Without an answer, the memory ended.
She opened her eyes and saw 'Elise' looking at her gently.
"What does that memory mean?" Eli, utterly confused and lost, looked at 'Elise' and asked desperately.
"Your soul was split in two. Not because of an enemy intervention, but because of the destiny you have to carry in the very near future…"
"Remember the book of knowledge that the Great One gave you?" 'Elise' who is now not Elise asked the question.
"... yes…" Eli said as she thought deeply. What would be the connection of the book on her soul splitting in half?
"You might never realize it but you are not yet using the book in its full capacity even until now…"
"The closest you have been in using the sliver of power from the Great One would be when you used it to destroy the fragments of the enemy's spirit last internal war. But after that, did you not notice that the book only merely functions to you as if it contains knowledge?"
'Elise' looked at Eli patiently and let her ponder things.
True enough, when this was mentioned, Eli remembered how the Great One mentioned that the book contained a sliver of his power. But she did not really have the opportunity to understand this information.
"Your soul had to be split in two and then had to be nurtured separately in order for your spirit to be able to bear the weight of the Great One's power. Only then will you be able to use the book properly and defeat the enemy below..."
"Thus, your soul was sent into two different times and developed two different identities on each timeline."
"The purpose is to strengthen your soul by going through the tribulations that you went through in those lifetimes."
"However… the enemy… those angels who rebelled against the heavens discovered you… then everything changed."
"Your soul in the modern world was forcefully ended through that accident, while your other half, Elise, also prematurely ended."
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"The plan was for two of your souls to meet each other as soon as Elise entered the Realm of Paths. By that time, your life in the modern world would have been lived to the fullest according to the plans and the assimilation would have been smoother with the two souls melding into one."
"Apart from that, part of your second soul, Elise's soul, had been infected by the decay power of the enemy which made the assimilation more complicated."
"You two would have recognized each other as one and the same the moment you two met, but then you two became two different people and beings because of the interference."
"Alright…" Eli could no longer take the information and interrupted 'Elise'.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, pausing for a long time before continuing, "So you mean to say, that it was not meant for us to meet during the time when we first saw each other in the heavenly realm?"
'Elise' smiled and nodded, "But what you did not know was that the damage done by the enemy on Elise's soul is far more serious. Her soul was shattered if not for Little Han's innate spirit healing Elise''s soul and pushing back the power of decay until the Great One stepped in."
"Little Han?" Eli was taken aback, but when she saw 'Elise's' knowing smile, she remained silent.
"That's right, by now you should have known who Little Han was… he was the boy that was saved by Asa in his last moments. What you might not understand was that, because Guardian Asa used the last of his essence to save Little Han's spirit, the two became one."
"As for what it meant for you as his parent… it is for another conversation that is not yet due at the moment. But now what you needed to understand was that, this was already the time for you and Elise's soul to finally assimilate."
"The tribulation that you have experienced was already complete when you were tortured by your opponent, while hers had already been done in that gruesome dungeon."
"..." Eli's mind and heart were in turmoil. Truly this is a lot for her to take in.
To suddenly know that all her reality was not and that her identity was actually not what she thought it was…
Elise…
She was someone she viewed as a sister and friend. A person who could be her best friend and soulmate should their fates allow them to.
But now that she knows that they were one and the same… Eli could not help but feel conflicted once more.
She was even more conflicted than the moments she hesitated and felt the guilt of taking her body and role as Little Han's mother during those times she just descended in Prasinos.
"Now are you saying that once we become one… one of us would disappear and the other would prevail?" She muttered as she tried to take in the facts slowly in her mind.
"No… the two of you will both exist at the same time." The other answered.
"..."
"If that's the case, then who are you? And why is my mum also in the same timeline as Elise's soul??" Eli asked.
"For Yelena… after her death on your timeline, her soul transcended to Elise's timeline. Because two of you are destined to have her as mother… and no other soul could do it but her."
"Remember, the heavens aren't bound by a timeline like the creation did, that is why it is possible for her to transcend to a timeline that is completely different from yours in the modern world as long as it is willed by the heavens."
"As for me, I am simply the guardian of Elise's soul until the two of you become one and whole. My name is Caeli, the keeper of injured souls." As Caeli said this, her appearance changed from that of Elise, then all other faces that Eli could not recognize.
"These are the forms of all the souls I kept, and every one of them had the same situation as you as they share the same destiny and fate like you as well - To bear the power of the Great One and defeat the fallen angels in the world assigned to you - Prasinos."
"Hah…" Eli shook her head not willing to just idly accept the things that she was hearing at the moment.
"I understand… that it is a lot for you to take in Elise Manlangit. But I am afraid that you cannot dwell into the matter any longer because… the world and the people you and Elise Fayre both loved are already about to collapse." Caeli remembered.
Remembering Leon, Little Han, and the rest, Eli's heart beat fast.
"The war… what happened to them?!" Eli began to panic as she looked at Caeli and nervously held her hand.
"See for yourself…" With a wave of her hand, Caeli showed the situation to Eli.
"The war as we speak has been going on for seven days. Many lives have been lost, but our side has not yet given up. With the guardians' favor, they could hold for a little longer while waiting for you to end it all… but that's all we as citizens of the heavenly realm do for you."
Eli watched the scene and saw that everyone was fighting desperately against Lord Raven and his armies.
She could also see the boundless mana flowing to Leon and the rest, the colors representing all of the guardians of Prasinos supporting them in any way they can.
Kayden and the rest also joined the fight along with Cornelius and Yelena.
"Mum!" Eli shouted in panic but then the next scene made her even more worried.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmThe behemoth monsters started to reach the Green Wave continent and they were just a breath away from reaching Little Han's location if they were not defeated by the others who were defending the continent.
"Prasinos is crumbling… Eli… you need to make a decision." Caeli softly said.
"Did… did you tell Elise everything? What did she say about it?" Eli for the last time expressed her resistance to soul assimilation.
"Why don't you ask her for yourself?" Caeli looked in another direction to which Eli turned her head to see.
There she saw Elise who was smiling at her and Eli's heart skipped a beat.
Badump! Badump!
She heard two heartbeats beating as one. An indescribable feeling of belongingness and identity resonated with her as she looked at Elise who was also looking back at her with the same emotion.
"Isn't this the best arrangement Eli? We are one and we live as one. I finally can find a piece of me that was missing since I opened my eyes, and you now found me in turn."
"We can both hold Little Hand in our arms, our hearts would become one."
"You are me…" Elise uttered.
Eli did not know how, but she found herself walking toward Elise and touched her hand by replying, "I am you…"
They both smiled and an indescribable sense of warmth and completeness covered them both.
"So are the two of you ready to be one person?" Caeli asked.
They both nodded, finally determined.
"Alright then… two of you get ready." Caeli waved her palms and a mysterious warm light enveloped the two.
Eli and Elise smiled at each other, their bodies were covered by the light and their hearts glowed in gold.
They held their hands and allowed Caeli to work.
As to how it will turn out for the two of them, they did not know…