Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 137017 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 685(@200wpm)___ 548(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137017 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 685(@200wpm)___ 548(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Kalon’s hand stilled with his fingers sweeping into my hair. “Your fourth murder?”
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “In all my lives here, even those lived by the other soul in this body, I was murdered. I haven’t recovered all the memories, but God showed me my death in my first life.”
“You said earlier that we were together. Do you mean we were married?”
I nodded.
“And you died every time?”
Again, I replied in the same way.
He tightened his embrace, pulling my head against his chest. He rested his chin on top of my head, keeping me tightly locked against him. “Tell me about it.”
“You have to promise not to let me go,” I whispered.
“I promise.”
“You were the Crown Prince and I was the Crown Princess. The memory I saw was around a birthday party we were holding at Stein Castle for you. It was quite a broken sequence, but everyone was happy, and…” I hesitated. “I was pregnant.”
Kalon’s fingertips dug into my hip. “What?”
“I was pregnant,” I repeated. “It was funny because Sir Hayes and Rina were married, and he was fussing over me because she yelled at him whenever I went missing from my bed. It seemed like I suffered quite a bit from morning sickness, but I didn’t like being confined, so I kept running away to your office.”
“That’s the craziest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
“I know, but I can see it.” I smiled, hugging his arm to me. “But right after that I saw the party. I had a headache and went inside with Rina and Bella. Bella went to get me medicine while Rina took my tea from a maid. I dismissed Rina and drank my tea, but it was poisoned, and I died almost immediately.”
Kalon’s embrace tightened, and his chin jutted into the top of my head when he clenched his jaw. “You—”
“Don’t make me say anymore,” I pleaded. “I had to watch you mourn the death of me and our baby. I can’t talk about that moment, Kalon. Please don’t make me. It haunts me.”
His chest rose and fell several times in quick succession. “All right. I won’t. For now.”
“When I came out of the memory, God told me everything else. You went on a rampage to find those responsible and after killing them, ended up in the temple where you begged God—or Khimos, I suppose—for a second chance. To him, I was a precious soul, and he could see how you loved me, so he granted you it.” I pressed my face into his chest. “But something went wrong when he turned back time. You didn’t return with your memories like he intended, and after my second death, he realised this world was stuck in loop of regression that was triggered by my death.”
“Is that why he took your soul?”
“Yes. After my fourth death, he could no longer cope. He took me to be reincarnated and placed another soul in my stead, but nothing changed. In fact, it got worse. The new soul fell in love with you, but you didn’t recognise her as Alicia and somehow ended up falling for Lillia, resulting in the version of this world that I read in my new life.”
“Did everything change, including how you died?”
“No. The one thing that remained consistent was that the same people were responsible for my death in every single timeline.”
“How did you end up back here?”
“Alicia happened to die from being pushed down the stairs by Sophia. Her death coincided with mine in my world, and God had possession of my soul at the time, so he messed with the regression and swapped our souls.” I gripped his arm. “That’s why we’re so drawn to each other like this. We’ve already loved one another in our past lives.”
Kalon dipped his head and kissed my hair. “Who killed you in those lives, Allie? Who do I need to kill in this life to make sure you stay with me? To make sure you’re safe?”
“D-do you believe me?”
“I believe you,” he said softly. “I don’t think I fully understand what you’re saying, so you’ll need to give me some time to make sense of it all. But that doesn’t mean I don’t believe what you’re telling me. If you’re certain it’s true, then I believe you.”
Tears welled in my eyes. “Are you sure? You’re not lying?”
“How could I ever lie to you? You’ve put the fear of Khimos into me now that I know you’re his precious child.” Kalon laughed softly, pulling my head back so he could plant kisses across my cheeks, mopping up all the tears that escaped. “Now, stop crying and tell me who killed you. Tell me who dared infiltrate our castle and poison you under our roof. Tell me who put them up to it. My sword has just been sharpened, and I’m itching to try it out on some necks.”