“Do you think they are happy”, Hailie asked as she glanced your way. You, a deity who presided over life, death, and souls. A glance from her to the living soul she stared longingly at confirmed her suspicions. A thread, invisible to the one she longed for, stretched taught between them and her.

They were supposed to be together. Two souls tied for all eternity. Fate had other plans, however, as they often did. A few years into the relationship, Hailie’s life was cut short. An accident, a driver not paying attention, and then you were there at her side.

She walked further into the house. Her other half was currently smiling up at their current partner. The air full of warmth and happiness. Hailie watched on which left you to stand there.

It had been long enough that you could grant her soul its final wish. Too close to death and the soul would desperately cling to the living realm. Hailie’s wish had been to check in on her past partner. She wanted to spend just a little more time with them. Even if they didn’t know she was there.

A glance at the happy couple showed they were getting ready to kiss. Hailie flinched and the thread between her and them tightened even more.

“Do they…..do they feel this? This…ache”, she asked as she rubbed at her chest. The answer? Yes. Her partner did, but they thought it was the vacuum left behind by her death, not their soul clawing to get back to its other half.

She didn’t expect an answer. She knew there was a lot you couldn’t say. After all, there were some things only deities were meant to know. She flicked her gaze back to her partner and watched them some more.

“Good. They’re smiling. I’m glad”, her voice trembled but she kept a smile on her face, “I was worried no one could get them to smile like that again.”

Silence stretched between you both as day faded to night. Time drew near for you both to return to the realm of the dead. Hailie cleared her throat, and you could see the tears she fought desperately to hold back.

“I think I’m ready to pass on”, she said softly, "They've.....they've found someone. That's good. I....I want that for them."

Her voice caught and she forced a smile, her hand drifting wistfully along the thread jutting from her chest to theirs, "We always have the next lifetime."

There was a twinge in your chest. A strange sensation for a deity such as yourself. She didn’t know. She couldn’t have known.

Fate had cut her chord and left you with one single instruction. She was not to pass on to wait for her other half to join. The number of souls had grown rapidly, and you needed someone to help you rule over your domain. Fate had chosen Hailie.

She took one last look, committing their final smile to memory, and then turned to you. "I've seen what I need to know they are okay. So how do we do this? What do I need to do? Walk through some gates or something?"

A glance to the thread between them and you could see a tear so miniscule that only someone who dealt in souls, such as yourself, would notice. Fate's plan was already in motion. Hailie would not see them again.