The faint sound of trumpets marked the beginning of a melodious dance. The crowd, hands intertwined, began to spin to the rhythm of the music.
The pianist caressed the keys with effortless grace, and each note ignited joy within the bodies that danced, celebrating a moment that felt eternal.
The light was dim, yet enough to bathe the hall in a golden glow. Among the moving shadows and servants carrying large silver trays, a young man stood in the distance.
He wore a black, well-fitted jacket — elegant and precise — a look that spoke of someone who didn't quite belong to that place.
Still holding the doorknob, the young man watched the scene with a mixture of awe and confusion.
"Where am I?" he whispered, his voice so faint it barely escaped his thoughts.
The echo of silence answered him. Around him, the music kept flowing, and the laughter drowned out every attempt at understanding.
Matías. That was his name. A stubborn yet brilliant young man, remembered for heroic acts in a past tainted by tragedy.
His body trembled. Even knowing where he was, he couldn't comprehend how he had returned to that place.
He looked up at his hands — they were no longer the ones from his present life, but those of his former self. A cold anger ignited in his chest.
His gaze swept across the dancing crowd until it found, at the far end of the hall, a young woman seated on a golden throne. She stared at him with the same intensity he offered her.
Without hesitation, Matías pushed through the crowd. Each step was a heartbeat pounding for answers.
He might have thought his questions remained unspoken, yet every thought echoed through the marble walls, as if the place itself were listening.
"Why do I have my old body?" he muttered through clenched teeth, his brow furrowed.
Confusion clouded his senses. So lost was he in his thoughts that he didn't see where he was going.
He collided with a waiter and fell backward, the crash resounding as the tray clattered across the floor.
"Are you all right, sir?" the waiter asked, startled.
Matías barely heard him. His mind couldn't process what was happening. He could move, he could feel… but something inside him knew none of this was real.
"How did I go from being in the hotel room… to this?" he whispered in disbelief.
Before he could think clearly, panic took over. Something deep within him remembered — this night would not end well.
He stood abruptly and began to run, pushing through the dancers. But no one seemed to notice. It was as if he were a ghost, drifting through a memory that wasn't his own.
And then, it happened. Despite running with all his strength, fear consumed him. He didn't make it.
The musicians played louder, bodies moved with greater passion… and time ran out.
Boom..!
The glass shattered in slow motion, fragments glinting like stars. People were thrown into the air, devoured by the shockwave.
Chandeliers crashed down, walls cracked, and the floor trembled with the fury of disaster.
The roar of debris drowned the echo of the music forever.
Cracks spread across the walls, and screams mixed with dust… until everything stopped.
The world froze at the very instant of tragedy.
Among the ruins of the hall, the young woman on the throne remained seated, unmoved. Her fingers, still joined, trembled slightly after snapping. Time had stopped.
From her vantage point, she could see Matías — his cry sliced through the still air as he fell to his knees, clutching his chest.
"Damn it… stop. I order you, Dextrina… stop!"
Ignoring his words, she walked toward him. Her steps were calm, almost graceful, as if she floated above the shattered ground.
She stopped before him and, with delicate fingers, lifted his face, forcing him to look at her.
Her voice lowered until it brushed against his ear — soft as a caress that burned.
"We meet again, darling. I've missed you so much."
Matías's eyes filled with tears. From the depths of his soul, a hellfire raged — not so much against her, but against his own kind.
The memory of that cursed day — the day he saw his mother die — pierced his chest like a blade. Reliving it was pure torment, an endless punishment.
She released her grip and took a few steps back. The sound of a broken man's ragged breathing filled the room.
Dextrina covered her lips with one hand, suppressing a mischievous smile… until Matías's scream reached her.
"I'll kill you, damn witch!"
His words made the air tremble. Dextrina watched him steady himself, and for a fleeting moment, something in her gaze flickered — caught between emotion and compassion.
Then, reality began to fracture.
The air itself cracked, and with it, the atmosphere of the entire room. Like a shattered painting, fragments of space reflected different memories of Matías — faces, battles, broken promises.
His restrained fury became tangible; the wooden floor split further, and from the cracks rose faint wisps of smoke and ash.
"That's enough," she whispered.
Satisfied with what she had witnessed, Dextrina snapped her fingers as she watched the young man lunge toward her, his eyes blazing with fury.
The sound was faint — yet enough.
Everything returned to its original state, rewinding to the exact moment the scene had begun.
POV: Kael Lanpar
Pain consumed me entirely. I felt the same helplessness I had endured countless times in my past life. To relive one of my most traumatic memories — to be forced to repeat it, even unwillingly — was simply unbearable.
I could feel the power of that cursed goddess surging through me, fueling me to end her cruel game. But before I could even summon the power of the Calur, a single snap stopped me cold.
Even with the urge to crush Dextrina's bones, I saw how everything returned to how it was before.
Time rewound, bringing me back to the exact moment I had opened the door. Everything around me regained its original form, undoing the tragedy.
The same music filled the air again. People danced once more — carefree, unaware of my presence.
"Stop this, Dextrina!" I shouted, my throat tearing apart. "I won't fall into your games again. What do you want from me?"
When I looked at her, she smiled — that same malicious smile. With another snap, time froze once more.
"I'm glad to see you again, my champion," she said as she slowly rose from the throne.
Just seeing her ignited my fury — a fury I struggled to contain… for my sake, and perhaps, for hers.
I turned my gaze to my right and saw my mother, frozen in time, chatting with a few people.
