Faizon sighed heavily and a sad look came over his face. "Days before OG was attacked, I had a vision. I knew it was time. I tried to persuade him to hold on but he smiled and said, 'I'm not strong enough for this battle.' I sent Daga's spirit through different verses to find a suitable version to carry on."

Shaugn held up his hand and shook his head. "Wait, wait, wait. Different verse? You mean like a parallel universe?"

"Precisely."

"How does that even work?"

Akechi gasped as Faizan waved his in a big circle. The lights went out bathing the room in darkness. A bright circle the size of a marble hovered over the table.

"Time is meaningless and space is malleable." Stars surrounded the circle which grew larger. Little bright lights dotted the area around the ball of light. "Humans constructed these terms so that it was easier for us to comprehend and discuss."

Shaugn snorted to himself.

Several earths appeared, one behind the other and of different sizes. Shaugn noticed on each earth were different versions of himself. On the largest was OG. The second-largest, was another version with a fro and wearing a daishiki. On another version was a bald him with a beard and goatee.

"Shit. I look like Shaft," Shaugn chuckled.

Faizan nodded and stroked his chin. "That was a good movie."

Shaugn's eyebrows went up. "You saw it?"

"One version of me did."

Another him wore skin-tight clothing. A strange visor covered his eyes and he was the same height and build as Xoan. "Are these different versions of me?"

"Correct. There are multiple incarnations of ourselves living their lives in universes or realities parallel to our own at the same instance. The sum of all those possible incarnations is called multiverse. In one verse we are here having this conversation."

The images changed to that of different Shaugns and Faizans speaking. In each version, something different was happening.

"In another verse, you have cussed me out and told me I'm a fraud. In another verse, you fear what I've said instead of expressing tolerance and acceptance. Each choice leads to a new outcome."

Shaugn watched one version of himself flip a table and another grabbed Faizan's shirt. Another question remained. "If the verses are separated...how is it possible for Daga to go through different ones, OG to call out for me, or for me to end up here?"

The image changed to that of several colored lines parallel to one another. "Everything has a vibrational frequency." The lines began to undulate in front of them. Some were slow with large hills and valleys. Some were faster with jagged peaks. A few were steady in the middle.

"At times vibrations sync up and it is possible to send someone through to a verse on the same vibrational frequency or transfer the soul from one version to another version." Two of the lines synced up and a line connected two of the Shaugns. The two Shaugns overlapped and then switched places.

Shaugn frowned. "But I died. How could that happen?"

Faizan waved his hand and Shaugn's broken body at the bottom of the cliff materialized.

Shaugn closed his eyes and took a shuddering breath. One of his arms had a bone jutting out of place. One of his legs was bent at an unnatural angle. His twisted body was covered in blood.

Faizan's voice lowered to a whisper. Even though he'd seen it in his visions, it still upset him. "Your body was barely alive. Your soul or consciousness very much wanted to live. Thus, it was easy to swap your soul with OG who was ready to give up."

"I see." Shaugn rubbed his stomach as he began to feel nauseous. Whether it was the baby in his belly or his reaction to seeing himself all mangled to hell he couldn't tell. "So...when I'm finished here what happens? Will I disappear? Go to another verse to keep solving problems like in some transmigration novel? What about my child?"

The images disappeared and the light came back on. "What happens is up to you."

Shaugn took a sip of the tart cranberry juice to settle his stomach. "What do you mean?"

"If you find that you like it here, you can stay. If not, we can find you another place to be."

"Just not my own time – reality...verse?"

Faizan nodded. "Your body was destroyed."

"Can't you swap me with someone else?" Isn't that what happened in all the novels his sisters read?

"It has to be another version of yourself."

"There should be some flaws in this logic. OG and I didn't have the same parents so we should be different people."

Giving a half nod, Faizan searched the table for something he hadn't eaten. "His parents don't have the same names and look slightly different from your own but they very much are the same on a genetic level. Just like you and OG."

Shaugn leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. He couldn't say he hated it here but there was a lot of work to do. "Say I stay here, then what?"

Faizan shrugged lazily. "You're the empress. You will rule beside your husband, the emperor."

It sounded peachy on the surface. OG left behind a hell of a mystery for him to solve. Justice needed to be dished out.

"What's more awesome than that?"

Shaugn gave him a 'are you serious' look. "Peace. This constantly watching my back is the shits. People of my time aren't nearly so bold. Well, we are but we just bust a cap in your ass and be done. All this in the dark shit is garbage. Come at me and let me see you."

"I hear you." He took Shaugn's hand and closed his eyes. No one moved this time. Shaugn shivered as warmth traveled up his arm. "Your enemy is good at hiding in plain sight. Don't underestimate them. They are well connected."

"What about Xoan? Is he not the emperor? Why doesn't he do something?"

Faizan tilted his head and gave Shaugn a hard stare.

Shaugn shifted in his seat. "What?" Was it something he said? Xoan was the emperor. Why didn't he do something about all the bullshit and protect his empress?

"Is that what you want?"

Another sigh left him. Of course not. He was a man with pride. Shaugn shook his head and picked up a piece of fruit. "I don't need him to fight my battles. I can handle some sheisty little thot dissatisfied with their life."

"That's how OG thought as well."

"I'm sorry. That he's gone. He was your friend and all."

"I knew Shaugn's fate when I fell ill." Faizan looked lost in thought. "I had hoped by going to the temple I'd learn how to change his fate. He was my brother and all. But I saw you and it doesn't feel as though I've lost anything."

"So tell me, are there any restrictions on what I can and cannot do?"

Faizan gave a lazy shrug. "As a history professor you have some idea what this time was like."

"Yes."

"Cast off the social and moral teachings of your reality and embrace the less refined that is this one."

A smirk appeared on Shaugn's face. Unlimited license to do as he pleased without regard for consequences? "Say word."

"Word."

Shaugn rubbed his hands together. "First order of business is to gather all my enemies in one place. Xoan suggested a meal before he leaves. It's the perfect opportunity to see who I'm up against."

Faizan raised a brow. "What do you plan to do?"

"First, find what was stolen from me."

"Good plan."

Shaugn looked up and finally noticed the strange looks Akechi, Radagar, and Kazim had on their faces. It wasn't good for them to know more than Xoan. He didn't need anything that was said getting out. He turned to Faizan.

"Can you alter their memories?"

A large smile showing all his teeth lit up Faizan's face. "I can indeed."

"Your majesty-"

Faizon clapped his hands together. A large, vibrational wave shot out in all directions. The air visible quivered as it traveled outward out of the room.

Shaugn noticed the blank looks on his servants' faces. "What just happened?"

"I have erased everyone's memories of everything up until my arrival. The little sparring session I had with your guards and everything about you and OG will be remembered only by the two of us."

"Bad ass." Shaugn held out his fist.

Faizan fist-bumped him with a cocky grin. "Child's play."

😊 Faizan's just too bad ass.