Sitting in front of the white gold altar, if one were able to see into the room, they would be met with a view of a young girl with her hands clasped together as she knelt in front of the altar. With how her eyebrows were furrowed together and how earnest she seemed, they would have thought the girl was deep into praying.

That was the last thing Roseline was doing at the moment.

Silence filled the room as the lady was contemplating how exactly she should present her question to God without offending them. However, seeing as how her silence was too long or sudden, it seemed God thought she was being rude.
 

“My, my - I answer you and you have nothing to say? Is this how humans are these days…”
 

It takes a moment for the voice to click into her mind but Roseline was sure this was the same voice she had heard when she had died as Daeyeon. The voice that didn’t seem to resemble anyone she had known but felt too familiar to be called a stranger. It was the voice that had brought her back to life as Roseline. Flustered and panicking at the thought of God leaving her without answering anything, Roseline stutters a reply.
 

“N-No, no, no, no, no- I was just surprised, that’s all.”

“Surprised?... I didn’t shock you too much, did I? Humans are so fragile, you can die from a little scare. I can’t have one of my favourites die so early, your journey hasn’t even been that long - it would be a waste to die so early again, isn’t that right?”

Roseline swears she can hear God chuckle a little at their own remark and in all honesty, she wasn’t sure if she should laugh or be scared - was that a threat towards her? Her hand comes up to her neck again, suddenly not feeling very well at the thought of dying again when she just had the chance to relive life for a second time.

“I don’t plan on you dying so early so please, there's no need to worry. Roseline’s death in the first place was part of something… evil happening. For you to change her as a person and prevent her death would be the start of a new ending for everyone.”

Her attention from her own demise shifted towards the new information - what had they meant by that? How exactly was Roseline’s fate such a huge factor into something bigger than what the game had indicated? A heavy sigh leaves her lips as she sits down on the ground, legs folded as she stared at the altar in front of her without really focusing on anything.

“You have a few questions, I believe.”

Roseline fights back a snort. Few would be one way to describe the amount of thoughts swirling in her head.

“Yes, lots of them actually.”

“Of course, of course. Though after this, we won’t be speaking to each other for a long while.”

Roseline hadn't expected that answer though it didn't come to a surprise. It made sense that God couldn't be in contact with her at all times - if one could always hear the voice of God, surely, Roseline would be whisked away as some sort of Saintess when she was far from it. What she wanted was to lay low, not pull unnecessary attention towards herself - which was proving to be a difficult feat considering how many people were shocked over her sudden change.

“Why Roseline? Why choose to change her fate? The protagonist would have been a better choice.”

“Our dear Lady Roseline is the missing key to the future events that are bound to happen. She holds an important part… Of course, that’s depending on how the cards are played.”

Roseline doesn’t seem to be very convinced with the answer and presses on,

“That still leaves unanswered questions. Why not choose Lady Anastasia? She held a similar fate to Roseline- what about any of the other main characters? It just… doesn’t make sense as to why Roseline’s fate is the one being changed.”

“The key to that question lies in Roseline’s dormant memories. I’m sure you know which I’m referring to.”

She falls quiet for a moment. Truthfully, it seemed that there was a huge chunk of her memory that she couldn’t seem to recall. Most of what she knew of her past was a mixture of Roseline’s fuzzy memory along with Daeyeon’s memories of the game’s trivia that she had memorized. However, even combining the two - there was a period of Roseline’s childhood that was just an empty blank space.

Her silence seemed to be taken as the answer.
 

“It is something better off forgotten, however… it is a crucial piece to understand your present. It seems something or someone doesn’t want you to remember them.”

Roseline’s brain starts cranking, trying to piece together the hints that God was handing to her. She thinks back of how only specific memories of Roseline’s past were clear as day while most of them were hazy and true to God’s words - trying to remember them or focusing on those memories to get a clearer view would cause headaches and a drain of energy.

“...That's the reason for my deteriorating health?”

“Indeed, that is. Unfortunately, the blockage you’re experiencing is a powerful one. Attempts to retrieve those memories are hindered with headaches, forgetfulness, and other symptoms.”

“So, whoever placed that block means they truly wanted to prevent me from remembering.”

