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The small branches under her bare feet snapped as Aria wondered through the dark forest. She felt a rush of cool breeze against her body and the tingling sensation of anxiety and fear. She looked up and adjusted her eyes to the bright light from above. The sun peeked just above the tall trees, hovering on top like a carnival tent. 

She moved her body again, stretching it, while carefully looking around the forest to try and remember if this was a hiking trail she had taken before. But only large green trees surrounded her, and it appeared as though nothing could exist beyond them. 

Aria pinched herself to make sure she was not dreaming. She then raised her arm to check if her body still had flesh. Although her arm felt flimsy, she knew she still had flesh and bone, and that gave her a sense of relief – at least she was not a wondering ghost. 

I’m not dead, am I?

Curiosity rose in her as she carefully observed the dark spaces in between the trees – they were hollow. Since she had been wondering around for some time now, she decided to take a chance and enter through one of the spaces. She went in and it led her right back to the same place she started from. She decided to enter again, and it does the same thing. 

Aria’s face paled.

This place was not normal, and she was sure this was no longer Korea, or earth for that matter. Whatever this place was, her gut feeling told her she was trapped. There was no escape. 

Aria quickly grew frustrated and fell to her knees. Just when she was about to give up, and say her last prayers, she heard a faint sound of laughter from afar. The laughter grew louder, and echoed through the tall trees, vibrating them as it continued. 

Suddenly the laughter rang so loud that all the trees around Aria shook. The trees swayed, and rustled like it was under water. 

I need to get out of here.

Aria quickly got up from the ground and ran towards the sound of the laughter. As she continued running towards it, it only grew louder. She gulped. She knew that if she followed this sound, she would find someone there and possibly escape this terrible nightmare. 

Suddenly Aria stopped.

The laughter was slowly fading away, as if this world was telling her…

You deserve no hope. 

“Help me! Please!” she pleaded, afraid that the sound would disappear.

Suddenly a bright light flash in front of her. The sound of the rustling trees stopped immediately, and a light flickered through a section of the trees. 

A sense of relief fell over her as she spotted that escape route. She took a step in, and gasped at the sight she saw before her. The sun was finally visible, and the trees that surrounded her were no longer there. She wiped the sweat around her forehead, and finally caught her breath. 

But just as soon as she took her breath, it stopped just as fast. 

In front of her was a beautiful white marbled gazebo, and beyond that was a glistening blue pond. Two figures stood still, looking at Aria. A man stepped forward cautiously.

“How did you get here?” the man asked suspiciously, and snapped Aria back to reality. “How were you able to enter this realm?!”

 Aria shook in fear, concerned she may have entered a forbidden area. She did not know what this place was, but whatever it was, it was better than where she came from. 

Aria finally took a deep breath. The man was tall, with short green hair, and wore a white and gold gown decorated with traditional designs, and strapped by his side was a large golden sword. It shimmered so brightly that Aria had to squint her eyes.

“Rai,” a sweet, almost melodious voice was heard behind him. “Move so I can see the young lady.” 

Rai hesitated to move, but the sweet voice made it hard to ignore. 

“Lady Klo, this girl should not be here,” he said and continue to glare at Aria. 

“Rai, I don’t like repeating myself,” Lady Klo said again, more stern. 

Finally, Rai moved to the side. 

Aria’s eyes widen as a beautiful lady appeared before her. The lady was adorned in gold and various jewels, and her hair was long and blonde. She was also in a gown decorated and embroidered with traditional designs. Instantly, Aria’s eyes lowered when she realized the lady was a being beyond mortals – she was a goddess. 

“I apologize on behalf of my friend here,” Lady Klo said to her and smiled. “Are you perhaps lost?”

“Yes,” Aria muttered so low that she could barely hear herself. “Can you help me get back to where I came from –” 

“She’s already dead...” Rai interrupted. “It’s impossible for her to go back into a dead body.”

Aria’s eyes shook. 

“Please!” Aria finally shouted. “I beg of you, please help me get back. I need to get back. I need to–  ”

“That’s absurd,” Rai interrupted again. “You need to accept your fate, and just reincarnate.” 

Aria clenched her hand. There’s no way she can accept this fate. She just died on accident, and in such a way that was so regretful, so wasteful. And just when she was finally getting her life together and doing what she loved. 

Aria paused. 

If only she had not met Taehyung. If only he did not come into her office that morning.

As she was lost in thought, Lady Klo had walked to her, and covered her hands with hers. Aria stared at the beautiful lady and wondered if this heavenly place could really help her – if being here was not truly a coincidence. 

Lady Klo flashed a warm smile, and nodded her head, as if she heard Aria’s thoughts.

“I like you.” Lady Klo said again. “And I would like to help you, Aria.” 

Aria’s eyes lit up. 

Lady Klo pulled her towards the blue pond behind them, and a sense of warmth suddenly filled Aria’s chilled body. 

“Lady Klo!” Rai shouted in frustration. “You shouldn’t touch the fate of others like this so easily. Not without a valid reason.” He looked over to Aria. His hand was now on his golden sword.

The girl looked so normal, but there was something dark and sinister hovering around her. Rai knew it was best that they do not mess with that.

“There is a valid reason,” Lady Klo answered, and slightly squeezed Aria’s hand. “This young lady is eternally cursed to reincarnate with the same fate."

Lady Klo closed her eyes. 

“It is such a treacherous cursed fate that her appearing before me, and seeking for my help may be a chance of salvation given to her by the heavens.” 

Aria was confused. “Eternally cursed to reincarnate with the same fate?” she questioned under her breath. Was that even possible? To keep being reborn in the same life, same destiny, same fate, forever? Aria wondered this as her head fell to looking at her feet. 

“Every being born into this universe is woven a thread of fate. This fate determines how one's life will be, and how long it will last – and this fate is rethreaded each time a being is reborn. However, your fate is cursed to be the same, never changing, and never evolving.”

“Am I being punished?” she questioned to herself.

She thought about all abuse and neglect her parents have given her – where no good memories have ever existed, and this was because of some cursed fate given to her by the heavens. Aria’s body trembled.

What kind of miserable life was this. 

Unable to control herself, her tears fell one by one.

“I can help you,” Lady Klo said and lifted Aria’s fallen head. “Us meeting like this is not by coincidence. It’s also meant to be.”

Aria continued to cry, unable to answer, or even take breath. 

So many horrible, and unfortunate things have happened her, but Lady Klo just confirmed that this was all due to some cursed fate, and that it was out of her control. All the trauma and pain she had experienced thus far did not occur because of her - although she had always blamed herself.

A sense of relief fell over her…it was not her fault. But it still hurt, and that does not disappear so easily.

“I don’t want to keep reliving like this…” Aria finally uttered. “Please help me end this?”

Lady Klo smiled at her request and put her hand over Aria’s forehead. 

At that moment, hundreds of previous lives haunted Aria’s mind. 

Like heavy boulders that had been dumped over her body and mind – the memories reappeared, disappeared, and reappeared. She had been reborn in hundreds of different timelines, universes, realms, and bodies. Although it was a quick glance at those lives, the familiar feelings of pain, anger, hate, and despair all reentered her body as if they finally found their home, inside her soul. But there was something in those memories that kept reoccurring. 

The same face. The same body. The same voice – calling out to her.

Aria gasped at the final scene where she fell down the stairs in her current life. 

Lady Klo removed her hand. “Did you see anything that was familiar?” Lady Klo asked, although she already knew who it was. 

“It was Tae – ...” Aria said, then paused. “No. It was Lucien.”