Wicked Reincarnation

A large round space opened up. There were no corpses. Only three tombstones were in the middle. It was a place where Lia's desperation faded and where her journey began.

A terrible, heartbreaking yet beautiful journey.

For the graves being here for thousands of years, they were still in an extraordinarily good shape. The stones haven't crumbled or fallen apart at all. Maybe it was the abyss and everything here that protected them. The previous and original kings.

Back then Lia had no idea what these names meant but now she knew and for some reason she felt a sense of familiarity, kneeling in front of their tombs.

Lin, Yana and Theo. There should be a fourth name. Mani who was buried with Theo.

Lia let her fingers glide across the engraved names. Back then, she felt the incredible urge to dig their graves out and couldn't control her body but now she felt calm.

Maybe they gave her power through that way. However, now Lia stood on equal footing with them and walked on the same horrendous path they once had to. Maybe worse than theirs or better. Lia couldn't fathom what they felt just as no one else could imagine her pain and feelings.

Yet Lia briefly bowed and whispered, "I'm back."

She hesitated. It was weird to talk to dead people she didn't know but the same cursed fate ran through their veins, so in a sense, they were similar to each other, "Thank you for lending me your power."

Once these words faded, Lia felt a warm current curiously engulfing her body, seemingly trying to figure her out before it brushed past her cheeks and disappeared forever.

She might have imagined it or might have not. But she felt an invisible bond tying her to the graves, "I'm sorry, I lost your ring."

Lia didn't expect anything from visiting the graves, she only wanted to meet them again and convey these words. Lia has already gotten more than enough power from the statue.

For a while, Lia remained in front of the graves. It was soothing and had the same effect as visiting the graves of her parents that never existed. Lia bathed in the melancholic feeling and soaked in all the emotions, the stories and the regrets that flew through the air seemingly coming from the graves. As if Lia sat there listening to the Kings' stories they weren't able to tell themselves.

Until lightning erupted from the sky. Lia jumped up and stared with a complicated gaze at the current that formed above her. Did Lia do something wrong? Did she enrage the kings?

The turn of the weather was too sudden. The abyss has always been tranquil with darkness and eeriness. So, why did such unruly weather appear?

Lia figured it was time to leave when a storm brewed around her and slammed her to the ground. Loud howls echoed from her ears to her mind. She couldn't orientate herself and remained to kneel on the ground with her head down. Her body felt heavy and screamed in anguish.contemporary romance

Slight panic overcame Lia. What was going on? How could she escape this? The chaos that surrounded her body was mirrored in her mind until suddenly a loud voice vibrated in Lia's head.

It was neither female nor male. Andrygenous. It was neither gentle nor cold. Emotionless. It had no origin yet it was everywhere. Omniscient.

Lia's head felt like it'd explode. She wanted to see if the graves would be alright but her head was forced to look at the ground.

There was nothing she could do except listen to the voice numbing all of her senses.

"Lia."

Lia couldn't answer. She wanted to but her mouth didn't open.

"You came back to this place. A place symbolising the beginning yet the end."

Who was that? Could it be the Immortal King? The Ghost King?

"You came back to continue your suffering. Isn't that so?"

No, Lia wanted to scream but it was futile.

"The Immortal King thought he could defy us. Immortals and mortals alike. They all think they could overthrow our words. You were the same. You didn't listen to us and now you're begging for another way."

Lia didn't understand. The magnitude of the voice was too brilliant, too chaotic.

"However, we will lend you our help. To stop the Ghost King who also wants to defy us."

Suddenly, Lia understood. She understood who this voice belonged to and the anger hidden in it.

It belonged to a being, a place that was a myth, a legend that was unattainable yet present yet not present. Just as for the mortals god's existence couldn't be proven, they believed in him and in him who was the origin of many things.

Just as for mortals there was a god, gods, the immortals had something similar and it was heavens. Not a god but just heavens. A universe that created this world. No immortal knew what heaven was, no immortal had ever spoken to heavens or confirmed its existence. Apart from the Immortal King.

