Chapter 86: A Fair exchange

   The subconscious is a very powerful thing. One minute, it’s a perfect replica of his bedroom on Earth, the next, it transforms into a hospital room full of medical equipment based solely on his desire to help Ariellia. The space in the seal changed on its own before he could even say a word. A weakened version of Arie appeared, lying on the hospital bed with an oxygen mask strapped to her face, a working heart monitor, and IV attached to her arm and chest. He sees her scrunching up her face as though trapped in a troubled dream. It's upsetting to see her this way. He’s grown used to her spoiled, demanding demeanor, but he doesn’t know what to do to wake her up.

“She’s a lovely child, isn’t she?”

“Who?” He spins around, startled by the new voice in a space where there should be none.

Apart from Ariellia, no one else should be able to enter the seal, but lately it seems the whole world knows a cheat code to get in whenever they feel like. Standing behind him is an odd young lady he’s never met, with a uniquely styled bob cut and two long flowing rat-tails to her waist, about half his height. Her colorful elven tribal wear stands out in the sterile white modern hospital ward. Clearly, she is not a resident of Earth.

“Why do you look so shocked? Have you forgotten me already? Now that hurts. Just a few days ago, you swore a solemn oath by my name seeking a blessed union.”

‘Blessing…oath…it’s no wonder her voice sounds familiar.’

“Selene!”

“The one and only.” She proudly smiles with a cute, whimsical curtsy.

“How...why are even you here?” Eren doesn’t know what else to say to the little goddess. After so many twists and turns, he’s grown wary of the surprises but also willing to accept them.

“Oh come now, don’t look so alarmed. I promise I come in peace, I won’t even smite you for using my name in vain while being a nonbeliever.”

…

Should he be grateful the little goddess isn’t here to collect on his debt?

“Don’t you want to know what happened to your little friend over there?”

Eren frowns; he doesn’t want to get involved with a strange, mythical figure with likely hidden motives, but he also can’t refuse her aid right now. Ariellia’s heart rate on the monitor keeps steadily dropping. He’s afraid it’ll flatline at any moment.

“Ever heard of the phrase equivalent exchange? Everything in the universe runs on the principle that energy is never lost, only transformed or transferred. Magic is no different. She cast a forbidden spell several times in one day. I’m surprised to see her penalty is only this much.”

“Only this much?” Eren is astonished by her assessment.

“Trust me, I’ve seen people suffer far worse for attempting much less. The True Creator must favor her a lot, otherwise her punishment shouldn’t be this light.”

“What is your definition of light exactly? She’s in a coma, practically slipping away right before my eyes!” Eren frowns, disliking the detached way in which Selene speaks. Perhaps overcoming the hurdles of mortality changes something in you, making the plight of lesser beings seem insignificant and bland.

“You’re barking up the wrong tree, kid. I don’t make the rules. I only enforce the True Creator’s will as an ambassador for my people. I promote the laws so evil doers know no rest and the innocent find peace and complete a full cycle beyond the veil without deviations.”

Selene floats past him like a fleeting breeze, his harsh words bouncing off her like cotton. She gently smooths away Ariellia’s matted bangs, frowning when the heiress flinches away in distress.

“You can resent me, but that won’t help her.”

“I don’t resent you, I just don’t understand why the spell’s backlash would be this bad. She was fine at the orphanage.”

“To you, she seemed fine, but make no mistake, there are dire consequences for using grand-scale magic, and a forbidden one to boot at that. The first few times she was able to cast the spell to completion, this time the spell was cut short when the impostor fled. Energy is never lost, only transferred or transformed, without a subject to latch onto the magic boomeranged back at her, the spellcaster.”

“Then?” He doesn’t like the sound of this.

“It’s currently trying to make up for the portion of Lady Oya’s soul the impostor got to keep. Now you tell me, how old is the old nun, and do you think Ariellia’s short span of life can account for even a fourth of it?” Selene turns to face him, her unusual dark blue eyes shining like the night sky.

“She can’t make up the difference.” Eren is quick to pick up on what she’s trying to say.

Pleased by his quick wit, Selene nods. “Exactly, if allowed to continue the spell will drain her whole lifespan; past, present, and future years to come.”

‘In what world is such a severe punishment considered light?’

“I know you doubt me, so let me ask you, have you heard of her mother’s punishment?”

“She died after childbirth.”

“Wrong, Folami didn’t just die from childbirth; her soul was obliterated from existence, fated to never enter the cycle of reincarnation again. The True Creator essentially rejected her entire being, unwilling to rejoin with her to form something new. Compared to that, is this not considered light? Ariellia still has the chance to be reborn if all else fails.”

“How do I stop it?” He is not a denizen of Gaea, for all he knows, being unable to reincarnate might be the worst punishment in existence. But now is not the time to argue about what’s fair.

“You can exchange quality for quantity; your soul is from a higher realm, so the quality is different.”

“A higher realm?” This is the first he’s heard of this.

“Realms that are closer to the True Creator are governed more strictly by the laws of nature; things like mana and magic are sparse. But because you are closer to the True Creator, you mirror the gift of creation on a smaller scale, creating smaller worlds like Gaea without knowing. There are many small independent worlds in the universe created by your realm, separated by a thin veil, stacked on top of each other like the pages of a book.”

“Then this is the world within the game?” Eren is shocked to hear his theory finally confirmed.

“Yes and no. The developers of your world were indeed able to create the game, however that is only the version of events that they could perceive from our world through the veil. A sensitive few can perceive other realms through dreams, likely viewing our world through a single anchor point. They then create something to document this vision, and it becomes a link for both realms.”

“It’s Rei…he’s the anchor point. It makes sense now. If I didn’t get involved, if Rei didn’t come to like Ariellia and let her die as she did in the game, Rei would never have unlocked his inheritance as a dragon lord. So many hidden stories would never have come to light.”

“Correct, the young dragon lord would have gone through life attaching himself to every woman who subconsciously resembles your soul in some way, without ever knowing what he’d lost, never having an offspring. That was to be his fate before you stepped into this world and completed Ariellia’s soul, gaining his recognition.”

Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep!

As much as he wants to digest this massive flood of information, Arie takes priority. The heart monitor’s alarm suddenly started beeping out of control, her condition rapidly deteriorating before their eyes. Eren watches the erratic line jump up and down on the screen, biting his lip deep enough to draw blood.

“How many years do you need?”

“Two years should be enough to fill the deficit. Time flows differently in your realm, it’s much slower than ours. Two years from your realm is about two decades here.”

“14 and 15, take these years and save her.” He can’t afford to be picky now. At best, he’ll lose memories of many youthful follies and struggles.

“Careful now, you’re aware you won’t be able to get these memories or time back, right?”

“I know.” He firmly nods his head.

“And you’re still willing to give them up? What if you just let fate have its way and take full control of her body instead? Have you never considered this?”

Eren glares at the fickle goddess. “I am not a thief.”

“Ah, I’ve misjudged you. Forgive my rudeness; it's rare for a human to have such a noble heart.”

“She and I are the same.”

“You really are sweet.” Selene floats back towards him, resting her hand over his forehead to retrieve the memories, before placing her other hand on Ariellia’s heart. The incessant beeping stops almost immediately. Arie’s breathing evens out, and color returns to her face.

“It is done, but might I suggest you avoid using that spell in the future. And if it must be used, make sure your target doesn’t flee.”

Selene disappears with a wink, leaving just as quietly as she came.