“Hello again John, or do you prefer Shada now?” Asonia asked when Shada appeared on the platform above Sierrallas once more.

  “What? Uhmm, Shada is fine. Why am I back here? Is something wrong?” Shada asked in confusion.

  “Your physical self is currently being born or rather will be soon. Your current existence complicates the process.” Asonia's voice rippled on the non-existent wind. The enticing scents and sounds of a summer forest filling the air.

  Shada found having physical senses again strange.

  “How does being born change things? Luca is just moving from inside Shinobin to outside after all,” Shada asked with a puzzled expression.

  “You are mistaken. The act of giving birth and being born are a type of magic. It is a very physical, but also very spiritual experience for mother and child. It is only at the moment of birth, that all the various parts, that make a person complete, come together as a unified whole,” Asonia corrected gently.

  “But I am currently separated, aren't I? I am mostly Shada. I am also Luca, but he is still developing. What is going to happen to me? Us?” Shada asked, trying to understand the implications of what he was being told.

  “That is actually unknown, or more accurately uncertain. The particular situation that required your unique existence hasn't happened in this part of the universe before. It has likely happened elsewhere, but the universe is vast beyond comprehension,” Asonia explained.

  “You mean you and the Goddess don't know what is about to happen?” Shada asked in shock. “How can She not know? What kind of Goddess doesn't know?” Shada was upset, and now that he had a simulated body, scared.

  “The Gods and Goddesses in the real world, like Sierra, are not the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent Gods your people on Earth created in their contemplations of perfectly impossible beings. They are powerful and knowledgeable beyond mortal comprehension, yes, but not all knowing, and most importantly, not infallible. You will learn more about this among the temples and churches of Sierrallas, where religion is not like on Earth, if you so choose.” The feel of being told great secrets, of deep knowledge imparted in secret places where mystics dreamed, flashed through Shada's mind at the sound of those words from Asonia. There was always more to what Asonia said than the bare words themselves.

  “I am not sure I am even capable of processing this right now. So Sierra isn't perfect. Can't She at least see the future?” Shada asked.

  “Of course She can. It's just virtually impossible to know, which will be the true future, and which is only a possible future. The future changes with every moment that passes. Right now you are like the cat in the box analogy, your scientists love so much, and we won't know what comes out the other end until you are born,” Asonia explained as best he could.

  “Don't you mean when Luca is born?” Shada asked. He was focusing on minutiae to avoid the more serious problems before him.

  “No, there is only you. You can call yourself John, Shada, Luca or any combination of the three, but you are you. A single being, because when you are born you can only be a single being. During that brief, transitory, moment in time you will be wholly and completely you for the first and perhaps last time in this life,” Asonia said firmly.

  “What about my memories and personality? Luca has his own developing mind, separate from my mind as Shada, or our original mind as John.” Shada's fear of essentially dying, or killing his younger self, was surprisingly strong. Especially considering he had once accepted his death as the end of existence only to discover he was wrong.

  “There are several possibilities. Luca may emerge with vague memories from his previous selves ie John and Shada. Much of who Shada is and who John was would be lost, and you Luca would build a new life on that base. Another possibility is that your current self, the Shada personality and mind, could go dormant until Luca formally awakens and reactivates the Split Mind Skill for the first time. The least likely outcome is a blank slate, as if you had been reborn normally.”

  Shada was not thrilled with the options. His best case scenario was to go dormant for years. Children didn't typically awaken until 5 or 7 years old, rarely sooner.

  “Wait, why would Luca have to awaken? I am, well we, us? So confusing. We already have an Awakened Core I thought,” Shada asked.

  Asonia sighed like wind through a forest canopy.

  “Your core is awakened, as will be the core, whoever emerges on the other side of this event, but the System does not allow underdeveloped minds to access their cores. It would be chaos. So it will be locked until Luca comes of age, if things go in that direction,” Asonia said, but Shada struggled to understand. There were too many new concepts at once, too many possibilities.

  “Why am I here then?” Shada asked.

  “Do try the tea and cookies this time. They may be the last physical experiences you have for a while,” Asonia deflected.

  “Are you avoiding my question?” Shada asked while doing as asked. Who doesn't like free food from a demi-god?

