Angel [Ereri/Riren]

Chapter 4- Levi

I wake up exhausted. Every morning is the same. The only thing changing is the depth of the blue and grey under my eyes.

I am so tired.

After dressing in a white button down and black dress pants, I grab my stuff and rush out the door, careful not to spill my travel mug. I made tea at home today so I could get a few extra minutes of sleep.

The day goes by about as sluggishly as it usually does. Erwin and I get lunch together at a little Greek place just off campus; it's within walking distance. 

We order our food at the counter and sit down. When he sits he crosses his legs and rests his hands just above the knee. He always sits the same way. I think he's a robot.

"So." I say.

"Yes?"

"I looked into what you said yesterday." When the sentence comes out, it sounds hesitant. I'm not used to sounding like that.

"Oh, the past lives alternate universe thing?" He asks, cocking a bushy eyebrow halfway up his forehead.

"Yeah kind of. I looked more into the past lives theory. I even read some about reincarnation."

"Find anything interesting?" He asks as the waiter comes over with our food, setting it down in its respective places in front of us. He tucks a napkin into his collar, and then bites into his gyro.

"Well, I read about how depending on how much and the type of karma you accumulate in one life time, you can be reincarnated as a higher or lower level life form."

Erwin looks up at me and takes a drink of his water; a sign for me to continue.

"Also no bodily form is permanent, seeing as everyone dies eventually and the cycle continues."

"Does that really help in explaining your recurring nightmare though?" He asks.

I take a bite of my veggie sandwich. I had never thought about it as a nightmare, but I guess it sort of is. It's definitely not a pleasant dream, that's for sure.

"I found this website that had an article on '12 Signs Your Soul Has Been Reincarnated,' or whatever, and number one was recurring dreams. It basically said that these recurring dreams could be my brain's way of working through past life trauma, fear, or other issues, or that maybe my brain is trying to process some unresolved business or conflict from a past life."

"That sounds kind of like what you're experiencing, Levi. But your dream almost feels like a memory when you describe it to me." Erwin finishes off his water and the waiter promptly comes to refill it.

"Well in the article I read there was an account of someone that kept having a recurring dream of them wandering a 16th century castle, even though they've never even visited a castle let alone wandered through one like a ghost."

"I know that you probably don't think so, but I think it could maybe be a possibility." Erwin untucks his napkin from his collar and pushes his plate away from him. I take the last few bites of my sandwich.

We go up to the counter and pay for our separate meals, and begin the five minute walk back to campus.

"I'm not completely against it." I say, sliding my hands into my pockets.

"Against what?" I can feel Erwin glancing at me as we walk.

"The whole past lives possibility." I shrug.

"I think you should read some more about it, maybe even talk to Hange. They seem to be into that kind of stuff even more than I am." We take a right and walk towards the center of the ring of academic buildings on the center of campus.

"Alright, I have a lecture in 10. I'll talk to you later." Erwin touches his index and ring finger to his brow in a mock salute as he walks backward towards Maria Hall, the political science building, with his other hand in his pocket. I wave at him as he turns around and starts up the stairs.

I make my way into Rose Hall, which has history, anthropology, philosophy, and other subjects like that. I walk towards my office, thinking about my next move.

I walk past an office with the door open.

"Levi!" I hear someone yell. I take a couple steps backward and look to my right, into the open door. It was Hange and they are now waving frantically at me. I guess my next move has been decided for me.

"Hey Hange." I say, walking towards her office where I lean against the door frame.

"How are things?" They ask. There's stacks of loose papers and books with colorful post-it's sticking out of them haphazardly stacked on her desk. I would take a seat, but looking at her office from the doorway is enough to make my head spin.

"Things are alright. The usual to be honest. But I did want to talk to you about something." I cross one ankle over the other.

"Alright, what's up?" They sit down and kick their feet up onto their desk, while pushing their glasses up her nose.

"Do you know anything about past lives or reincarnation or anything like that?" I ask.

"Yeah I know a thing or two, why?"

"How much time do you have?"

"I have a lecture in about an hour."

"Perfect." I move into their office and take a seat, ready to lay out the whole situation for Hange.

****

After what felt like five minutes, but apparently was fifty, Hange was shoving me out of their office with an armful of books and notes, on their way to their lecture. 

"Text me if you have any questions!" They shouted over their shoulder while hurrying down the hall. 

"Will do! Thank you, Hange!" I walked towards the stairs to head up to my office to sort through all the information that was just dumped onto me; my head feels like it's spinning. 

The books land on my desk with a thud and I sigh. This feels like a lot of work for something that could just be a witch hunt. I pick up the stack of jumbled papers where I quickly scribbled down notes from Hange. I would hate to be one of their students, they talk so damn fast. 

I quickly glance at my watch. Fuck, I'm going to be late. I grab my bag and rush out the door for my department meeting.