As I drifted through the layers of water in Roxxy’s pool, mana gathered around me in droves, keeping me safe and protected. The bottom of the pool was spacious and comfortable, and I pushed a small hole through the water to the surface so that I could breath, but otherwise kept my position stable. There were too many thoughts running through my mind, and I didn't want to talk to Roxxy yet

There was too much to think about.

Roxxy didn't push me to leave the water or speak. Instead, she let me spend the next few minutes basking in the comfort and safety of the elements. On the surface I was calm, and my eyes were closed in meditation.

My inner mind was a war zone of conflicted thoughts and emotions.

Roxxy knew about Earth. Or at least she might. It briefly crossed my mind that she could have been talking about the element, but I quickly dismissed the thought. The way she'd said it had been different compared to how she talked about magic.

"This isn't what I was expecting.” I said.

I wasn't sure how much of my voice reached her, but her reply was crystal clear through the water that covered my ears.

“It's what was in your memories.” Roxxy said. “Every single one was comparing the things you saw to things from Earth. I just don't know what Earth is.”

“When you said a secret, I thought you meant—”

My words cut off and I fell back into silence. I'd been about to tell Roxxy about being a Marked one, but instead she touched on a part of my life that nobody except me knew about. A part of me so deeply embedded in my soul that it steered my every thought and action in one way or another.

The concept of Earth was ingrained into me. It was no wonder she had seen it when she'd seen my memories.

"You can take your time.” Her voice swam into my ears. “And you don't have to tell me today either. or ever.”

Her words were music to my ears. With [Meditation] I'd gotten better at separating my emotions and overcoming them. Even accepting them for what they were was an easy task. But sometimes I just want to sit back and let them process naturally.

There was uncertainty in my heart. And fear. It wasn't strong, but it was persistent. I'd prepared to tell her I was a Marked one. Every outcome had been thought of in advance, from panic to acceptance. This secret was one that would have unknown repercussions. I didn't know how she would react.

Between the conflicting emotions was a single thought that rose to the top of my mind.

Did it matter if she knew?

The person that I had once been had died, and I'd gotten past that and embraced my life in a new world. The wonders of magic, the constant threat of death, and the passing of time had been the biggest drivers of accepting my new life for what it was.

More than logic, it was the fear of being rejected by the people that loved me most in this world that made me hesitate from telling people about my reincarnation. I didn't know how they would react, but at the same time I felt like they didn't need to know. It wasn't something that was relevant to this life, or to this world. But if someone was to know, I would want to make sure it was someone I loved or a close friend.

Maybe Roxxy was the perfect person to start with. Just like Amanda had been for telling people I was a Marked one. Well, the decision had already been taken out of my hands to an extent.

“Stop listening.” I said.

This time my words weren't directed at Roxxy. In fact, she didn't even hear them.

They were directed at my guards.

To make doubly sure they could trust my instructions I texted them as well, forcing the water away from the paper of my texting regent book.

There was a single flash of light as my guards sent their response. They would stop listening to my conversation until I instructed them to come back. The only caveat was that I had to keep sending them updates to show I was fine, and they would also continue to monitor me in other ways.

As far as I was concerned, Roxxy and I were in a silent chamber all by ourselves.

“[Water Manipulation].” I said.

The water pushed me gently to the surface of the pool, and I lay there on my back facing the ceiling. Most of it was covered by a thick layer of steam, but I concentrated on the sound of the water lapping around my ears and the sensation of being at peace among friends.

“So, Earth.” I said. “What do you want to know?”

The moment the words were said a flicker of excitement rose within me. It had been a long time since I'd had a conversation about anything from my old world. A little over three years to be exact.

I heard Roxxy shuffling on top of the water, and I could sense her worry. She could tell that this was a delicate subject for me, and she didn't want to say something insensitive.

“That's not the can-do attitude I've come to associate with you.” I turned my head toward her, pushing aside the water that tried to slap against my eyes. “Where's the Roxxy flair for the dramatic?”

“It's back in the light-hearted discussions where it belongs.” Roxxy rebutted. Despite her tone I saw a smile tug at her lips.

"How about you start with what you saw?" I said.

Depending on what memories she had seen, she could know about my old city, or even my old home.

“I didn't really see too much.” Roxxy shrugged. “It was more of a subconscious thing. In your memories it looks like you're— um, translating everything. Every animal you see has to be compared to another similar one. Every building too. When you attuned you thought of oceans and lakes, but you told me you’ve never seen the ocean up close, and your city doesn't have swimmable lakes…

“Sorry, I'm rambling.” Roxxy ran her hand through her hair. “I want to ask about everything, but that'd be shell-fish. I guess I'll go to the first question I had. What is Earth?”

I thought over her words carefully. There were ways to dispute her words. I could say that I'd seen the ocean from Gesti Sky, and that I'd actually gone to visit lakes in other cities through portals.

Those were lies that I didn't need to tell.

“Earth is a place.” I said. “I guess you could call it my old home. Although if I'm being honest a part of me still considers it to be my home. Not better than the one I have now, but equal to it.”

Roxxy leaned forward, the water around her rippling into waves as her excitement took over. Curiosity burned in her eyes, and I could sense the mana listening to our conversation.

It occurred to me that this would be the first time I'd spoken this truth out loud.

