The Fates' Betrayal

The Echo of a Voice

In the realm of sleep, the mind roams free, unburdened by the weight of life. It is in this world of memories and mysteries that the boundaries of reality and fantasy blur, allowing the tendrils of truth to reach out.

The world was a blur of shifting colours and hazy shapes, as if reality itself was melting away. A sense of disorientation gripped Aisa, pulling her from the depths of unconsciousness into a realm that felt strangely recognisable, and she felt suspended in a dreamscape that seemed to piece together fragments of a forgotten life.

Aisa blinked, struggling to make sense of her surroundings before her consciousness could slip away like water through cupped hands, and she'd fall back into the abyss of darkness.

The moon, a silvery crescent, hung low in the obsidian sky, casting its shimmering glow over the ancient forest. Towering, gnarled trees stood sentinel-like, their branches reaching out to caress the inky night. The air was laden with enigma, and the sole disturbance to the stillness was the gentle whisper of leaves rustling in the breeze, carrying with it the scent of moss and earth. The night felt both elusive and familiar, like a forgotten memory teasing the edges of her consciousness, and as Aisa looked around, a sense of déjà vu washed over her like a wave.

She found herself standing amidst a lush forest, its very essence beckoning to her, urging a dormant part of her soul to awaken. Why did this place feel so known yet shrouded in mystery?

With tentative steps, Aisa ventured forward, her bare feet sinking into the cool, damp ground. She examined her hands, trembling like delicate leaves in an autumn gust. They were no longer the hands of Jack, strong and rugged. Her fingers were now slender, her skin was as pale as moonlight, and her clothes were tattered and worn.

"So strange", she thought before deciding to explore the place. She delved deeper into the forest, where the trees whispered with increasing urgency, their voices a choir of ancient wisdom, and the leaves beneath her feet crunched like old memories, each step an echo of her past.

A feeling stirred within her as if something important awaited just beyond the next bend in the forest path. The déjà vu intensified with each passing moment, and she couldn't shake the feeling that she had traversed this path before. Guided by an unseen force, Aisa pressed onward, watching in awe as the landscape morphed and shifted. Trees grew taller and more twisted, and colours danced vibrantly around her as if reality itself bent to her will.

A soft breeze rustled the leaves above, and she closed her eyes in an attempt to remember something, but the memories remained elusive like fleeting dreams slipping through her grasp. She reached up to touch her forehead, her fingers brushing against the skin that now covered her, and she couldn't help but notice the newfound softness of it, which made her realise that this body didn't quite belong to her. Jack's physique was undeniably masculine, marked by the roughness of countless battles. The contrast between his form and her current, distinctly feminine one was stark and impossible to ignore.

It was a dream, she realised, as Aisa stood in the middle of the forest—a dream where her imagination reigned supreme, a dream where she held control over the world itself.

She gazed at the constellations that danced across the heavens, weaving stories of wonder, mesmerised by her mind's boundless creativity to display such whimsical choreography. In her reverie, she conjured a spectacular kaleidoscope of hues that painted the cosmos, each shade an ode to the unfettered magic of her imagination. But just as she was about to plunge deeper into her dreamscape, a shift unfolded.

In a breathtaking twist, she found herself transported to the edge of a lake, its waters gleaming with an unnatural luminescence. Without conscious thought, she stepped into the water, and it embraced her with a gentle warmth. As she waded deeper, her reflection transformed, her appearance unrecognisable. She was now adorned in a flowing gown woven from starlight and moonbeams, making her feel as if she was glowing while her hair cascaded down her back like liquid silver.

She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, a peculiar sensation spreading through her. The feeling of being watched startled her, and yet as she looked around, no one could be seen. The murmurs of the woods intensified, like the whispers of long-forgotten spirits, enveloping her in wonder and trepidation, as if they were trying to guide her through this surreal world.

Aisa exited the water, her feet sinking into the velvety moss that carpeted the forest floor, when, like the tinkling of crystal wind chimes on a tranquil afternoon, a voice, sweet and pure, resonated through her very being.

"Come!"

"Come!"

It was a voice unlike any other, possessing a childlike innocence. It pulled her towards it like a moth drawn to a mesmerising flame. "Don't be afraid." the voice called out to her, its words wrapping around her like a gentle caress. It was as if the voice knew Aisa, as if it recognised her innermost desires and fears. Aisa felt a tugging at her heart, an inexplicable longing to follow the beckoning call because the crystalline voice promised answers to questions that had long haunted her, its melodious tones echoing in the wind.

"You can turn back; the vessel will still be there, waiting for you," the voice whispered, its words dripping with reassurance. It tempted her with the promise of safety, of returning to the known world she had left behind. But Aisa hesitated; doubt, like a shadow, lingered at the fringes of her consciousness.

"Come," it whispered again, brimming with playful giggles as it enticed Aisa to follow. Its surroundings remained concealed, veiled in obscurity, with only a blinding light ahead, calling to her like a siren's song. "Oh, Aisa, listen to someone else for once. Come!" the voice implored, gently coaxing her to follow. It held the familiarity of an old friend, evoking emotions that were impossible to ignore, and she yearned to follow this voice to uncover the secrets it kept. Only she found herself at a crossroads, caught between the allure of the unknown and the persistent doubt that was reminding her it might be nothing more than a fleeting dream.

"You know it is a dream. But it is a dream where you can escape." the voice said, giving Aisa goosebumps. She extended her hand toward the radiant light that seemed to be the source of the voice, but her touch remained elusive. She no longer had a corporeal form, her flesh couldn't materialise the touch. How could she follow if she lacked the means to move?

"Wait", Aisa said, calling to the light that was fading out.

It should have surprised her that she was pleading with a dream to linger a little longer, yet what left her perplexed was the timbre of her own voice - so strikingly distinct, so undeniably feminine. It was a revelation she had never entertained before because she had always been ensconced in Jack's voice. Her own voice inside Jack's head had no nuance, it was devoid of any audible sound - being just a raw embodiment of her thoughts. An echo of a voice that lacked cadence.

"We have no time", declared the childish voice, abruptly shattering the childlike demeanour.

"What do you want? Who are you?" the moment Aisa posed the last question, her intuition answered it for her.

"The Higher Voice", Aisa whispered. "I thought I had imagined it. I thought it had been a dream. It must be", she chuckled. "I'm sleeping, so it's still a part of that dream, right?"

"It's a dream, Aisa. But have you forgotten that dreams are gates to other words? They are the clandestine keys to unlock the hidden dimensions of our existence. It's the escape everybody seeks, yet few can transform it into reality. You truly have forgotten everything", the Higher Voice spoke softly as if trying to soothe Aisa's pain over her loss.

"Help me remember. Who am I?" Aisa asked. "Why is this happening? Why me? Why Jack? Wh-"

"All in due time, my dear", Higher Voice interrupted Aisa. "Impatience has never been one of your traits. Rebirth has changed you."

"Rebirth?"