A/N: Thank you so much for the warm reviews, kuroshiragami0, bilmysleepy, Guest(s), and Liraangela Garcia! Thank you for your constant support. It truly warms my heart.

To all readers: The scene with (Adult) Erza's acceptance of Irene's dream was the only form of peace I can think of for her sake (I'm truly sorry for fooling you again). She deserved all the love, but at least she succeeded in her plan, saving Irene in the present timeline. I hope you'll appreciate this chapter. Thank you, and happy reading.

Earlier in the tower

"The very first memory I have of my mother is her dying before my eyes. So I beg of you… Kill me if it means saving her, Jellal."

Those words haunted Jellal, echoing in his mind as he collapsed to his knees, watching Irene's wails pierce the air. He had sworn never to let that happen, to prevent the very tragedy Erza pleaded the most. Killing her. Yet, despite all his efforts, he had somehow fulfilled Erza's wish—he had saved her mother. But the cost… the cost was too unbearable to comprehend. Her life.

His heart throbbed painfully in his chest as he realized his failure. The scarlet marks on Erza's small form stubbornly refused to fade under Charteris's magic. He had been so sure, so convinced that his holy magic could purify the lost magic within Erza's core. But he had been wrong, terribly wrong. He had overlooked a crucial detail—Erza's core had always rejected Irene's magic. He had only made things worse by using Irene's magic to attempt to separate the lost magic before purifying it. It was a fatal mistake.

As he witnessed Irene rocking her daughter's lifeless body, the reality of what he had done struck him. The desperation that had once consumed Erza, the fervent hope to bring her mother back, now seemed cruelly mirrored in Irene's own anguish. It was as if fate had twisted Erza's deepest plea, turning it into Irene's living nightmare.

Salty tears welled up in Jellal's eyes, stinging as they spilled down his cheeks. The moment pressed down on him, crushing any sense of accomplishment he might have felt. He had failed—failed not just Erza but Irene as well. The very outcome he had fought so hard to avoid had become their tragic reality.

"What have I done?" he whispered, his voice trembling.

"Is this my punishment?" Irene's voice choked with sobs, cut through the silence as she slumped next to her daughter, her body limp as she fainted.

As Irene fainted, Charteris wasted no time and rushed to her side. His hands hovered over her, and when he was reassured by her steady breathing, he turned his attention to the small child cradled in her arms. Gently, he pried Erza from Irene's grasp, holding the child's cold, delicate hands in his own. The sight of the child's motionless body made his chest tighten with an unfamiliar yet overwhelming sense of dread.

He called out to her, his voice trembling, "Erza?"

He cupped her cold cheeks, his thumb brushing against her pale skin as he silently willed her to respond. Closing his eyes, he summoned his holy magic, focusing intently on detecting any trace of her magic pulse. A magic pulse is something beyond the physical body's pulse. It is something only those with holy magic could perceive. A magic pulse was the ultimate sign of life, a pulse connected to a person's soul, a hidden heartbeat that could persist even when the body seemed lifeless.

His eyes snapped open as he felt it. A faint, almost imperceptible magic pulse, barely there, like a flickering candle clinging to life. Erza was still alive, but her life force was slipping away with each passing second. The spell had worked, but the side effect of using Irene's magic, so vehemently rejected by Erza's core, had caused severe internal damage, causing her body to shut down. He gritted his teeth, his mind racing through one possible solution. There was one spell, one forbidden magic that might save her. It was a spell capable of sharing his life force, shocking her inner mana back to life, restarting her heart. But the price was steep; it could very well end his own life in exchange for hers.

Charteris didn't hesitate. Whether it was for Irene's sake or Zera's—if what Acnologia had said held any truth—he knew what he had to do. He will save Erza for Irene. It was the only thing that mattered to him when he stared at Erza's still face. If this very child could give Irene a reason to smile again, the thought of bringing even a sliver of happiness back into Irene's life gave him the resolve he needed. Time was slipping through his fingers, and he knew he had none to waste. With a deep breath, Charteris began channeling every bit of his remaining magic into the child.

Jellal rushed to his side, grabbing his wrist in an attempt to stop him from casting the magic. "You will die too," Jellal warned.

Charteris hissed in frustration, trying to pull his hand away. "The child is still alive," he snapped back. "I just need to exhaust all of my magic to restart her life force while I still have time. Do not interfere."

