"It all started in the heavens, as these things mostly do. Gods pretend they don't interfere in human lives and keep the promise of free will, but it's far from the truth. They are always playing games with humans. Tying the threads of fate when they want and moving humans across the board like chess pieces." Yelga took a deep breath. The anger she felt toward the gods and goddesses of the mountains ran so deep she couldn't have stopped her tirade even if she wanted.

"You are my son," she said, pressing Gesar's face between her hands. Her gaze was filled with longing and regret. "But also, the reincarnation of the demi-god Thopa Gawa. You came to earth with a predestined mission. The gods sent a plague to Naga's realm and pretended to cure it. In return, they demanded that I spend one year on earth. My father had no choice but to comply. No one knew the game gods were playing. I thought I'd explore the earth for a year and then return to the Naga realm."

As she paused to collect her thoughts, Gesar watched her closely. He might have remembered his mother and a few cherished moments with Zhumu, but most of his memories were still missing. He had always been proud of his Naga heritage, but to think gods manipulated his parents just for him to reincarnate as half-Naga turned his stomach in disgust. His mother was right when she said they were pawns in whatever game the gods played.

"You were going to defeat the demon king, thus uniting the lands and bringing humans into an era of enlightenment. Things didn't go as planned, though. I am unsure exactly why or how, but Maisa betrayed and cursed you. You lost all your memories and stayed with her in Deyu." A tear rolled down her cheek as if recalling the past was physically painful for her.

Gesar tried to remember who Maisa was, but he couldn't. The name didn't bring back any memories or feelings. Whoever she was, she must not have been important to him. He needed to know what happened and how he died. So, he urged his mother to continue, and she did.

"For twelve years, we didn't know what happened. Once the news of the demon king's demise reached Ling, Zhumu asked me to discover the truth. She feared the worst, and she wasn't wrong. But we made a mistake when we sent Jiacha to find you instead of Zhumu." This time his mother's gaze was apologetic.

Gesar knew the name Jiacha. It was someone he had once considered a friend. Maybe even a brother. Who was it? He tried to remember, and a picture formed in his mind, but the face that appeared in his head was of Mikal, Nur's friend. He thought that odd but assumed his brain was playing tricks since he couldn't remember the face to go with the name. "Who was Jiacha?" Until now, he had been listening to her mother's tale without interrupting her. But he was becoming impatient.

"Jiacha was your half-brother. He loved you, but he wasn't a brave man. His cowardice cost you your life, and the world lost the hero it needed the most. Instead of finding the antidote for the curse Maisa cast, he returned and told Zhumu you were staying in Deyu willingly, and she should move on with her life."

"What?" he gasped. The thought of such a lie made his heartache. Zhumu must have hated him, then. She must have felt betrayed, and the hurt caused by his half-brother's lie must have been impossible for her to forget or forgive.

"He was scared of Maisa, but the lie was cruel, and what happened next was something none of us could have anticipated."

Ah, but Gesar knew Zhumu. He could imagine what must have happened next. If Jiacha thought she would accept his betrayal and move on with her life, he was mistaken. His queen wouldn't have stopped until she faced Gesar and demanded an explanation. He could picture it clearly now. The Dragon Sister Lioness was no weakling. His mother's next words proved him right.

"No matter how much Jiacha tried to stop her, she picked up the sword and led the army to Deyu herself. Maisa couldn't let you meet with her because she feared the bond you shared would break the curse. Instead, she met Zhumu's army with one of her own. They both died on the battlefield."

Gesar often wondered about his past and the people in it. Over the centuries, he had imagined many scenarios and concocted various stories about his life. Yet, not even in his wildest dreams had he considered such an ending. He was the warrior cursed to forget the woman he loved. While that woman fought on his behalf and died the death, he should have faced himself. "But what happened to me?"

"To be honest, no one knows. Once the dust settled, you were nowhere to be found. The peace you had fought for all your life became a thing of the past. The enlightenment you were to bring didn't happen for many centuries that followed. Finally, the Kingdom Ling dissolved into smaller states, and my banishment ended. Since the land was divided into tribes, there was no one king. And I was no longer bound by the magic of the realm. But by then, my father had passed away, and I returned to the Naga realm, never to leave it again. My people have been looking for you all this time. But there has never been any news until now."

Until now, those words kept repeating in Gesar's head as he tried to come to terms with everything his mother had told him. If no one found him, why was he a ghost? And why couldn't he leave the castle where he once ruled as a king? If he was in Deyu when he disappeared, shouldn't he still be there? Where was Deyu in this present world, anyway?

All he had were questions and no answers. His mother was happy to see him, and he could decide to stay in the Naga realm as she wanted, but he knew he wouldn't do that. He must return to Nur. And he must find out the truth behind his death.