"Where the fuck am I?"

Sirius Black stood in the center of an unrecognizable office. He fiddled with the cufflinks of his tailored suit, eyes darting around the room. He seemed lost in thought, not understanding why he was there. He recalled falling into the veil, the sound of Harry's anguished cry echoing in his ears before darkness consumed him. His head throbs painfully and his limbs feel sluggish, as if he has been asleep for days. With every passing second, his heart races faster as fear builds inside him. He has to get back to Harry. He needs to make sure that his god son is safe and unharmed.

He was about to take his first step out of the room when the door flew open, revealing a figure who greeted him with a soft smile. He stumbled backward in shock as his eyes locked on the flaming red hair of the woman standing in front of him. His heart throbbed in his chest, his face drained of all colour, and a wave of paralysis swept over him as he stared at the figure. "...Lily?" Sirius muttered silently.

"Hello, Sirius. Nice to meet you. My name is Lily Evans and I will be the one assisting you today," Lily greeted Sirius cheerfully, her arms outstretched for a hug. He remained still, puzzled by the circumstances. Nonetheless, she wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace.

'Why is Lily introducing herself as Lily Evans instead of Lily Potter? And why is she acting like a complete stranger?' he thought to himself, slightly puzzled by Lily's behaviour.

He immediately brushed away those questions as a chill ran through him. 'Lily is dead, and is currently standing in front of me.' He choked out a single, desperate question. "Am I dead?" Lily pulled away from the hug and stared at him without uttering a word. The silence seemed to stretch on for an eternity before a muffled groan broke free from his lips. "Shit! This can't be happening!" Sirius slammed his fist against the wall, his temple throbbing with anguish. He can't be dead! Not now! Not like this!

Lily moved closer and placed her hand gently on his shoulder. He jumped slightly at the feel of her hand. It was hard to believe that he was currently in the afterlife and actually conversing with his former friend, Lily. "I know it's hard for you to accept what just happened moments ago, but I want you to remember that you really did try your best. No matter what happened, don't let the guilt consume you," she said, trying to reassure him, but unsure if it was possible.

"Where's James?" He scanned the room with a frantic energy, trying to find his friend. He needed James - not just for companionship and guidance, but for absolution. He felt a heavy guilt weighing down his chest - guilt he had been carrying since his friend's preventable death. He blamed himself for leaving the task to Peter, and it was a burden he could never escape.

"If you're talking about James Potter, he's not here."

Sirius looked at her with confusion painted across his face. Where else could James be if he wasn't in the afterlife? Unless he had somehow faked his death, which was impossible. Sirius had seen both of their corpses before he was thrown into Azkaban.

Lily strode past him, opened a desk drawer, and pulled out a folder with his name on it. "Let's take a look... Ah, Sirius Black, it appears you still have two lives left," she uttered while leafing through the document.

"What do you mean by two lives left?"

She slammed the file shut and stuffed it into the drawer. Pushing herself away from the desk, she stood and strode toward him, her strides full of purpose. She came to a stop, her smile broadening. "Tell me, Sirius... If I say that every humans were given three lives in total, would you believe me?" she asked, her voice low and challenging.

Sirius blinked at her question. "Three lives?" he asked, unable to keep the disbelief from his voice. "Are you talking about reincarnation?" His eyes were narrowed, trying to keep a firm grip on reality. Second chance in life... Is that even possible?

"Yes, which is why James is not here right now."

He gaped in disbelief, "He's living his second life right now?!"

Lily shook her head, "Third life, actually."

"Then why are you still here then? Why aren't you with him?"

She tilted her head, slightly perplexed before a realization struck her. "Was i married to James Potter in your former life?" she inquired.

Sirius' jaw dropped in disbelief as he exclaimed, "What do you mean were you married to James? Of course you were! You even had a child together. Harry Potter! How can you possibly forget your own blood?" He felt a chill down his spine as he wondered, do people in afterlife forget about their past lives?

"I think you misunderstood something, Sirius. Your universe and others' do not intersect in any way."

"What do you mean?"

"It's like playing chess with a random stranger. You are the player, while everyone else is your opponent's piece. Depends on your choice of movement, your opponent will be moving their pieces differently, altering the outcome. I am not the Lily you knew. I am simply the model of the subject created for the purpose of world building... and so are you." She explained.

"Are you saying that... everyone live in different versions of the universe?" he asked. He refused to believe whatever just came out from his mouth earlier. "And everyone I knew in my previous life aren't actually real?"

