Sora's brows furrowed, knitting together in anger, her teeth clenched tightly and her fists balled at her hips. 'That's just nonsense," she spat out words of defiance.
The stranger, sensing the fury radiating within her, was prompted to step closer. Placing a gentle but firm hand on her shoulder, his goal was to assure her, "I know," he said, his voice laced with sympathy for the young girl. "You must be confused—shocked, even. But I'm sorry to say… this is the truth."
Sora's hardened expression wavered immediately, her anger dissolving into sorrow. Her knees buckled beneath her, and she collapsed to the ground as tears spilled from her eyes. "H-How?" she stammered, her voice breaking.
As she cried, she couldn't help but realize how her mother had coped. Fragmented memories of the time she and her mother had gotten into a fight one certain time, prompting Sora to run away, she could remember her mother screaming with a petrified tone.
Sora stopped in her tracks, turning to her mother who wept uncontrollably. After she had apologized, she never did such things again and she and her mother never got into fights.
Sora wasn't proud of that memory—because for the first time, she had a bad memory of her mother.
Seeing that she had died in this timeline, trying to connect it with the memory she had—her mother's reaction to being separated from her daughter was already to hard to bear. Just the thought of death must've been so big for such a soft woman to bear.
"Have you decided?," the stranger asked, his voice echoing through her ear drums.
Sora's eyebrows knitted, not from pressure but a from an inner turmoil—something that left her confused and hopeless. From the facial expressions she made, it was clear to the stranger that Sora wasn't sure of the path she wanted to take.
Was it to stay in this new realm and live happily with all her dreams coming to a reality? No signs of the system, her life would be be not only normal, but nevertheless, profitable.
Or—
She could just return back, the system would remain but her life would be as hard as she had experienced. And it would get worse if she wasn't careful.
"It seems you require enough time to think on the path to follow. I shall return, but I will be forced to decide if you do not"
The stranger spoke and as he did so, he began to dissolve into a shadowy mass—taking the shape of her clothing. Sora was left, pondering to herself—the thoughts on what path she was going to take was crucial, and both options were going to cost her greatly.
The first choice was tempting—anyone who had endured suffering would leap at the chance for happiness. But could she truly live in a fabricated world, knowing everything around her was built on lies?.
Picking the second choice meant that Sora would return to the terrible light they sought to hide from, but if humanity was matured to see things from a higher perspective?, the greatest hardships were all part of real life.
Sora was left to think, scratching her head as the thoughts of her paths wrapped her mind like a warm duvet used for coverage in the cold winter—she had to decide, and she had to do it fast. As paced back and forth, she couldn't help but feel hopeless. She had never had to think of making decisions because she never had options in the first place.
Through out Sora's life, there was a single path she had to follow and now that she was given two, what could she do at this point?
As she sat on the bed of the late Sora, thinking to herself, 'What should I do?' the door leading into the room creaked open and her supposed mother of this sorrowful timeline walked in and as soon as she set eyes on the young lady she couldn't help but feel a strange sense of concern.
Sora, who was immediately startled by her entry as she found out her mother's pain finally found time to look into the woman's eyes. Sora couldn't help but feel pity as there was a slight blackness under her eyes that was healing at the moment.
"Oh," said Sora's mother with an awkward tone, seeing that the girl was still awake, "Apologies for bothering you"
Sora nodded, rubbing her palm at the back of her neck, "No, its nothing at all you didn't bother me at all," she said, trying her very best to assure the woman that she wasn't a burden.
She watched with delight as her mother shared a warm smile, "I made some lunch, would you kindly join me at the dining table," she muttered with a slight plea.
Overwhelmed by the woman's kindness, Sora nodded, accepting, "Of course," she said gladly.
The woman watched as Sora's bright grin widened just by seeing it, a thought ran across her mind—memories of someone she had recognized, probably the Sora that had passed away.
'She looks just like—'
Sora's mother shook her head, trying to get her mind off such things. Sora noticed this strange gesture—though she wanted to interrupt and find out the reason for her sudden attitude she chose to leave as it already seemed to her that she knew what was going on in her mind. Sora's mother tightened her fist, suppressing the sorrows that she held locked in from her past.
She walked away, not bothering to close the door behind her. Sora sighed, an unhappy feeling welling up inside her chest as she could feel the pain that her mother had held for so long, but from seeing her mother in such a state, it placed her under the impression that she was the cause of it and indeed, it was the truth.
All these feelings and thoughts drifting in her mind, made it quite evident of the path she needed to follow but she wasn't sure of what needed to be picked. Standing down from the bed, she gathered her resolve, breathing in and out as she prepared to face her mother who was already troubled from her facial identity resembling that of her late daughter.
'I hope she doesn't have to feel so much pain just by looking at me'
Thoughts began to fly around her mind as she tried to compose herself.
Making her way out of the room, to the stairs that led down, stopping at the old dining table not too far from it, Sora noticed a table covered with delicious meals. The scent of lavender and chamomile being strong in the area, finding a trail towards an overwhelmed Sora's nostrils.
'Amazing' she thought, slowly walking down the stairs cautiously moving as her supposed mother was nowhere to be seen at the moment.
Her fingers brushed against the polished wood, triggering another memory—her own mother, years ago, wiping the same table while a young Sora watched in admiration.
A question nagged at her: Why had her mother always done these tasks alone? Where was her father? She had never asked as a child, but now, the absence haunted her.
Lost in thought, she didn't notice her mother's approach until a warm hand rested on her shoulder.
"Are you okay?" the woman asked, concern lacing her voice. "You seemed… distant."
Sora forced another smile. "I'm fine, really."
Her mother smiled back, though her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. She pulled out a chair. "Please, sit."
"Th-Thank you," Sora murmured, touched by the kindness. Sora slowly sat on the table as her mother took the ceramic kettle, pouring what seemed to be lavender tea and Sora could tell from the sweet scent—that was where the scent had emerged from.
Describing how the scent would be, it was sweet smelling and it was like she could almost taste it without drinking it.
Placing the kettle aside, Sora's mother sat opposite to her, facing the young lady with her eyes wide open without blinking, she gestured for Sora to taste the tea which she hesitantly did. Raising the cup to her mouth, Sora could feel a sense of ease as the steam rested on her skin and as soon as her tongue was met with the liquid, a warm feeling rested on her chest.
Her eyes sparkled with serenity, just from the taste of the tea, this wasn't her first time tasting such a sweet breakfast but this one was quite better than the ones that her mother had made when she was alive in her own timeline.
Her supposed mother's smile brightened as she saw the look on Sora's face, "Tell me my dear, does it meet your standards?," she asked, ensuring that Sora liked what she had tasted.
"It's amazing," Sora said, a shocked expression on her face as she was overwhelmed by the taste.
Sora's mother clapped the tips of her finger together with delight, a slight joy sparked inside her that made it evident that she was happy if the taste were up to her standards. Seeing the joy in her mother's face, Sora shared a small but warm smile, her mind centering towards one path that was given to her among the list that the stranger had made.
Her mother clasped her hands together, delighted. "Eat as much as you'd like," she urged, gesturing to the food.
As they shared the delicious baked meals, quiet conversation filling the room, Sora felt something settle within her.
She never wanted this moment to end.
And deep down, she knew which path she would choose.