Chapter 218
Eilin was looking at me.
Tears streaming down endlessly.
My own vision blurred.
So that was it.
She had been Ailin.
Rod had said so.
That the pain had ended and only happiness remained.
It was something he said to us, but also to himself. Because Eilin and I were the reincarnations of himself and his wife. He knew the suffering and rebirth his own couple would face.
When we camped in southern Beltern.
I remembered a conversation I had with Eilin.
That day, she had told me.
She often had strange dreams as a child. In those dreams, she stayed with someone very similar to me. That was seeing her previous life in a dream.
And she also said she had lived in a strange world. When I had asked what kind of world, she couldn't answer. That world had been Earth.
Eilin said she dreamed of living as Elin, too. Then as well, she had lived with someone like me. That, too, had been a reflection of her past life's memories in her dreams.
I only had clear memories of the life where I was with Ailin. Eilin seemed to have more vivid memories of past lives. Since she was now with the Apostle of Elin.
"Is there a reason we had to keep reincarnating?"
–"Rod and Iren sealed the Apostle of a human who became a devil on the land of Tak. At that time, I and Iren were cursed by Hanuk."
"What kind of curse was it?"
–"It was a curse to suffer without ever being able to die. Rod had to watch her pain for a lifetime. That's why she made a choice."
"You mean, reincarnation?"
–"Yes. Rod and Iren pleaded earnestly with Apeon. If it could end this endless pain, they would even be willing to keep reincarnating."
I looked into Eilin's eyes.
The tears flowing down her cheeks would not stop. As if she remembered all that suffering.
–"Apeon granted their request. But Iren's pain didn't end no matter how many times she was reborn. She couldn't truly live because it hurt too much."
"How exactly was she in pain?"
–"It was always different. Sometimes her body hurt her whole life. Sometimes she was unbearably lonely. Other times, just living for no reason at all was too hard."
Ailin had always seemed lonely. Always struggled.
Back then, I hadn't known why.
I'd simply thought it was a sickness of the heart.
Then one day, she told me she wanted to give up on everything and just hide away. I couldn't do that. I couldn't throw away all that we had worked so hard for.
That day, she'd apologized for whining again and got in her car. She drove away in tears. That was the last I ever saw of her.
I hadn't meant to let her go like that. At least I should have said so. Even though I knew she was my one and only, I hadn't let her know.
After she left the world, her dog, loki, also passed a few years later. Then, I lost my world. I hadn't known she had been my entire world.
And then, she was born as Eilin in Rac before me. I also came to this Rac.
To break the chain of suffering.
"Eilin doesn't hurt anymore?"
–"The curse has now been lifted."
Eilin, even while crying, wore a smile on her lips. Now, the happiness to come would outweigh all the remembered pain. Because I would make it so.
"Noble Dignity told me so. Eilin will save you, and I will resurrect Yan's Apostle. Do you know how?"
–"It's already been done."
"What do you mean?"
–"Right now, this moment. By being together, Eilin and I have purified the curse of darkness. I will now depart for the embrace of god. So..."
Eilin gave a radiant smile.
–"You and Eilin will take our places—as Yan's Apostle and Elin's Apostle."
"We'll become Apostles?"
–"Yes. That is what heals me and resurrects Yan's Apostle. Noble Dignity hinted at this to you as guardian of Rac."
The spiritual strength dwelling in Eilin was growing weaker. She was about to leave. I had so much more I wanted to ask her, but it didn't seem she could stay in this world.
–"I wish you both happiness. Apeon will watch over you for more days than you suffered. So, farewell..."
Droplets of light came from Eilin's body and rose into the air. Before I could fully take in the sight, Eilin's body slumped and I caught her in my arms.
Eilin looked up at me, weakly.
I saw the dampness in her eyes.
"Do you remember?"
She nodded.
"I... miss Loki."
My nose tingled.
My vision blurred again.
"I'm sorry."
Tears ran down Ailin's cheeks as she shook her head.
Tears fell from Eilin's smiling eyes as well. Hot streams of tears rolled down.
Eilin wiped the tears off my cheeks. Just like long ago, when, drunk, I'd laid my head in her lap. The touch of her hand was just as warm now.
We had met again like this.
After passing through countless, long years.
Like this, at last.
///
Brilliant light sparkled in the forest.
It was a truly peaceful world.
At least, within this forest.
I walked hand in hand with Eilin.
Now, she was Ailin and Eilin at once. I purposefully tried to forget the memories of our past lives. There had been too much pain.
"Why didn't you tell me? That you were hurting."
Eilin smiled at me.
"You knew I had problems of the heart when you married me. Knew I was struggling. If I kept telling you, you'd just have been burdened, too. And you were already so busy."
I looked at Eilin.
"After you left, I suspected it hadn't really been an accident, and I suffered a lot. That's why it was so hard for me to open my heart to you when you were Eilin again."
"I know. I knew all along."
"You did?"
"Mhm. When I saw us older, laughing with children, I realized it. The dreams I had as a child were memories of the past life with you."
"I see."
I squeezed Eilin's hand tighter.
"Let's live together from now on."
She silently leaned her head on my shoulder. I think she's seen more of our future than I have. Maybe that's why she quietly waited for me.
The guilt of sending Ailin away was still a nail driven deep in my chest. Together with the aching longing. That's why I couldn't show my heart to Eilin.
If she couldn't see me opening my heart, she may have been hurt and felt uneasy that the future might change. Maybe that, too, was a kind of pain.
Spirits shone all around us, as if blessing our reunion. Or as if already following us, future Apostles of god.