  “No, I am simply waiting for our other conversation partner to speak,” Asonia said simply while turning to a third seat Shada hadn't noticed before.

  “Hi there Shada. I thought a more personal touch was needed for this conversation, so here I am in the simulated flesh so to speak,” the Goddess Sierra said. The voice washed over Shada and it was everything that made up a living world. Clouds and sky, oceans and islands, plains and mountains, lush forests and harsh deserts, and oh so much life.

  For a long time, how long he did not know, Shada's mind was blank and he just basked in Her overwhelming Presence. Asonia pointedly cleared his throat and She reigned in her Presence.

  “Forgive me, I interact with mortals like this so rarely that I wanted to make an impression. I may have overdid it,” The Goddess shrugged and smiled.

  “I can't blame you and I didn't mind. It was an experience to be sure,” Shada said while he tried to compose himself before continuing. “So my Goddess? Your Majesty? Why am I here again?” Shada asked with uncertainty.

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  “There are many reasons, but the simplest is that our Contract clearly stated that your personality and memories are to be preserved, which requires my interference in your birth,” Sierra explained in a shockingly normal voice.

  “So how will this work?” Shada asked.

  “Simple, you get another choice. You can have a fresh start as Luca, with a fresh mind, your past and present forgotten. Second you could continue as the spirit Shada while watching your younger self Luca grow and develop. The last option is more complex. It means that until Luca fully develops mentally and physically much of who you are now as Shada and who you were as John will be locked away. You would be Luca, but have only limited access to what you knew as John or Shada,” Sierra said while leaning forward curiously to see what he would pick.

  Shada spent a long time thinking about his options. It was a hard decision.

  “I can't choose the first one. What I know, my experiences, and what I have learned are all too much of an advantage to give up, but two means a vicarious life. What happens if I choose the second option and turn Split Mind off later?” Shada asked.

  “I wouldn't recommend doing that before Luca is at least 14 or older ideally. Everything you are as Shada and everything you have become as Luca will collide, mix, blur, and potentially overflow. Like a full cup, if Luca’s brain and body are not ready...Well the cup would overflow and you would lose parts of both selves,” Sierra said while she did her best to explain the complexities of the situation to a mortal.

  Shada went over the options in more detail. He asked questions of both beings, but finally came to a decision.

  “It seems simple then I choose…”

  —

  In a large sturdy rustic cottage, surrounded by gardens at the edge of the Wyldwood, a woman screamed. Even for a Cultivator and healer, like Shinobin, giving birth was not an easy process.

  It wasn't a scream of pain, but of frustration and effort. Labor and delivery should have been easy. She herself had helped eased innumerable children into the world. The spells and techniques were routine. She had Besta, acting as her midwife, and Vanestra who had helped deliver Shinobin herself. There should have been no issues, but the baby absolutely refused to move as if stuck at the door.

  Everything was normal. The baby, Luca, was positioned correctly, dilation was perfect, spells were easing pain and ready to heal any damage, but still the baby wouldn't move. It was like having a full body cramp that just kept clenching. It was one of the most infuriating events of her life to date.

  “Grandmother what the fuck is wrong and where has that fucking spirit gone off to? Why the hell is this child not out of me yet?” Shinobin practically growled.

  “There is nothing wrong. Absolutely nothing. Neither Besta nor I have found any issues. The baby is just stuck at the cervix like it is waiting for an invitation to come out and play,” Vanestra told her distraught granddaughter. In truth Vanestra was worried. Shada and his tether were absent from her senses for the first time. The baby's spirit was obscured somehow, but everything else seemed normal. She was baffled, but knew it had to have something to do with Luca and Shada's unique existence.

  —

  As they waited a man and an elf sat drinking in another room. Alexzandros was his normal quiet self, but his tapping foot betrayed his nervousness.

  Theo was practically bouncing off the walls. Wyld Elves are named such, for a reason. They are a people of strong passions, and despite having excellent social and emotional control, could still experience the panic of becoming a new father. Especially when his lover was taking far too long to give birth.

  “Have a seat and a drink. Calm your nerves boy. You're making me tired just watching you.” Alexzandros suddenly told Theo.

  “I’m sorry, I just hate waiting and not knowing. It has been too long since labor started. Shi Shi said with her Skills it would take minutes, not hours!” Theo exclaimed while tugging his hair into wild disarray.

