I stared at her as she told this story. “You seem so calm about it all.”
“Well, I’ve had a lot of time to process it,” the spirit laughed. I couldn’t help but smile back.
“I’m glad you’ve found peace with it,” I nodded. “So what did you mean? I’m extenuating… what?”
“Oh,” she sighed. “I suppose there’s much you still haven’t learned. I’m sorry I have to be the one to tell you.”
I felt my palms get clammy. “Wh-what do you mean? Is it something bad?”
“Oh, no!” she said quickly. “Not at all, my Queen. It’s just… a lot. I don’t want you to feel overwhelmed.”
I took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay… where do we start then?”
She smiled, and I couldn’t help but feel more at ease when she did. She had such a calming air. “Why you really came. Your prophecy.”
I got chills but stayed silent and nodded, wanting to hear what she had to say as quickly as possible.
“When Minerva told Death of my prophecy the day she died, she told him there were rulers of the Underworld, Earth, and the Upper World. That wasn’t what I said to her years ago. I said the universe would be knocked out of balance, and when it was, the third member of the triad would take her place, when she was needed. Death rules the Underworld, Life rules the Upper World, and Spirit rules the Middle World.”
“What?” I cocked my head. “What’s the Middle World?”
“My Queen,” she laughed softly. “The Middle World is your world, the realms between life and death. All of them.”
I looked down at the mossy ground and tried to process what she said. That made no sense. “Like Earth… and… the fae realm?”
Alless nodded. “And the ogre realm, the witch realm, all of them. Highness, it is your destiny to rule all of these.”
She seemed so calm. I, on the other hand, felt like I was about to throw up. Could I throw up in the Bay of Souls? Technically, I had no body here.
“Please,” she said quickly. “Don’t fear this, Myrcedes. This has been your destiny as long as ruling the Underworld has been Death’s or the Upper World has been Life’s.”
“You mean Daath and Syrion?” I frowned. “What do you- how is that possible? They’re millions of years old, and I’m-”
“So are you.” She paused to let me take that in, but I felt even more confused. “Your soul was born at the same time as theirs. For millennia after millennia, you have been reborn.”
I blinked, and in the sheer amount of time it took to take a breath, I felt as though I’d been hit by a wall. Just like the day that Minerva revealed to Daath who I was and my childhood memories flooded back, I had the experience once again. Flashes of lives, of faces, names, places, and memories exploded in my mind.
I leaned forward and held my head in my hands, feeling a strange sensation. It wasn’t so much a pain as it was a pressure. I felt my eyes get hot like I was about to cry. I felt Alless’s hand on my shoulder, and it reminded me to breathe. “What’s happening?”
“You’re recalling everything. Don’t worry, Highness, it will pass in a moment. It’s quite a bit to take in.”
“Why didn’t anyone tell me about reincarnation?”
“No one else knows,” she shook her head. “No one else ever is.”
“What? Why me?” I looked up, feeling the pressure subside, wiping my eyes. “I… Alless, I don’t understand.”
“I know.” She nodded, and her dark hair seemed to bounce in waves. “Don’t worry, my Queen. Let me explain. The balance between chaos and unity, good and bad, every meaningful dichotomy of the universe has been in place for ages, and while it was, there was no need for the realms to be united under one ruler. At the beginning of time, your soul was conceived, and you lived your lives in peace. If you lived as many lives as possible, as different people, different creatures, different circumstances, once you reached this point, you would be prepared to be an effective Queen.”
“Minerva has been trying to destroy the balance, to expand her power since she became a Queen, and she was bound to succeed, eventually. Once she did, you would be necessary. She finally generated enough power amongst her alliances to threaten the balance. At that point, she felt confident enough to come after you, so you were united with Death and Life, Daath and Syrion.” Alless paused and, for the first time, seemed to have real hesitation. “I have debated asking this. I’ve received prophecies of your life for so long, I feel as though… I apologize, my Queen,” she shook her head. “I don’t mean to overstep.”
“No,” I said quickly. “Please, tell me. You don’t have anything to worry about.”
She smiled and bowed her head in gratitude. “Much of what I know about you is not specific. I’ve wondered for years how the triad would be brought together. Please tell me if it’s not too much to ask, how did you meet them?”
“Of course.” I grinned, both in amusement at how humble she was and from remembering all those months ago when I’d first bumped into the twins. “I was on my way to work, and they were just there. They had on
