"No. Not again."
Thana muttered shakily under her breath. Her head boiled with irritation as she took in the familiar surroundings she spawned in. The same white nothingness all over again. This was the place she had a conversation with that lunatic and he called this place the limbo.
Thana could only clench her fist at the thought that he would dare bring her here again and not back to the world where she belongs. Could that man be waiting for more of her wrath?
So Thana stood in the middle of thickening white mist, waiting for the old man to appear.
Although she wishes to express her outrage further toward him, she needed to find answers and know what his purpose would be for placing her into such a situation. Thana thought of the chances she could get back at the old man, but for now, she had to listen to him.
Letting her emotions loose will only put her at a disadvantage.
Thana recalls the conversation with Teresa before she passed out. She remembers that she was about to break to them the biggest revelation yet; that they were mere characters living in a fictional book written by an out-of-control author.
But before she could utter that word, everything went dark. It was as if someone or something tried to stop her. She remembers Teresa's worried face as her vision became faint.
There's no one else who could have stopped her from revealing the truth. It had to be Otto. He wouldn't have wanted Thana to sabotage his precious story.
And he brought her here to scold her?
Thana's face twisted into a scowl, and she huffed like a child, folding her arms. She was consumed by her thoughts that she didn't realize the fog surrounding her had thickened and the temperature dropped to the point that she felt chills down her spine.
Thana could not help but panic. She started to look about hoping that someone would pop their head through the thick clouds that seem to be suffocating her.
"Otto!"
Her face reddens from outrage, "what in the bloody hell, don't play games with me!"
And as she said those words, the threatening air calmed and the mist cleared within seconds. In front of her appeared an oval, full-length mirror with elegant engravings on its golden frame. Thana is caught surprised to see the mirror that surely wasn't there before. As Thana looks closely, she realizes that her reflection became a completely different person.
It was still her face that she knew but the scars that she remembered had completely disappeared leaving gorgeous and flawless skin. Her eyes widen when she notices the winter grey orbs she now possessed. It held unfamiliar softness that she could never express with her cobalt eyes.
Thana can't help but stare at the strange but fine-looking face that she mysteriously obtained in total awe. She also notices the platinum wavy hair that flows beautifully down her back. Her short brunette hair is nothing compared to this silky hair.
Not only had her entire physical appearance had changed, but so did her dress. Thana wears a gorgeous purple gown adorned with ornaments and lace on her corset.
Thana's reflection is stunning that she could spend the time she has left in this place staring at the beautiful girl in the mirror. But the truth hits her almost immediately.
That person could never be her.
"What kind of trick is this," she breaks into a bitter smile, eyebrows almost meeting as she glared at the mirror; at herself.
But the person in the mirror did not imitate how she reacted. The girl in the mirror still had the calm look on her face. Seeing this made Thana's heart race that she immediately looked at the gown she was wearing and ran her fingers through her platinum hair to confirm that she indeed had transformed into someone new.
However, the person in the mirror did not reflect her movements or even the reaction on her face. It was as if, the girl in the mirror is a completely different person, and alive.
"No, please don't do anything strange like speaking," Thana mumbled and silently prayed. She had enough with idiosyncratic occurrences.
That's when the girl blinked for the first time and proceeded to smile kindly at Thana before greeting her with the same voice but more delicate.
"Hello, Adelaide."
Thana retreated a few steps backward from surprise. She stuttered with her response, "and who are you?"
The strange entity that looked like an enhanced version of herself showed a sign of amusement with a burst of optimistic laughter, "I'm certain that there is no other answer to that question. If it isn't obvious enough, I am you."
"Now that's absurd! You're not me, nor am I with this kind of face. I look so different; you look so different."
Thana scratched the top of her head. She wonders whether she has finally gone wacko for the hundredth time.
What has she done to deserve such fate? If it's the second time she's asking that question, then she'll have to ask it again and again until she gets the answer she deserves. Thana has endured too much through the time she has lived which gives her the right to finally complain even just once.
Thana's reflection chuckled slightly, "it's alright to feel a bit confused. You have only newly awakened and something must have gone wrong that you seemed to have kept your memories from your past life."
"Memories from my past life?"
"Yes. I do not know whether that's supposed to happen, but since it already did then there's nothing we can do, but since you're in this life you must remember that you're Adelaide; we're Adelaide." the reflection spoke so calmly and orderly. As soon as she mentioned the name, Thana flinched.
She remembers hearing that name somewhere before. It sounds so familiar, but that is nowhere near her name.
Thana shook her head, "my name is Thana Davis."
"Indeed you were Thana Davis in your past life, but that's already finished. An accident happened to both of us that made you lose the memories of your rebirth here and instead, gained memories from the past. Your goal in this life is to find what you have never received in both your past and present life. Otto gave us another chance to freely shape our destiny, we must use that chance to be finally happy."
Thana's mouth went agape in the middle of the explanation. Although it is hard to process what she had just heard, she doesn't feel angry nor confused further. The explanation coming from her very self, or as she's called, Adelaide, seemed to have cleared even a tiny bit of her confusion.
Unlike Thana's way of conversing, Adelaide spoke calmly and orderly as if coming from a family with high status and excellent etiquette. Adelaide must be liked by many by her very presence. It is amusing how they can be one person.
Even as the reflection claims Thana's name to be Adelaide in this new life, she can't seem to grasp the name yet. If she is to live a new life with no memories of the present, it should be much safer to ignore her real name for now.
"Otto claimed that I have died. And I would cease to exist if I don't do my missions. What was he talking about? Never in my life had I wished to deserve better, so why me? Why have I been given this chance to find happiness?"
Thana frowned. She bit her lip and fought back the desire to suddenly cry. There's a wave of emotion that had hit her and she swore that it could be from the foreign word called, 'happiness.'
Adelaide smiled, "I'm not God to answer that difficult question, but all I can say that we're someone lucky to be given this opportunity. Be grateful for it."
"And Otto would have said that to scare you, but it is true, you do have missions, or else this story would be for nothing. I would advise you to accomplish your missions for it'll only lead you to a greater future; our future," she finished.
"I- I will. I'm just so overwhelmed with everything that has happened, it's so unreal but it's happening," Thana replied weakly.
Adelaide's presence seemed to have moved closer toward Thana as she sent Thana an encouraging smile. In this world, Thana's alternate self must have the greatest life to be able to smile that way. It is such a shame that she would forget her present life, and live with the painful memories of the past.
"You are strong. You are blessed and you made it this far because you're one brave woman."
Thana had realized that she isn't acting as she usually does. To think about it, it's the first time in a while that she had a proper conversation where she would respond less aggressively. But it could also be because she's not speaking to a real person. She's talking to herself.
"Be kind to the people that helped you, and return them the favor when they need it," Adelaide raised both her hands and planted them on the other side of the mirror, "we have to go now, you'll be waking up soon."
"Wait wait!"
Thana tried to stop Adelaide by planting her palms the same way on the mirror. Her reflection glanced at her, patiently waiting for what she's about to say.
"Do I truly have this face?" Thana asked to finally ease her curiosity.