"Huh...? Where...am I?"

"I'll give you some privacy," Smiled Samsara, before fading away.

I felt a lump in my throat as I stared at the familiar figure before me, my chest tightening as she met my gaze.

"Wait, is...is that you, Kai? Oh...I guess this means the Goddess got an opportunity to speak with you, she must have woken me up," She remarked, before stepping towards me, standing on her tiptoes and reaching up, placing her hand on my head with a warm smile.

"I-Is it really...really you, mom?" I responded quietly, my lower lip quivering slightly as my eyes turned misty, doing my best to hold back the tears.

But it was no use...as I blinked, a tear trickled down from my left eye, and the dam broke, tears began streaming down my face uncontrollably, a choked sob escaping my lips.

I...I never imagined I'd ever get to see her again. I'd almost forgotten what she looks like.

Her long, straight, silky black hair, black eyes, her complexion slightly darker than mine, her comforting smile...but it wasn't all the same, at least in regards to my perspective.

I was still a kid when she died, a lot shorter than she was...but now, I'm taller than she is, the top of her head around level with my chin.

"Hey...there's no need to cry, kiddo, I'm right here. Look at you...you've really grown up. Think you might need a haircut and some tidying up of that messy facial hair, though," She laughed as she ruffled my hair, before blinking a couple of times as her eyes began glistening.

Before I knew it, I was throwing my arms around her, hugging her tightly as the tears continued to spill out.

She hugged me back and patted my back, a warm sense of comfort and nostalgia welling up inside me.

I held the hug for what must have been at least a couple of minutes, before finally letting go as the emotional whirlwind in me began to settle and I calmed down, wiping the tears away, before meeting her gaze with a smile.

"Yeah...I've been in a situation where a haircut is the least of my concerns, so it ended up growing out quite a bit. If things work out, I'll get it tidied up soon," I remarked with a grin, before adding, "I...I really missed you. I thought I'd never see you again after...you were killed."

"It broke my heart, you know, when I heard about how your life would turn out. I was distraught for you and furious at your father.

The fact that his decisions got me killed aside, I can't ever forgive what he did to you, leaving you at the mercy of criminals and running away on his own," She responded with a grimace.

"Whatever love I had for him disappeared when I found out that he was the reason why you died, and the hatred I felt only increased more and more after that, I'll never forgive him either," I nodded in agreement.

"Let's not talk about him. This is probably going to be the last time we ever get to speak, so let's talk about something more uplifting. I want to know about your current life...I hope your second shot at life has turned out to be better," She remarked nervously.

"Yeah, it's going great, mom. And it wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for you, so thank you," I smiled gratefully.

"Oh, please don't thank me, it's the least I could do as a parent after what you went through. So, tell me about...have you made any friends? And how about a girlfriend?" She inquired with a grin, as she nudged me playfully.

"Yeah...I've made some friends, and I have a girlfriend, she's the absolute best. Also, I'm pretty rich and famous, so I have everything I could possibly want in life," I assured her.

"I'm so happy to hear that, kiddo. Make sure to cherish everything you have, don't take anything for granted. And let me give you a bit of relationship advice.

I mean, yeah, in hindsight, I didn't have great taste in men, given what your father did. But I'd always looked forward to giving you this kind of advice when you grew up, and since I never got the chance, I'm going to take this opportunity."

"Sure, lay it on me," I smiled in response.

"I'll keep it simple, what's most important in a relationship, is trust. Your partner needs to be someone you can trust, and you need to be someone your partner can trust.

Because, without trust, love can't be sustained...you can't truly love someone who you expect to betray you in any way.

The instant I found out what your father did, the trust he'd built up disappeared, and the love I felt for him faded with it. Trust is earned in drops and lost in buckets, never forget that," She advised me with a smile.

"I know...and don't worry, I'll take it to heart. I've already resolved to never do anything that would hurt my girlfriend, and she's literally the sweetest, most affectionate person I know, so I have absolute trust in her," I responded without hesitation.

"Sounds like you got yourself a good one, make sure you don't screw it up, kiddo. And the way you're gushing about her, it's obvious that you really love her. I wish I could meet this girl, someone my dear son speaks so highly of," She replied with a wistful sigh.

"Yeah, it would've been nice if I could have introduced her to you. Wait, maybe if you reincarnate in the same era I'm in, then-...," I began.

"Uh, sorry, that won't be possible...I guess I should've mentioned that. If I reincarnate her in the same world, it would have to be without her current memories. To keep her memories, I'd have to reincarnate her in a different world," Samsara's voice rang out around us.

"Oh...that's too bad," I muttered with a disappointed sigh, before my mom smacked my shoulder with a smile.

"Hey, don't worry about it...we've been given the opportunity to speak one last time, not everyone would get the chance to see their lost loved ones again like this. So chin up, kiddo."

"Yeah...I suppose you've got a point there."

"Mhm, I know I do. Tell me more about your second life, Kai. You said you're famous, right? What exactly do you do?" She asked me.

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