Jellal met his glare with equal intensity, refusing to back down. "Do it with me," he urged. "I will take the curse, and you will only lose your holy magic instead of your life."

Charteris hesitated, his frown deepening. He wasn't one to accept help easily, but the urgency of the situation left him with little choice. He could see the sincerity in Jellal's eyes, and, more importantly, there was no dark aura surrounding him. He finally nodded, albeit reluctantly.

"Fine," Charteris muttered. He allowed Jellal to take Erza's other hand, their fingers entwining around her cold palms. With a deep breath, the two men began to chant in unison.

The air around them crackled, and a brilliant white-golden light began to emanate from their joined hands. The spell's energy pulsed through her small body. The tower trembled under the strain of the magic. With a final surge of power, the light around them intensified one last time before it slowly began to fade.

As the brilliant light of the spell finally subsided, the entire tower began to shimmer and transform, the stone structure turning into lacrima as it absorbed the overwhelming power of the holy magic. Charteris and Jellal felt a small movement in their hands, and their hearts skipped a beat as they looked down to see Erza stirring. Her small fingers clutched their hands, her tiny chest heaving as she gasped for air. A tear traced a path down Charteris' face, his heart swelling with relief at the sight of the child Irene cherished so deeply, alive and breathing.

Erza's small form curled instinctively towards the warmth of Charteris' arms. Jellal loosened his grasp on her hand. Erza shifted slightly, her small hands gripping the fabric of Charteris' shirt, seeking comfort in the warmth she found there. Despite the exhaustion, Charteris' heart ached with tenderness as he held her close. His vision blurred momentarily, the lightheadedness from the spell's toll flooding his body.

Erza's eyes fluttered open, still clouded with confusion. She looked up, her gaze meeting Charteris. Her young mind struggled to make sense of the unfamiliar face before her, the black hair starkly contrasting with the silver locks he once bore.

"W-who a-are-?" Erza's voice was faint, laced with fear as she tried to move.

Her body, still weak, betrayed her efforts, and she slipped back into unconsciousness, her small frame settling against Charteris. Charteris felt a pang of regret as he held her closer to his arms. Knowing now the depth of Irene's love for this child, he felt guilty over his previous words.

The two cloaked figures rushed to Jellal, their eyes widening in horror as they saw the scarlet marks spreading across his entire face and body. Jellal coughed violently, blood staining his lips as he fell to his knees. Meredy reached out to him, her hands trembling as she tried to assess his condition.

"Why did you do it?" Ultear's voice sounded stern as she watched her comrade check on him.

She knew all too well that sharing the spell and allowing the curse to be transferred to him would have dire consequences. He had already used a forbidden magic once before, and the thought of receiving another curse from such a powerful spell meant only one thing—it would cost him his life. Jellal smiled weakly, his breath labored as he reached up to grasp Meredy's hand.

"That's the only way for me to save them both," he answered with a peaceful smile etching on his lips as he watched Erza's form in the distance.

But that peace was soon shattered. The entire tower began to shake violently, the lacrima glowing under the strain of the unstable magic within its core. They felt the ground beneath him tremble. The powerful magic they had unleashed to save Erza had taken its toll on the already crumbling structure, and now, it seemed as if the tower itself was about to collapse under the weight of it.

"Damn," Jellal cursed.

With great effort, he began to move towards Charteris, who was still cradling Erza in his arms. Each step was labored, but he pushed forward. As he reached them, he looked down at Erza's peaceful face, a bittersweet smile forming on his lips.

"Please, bring Ultear and Meredy with you. I will contain the tower's magic. Just… please, get them out of here safely, Silver Moon."

Charteris stared at Jellal with confusion. He couldn't understand his efforts and sacrifice for a stranger like Erza to him. At first, he thought he was an adversary, but seeing the toll of the curse on him, he knew that he cared for Erza like how Irene cared for her own daughter. He could see such resolve in his eyes that he was prepared to give everything to ensure Erza's survival.

"Why… why would you do this?" Charteris finally asked.

"Because… she deserves to live, and she… she deserved to meet her family. Now go. There's no time left."

