Reincarnation

Lena

I was still in shock from what I had just witnessed. I wandered through the ancient streets of Kael's planet, trying to absorb every detail and fight against the whirlwind of emotions consuming me. At some point, I had started doubting everything I thought I knew about him. After all, the image of him, young and in love, kissing that woman who looked so much like me still burned in my mind.

As I moved, a strange feeling of displacement wrapped around me. Each step echoed as if I were walking between shadows of the past. It felt as though I were a ghost, trapped between two worlds I couldn't touch.

The city was different—not just because of the years that had passed, but because of the life radiating from every corner. Children played in the streets, aliens conversed and laughed, and the buildings stood intact, untouched by the wear and damage Kael’s planet would later endure from time and battles. Everything seemed vibrant and in perfect harmony, as if I were witnessing an idealized version of this place.

I knew I was in another time, but I didn’t know how I had ended up here, let alone how I could return to my own time. I tried to speak to a few people, but as I suspected, no one noticed me. It was as if I were an invisible shadow, a forgotten memory.

After wandering aimlessly, my feet carried me back to the place of the ceremony. Kael and his wife were gone, but traces of the celebration remained scattered on the ground. Exotic flower petals covered the floor, and their soft scent lingered in the air. I crouched down, picking up one of the petals, trying to understand why I felt such a strange connection to that woman.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps behind me. My heart raced, and I turned, half-expecting to see Kael again, but what I found was even more enigmatic.

It was a hooded figure, shrouded in shadows, its features nearly indistinguishable. It seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, as if it had been lurking, watching me.

“Who... who are you?” My voice trembled, though I wasn’t sure the figure would respond.

But, against all odds, the figure tilted its head and spoke, with a soft and familiar voice. “I am someone who knows time... and the secrets it holds.”

A chill ran down my spine, and something told me I should listen carefully to every word.

“What am I doing here?” I asked, my voice filled with desperation. “Why am I seeing Kael’s past? Who was that woman... and why does she look so much like me?”

The figure stayed silent for a few seconds, as if pondering my question. Then it stepped forward, and the darkness surrounding it seemed to pull back slightly. “You are here to learn, to understand what was lost. Love... and loss. Kael needs someone to remind him of who he once was, to save him from himself.”

I swallowed hard, trying to grasp the implications of that revelation. “But how can I help him? I don’t even know if I can return to my own time. And even if I could... I’m not the woman he loved.”

The figure nodded slightly, and for a moment, I thought I saw something familiar in the shadow of its face, an expression I knew well. “You don’t need to be her. You just need to understand. He needs you as you are, but for that, you need to see what he saw, to feel what he felt.”

My hands trembled. It was becoming clearer that what I thought I knew about Kael was only the surface. I felt torn between the desire to understand and the fear of discovering truths that could change everything between us.

“That woman... she was the love of his life, wasn’t she?” I whispered, feeling a lump form in my throat.

The figure hesitated, then nodded. “Yes. She was his heart, his inspiration... but also his downfall. Just as you could be his salvation.”

“But how?” I insisted, desperately searching for answers. “Why do I look like her? Why is there this connection between us?”

The figure looked to the horizon, where the sun began to set, painting the sky with alien colors. “Some souls are destined to meet, even if in different lives and times. The universe always finds a way to connect those who are essential to each other’s stories.”

“You’re saying I’m a... reincarnation of her?” The idea was nearly impossible to believe, but everything around me was already defying logic.

The figure stepped back, fading again into the shadows. “It doesn’t matter what you are in relation to her past. What matters is who you choose to be for him now.”

I stood there, motionless, as the stranger disappeared into the darkness. Alone again, with questions multiplying in my mind, I looked up to the night sky, where unfamiliar stars were beginning to appear.

The planet, in its ancient beauty, was a mystery and a torment. I was closer to the truth, but also further from understanding what all of this meant for me and for Kael.