Reincarnation possesses a fundamental understanding; that through living many lives one will ultimately discover the essence of who and what they are, and their purpose in the universe. As nothing new is created, only recycled endlessly, with souls being no exception, certainly there are people who have been reincarnated billions of times. Perhaps they have split off into multiple others after reaching a certain state, or maybe they eventually grasped the purpose of their existence and were enfolded back into the ether to be remade again. By that logic, some souls must have experienced everything humanity and nature has to offer, many times over.

Yet, when the learning is done, where do those souls go?

Over time, they eventually become a large collection of lessons learned, starting out near the beginning as a tuft of mossy grass, or a single leaf. The lessons at the beginning are small and largely insignificant; water is life, sun is life, cows are death-

There is a spiritual pattern to all beings, like the stratum of a great mountain. Like the lines of the earth, this spiritual texture illustrates the layers of new soul growth on top of old. What began as a slow deposit of knowledge and understanding on a fundamental level, became over the years, a weave of intricate choices and beliefs. The core of a person may stay the same while this new growth blooms around and over it.

That is how Cyn’s soul was constructed, a very, very long time ago.

Some believe that karma plays a role in reincarnation, but more than right or wrong, the individual soul looks for what it missed out learning in the last life and goes where it needs to to fill the void. Whatever lesson is standing between it and its growth, is where the light chooses to shine. Like humans, souls are always learning, always reaching for the top rung of a ladder they have no hope of seeing the end to.

Once upon a time, Cyn’s soul was in the process of discovering humility, among other things. He was born in a very religious household, eventually growing up to live in a monastery and take vows to live a simple life devoted to others. That was a significant turning point in his soul’s journey, like the dawn of a new age.

After recentering himself in that life and gaining a newfound focus, Cyn’s soul progressed much faster. He went on to live a handful of lives after that, all of which brought him closer and closer to his purpose. Unlike other souls, Cyn’s was very unique, as it had been present, though very different and hardly recognisable, at the beginning of everything. As such, he had very important things to learn, and a very important destiny to achieve.

It blurred together after a while. A soul cannot always influence where it goes, sometimes consciousness flickers away and it flows with the wind, landing in a spot that seems a little strange or pointless. You might wonder why there was the short life of a farmer in between that of a Prince and a spinster. Who can say, and who can say what his soul learned on that trip besides how to plant a field of vegetables, but in the end, it all brought him to where he needed to be.

If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Cyn’s soul experienced everything mortal life had to offer and kept going back for more, like it had something to prove. There was pain, as there always is, and there was beauty and loss and acceptance of the bigger picture. Stubbornness, sure, and truthfully that never really left, only made more sense over time. Cyn was a collection of truths about the universe. A reflection of its greatest strengths and infinite weaknesses. He was created resilient in order to achieve great things and shape the fate of both realms, and as the universe made room for his ascendance, so too did it hold its breath for the picturesque storm he had brewing in his heart over the course of several lives.

The Prince’s soul was reborn once again, but not in a mortal body. The first thought Cyn had, as he opened piercing blue eyes on The Heavenly Realm, was-

I remember…

And indeed, the god remembered it all.

There was a flutter of movement on the horizon, and then he was staring at a wide-eyed group of faces, all hesitant to meet his gaze. Cyn already had a pretty good idea of where he was, and with a wealth of knowledge about who he was, his choices were very clearly laid out for him. They were clearly already made.

“M-My Lord?” One of the angels stammered, “What should this humble Chorus call you? What is your name?”

The god of life and death thought for a moment. Inside, there were conflicting ideas. His answer was not so straightforward.

I have been called many things. I have been Prince, and rebel, and lover… father, mother, child, brother. What name, if it exists, haven’t I been called in my thousands of years of living?

Finally, with no true answer, he gave the angels before him a steely glare, and as he spoke, his voice traveled throughout the Heavens and made his ascension known to all the beings in the realm.

“Sin.” The deity said, “Like an act against God, my name shall be a warning to all.”

Then, the Prince raised his eyes to the Heavens and delivered his first act as god. It was infuriatingly simple to call a recently departed soul back into existence, especially that of a deity, since they tended to linger for a while after death. Cyndras pulled carefully on the precise thread he needed, and like that, he had plucked the other man from the tapestry of the deceased.

The universe itself trembled as he played with it, teetering like a glass about to fall from a table, but Cyndras remained steadfast and calm. Before long, there was a familiar rumble stirring in the heart of the mountain.

Cyndras had been very particular. This would be his lover with all of his memories intact. As beautiful and powerful as the day they met in his life as a Prince. Of course, it was easy; he had access to Solis’ memories, his body… his very life.

And, snatched out of the blankness of space, the god of stars came tumbling to shore, awash in blue smoke and whispers of fire.

Now, Cyndras thought…

Take me to the god that had us killed.