A) "How can we get back to life?"
Umbraria nods, knowingly. She gazes past you for a second, then centers her attention back on you.
"Believe it or not, dear, this is a very common question. Those deshelled never fail to inquire with the management, looking for a way back. Unfortunately, it isn't quite as simple as asking for it.
You see, when you passed on, your connection between body and soul was severed. Your body stayed behind, and your soul moved on to a different plane. The two young people who now stand before me aren't present in the flesh, but rather in spirit. Literally.
Don't look so surprised! Your body affected your perception of your soul. Having only recently cut the chain that bound the two together, it's natural for you to mimic your body's appearance to a T. If you put your mind to it, you could adopt the strangest, or most fantastic shapes. Envision yourself as being ten foot tall hard enough and you will indeed become that tall. If, in your mind's eye, you saw yourself as a rat, you would eventually become a tiny, squeaky rodent.
Of course...this presents a problem, especially for someone as special as you. A soul without a body is very vulnerable: every bit of exertion and effort is a test of will, and though a soul is capable of restoring itself much more quickly and deeply than a body, it also suffers grievous wounds much more easily. You could return to life as a disembodied soul, but you'd have to pick your battles very carefully. A strong enough gust of wind could tear you apart...permanently. Once a soul is damaged enough, it is impossible for it to return.
Oh, by the way, are you sure you don't want to eat anything? It's delicious, honest! No? Aww...
...Anyway, where was I? Oh, yes. You have a few options at your disposal at the moment. You can accept you've jumped off the mortal coil, and explore the Worlds Beyond. You can return to the world as a being of pure soul, along with your darling girlfriend..." Nina blushes, and quickly butts in to correct Umbraria. "We've just met! He's not my boyfriend or anything like that!"
"Oh, sorry...souls never travel together unless they're bound by a powerful emotional link. I just saw you two together, and assumed...well, let's just move on. Beyond the two options we just discussed, you could also find yourself an...anchor. A stabilized soul has all of the perks of having been deshelled, and few of its disadvantages...and instead, it has new ones. And of course, you could adopt other, more long-term solutions. You could choose to reincarnate, or donate your energy to the cosmic stockpile, or even other things. There's many paths open to you."
38) "Which one will you follow, honey?"
A) Free Choice.
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