The Soul Reborn: From Silence to Sovereignty Chapter 82

Chapter 82: Behold, My BMW That Bends Worlds

"In my past life, I drove a Nissan Altima," I declared with pride, chin tilted upward and eyes gleaming as if I’d just introduced my trusty warhorse.

The thought of my old car filled me with nostalgia.

Noah looked at me from the motel room chair, where he sat quietly with Lyra in his arms, “A what?”

“It’s a car, a mid-sized sedan, pretty common in this world. But I had an upgraded model that had a V6 engine. I had been pulled over more times than I would like to admit.” I said with a giggle.

His head tilted to the side, as if I were speaking an entirely different language. I couldn’t help but laugh even harder than before. In that moment, Noah was showing his naivety when it came to this world, and I was going to enjoy every moment of it.

I paced the room in my new hoodie, soft and comfortable, with a short dress and bare feet. If this wasn’t exactly Noah’s type, I had no idea what was. Even I couldn’t help sneaking a few glances at myself in the mirror.

“So, I’ve decided,” I went on, “I’m going to buy another one. Why not, right? It’s something familiar and comfortable.”

Noah didn’t say anything. He just nodded… agreeing to everything I rambled about that morning. We had the money, so there was no reason to deny my requests.

“Thought I’m probably going to get pulled over eventually,” I added with a smirk. “Speeding’s basically a personality trait.”

He frowned. “What does ‘pull over’ mean?”

“It means the knights of this world; cops… flashed their lights and tried to stop your vehicle when you were moving way too fast.”

“And you’re planning to anger them?” His voice held a question, but his face told a different story. It practically said, If you get into trouble, I’ll just smash everything until you’re safe.

“No… No, of course not! Well… maybe a little.”

I grinned maniacally.

“Here’s the thing, Noah. Let’s say I get pulled over, right? Lights flashing, they try to write me a ticket. But before they even make it to the window…”

My hands were thrown up for dramatic effect.

“Poof, we disappear… just like that. We show up in Coldmere like nothing happened at all.”

Noah’s eyes narrowed. “So… your plan is to break the laws of this world, and if there are consequences, just run away through dimensions.”

“Exactly!” I nodded with enthusiasm. “No prison can hold a woman who can disappear at will.”

He just looked at me for a long moment. Then down at Lyra and back to me.

“Well… you know they would have to go through me before anyone could take you, but I would prefer not to overwhelm the inhabitants of this world too early on.”

“Of course, Noah… I wasn’t planning on doing anything wrong on purpose; it was just a hypothetical.”

He’s pretty much telling me not to do anything too crazy because he will have to pick up the pieces. Does everyone around me really view me in this way?

I’ve been pretty good since the initial craziness of my first few weeks in the North.

As we prepared to leave the motel to hunt down a car dealership, I continued muttering nonsense about horsepower, RPMs, and gas mileage, occasionally breaking into an evil laughter that I found fun.

It also always got a laugh out of Noah, and Lyra was enjoying it.

After using the Wi-Fi from the motel through my new phone, I was able to find a Nissan dealership close by. When I say close… I meant fifteen miles.”

Why does it have to be so far away?

What dealership is that far from civilization?

“Noah…” I said with a dejected expression. “We’ve got a ways to walk, or I guess we could try public transportation.”

I don’t feel like getting annoyed, though. Yesterday way too many women were checking out Noah, and I almost reacted. If we took a bus, we would be in such close proximity to other people.

He just looked up at me and waited for a decision. Considering I know this world, I was the one with the reins.

“Screw it,” I declared. “Let’s just walk there and enjoy the sights.”

“I could always carry you; it would be much quicker.”

The thought of that was intriguing. We could also get my hands on a car much faster.

Before I even answered, I took Lyra into my arms and leaned against Noah’s chest. “Let’s go, my big strong man!”

He just smirked and took me into a princess carry, allowing me to readjust myself in his arms as I make sure Lyra is comfortable.

“Alright, my beautiful troublemaker,” he murmured, eyes glinting, “show me where destiny’s taking us this time.”

Noah was a spectacle as he full-sprinted with both of us in his arms until we got to our destination.

