prologue back in time. second life. gamma timeline

Imperial Capital Berun

A married couple was seated in their living room of a house with a cute design the likes people all over the city were asking Tanya to replicate in their own; even the design of her clothes was being pursued by HUGH BOSS or KOKO CHANNEL back in parisee, so the conversation being made was making no sense at all.

-POV conversation

You don't love me anymore "How long's it been?"

"I'm not sure, exactly. Whenever I stopped being able to convince myself you were the same person you used to be, I suppose."

"You should have no reason to complain. I've done everything you asked."

-On that count "I'm going to have to disagree."

"I've been a good wife,"

"Tanya, if I wanted a good wife, do you really think I would have married you?"

"I asked to know you once. The real you. It's the only task I've ever seen you fail to perform,"

"You…you really did love me," "Me," you loved me.

"…yes…?"

"I…I didn't just want someone to bring to dinner parties, you know,"

"I know, I know, I just thought…" "It doesn't matter any longer. You gave me exactly the life I said I wanted,"

"Am I too boring now that you've given me a happy life?"

"You aren't happy,"

"Am I not?" she asks in a tone so innocent that it seems she doesn't already know the answer.

"You pretend to be." The concerned voice was mixed with sadness

"I don't fool you?" she was breaking in despair. "Not anymore," tearing drops

"I don't even fool myself anymore," her tone changed to an apologetic one

"How pathetic," the woman changed her tone to an ironic one

"If only I hadn't convinced you to give up cigarettes," she was saddened and dejected, but surprisingly, the man took something out of a pocket

"I think I could use one about now." She reached her hand to grab one

"Me too," he chuckles

She arches her brow. "It seems I'm not the only one with secrets."

Stupid as it sounds, at least the husband did not follow the leash too strictly, which was good. She didn't feel good about him keeping secrets away from her. Maybe they both have been distancing themselves so much from each other; in retrospect, he also doesn't like the cigar anymore. Still, once a year, the day after their anniversary, he always has a cigarette or two in some childish act of rebellion, nothing big.

Both have their way of breaking the rules; it is nothing major, only little liberties to keep their bottle feeling at bay. Still, this day was one where every little crack was sinking their relationship.

"You know,"

"We probably deserved each other."

"On that point, we can agree,"

They quietly emptied the cartridge of cigarettes and mellowed; they only passed the time. They didn't even care about opening the windows, so when the man touched the subject, he said.

-I don't want you to be guilty about Tasha

The woman flinched at hearing that name. It was an unspoken rule to never ask about the subject, no discussion, no pity. She even avoided the topic, blocking her mind from its existence. She even went to some psychological checks to make sure she was coping with it.

-It was not your fault, no one's fault

-I made myself responsible and married you, but not because of the baby. I already make myself clear about my intentions even before discovering your pregnancy

-I know it made you change. You even quit attending mass, only assisting on essential days to deliver donations. I know you resented God for it, I too, but I don't want you to feel guilty. I want my wife back, the one with the smart mouth, the one with that wonderful mind, the one that took logic out for a ride.

They have been married for seven years. Tanya has been married just coming of age. Legally. There was no crime, but that was a burden Erich was willing to carry if he committed to marry her, the fairy of personnel, formerly known as "the argent," surprising no one or everyone at the same time, it was a bomb that exploded first as a joke then turning into a scandal around the general staff offices, the topic in question was dangerous. Still, everyone learned to cope with it as time progressed.

She was happy, but that was not the whole history. She only knew war growing up, fighting a battle in which no girl was supposed to take part. She fought in place of her father, making sure no one was destined to share the same fate; that silver lining supported the public opinion; in a way, getting fascinated with the guardian, the superior, was a minor sin, in a way all secretaries and adjutants make amends with that idea. Still, now she has a confession to make. She needs to be honest.

"Shit, if I do not say it to you, who else will be for me? You are the only man I could love."

"2013, Nipponese office worker, a bachelor from the Chicago School of Economics, meet the end of my life at the hands of a stupid crock which I fired from the conglomerate I was working for, pulled over the train rails, then I got into an argument with some strange old god, which did not make even a discussion about all shit and jumped into conclusions maybe so high with overwork I don't know."

To the revelation, Erich was speechless. He dropped the cigar from his mouth. They did not even reach the topic that she was him before, which was sidelined to oblivion. He was there, linking the points and connecting the dots.

