The Dawn of the New World

The rain started to pick up and it became loud enough that they had to raise their voices.

"Can't lie? What does that mean??"

This was new information for him but Hao Xuan wasn't really in the mood to go into too much detail.

"Exactly what it means, you are inherently incapable of saying anything false. That's why world spirits are so trusted and often used to hold great secrets. Anyways, I still don't believe you a hundred percent but this is as good as it can get. Say what you were saying before about the...well me."

Although he was still unhappy that Hao Xuan didn't believe him but so long as they could have this conversation with some semblance of honesty it was all that he needed.

Uri repeated the same line again, verbatim.

"It is the 'you' that you were before the current you. It is the 'you' that was and then wasn't anymore."

Hao Xuan, the same as before, was surprised at how unclear Uri's words were. They left a lot of room for interpretation.

"Okay, we can break this down bit by bit. You said it is me meaning it's the same soul, correct?"

Uri bobbed his head up and down while tapping his chest, "Yes, same soul, same on the inside."

"But it's not the 'me' right now and instead the one before I was me. Does that mean that's me from a previous life? Like some sort of a...um, previous incarnation? Like me from an older life?"

"Older life?" Uri repeated with a pondering expression but his frown only got deeper and deeper, "No no, not old life. Another life but the same life."

"Same life as this one?"

"Uh, yes? I'm sorry it's not easy to explain. It is just a feeling and memories from the other me-"

"Wait wait, don't make it worse by adding other you's to the mix as well," Hao Xuan quickly waved his hand to stop him, "We have to figure this out first."

"So we shared the same soul but it wasn't reincarnation. It was the same life but a different one. Same but different..." while Hao Xuan was contemplating all the different answers Gi-An said something that caught his attention.

"Different choices? Same soul and same life but different choices?"

"Choices?!" Hao Xuan immediately sat upright, "The only way it could be the same life but with different choices is...if it was another timeline. Is that it? 'The me that was and then wasn't anymore' could mean that it's from a future that was rewritten and...I'm the new version?"

Hao Xuan didn't know anything for certain and was shooting in the dark for the most part but when he mentioned the last sentence it was like something had come undone around him.

*Slap*

[How long are you going to sleep? It's already midday!]

A crisp slap landed on the back of Hao Xuan's head followed by those loud words.

"What the fuck?!" he swiveled around with red ears but there was no one behind him. No one COULD be behind him because he was resting against a wall of hay.

Uri was also startled by Hao Xuan's cursing and started looking around warily while several tattoos on Gi-An's arms came to life.

"Are you okay? Is someone there?!" Uri inquired in a hushed voice even though he couldn't feel anyone's presence.

Hao Xuan stood up with an understandably puzzled gaze because he was hearing voices that weren't there.

[Come on, the chief is going to be mad if you are late for work again. The new crops are ready for harvesting!]

Hao Xuan immediately pointed towards the source of the voice, "Do you guys hear that? That voice just now??"

But both Gi-An and Uri were equally perplexed.

"There is no other voice besides ours, no one else is talking," Gi-An replied and Uri nodded in agreement.

[Get up already, it's such a beautiful day. You're wasting daylight!] the same voice spoke again.

"I recognize that voice," Hao Xuan mumbled, "Salome?"

He could even hear the hay softly crunching underneath a person's feet as he walked out of the barn.

He followed the sound of footsteps and walked towards the barn door. Gi-An craned his neck to look at Uri for permission which he swiftly received and stepped out of the way.

Hao Xuan could still hear the torrential rain smashing against the side of the barn but when he pulled the door open a blinding ray of sunlight hit his face.

He looked away for a moment to give his eyes enough time to readjust before peering outwards again to see that the watery and dilapidated village was completely replaced by something entirely new.

The sun was shining in the sky above and it was hot enough to remind him of the summers back on earth.

There were dozens of people running back and forth from one house to the other while another figure waited for him in front of the barn.