"Why didn't you kill Julius?" Gaia asks me while we ride our horses back to her house since the gateways mother had made worked only in one direction, given that she wasn't an omnipotent god. In any case, her question did strike where it hurt for me.

"He isn't naturally evil as many think; he's just a little confused. I believe I can help him change his mind if he only let me talk to him." The man I once called my hero was now supposed to be my enemy, which was quite a hard bridge to cross. I knew he wasn't a prick in my world, and so that image of the good guy never left my mind.

"How many more will have to die for you to stop him!? You're one of the only ones who can kill him! Why don't you!?" Gaia brings up a good point, as my inaction has cost the lives of millions of people already, with many more injured thanks to my leniency, but how could I?

"It's complicated Gaia. Would you kill Stash if he suddenly turned evil on you?" I ask back at Gaia, who avoids the question with her classic hypothetical denial answers.

"Stash would never turn evil, and even if he did, we both know he would kick my ass before I could even lay a finger on him, so it's not the same!" Of course it's not sweetie of course. I wanted to scream and get over it, but seeing how radical that man had become, I couldn't help but feel disgusted.

"Oh, Gaia, never say never, you see, Julius didn't use to be such a prick. It seems like power has changed him, but I know that good man is still somewhere there; I just can't find it." Perhaps I was still in denial, given how much they had done for me in my previous life, but now he didn't seem to be the same person.

Stolen story; please report.

I still remember the day I met him at school. One day, when I was getting bullied around by some assholes, he showed up and stood up for me choosing to fight three guys at the same time and succeeding at it. Not only was he kind-hearted, but he never showed signs of repressed hatred or hidden motives, so seeing him like this didn't make sense.

I didn't know much about him after we all graduated high school, only that he became a police officer willing to place his life in the line of duty like the good-natured person he used to be, always fighting for the weak and despising crime, so why was he like this now!?

I didn't want to admit this was the same person, but he was giving me no other choice but to act in the best interest of this world, which was clear and easy. I could kill Julius right now and end all wars between the nations, but I didn't want to. Why bother?

If I could somehow find that guy inside him and help him redeem himself, then the outcome could be different. I just didn't know if he would be willing to even let me without resorting to violence. So many times, I have tried to talk sense into him, but he keeps brushing me off like this world isn't real, and it's all a big joke.

Still, this last time, I came close to killing him after seeing how despicable he had become; how could he purposefully target another reincarnation and not only that but a kid that doesn't seem to know what they're doing? How far has he gone down the path of depravity? Could I even save them? Was it worth trying a couple more times?