They were amidst the woods. Woods benighted by the towering trees overhead and their prevailing shades.
"Have you ever heard of the multi-verse, boy? Well, it exists. No doubt about it. Millions of me's and millions of you's … all different and/or in different situations."
"Well, I'm in the situation to be incredulous. The things I've already seen when I've only been in this world for what …"
"About five hours," she said, "you've slept for two and a half. I even thought the spell failed."
Aran sighed. "Okay, what I'm getting from this is …" he trailed off, "you've brought me here for a purpose, which beats me right now, with your magic."
"Your purpose is simple" she looked at him and faked a smile, "a replacement."
"A replacement?" He echoed. "What am I, a box of toy parts?"
"No," she said, "you're Aran Hayes, the Soul Warrior."
"Uh-huh," he shook his head. "Nope. Hell no. I'm Aran Klyte, the highschool shut-in. Haven't your damn parents taught you manners?"
"My parents are … complicated."
"You can't just go around changing people's names like that."
"You may not understand, boy, but," she looked up at the sky, "you are this world's final strand of hope. Aran Hayes was supposed to be such but he's gone and he was the only final strand of hope no other man was to be. So, the only way to recreate hope is to … create another Aran Hayes."
He snorted. "Putting on another man's shoes is not my forte. Plus, I didn't sign up for this."
Chandrelle narrowed her eyes at him. "Do I look like I care?"
"No," he replied, "you … you don't. But c'mon, show a little respect to human rights. You're basically enslaving me."
"Slavery isn't a crime here."
"I don't care about what it is here—it just isn't right."
"Morality is but a hindrance. Constraints that never make us reach the fullest of our potential. Soon you'd come to understand these things," she looked at him, nodding. "Just a week and I'd have you thinking the way we do."
"Really? Well, here's what … I don't give a butt-hair about the way you think. And don't think for even a second I'm gonna let you 'mentor' me with your … iniquity."
"You do not have a say in this," Chandrelle said plainly, "your fate has been decided from the very moment Aran Hayes was lost."
He raised a brow. "And what exactly is this 'fate'… of mine?"
Chandrelle stopped, and looked at Aran once he stopped. She looked him in the eyes, solemn in her stature and stern with her gaze.
"You are to train, become the Soul Warrior, retrieve the sacred, wrathful Claymore of Aran Hayes called 'Worldbreaker', and seed the end of the spelled chaos of the Mono and its Black Empires."
"Sorry but," he said, "you got wrong guy."
"Seven years …" Chandrelle trailed off, "that's how long I've waited for this. For you to be here. For the Soul Warrior to rise again. You honestly think I'd not be able to spot mistakes?
"You're a mistake, Klyte. You are. Back on Earth, I thought you were my Aran … Aran Hayes for a reason: I never planned for you to be here. I planned for your body to be here. Your body was supposed to be manipulated by the soul of Aran Hayes. He's supposed to take control of you. But that didn't go according to plan. And now," she put out her hands, "I have to put up with this.
"The spell was a failure. And note that my spells don't normally fail. It's either the soul in the former vessel was stronger than Aran Hayes' soul—which would be simply ridiculous—or …" she frowned, "Aran Hayes chose not to accept the vessel."
'I just don't see why he'd not accept the vessel,' she thought, 'but it's the only plausible explanation. He chose not to take over the boy. Not to sabotage. And I can't understand why. Why, Hayes, are you so hard to fathom? Why?'
Aran felt disheartened. "Why didn't you just … choose to put his soul into another vessel … one other than mine? Why me?"
"Don't feel special," Chandrelle answered. "I cast his soul into your body because you were simply the closest alternate. If I had chosen to cast his soul in one further away, I would be," she placed her hand on her side abdomen, "suffering much worse than I am right now."
"So this is all just a huge mistake," He shook his head. "Turns out, I'm not some prophet or paradigm. I'm just … unlucky."
"Dare not say that again!" She snapped. "This fate is a blessing. Yes, a blessing it is. You're incredibly lucky to have to face a god of despair and destruction like Mono." She chuckled. "Jokes aside, this should be seen as a blessing rather than a curse. You'll soon come to realize it."
"You say that when you just told me that I'm a mistake," he said, "you're confusing me so much right now. Why don't you just put me back? Put me back into my world …" he looked down at his hands, "my own body. Why?"
"Because this isn't a fairytale," she folded her arms, "actions have costs. Magic requires action, action entails cost. Savvy?"
"I don't savvy crap right now."
"Your problem," she said. "My point is that this isn't a dream nor is it heaven. This is hell. And it'll continue to be hell until you change it. Until you let fate guide you.
"Fate can take a finger and shove it where—"
"Don't speak what you will regret. Actions have consequences. Now, let's continue on this path," she turned. "I'll make everything clearer for you. I only gave you a taste of the information. Once we get to a safer place like our destination—I'll make sure you understand it all."
"What about my home? Will I ever get to return? My grandparents … they—"
"Yes," she interjected, "you will," she looked at him from the corners of her eyes, "I'll make sure you get home to your grandparents. If you behave well, I might even try sending you back once we're there and substitute in another alternate." She started walking.
Aran furrowed his brows. "You better not be shitting me. I'm not afraid to hit women."
"Test your luck, maybe you'd finally have a few scars to boast about. Now," she smirked, "let us get going."
"Where?"
"To Aradona, of course," she said, "now, come on, follow me. I have only so little time before I lose this form and be forced back into a tiny creature."
Aran sighed and started following. That's all he'd been doing: following her. He was still following her. And now, he was thinking about following an unprecedented fate in which he was to become the bringer of light.
Unbeknownst to him, he wasn't the only one following Chandrelle through the woods because … two more were.