The First Past Life's Memories
While walking the winding path out of the Elf's Forest, I kept checking my body, half expecting it to betray me again.
After the fierce, breathless night with Isilia, my physique had transformed in ways that defied belief. Every muscle fiber hummed with vibrant life. The wounds that had tormented me were simply gone, erased as if they had never existed. The deep gash on my left arm from that orc axe—the one that had nearly severed it—was now covered in soft, pink new skin, smooth as a newborn’s.
“...Was it all a dream?” I muttered.
Isilia, walking beside me, smiled like sunlight on blooming petals. Her golden hair caught the morning rays and shimmered with an almost mystical jade glow.
“Perhaps the heavens themselves blessed us with this second chance to meet again in this life.”
“A blessing, huh… Isilia, I’m going to be honest. I’m still pretty damn confused.”
“Even if you say we were husband and wife in our past life, I don’t have any of those mem—”
Isilia stopped walking and looked up at me. Her pointed elf ears twitched, betraying her anxiety. Then, with a look of fierce resolve, she hugged my arm even tighter. The soft, generous pressure of her breasts pressed warmly against me.
“It’s all right. In this life, I found you first.”
“We’ll take it slow. Very slow. We’ll reclaim those memories together.”
I was still lost in the warmth of her body and the sweet scent of her skin when a violent surge slammed into my mind—like a tidal wave crashing through my skull.
“Suddenly… my head…!”
The world twisted. I screamed, clutching my temples as my knees buckled.
“Aren! Get a hold of yourself! Are you all right?!”
Isilia frantically poured healing magic over me, but it was useless. Memories—foreign yet intimately mine—exploded outward like a broken dam.
The scenes unfolding inside my head belonged to me. Ancient memories. Unforgettable memories from my first past life.
My vision blurred. My eyes slid shut.
********
My name is Aren.
I was the continent’s rising star, the final hope of humanity—the Hero.
In the great war that had drenched the entire land in blood, I received word that the World Tree Hasilium was on the verge of corruption. I headed alone into the Elf's Forest.
I had already lost countless comrades in battle after battle.
The moment the World Tree fell into the enemy’s hands, the world itself would perish.
“Thinking about my old comrades again…”
“They were good people.”
By the time my lonely journey brought me to the forest, it was already filled with screams and flames. Black mages in dark robes and the grotesque monster legions they had summoned were trampling the World Tree’s roots.
“How dare these filthy humans lay hands on the World Tree!”
“Kill them all! Once the World Tree is corrupted, the elves are finished!”
The elf warriors fought with desperate courage, but they fell one by one beneath the overwhelming force. Children’s cries and warriors’ death screams echoed through the trees.
“Everyone, fall back!!”
“Kyaaaaah!”
“Mom… where are you, Mom?!”
“Warriors! Protect the World Tree with your lives!”
I drew my sword without hesitation.
Slash—!
One swing severed a troll’s massive arm and torso. I leaped into the flock of wyverns blotting out the sky, carving through their wings. The giant beasts crashed to the ground, shaking the earth with each impact.
Boom—
I neutralized the black mages’ curses with natural magic and charged straight through. Their leader recognized me instantly.
“Hero Aren! You again?!”
“I never imagined I’d see your face in a place like this!”
To their hate-filled curses I answered coldly, “We do run into each other a lot. But this time I came all the way here just to escort you straight to hell.”
Swords and spells collided in a storm of blood and flesh. For days and nights without rest I swung my blade. When the black mages’ leader finally knelt before the World Tree, my entire body was drenched black with enemy blood.
The leader staggered and collapsed.
“Our magnificent plan…”
“Haha… I really don’t want to see you anymore.”
“It was supposed to be perfect…”
“I, Beliar, curse you for all eternity—”
“Save it for hell.”
Slice—
With a final swing I beheaded Beliar, leader of the black mages. He died on his knees before the World Tree he had tried to claim.
The world had been pulled back from the brink of destruction. The war was over.
********
After the chaos finally settled, I spent several hectic days helping with the aftermath. Just as I was preparing to leave, the Elf King Silverion requested an audience.
“Hero Aren. You are the great savior who delivered our people from annihilation.”
The king bowed deeply and made an astonishing proposal. It was a political marriage meant to preserve the royal bloodline.
