When I come to, there’s a large man seated in front of me.

He's unclothed except for an exotic red loincloth that hangs low on his waist, setting off against his bronze skin. His form is muscled, even more so than Wolf, and his face consists of sharp golden eyes, a dark beard to match his hair, and a deep puckered scar etched close to his eye. Apart from that, there are more scars around his face and body, including one that glints like a dimple when he smiles. A hint of cruelty sits behind the smile and a touch of madness shines in his eyes.

He's seated on what looks to be a scarlet cushion, the color of blood. Apart from that, nothing else occupies this strange darkness that we find ourselves in.

Not even my body.

A quick glance down shows that I am made of nothing, no form, no legs, nothing.

“Am I dead?” The question comes from me and sounds like my voice, even though nothing physically emits from a mouth I no longer have. It’s a mere thought that becomes sound in the darkness.

“No,” the man answers, then winks. “Not yet anyway.”

I peer at him again. He seems familiar. “We have met before?”

He smiles. “Numerous times.”

“Who are you?”

He seems to think about the question for a second and then answer, “You may call me Lo.”

“Lo.” Something is disconcerting about being in his presence, particularly looking into his eyes. I want to look away but there’s nothing else to look at. “Why aren’t I dead?”

He gestures with his finger tapping his chin, and says, “Because if you were dead, you would not be here anymore. You would be where the rest of the dead souls go.”

“Oh.” The thought makes me pause. “So I wouldn’t…” I don’t know how to describe it, and Lo raises an eyebrow

“Reincarnate?” he grins. “Of course not, that would be ridiculous. This is your third and final life.”

“Oh.”I suspected that would be the case. "Why?"

"Because of the number three." He bends his head to one side. " It’s a beautiful number is it not? Orderly. Neat. Three points of a triangle, each point connected completing an unbroken cycle. In my world, three is the number for order. And when deviating from the natural way, with magic or alchemy, it’s best to retain some kind of order is it not? Otherwise, everything falls apart."

"I see," I respond. That must be the origin of the old wive's tale, all strange and magical things happen in threes. It must actually be a metaphysical rule then. "So the reason I wouldn't be able to reincarnate again is because I've already reincarnated three times and to add one more..."

"That would introduce an unusual amount of chaos in our world, and not the fun kind." He gives a mock shudder. "Chaos, as a whole, is typically not good for magic or alchemy."

"Right. But what if I didn't make it to three lives? What if I achieved the goal in my first reincarnation?" My mind works as I speak. "Or would that never have happened? Did I need to die all three times to succeed?"

"Perhaps," he says. "Probably. Although, you still might fail."

That’s messed up, I think but don't voice it. He smiles as though he hears it anyway.

"Why me?" I ask the question that has been bugging me since this started. "Why did I reincarnate?"

"Because he bargained for you."

"Who did?"

"The one you know as Wolf."

Shock ricochets through me, although its dulled in this kind of atmosphere. "Did you say Wolf?"

"You didn't mishear," he smirks.

"Wolf bargained...when? Why?"

He shakes his head. "That I cannot tell you. Ask another question."

But I'm unable to let it go. Wolf bargained for me? When? It would have had to be in my first life, but I never even met him in that life. Why on earth would he bargain for me?

"We never met in my first life," I say.

"Did you not?"

I shake my head and he purses his lips like he's going to say something thoughtful.

But then he shakes his head and says, "Ask another question."

I want to stay on this topic but I have a feeling he's said all he's going to say about it.

"So that's the only reason I keep reincarnating?" I ask. "Because Wolf bargained for me?"

"No," he says. "Lots of creatures try to make bargains with me. You're not the first human to attempt to travel time. Wolf's bargain only worked because of certain peculiarities of your body and your power."

"What power?"

"You'll discover soon enough."

"You mean what I did in the Forest?"

He shakes his head disillusioning me. "No. That was not a true reflection of your power, since most of it came from me. You merely acted as a conduit. But your true power is what enables me to be here talking to you. And it's something even more fearsome than you realize."

