World After Worlds

Mia, who was watching the tragic tale unravel. She whispered to Francis like a devil, "A promise? Is that enough? She deceived you once, she can do it twice. But if you eat her, she will be part of you, Francis. She will be yours forever."

'That was the only way,' he thought. Francis, who went insane, believed Mia.

When Francis came to his senses, everything was over and done. Azkin died and 'eaten', and he was the one who did all that. But how? How did he do it? He could not hurt her at all. All those years, he could not touch her if she did not want to but he stabbed her, killed her like that? How? Because she was sorry for deluding him? So, she voluntarily offered herself to him as a token of apology? Was he supposed to be thankful for benevolence? Francis' mind after realizing what happened, went astray. He hated her, he loved her, he killed her… she was gone, she was part of him, he lost her.

Mia brainwashed Francis, he became a living dead and made him see her as Azkin. They lived harmoniously, and magnanimously, their immortality gave them a chance to be alive for two centuries. And then, suddenly, they began to age and heard a voice that they were cursed for consuming God's daughter.

Mia bore the sons and daughters of Francis, Francis still thought that Mia was Azkin, so he was overjoyed having children with her. As they grew old, the powers they had began to wither, and Francis died- thinking that he grew old with the woman he loved.

Five reincarnations, that was what Azkin promised to Francis.

The first reincarnation, she was a noble, he was a commoner. She fell in love with him, he fell in love with her. They eloped, he had an affair with someone and killed her to marry the woman he cheated with.

The second reincarnation, she was a wandering gypsy,  he was royalty. They fell in love, born with low status, she became one of his concubines but got disparaged when she could not bore him an heir. Eventually, she died by his blade when women on the harem conspired to frame her for treason.

In the third reincarnation, they were both simple students.  She was a scholar, he was a delinquent. They fell in love, but he lost the spark soon enough. Bored, he decided to play with her with some other guys. They r-aped her. She died.

The fourth reincarnation, she was a painter, he was a hustler. One more time, they fell in love. They were poor, and he had to do something to live somewhat better than he currently did. He sold her to the black market- there, she died.

The original was her fifth reincarnation, and when Lyndon killed the original, the promise was fulfilled. She only loved him for five reincarnations. She paid her debt in the most gruesome way. She could be finally set free from the miserable cycle, but she couldn't ascend in heaven because of one thing, she failed to take back the parts of her soul that were consumed by Mia and Francis… She was incomplete.

Yanarym opened her eyes, the drizzled raindrop hit her face. She was glad that she chose to avenge the original. If not, her soul would be forever trapped in the Xleyl. Since Matteo and the other brothers, even their father could not trace Azkin's soul. There was no way they could help her solve her dilemma. Today, she had to take back what she gave Francis. With that, Azkin could finally go home to heaven.

Yanarym dressed up and left Matteo in the house. She went to Lyndon's house and saw him leaning on the gate, waiting for her.

"Did you wait for long?" She wrapped her arms on his torso and tiptoed to peck on his cheeks.

Lyndon smiled widely and cupped her face, "Where do you want to go?" He asked, she pressed her lips together and shrugged her shoulders.

"I will go wherever you want me to go." She sweetly uttered.

Lyndon had no idea that she would ascend tonight. The agreement was she would live with Kraig for three months, three months on Lyndon, and three months on Matteo. It was a shift, a rotation. Meaning, they thought after her three months with Matteo. She had to do another cycle of three months with them once more. That was what Kraig and Lyndon knew. They weren't informed that 'their' three months would be the first and last time.

"Do you want to go out of town?" Lyndon proposed and she nodded, "Or what about on the hill? Or to the riverside? How about we go to the meadow?" He suggested ardently, Yanarym only smiled and held his hand tightly.

One of her tasks was not to fall in love with anyone, and it was just sad that there was really no love. The original wasn't in love with any of them at all. Her love solely belonged to Matteo---and that love was locked on Francis' soul, she had to get it back.

They went everywhere Lyndon wanted to go and they were exhausted by the sunset. They lay on the bed in Lyndon's room, resting…

"Do you want to have dinner here?" She shook her head. "You will be in Matteo's care starting tomorrow, I don't think I can live without you for six months."

"You can manage, I know. You did manage it when I was with Kraig." She said and he turned to her to embrace her tenderly.

"I'm missing you already." Yanarym didn't speak anymore. She understood why Azkin gave her five reincarnations to devote to loving Francis despite knowing that she couldn't be truly in love. She was sorry…Yanarym was sorry, too.

She fixed her eyes on Lyndon's and kissed him without a warning. He was startled but immediately recovered and kissed her back. She then took back another part of Azkin through the kiss. It was her heart…her love. Lyndon gradually lost consciousness.

"I'm sorry, Francis. But I gave you five lives, five lifetimes, five chances to love me but you... Instead, you killed me, repeatedly. This love… is just not meant to be." Her whisper was soft, it was cold as well.

"I tried, Azkin tried, you tried, five times. I tried," Yanarym said, "Brother Gilo used to tell me before I descended from heaven that I was destined to die at the hand of the person I loved the most." She added and stood up from bed. "And I've loved you five times, you killed me five times too." Yanarym knew Lyndon became conscious but too weak to move. Yanarym leaned over him to kiss him again and to steal the energy he had so that he wouldn't be able to move until tomorrow. But he could hear and feel everything as of the moment.

"I have to leave with Matteo tonight. This would be our last encounter, I wanted to erase your memory but I have no right to do that. However, if you wish to forget me, you could drink the potion I left in your collection of wands." Yanarym said and peered at his eyes, he was forcing himself to wake up. "Farewell, Lyndon, I had fun staying here." That was Azkin's goodbye and also Yanarym's goodbye. She left his house without looking back.

Guide-sama: "Why did you have to give his memories from the very beginning?"

"Do you mean all the five lives including where he killed Azkin?"

Guide-sama: "Yes, also, you showed him the original's ending too, where he killed her too, are you trying to kill him in devastation?"

"I'm not, I am only doing my job. I promised to teach him a lesson or be his karma. And I will do that before leaving."

Guide-sama: "And now, you are heading to your second victim?"

"Yes, it's time to say goodbye to him as well."

Guide-sama: "... You will break their hearts in just one night? Can't you take it easy? Why are you in a hurry to leave?"

"Well, I'm awakening… Matteo would detect Azkin's soul within me."

Guide-sama: "Is that bad?"

"It's not but I wanted to make Matteo grieve, even just a little too."

Guide-sama: "...what did he do to you? Why would you make him suffer?"

"Nothing to me, but to Azkin, he did one thing that caused her too many heartaches, don't you agree?"

Guide-sama: "... didn't you show that you are deeply in love with him? How could you hurt him?"

Yanarym smiled, "Sometimes, you can use love as revenge too."

Guide-sama: "... What does that mean?"

"Watch." Yanarym halted in front of the door of the second man who needed to hear her farewell.

"Rym?" Kraig was surprised as she appeared at his door at night falls. He wasn't expecting her. "Why did you come?" He asked, smiling like a fool. Yanarym peered at him and smiled back.

Guide-sama: "...oh, boy."