“The mythology of spirit doubles can be traced back thousands of years and was present in many cultures of the past, holding a prominent place in ancient legends, stories, artworks, and in books by various authors. Perhaps the most well-known reference to spirit doubles or ‘alter egos’ is the doppelgänger, a word still used today to refer to a person that is physically or behaviourally similar to another person. Doppelgänger is a German word meaning “double goer” and refers to a wraith or apparition that cast no shadows and is a replica or double of a living person.”

- The Journey to the Afterlife

***Dedessia***

***Seria***

I feel the soul-link snapping into place and for a moment the world tilts a little. Fighting the strange feeling by pure force of will, I stay on my feet and use the wall to steady myself. Then I stomp down the hallway, glaring at my mother, silently cursing her for her tricks and for meddling in my affairs. Who told her to interfere in my relationship with Marcus?

Upon reaching my lover, I grab his hand and try to pull the ring from his finger. No luck. The little piece of metal is stuck there, just like my own.

When I woke up this morning, I didn't realize that someone had been in my room while I slept. The slightly shifted curtains should have alerted me that someone sneaked into the room, but I simply wasn't paying attention.

Maybe it was the wound, or the curse, though that doesn't matter any more. I slept the sleep of the dead, not waking up, even when my mother slipped the ring onto my finger.

When I woke up, I staggered into the bathroom, still half asleep. When I stood in front of the mirror and brushed my teeth, I noticed the shining piece of metal for the first time.

Of course I immediately recognized it and hurried to warn Marcus. Obviously I was too late.

“Is something wrong, Seria? Your mother said that all members of the family are wearing something like this,” Marcus asks. There is doubt in his voice and he is definitely smelling that something is fishy about what just happened.

I scowl. “Yes. Literally! That's definitely the case. Didn't I tell you to be extremely careful with my parents?”

Elona clasps her hands in front of her chest and smiles at us, a single tear running down her cheek. “Finally! I never would have thought that I would be able to witness the moment when my daughter finally finds her significant other.”

I glare at her. “How could you put something like this on me? Without even asking! Didn't you learn by experience how dangerous soul magic is when it comes to bonds like this!” I raise Marcus's hand and point at the simple, golden ring. Then I shove my own matching piece at her face.

She puffs up her cheeks, but it's more an expression of annoyance than guilt. “The two of you are looking so good together. And you said yourself that you like him. That's enough for me. Years and years of watching you meddling with others, just because you have nobody to entertain you. Now that problem is solved, even if he dies.” She smiles.

Marcus freezes. As do I. Together, we stare at my mother. At first I thought that this ring is just a regular wedding bond, just like the one my Mom and Dad have. But this seems to be much, much worse.

“What have you done?” Marcus asks with a weary voice.

Elona shrugs. “I asked Shade to forge a special item for the two of you. It's the first time in millennia that Seria brought home a guy and admitted that she loves him. I think that only happened one other time... back then you got cosy with the son of our enemy. But ever since then you never were really in love with anyone. Isn’t it lucky that you two ran into each other again? After such a long time?

“I just thought that it would be awful if Seria would lose the only person who works with her type. So while Marcus and you wear that ring, he will slowly be forged into our soulbond. Just a little at a time. It won't be a traumatic experience like it happened with the three of us. Aren't you glad that you finally aren't the eternal third wheel any more? Happy marriage!”

I feel my face reddening and anger bubbling up inside me. This meddlesome, self-righteous, egocentric-

But Marcus doesn't give me a chance to lash out at my mother. Instead, he smiles as if this is the best present he ever got. He bends down, hugs me at my waist and lifts me into the air. “That means that we will be together! And to think that it was you all along!”

Holding onto his shoulders, I try to steady myself. “What do you mean, it was me?” As soon as the words are out of my mouth I finally realize what my mother just said.

“I haven't thought about her for an eternity! But the name! You are actually her, aren't you? We've already met in another life!” He whirls me around like on a carousel and I let myself melt into his arms.

The multiverse is really starting to annoy me. How can I be angry at my mother when it's actually fate that I should be cursing at. “You are Nathan?” Thinking back, I remember that one life when I actually pro-actively pursued a relationship! When I hit it off with a boy who turned out to be the son of my father's arch-enemy.

“And you are Sariel! We weren't gods back then, but I still should have remembered! To find you again! That was the best lifetime I remember!” He crushes me against him as if I am some long lost pet.

My mother wrinkles her nose in disbelief. “You mean that the two of you found out just now!? I thought you already know that you already met. It’s so obvious. How long did you dabble around each other without realizing?”

“You knew!?” Both of us ask in unison.

She nods. “Of course. It took me a while to put everything together. The way you move and look at each other. I thought about it yesterday while we were on the staircase. All the way down to Shade's laboratory. And once we were there, I asked him via mind-link if he recognized your soul. Why do you two think that he agreed so readily to your relationship? Anyone else would have been at least taken apart and reassembled to find out if he poses any threat.”

I sigh and touch my forehead to distract myself from the developing, throbbing pain. “I think I am getting a migraine. A big and ugly one!”

Elona shakes her head. “You can't. We still have to visit Shade in his torture-chamber. He interrogated your prisoner all night long and this morning he was really excited about something. It must be big news because he didn't even eat the whole chocolate bar up until now. He is just nibbling at it, one lick at a time.”

I frown, wondering myself what could be interesting enough to stop Dad from devouring all the chocolate in one, big bite. “Zhon didn't strike me as someone who is in on big secrets. Of course, he must know some interesting things since he was obviously plotting against Newerth. Though is that interesting enough to hold Dad's attention? Is he really that obsessed about finding Moonray?”

Mother shakes her head and gestures for us to step closer. “There is no point in speculations if we can find out. Come closer. I'll teleport us right there.”

Marcus puts me on the ground and we step closer. Elona's skirt starts moving as she transforms it back to her wings. Then she encloses all of us and one moment later the scenery changes, without so much as a hitch. Elona transforms her wings back into a seamless skirt.

“That's a really neat teleportation spell. I didn't feel that spacetime was affected at all. Would you care to let us in on the secret?” Marcus asks with an impressed tone.

Elona looks at him for a moment, as if judging on whether she should share the skill. Then she shrugs. “Whatever, it's not like the two of you could replicate it even if you know the technique. I used my wings to spin a thin bubble of mana around us. Then I applied the same process which I use to flash step in rapid succession to all three of us, moving us down the hallway, down the stairs, and so forth. Until we arrived here.” She gestures at the room.

I feel my own eyes widening in surprise. I’ve never thought about chaining several flash steps together to overcome the limitations of the technique, much less taking two people with me while doing so. Oh, yes. I can carry someone and flash step with him. But that’s a rough endeavour.

Marcus whistles. “I really have to learn this skill. Especially because Seria is always using it to run away. But I guess that we should first deal with our original goal.”

.