Jasmine Inevitably Fails, Enter the Old Aleira...

A familiar voice spoke from the doorway to Mira’s bedchamber. “Mira, the Goddess never left you. You are the one who refused to listen.”

The silence was the response from Mira. So the now-familiar presence spoke again now closer to her, farther into the room, and a recently shut door behind her. “Mira look at me.”

Mira did as her former best friend asked with ****, but was surprised with from the vision of Jasmine wearing the robes of the High Priestess of A’hiriya. Her brow scrunched in growing anger until she finally noticed how Jasmine is now moving and talking... she resembles much more similar Aleira.

“How?” Now afraid this is just another of the demon Lord’s tricks.

Aleira smiled warmly at her best friend, “Submitting to the rule of a demon is far from what I ever expected from you. However, Marus seems to genuinely care about you. Reportedly, it took some effort to replace the creature that used to be me, with uncorrupted and about to die Aleira in another realm.

“That display of a complete disregard for life, let alone my life, was far from inspiring?”

“Marus did what? I told him to leave me be. Then he sent Jasmine and…”

“Yes, I know Mira. As I eluded to before, Marus already educated me on the differences between my dead friend and you. That is why I said he evidently cares, because messing with timelines is far from simple nor easy even for a demon lord.”

Taking a long pause to gather oneself, Mira also mentally cataloged the visible differences between each Aleira… which there are none. She had mentioned something about being pulled from certain **** in her home realm.

“You are… Aleira?”

Aleira smiled warmly at her best friend one more time. “Yes”

“H-o…” Mira was about to ask ‘how’ again before her befuddled mind finished struggling to catch up to recent events. So instead she asked, “Why?”

With a smirk, Aleira sat down next to Mira on her bed. At the same time a couple of women in plain cloths came in bringing in new furniture and a strange device with glowing nobs. Her attention was momentarily distracted from Aleira.

“Choosing for myself to also submit to Marus’s rule as a High Priestess of A’hiriya, is far from where I wanted myself to be in five years. However, when he began explaining your situation… and my… my ‘new’ history. It became a much easier choice. Because of your situation A'hiriya was already willing to break from her family's policies towards demons; And, allow me to be something new. As I said, A’hiriya has always been with you even when you mistakenly turned from her.”

“But I…”

“Killed a bunch of demons?” Aleira interrupted Mira. “Of course, swearing allegiance to Marus, was far from a great choice in A’hiriya’s eyes. Yet she also feels your current circumstances were created by her own mistake.

“The cold reality, is that you have been supporting one demon Lord against another who is far worse. Another who also is still free to attack Arlain.

“You did realize you… well we, will be moving to some faraway land right? Even a realm run by demons that refuses to invade is likely to loose the said war.

“So the better question is, ‘Do you, Mira Quildolos, wish to be redeemed in the eyes of A’hiriya?”