LILYA
My mother's presence in this alternate universe felt like a dream, a dream that I was afraid to wake up from. We sat together, the grass beneath us soft and inviting. I couldn't help but study her face, the face I had missed so dearly.
"Mom," I began, my voice filled with both longing and curiosity, "tell me about my old life, the one before I was reborn."
She smiled gently, her eyes reflecting the depths of her memories. "Your old life was filled with both beauty and pain, my dear. You were a strong and resilient soul, but you faced challenges that tested your spirit."
I nodded, eager to learn more. "What kind of challenges, Mom?"
She took a deep breath, as if bracing herself for the journey into the past. "You were born into a world where there was great inequality and strife.