Reluctantly, Charteris nodded and used his remaining magic to lift Irene, lifting her gently in the air alongside the two other cloaked mages as the tower began to crumble around them. Ultear and Meredy struggled to break free, desperate to stay with Jellal, but Charteris' magic held them in place in the bubble of his magic, preventing them from returning to his side.

"Jellal, no!" Meredy cried as Charteris nodded once more before using his magic to teleport themselves elsewhere.

Jellal, now on his knees, sighed deeply, accepting the inevitable fate that awaited him. His body, weakened by the immense strain of containing the unstable mana within the tower, began to disintegrate slowly, pieces of him fading into the ether. Lying in the cold lacrima, a faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

With trembling hands, he reached into his pocket, retrieving a locket he had painstakingly crafted. It was meant to be a keepsake, a small token to hold the memory of her as he looked for her over the years. The person whom he had sacrificed everything for. Erza was the name of the woman he had once loved and always loved. Erza, he thought to himself as he opened the locket.

The world around him seemed to blur the lines between reality and illusion. Before him, Erza's solemn face appeared. The young scarlet-haired woman was garbed in a white cloak that seemed to glow with a soft, ethereal light. Her eyes met his as she sat beside him. She reached out her hand to cup his cheek as his name left her lips, echoing through the recesses of his mind.

"Jellal."

Tears welled up in Jellal's eyes as he leaned into her touch. "Erza," he whispered. "I fulfilled your wish. I saved your mother." The words were his declaration of the promise he had kept.

Erza smiled, easing the pain that had long plagued him. She nodded softly, her hand closing around his as he ventured to hold her hand, kissing its back. "And you saved me, too," she said.

Jellal's lips trembled after hearing her words. He sobbed as his body continued to disintegrate, turning to dust and light. He closed his eyes, surrendering to the reverie that enveloped him. He knew, deep down, that this was nothing more than a hallucination, a desperate manifestation of his longing to hold onto something—someone—that had given his life meaning. But in that moment, it didn't matter. For him, dying in the arms of the one he had loved so deeply, even if only in his mind, was a peace he had never thought possible.

"I sincerely hope my present self will meet you again in different circumstances, Erza," he murmured. His thoughts drifted toward the empty skies above, a silent prayer hoping that somewhere, somehow, they would find each other again in this lifetime. He caused the future to change much, and that even made him wonder if he existed in this timeline after all his actions.

"You will meet me again," she promised.

The illusion of Erza pulled him into a final embrace, her warmth surrounding him. His breath hitched as he felt the sensation of her hair touching his shoulders, offering the comfort he had longed for.

"I hope things will not be too late again this time," he hoped as he wrapped his arms around her. The tower around him glowed with an intense, blinding light; the last remnants of Jellal's form disappeared, merging with the magic that filled the air.

Charteris stood on the shore, his gaze fixed on the spot where the tower had once loomed, now reduced to nothing but empty space and a lingering aura of magic as the final wave of light enveloped it. He couldn't shake the feeling of guilt over the sacrifice of the stranger for Erza. His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a slight movement in his arms. Erza, still weak, stirred against him. He gently lowered her to the ground, his heart tightening as he saw the confusion in her young eyes. She looked up at him, her small face puzzled by his unfamiliar black hair.

"M-mommy?" Erza's voice was tinged with fear as she tried to move out of his arms.

Her gaze shifted to Irene, who lay unconscious beside them, her clothing torn and bloodied from the battle. The sight of her mother in such a state terrified the little girl, and she instinctively crawled towards her, her movements shaky.

"Mommy, wake up!" Erza's voice trembled with desperation as she clutched Irene's cloak, her tiny hands shaking as tears welled up in her eyes. She tugged at the fabric, her cries growing more frantic with each passing second. "Mommy, please wake up!" The sight of Irene's still form overwhelmed the young child.

Charteris watched, feeling a deep ache in his chest as Erza's pleas echoed in the stillness of the shore. The fear, the rawness of her love for her mother, stirred something within him. He wanted to reach out, to comfort her, but as he took a hesitant step forward, Irene stirred beside them. Her eyes snapped open wide with panic as if she had been jolted from a nightmare. She felt the warmth of her daughter's tears on her cheeks, and for a moment, she lay there, frozen, as though she couldn't believe what she was feeling.

"Erza?" Irene's voice trembled with disbelief.

