.

Disclaimer: I do not own the photos

A Farewell Across Worlds

The echoing cries of your heartbreak eventually subsided into quiet, hollow hitches of breath as you sat slumped against the cold stone floor. Felix and Julius remained kneeling beside you, their faces pale with shared grief, waiting in patient, solemn silence until you managed to summon the strength to wipe your tear-stained cheeks.

After a long while, you slowly pushed yourself up, holding onto the stone wall for support. Your eyes were red, but the frantic, frantic hysteria in them had faded into a dark, resolute calm.

Julius approached quietly, his voice gentle and full of careful hesitation. "Y/N... now that you have calmed down... are you prepared to proceed with the original plan? Will you allow us to escort you back peacefully to your world?"

You took a slow, trembling breath, closing your eyes briefly as Reinhard’s soft, smiling face flashed across your mind.

"I will go," you whispered, your voice hoarse and raw. "I will return to my world... as he wished. But before we set off... I have one final request."

Felix looked up at you, his cat ears twitching with concern. "What is it, Y/N?"

"I want to see Lady Louanna one last time," you said softly, looking toward the sunlit wing of the manor. "Before I leave this world forever, I need to see Reinhard's mother."

Before Felix or Julius could answer, Heinkel—who had been standing in shadow near the end of the hall, brooding over his empty bottle—stepped forward with a harsh, suspicious glare.

"And what do you intend to do with my wife?!" Heinkel asked accusingly, his bloodshot eyes narrowing as his voice rasped with bitter hostility. "What business do you have invading her room again?!"

You turned your head slowly, meeting Heinkel’s fierce glare with a cold, unyielding stare that made the vice-captain freeze in his tracks.

"You don't need to worry, Lord Heinkel," you said, your voice dripping with quiet, icy disdain. "I am not the type of person who inflicts harm on a defenseless person... the way you and your father broke Reinhard when he was just a defenseless child."

Heinkel’s jaw snapped shut. His face paled, the cruel retort dying instantly on his tongue. He opened his mouth to bark another insult, but the absolute truth in your hollow, piercing eyes struck him like a physical blow. Unable to utter a single word, he merely scowled, turning his head away in bitter, silent resentment.

Without another word to him, you turned toward the quiet wing of the manor. Julius and Felix exchanged a brief glance and followed close behind, giving you space as you pushed open the heavy oak door to Louanna Astrea’s chamber.

The room was bathed in quiet, ethereal sunlight. Louanna lay peacefully upon her silk-draped bed, her delicate features frozen in a timeless, tragic sleep.

You walked softly to the bedside and knelt on the rug beside her bed. Reaching out with trembling hands, you gently cupped her cold, motionless hand within yours. Tears immediately brimmed over your lashes, spilling silently down your face as you looked at the sleeping face of the woman who had brought Reinhard into the world.

"Lady Louanna..." you wept softly, your voice breaking into a tender, despairing whisper. "Please... listen to me. Wherever your soul and spirit are resting right now... please hear my prayer."

You squeezed her cold fingers gently, leaning your forehead against the side of the mattress.

"Please... do not hate Reinhard," you sobbed softly, your heart breaking anew. "He never meant to drain your mana... he never wanted to hurt you. He was just a tiny, innocent baby who loved his mother. It was never his fault..."

You took a shuddering breath, looking up at her peaceful face through a blur of hot tears.

"When you wake up... and I know you will wake up someday... please go to him," you pleaded desperately, your voice cracking with overwhelming emotion. "Please find his memory and tell him... tell him that he has a mother who loves him truly and dearly. Tell him that all the tragedy that happened in this family was never his fault. Even if it's for the last time... even just before this cruel kingdom takes his life away from us... I need him to know that he was loved simply for who he is—as a person, as a son... not as a weapon, and not as a Sword Saint."

Your tears soaked into the silk sheets as you held her hand tight.

"And... when you see him again..." you whispered, your chest heaving with a deep, agonizing ache, "please tell him something on my behalf... because I was too foolish not to tell him myself when I had the chance."

You closed your eyes, letting the love you had carried in secret spill from your lips into the quiet room.

"Tell him that I love him back. Tell him that I love him truly with all that I am... and that he doesn't need to worry about me anymore. I promise him... I will live my life in Munich to the fullest, just as he sacrificed everything for me to do."

A sob tore from your throat, and you buried your face in your arms beside her hand, whispering your final, desperate plea to the universe.

"And please... tell Reinhard to wait for me patiently... on the other side."

Behind you, Julius gripped the hilt of his sword so tightly his knuckles turned white, silently bowing his head as tears glinted in his yellow eyes. Felix stood with his hands pressed over his mouth, weeping silently into his sleeves, completely heart-broken by your words.

