As the world around us shifted, we found ourselves back in another memory—one that was buried deep in my heart.
It was Mom again. Her warm, gentle smile. The way she held my hand as I sat beside her hospital bed. Her voice was soft but filled with so much love.
"Promise me," she said, brushing my hair back like she always did, "that you'll always be happy. No matter what happens, no matter where life takes you… never let my death be the reason you stop smiling."
I bit my lip.
She squeezed my hand weakly. "I want you to live, truly live—without regrets. If you ever feel sad because of me… it would break my heart."
That was the kind of person she was. Even while facing death, she only cared about my happiness.
A warmth spread through me as I turned to my other self. He was silent, but his eyes mirrored the emotions in my heart.
Then, the memory faded, and we were standing somewhere else. A rainy day. A cold, empty funeral.
Mom's funeral.
I could still feel the way my fingers curled into fists, my nails digging into my palms as I stood before her grave. The rain poured, but I barely noticed.
Then, suddenly—another memory overlapped. A memory of her in our small apartment, humming as she cooked, dancing around the kitchen, her voice carrying a melody that made the world feel brighter.
Mom loved to sing. It had always been her dream to become a singer, but life had other plans.
That dream became nothing more than a story she told me at night.
But she never let go of music. She always sang to me, even when things got tough. Even when she was sick, her voice never wavered.
And then—we were back at the funeral.
My grip tightened around the umbrella I held.
That day, I made a vow.
"If you can't fulfill your dream," I whispered, my voice shaking, "then I'll fulfill it for you. I'll become one of the best singers in the world."
I failed in my last life. I never even got close.
But here—
A small smile crept onto my lips.
Beside me, my other self grinned.
And then, as if on cue, a soft melody escaped my lips. A song she used to sing.
The moment the first note left my mouth, my other self chuckled. "Damn… we really did have a good voice, huh?"
I laughed. For the first time in what felt like forever, I truly laughed.
Then, just as the music faded, the world shifted again.
And this time—it was something completely different.
We were sitting on a couch, watching anime. A slice-of-life series, the kind with warm, fluffy moments, family dinners, and couples living peacefully with their kids.
I remembered this.
Back then, we had looked at each other and thought—
"One day, that's gonna be us. A big family. A peaceful life. A home filled with laughter."
And, of course—
"Why choose only one girl when you can have more?"
I barely had time to react before my other self burst into laughter.
"Bruh—this is the most YOU memory ever!" He clutched his stomach, wheezing. "You and your harem dreams, man!"
I facepalmed, but even I couldn't hold back my grin.
"Hey," I shrugged. "I'm just saying—monogamy is great and all, but why limit yourself when you can spread the love?"
He wiped a tear from his eye, still grinning. "Well, judging by how things are going in this life, you're definitely on the right path."
That made me pause.
I thought about Evelyn. Liliana. Celeste.
…Shit.
I sighed. "Damn it, man. You're not wrong."
We both stared at each other—then cracked up laughing again.
The darkness around us had almost completely disappeared now.
For the first time in two lifetimes, I felt… at peace.
I wasn't alone.
I had a chance.
And most importantly—I had a purpose.