Chapter One – It is better not to play with the divine
Cassandra Aria Wilder is dead. For a long time, when she was alive, she has always been curious about what comes after death, is it just darkness, an unending darkness with no end and beginning, or is it limbo, forever floating and suspended in the middle, with nowhere to go. Aria did not want to die, she didn't plan it, she definitely did not expect it, and when she died, it was violent and painful. She died, end of the story, or so, Aria thought.
There is a violent thunder, splitting the sky in two and she gasps, coming back to life, waking up, as violently as possible. First, comes the confusion. The last thing Aria remembers is being killed by her boyfriend – Ryker and her best friend – Elara. How is she alive? Aria glances at her surrounding, she is in a forest, a damp and cold forest, and she is alone. She has never seen this forest before, she has never been here before, which is odd because she has lived in Boston, Massachusetts all her life.
Aria staggers upright, and she wonders if she is still in Boston. The sun is rising. She glances at her body – she died brutally, Ryker held her immobile, and no matter how hard she thrashed, she could not escape his firm hold. He held her down and Elara ran a knife through her shoulder, then her right hand. Thinking back, Aria realizes that Elara and Ryker could have killed her easily, but they prolonged her suffering, they made her bleed. Then, they tied her to a pole and set her on fire. She exhales as she remembers the smell of burning flesh, of her flesh been burnt.
Elara and Ryker watched her as she burned. They put off the flame seconds from death, and Aria thought – the worst is over, until they tied a boulder to her leg and threw her into the river. She sank, water filled her nostrils, she didn't fight the current, she said a little prayer, and she drowned.
A person who was stabbed, burnt, then thrown into a river would probably have less thoughts of revenge, of vengeance, but not Aria. She fought as she was stabbed, she screamed as she was set on fire, and she seethed when she was thrown into the river. Aria died angry, she died furious, with vengeance, retribution and retaliation coursing through her burnt body, and now, she is here. Aria looks at her body and she gasps. First, her dark-skinned body is smooth, no burn in sight, no scar, she looks at her hands, and she is further shocked to see tattoos on her right hand.
Aria has never believed in reincarnation, but how is she here, alive, in a different body with all her memories gone, except the memory of her death. Something must have gone wrong, or perhaps, something has gone right? A tsunami of grief floods her when she realizes that her former body is probably still at the bottom of the river, burnt and dead, food for fishes. She shakes her grief away, and fully immerses herself in her new reality – she is alive, time for payback.
She places her hand on her chest and see she is a cup bigger, she is taller, too, and her dark long black hair has been swamped for a full afro, and Aria smiles, there are so many possibilities, and she is eager to make Ryker and Elara pay. This is a gift, and with every gift comes a price, but she is a bit blinded to that fact.
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Kael is in the forest, with a group of first year students. He is a Professor of Ancient Art at Salem State University, and one of the downsides of being a Professor is waking up in the crack of dawn to teach a group of nonchalant students, and a couple of students who care.
"Reincarnation is a belief that the soul or consciousness is reborn into a new body after death. Egypt, Greece, India, China are few of the places that reincarnation is believed. However, it is linked to certain concepts like Astral Projections, Soul Travel, Spiritual Realms, Karma, Destiny, Soul Growth and Evolution, and Cosmic Balance and Justice." He teaches and half of the class is interested, because this is an intriguing concept.
"Can you explain Cosmic Balance and Justice?" One of the students asks, a blonde girl and Kael nods.
"Cosmic Balance and Justice refers to the universal principles that maintain equilibrium – balance and harmony in the universe, it is the idea that every thought, actions and inaction has consequences, and that the universe seeks to restore balance and fairness. Concepts such as Karma, Universal Equilibrium, Natural Order, Moral Accountability and Restoration of Balance are connected to it." He explains, because he is passionate about the course that he teaches.
"So, is Reincarnation a deviation of the natural order of things?" Luna, his friend asks, and he thinks.
"I believe it is. Death is terrifying and unfair, but death, the end of life is the natural order of things, and when something or someone is reincarnated, it is usually for a purpose, and there is mostly a price to pay. It is better not to play with the divine, because there is always a cost." He answers and she nods.
At this point, he has the attention of the entire class and he smiles, because he was right, this environment promotes learning. They walk further into the forest and he teaches, everything is fine until Lana and some of the student gasp, Kael turns, alert – he is a Wolf, and Lana is a Witch, they can protect the class if push comes to shove, but he is shocked when he sees it is just a girl, a practically naked girl.
"Kael." Lana gasps and he pulls off his suit, walking to the girl, while Lana controls the crowd, telling them to avert their gaze from a naked woman.
"Miss, are you okay?" Kael asks as he walks to her cautiously, trying not to scare her.