Backstory
Recalling her past lives, Maite was once a writer, a gymnast, a mathematician, things that no longer had value in her next or current identity. The only crucial thing she identified as was being Matia’s sister. With years together totaling nearly a century, she’ll look back at all the times they’ve fought over small things, all the times they’ve shared meals, all the times they were at the other’s side. Maite happened to be a little sister in all 9 lives, consistently reckless in one way or another with her brother watching over her. She doesn’t say it, but she was always the biggest influence on his protective personality. Did she need protection though? Reflecting, she didn’t. If she fell, she could keep moving. If she didn’t understand something, there were others she could ask. But in the end, it was comforting having someone as familiar as Matia guide her always. That always repeated.
At the end of each lifespan, Isiktan the Reincarnation God would always let the two start another cycle together. The God could punish individuals with an unfortunate next life if they deemed it fitting, but they were just as merciful to those with strong bonds. Friends, found families, siblings, and so on could share their next lives by one another if they deemed it deserved. The care Maite and Matia had for the other granted them reincarnations together each time. When Isiktan used a great deal of power to fight against other deities, the Miseries of the world who caused catastrophic casualties in the past, it was becoming tough garnering power again while herding all the souls to be reincarnated or not. It was then that Isiktan enlisted the recently deceased siblings to serve them. They would not have minded another human life, but to recall all the lives collectively and stay together forever as spirits was something neither was against.
Isiktan’s designation to each was still different; Maite would become a shepherd for Isiktan’s deer; good humans reaching a pure spiritual state after many reincarnations. Maite would lead the deer and visit dying humans who would join them if on Isiktan’s list. It isn’t very exciting after a while, but Maite didn’t mind it. There would be many places to visit, the deer were tranquil, and Maite could be lost in her thoughts. But an eternity is daunting, so Maite tried not to think about many things since becoming Isiktan’s underling. She would keep it hidden from Matia, but she felt her humanity slip away.
If most of her lifetimes were spent alongside her brother, they could laugh about experiences together or share stories. With time, she had less and less to say to him, her days repetitive and the visages of humans in their last moments dwelling on her mind for too long that he'd think she's spacing out a lot. On the other hand, Matia spoke of the beasts he'd fight, of the leads he'd have on the Miseries, and those he'd meet. He had others to talk to, but Maite's job was a silent one where she was mostly alone with her thoughts, thoughts of death and tragedies. She didn't consider that she was too weak for her job, the thought of asking for a different role not crossing her mind, so she became her downfall further, turning into a secretly apathetic and grey person.
When Gingko started a team with Isiktan's acquaintances, Maite was given the option to occasionally tag along for their journey, doing so with Matia. It provided from relief, especially getting to know a living human like Gingko, nostalgia relived, but perhaps she was too far gone from that life. These excursions led her to meet Merikh and Pagule accidentally, the masterminds that everyone's searching for the whole time, but their morals lined up just right with Maite now. Life itself was a painful curse, and their world provided no nirvana for even the deceased if Maite's fate turned out this way. Sweet talking her into joining their cause, Maite disappeared from her usual company, only to reappear as a sabotaging enemy. For her brother, the betrayal was beyond him, who thought both of them would be content in their afterlives now. Even if they'd passed away, Maite's "humanity" could not handle something so demanding.