  “Babies come when they come Theo. You should know that. You are older than me for Guides sake. Act like it man!” Alexzandros said gruffly.

  “We elves mature differently and children are rare among us. So I actually don't know. I have no other children and was never around when friends gave birth.” Theo tried to explain.

  “How is that possible? You are hundreds of years old and this is your first birthing?” Alexzandros asked in disbelief.

  “Yes! I never had a reason to be nearby, before, during a birth. I hope they are ok. I am so excited to meet the little guy. Do you think he will look more like me or his mother? I really hope he gets her spots!” Theo continued to ramble before a shout of excitement and a groan of relief came from the other room.

  “There we go, sounds like they are about done. Give them a bit to clean up, then you can go meet your son. Congratulations by the way,” Alexzandros said while finishing his drink.

  —

  “What does he look like grandma? Does he look more like me or Theo?” Asked tiredly from her reclining position.

  “Well, that’s unexpected,” Besta said while Vanestra helped clean and swaddle the baby.

  “What’s unexpected?” Shinobin asked urgently. “Is Luca ok?”

  “Your child is perfectly healthy as far as we can tell Shinobin. They just look a bit different than expected,” Vanestra explained calmly.

  “Let me hold him!” Shinobin demanded.

  Vanestra and Besta looked at one another and shrugged. Neither knew what to say. So Vanestra handed Luca to Besta, who then handed the baby to Shinobin, who then stared at Luca with wide eyes.

  “He's white. Pure white like snow,” Shinobin said in confusion and awe.

  “Did you miss the pearlescent lights under his skin and the glowing?” Vanestra asked.

  “No! Of course not, but he is white! Not brown or copper, but white. I don't understand,” Shinobin replied.

  “Well your grandfather is white and Luca does have your Wylderfolk spots. They are just pale blue instead of dark brown like yours.” Besta tried to reassure Shinobin.

  “The spots are also glowing,” Vanestra pointed out helpfully.

  “Oh, and Luca got Theo’s cute elven ears!” Besta exclaimed. She was trying to distract herself from the baby's luminescent glow.

  “Grandma, where is that spirit? He has been hovering for months and I want answers. It was going to be hard enough raising a half-elf. What am I supposed to do with this beautiful little glow worm?” Shinobin asked as her tone softened as she stared at Luca.

  “Luca really is beautiful isn't it, er I mean he…” Besta trailed off.

  “Besta why did you just call my son it?” Shinobin glared, as only a new mother could.

  “Vanestra you tell her,” Besta said.

  “Grandma?”

  “Your child isn't a boy, it is well, I believe the archaic term is a hermaphrodite. Male and female. Neither and both. It can happen among those of fae blood or so I have heard, but usually there is deformity. The baby is perfectly formed, and as far as my spells can determine, has both sets of parts. Though the testicles are internal; they appear healthy,” Vanestra said, doing her best to explain and shrugged. “I have never seen this before. Maybe Theo will know,” she finished with a sigh.

  “Besta, let the men in I guess. This is all so surreal…” Shinobin said. She trailed off at the end.

  Besta simply nodded in assent. She opened the door and told the two men they could come in now.

  Theo was the first through the door, of course, and raced to Shinobin’s side where he stopped abruptly upon seeing his child's glowing opalescent white skin and large glowing sky blue eyes.

  “Is that Luca?” Theo asked dumbly.

  “I don't think Vanestra or Besta were pregnant, so whose else could it be?” Alexzandros said calmly as he entered and stared at the baby. “Well, that's…unexpected. Pretty eyes though,” Alexzandros said into the silence.

  “Why is my son white and glowing?” Theo asked.

  “Well, technically, I don't think son is the right term. Your child is both. I don't know how,” Besta answered.

  “Luca is a hermata? Did you know they are considered sacred and blessed by the gods among my people? What kind of deformity is there?” Theo asked. “The elder’s know how to help such children among my clansfolk.”

  “None, there are no deformities. Everything appears healthy and in working order. The only peculiarity is the internal testicles, but those appear healthy too. I honestly don't know what to make of it,” Vanestra replied.

  “Shada, do you know what is going on here?” Alexzandros asked the empty air.

  Everyone was glancing around waiting for a response…