In a dark void, the saint whose head was chopped, floats about the darkness. Curled into a ball as her tears flows like a river from her closed eyes. And as her body stays still in the domain, a sound of a thousand voices echoes through the domain, "Oh, here we are again." the echo said, "Back in this empty domain."

 

"When will this be over?" The echoes asked, "One soul after another...." it added, "We can't keep this up!" it shouted.

 

The crying woman, curled in a ball, owns the echoes. Owns multitude of souls for one vessel, the one that stills floating around the void.

 

"The gods have lied to us!" A fiery voices echoed.

 

"No! Do not say such a thing!" Soft echoes replied on their own.

 

"I don't want this.." A low sound, almost as if there were only one voice.

 

"...is there no other way to break this?" It asked itself, "Hm. I might have an idea." it answered, "Why don't we break our vessel? Right now." it added. Then a whirr sounded, causing the domain to seemingly shake, "Break our vessel?! How?! We can't even see one another let alone use the damn vessel!"

 

"Calm down, there might be another way.."

 

"How?!"

 

"...We'll have to find a way to break our vessel in the next life." it suggested, the echoes went silent, only the gushing sound of the tears from the vessel remained its noise.

 

“HAH?! We’ve broken our vessel multiple times! WHAT about that execution, huh?!” The echo remarked, “If anything, we should just find a spell to break our soul!!”

 

“That’ll make us cease to exist!” The echo replied back, “Are you trying to erase us all?!” it added.

 

“It’s better than being used and killed! They are ungrateful!” The echo answered and all the other echoes murmured in agreement. “See? They agree, why don’t you?”

 

“...You know why… and you know you won’t do it anyways if I don’t agree…” The echo said, causing the other echoes to groan in frustration. Vibrating the domain as it seems.

 

"ARGH!! There must be a way... our blessing-- CURSE!" The echo interrupted itself, "The curse that was given to us! No! It is a blessing! Then why must we suffer?! Why must the new soul have to suffer?!" the longer the echo talks to itself, the longer the turmoil goes on.

 

“Enough!!”

 

A booming voice echoed through, “We accepted this fate. We cannot change it.” it said.

“Who do you mean by we? The first saint was the one to accept, not us!”

 

“And even then, we are still a fragment of the first saint’s soul…”

 

Silence swallowed the domain, the voices couldn’t speak as it was true that even if they were a ‘new’ soul, a fragment that’s stuck in their soul has the saint’s soul. Making them the same yet different at the same time.

 

“This is unfair…” The echo started, “They said it’s only for a little while…” it added, solemnly quieting down, “We can’t even remember our past lives once we are reborn… nor can we have a conscious mind…”

 

“It can’t be helped, the first saint didn’t do what it was supposed to.” The echo replied, “We only have ourselves to blame…” it added, it’s echo lowering, “We were too naive…”

 

Mallaithe, the Saintess of Erith, has been reincarnated for every 300 years that passed. And in each rebirth, a soul is tethered together with the small first saint’s soul, causing her to become the next in line of becoming a Saintess. And because of that, each time this soul dies, they will be brought back in an empty domain together with the other souls with the first saint’s soul tethered into them. Unable to reject it nor get rid of it.

 

Now, again, 300 years have passed and a newborn came into the light of life.

 

 

After the rebirth, the saint had come to her consciousness by the time she turned ten years old but what she caught on from this time of rebirth, a strange phenomenon had happened to her.

 

Beside a pond, she stands next to the water, seeing her reflection, her eyes blank and empty when the saint realized, 'Wait... Consciousness?! I never had one before!!' the saint thought, her tiny hands cupping her face, feeling her chubby cheeks and the soft touch, 'Soft... tiny hands... is that what a child looks like?' the saint thought, her eyes glistening at the reflection, 'I...never saw such a tiny person before...' the little saint thought.