It didn’t change the fact that I was burning up… stupid California heat wave. I remembered this kind of weather all too well. I had worked in over a hundred degrees before, the joys of living in a state with no real seasons but endless sun.

“Noah, I swear, if I don’t get something cold to drink in the next five minutes, I might melt into a puddle.”

Thankfully, right before I collapsed, we found a fast food place near the dealership. I inhaled some food and purified water like I’d been starving in a desert for seven days.

Lyra was unfazed, perfectly content, and fast asleep on Noah’s shoulder, as if she hadn’t just endured a minor pilgrimage. I was sure part of why I felt faint was from looking after such a well-fed little glutton. Who would have guessed someone so young could have such an appetite?

After the minor detour, we finally entered the dealership.

We were approached by three eager individuals, all trying to get our attention to get that oh-so-sweet sale.

Before any of them could say a word and start their pitch, I spoke first.

“Hello, I’m looking for a Nissan Altima,” I told the first employee I saw. “I want the 3.5 V6 if possible.”

I watched as all three looked at one another with conflicted faces.

“I’m sorry, but we no longer carry that version of the Altima, and this is also the last year we will be selling them.”

My brows furrowed, and my wish to relive my nostalgia was crushed.

“So you only have the 4-cylinder versions?”

“That’s correct.” I visibly saw his throat swallow.

“How much horsepower…”

“One hundred and seventy-seven,” he said reluctantly, obviously understanding my intentions with asking about the faster version.

I couldn’t help but let out a loud sigh. Looking up and then around the dealership, I noticed a BMW across the street, and my eyes sparkled.

Forget that damn Altima; let’s go buy something a step up in performance. On the other hand, we’ll probably have to spend the rest of our money.

We have about sixty-three thousand dollars left from our current stash.

Without even a word to one of those sellers, I beckon Noah as we cross the street into the BMW dealership.

As we entered, I saw the absolutely perfect model for me, and I wasn’t going to leave without it.

On the rear it showed M340I. No idea what that actually means, but the car looks like a beast. It was a bright red color with black wheels.

I ran my fingers across the hood of the car as I saw a salesman approaching. They really jump on you as soon as you enter the lot in these places.

“Hello, how are…”

Before he could even finish, I interrupted his words.

“I have to test drive this right now.” My eyes were fierce as I looked at the man.

“Can I see your driver’s license, and are you over the age of twenty-one?”

Stupid rules… I had recently purchased a purse to place all our current wealth on Earth. I zipped it open and showed him the fact I planned to pay in cash.

I’m sure his first thoughts are… Did these two just rob a bank, but then how do you explain the baby?

“I’m paying in full with cash today, so can we just go test drive it?”

After about five seconds I saw the greed envelop his whole atmosphere; before I knew it, he was running to go get the keys.

What does he care if I have a license or not if he gets paid?

I turned to Noah, who was smirking at me, and Lyra, who was waving her hands in my direction. My immediate impulse was to go rub my cheek against hers.

“You’re having way too much fun,” Noah laughed. “So this is what a car looks like up close.” He mused.

“Hehe… Just wait until we get it on the road; it’s going to blow your mind.”

Thirty seconds later, I slid into the driver’s seat of the beauty while the salesman took the passenger side. Noah sat in the back beside Lyra, who was snug in her brand-new car seat.

We had bought one of those yesterday, knowing today we would definitely be test-driving vehicles.

“Whenever you’re ready, give it some gas and ease it out into the street.”

“I was born ready,” I said with excitement.

As the engine purred to life, its deep rumble sent a thrill through me. My foot pressed the pedal, and just like that, we were off.

“Just take it easy,” the guy had said, which went in one ear and out the other. “You know this car can run the quarter mile in about thirteen seconds.”

I caught the latter part of his words and instantly pressed the pedal down as I hit the street.

My body sank into the driver seat as I casually looked into the rearview mirror as I saw Noah’s eyes widen.

Once we reached sixty miles per hour, I left off the accelerator and turned to the salesmen.

“I’ll take it.” I was already sold.

It was so luxurious, and its speed was something I desperately wanted.

I saw the relief on his face as I turned us around and headed back.

