The darkness felt more comfortable this time. Sara basked in the sensation of her original body becoming whole once again.

The goddess was swirling in the distance as usual. Sara clicked her tongue and crossed her arms, motions that felt more natural in her own flesh than they ever could in Lily’s.

“You’re as slow as ever,” mocked Sara. The shimmer of golden sparks seemed to shake a little in response, but Sara might have been imagining it.

The wait was boring, and Sara was surprisingly tired from her hunger strike. She wished she had somewhere to sit down.

Just as the goddess’s form appeared fully and began to approach, Sara felt something shift beneath her. She and the goddess looked at each other in equal surprise.

“Did you just summon a chair?” asked the goddess.

“Did I?” She looked down and saw that she was seated in a rather comfortable office chair. “I guess I did.”

The golden mass of divine power shivered. Sara could feel the confusion emanating from the glowing goddess, and even a tinge of fear. It was the first time Sara wondered if she wasn’t necessarily supposed to feel every emotion the goddess felt. 

Sara asked, as innocently as possible, “Was I not supposed to?” She reclined back in the chair. It reminded her of her gaming chair in her apartment; this one was black and gold like everything else in the dream space, but it felt familiar all the same.

The goddess stayed silent. Her long, elegant fingers caressed a face that Sara could not fully comprehend.

Curiosity struck Sara at that moment.

“What is your name?”

The goddess once again raised her eyebrows in surprise. “It has been a long time since I used a name in human language.”

“Then you do have one,” said Sara.

The goddess sighed and nodded. “Evren.”

“That’s… actually lovely.” Sara brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. “Does it mean anything?”

Evren looked at Sara in irritation. “Your change in attitude is suspicious unless it is accompanied by a change in behavior. Will you get out of bed and fight against Lily’s fate?”

“I don’t really see the point,” said Sara. “It’s a lot easier to lay down and do nothing.”

“If you do not take action,” warned the goddess, “you will die here in this world.”

“So?” Sara leaned forward in her chair, releasing her knees and placing her feet back on the invisible floor. “Maybe I’ll wake up in a hospital bed, and this has all been a bad dream.”

“That will not occur,” replied Evren.

“Then what? What will happen if I just give up and die?” Sara could feel her anger flare up. Almost in response, the goddess sent a wave of sorrow through the darkness.

“If you die without completing your mission, your soul will disintegrate into nothingness.”

At the sight of Sara’s raised eyebrow, the goddess frowned.

“Do you understand? There will be no afterlife. You will not be reincarnated or rejoin your loved ones in your preferred heaven.”

“That… doesn’t sound that different from what I was expecting,” replied Sara. “You realize that people from Earth don’t know where they go after they die, right?”

“That is true,” conceded Evren. “However, I am promising you - if you choose to ignore Lily’s fate, and the fate of the revolution, your soul will be scattered among the universe.”

“Okay,” said Sara. She thought quietly for a moment. She had so many questions, but she tried to focus on the most pressing. “And if I do complete this so-called mission?”

“I will grant you the afterlife of your choosing.”

“Great, except I have no idea what options are available.”

The goddess sighed. “You can remain here in Veridia as Liliana Harrington. If you succeed, you will have wealth and honor in an era of progressive reform. I can also bring your soul to another world of your choice and give you divine powers with which you can live comfortably. Either way, your soul will continue to travel among the known universe until you choose to take your eternal rest and join oblivion.”

“Okay, wow. That does sound a little more fun than oblivion right away.” Sara tapped her chin as she spoke. “You said you were too weak to help me, but now you have enough power for rewards?”

“You’re very clever.” Evren’s golden eyes narrowed into slits. “This is why I have high hopes for you. By completing your mission in my name, I will grow stronger. I am promising to use a portion of my regained strength to thank you for your efforts.”

Sara nodded. “What if I wanted to return to Earth?”

“I cannot do that,” replied Evren firmly.

“Why not?” asked Sara, taken aback.

“Your home world, which you call Earth, is beyond my divine reach.” The goddess waved a hand and several golden spheres began to spin in the darkness above her palm. “Divine beings like myself cultivate worlds in order to gain strength through worship. Your world was a favorite playground for many gods and goddesses, but it has long since become… feral.”

One of the spheres twisted away from the rotating diorama on Evren’s palm and floated into the distance, spinning wildly.

“Feral? That sounds exciting,” quipped Sara. She liked imagining herself on a wild planet, and it matched her experience of modern human society.

“It means I cannot interfere in that plane without immense divine power. Even your success in Veridia would not be enough. I cannot turn back time to return you to your original body, nor can I reincarnate your soul in a new one.”

“That is less exciting.” Sara slumped in her chair. She had felt a flicker of hope, the first since she had arrived in Lily’s body, that she could return to her old life. A reward of world-hopping as a superpowered soul was more intriguing than nothingness, but she really only wanted to go home.

“Now, will you please get out of bed and take action?” The goddess put her hands together. It was an odd thing to see - a god praying to a human soul. “I can tell you are strong-willed, and you have an immense amount of divine power already within your soul. Your ability to summon objects in this space is very promising.”

Sara tried not to let the flattery get to her. “I’ll think about it,” she said. “Why didn’t you start with offering a reward? Why not explain that I can’t go back? I feel like I wasted so much time worrying and wondering about things that don’t matter.”

Even if Sara planned on giving the ‘mission’ a try, she had learned a lot by being obstinate in front of the goddess. She didn’t want to lose the upper hand so quickly.

Evren looked as if she was thinking carefully about her response. Sara could feel her - or rather, Lily’s - body begin to wake up in her bed. She could feel the sheets wrapped around her instead of the office chair. The chair itself faded from view beneath her, but she did not fall - instead, Sara felt as if she was floating in the dark void once again.

The goddess opened her mouth just as Sara was convinced that she would wake up before hearing the answer. “It would have been quite nice if you wanted to save Lily, and the revolution, from a sense of moral or ethical obligation. A hero complex would have worked, too…”

Before she could hear any more, Sara woke in Lily’s bed, frustrated yet again.