Chapter 2

There was still a full afternoon left before the soul separation at midnight. After the meeting at the hall ended, my parents and Finnian took me home.

Perhaps the thought that this was their last chance to spend time with me stirred a trace of guilt in their hearts.

"Romy, where would you like to go this afternoon?" Dad asked in an unusually gentle tone. "I'll take you out for the day and make sure you have a good time. Consider it our final goodbye."

Mom's eyes reddened as well. She took my hand and said, "That's right. We'll go along with whatever you want to eat or do."

I withdrew my hand and replied calmly, "I'd like to read in my room for a while."

Finnian frowned and accused me of putting on an act.

"Romy, your parents are only trying to do something nice for you! Stop throwing tantrums. This is your last day. Can't you be sensible for once and let everyone send you off in good spirits?"

The impatience and annoyance in his expression only made me feel weary. All I really wanted was to go back to my room and spend some time alone in peace.

Although they had chosen Lissy this time, they had at least chosen me in my previous life and treated me well back then. Since they wanted to spend time with me and make me happy, I decided to go along with it.

"Fine. You guys can decide where to go."

They took me to the amusement park that had recently opened in town. It was packed with people, and the music was deafening.

I couldn't handle being thrown around on roller coasters. Ever since I was little, I'd been afraid of noise and the discomfort of being at high altitudes.

Yet they still forced me onto one.

"Teenage girls like you should try to be more cheerful and lively," Finnian said as he strapped me into the seat. "Stop being such a downer for once in your life. Lissy loves rollercoasters. You should experience it, too."

The moment the roller coaster plunged from the top, my stomach lurched violently. The wind battered my face so hard I could barely breathe. I squeezed my eyes shut and bit down hard on my lip, not making a sound.

When the ride ended, I clung to the railing and puked my guts out.

Mom handed me a bottle of cold water, snapping, "Why are you so fragile? Lissy adores rollercoasters. She always insists that we ride it a few times in a row."

At the mention of Lissy's name, I felt a violent tremor deep within my sea of consciousness.

Lissy, who had been dormant inside my body, had felt the thrill of the amusement park and was beside herself with excitement. She began shouting frantically inside my mind.

"Romy! I want to come out and play. Give me the body! I want to ride the roller coaster."

I lost control for a moment, and a phrase in Lissy's distinctive tone slipped from my lips.

"That was so fun!" she cried out in her usual spoiled, high-pitched manner.

My parents and Finnian stiffened at once. Finnian grabbed my shoulders, his eyes shining with an almost manic gleam.

"Lissy? Is that you?"

Mom and Dad crowded around me in excitement as well.

"Did Lissy come out? You wanna have some fun, right, Lissy?"

I forced myself to swallow the bile rising in my throat as I looked at their frenzied expressions.

Finnian lowered his voice and urged me persuasively, "Romy, let Lissy come out. She's been locked away for an entire day. This is her favorite amusement park. Since we're already here, just let her have some fun, okay?"

Mom chimed in, "That's right, Romy. You don't like amusement parks anyway. Just do it for your sister's sake."

They demanded that I hand over control of my body to Lissy as though it were the most natural thing in the world. It had completely slipped their mind that this afternoon was supposed to be their last farewell to me.

I looked at Finnian.

"If I go back inside, will you let me come out tonight when it's time to drink the water from the Morrow River?"

For a moment, Finnian's eyes flickered with uncertainty. Then he declared with a firm nod, "Of course. You have to be the one to drink the water. We're only letting Lissy have some fun for a little while."

I didn't bother arguing with them. I closed my eyes and released myself. Darkness swallowed me instantly, forcing me down into the deepest reaches of my sea of consciousness.

Through the hazy barrier, I watched Lissy open her eyes. Her gaze was bright and mischievous.

"Finn! Mom! Dad!" Lissy squealed.

She threw herself into Finnian's arms, and he caught her securely, his face breaking into a doting smile.

"Come. I'll take you on the pendulum ride."

For the next few hours, I remained trapped in the darkness, watching them enjoy themselves as a happy family.

They bought Lissy her favorite cotton candy.

When it was dinnertime, they took her to a restaurant famous for its strong flavors and spicy food.

I had a weak stomach and couldn't handle anything too spicy, but Lissy ate until her forehead was drenched in sweat. She kept exclaiming over how delicious everything was.

Finnian carefully peeled the shrimp for her, his movements practiced and familiar.

In my previous life, whenever he and I went out to eat, he'd never once bothered to even refill my water glass for me, let alone peel shrimp for me.

So this was how attentive and considerate he could be when it came to Lissy.

After dinner, they continued playing in the amusement park. The sky was completely dark when the announcement of the park's closing echoed through the speakers.

It was only when the lights started turning off that Mom jolted with realization.

"Did we… let the whole afternoon go by without letting Romy out?"

For a moment, there was silence.

Finnian suppressed the inexplicable pang in his heart and wiped some crumbs from Lissy's mouth before answering reassuringly, "It's fine, Mrs. Calder. Romy has always been a thoughtful and sensible girl. I'm sure she's happy that she spent the last few hours of her life letting Lissy have fun.

"We'll just let her come back out once we head back to the meeting hall."

Lissy leaned against Mom's shoulder, her expression bright and cheerful as she said coquettishly, "Romy loves me more than anyone else, Mom. She won't be upset about it."

Mom exhaled in relief and stroked Lissy's head. "Yeah, that's true. I'm glad to hear that."

Deep within my sea of consciousness, I witnessed the way they ignored my existence, as if it were only natural.

It didn't stir anything in me.