When we pulled into the dealership and parked, I handed him the keys like I’d just won a race.

Before he left, I asked him to bring something to hold the money so I could pay and be on my way. But of course, buying a car was never that simple.

His slightly nervous face from our drive became bright and sunny as he saw the money.

“Yes, ma’am… I’ll get the paperwork started right away.”

Four hours later and a thousand-dollar bribe to get him to push the paperwork through and we were out of there even though we had no identification.

But seriously, did it have to take four entire hours, even though we paid in cash?!

I had my beautiful red BMW 340I that was like a dream car in my old life. It had so much power with three hundred and eighty-two horsepower.

We’re flat broke now… It's time to restock on gold and actually get some shit done for our new technological future.

Once I finally received the keys, I turned to Noah as I was driving us out of the dealership.

“If I ever open one of these in our world,” I muttered, “it’ll take ten minutes. Pick a car, pay me, take the key, and leave.”

Noah just laughed because he’s already heard my opinion on this matter over the last four hours as we waited.

I heard Lyra doing her babble thing in the back, and that brought a big, refreshing smile to my face.

“Congratulations,” he said with a tired expression. “You’ve got your dream car now, right?”

It was funny he brought that up, considering I’d already talked his ear off about it while we waited.

“Yes!” I leaned over, beckoning him closer, and kissed him on the lips. His passion came through instantly, and we lingered in the moment as we sat at the red light.

As soon as the green light shone, I turned to Noah and asked, “Are you ready for this?”

“I’m always ready for whatever you desire.” Noah said with a calm expression, not fearing what was about to happen.

Of course I wouldn’t drive too recklessly with Lyra inside, but I still wanted to accelerate to a certain extent.

“Noah, why do you always have to say such cringe stuff?” I giggled at his novel-like way of speaking.

Before he could reply, the light turned green, and I pressed down on the accelerator.

His face looked a little less in control, but Lyra, on the other hand, was laughing. That’s right, she’s definitely my daughter.

As soon as we got back, we started packing up the trunk and inside the car with everything I wanted to take with us.

Now it was time to test my theory: if I’m touching the car, will everything in it come along with us?

We drove until the city lights disappeared, until only the sound of our tires crunching dirt and gravel accompanied the darkening sky. A quiet clearing stretched around us, and in the distance, the outlines of trees flickered.

I parked the car, turned off the ignition, and let out a slow breath.

“This spot should work,” I suggested. Noah simply nodded his head.

He’s always been a man of few words, but at least I can still see the way he feels by looking into his eyes, which are always soft in my presence.

I glanced around a few more times, taking in the atmosphere and carefully understanding the current area's terrain. This will be our return point when we come back, hopefully.

Then I turned to Noah in the passenger seat. “Okay, can you hand her to me?”

Noah took off his seat belt and reached back to Lyra, who was comfortably playing with her seat and seemingly having a grand old time.

He passed Lyra to me, and I nestled her gently against my chest, right over my heart, where I somehow knew she belonged. Every time I held her like this, whether feeding her or simply keeping her close, I felt that same pull. It was as if the world itself were whispering, “Are you ready to leave?”

“It’s such a weird sensation,” I whispered as I brushed my lips against her forehead. “It’s not just love. It’s like… something inside her is a bridge.”

“Then cross it,” Noah encouraged.

I looked at him and then offered my free hand.

“Hold on to me. I don’t want to risk anything and leave you behind if it doesn’t work as theorized.”

He didn’t hesitate in taking my hand and gripping it tightly. His warmth and touch were always my anchor in this world or any other and created a peaceful atmosphere within me even if the situation caused high anxiety.

“Alright,” I whispered. “Let’s do this.”

Just like before, a golden light began to bloom. It wrapped around my arms, Lyra, and then spread toward Noah, like a divine sunbeam warming every inch of our bodies.

The car vibrated slightly, the air shimmering like heat waves off pavement.

“It’s working,” I breathed out with a sigh of relief.

Then… in a blink of an eye, the world changed.

Gone were the hum of power lines and the distant sounds of city life.

In their place came the scent of pine and the soft, magical hum of ether in the air. The quiet stillness of the North welcomed us.

We were home.