Nur didn't understand why or how, but for whatever reason, somehow, she remembered her past life as if she lived it, which technically she did. But that wasn't important. The crucial thing was to find Gesar and make him remember his past. He needed to recall how he died. She knew now why she felt drawn to the castle. Finally, she understood the choices she must make. And she would do it happily. To think, he waited centuries to find out the truth. Nur sobbed as her hands clutched the steering wheel tighter. Her body shook with each sob, and her breath hitched with each shake. She killed him.

She might not have stabbed him herself, but her foolishness caused his demise. If only she had thought clearly and considered her actions before waging a war that she couldn't possibly win. Things would be different. Gesar would have lived and died in old age, just like he was supposed to.

If Jiacha hadn't lied and told her the truth about the curse, she would have looked for the cure instead of fighting demons. But he was a weak man easily swayed by the show of power. A regretful sigh left her quivering lips. Thankfully, the weather was pleasant, and the roads were empty, or she might have ended up in a ditch driving the way she was.

Parking the car, she grabbed her bag and ran toward the castle. She didn't bother stopping to greet the guards. They were used to her visits and knew she had permission to be there. No one tried to stop her, and she was thankful for that. There was only one thought in her mind: find Gesar and make him remember.

Now that she knew who Mikal was and what he could do, she must help Gesar move on. Even his ghost wasn't safe anymore. Dead or alive, it wouldn't matter to Mikal. She only hoped he hadn't regained his powers. She knew he had his memories of the past life, too. She had seen it in his eyes and felt it in his words. That's why she was uneasy in his presence.

On a hunch, she went straight to the east tower. That was always Gesar's favorite place in the castle. They often spent their night there, waiting to welcome the sunrise. The memory brought a smile to her face as she quickened her steps. She was almost there when someone stepped in front of her, stopping her from continuing her brisk walk toward the tower.

"I knew you it," Mikal said, a sneer distorting his features. "You can't resist returning here, can you? But then, it was your home once. Maybe the past calls you the way it is calling me."

Nur was out of breath and couldn't reply, but she gave him a hard stare. She wondered how much he recalled and what he planned to do about it.

"But what I don't understand is," he paused dramatically. "Why now and here, of all places?"

Still, she said nothing. Mikal might not know about Gesar's ghost trapped here. And if that were the case, she wanted it to stay that way. In their past lives, he killed Gesar. He was a cold-blooded killer who wouldn't hesitate to condemn a soul to wander the earth for eternity. If he realized she could help Gesar to move on, he might try to stop her.

The man standing in front of her wasn't her friend. It wasn't the Mikal of this life, but the demon of their past. The man who was too much of a coward to join the army. The same one who insisted he would bring Gesar back, but instead came back with a lie that broke her heart and became the catalyst for her demise and Gesar's condemnation.

Right before she beheaded Maisa, the woman confessed to her how she had cursed Gesar and made him forget his queen. She told Nur all about Jiacha's betrayal. But that wasn't all she had relayed to the distraught queen. She also told her something no one else knew. Jiacha, and now Mikal, were the reincarnations of the demon god Zanpu. It wasn't the demon king of Deyu who was Gesar's true adversary. It was Jiacha. The wolf in sheep's clothing.

"I know who you are," she said.

"I expected nothing less from a seer of your powers." He shrugged and circled her as if trying to intimidate her.

He failed, though. "What do you want?"

"Nothing much. I want to know why my memory has come back now." Then he whispered as if telling her some big secret, "You know, there are only two reasons why people remember their past lives if they ever do."

When she didn't bite the bait and stayed quiet, he said, "One, they find their soul mate. Two, they come across their mortal enemy. Which are you, Nur? But no, I have known you for a while." He looked at her thoughtfully, but she still didn't say anything.

He poked her with his index finger and got right near her face. Narrowing his eyes, he said, "What do you know?"

"Nothing," she said and realized she had been too quick in her response.

"Ah!" Once again, he circled her invading her space. "I have thought about it. I knew right away, you know. There is only one person who can trigger both our memories. Your soulmate and my mortal enemy. Has he come back to life, then?"