Chapter 3: Reunion (3)

~3.3~

*****

A short while later, Kye and Alethea were sitting at a table together, each drinking some freshly brewed tea. Liliana and Aliana stood behind Kye, and Layla and Astraia sat to the side talking to each other, trying to figure out why the two girls were insistent on having an impromptu tea party.

“My apologies for virtually demanding this,” Kye said as she placed her cup on its saucer. “I..”

“I wanted the same, but I was not brave enough on my own to ask this of you.”

Kye nodded and began channeling white aether, warping it into a cube shape around the two. “Mother, Astraia, please do not try to intervene. This conversation must be for our ears only.” The barrier closed, but remained somewhat transluscent so that their guardians could still see them. Alethea shook her head at Astraia, silently telling her the same thing.

Alethea eyed Kye and started. “We both seek answers, but I wonder how similar our questions are.”

“I suspect there may be some similarities.”

The pink-haired girl nodded. “I confess, when I first saw you I felt a strange familiarity. Then, I saw that pendant with my name on it.”

Kye smiled. She had her answer. “Your name, huh?”

“I expect it’s no coincidence that you know of that name.” The two had locked each other’s eyes, neither daring to look away. “You are immortal. This is not your first life, likely far from it. You knew me in a past life, perhaps even my first life. So then, what other names have you known me by?”

Kye gave her a confident look. “Many. Your true name, the one etched into your very soul, is Maya. I confess, there are some things I don’t remember. I know my name, my rank, my power, and my involvement in the system, but nothing more.” A tear rolled down Kye’s face. “It’s been a while since our last life together. Have you figured out my name?”

“I dare not get my hopes up.” Alethea finally looked down, breaking their eye contact. “I don’t want to think you’re her and be wrong.”

Kye smiled warmly. “But you’re not wrong.”

Alethea looked up at her, but she didn’t look happy. “Don’t get my hopes up!”

Kye pulled up the system menu and navigated to her profile. Then, she opened a text prompt and put in a short command. The profile changed and revealed her true name for everyone in the room to see. It read, “Elysia Athas”, and included her current name as an alias. Alethea’s eyes widened and her mouth fell open. “I’ve missed you, love.”

In a flurry of flying fingers, Alethea quickly did the same and removed the censoring on her own profile. It read, “Maya Athas”, and included her current name as an alias as well.

When they realized that everyone else in the room could see, they slowly craned their necked around and saw a very surprised pair of guardians. Astraia regained her composure quickly and gestured at the two to come out from the barrier. The two smiled hesitantly, but lowered the barrier.

“So, you two not only know each other, but you have the same surname. Would you mind explaining this?”

“Heh...” Alethea poked her index fingers together and pleaded with Kye with her eyes.

Kye smiled and just blurted it out. “Would you believe we’re starcrossed lovers who have shared many past lives together over many billions of years?”

Alethea smiled with wide-eyes, shocked at how easily Kye spilled the secret. Astraia glanced at Alethea, seeking confirmation, and the pink-haired girl nodded.

“I... do not recognize the surname,” Kye said with a curious glance. “I believe it’s from my first life, but I don’t remember it.” She eyed Alethea. “You’ve said you don’t either. I wish somebody did. Eve won’t tell me.”

Astraia and Layla exchanged curious glances hearing that name. They recognized it as the name of the goddess, Eve the Primordial.

“She is stubbornly silent whenever I question things,” Alethea added. She stood up from her chair and looked at Astraia. “We need to speak to mother and Astarte.”

“... agreed.” The adult blonde looked at Kye with inquisitive eyes. “Does anyone around you know this information, beyond this room? How long, if so?”

“Allison figured it out the day I was born. I have since told only my two attendants here.” She was looking not at Astraia, but at Layla, and with apologetic eyes. She stood up from her chair and started to say, “Mother, I’m...”

Layla’s smiled caused Kye to stop short. “Who you are is of no consequence to me. Whether you are a young girl that knows things most other children wouldn’t know, or if you are an old soul that has seen the world through many different eyes... that changes nothing to me.” Layla stepped closer, and bent down on her knees, low enough to hug her standing daughter. “You are my daughter, and I love you.”

Alethea and Astraia smiled warmly as they watched the exchange.

*****

Not even half an hour later, the tea party evolved from a children’s meeting between Kye and Alethea to a full blown gathering with their guardians. Layla, James, and Allison were there for Kye, and Atalante, Astarte, and Astraia were there for Alethea. Liliana and Aliana remained the only attendants due to the circumstances behind the discussion.

“So, you knew?” Kye asked, looking between James and Layla.

Both nodded and James said, “Yep. All three of us clocked you as special right away, and then Allison filled us in after you confirmed things to her.”

“And you?” Kye eyed the Atlantis trio.

“Similar circumstances,” Atalante said after a moment. “Alethea managed to communicate it to us, and we’ve kept it between us. Until now, we didn’t know you are like her, and your guardians didn’t know she’s like... you...” With a raised eyebrow, she was watching Alethea rest her head on Kye’s shoulder. The two had put their chairs close enough for that, stating they didn’t care about upholding ettiquette in a fundamentally secret meeting. “I’m not sure what to think about this, to be honest.”

Atalante was a protective mother, and did not like how clingy Alethea was being with Kye. Astarte was annoyed and made no effort to hide it, while Astraia merely smiled, happy that Alethea had somebody like her to lean on. Layla was also a protective mother, and was uncomfortable the same way Atalante was. Allison didn’t seem to be bothered, and James was happy for them like Astraia.

“Yes...” Layla said. “You two are certainly close...”

Kye cleared her throat and looked between the two mothers. “This is the first time we’ve seen each other in... a while. I have lived nearly twenty-five million mortal lives, and,” she looked at Alethea, “you were just shy of twenty million last time we saw each other?”

“Yes. I’m closer to twenty-one million now. I’ve missed you so much, Shi-chan.” Alethea grasped Kye’s arm tightly and buried her face on Kye’s shoulder.

“I’ve missed you, too, love.” Kye looked up and continued, “We’ve shared several lives together, fallen in love all over again. Even if we do not carry our memories into most lives, have different names, races, backgrounds, and so on... we immortals are fundamentally the same person. The flesh is nothing more than a vessal.”

She held out her hand and began channeling white mana, quickly forming it into a spell without uttering a word.

“Not only can you cast magic with no incantation as though it were as second nature as breathing,” James said, “you need not even utter the name of the spell to activate it?”

Kye shook her head and continued with her spell. Soon, everything and everyone in the room was coated with her mana, which turned transluscent as it began to cling to them. Everyone could see the souls within everyone else, each a mass of swirling mana around a core. Kye’s was silvery-white, Alethea’s was pink, Liliana’s was white, Aliana’s was black, Atalante’s was light blue, Astarte’s was light green, Astraia’s was light gold, Layla’s was light purple, James’s was dark purple, and Allison’s was silvery-white. The last one sparked a raised eyebrow from a few, but Kye already knew the two had the same soul color, and had questioned Allison about it without getting any answers.

“Our souls are our true selves. Our mortal forms can vary, but in general... the soul will influence the flesh to a degree. For example...” Kye stood up from her chair and stepped away from the table. She released some mana and formed an illusion around her body, morphing it into her true appearance. Her voice became mature, her hair was white, and she wore a clearly royal uniform.

“This is my true appearance as Elysia.”

*****

Revision: 7-13-2023