Part 5: One Confusion After Another
I pulled out a wooden chair and dropped into it. On the clean table sat a leather-bound notebook and a ballpoint pen with a sharp tip. Without thinking, my fingers reached for both. I opened to a blank page, then placed the tip of the pen against the white paper.
My thoughts spun as I tried to piece together the impossibly broken thread connecting everything.
How could Stella’s soul be trapped inside Aster’s body?
I began to scribble, writing down every possibility that crossed my mind.
Was I trapped in this body because of my hatred for Aster? Or perhaps because of my deep resentment toward Leo? Or... could this be the punishment I had to endure after death?
The tip of my pen remained suspended over the paper for a long time, forming a black dot that continued to spread. Frustration began building in my chest.
“Argh!”
I let out a soft shriek as I angrily scribbled all over the page. There was no logical answer. No law of nature could explain this insane phenomenon.
I tossed the pen onto the table. Where was I supposed to look for help now? Who could I tell without being deemed crazy?
In the midst of my despair, my fingers quickly reached for Aster’s phone lying beside the notebook.
I opened several apps and browsed the internet. With trembling fingers, I typed in several absurd search terms.
Causes of soul-swapping. How to return swapped souls. Reincarnation while still alive. How to return to the future. Time travel to the past.
The search results contained nothing but fictional articles, internet forum threads filled with wild speculation, or baseless conspiracy theories. Not a single definitive answer offered any real clue.
My burning eyes stared blankly at the phone screen. “What am I supposed to do?” I complained, my eyes brimming with tears. “Should I ask a shaman for help?”
My fingers typed a new search term into the search bar.
Famous paranormal experts. Powerful shamans who deal with souls. Psychics who can see the future.
I gave a bitter smile, feeling sorry for myself. Since when had Stella believed in shamans and paranormal experts?
“I should look for another way,” I muttered in resignation. “First, I need to find out why I’m in Aster’s body.”
A powerful vibration from the phone suddenly startled me. The screen, which had been displaying the search engine, changed instantly. An incoming call interrupted what I was doing.
The name displayed on the screen was very short: Gia.
I froze as I stared at the name. Gia? Who was she? Was she Aster’s friend? Or a relative?
My heart began pounding again. Ignoring this call might only raise more suspicion. Hesitantly, I swiped the green icon and pressed the phone to my ear.
“Aster! Where are you?”
A woman’s shrill voice immediately came blazing through the phone. Her tone was full of undisguised annoyance and irritation.
“What time is it, Aster? Why haven’t you come yet?!” the woman named Gia demanded without giving me a chance to catch my breath.
I remained still, gripping the phone even tighter. My tongue felt stiff. I had absolutely no idea how to respond.
“Why are you so quiet? Hello? You can hear me, right, Aster?” The voice on the other end rose higher, sounding extremely impatient. “I’m waiting for you at our usual place. Right now! Don’t you dare fail to show up!”
The call ended abruptly.
I slowly lowered the phone from my ear and stared at its screen, which had gone dim again. My head felt even more dizzy, squeezed between the panic and confusion that kept pounding against me.
Our usual place?
I gazed at the reflection of my face on the dark phone screen.
Where exactly was the usual place that woman had meant...?