"Oh." I'm still disappointed to discover that what happened in the forest wasn't truly from me. And I'd taken such pride in it, gloried in the fact that I was helping my friends.

But it was Lo all along.

"Wait...you're the voice in my head?" No, wonder he sounds so familiar.

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He smiles. "Indeed I am."

"Is the reason you're here because of my power?" I ask. “Why can't you tell me what this power is?"

"Because it would take too long to explain and we only have so many seconds left," he responds. "Also, it's much more fun watching you discover it for yourself."

He's still as mocking as ever, I see.

I sigh. "Okay fine. If you can't tell me that, can you at least tell me what I'm doing here? I sense there's an end goal you want me to complete."

"You already know why you're here."

"To save the North. But why? What makes the North more special than any other destroyed nation? The Forest? The Gems?"

He sighs. "How can one be so close yet so far from the truth?"

"Maybe if you wouldn't give me half answers I would be even closer."

He seems amused by my ire. He thinks about it, then holds up two fingers. "You are in what we call, a game of fate. Two things govern this game. Fate and fable. They may seem like they're on the same side but they're constantly at war. Fate is the natural order. Fable is battling that order, to bring about exceptions. Evolutions. But eventually, fable becomes fate and fate leads to more fable and the cycle continues."

What on earth is he on about? I have no clue but he continues to prattle on.

"Fate has chosen different candidates over the years, and Fable has also chosen their players. There have been no winners yet. You are one of the new players.”

My head is spinning from everything he just said. "I don't understand."

"I don't expect you to," he says. "At least not yet. All you need to know for now is that you're on the right path. Trust yourself and you will see that."

I'm almost comforted by that thought until he adds, “Although if I were you, I wouldn’t trust everything you remember. Your mind has a strange way of playing tricks on you, and your situation has been less straightforward than most other humans.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I know. But you will in time.”

I don't want to think too hard about his words. I almost wish he hadn't told me that because they reveal something terrifying.

If I can’t trust my memories then what can trust?

He smiles seeing right through my fear. “It’s a funny thing, isn’t it? Trust and doubt must coexist simultaneously."

Is he just doing this to mock me? Nothing is getting cleared up and he's only confusing me more.

“What am I doing here?” I suddenly want to be somewhere else, far away from here and away from the man with sharkish teeth and cruel eyes. If I'm not dead then talking to him is a waste of time. “I need to go back to the forest. I need to save my friends.”

“You need to save yourself first,” he answers and gets up. “It’s almost time.”

“For what?”

“For you to meet her.”

“To meet who?”

“The one who will decide if you will live or not for this day,” he says. “All I could do was get you a meeting with her, but you will have to charm her all on your own. I bargained a few minutes for you, by promising her I would leave you alone for some time. So you might not hear from me for a while."

So much information. I focus on one part. “Charm who?”

“You'll see.” He gives me a last smile. “And I suggest you don’t ask her as many questions as you do me. It might irritate her even more.”

And with that, he snaps his fingers and disappears. So does the darkness.

Instead, I’m sitting in a lush garden with all manner of trees surrounding me. And I’m not there alone.

This time, there’s a woman in front of me with skin the color of oak and hibiscus-colored hair flowing down to her knees.

She eyes me, and I’m met with lush green eyes as fathomless and dark as a forest.

And sad. So unbearably sad that it makes my chest ache just staring at her.

And then her face squeezes with anger. “How dare he?”

Her sharp tone instantly has me putting up my hand and saying, “I’m sorry!” Even though I’m not sure what I’m apologizing for.

But it doesn’t seem to appease her. Her eyes spark with so much anger. “Don’t speak to me human. Your kind should not even look at me.”

I instantly avert my eyes and then realize that her voice sounds all too familiar.

“You’re the forest?”

“Silence!”

“Sorry.”

The Forest trembles with her anger, and with my eyes averted I can feel her observing me. She walks slowly toward me around me, her eyes scanning me.

My heart starts racing.

I can feel the anger and indignation radiating off her, the obvious distaste. She’s probably trying to decide the best way to kill me.

