The Many Lives of Theodosia of Zyanya

Pride Comes Before the Fall

Waking up for her forth life was different; she did not find herself in a tomb but rather in a bed. It was strange and not what she expected, sure she didn't even expect to wake up, but this told her that this life was going to be different.

She looked around the room that she found herself in, there was not much, a bed with a quilt that she woke up in and a chest against the wall. At least there was a small window to allow light into the room. The door was open, and she checked her wrists quickly to if she if she was being held captive. There had to be a reason why someone would bring her here, and yet there were no signs of any resistant, maybe she was even free to leave. That would be luck that would shine favor on her new life.

She slowly got out of bed. Sure, freedom seemed possible, but she was not going to rush into the unknown world. There was no telling what could be out there.

Theo headed out the door and into the connecting room. It was a quite kitchen. A simple table with two chairs and a basic stove that did not use electricity. The room was full of light that was shinning in through the window. She continued throughout the house heading the front door. She was going to take full advantage of the opportunity. Better never to know whose house this was and just be on her way, then allow herself to be taken advantage of simple because of her curiosity.

As she opened the door the was a guy walking up the path heading to the house. He did not seem surprised in the slightest to find Theo there, this had to have been his house, and she feared that he was the one to have brought her here. That fact was dangerous, it was not going to be the Przybylas over again.

"Figured it was about time that you were going to wake up? You hungry, it has been some years since you've eaten?"

"Who are you?" It didn't slip past her that he used the phrase "wake up", that implied that he knew that she was not truly dead. Who knew what else that he knew? She had to get away from him.

"Kairos." He seemed forth coming and appeared to be trying to help, but Theo knew that he couldn't be trusted. She had to get away. She got a fourth chance at life and she was not going to waste it, which meant she was not going to spend time with people who are merely after her power.

"Why am I here?" she asked. Even though she was planning on running, it didn't help to get information first. She had to know why she was brought here, there had to be something that he wanted from her.

"When I came across you, you had just washed ashore a river bed, you were dead but not completely. Was I supposed to leave you there?" What a hero he was, or at least he knew how to play the hero. "I brought you here, knowing that you would wake up in a matter of time. If you were left there, you could have actually died."

"How did you know I would wake up?" She didn't even know that she would wake up. She never sought out to die any of those times, but after the first time when she stabbed by Fern, she hoped that the mysterious power would save her again.

"It was not your time yet." He said that as if that explanation would be enough, believing that he was the authority on the matter. Theo needed to know more. There had to be more than a vague idea of a reason. "Everyone's life has to end at some point, and some people do die before their time comes in an accidental way, which is where ghosts with unfinished business come from. You were not meant to die any of those previous three times, you are still needed for something in the future, so we took a risk and allowed you to wake up after death, since you never actually died, or at least not fully."

"Why would you save me?" she never meant the man before and she had no idea who his associates were, they had no reason to save her. She was a girl from Zyanya that was not known by anyone from the outside world. It was not even like she was a hero in her village that the world needed to survive. She didn't really do anything meaningful in her life before she died the first time.

"You are needed for something in the future, something we have been waiting for."

"Are you going to time me anything about this vague fate you keep mentioning?"

"No." Kairos had no reason to reveal the information. What he wasn't saying, was that he didn't have any detail of her fate. He could see throughout time, but when it came to being, they referred to as the Champeeen he was blind. All he knows is that Theo plays apart in the life of the Champeeen, and the Champeeen had yet to be born, so she had to stay alive until that moment. Which might not be for some time, since I was not scheduled to be born for over a hundred years.

"Wow, you are so helpful." She was done dealing with him. He was not going to help him; it was time for her to make her escape. She walked down the steps and off of the porch. "I think I'll be going now."

Kairos didn't try to stop her. He only cared that she survived until the moment that Theo was needed in the life of the Champeeen. He was not going to act in a way that would bring about another death. What he knew about her was that she was part of the Champeeen story, and that interaction did not happen here. It was really in his favor to let her go. Maybe she could even survive longer this life.

"Try to stay alive," he said as she walked away. Get advice, it was almost as if he believed that she wanted to die those times. Fern betrayed her because of the blade that they found. The Przybylas wanted to use her power. She was training to survive the escape as she ran with Tamarack, but the weather got in the wall.

Her mind drifted to all those from her past lives. What happened to any of them? She was concerned with what was going on with herself that she failed to considered what the fate of the others had been. Were any of them still out there? Did she want any of them to be out there? She wanted to make things right with Fern. She hoped the Przybylas were long gone. Tamarack was a different story, she wanted to be with him again. She should have found a way to save him. She should have known that the storm was going to be too much. Her powers fail her when she is blinded by how she expects reality to be.

She traveled long enough through the woods that the sun had set. Darkness grew around her, and she could barely make out a path. She was going to stop for night and wait for better traveling conditions, when she heard the growls of creatures that were following her. Theo could tell that they were on the hunt, but more than that they were on the hunt for her.

They jumped out of the gaps between the trees aiming right for her. they had the base of dogs, only they were five times the size of the largest dog. Claws and fangs that were made to kill. They were so strong that when they ran, they left craters in the ground from where they stepped.

Theo had to get away from them. She began to run as fast as she was capable of. It was a miracle that she could stay ahead of them. They remained on her trail. They were not going to lose her.

Each step she managed to go faster. Finding a strength that she didn't know that she possessed.  Each step took her away from them. If only there was some light for her to see where she was going. Light would have showed that she was running towards a dead end. She was running right towards a cliff and in the dark, she would not be able to see where the ground ends. In hoping to get away from the creatures she was running to her own doom.

One foot in front of the other she told herself. All that mattered was that she kept moving. Stop for any reason and she would be done for.

She didn't see the ground end. Her foot pushed down on the air. There was nothing supporting her feet. She fell down. Even the creatures knew her fate before the fall happened. It was such a height that they wouldn't even attempt a jump down after she. She managed to escape them, but she lost herself in the process. The fourth life of Theodosia ended on impact.