"Technically speaking, those individuals do exist, but those in your previous life were only replicas of the models that were used to create them. That means they share not only the same look, but also the same personality and opinions."

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. She's not the Lily he knew. In fact, it seemed like no one from his past life actually existed. They were subjects that were designed to offer a variety of reactions depending on his actions. He didn't know how to react to this new information. "Are you saying that my whole life was a lie? My friends...my family...even all those years i spent in Azkaban.. they were all fake?" His voice trembled as he spoke. He refused to believe he had wasted thirteen years of his life for nothing.

"I would not call them fake. Your feelings and connections with others... They were real, Sirius," Lily comforted him, placing her hand on top of his and squeezing it firmly. "You don't have to experience life again if you don't want to. Many people chose to stay in the afterlife since they were content with their first life. Do you think you can say the same about yourself?"

Sirius felt his chest tightened. "What's the afterlife like?" he asked, genuinely curious. Why would anyone choose to live their second life after knowing that universe life they were living in was a complete lie?

"It depends on what you prefer. You can either erase your memory and start a new life with those who picked the afterlife, or live forever in your own illusion. Some people chose to remain in their own illusion, since they refused to forget and be separated from their loved ones."

"Is it better to live in your own illusion?"

She hummed in disagreement as she sifted through a pile of books scattered across the floor. "I wouldn't call it better. Imagine being stuck in the universe with a fixed ending. No matter what decisions you make, your fate will remain the same. You can speak to different people and make different choices, but none of those will alter what lies ahead. Even if you try to avoid it, you will still end up in Azkaban and die in your thirties. There's no way to avoid this destiny unless you choose to restart you life again.

"What will happen if I don't pass my task to Peter?"

She shook her head slowly and said, "Nothing. Peter will just come up with another way to betray you and your friends."

Sirius stood in stillness, letting the weight of his options sink in. He only had two choices left: to get his memory erased and drift off into the afterlife, or to live in a nonexistent universe for a second time. He thought about his friends, all the memories and the love that held them together. "What if I choose the other option?"

"Your memory of your past life will be erased, and you will be placed with other individuals who picked the same option. You will have to start anew, love... friendship...," she explained, holding two books in her hand. "But I must warn you, any type of feelings like regret, love and hatred will always remain within you. You might feel confused as of why you have such strong emotions towards certain individuals. This is why I would always recommend fixing the wrongs of your life before entering the afterlife. Bringing your traumas and regrets to the afterlife will only bring negative effects to yourself."

Sirius do not wish to live in a universe populated with deception again, but he couldn't help but think of his many regrets. He thought about the various possibilities in life, such as what would happen if he meet James or Harry again in the afterlife. Will they ever be closed again? Would the heartache of his past mistakes ever subside? Could he ever talk to them without feeling an overwhelming sorrow?

Lily carefully placed the two large books she had been holding onto the old, wooden table. She glanced at Sirius, her green eyes gleaming with a sense of hope. "Make your choice, Sirius. What will it be?" she asked in a soft, gentle voice.

"Will I forget everything once I start my new life?"

"No, you won't. The whole point is to give people a chance to alter their fate. Just remember that you can't speak with anyone about the afterlife. There will be a magical barrier preventing you from doing so."

Sirius gritted his teeth, and with one deep breath, he made his choice. "Alright," he declared, his voice ringing deep and strong. "I choose to live my second life."

"Fantastic. Now... What year would you like to travel to?" she queried as she opened the book, studying its contents intently.

Sirius thought long and hard, reflecting on all the years he sacrificed. Despite being an adult, he still had moments of childishness, having lost his youth years in Azkaban. He wanted to reclaim what he had lost, to make up for the wasted years. He wanted to experience Hogwarts with his friends again. "My fifth year... 1975..."

"1975 it is then," she said, smiling as she tore a page from the book. A bright green portal appeared before Lily, and she shredded the page further before throwing it into the portal. "Listen carefully… everything before the year 1975 will stay the same as in your past life. What happens next is on you. You alone can shape the destiny of those around you, so please make the right decisions. You only have two lives left, if you ended up fucking up on your last life, you're screwed. You will have to live with all the burdens and regrets forever in the afterlife despite not remembering anything."

Sirius took a deep, shuddering breath as he approached the portal. His eyes were locked on the swirling colors within. With one last glance back at Lily, he stepped through the archway. His heart raced as he felt the power of the magic around him, a tingling sensation that seemed to energize his every molecule.

He was determined to rewrite his and his friends' fate this time.