I want to call out for some Wolf or Lo but Wolf isn't here and Lo has landed me in this mess. He can’t do much to save me now.

I have to save myself.

“If it makes you feel better," I start speaking swallowing through the knot in my throat, despite her bid for silence. “I’m not sure what’s going on either. I just came in here to save my friend.”

“Your friend?” Her tone of voice suggests she might be about to strike me with thunder.

“Yes. He...”I swallow. “He fell down the cliff, while we were attacked by your creatures.”

“They’re not my creatures. They are creatures inhabiting these forests, just as you are.”

“Right.” I’m not sure how the distinction matters, but I continue. "Either way, we lost him. I came back to save him and then…”

“And then I was about to kill you,” she says. “You see, the protection of Lo can only last to a certain extent and I was discovering the best way to pierce through it."

"Ah." So Lo not only let me see in the forest, he also gave me protection. But how did he do it? What was his relationship with the forest?

“I gave you a chance once human,” she speaks, moving into my line of vision the hems of her embroidered gown coloring the grass. “I told you never to return. Yet here you are for the third time.”

“It’s not by choice. The king sent us here. He said he would kill us if we didn’t come.”

“Your king will not be satisfied until he creates an abomination.”

“An abomination? Is that what he wants with the Gem?”

“His greed knows no bounds,” she says. “But he won’t simply be satisfied with jewels. What the king wants is something even the deities have forbidden.”

I'm not sure what she means, but it seems we're in agreement on disliking the King. I use that to my advantage. “Which is why I must stop him."

That gets her attention. She stops pacing and then says, “You may look at me.”

I look at her, at her piercingly sad eyes that almost seem too much as she asks, “What do you mean?”

I sigh and try to think where to start. “My name is Adria. This is my fourth life…”

“I know of your origins,” she says. “What do you mean about stopping the king?”

“In all lives, I observed that the King's acts bring about mass destruction of everything. The land, the beasts, the humans. I’m not entirely sure what it is, but I know I need to stop it. Even if that means doing away with him." At first, I thought I could simply work with the King for the time being, until he dies a natural death, but now I'm seeing that's going to be difficult. I would likely need to get him out of the way sooner. "I assume that’s why I’m here.”

“You’re here because of Lo's game,” she says but she doesn't discount any of what I’ve said. “What do you know of the King’s plans?”

“Nearly nothing. Only that he seeks something to be able to face off against Pangea.”

“Yes,” she says. “He seeks power that is not his. And he is already amassing the tools to get it. He wants something from me and his bastard son has taken it.”

“The Gem?"

“Yes. He seeks to defy the natural order of things,” she says.

I blink when I realize what she’s revealed. Now it makes sense. I put the clues together and realized what was staring me at the fact the whole time. “The king is using alchemy.”

"He is trying to. He's playing with things he doesn't understand. And he will destroy everything."

"Is that why Lo brought me back? To stop it?"

"Lo doesn't care about humans and their destruction. He only cares about one thing."

"Which is?"

Her eyes glint wildly and I add, “Sorry. If it pleases you to answer that is.”

She purses her lips, watching me with an upraised chin. “He only cares about his beasts.”

Lo's beasts? I don't understand but I don't want to annoy her further by asking questions.

I'm so out of my depths here. But everything else can wait. I have to solve the main issue first.

"My friend," I say. "He fell off the cliff, but I think the ravine he landed in had some of your healing waters."

"If your friend is still in the forest, then he's lost to you."

I swallow tightly. "Is he dead?"

"Perhaps not," she says. "But if you stay here any longer you might be."

"Please," I tell her. "Jace is a good human. He has a pure heart. I beg you to give him another chance to prove himself to you. And if there's even a chance he might live, I'm willing to any price for it."

She eyes me for a while and then says, "You should be more worried about yourself. For some reason, I haven't killed you yet. Maybe because that blasted boy of mine likes you so much. He's calling for you. Return to him at once and do not come back. Either of you. Lo will not be around to protect you again."

"Wait," I say but she swings her arm and the forest vanishes.

And then I slam back into my body and blink up at familiar yellow eyes.

Wolf.