She stood back up.
"And I only need one thing from you, my beacon." She added. "For you to crush everyone who stands in your way. For you to rise in the realms. For you to ascend to divinity."
Kion was a bit confused. It shouldn't have been possible for that to happen.
"Oh but you are soulless. You can do it. I wouldn't choose you if you couldn't." Thea said, as if she was reading his thoughts.
"So what happens when I reach godhood?" Kai asked.
"Reach the divine realm first, and then we shall see." She responded.
With a twirl of her fingers, four symbols materialised in the air: the domain of fire, water, earth, and wind. The four basic elemental domains.
"We're running out of time. I need you to choose, and choose wisely, of course."
Kion already knew what he would pick before it was suggested. He wouldn't be the calm collected warrior that he was in his previous life. This time, he would be a raging storm. No more of that bullshit.
"Fire soul." He said with resolution. It was an element he was used to in his past life as a soulless weaponeer. It encapsulated all that he ever needed, and ever would.
He felt the appeal to choose something different, but sometimes, it was best if things didn't change.
"Very well." The goddess replied. "But this will be your starter domain. There will be opportunities for more."
Kion frowned. "Wait, what—"
"And do know—" Thea interrupted, "that this new timeline wouldn't be an exact replica of the one you lived. While some things may remain the same, it would be best if you were cautious in your decisions."
Kion began to glow with a bright light. The voice of Thea and the background of darkness all fading away as his vision swam with colourful lights.
"I wish you well on your journey, Kion. And for the love of the gods, do not die this time!"
With a flash of white, Kion felt his body wrenched through realms at hyper speed, coulourful streams of light zipping past the edges of his vision until he lost consciousness.
As he left, Kion's mind flashed over the little details that didn't add up.
First off, the voice that had called him from the brink of death wasn't Thea's. That much was confirmed. If anything, she was somewhat surprised when he got to her realm, as if she wasn't the one who summoned him there.
And also, from his basic knowledge on her divinity, she shouldn't have been able to send him back in time. Giving him a soul that came with new elemental domains was plausible, yes, but not granting him a new timeline.
Kion knew within him that something was a bit off.
However, he had no intention to worry about her further, as the very last of the blinding light faded, and finally, darkness consumed him.
"Wake up, sonny."
Kion heard the voice of a woman, the love with which she spoke to him vaguely familiar.
***
It was his mother, Gina, sitting next to him on a king-sized bed within the castle walls. The whole reincarnation thing had really worked.
He felt a distant sense of comfort as his eyes scanned the opulently adorned prince's room. The grand clock nestled in the corner, the gold framed mirrors, the scented candelabra on an antique oak desk drawer…
Kion was back home. And not a moment too son, his eyes landed on a woman sat across him on the bed, staring at him with curious blue eyes
"What would you do without your mother here to wake you up?" Gina teased playfully, and Kai smiled.
In his past life, she was the only one who had loved him, but could only stand back in tears as her son was banished from the kingdom. In the aftermath of it all, she'd killed herself from the pain, and Everglade kingdom was without a queen.
But here she was again, in the flesh, with her usual kindness and affection. Kion was happy that she hadn't changed one bit.
"Good morning mother. What could I ever do without you?" he said in a surprisingly groggy voice.
"Nothing, sonny, because I'll always be there by your side when you need me. Now why don't you go freshen up? You've got a big day today."
"What's today again, mother?"
His mother looked at him with a shocked expression.
"It's the day of your ascension, you big, forgetful boy." She said as she gently tugged at his left ear. Even when she scolded at him, she did it with love.
If Kion had remembered correctly, this was the day his life was going to be ruined.
But that wouldn't be the case. He was in control of the script now.
He was about to tell his mother something when two guards barged into the room, knocking the double doors open.
Usually, this level of insolence from the Imperial guards would have been received with a beheading, but Kion was left shocked as his mother, who should have been scolding them, bowed her head down in defeat, almost as if she was some…
…mere commoner.
The very thought resounded in his brain.
Don't expect everything to be the same.
Thea had warned, and everything began to make sense when one of the guards finally opened his mouth to speak.
"The King's bastard son and his whore of a mother are requested in the Royal court."
Kion flinched.
In this timeline, Gina was not queen. And even worse, was that this didn't qualify him as an heir.
Suddenly, he heard another voice, distant yet approaching.
"Do you want to come? Or would you rather we dragged you and your filthy mother to the throne room."
His heart sank as he saw his brother (now half-brother) appear at the door to his room, the heir's crown adorning the top of his head.
"Hello little brother." Kai Everglade said with a wicked smirk.