An hour later, the Astrea estate faded into the distant horizon as a heavy, enchanted carriage carried you, Julius, and Felix across the grand landscapes of Lugunica. The journey passed in a somber, sacred blur. Neither Julius nor Felix pushed you to speak, offering only gentle, quiet comfort whenever the unbearable weight of grief made your shoulders shake.

At last, the carriage came to a halt near the edge of the world.

Before you lay the Great Waterfall—a vast, breathtaking abyss where the world’s waters cascaded infinitely into a shimmering void of pure, white light. The roaring sound of the water was deafening, yet oddly peaceful, drowning out the noise of the universe.

You stood at the precipice, the rushing wind tugging at your clothes and hair. Julius and Felix stood a few paces behind you, their white cloaks fluttering in the wind.

Julius stepped forward, offering a formal, solemn bow. "This is where our paths diverge, Y/N. Beyond this light lies your home. The mana flow here will return you safely to the exact realm from which Reinhard brought you."

Felix stepped beside him, wiping a stray tear from his eye before offering you a sad, gentle smile. "Take care of yourself, Y/N. Eat well, live long, and... take good care of Lux."

You looked back at the two knights, offering them a small, deeply grateful nod. "Thank you... for everything. For saving my life, and for protecting his wish until the end."

Turning back toward the endless light of the Great Waterfall, you took a deep, steadying breath. You reached up, your fingers brushing against the subtle sapphire hair clip Reinhard had given you on Valentine's Day—the bright blue stones still shimmering like tiny stars against your hair.

Closing your eyes, you stepped forward into the radiant white void.

Bzzzz—

The sudden, loud rumble of a passing delivery truck snapped your eyes open.

The roaring sound of the Great Waterfall vanished instantly, replaced by the familiar smells of wet asphalt, gasoline, and fresh bakery bread. The ambient chill of Lugunica was gone, replaced by the crisp, familiar spring air of Bavaria.

You were standing on the paved sidewalk of a quiet, sunlit street in Munich. Just a few meters ahead of you stood the familiar glass doors of the local veterinary clinic—the exact place where Reinhard had temporarily left Lux under professional care before heading to the hospital on that fateful night.

People walked past you in casual modern clothes, completely unaware of the dimension-spanning tragedy that had just occurred. To the world around you, not a single thing had changed.

You stood frozen on the sidewalk, clutching the small bag of belongings tightly against your chest. A single, hot tear escaped your eye, tracing a slow path down your cheek as you looked up at the pale blue Munich sky.

Basically anything I tag with Beyond the bootleg screen is a non-serious parody of my own beyond the screen au.

Ridiculous nonsense and chaos will happen, and it’s not meant to make too much sense.

Hope this gives you a laugh!

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Cantara stared at the tv wide-eyed. A humongous portal had opened up right beneath it and countless cookies came pouring out of it. Elder Faerie sat perched on her shoulder and stared on with immense concern and dawning horror. If they didn’t stop this soon, the whole house would be overrun by an entire earthbread’s worth of cookies.

Running over, Cantara, carefully but quickly, scooped up cookies by the handful and chucked them back into the portal. Common, legendary, dragon, rare- it didn’t matter. She was NOT going to be responsible for taking care of thousands of cookies.

A few cookies, sure, that was fine, but hundreds upon hundreds would make the news and break the bank.

A stubborn Madeleine Cookie clung to her arm, declaring that he would defeat the witch by the power of the divine light. She scrunched her eyes closed as a blinking light was aimed directly into her eyes.

“NOW!” She heard Madeleine declare.

Panicking, she reached for where he was on her sleeve and tugged him off until he was left squirming and squealing in her hand.

“I’m sorry!” She whispered before looking him over, seeing no injuries, and then chucking him into the portal.

Upon hearing another cookie yelling “WITCH!”, an idea formed. Broom. She needed to grab a broom. Taking her broom, she started sweeping the cookies back into the portal.

At first in large groups and then in small clumps, the number of cookies started to shrink as they were (firmly but gently) pushed back into their world.

Finally, only a few remained.

“You’re coming me,” a voice called out.

Turning, Cantara spotted Almond Cookie holding out his badge and glaring at her. She slowly put her hand near him, and she simply watched as he attempted to put a handcuff on her pinkie finger. Using that finger, she nudged him towards the portal.

Meanwhile, Elder Faerie had flown throughout the house to find and bring back any stragglers.

The house was soon empty of any extra guests and the portal proceeded to shrink.

However, a quiet voice piped up, “Want a shroomie?”

Elder Faerie and Cantara stared as Poison Mushroom Cookie waddled over. With some gentle coaxing, the two managed to get them through the portal.

Everything here is about Reinhard van Astrea of Re:Zero

Good news!!! I’m planning on writing the Beyond the Screen AU as a fanfic!!!