Everything was making sense now: why she was resolute, why she knew esoteric knowledge, how Tanya predicted the future, why Tanya gave suggestions through him to the government in general affairs, and the more obvious one, why she knew the Far East writing and speaking, making her the hidden weapon for diplomatic affairs.

"I was trapped in an unfamiliar world with no parents, back in a more primitive era where war was looming on the horizon, and being shackled with a rifle in my hands, killing persons of all things."

"I lived in an unfamiliar country just out of horse ride carriages, with people with strange social and cultural values. I lived in the war, terrified of being shot for not being willing to follow orders or worse. The misunderstanding even put me in command of everything, never giving me a desk job."

She was tired of fighting her internal demons or keeping more and more secrets. She has red cheeks from crying out loud, and she closes her eyes only to be met by a kiss from her husband, perplexing her as a hug makes her not move.

"God or not, I don't care. I thought you were from another planet, and I don't mind your time traveling. I thought you were an Asper alien traveler of dimensions that would be leaving me behind or some shit, maybe one of those Doppel's or parasites controlling host. I don't give a shit about all. This is all the truth I wanted."

To the excitement unbecoming from someone so severe as the general, she was stunned, wiring cables in her mind, not understanding what foolish ideas and misconceptions the husband truly made.

That afternoon became night, but regardless, they decided to take bread from a bakery and have hot chocolate for dinner, not caring about a thing. Their marriage was saved, and they even decided to visit the countryside for a delayed honeymoon.

In the morning, Tanya was more serene and calm. She addressed Erich's concern when both finished breakfasts to lay on the couch one beside the other Erich hugging her.

"I was never a believer, not ever after the war. It was all pretenses; everything I had been doing was for selling the image of the Saint; you guess why I chose the name Tasha for my first child."

"Because the person reflected on the publicity campaign images, even the one before the 203rd, showed a side of you too alien you."

"Exactly. I hope for my child to have a good and genuinely happy life like the one out of a fairy tale, one where even if she were a mage, we would never have to see her drafted as the only child of the general or at least being relegated as a doctor here in Berun, never putting a foot on no man's land."

"I was an atheist. I argued with God and paid the price for being so narrow-minded and putting even God too high on a pedestal. In the end, even old and new gods are people. They can get tired and furious. In a way, they are no different from us and even too human."

"You speak like you were having various encounters with them, and I suppose not all conversations ended well."

"Yes, my first medal, preach to use the type 95. I can tell you everything now. I was afraid that being would take you from my life and plunge war over our land in reprisal, but the sky has not fallen, so I do not care anymore."

"Even I know that the hottest place of contention is going to be Polash, it is no surprise where conflict is going to break."

"After my first battle on the Easter Front, where I left everything in your hands to fall smoothly like good pieces of dominoes, I was sure he was not chasing after me. Even if I was not devoted to him, I prayed sincerely for our true Lord."

"After that, times were not less difficult, but as time progressed, the scars were being mended, and I even scored the life I always wanted."

"Then I truly prayed to the Lord, for my child, for the first time in ages I was devout."

At that moment, Tanya stopped speaking. Her semblance was weak, something unbecoming of her. She had never made her fragile figure so exposed before, but now she even left Erich to hug her.

"Then we meet with the incident, the one that changed you. You lost Tasha."

"For the first time in my life, I begged him, it didn't matter if he was God or Evil, Zeus or Odin, I didn't care. I wanted him to bring my child back to me. I wanted to save Tasha, but being X was long gone."

"Time and sound were even stopped. I saw it through the windows, but he didn't show up; I think something killed him. I knew nothing of what powers were up there in Haven, but I sensed strings being cut, and then suddenly, time started to flow."

"Yeah, I remembered you blinked from one place to a corner sobbing, and we all thought it was some orbless magic."

Erich lifted Tanya, carrying her, something she had always hated, but today, she was meek.

"I don't care about deities. I don't and never will trust them. The only people I can deposit my faith in are those preaching to them. In that sense, I will always have faith in you, my argent."

After that morning, they took all day off and sabbaticals with the excuse of quality marriage time. Every friend and colleague was tense discovering that the perfect couple had been fighting and almost divorcing. Still, more shock came sometime after hearing the news of Tanya being pregnant seven years after their wedding. knowing in what time was spent.