“So, what am I supposed to do now?” I said, more peevishly than I intended. I was an adult, but I still felt like a child. To be honest, I still felt like a child dressing up as an adult, faking my way through life. “I’m just going to be a spinster forever, right? It’s not like I can do anything to change the past.”

“But what if I tell you…you can?” 

A small smile played on her lips.

The stars on the table between us started to twirl in motion, making me think that this seemed too realistic to be just a CG hologram.

“And how can I?” I wanted to know.

“By going back to the past, of course.” Her frail-looking finger made a linear motion across the table, and like a camera suddenly adjusting, the map of the universe zoomed in, concentrating on the planet we were both living in.

Her finger made a circle around Earth, and it looked as if the planet itself was living and breathing beneath her fingertip.

“If I will give you the chance to change the past, will you take it?” Her finger stopped moving on the tilting Earth. “Will you amend your past transgressions?” Her eyes were boring into me now, as if she was displaying my sins right in front of her eyes.

Her tone raised goosebumps on my arms. I wasn’t the nicest person, I had to admit, but I didn’t think that I did anything to warrant such a hard stare. I recounted the bad things I did from when I was a child. Back in college, I had definitely lied to my parents about staying over at Soyun’s place but was actually out partying with friends. Back in high school, I ended up smacking a bully in the face because she was making fun of Soyun’s weight. I also hid the truth that I didn’t like my mother’s fried chicken recipe. So, did I commit such a huge sin with the latter?!

As if Granny could read my thoughts again, she started to shake her head. “No, I am not talking about this current life you lead.”

“Phew.” I wiped an imaginary sweat on my brow. “That’s good to know. Only my mother would think that disliking her fried chicken is a huge transgression.”

The corner of Granny’s lips tilted upwards. My witty remarks made her crack a smile, but what kind of sin did she mean?

“I am talking about your past lives.” Her smile was getting more mysterious, as if she liked making me feel uneasy.

“Past lives, huh?” I remarked, propping my chin against a knuckle on the table. “I honestly don’t know what I believe in, but let’s say if I do believe in things such as past lives, then are you telling me I have to go back to my past life and change the course of history?”

“My dear, your future is your present, as a result of the past.”

That couldn’t get any more cryptic. What was she trying to say?! I wanted to pull my hair out! This granny was stressing me out so much that I may end up being as old as she was when I step out of the shop.

I tried to calm myself down. “What did I do in the past to receive such bad karma?”

Granny shook her head, silver-white hair cascading down her shoulders. “I cannot tell you. You will know once you have arrived, as it is your past. You would know yourself better than I.”

“Okay, I’m gonna get outta here.” I lifted my butt off the chair, ready to leap out the door, but granny wasn’t listening to me, and instead continued her speech. 

“I have to send you to the beginning of it all, my dear. I am doing this only for you.” Granny looked down at her wizened hands, a sorrowful look in her eyes. She then rubbed her hands together, as if she was suddenly cold. “I have seen many of your past lives, but it is your first life that has impacted the rest of your lives so much. The karma you have accumulated in your first life, prevents you from seeking happiness in love. You need to go back to the past, make amends, and find the one you are destined to be with.” 

“Right. The one I was destined to be with.” I nodded my head, completely understanding…that this was total BS. 

“My dear, it is up to you to discern what I say is true. But what will you lose in believing?” 

Aside from time? I assumed this consultation was free of charge as what the sign outside of the shop said. 

What will you lose in believing?

I replayed what she said in my head over and over again. It was true. What did I lose in believing?

“Alright.” I gave a heavy sigh. If this was false, and I didn’t end up going to my past life, then I could just go back to work and keep having my thirsty dreams. It was as simple as that. “But granny, you mentioned you know about my dreams. Is there some sort of relation between my dreams and my past life?”

“Perhaps.” Granny gave a secret smile, not even bothering to give me a definite answer to my question. I was getting kind of used to it, so I didn’t throw another tantrum.

“I will now return you to key moments of your past, my dear.” 

“Right. Okay.” If I wanted to find answers, then I should just start finding them on my own. There was no use in dilly-dallying, now that she claimed to be able to help me go back to the past. “So, how are you going to bring me back? Are you part of a company that sells a Time Machine? I haven’t heard of such a ground-breaking invention before, though. Is that even legal? Do I have to pay you for this? How much is it? I don’t think—”

But before I could finish my rapid-fire speech, the universe inside the table started to float upwards, ensconcing me within its stars and matter.

“W-What—” My body suddenly felt lighter, and as I raised my hands, I found that I could see right through them! I was bewildered. “Granny, this is obviously beyond the scope of a 4D hologram—” 

“Do not worry. I have faith that you will break the chains that you had wrought upon yourself in the past. You are a different person now, and your soul has undergone many changes throughout your different lives.” She still continued to smile at me, a smile so iridescent as she added, “As you have believed in me, I believe in you.”

“I don’t think I’m ready—” I didn’t like the feeling of not being able to control my circumstances, and having my body become transparent with each second, was freaking me out! 

“We will meet again, Lina.”

Everything suddenly disappeared from my sight, as if a black curtain had directly dropped down before me. While I struggled to make sense of this situation, a particular question bothered me.

How did Granny even know my name?