 

The saint crouches down and puts her hands into the water, her small hands felt the coldness firsthand, causing her to shiver. She raises her brow, 'Is this what hot feels like?' the saint wondered but a thought in her mind said no, much like an echo back from the domain, surprising her and causing her to turn her head abruptly. "Who?!" She questioned, then a wave of memories and knowledge flooded into her mind.

 

So, several lives, several souls, several stories of each. The little saint begins to know, begins to understand, and that's when she knew, she's a new soul to use the ever so old vessel. And strangely enough, her name - their - names throughout the rebirth were the same, Mallaithe. It was as if the name was reminding her that she's all alone and the same soul as it is with her vessel.

 

But she is not.

 

And out of all knowledge, one struck her pique. The vessel and soul are two different beings, the vessel has its own life much like the soul. Meaning, the reason why the soul has not passed on to the next rebirth to retain the past memories of each life was because of the vessel rejecting it but the small child didn’t get enough knowledge as to why the vessel rejected the soul.

 

Then a gush of voices fills her head, giving the little saint a ditzy mind, her small hands clasped to her head as she grits her teeth, she tries to stand still but wobbles back and henceforth stumbles into the water, the pond, wide and deep.

 

As she splashed into the water, the voices in her head became multiple and one, echoing in her head to shout, 'Swim! swim!' the echo’s voice laced in panic but the small saint didn't know how and instead struggled to breathe, her hands uselessly clawing through the water and yet the glint of the golden sun seemed to go further, 'What have we done?! How do you swim? Are we too small? How? No! We never used a body before!! Help! Get help quickly!' the echoes in the saint's mind became her's and for others, as if she was talking to herself. And as it goes on, the brutal burn builds inside the chest, the lungs screaming for air and the further the saint falls, the darker for her to see.

 

Mallaithe's echoes grow discord, it would blame, scream for help, and others say to give up and accept as they said, ‘Let’s just try again in the next life.’ but was scolded for thinking such a thing.

Mallaithe listened to the ones who said to accept and as she was to let go of her last remaining breath, another splash from the surface and a figure entered the waters going towards the small saint.

 

From her view, a hand reaches out before she blacked out.

 

 

 

 

Later, the small saint awoke in a sudden jump, her breath heavy and cold sweats running down her face. She awoke in an unfamiliar place yet so nostalgic in a way. Fresh blankets covering her, a soft bed she lies on, and the warm sun shining through the window.

 

Mallaithe faces the window, “...This body hasn't been taught to swim…” she said, drifting her eyes to her hands and impassively looking up, ‘Neither did we souls ever swim before…’ she thought.

 

But this view, this feeling, everything that's here are all too familiar, but perhaps it's due to the multiple souls that live within the single vessel of Mallaithe the Saint. And the memories they have are similar to what is here.

 

Mallaithe sat up from the bed, water on her bedside table, she stared at it blankly, unknowing on what to do, she went on her head, discussing with the echoes.

 

'You should drink water.'

 

'But we're not thirsty..'

 

'The body needs it, right?'

 

'But by this, won't the vessel break?'

 

'Did we all not die from the vessel being broken and get back again?'

 

Mallaithe looks away from the water and onto the ground, her hands moved to uncover herself from the blanket and her legs sway to the edge, getting off slowly from the bed. Mallaithe took small steps away from her bed, her small feet sensing the warmth of the floor, "Have we been... freed?" Mallaithe mumbled but then sharply placed her hands on her hair, gripping and pulling it, "That can't be! They wouldn't let us go that easily!" Mallaithe said, her eyes swirling, she looked up as her eyes darted around to look for a mirror, a reflection. But before she could find one, the door opened from the room, revealing a man and a woman, their eyes wide with worry, creased at the edges. The woman hurriedly runs up to the small girl with a furrowed in consternation, "Mal! My sweet! Are you alright? Nothing hurt?" the woman asked, then the man walked up and crouched down to the small saint's level, "Are you breathing well? No injuries? Pain?" the man inquired, his eyes glistening with worry.

