The silence that hung over the house was heavy. Kvolt, sitting in his room, could hear the soft murmur of his mother's voice coming from the next room, where she rocked Nessa into a restless sleep.

He closed his eyes. The words, the looks of hatred, the fear and anger that seemed to permeate every interaction. It was as if he and his family were marked, doomed to be pariahs in that society.

Something had happened and Kvolt needed to find out what it was.

Kvolt frowned, puzzled. "Hey Aurora, do you think this world isn't so different from Earth? That the same patterns repeat themselves? It seems to me that things might be worse here."

"It's a possibility," agreed Aurora. "Many philosophers and thinkers throughout history have speculated about the cyclical nature of existence. The concept of 'eternal return', proposed by Friedrich Nietzsche, suggests that the universe and all events within it are repeated infinitely."

"And what about me? What do you think brought me here? Reincarnation? Cosmic chance?"

"There are many theories," Aurora replied. "Some, like the Greek philosopher Plato, believed in the transmigration of the soul, where an individual's essence passes through several bodies over time. Others, like Buddhists, spoke of samsara, the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth."

Kvolt sighed, running his hand through his red hair. "But why me? Why now? What's the purpose of it all?"

"I can’t give you an answer. But maybe there is no purpose, Kvolt."

He was about to respond when a soft sound caught his attention. It was music, a familiar melody from his past life. Aurora, sensing his contemplative mood, had begun to play a soft song through his synapses to help him reflect.

He closed his eyes, allowing the notes to envelop him, transporting him away from the worries of the present. For a moment, he could almost pretend he was back in his old apartment, relaxing after a long day of work.

But the illusion was shattered by a soft knock on the door. Kvolt opened his eyes to see his mother standing in the doorway, her face a mask of worry and exhaustion.

"Kvolt," she said softly, her voice restrained. "Are you okay, son?"

He stared at her, really seeming to look at her for the first time. Lisai seemed to have aged years in just a few hours, lines of tension marking her young face, her eyes dull and lusterless.

"I'm fine, mom," he replied, surprised to realize he really meant those words. "But what about you?"

Lisai looked away, apparently struggling with some deep emotion. She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. The words seemed trapped in her throat, choked by the weight of unspoken secrets.

"Mom," he said, his voice firm and decided. "Why did those people call me an aberration? Why do they hate us so much? Is that why you're so protective and didn't want us to go out to the village?"

Lisai tensed, her eyes widening in shock and fear. She stammered, searching for the right words, but all that came out were incoherent fragments.

"I... we... you... it's complicated, Kvolt," she finally managed to say, her voice trembling. "It was... circumstances."

Kvolt frowned, dissatisfied with this evasive answer. He could see his mother's discomfort, the way she seemed to recoil from his intensity. Part of him felt guilty for pressuring her, but the need for answers was stronger.

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"What circumstances?" he insisted, stepping forward. "What happened, mom? What aren't you telling me?"

But Lisai just shook her head, tears beginning to stream down her face. She looked so fragile at that moment.

"I can't," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I can't."

And then, to Kvolt's horror, she began to cry. Great sobs shook her body as she sank to the floor, curling up as if she could protect herself from the pain that consumed her.

Kvolt stood there, frozen, not knowing what to do. He had never seen his mother like this, so broken and vulnerable. Part of him wanted to go to her, offer comfort, but another part was angry, wanting to understand what was going on.

It was at that moment that Henry entered, his face still dirty from the day's work. He stopped abruptly when he saw the scene before him - his wife sobbing on the floor, his son standing there before him with a stone expression.

"What's going on here?" he demanded, his voice loud and authoritative. "Lisai, what happened?"

But Lisai just shook her head, unable to speak through the tears. Henry knelt down beside her, pulling her into his arms.

"It's okay, love," he murmured, stroking her hair. "Whatever it is, we'll get through it. Together."

Kvolt felt resentment growing inside him. They had been publicly humiliated. Kvolt never thought he would have the urge to strangle a child ever in his life.

"We can't be weak like this," he said, raising his voice, his tone harshly cold. "If we show weakness, people will step on us."

Henry jerked his head up, his eyes emanating anger. "Kvolt!" he growled, his tone a clear warning. "Don't talk like that. You don't understand..."

But Kvolt cut him off, his own anger overflowing. "No, you're the one who doesn't understand!" he shouted, his fists clenched at his side. "You didn't see what I saw today. You didn't hear what they said about us. We're pariahs, aberrations in their eyes. And sitting here crying isn't going to change anything!"

Henry's face turned red with fury. He stood up, still holding Lisai, and pointed a trembling finger at Kvolt.

"To your room," he said, his voice dangerously low. "Now!"

Kvolt opened his mouth to protest, but something in Henry's expression made him stop. It was a mixture of anger, fear, and... something else. Something that looked a lot like guilt.

Without another word, Kvolt turned and marched to his room, slamming the door behind him. He fell onto the bed, burying his face in the rough pillow.

"Aurora," he called, his voice muffled by the pillow. "What do I do?"

There was a long pause before Aurora responded. "Kvolt," she said gently, "I don't think there's an easy solution to this. This world isn't the same as the previous one, the society rules may not apply in the same way."

Kvolt sighed deeply, rolling onto his back and staring at the ceiling. His mind wandered to the memories of his past life, fragmented images that he usually kept locked away.

"You know, Aurora," he began, his voice low and distant, "I never really had a mother before. Not one that I knew, at least."

She remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

"I found out, at my paternal grandmother's funeral, when I was 17. My biological mother was a prostitute who didn't want to raise me. She left me with my father and disappeared when I was still a baby." Kvolt sighed deeply, his air heavy. "That is, if he is even my real father..."

The words came out like shards of glass, sharp and painful. It was the first time he had spoken about this out loud.

"But Fernandes... he was awesome. He raised me alone, even without being sure if I was really his son. But he died when I was only 6 years old... Tuberculosis."

Kvolt swallowed hard, feeling the old pain squeeze his heart.

"After that, it was just me and my grandmother. She did the best she could, but... it was never the same, you know? I always missed having real parents. My grandmother always let me be independent, so I still feel apprehensive about being forbidden to do things."

Aurora processed this in silence for a moment before speaking in his mind.

"And now, with Lisai and Henry... is it a second chance for you? To have the family you never had?"

Kvolt laughed humorlessly. "Maybe. But it's hard. I don't know how to act, what to feel. Especially with Lisai, she's a good woman, who does everything she can, I like her. But, every time she tries to get close, I feel this wall going up, blocking me."

He ran his hand over his face, suddenly tired.

"And Henry... it's weird. I know he's my father now, but... it doesn't feel real. My only real father was Fernandes. Trying to accept another father figure... it's almost like betraying his memory."

Aurora responded promptly. "Maybe it's not a matter of replacement, but of addition. Of allowing new people into your life, without erasing the old ones."

Kvolt was quiet, contemplating this. It was a perspective he hadn't considered before.

"Maybe..."