CHAPTER 32: CHAPTER 32. TALKING THINGS THROUGH (2ND PART)

Talking things through (2nd part)

Once I walked through the doors, I found myself in a flower garden, full of a great variety of them. Some were similar to the ones in my previous world; others were completely new to me. Looking upward, I could see the starry sky. For some reason I felt really comfortable in that place; I was lost in the beauty of that place I didn’t even notice Eris silently approaching behind me.

"Catch you!"

"Oh my god! Eris, you surprised me."

"Hahah!"

"God, don’t try to do something like this again."

"Do you like this place?"

"Yes, it’s really beautiful."

"..."

"...Eris, what’s going on?"

Suddenly she was not smiling like before anymore; her face got serious out of nowhere.

"You know this is a replica; the original place most probably got destroyed."

"What do you mean?"

"Don’t you recognize this place? The flowers may be different, but it’s still the same after all. Here is where we parted ways."

Looking more closely at that garden, I started feeling something breaking inside me.

"Let me show you something."

We walked together till we could see a blue home in the distance. For the whole walk, I felt I could hear baby voices laughing.

Looking at the home entrance, I could see a woman whose face was hidden holding a baby, but even so, I could still recognize it was me before I started reincarnating, but I could not recognize the baby. At first, I thought it was Eris, but I was wrong because she was running toward me.

"What do you want to play today, mom?"

A younger Eris ran toward the woman, stopping in front of her.

"Shh, Eris, be silent. Fate is sleeping."

’...What was that? Who is Fate?’

I thought to myself as I saw the older Eris standing in the same place the younger one was.

"Should we go inside?"

"..."

...

"Big sister, wait for me."

A blonde girl said, running after Eris. Both of them looked so young they definitively were not older than eleven or twelve years old.

"Fate, run faster! You don’t want Mom to wake up earlier and ruin her birthday surprise, right?"

"No, I don’t want it."

"Then hurry up."

I followed behind the two children and went to the second floor of the house.

Eris was silently following me. After walking for a few seconds, I was in front of a wooden door for some reason; the decorations on it felt familiar even though it was the first time I saw it. Once I opened the door, I could see two women sleeping on a king-size bed and Eris and Fate jumping on it.

"Good morning, moms."

Eris said, jumping towards the both of us and hugging us.

"Big sister, this is not fair; I also want to hug Mum."

I could not control myself from laughing a little because of what I was seeing.

It was such a happy family.

"But even then happiness does not last forever."

I turned my head to look at Eris, who was behind me, but instead I found myself sitting in the garden with both Eris and Fate by my side, both of them looking not older than twenty years old.

"Mother, if anything happens to us, what would you do?"

Eris asked me.

{It depends on the situation.}

’How come i answered so naturally.’

"Like, if somebody is trying to kill us, what are you going to do?"

Fate added.

{I’ll literally erase it forever.}

’All of this fell so familiar.’

"It happened that day. Like always, I and Fate went to visit you, unaware of what was going to happen and the danger you were in..."

{I’m sorry though!}

"Is something wrong? Why are you apologizing?"

{Because soon we will have to say goodbye, and for you it will be best to not be here.}

"Wait, what are you talking about?"

Eris and Fate said before I hugged them, once I looked at them in the eyes, Fate passed out right away while Eris was barely awake.

I could feel all the sadness and desperation wrapping my heart; I could not bear it at all. Before I could do or say anything more, the woman I saw earlier came to my side.

{Ananke, a-am I really doing the right thing? Was there not another way?}

I said in tears as she handed the shining orb over to Eris.

{I understand your feelings but we have to do what we can to protect them and guarantee that they can have a bright, free future.}

{B-but...}

{Everything is going to be alright, i promise you.}

{If only we realised earlier what he was planning...all...this—}

Before I could see the rest of the scene, we got back. I was lying on the garden ground with Eris right beside me. I figured out that was an illusion she made, but it seemed like the part where I was talking with Ananke was not part of her illusion.

"W-Why didn’t you let us be with you?"

Eris said, sobbing in tears.

"Whose mother will want to lead their daughters to their death? If I was able to stand tall a little amidst all that madness, it was only because you and fate were safe."

"You could have told us about it."

"Would you or fate have listened if I told you to run away after knowing somebody was after my life? And above all, I and Ananke would not have allowed you to fight in that war."

"...Damn it! Did...did you at least miss us even for a moment?"

Eris cried out. Hearing that, I felt a wound reopening in my heart. The first thing I did was not answer the questions, but I extended my arms and wings and wrapped them around her before saying in a sweet voice.

"I did! I missed you a lot, to the point that I declared war on the gods every time I thought of all of you. I could not bear to be alone without knowing if you were safe or not. I died many times just to look for a trace that would lead me to you guys in their territory. Now that I’ve found you, I will never let you go again. Did you not?"

"Mom you are not fair You are not fair at all. I missed you a lot."

After saying this, she cried her heart out. I didn’t stop her, nor did I say anything more. I simply stayed there and comforted her with my actions. After she finally calmed down, she looked me in the eyes and said.

"Mom, I have to give you something."