 

Mallaithe's face was puzzled before she figured that these must be her parents, 'Our parents... do parents are always like this to their small one?' Mallaithe relaxed her shoulders, her eyes softening, 'We've never seen our parents before... New soul, you are lucky.'

 

To feel such warmth, her mother embracing her, her father asking for any injuries, 'Is this what normal humans experience?' Mallaithe thought, 'How...' Mallaithe's eyes glistened, her tears came flowing one by one till it drops like a slow river, "Mal?! What is it?" the father asked but the small saint shook her head and returned the mother's hugs with her arms embracing the mother. Such comfort, such warmth and love, Mallaithe never experienced this.

 

'How... soothing...' Mallaithe sniffled and so did the other souls.

Minutes later, Mallaithe is positioned on her bed sitting up while her parents are right beside her, “How are you feeling?” the mother asked.

 

Mallaithe curls up her lips in a soft smile, “I feel… alright, thanks to you.” Mallaithe’s answer caused her parents to widen their eyes and gush out tears. Making Mallaithe let out a single drop of sweat in a cartoonish way, “What’s wrong?” she asks but that only makes them cry even harder and causes them to quickly hug Mallaithe and in her puzzlement, she doesn’t know where to put her hands and keeps quiet.

 

“Our dear daughter!!” The mother announced with a huge sob, “She– she–!! To think she’d ever say thank youuu!! Uhuhuhuhu!!” the mother cried out of joy.

 

The father sniffed before he said, “Could it be a miracle? Could you be changing for the better?” the father questioned, “Huhuhu… or the near death… experience made you open up your eyes??” he added with sobs between his sentences.

 

Hearing that, Mallaithe assumes that before she gained her consciousness, she was a terrible person, ‘But how can that be?’

 

‘With or without, I should still be able to carry out my duty as the Saint. I can’t have been terrible…’

 

Mallaithe ponders, attempting to think of possible reasons why but couldn’t focus on it as her ears fall into listening to her parents weep. Mallaithe opens her mouth, a tinge of shake, before solidifying her lips, “I… I’m sorry… I do not wish to be an evil person. I’ll try to be good from now on.” Mallaithe said, her heart sank with guilt when the parents stopped hugging her and looked at her with a worried look, or is it disdain? Mallaithe doesn’t know, she never knew this type of knowledge and that was when Mallaithe realized that although she now retains the previous’ life of the souls', all were blurry and distorted but even then, it was enough that she didn’t notice that there were some things she lacked.

 

The mother cupped Mallaithe’s face with her cold yet warm hands, “Mallaithe, you can change. I believe in that but don’t force yourself, okay?” the mother said, her lips smiling yet her eyes said something else.

 

“She’s right, if you force yourself to change overnight, you might pressure yourself and fall back to your old self. I’m sure you wouldn’t want that.” The father advised, placing his hand over Mallaithe’s, “Be patient for yourself as we support you patiently as well.” the father added, causing Mallaithe to smile at the parents' gesture, perfect parents for the growing saint.

 

‘I wonder how terrible I was before this…’ Mallaithe thought, staring into the parents’ eyes, the parents broke out cold sweats as they were unsure of what to do next when the mother clapped her hands once, gaining everyone’s attention.

 

“Well! For now, Mallaithe, you should rest.” The mother said as she pressed Mallaithe’s shoulders gently down to her pillows and tucked her in, “We’ll be right downstairs if you need us, and just in case, there’s a little bell on your desk. Ring it if you need something and the maid will give it to you.” after she explains everything, the parents give Mallaithe a kiss on the forehead before leaving her room.

 

Mallaithe stares at the door where her parents left and when she knew they were further gone, she sits up on her bed, clasping her hands together as she chants a small sentence in a whisper, “Granted Access: Dome of Whispers.”, expecting for the spell to work to basically make a dome around her bed so she could talk and shout without anyone hearing her outside of the dome. And for an odd reason, the spell didn’t work. Well, almost, there was a gather of wind between her palms before it dispersed.