Now Lia had the same luck. Or cursed luck. If heavens chose to descend and talk to a lowly immortal, it might never be anything good. As soon as Lia realised who the voice was, she also understood why she was in this defiant position and could open her mouth because she was finally aware of her position and status compared to heavens.

"Help?"

"Yes, we will give you the full power of the Immortal King to stop the current Ghost King."

It was a tempting offer. Yet anything that was too good to be true was indeed too good to be true because there was always a disadvantage.

Just as the Immortal King became the mightiest being, he was forever cursed. There was no take. Only give and take.

"No thank you," Lia refused.

The thunder growled and the storm around Lia tore into her body. Fleshy wounds and blood streamed.

"You dare to oppose our help? Why, arrogant immortal?"

"Ha," Lia managed to sneer, "Because I don't want to become your puppet or slave."

Lia didn't only want to bring down Min but also heavens. This cursed fate, she would overturn it together with heavens, gnash them underneath her feet.

"It is the only way for you to succeed. The Immortal King came into being thanks to our graciousness."

"And thus generations had to suffer, including me."

"Anything requires a sacrifice."

Lia sneered again. Heavens was neither benevolent nor gracious.

"Then what about Min? Why doesn't he have the cursed fate as the Ghost King? Rather than that, why do you want to stop him? Is it because you can't control him as you could with me?"

Heavens was silent. Lia guessed right. Min was a variable outside their expectations. And it seemed that heavens couldn't directly be involved in the worlds' matter. Then if both worlds were to disappear, how would it affect heavens?

Would they be scared of such an outcome and thus reached their hand out to Lia to stop Min? Why didn't they do it sooner? Was it because they could only do it in the abyss? Thus they patiently waited for Lia?

Lia knew all of this could never, would never be answered by heavens. So, she could only base everything on her own speculations. But one thing was clear.

Heavens also wanted Min to disappear and they couldn't interfere personally, Lia was their only hope. Lia had to believe in this hypothesis.

"You should know he isn't a legitimate Ghost King."

Lia was slightly stunned by these words. Min wasn't? But it didn't make sense. If talking about legitimate, shouldn't Lia not be the real Immortal King? After all, Min had the blood of the first Immortal King's family, so Min was a true king, wasn't he?

"Oh foolish girl," heavens seemed to mock Lia, "In your blindness, blinded by love, you alone have crowned him the Ghost King. Not us. We did not choose him. It was all you."

Lia didn't understand. Back then, heavens had only chosen Lin as an Immortal King, after that, it was solely Lin giving his power to create the Ghost King- wait, that was why the Ghost King all met with a bad fate but wasn't it the cursed fate?

Did heavens have to choose and approve of the king? Was that why Lia didn't inherit the true Immortal King's power? Because she wasn't chosen by heavens until now? Because they needed her help?

"To become the Ghost King, the trial needs to be completed. You alone have gone through the trials and we have told you, warned you not to do them for a fate only ending in devastation will await you. Yet you had not heeded our words. You who managed to complete the trials, we have chosen you, only for you to transfer your power to someone else. You could've become the Ghost King."

Lia's worldview shattered. No way. There was no-

"Because we pitied your fate, we have given you a portion of the Immortal King's power. Your trial has begun ever since then and your fate has been sealed. You might have not inherited all of the Immortal King's power but declaring yourself as the Immortal King with the accumulation of your past sins, you cannot avoid your punishment, a shackle as heavy as fate."

Lia wanted to say something but heavens continued, "Lending you our help is our benevolence you shouldn't deserve. We will acknowledge you as the true Immortal King."

Laughter rose in Lia's throat but it didn't make it past her lips, "I don't need your approval. I will continue on my own and choose my own fate. Just watch me. Sit back in heaven and twirl your thumbs!"

Lia didn't need to obey her fate created by someone, something that only watched and did not understand. All of her suffering, pain and disaster she would put an end to it herself. As well as heavens.

"Oh, foolish girl. You too defy us. Do not regret your choice. A worse fate can only befall you."

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