Getting a second chance at life isn't exactly as enchanting as it seems.
Sohee Young, who lived life like the callous person she was, dies. She gets another chance to live life correctly though, and that is by swapping lives with Lina Park, who die...
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"I CAN'T BELIEVE I can't come," Emma grumbled, and the corner of my lips curved upwards. It made sense that her and Andrew hadn't received invitations.
Because this was a personal decision. Between Lina, me, and the council.
Andrew's eyebrows were knit together, serious. "You're not going to pull off another disappearing act if you go back to Sohee Young, right?"
"She has other options too, you know," Marshall interjected, his heel slamming the door. "Can we hurry up this whole process? After taking care of her, I'm pretty sure I deserve a vacation."
I rolled my eyes, and placed a hand on Andrew's chest. "Stop worrying! I said I won't."
"Break it up, chop chop," the elder clapped his hands together.
"Alright! I'm going."
✗ ✗ ✗
The council room hadn't changed at all. Still bare of any furniture or decor, the only difference were the lack of coils restricting my movements. All the elders were in their arranged seats, Marshall standing in the middle. This time, I leaned back in the chair rather than on high alert, one leg crossed over the other.
"Sohee Young," Marshall's eyes glowed white, bringing back the familiar sense of the mission I've accomplished. "Lina Park. You've succeeded in the tasks you've been given, and now, Miss Park, the choice rests on you. Time of completion: March 28, 13:12:05."
"Miss Park?" Michael asked. "Your choice, please."
"I..." Mouth shut, I swallowed the lump in my throat, heart about to combust. My feet had decided to draw themselves up on the small chair, and though I was wounded up in an uncomfortable position, I waited with bated breath.
"I..." Eyes flitted across the room.
"Technically, entering the Afterlife is an option, too." Marshall shrugged. You can wait around until your lover dies."
"Uh, no thank you," Lina replied as I rubbed my temples. Who would want to do that?
"I'll take your thought as a no, too," my former guardian added, regaining the ability to read my mind.
I couldn't take this anymore.
"Stop overthinking!" I shouted, and scraped my chair back. "Do you want to return as yourself? Yes or no?"
"It's—"
"Yes or no?" I repeated.
"No! I want to be you! I don't know!" Lina yelled, covering her face with her hands.
"What?"
And here I thought she'd be less idiotic than the last time we came into this room.
"It's stupid. I know. I want to be you, but at the same time, I want to date Hajun on my own terms. And that makes everything so complicated!"
"You're going to give up everything you have for a guy?" I threw my hands up in the air. "Are you serious right now?"
"Their souls are compatible," Marshall offered as an explanation. "Highly. What more can I say?"
"This is ridiculous. Lina, you're dating someone who thinks that I'm me. And when you return to yourself, send him a letter of something. I'm not going to get philosophical, but if he doesn't reply, then he's a jerk, and not worth it. Compatibility or not."
"Are you seriously doubting whether our system tracks compatibility correctly?" Anisa piped up, incredulous. On the other side, Elizabeth hid a smile behind her fist. "I'll have you know that the reborn are created with their potential soulmates in mind."
"I didn't want to tell you this to discourage you," Marshall snickered, "but your soul is compatible with Andrew. Like, it's pretty high."
"How is that supposed to discourage me?"
"You just said it yourself! Compatibility isn't everything!"
"Obviously! What if Lina doesn't like his personality halfway, when it matters?"
"I think I've been with Hajun long enough—"
I slammed a hand on my desk, and the clunk of wood echoed. "Honestly I don't even know why we had this conversation yesterday. Stop overthinking. I don't have a century to wait for your answer. In fact, if you take this long, Marshall might decide to turn into a souleater."
"No." Marshall's eyebrows knit together. "If I turned dark, my only appetite would be souls. How terrible would it be to eat the same thing for the rest of your life? I'd rather be demoted."
"We can arrange that," Anisa retorted, shooting the youngest council member a glare.
"Alright," Lina took in a deep breath. "Then you choose."
"You know what I'm going to choose, right?"
Lina nodded, and I smiled. "Finally, we're getting somewhere."
"Before you do, read this out loud." A piece of paper appeared on our desks, the line reading, As Sohee Young, this will be the last sentence I speak until I am revived.
"Since the cloud workers are tired of being attacked by papers, we arranged this for them," Marshall explained.
I read the words aloud, and reared back. What? I thought, but no words escaped my mouth. My eyes widened, and I swiveled to Lina repeating the sentence and being unable to speak.
"Their silence is so peaceful." He grinned. "We should just leave them here—"
"Get on with it, elder," Anisa interrupted with a dry voice.
Not as intimidating as he once used to be, he huffed, eyes transforming once again.
Something I wouldn't see in a while.
"Alright, Miss Young. What will it be?"
✗ ✗ ✗
A/N: We're DONE. LITERALLY the next chapter will be the epilogue.
I think I might cry.
AHHHHHHHHHHH. Okay, I'll have to seriously wrap up my thoughts soon haha.