 

‘Why is that?’ Mallaithe thought, she placed her hand on her chin and hummed before stretching out her hand before her, closing her eyes, feeling the wind gather, she opened her mouth to say, “Granted Access: Wind of Tales.” Mallaithe quickly opened her eyes, glowing like a true sapphire but it dimmed as quickly as the wind dispersed before her. She broke out a sweat, running down from her forehead. Mallaithe retracts her hands and observes her palms, clenching it to make a fist, ‘Am I too small to use Granted Access?’ Mallaithe thought, ‘Or that we have finally been weakened!’ an echo cheered in her head, causing her to feel excitement rather than glum.

 

“It’s a possibility.” Mallaithe whispers with her smile widening from ear to ear but it quickly diminishes when another echo whispers into her head, ‘We’ll have to wait and see first.’

 

Then a flurry of other voices echo throughout the mind of Mallaithe:

 

‘Fun killer!’ A fiery voice echoed.

 

‘Hmph! Can’t you wait for the fun to diminish?’ The echo questioned.

 

‘AAGHHH!! STOP! You’ll jinx it!!’ It shouted with its pitch high.

 

‘Guys, enough. You know it’s better not to get our hopes up…’ A calming voice tried to tone down the other.

 

‘If not weakened then… let’s get killed and reborn again… maybe then we’ll be in a weakened state…’ The echo groggily voiced out.

 

The echo who suggested to wait and see had enough of the other echoes whining and bantering that it shouted, ‘Enough!! Do you all think I want this?! Of course not! I’m just saying that since I remember that humans tend to accumulate their mana by the age of 12. We’re still 10. AND, did we not just see how close we are at activating Granted Access by being 10 only?’ the echo explained, the question of its last sentence got one echo thinking.

 

‘...you’re saying we’re still powerful? Even when we have consciousness?’

 

“Nothing lasts forever….” Mallaithe mumbled.

 

‘Ah… so this… haha… I suppose it is a possibility..’

 

The echoes, Mallaithe, they all thought the same thing, ‘A one chance in a lifetime. A free trial… is that it?’

 

Mallaithe looks down to her blanket, her eyes scrunching up, “It can’t be… will I… lose everything here?” Mallaithe said, “I… I just got here, everything is so fresh and warm.” Mallaithe mumbled, looking up to the window, she decided to get down off the bed and started walking up to the window, “Will I never get to see the world?” Mallaithe continued, recalling the memories of other souls, not one bit clear or vivid.

 

Mallithe stood in front of the window, the sill right above her head, she reached out her hand and attempted to climb up onto the sill and when she achieved her goal, her eyes widening up. Glowing by the view, the sun shining upon the land, the wind not harsh but gentle grazing into her skin and the plants around. Trees full of lush and life, bustling people at the far side out of the gate, smiling and chattering about.

 

She didn’t notice this before but, the quietness, the harmony and peace, Mallaithe felt a pang of longing in her heart like this was what she had been waiting for.

 

Her eyes glistened, “If… if I have to lose my consciousness for this peace then…” Mallaithe’s tears threaten to drop, “We’d be happy to do so….” Mallaithe said, smiling softly but a lightning in her head struck pain in her mind, losing her balance on top of the window sill. Fortunately, a kind wind pushed back in the room, letting her fall safely.

 

Mallaithe looks up with her hand supporting her from lying down on the ground, her eyes shaking, “No…” her voice shaky, “I don’t want that. We do not wish to help anymore!!” Mallaithe said, placing her hands to her head and pulling out her hair, “Something… I have to do something!” her eyes quickly darted around the room to find something to help her when she saw a bookshelf full of books.

 

“That’s it! The spell! A spell could help me!” Mallaithe sprinted to the shelf and started rummaging through the book. Luckily, like fate, the books are mostly about breaking a spell, a bond, a contract, anything about breaking from something, even separating self to break from a contract or a curse.

 

Sooner or later, books started to pile up and stacked in long length, Mallaithe sat down on the ground and started to read. It was fortunate that she could read the words through the memories of the previous souls.