"When the palace is built, stay there."
"So you can go off and leave me home alone again?"
"It's dangerous if you're with me all the time."
Eilin looked at me.
"Isn't that like when you were busy with company work? I don't want to be alone. I want to go everywhere with you."
"What if you get hurt?"
"I won't. I heal quickly."
That's right. She's a divine Apostle, too.
If I tell her to just stay home because it's dangerous, it's just repeating the past life. Even if there's no more suffering now.
So, I'll stay with her even if there's danger.
She hadn't practiced swordsmanship and gained holy power just to be safe. She won't get hurt. She's the Apostle of god.
"Eilin."
"Yes."
I looked directly at her.
In her eyes, I saw the tenderness.
The feeling she had waited and waited for.
I quietly embraced Eilin.
Holding her tight for a long time, I lifted my face and looked at her again. Then I kissed her lips.
The spirits gathered around us.
So that our long, long kiss
Would not be disturbed by anyone.
///
The party assembled in front of the altar.
The squad members cleared their throats for no reason, feeling slightly awkward. Donnie spoke up.
"So this must be the real osu tree."
Eilin nodded as she looked at him.
"Yes. This tree is Osu's tree, and the one in Aindel is Elin's Soul Tree. There are soul trees in all seven worlds, and they're all connected to this one."
"From your memories as Elin?"
"Yes. Though it's a bit faint."
I had been Rod and Eilin was my wife, iren. When I held Eilin's hand, that life briefly flickered by. But I don't remember it clearly now.
Eilin also remembers her time as Ailin most vividly; it doesn't seem like she remembers every past life. She might have lived as Elin a few more times.
"What kind of mage were you as Iren?"
"All I remember is that I was Elin's great mage. I don't remember any of the magic itself. But I want to study it again."
Yuri said,
"Why are you two suddenly so close?"
"Oh. We were always in love, you know."
"Really? Is that why?"
"Why?"
"I saw you two in the forest, oppa and unni, touching your noses?"
"That's what lovers do."
"Oh, I see."
The squad members looked away awkwardly.
It was understandable. Even if they didn't know exactly what memories we shared, we suddenly spoke like a married couple.
Everyone sensed what had happened. They must have realized from our tears and comments that we'd been a couple in multiple lives through reincarnation.
But Eilin and I felt no awkwardness at all. In fact, my heart was finally at peace. The memory that we had always loved each other was planted in our souls like roots.
"We should stay here for a while."
"Okay."
Donnie stepped forward.
"Find a campsite suitable for cooking!"
"Yes, sir!"
The squad scattered.
The divine power of Osu's tree was gradually expanding within this enormous forest. It was quite a strong, radiant divine energy.
This was because Nabak had shattered the seal of Tak's Apostle that bound Osu's tree's holy power. That was also when the spirits manifested holy power and the guardian appeared.
The primordial power of the Apostles contained a turbid divinity, bearing both magic power and darkness. The primordial power we possessed was still relatively pure, containing light, lightning, and magic power.
On the other hand, the divine power of this land was the very essence of Apeon's divinity. Since the osu tree emitted divine power and was called the soul tree, perhaps soul journeys were also possible here.
Staying in this forest would likely fill both body and armor with divinity, and the same would go for weapons. It's not magic, but it should be effective against darkness.
"Yuri. Want to go for a flight?"
"Sure."
We went to a place where there were fewer trees, and Yuri transformed into a dragon. Eilin and I climbed onto her back and took off. I wanted to take a look around this sacred land.
We flew above the ocean of forest.
No matter how far we went, it was forest upon forest.
Eilin spoke.
"I'm not sure if I remember correctly. But in the seven worlds created by Apeon, all of them had primordial divine power. Those worlds were divided because of a war."
"Three are of light, and three of darkness?"
"I remember something about light and darkness separating, and Rac being one of the middle planes."
Light and darkness. And middle planes.
Light was here; darkness was hell.
The rest would be middle planes.
The black land and desert we passed through to reach hell were not fully shrouded in darkness. The red land was likewise. That must be why they served as waypoints between Rac and hell.
Rod had said he sealed the Demon King in the land of Tak. I wasn't sure where that was. Of the two doors open at the snow mountain temple, one did lead to a desert.
For now, there was no need to go to a desert. Since we had stopped the sorcery occurring in Rac and here, the devils would have to prepare anew. If it had been easy, the Demon King would have descended already.
"Look over there."
Eilin pointed toward the western forest.
Bands of light streamed like rivers. Some strings of light meandered into the sky.
They weren't spirits.
Even the spirits at the osu tree might not have been true spirits. They'd assisted us in battle.
"Could they be souls?"
"Maybe so."
Countless lights lingering on the ground.
A forest filled with divine energy.
"Perhaps this is a world of souls. This would be Elin's land, where Rod went to meet his wife."
"Then we must have been here before being reborn."
"That's what I think."
The divine realm, or Spirit Realm.
Before, I'd vaguely imagined those as spiritual planes, invisible to the eyes.
But now, seeing a place like this, I thought such worlds might physically exist. Or that souls from other worlds could rest here for a time.
Just then.
–"Young master. I've found Rod's house."
"Where is it?"
–"Northeast, about an hour from the osu tree. But there's something special. Please come and see."
"Yuri, let's head back toward the forest."
"Okay!"
Yuri banked hard and flew north. At the eastern edge of the forest, by the lakeshore, our squad was waiting. In front of them, among shapes of light, stood a brick house.
Just as Donnie had said, it was special.
In front of the house stood countless souls.
Clad in the suits of armor of Holy Knights.
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