“That’s where souls go to recover before rebirth, right? You told me that last time.”
“Yes. But because I put you there, I lost track of you. It wasn’t until you showed up in front of me at The Department of Reincarnation that I felt I’d maybe found you again. That was why I gave you a little extra divine power. I hoped it would help you awaken your powers.”
“How did you know for sure?”
He smiled. “You showed up here not long ago after causing a commotion with them.”
“You really aren’t all-knowing, are you?” I shook my head. “What kind of divine being can’t recognise his own child?”
His laugh was warm. “The previous soul in your body was incapable of using your power, and I believe that’s what caused her to change over time, along with the misery she experienced. The version of this world you read must have been one of her lives if Alicia was the antagonist.”
“How do you know that?”
“I know all four of your lives here so far, and it couldn’t be more wrong for you. Even in the face of cruelty, you were always kind.”
Who, me?
He had quite the set of rose-coloured lenses in his glasses.
God sighed. “The timeline you read about must have been after I brought Lillia’s soul here.”
“How did you do that? Were you trying to replace Alicia’s again?”
“I was. I saw her soul tiring and thought to change it, but something went awry, and the soul ended up in Lillia’s body instead. I thought it might not be a bad thing—if she changed the timeline herself and perhaps never fell in love with Kalon, then perhaps you would survive.”
I looked out at the water. “But in the book, she’d read the story of this world already and knew how it would go.”
“Indeed. I don’t quite know how that phenomenon occurred, but not all stories that cross dimensions are truly accurate. Some are almost perfect, but others become the basis of fiction.”
“So, you’re saying the author of the book could have simply been someone who wrote realities of their a past life as a fiction novel without realising it, and that’s why some things were different.”
“Quite possible. Then it just so happened that it lined up with what really occurred in real life, leading Lillia’s soul to believe she was living in a book.”
“And those real lives would always end in my death, and because my death was a trigger for the regressions, and it just kept happening over and over again.”
“Yes. Which is, perhaps, why the version you read had a happily ever after for Lillia and Torin. If the author was a soul originally of Sada, then they likely wouldn’t have seen the true ending play out and created their own.” God smiled sadly. “Now, Lillia remembers a number of these cycles, and I fear you’re in more danger than ever before. Especially if she hasn’t realised what triggers the regressions.”
I met his eyes. “It’s all right. I have the truth now, don’t I? This is the best chance I’ve had to survive so far.”
“Yes. I suppose you’re right.”
“Is that really why Kalon is different? Because it’s my original soul that’s back?” I tilted my head to the side. “Are we, like, soulmates?”
“As close as a pair can get to such a thing,” he confirmed. “He may not remember your lives together, but on some level, his soul recognises yours. But that’s all I can tell you now. Your powers have almost entirely recovered thanks to your time here. It’s getting close for you to return.”
“Oh, but I still have questions!” I gripped the edge of the lounger. “Alicia died when she fell down the stairs in this life, didn’t she? That’s how I was able to return to ‘my’ body.”
“Yes, she did. Because I had your soul in my possession at that point, I was able to limit the regression of the world to mere minutes before Alicia died, meaning I could swap your souls before your body died again. This is your fifth life in this world.”
“Will Lillia know that a regression happened?”
“No. It was but a blip in the passage of time.”
“So, it’s kind of like when you walk into a room only to forget what you went in there for?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but yes, I suppose so. Now, if we’re done here—”
“Wait! Can I tell Kalon about all this? Will I remember more of my original lives? Will he remember anything? Can you and I hang out again if I have more questions?”