“Partially correct. You must understand that perhaps Roseline herself didn’t want to remember those memories thus, amplifying the blockage. However, now that your soul resides in her body… The effects are starting to increase to prevent you from actively trying again.”

Roseline opens to say something but instead, she feels a gush of warmth spreading throughout her body - feeling it deep inside her veins as it moves to every inch of her body. From the tips of her toes to the end of her hair, it felt as if a massive weight had been lifted from her. For a moment, she even thinks she sees some sort of light emitting from her body before quickly disappearing. 

“This should help. For an abnormal soul to exist… you surely are a unique being, child. Even I can't seem to predict what will happen to your future.”

At the sound of that, Roseline grows worried for herself. Did this mean that the universe was still trying to corrupt her? To somehow make sure that this version of Roseline meets the same end as the original Roseline? Even if she managed to change the things that she knew of, who knows what kind of twists could happen - one’s that she was unprepared for.  The temperature in the room seemed to drop by how Roseline’s arms circled around herself, clinging to the warmth of her own body.

Yet, she feels a warm hand on her shoulder, giving her comfort and support.

“No need to worry so much, child. You are a blessed child with my gifts - divine knowledge and divine protection. With both of these gifts and as long as you remain clear of your path, your future will change.”

Though she was still worried, knowing she still had a fighting chance to change her demise was enough to make her stop shaking. She wasn’t fond of the idea of turning ten times worse from what the original Roseline was capable of, rather, she’d like to live a longer life than both of them, Roseline and Daeyeon, had managed to live through.

“It is rare for me to bless any of my children with two blessings so I hope you do not disappoint me. In your original world, these skills are what you would call ‘cheats’ - is that the right term?”

“Yes, that's correct...”

Her voice trails off as she comes to a realization that God had blessed others before her.

Did this mean there was a chance she could run into someone who was reincarnated just like her?

“...Who else have you blessed before?”
 

“Well, I’ve given my blessings to a few before but as of now… Yes, yes, that child that brought you here today is also one of my blessed children. His divine protection is just as unique. Why, he was the first to notice that your Light was weakening thus why he worried.”
 

“You mean Aeson can see… my Light?”

The confusion was clear in her voice, her head tilting to the side just slightly as she tried to comprehend the new information. Could that have been the reason why Aeson always seemed to know whenever Roseline felt unwell? Had he always known something was different about Roseline from the day they had first met at the infirmary? Did he know that Roseline wasn’t really Roseline?

“Correct~ That child has a rather unusual form of divine protection as he’s able to sense one’s Light that surrounds them. Though this does make him rather sensitive to the opposite magic…”

“Darkness magic?”
 

“Precisely. He could feel a dark presence around you, it was clever of him to bring you here. His tendency to be kind and helpful guided you to me today and-”

The sudden sound of the church bell ringing makes Roseline jump. She realizes how much time has gone by and reluctantly stands up from her previous position. Though she still has questions, she could tell that God wasn’t going to give the answer that she sought for. She couldn’t depend on God to guide her through this world with every choice she made, not when God had given her the necessary advantages to survive.
 

“Ah, it seems that is my cue to end our conversation. I apologize for your unanswered thoughts but I have faith in you - I will be watching over you from time to time. So, take care, child and I hope we won’t be seeing each other for a long while.”

An unknown soft breeze caresses her cheek, as if it was God’s way of parting from her. She smiles at the softness, perhaps God really had been listening to her worries ever since she had reincarnated as Roseline.

“I hope I won’t be seeing you in a long time, either,” she whispers to the empty room, finally making her way to the door.

Stepping out of the room, Roseline felt the air around her to be lighter compared to when she first stepped foot into the church grounds. The heavy burden that had been pressing her down to the point she had become numb to its weight had now disappeared, making her feel as if she was almost floating.

“I should head back to the carriage,” she starts retracing her steps, heading back to the meeting point they had previously agreed on. Seeing as there weren't as many people as she thought there would be, Roseline decided to take her time as she admired the finer details around the building. However, it seemed that she was paying attention to the interior of the church that she had failed to notice the oncoming girl.

Little too late to notice, the two girls collided with one another.

Her face was familiar and looking into her eyes, Roseline could easily see the resemblance they held to Deacon’s eyes.