Her eyes landed on her daughter, who was clinging to her, still sobbing, and for a split second. Charteris watched in silence. He could see the conflict in Irene's eyes as she tried to process the situation, her mind wrestling with the fear that this was just another torment of her imagination. He could almost feel her desperation, the fragile hope that this time, maybe, just maybe, it was real. Irene held Erza tightly. She couldn't bring herself to close her eyes, terrified that if she did, her daughter would disappear again, just like before.

Charteris, noticing her struggle, gently called out her name. "Irene," he said. She looked up at him, her eyes still wide with uncertainty.

"The spell worked," Charteris continued, pausing for a moment to let his words sink in. He could see the doubt still clouding her gaze, but he pressed on, knowing she needed to hear it.

"You saved her, Irene."

For a moment, Irene just stared at him, her breath hitching as she tried to process his words. Slowly, ever so slowly, the tension in her shoulders began to ease, and the tightness in her chest started to loosen. The fear that had gripped her so tightly started to ebb away.

"You saved her," Charteris repeated.

Irene's grip on Erza tightened slightly as if the physical contact was the only thing grounding her in the reality of the moment. Tears welled up in her eyes again, but this time, they were tears of relief, of gratitude. She had been so afraid, so lost in her despair, but now, hearing those words, she felt the first flickers of certainty begin to take hold.

Erza shifted slightly in her arms, her small hands clutching at her mother's cloak, and the warmth of her daughter's presence, the sound of her breathing, reassured Irene even more. She wasn't dreaming. This was real. A shaky breath escaped her lips, and she finally allowed herself to believe it.

"I saved her…" Irene whispered.

She glanced back at Charteris, her eyes filled with gratitude so deep it was beyond words.

"M-my beloved daughter," she sobbed as she held her in her arms.

A few hours later

After finally returning to the empire by dawn, Irene's hands trembled slightly as she gently tucked the blanket around Erza's small form. Irene couldn't shake the lingering fear gnawing at her heart although the pope had already assured her that Erza was merely in need of rest. After the door clicked, Irene was stunned when she found Charteris was still in their room, standing nervously beside the door. The flickering candlelight cast long shadows on the walls, but it couldn't hide the turmoil in his eyes.

For a moment, the room was filled with an uncomfortable silence, both of them caught in the tension of what had yet to be said. Charteris seemed to struggle with the words, his lips parting as if to speak, only to close again as he swallowed the lump in his throat.

"I-I..." he began. He gritted his teeth, fighting back the tears that stung his eyes. "Irene, I have never been a righteous man, so I won't ever expect anything from you, but... I think I owe you an explanation."

His words hung in the air. He paused, his gaze dropping to the floor as he struggled to continue.

"I... I truly apologize for erasing your memory of your d-daughter," he admitted, his voice cracking. His knees buckled, and he fell to the floor, the weight of his guilt too much to bear.

"It was because of my twisted sense of morality," he continued, his voice choked. "I thought that by hiding the pain of your past, it would give you a reason to continue living forward—without her, without the memories that haunted you." He couldn't bring himself to say it, to fully admit that he had taken from her the most precious memories of her own child.

Tears streamed down his face as he lowered his head, his hands trembling as they crawled to touch her feet in a gesture of desperate remorse. "I am truly sorry for everything, Irene," he whispered, his voice thick with self-loathing. "For ruining your entire life... for causing you more pain than I had ever anticipated."

He stayed there, bowed in front of her, his body racked with sobs. His crimes pressed on him, and he knew that no words could ever atone for what he had done. He had taken away her memories, her memories of the child, her very sense of self—all in the misguided belief that it would somehow protect her.

"I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I needed you to know... how deeply I regret everything." His voice broke completely, the last words barely audible as he crumpled. All he could do now was wait, bracing himself for whatever response she would give—knowing full well that he deserved whatever wrath she might unleash upon him. In the midst of his choked sobs, Charteris froze, his heart skipping a beat as Irene's voice broke the silence.

"Did you ever once love me... Knight?" she asked, her voice trembling with hesitation as she uttered the nickname she had once used for him back when everything was different.

A/N: OMG, I know Jerza deserves a second chance (T~T) but at least they managed to change the future though. Thank you for all the love you've given to this story especially those who consistently leave reviews. I'll see you on my next update!