I knew this place was nothing more than an illusion, a creation within the goddess's domain — yet I couldn't let her harm my mother, even if she was just a reflection.
"I don't feel the same way about you," I said, my eyes narrowing as I began to circle her. "Why did you come here?"
"Why do you say that, dear?" she asked, and with a flick of her finger, the melody began again — as if rewinding a memory. "Can't I visit someone I care about?"
I placed a hand over my eyes, ashamed of the power I carried. Of the blood I had spilled. Of the blind faith I had once placed in the gods.
Without replying, I took the sword from one of the dancers. The metal caught the chandelier's glow as I raised it, then came down hard, piercing the wooden floor.
The floorboards groaned, echoing through the hall — dragging me back to reality.
"What is it you want, Dextrina?" I asked with a weary sigh. "It's been a long time… and now you appear out of nowhere."
I felt her hand rest softly against my cheek, caressing it with a tenderness I couldn't understand.
I tried to pull away, grabbing her wrist — but before I could react, a sharp slap crossed my face.
The sound echoed through the entire hall. I stood still, eyes downcast, unable to understand why.
"I thought you'd be happy to see me again," she said, crossing her arms. "I see you're not the same Matías I once knew."
I clenched my jaw and looked up. Her expression resembled that of a spoiled child — and yet, I couldn't help but feel compassion.
Something inside me had been tormenting me for some time now: certain memories from my past life were fading, erased from my mind as if they had never existed.
"I met your father recently," she said, pressing her forehead lightly against mine. "I don't know why he was chosen, but…"
For a moment, she paused. She blinked several times, searching for the right words, before finally sighing.
"Honestly… this is ridiculous. I don't understand how you always end up being the center of everything."
Before I could reply, her laughter shattered the silence.
"Not even my brothers — who have existed long before me — understand it. Tell me, Matías… what will you do now?"
Every time she offered me a choice, I analyzed it coldly, always seeking the path that led me closer to my purpose. But… not everything is about me.
Now I have more than a dream — I have a purpose I refuse to let go of. I have a family. People I love. People I must protect.
I took a deep breath, letting my heart steady, allowing my thoughts to align.
"What I'll do now," I said calmly, "is protect the ones I love."
"So, you've decided to live?" she asked in a voice strangely melancholic. "Perhaps you really have changed a little. I'm glad for you."
As the goddess of destiny, she was also the one who governed history itself. She knew what my past had been… and what my future would be.
But she would never tell me. Not because she didn't want to — but because even with all her knowledge of every living being's story, she was powerless to interfere directly.
That's why she chose me.
Someone capable of defying the course of destiny. A person willing to do anything to fulfill his vision.
"Now that you know my answer…" I asked, stepping back from her face. "What will you do? I'm no longer bound to your power. I'm free."
I saw her lips tremble. Her body too. The smile on her face was forced… and yet, it carried sadness.
"Yes, you're free now. But only from me," she replied softly.
She turned and walked toward the same door through which I had entered. Just before disappearing, she stopped.
"For now, enjoy it. You've earned it. Don't be afraid to love."
Before I could ask what she meant, the door closed.Time began to flow once more, and the same events repeated. The music swelled. And then, once again… the explosion.
A final tear escaped as I walked through the chaos.
I looked into my mother's eyes one last time, gripped the doorknob… and opened it, stepping into the white light.
I closed my eyes, drawn into that blinding radiance, unsure whether I was returning home — or simply to another encounter with the goddess.
The flashes faded. The light stopped blinding me, returning me to the darkness of night. When I opened my eyes, I realized I was back at the very moment before crossing the door. Once more, I could hear Airis's quiet sobs.
A long sigh escaped my lips. I was finally at peace.
Night had returned, and my grandfather's soft snores helped calm my fears, bringing me a rare sense of serenity.
Slowly, I approached Airis's bed.
I sat beside her, pulled a bit of the blanket up, and gently stroked her head, trying to soothe her.
"Leave me alone…" she murmured between sobs, still asleep.
Knowing she was probably dreaming, I said nothing. I rested my head against the wall and closed my eyes, letting exhaustion take me.
(The Next Morning)
Half asleep, I caught a faint voice that forced my eyes open. I blinked several times until I found my grandfather's smiling face.
"You two look so peaceful," he said softly. "If only I had a way to record the moment…"
I rubbed my eyes, adjusting to the morning sunlight. I yawned and sat at the edge of the bed, feeling the chill of the wooden floor against my bare feet.
"What time is it?" I mumbled sleepily. "And why are you making so much noise this early, Grandpa?"
"I don't know… maybe because this is just too adorable," he replied as he got ready. "Come on, wake up the sleeping beauty."
I sighed and flopped back down onto the bed — only to feel a sharp blow to my head. Turning around, I saw Airis rubbing her elbow with a pained expression. Before I could apologize, a pillow slammed into my face.
I didn't even have time to react. Instinctively, I grabbed my backpack — and in a heartbeat, I was out of the room. The door slammed shut behind me with one of Airis's well-aimed kicks.
Adjusting my backpack over my shoulders, I walked toward the hotel balcony.
The lively noise of merchants filled the streets below, mingling with the occasional neigh of a horse.
I rested my arms on the railing and let the sun touch my skin. Its warmth was comforting… but the confusion still lingered.
The wind brushed against my face, yet I couldn't shake off that deep unease.
The thought of losing my memories was terrifying — as if the body I now inhabited in this world was erasing my past, fragment by fragment.