Enough crying; time for questions.

Cilla had calmed down after a short while, retiring to an early nap in the aftermath of her sudden, awful reminder of her past. Once sure she was fine on her own, I left her room, in search of the newest member of our not-so-little party; finding him in the record hall with Gabriella.

"It's when I look through this stuff; that's when I know this whole thing isn't just a dream." He says, sounding amazed at either the contents of the parchment in his hand, or the sound of his own voice; his tone could go either way.

"Why's that?" Asks Gabbie, who I notice is strangely without her staff; it's her "alone time," I suppose.

Klyde points to the letters on the paper. "I can read, for one. You can't really do that in dreams. That, and the pain when I stub my toe this morning. Thanks for fixing that, by the way. That split nail was..."

"Describe it any further, and I'll smash you through the floorboards." Gabbie threatens in a playful, but partially serious tone; wincing at the idea of a split toenail.

Kylde stops speaking, the imposing Amazonian's words cause him to swallow whatever it was that was in his throat; be it spit, or words.

"Hey."

Clearly, he hadn't seen me approach; that, and Gabriella's threats had put him on high alert. He yelps, standing straight up, and reaching for his sword by putting his hands over his shoulder. This would have caused a commotion, if his sword weren't strapped to his hip instead.

After realizing who had spooked him, he pretends to have been reaching to put his hands behind his head in a carefree manner; saying. "Oh, Monster, right? Or Damian? Which one do you..."

"Monster."

"Right! Got it..." He says, shaking slightly; heartbeat skyrocketing.

He had more bravado back at The Treasure; Mortigan must have been quite the confidence boost for him.

"I wanted to ask you things. About Earth." I say, taking a seat at the table he and Gabbie were sitting at. "I want to see if anything you can tell me would help jog a few memories."

Sitting back down, he says. "Oh yeah... You're really the the one from Earth? I mean, no offense, but why go with the whole... scaly body, fluffy wings, sorta deal. I went for being an Elf cause they're, you know... hot?"

"It wasn't my choice, really." I say, taking a seat. "How much do you know about me, and my... Others."

"Mortsie said you were from Earth. That's it." He replies, looking a bit confused. "What's this about it not being your choice? When Ihsrom pulled me here, I was given a full display of choices for what I wanted to be; so long as my soul was easy to access, and I died a few more times."

"I wasn't brought here by Ihsrom, nor the Gods of Light, like Tomoko."

"Oh, the first girl who got Isekai'd."

"I have no idea what that word means..."

Gabbie gets up fron her seat, saying. "I'll go make some tea; you two may be talking for some time, and I'd rather not be healing a sore throat or two."

I nod, but Klyde seems to ignore her outright, saying. "So, who did bring you here?"

"The Dark Gods; Melanoche and Carnachias."

"What!?" He yelps. "Mortsie gave me the whole spiel on those guys! Why would they want you?"

"No clue." I reply, internally giggling at the harrowing look on Klyde's face. "They said it was because of some dark desires of mine, but I barely know who I was."

"Okaaay... so, what am I working with. How much do you know? Let's start there."

"Well, I died in a weird, tiled building. The lights were these annoying, unnatural buzzing things..."

"Oh, so a hospital." Klyde's heartbeat steadies; these familiar concepts are drawing him a clear picture. "So, what got you in the end? Hit by a truck?"

The words fly through my throat as I hear the sound of crunching metal and shattered glass; it was as though my brain were listing out the diagnosis straight from the doctors paperwork. "Second to third degree burns on the right leg, torso, right arm and face. Severe limb trauma; right leg requiring bracing, right arm severed. Organ trauma; crippled right lung, minor trauma to liver, right kidney, and large intestine. Severe brain trauma; resulting loss of memory, and alteration in personality. Estimated life expectancy; two to one years, and six to nine months."

"...Wow."

"Sorry." I say, suddenly aware of my surroundings once more. "I just... it just flashed through my head; those words."

"Hey, man. It's not a problem." Klyde says in a comforting voice; he seems calm, despite the sudden lapse in sanity I had just experienced. "Wanna know how I kicked the bucket?"

"Why would you kick a bucket?

"Damn it. I'm saying; would you feel better if I told you how I... died?

I think on it for a second, hesitant; I don't want him to feel how I do during these fits.

"Sure?" Is the answer I reach; unsure if he would have any trauma on the issue.

Clearing his throat, Klyde says. "Some kid stabbed me... He was an American, by how he sounded. Larc; I think his name was? Larc Morhis... his buddies called him that when he went to their car..."

The last name causes me to tense up; that's the last name of the driver... the one who...

"So, imagine this." Klyde continues, seemingly unaware of my change in mood. "You're just some nobody nerd walking to school in London, barely finishing your toast. Bam! A guy your age tries to rob you; ends up stabbing you for your wallet and shoes. So I start bleeding out; yeah? He's yanking off my school shoes, his buddies calling out 'Morhis, you dumbass! Leave the shoes, Larc!'"

Morhis... Morhis... It can't be a coincidence...

"Anyway. I ended up talking to Mortsie when I got here, and I start picking my race. Next thing I know, her dad is offering me a job to die a few more times... you ok, big man?"

I straighten up right away, saying. "Yeah: fine! I'm that! I'm very fine... you said American earlier. Is that like, a race on Earth?"

"Oh, no. Just a nationality; they're very big on Jesus over there."

"I've heard that name before... one of my few memories was my father, praying to him; after my accident."

"Oh boy; this will be a long one..."

Morhis... That can't be a coincidence...

Was it a coincidence for us three to die, and happen to be picked for rebirth?

Or were we... murdered.