“Wait, I mean… that’s kind of what I meant, but isn’t that a little too blunt?”

I stammered, completely thrown off by what he just said. I mean, come on—how was I supposed to react to something like that?

He tilted his head slightly, looking amused. Then, a soft chuckle escaped his lips.

“So that’s what you were wondering about.”

Bararel scratched the back of his head, looking sheepish.

“Sorry. I showed up a bit late, didn’t I? But you see—it’s not that simple for a transcendent being like me to make contact with a human soul. Especially not one like yours, which spent its whole life in a different world. In the beginning, your soul was incredibly unstable. If I’d tried to reach out too soon… it could’ve shattered completely.”

He gave a small sigh before continuing.

“So I thought I’d wait a little. Let you settle in, stabilize. I figured I’d show up after a few hours… but—”

He trailed off, giving me a meaningful glance.

“I didn’t think you’d go and stab yourself in the meantime.”

“…”

Yeah. Okay. I deserved that.

Still, Bararel wasn’t trying to blame me. He actually looked like he was trying to understand.

“But I get it,” he said gently. “You woke up in a strange world, with no warning, no answers. Anyone would panic. Honestly… it’s my fault for putting you in that position in the first place.”

He said it like he truly meant it.

“No, you don’t have to apologize,” I replied with an awkward laugh. “It was a reckless decision. I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

Even as I said that, I kind of wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear.

Bararel nodded slightly, his expression turning serious again.

“Meeting someone like me takes a toll, especially for a human. You vomited blood earlier, didn’t you? That’s a side effect. Even a small interaction like this strains your body. That’s why I had to wait until you’d healed a bit before appearing.”

That answered my first question.

Next came the bigger one:

Why was I brought here? Why me?

Bararel’s gaze turned solemn.

“Yoon Sua… you’re already dead.”

“…What?”

My mind went blank.

My last memory was… I think I’d just laid down for a nap?

Wait—was that it?

“Did I die in my sleep or something?” I asked, not really believing my own words.

Bararel shook his head slowly.

“No. You were caught in a building collapse. Your body was trapped somewhere even rescue teams couldn’t reach in time. In the end… you didn’t make it.”

For a moment, I almost asked something more.

Then I stopped myself.

“…Ha. I see.”

I tried to laugh it off. But something heavy churned in my stomach.

Maybe it was just my imagination.

“It’s impressive, honestly,” Bararel said quietly. “You seem mentally strong. But even so, if you ever recover the memory of your death… it might break you. I think your mind is blocking it out to protect you. If I were you, I wouldn’t try to dig it back up.”

“Yeah… I’ll try not to. Not exactly something I want to dwell on.”

I managed to keep my voice from shaking.

“Then… can you tell me why all this happened to me?”

Bararel nodded.

“Your soul was originally from this world. You were born here—but for some reason, you ended up in that other world. Now, you’ve returned to where you were meant to be.”

That was… a lot.

I just stood there, processing his words in stunned silence.

Then, another question hit me.

“But… I died, right? So why am I in this Aria girl’s body?”

Bararel didn’t hesitate this time.

“I gave you a second chance. Partly because your situation moved me… but mostly because I believe you’re the key to stopping this world’s destruction.”

The destruction of the world?

…Okay. That escalated quickly.

“You’ve read the original story, haven’t you? So you already know how things are supposed to end. But your presence here—something that wasn’t in the original—creates a ripple effect. A butterfly effect that could lead to new outcomes.”

“And of course, I’m not asking you to help for free. If you agree to do this, I’ll grant you one wish. Anything you want.”

You’d be surprised at what people think of when given a wish.

Money. Fame. Power. Love.

But me?

I answered without a second’s hesitation.

“Erase me. From the memories of the people who knew me.”

Bararel didn’t reply right away.

He just watched me, quietly.

“…You want to erase yourself? From their memories?”

“Yes. From everyone I knew in my old world.”

He slowly nodded.

It wasn’t impossible. Not with his powers, especially for something of that scale.

Still, he asked the question anyone would ask.

“Why? Of all things you could’ve wished for… why that?”

I hesitated, then gave him a faint smile.

“I was adopted. My parents loved me so much. Too much, maybe. I just…”

I stopped for a second, choosing my words.

“If I died and they remembered me… it would destroy them. But if they forgot me, like I never existed in the first place… they might be able to live happier lives. I know it’s selfish to decide that for them, but… I’d rather take that burden on myself.”

Bararel looked at me for a long moment.

“Wouldn’t it hurt? To remember them when they don’t remember you? I can erase your memories too, if that’s what you want.”

I shook my head.

“No. I want to remember. Even if I never see them again… I want to hold onto those memories. That way, at least for me, they still exist.”

For a second, I thought I saw something shift in his expression.

“You know,” I said softly, staring into the quiet space around us,

“Sometimes, just one happy memory… can give someone the strength to keep living.”

Bararel said nothing more.

Instead, he simply nodded.

“…Alright. I’ll grant your wish.”