"You could call it another world.” I said. “I'm not sure how I got here. Or if there’s a reason why. But Earth isn't like it is here. There is no magic. But at the same time many of the things we have here were also there, in one way or another.

"As for how I came here, well, Amanda's books call it reincarnation.”

For a moment we were both silent. She was stunned, and I was waiting for her response.

Then she pumped her fist into the air.

“I knew it!” Her voice reverberated across the room. “Three weeks and I thought of every possibility for what I'd seen, but that made the most sense to me. I thought I'd be called crazy if I said it out loud.”

"I'm going to need a bit more time to work through this than you are.” I said.

Her enthusiasm was contagious, and I had to hold my smile back as she celebrated. Unlike me, she’d had weeks to prepare for this conversation. She was a teenager, but she was still a magician with a bloodline. The things she had seen and the knowledge that she had wasn't to be underestimated.

Not to mention her intelligence was likely to be higher than the average adult.

"It always bothered me that you were so smart.” Roxxy said. “And I don't mean like, intelligence. You always speak to us calmly, like you're in control. I thought you had a skill similar to [Wisdom]. Especially since you hang out with William so much.”

“I wish.” I said. “I have normal wisdom. The kind that comes from living for a while.”

“And reincarnating. Like a totally normal person.” Roxxy said.

“Exactly.”

A hush fell over the room, and I could see the gears turning in her head. She could have been thinking up questions about my prior life or wondering how quickly she should call Amanda and William to have me sent to this world's equivalent of a psychiatrist.

“You don't have to downplay it for my benefit.” Her voice was soft as it broke the silence. “That sounds like a crappy deal no matter how you see it.”

Roxxy leaned back as a sheet of water rose behind her and formed a cushion.

“You died, right?” She asked. “You lost everything. Your friends. Your family. Your life. The real you.”

“No.” I said. “Not exactly.”

There was one misunderstanding I needed to clarify immediately.

“This is the real me.” I replied. “My time on Earth is over, but it's not separate from who I am now. You said it yourself. It colours my memories, my actions and my beliefs.”

There was no hesitation in my voice, or my words. I'd had years to think about my position in life, and I'd already gotten used to the strangeness of my situation during the months of being a baby where I'd had nothing to do but think and sleep.

“I lost a lot. But I gained a new chance at life.” I said. “I'm using it as best I can, and that includes making friends that I can trust. Well, and learning magic as well.”

At my words I flicked my finger forward and a ball of water rose into the air and swam around me. The mana flowed happily through the air, taking in my conversation with a single part of its multifaceted existence.

I couldn't tell if the mana was surprised by my words, or if they considered this as just another ordinary day.

“I'll say. You've been alive— I mean, here, for three years now. I know you've fought a monster. And excel in fighting. Then there was all that stuff in Gesti Sky.” Roxxy tilted her head and I saw curiosity flair up in her eyes. “Gah- I want to ask you so many questions. If that's you in your childhood, I can't imagine what kind of crazy stuff you've done in this other place. I mean, I'm not going to overwhelm you. Not if you don't want me to. Just stop me if I ask too many questions.”

“Oh boy.” I looked into her eager eyes. “Whatever you're imagining, I don't think the reality is anywhere near as exciting.”

The most exciting event in my life on Earth had been my death. Aside from that I'd mainly lived to keep living. Eating, sleeping, and working was my entire schedule. The biggest shock would be the technology of my old world, but despite the sometimes-rustic design of the cities here, the world already had most of what my old world did. And a lot of new things too.

There were regents that poured water into bathtubs. And symbols that heated them. Onze regents could be used for all manner of technology from carriages to floating islands.

Other than being completely different, the technology on Earth wasn't superior. It was just equal. That wasn't counting the portals that were readily available and could teleport people from one end of the planet to the other in an instant.

My heart ached as I thought about my old world. It was one thing to do so in the comfort of my mind, and another to do it while talking to someone. Nostalgia and the knowledge that I’d never return to my old world made for a strange cocktail of emotions that churned inside my stomach.

I wasn't sure I wanted to go into that much depth with her.

“Well, I'm not really—”

Roxxy held up her hand to stop me.

“Wait.” She glanced at me. “If you had a life before this one. Does that mean you're an older person, in a toddler’s body, that has grown to be a teenager through concoctions and magic?”

“When you put it like that, I sound like someone from one of Amanda's novels.” I said. “But yeah, that's right.”

Her eyes bore into me, and I could feel them trying to stab into my soul. Then she shook her head and let out a laugh. It was soft and playful, but also genuine and not mocking.

“You're a weird one, Silver. And I'll need some time to get used to it. Luckily, we have some time before the portal arrives.” She motioned with her hand toward the door where the portal always appeared after the cultivation session was finished. “Let's talk? I want you to tell me about yourself, the part you haven’t talked about yet. If you're comfortable with that.”

It wouldn't be hard to call the portal early. I glanced at the door and for a single moment I hesitated. Then I sat back and stretched my arms out, tension and stress washing away with the waves of the water around me.

“Sure, that'd be nice.”

I thought about all the things she might ask. Both of us knew it would take more than an hour to tell this tale. Even if we missed the portal, we could always summon another one at any time.

"Okay, why don't we start from the beginning.”