Feeling myself drift away, I expect to return to the hospital, where I will have to wait another long and boring day before returning here. As my eyes open, I am surprised to be surrounded by a white space, not the hospital room but somewhere unknown, somewhere empty and void. Still able to feel the pain coursing through my body, I clench my teeth to bear it as my gaze scans the space, pain is definitely one thing I do not miss about living life. 

Surrounding me I can hear the strange sound of energy swirling in a vortex, and I am at the center of it. 

Composing myself I hear a soft and gentle feminine voice, filled with happy emotion, reach out to me from the void. “Hello, old friend.”

“Old friend? Me?”

“Who else would I be speaking about? It's so good to see you again.” The voice points out, as I look around and realize I am the only other person present.

“I do not mean to offend, but it is just that I do not remember who you are. How is it that you know me, exactly?”

“I made a pact with you the last go around. And after that last spell, I've been here, eagerly awaiting your return.”

Spell? Last go around? What is it talking about? I think.

Clearly able to read my thoughts, the voice timidly responds. “Your last life, silly. I mean it would make sense that you don’t remember me or anything from that life. After all, it has been eons since we last spoke.” As she finishes speaking, a spectacle of yellow and white lights erupts before me; inside of it, an intangible white peacock-looking bird appears. “Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Rasu, greater-spirit of light, first class.”

Still confused, and taken aback by the grandeur of the creature before me, I bow and begin introducing myself. “It is an honor, Rasu-sama, I am Sakurai Maho.”

Gracefully tilting its head, it stares at me, saying, “I know who you are.” before moving closer and shyly asking,  “Will you make another pact with me?”

I hesitate, pondering the sorts of implications of such a request. “What sort of pact are you proposing? And what do you mean by another? Have I made one with you before?”

“First, what I’m offering you is the ability that will allow you to channel my magic and also a means to keep you safe from the perilous whispers of the sound.”

I furrow my brow, uncertain of what she means, that word, there it is again. “The sound?”

“How should I put this?” She ponders, before explaining solemnly, “It is a malevolent force, a malady of the mind that afflicts those who dabble too deeply into magic. You know, a magical madness sickness of sorts.”

I swallow hard, as the weight of her words settles upon me. “That sounds… daunting.”

“It is.” She agrees, “but it is a perilous path that I am willing to guide you through.”

Remembering the other thing she had said earlier, a spark of hope ignites within me at the prospect of wielding magic. “And you said I will get to channel your magic? That is a formidable gift.”

“Yes, it is a gift reserved for those deemed worthy.” she proudly declares, “And in you, I still see the potential for greatness. With it, you’ll be able to heal people or wield sunlight like a weapon in battle.” Frowning before continuing, “Because of the sorrows of your last life, however, I’ll be making sure the Church can’t claim you as theirs.”

“The church?” I inquire, unsure what some church has to do with all of this.

“Oh they're nobody special, they just think they have a right to every child who makes a pact with a light spirit.” Opening her tail, I can see a scene playing out across her feathers. It is a scene I am extremely familiar with, one that I have not seen since the last night before my coma. She continues talking, “You see the church had you imprisoned and your paramour executed because you were in their eyes, their property.”

Looking upon my knight, after all these years, I would cry if I was in my body. And if what Rasu-sama says is true, then he was a real person in a past life that I have no recollection beyond this visage of him. 

Seeing the sorrow forming on my face, Rasu-sama encourages me, “You were her once, the kindest and purest soul I’ve ever pacted with. It’s one of the reasons I’ve abstained from pacting with anyone else. But I just knew you would return and I’ve waited patiently for the day, and here we are.”

Touched by her words, I ask, “Can you not make a pact with multiple others?”

“No, I cannot, I’m not God, just one of his humble spirits, who is only capable of pacting with one mortal at a time.”

I find everything she says to be fascinating, magic, pacts, God. It is all so wonderful. With the image still on her tail my thoughts attempt to make sense of all she has told me so far. If what she says is true then… “Since I was able to reincarnate, what happened to my knight?”

Staring at me blankly, “Wow.” She says, “You really can’t remember a thing. That spell really did a number on you, didn't it? Wouldn’t surprise me if it did a number on him as well.” Sighing before explaining. “The spell made you and Kal reincarnate, binding the two of you together, ensuring that you would find one another in your next lives, it was our last shot to give you both a chance at the life that was stolen from you. Instead of going to heaven with God, you two decided to risk it all and try again. It’s rather sweet.”

His name was Kal. My knight’s name was Kal, “Kal?” I mutter.

Swooning in her words, she continues, “He was great, such a dreamboat, you almost abandoned your vows the first time we saw him.”

Every word she utters leaves me with more questions than she can answer. Vows? Bound together? If we were bound together, he has yet to make himself know, at least yet, my thoughts turn to the other six I saw in the void, most of them were men, and I wonder if any of them are him. “Where is he now?” I ask, “You know since he did reincarnate as well.”

“Well, he was summoned alongside you.” I knew it. “ The old man really is playing Freddy for the fool, summoning the both of you here right under her nose. I just wonder what he’s playing at.” As soon as the words finish leaving her beak, her demeanor changes from happy and carefree to one full of dread, potent enough to send a shiver down my spine.

Watching closely as her eyes dart back and forth in a frenzied panic. “What is going on? Is there something wrong?” I cautiously ask, unaware if I want to know the answer.

Quietly muttering to herself, barely loud enough for me to make out what she is saying. “He’s here? But why? He never makes pacts with anyone. If he’s here then—” I can clearly tell she has come to some sort of silent realization, but whatever it is, she sure is not saying it out loud.

“Who is?” I inquire, I know she mentioned something about pacts, so I can only assume, “Is it another spirit?”

Returning her attention to me, “Oh don’t mind me.” she deflects, before continuing still clearly burdened by something. “Back to more important things. Will you accept another pact with me?”

After a moment of contemplation, I look her in the eyes and accept. “Why not? I have spent far too much of my life not living, I am excited to see what kind of adventures are in store for me with magic at my fingertips.”

Respectfully bowing her head, she responds, “Wonderful, I look forward to working alongside you once more. Two more things before I get you back into your body, first you are now going to feel an immense amount of pain as our souls merge together. Since I am a light spirit, it is going to hurt you more than the others.” she says, before muttering, “At least most of the others.”

“That does not sound pleasant.” I do not like pain. 

“It isn’t and second, you’re not going to remember this encounter. The only way we’ll be able to speak again after this is if you begin meditating.” Sure sighs, “I don't know if the old man will teach you to do so.”

“So, I will forget everything about this encounter?”

“Every last word.”

Darn, that is a shame. So all the information I have just learned will be gone. All the knowledge I have acquired about a past life, a love my soul has forgotten and unknowingly yearned for, will all disappear and be replaced with pain. This really does not sound like a good deal.

“If you do remember anything, please remember these: Seek out the librarian and stay on Ouro’s chosen’s good side,” Rasu-sama warns.

“The librarian? Ouro’s chosen?” I ask, confused. Before another thought and without warning, a bright yellowish light emanates from Rasu-sama, as she bids me farewell, for now at least. I feel like this is not the last I have seen of her. Returning to my body in its state of suspended pain, I still am unable to handle it and do not immediately return to consciousness, but instead stay suspended in a state of mind between the conscious and unconscious. All recent memories begin to drift away from me as my mind erases everything I was… What was I just thinking about? All I can see in the forefront of my mind is a thought of my gallant knight in his shiny suit of armor. Why am I thinking about him now?