“I shall give you my daughter, Isilia, as your wife.”
“She is the greatest genius our clan has ever produced.”
“Please become the eternal guardian of the World Tree alongside her.”
“Huh? Marriage? Out of nowhere…?”
“It is tradition. The highest honor we can bestow upon the hero who saved our people. Refusal is not an option.”
I couldn’t hide my bewilderment.
“Isn’t this conversation missing several important steps…?”
“Please do not refuse.”
“We beg you, Hero.”
“Wait, just a second—!”
“I will not accept refusal…”
“No, seriously, it feels like half the explanation got skipped!”
And just like that, my marriage to Silverion’s daughter Isilia was decided.
********
The memories grew sharper, more vivid.
The marriage had been forced upon us. On our wedding night, Isilia’s eyes were cold as ice. She understood perfectly that this was a political union meant to produce stronger elven descendants who could protect the World Tree.
Her beautiful golden hair was neatly bound. Wearing traditional ceremonial robes, she looked at me and spoke.
“…I did not come here because I love you.”
“I stand here only out of duty—to ensure my clan’s safety and to bear strong offspring.”
At her noble yet frosty declaration, I gave a bitter smile and nodded.
“I understand. I never intended to beg for love or force it on you. I’ll respect your wishes.”
After that, I lived among the elves and quietly did what I could. I respected their culture with sincerity and shared in their hardships.
“Aren! Try this fruit!”
“Thanks, Vita. I’ll enjoy it.”
I healed wounded elves.
“Did you fall from a tree? You have to be more careful.”
“Hehe, but the hero healed me, so I’m all better now!”
“Good. Stay safe.”
I taught the children swordsmanship and archery.
“Extend your arm a little more from here.”
“Pull the bowstring like this.”
“Like this?”
“Ack… I broke the arrow!”
When Isilia was busy, I took over her patrol duties.
“Aren, isn’t today supposed to be my patrol shift?”
“Vita, how can you speak to the hero like that!”
“Isilia said she had something important to do, so I figured I’d cover the patrol for now.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
I tried my best to share their pain and burdens.
Then one day, an assassination attempt was made on Isilia’s life.
I shielded her with my own body, not caring that I was being torn to shreds. Covered in blood, I heard her trembling voice.
“…Why? This is only a political marriage. Why would you risk your life for me…?”
“You know this marriage is political, don’t you…?”
“What kind of husband leaves his wife in danger?”
That clumsy sincerity slowly began to melt the ice around her heart.
We spent our days eradicating the remaining black mages and stopping epidemics. One day, Isilia told me:
“At first, I hated you. Even though you were the hero who protected the World Tree… I felt like nothing more than a tool.”
“But now I understand. You cherished me as a woman. As your wife.”
“Now I can finally say it… I love you.”
The night we truly became husband and wife, Isilia trembled like a flower petal beneath the moonlight and whispered to me.
“Oh, and since I’m older, I’ll speak casually from now on. Honey.”
That night, we embraced each other with genuine passion for the first time. When I gently bit her ear, her whole body shivered.
“Ah… Aren—no, honey… please… a little slower…”
“This… is my first time…”
********
As the flood of memories finally receded, I slowly opened my eyes.
Isilia was right in front of me, eyes glistening with unshed tears, watching me with anxious love. She clung tightly to my arm, waiting patiently.
The cold princess from the past was gone. Only a woman who loved me with all her heart remained.
“The memories… seem to have come back.”
The moment the words left my mouth, Isilia’s eyes sparkled like stars. Joy surged through her gaze at my single sentence.
“Really? You really remember? Aren!”
“I was so scared something had happened to your body…”
I pulled her into my arms. Stroking her hair, I smiled gently, pouring into the gesture all the affection I hadn’t been able to express fully in our past life.
“Sorry for worrying you.”
“And… thank you for finding me again.”
“…I won’t ever let you go now.”
Isilia gave a satisfied smile and nuzzled her face against my chest. The warmth radiating from her made my heart pound.
We started walking the forest path together once more.
The bond between the hero Aren and the elf princess Isilia had not ended with our past life.
It was only the prelude to an even more beautiful story in this one.
I gripped her hand tighter.
In this life, I would never let go of this hand again.