Chapter 22: The Echoing Heart Beat of Memories

As Lavender lay against me, I was pretty sure that two hours had passed, but the sun hadn't moved. Someone must have frozen this place in time or in between it. At least it wasn't overly hot or cold.

I must have awoken Lavender as I turned to examine the jungle because I felt her stir beside me. Her head lifted from my lap, where I had laid her, and she looked into my eyes. There was still some torment in them, but she did seem a bit better.

"How are you feeling?" I speak the words gently, not wanting to bring back memories of earlier.

Those hallucinations caused by the bottle and demon had done severe psychological damage, and it was my fault. If I hadn't been so careless and just opened the bottle myself instead of letting Lavender near it. I tried to continue to berate myself silently, but Lavender must have read my expression and grabbed my hand.

"It's not your fault. I'm ok," but Lavender's voice shook as she spoke the last two words, and I felt it through her hand.

"I swear to you, I'll make that bastard pay for this. I can't undo what happened, but I swear I will try with all my power to never let it happen again," I pulled her close as I finished.

Suddenly, I burst with light. Lavender stepped back in surprise, but the light faded just as quick as it came. The light left me with two new alerts in red, plastered across my HUD.

WARNING

PERSONAL RESTRICTION IMPOSED

Your resolve against demons gives you and Involved, or higher party members added Magical and Physical Resistance to demon attacks. This also gives you a new stat that will be available at level 15.

That was pretty cool, and it didn't feel like a restriction, but it would only help in the future. Well, let's see what the second screen is. Last time, I received a new skill, which gave me a greater chance of finding magical items. So far, I felt like I had got just as much as I usually would. I sighed.

"Are you ok, Dave? Why did you just light up?" I could see her peering at me through the windows.

"Well, every time I say something heroic, I get a new restriction and then a new skill. I don't think I can just start spouting heroic, though. I SWEAR TO BE INVINCIBLE FOREVER!"

When nothing happened, Lavender started to laugh. I felt a bit disappointed, but I didn't really expect it to work. While Lavender continued to laugh, I closed the screen and let out a "Holy Shit" under my breath.

WARNING

PERSONAL RESTRICTION HIDDEN SKILLS UNLOCK

DEMON BRINGER: In the presence of demons, LIGHT BLADE will increase in size, but in this form, the blade only affects demons. A non-demonic creature struck by DEMON BRINGER receives no damage. Consumes 10 MANA per/min.

DEMON HUNTER: In the presence of demons, DEMON BRINGER will erupt with golden cleansing flames, and all stats with temporarily be boost against demons. Consumes 7 MANA per/min.

HEROIC GRACE: Remove any adverse magical effects or side effects from a party member. This ability has a 24-hour cooldown period between uses.

"What's wrong? Did you get a bad skill? I'd be happy with whatever skill I," Lavender cut off as I grabbed her to pull her close.

My damn eyes got misty, and my voice became choked as I put my hand to her cheek. I looked into her eyes and spoke before I let emotions take me over.

"HEROIC GRACE activate."

My hand started to glow with a soft green light. It spread from my hand to Lavender's cheek and soon covered her body. Her eyes closed, and she spread her arms to the sides.

Like the thump of a heart, black waves left Lavender's body in every direction. Lavender let out a soft moan, and her arms fell to her sides. The light left her, and she sagged against me, breathing hard. After a moment, I ran my hands through her hair, and she looked up at me, smiling with tears in her eyes.

"You never stop, do you?" She asked with a more playful smile.

"Stop? Stop what?" I questioned in confusion.

"Bringing the light to every dark place you touch, but this is... I can't remember anything that happened when that demon had me. I know he had me, but everything past that is blank like it never happened. Thank you so much."

She turned her head up to mine and kissed me. Lavender's warm, soft lips expunged every thought from my mind. The kiss wasn't long, but I felt eternity in that kiss. Then something shifted, on a cosmic level.

THUMP, THUMP

Serina laid on an operating table beside me. Nurses and doctors are hooking us up to the machine that would connect us to Reborn. My parents had said this was the only way I would have a life.

THUMP, THUMP

Serina stretches her thirteen-year-old hand to me, and I grabbed it. Both of us had caught a deadly new virus with no hope for a cure. My parents had tried everything to save me, but nothing had worked until a friend of theirs had suggested Reborn.

THUMP, THUMP

After my parents had agreed, I got to spend time in the facilities while they did tests on me. That's where I met Serina, just like me, with no hope of survival. We spent countless hours talking about our new lives and the things we would do together once we got there.

THUMP, THUMP

As we held hands as we both promised to have fun together in the new world. Our parents stood outside of the room, watching us sink from the world of mortals into the realm of gods. The New World was not what we thought, though.

THUMP, THUMP

Until I was able to help Serina become the god, Destiny, we always started apart. Other jealous patrons and gods always used that against me, and she would get hurt or die. The Faceless God changed that when he took me as his patron.

THUMP, THUMP

I bolstered Serina to a Goddess and was almost to my twentieth win when a fateful choice let the cruel child god Fate finally win. My all my progress was reset, and I was forced to live that hell he created while he traped Serina and their other supportive gods. This brings me back to here and now as my vision starts to come back, as I put my had to my head.

Lavender was in front of me with her arms crossed, standing a step back, still smiling.

"Did you remember something?" Lavender asked playfully.

"Everything, so many lives lived with you and the others," As I said this, I stepped forwards and kissed her again.

It was longer this time, and I knew it was her. As our lips parted, I could see the spark in the back of her eyes that only Reborn had. We both smiled as we stepped back and an alert popped in the top left corner, but I ignored it.

"I would love to sit and talk about this, but I think we should get out of here first," I say while turning to the jungle.

"I know," Lavender gave me a squeeze on the arm as she walked forward.

We both entered the jungle-like biome and soon found something like a trail that seemed to lead us away from the water. We ran into three demon snakes and two demon birds, but it felt like we were being watched the entire time. After awhile we found a clearing with a small pool and a fifteen-foot waterfall.

We both went to the water's edge and drank deeply from it. Neither of us had food since Tilly carried it last time, but we managed to find some edible fruits along the way. Now, the water was all we needed.

Lavender took her beat-up slip-on's off and dunked her blistered feet into the water. I slowly let my scratched and bloody feet into the water with a hiss. I had no shirt or shoes, and I have several welts from insects on my shirtless back and chest.

"This is nice. It might even be fun if we were prepared, or both had some shoes," Lavender cut off to scratch a small lump on her arm.

"This water feels good, but one thing has been on my mind. What do we tell the others? And do I keep calling you Lavender or Serina?" I questioned her as we soak our feet.

"That's a good question. I can't say right now but, I'm not jealous, as long as you treat us all the same, and Lavender will do for now."

I stared at her blankly. What the hell was she talking about? She isn't insinuating what I think she is, is she? My mind clalculated everything that I had gotten back, but I still seemed to be missing some of the finer points of my past lives. I guess the NPC Lavender held more reservation on this subject then Serina did, bonus!

Lavender blushes only a little, and she smiles at me. Just smiled, like she didn't just drop that giant polygamy bomb onto me. Then she just sat back and smiles some more.

I smack my hand to my face to lean over the water, and Lavender's cute laughter fills the clearing, but then I feel it. It was closer than it has ever been since we entered the jungle. I put my hand on Lavender's arm, and she stops laughing.

A shadow blocks out the sun above us, and we both lookup. I have to put my hand up to my eyes to see what is blocking most of the light, and I freeze. Six angry eyes of a Demon tiger stare down at us.