Areum felt a headache coming.
She couldn't seem to escape the clutch of these rich families. In her previous life, she too was the daughter of an influential family. The only difference was that she had been a legitimate child, unlike in this life. However, it didn't make a difference either way—her last life had not been a happy one.
And it wasn't just her previous life that was difficult. Even the one before that had been marked by suffering.
Yes, Han Areum remembered both of her previous two lifetimes.
In her first life, she was born in a world saturated with high-vibrational energy particles—known as "mana"—that fueled supernatural abilities, spells, and life force itself.
It was a stifling world despite its rich mana concentration and natural resources.
People were forced to live within rigid hierarchical roles where nobles and royals were wealthy and powerful, while commoners were treated like livestock. Although mana was available to everyone, only a few could manifest supernatural abilities. Those who could manifest abilities were required to affiliate with either the church or the royal family to use their power legally. They would be trained by these institutions in how to use their abilities and would spend the rest of their lives in service.
She had no memory of her name or face in that lifetime—only a lingering sense of having been an orphan, adopted by a peculiar woman whose presence felt both unsettling and familiar.
Areum later discovered that the woman who adopted her was what people in that world called a "witch"—a term used for women with magical abilities who weren't affiliated with the church. The church sought to centralize power by monopolizing all ability users, labeling any independent practitioners as heretics and servants of the devil. If caught, they were burned alive in public displays meant to incite fear.
The witch had adopted her after sensing that Areum possessed a powerful magical ability similar to her own—an ability called "the Sight," which allowed Areum to perceive the mana flow signatures of everything on the planet.
The witch never gave Areum her name and was quiet and unaffectionate. She had only one goal: to pass on her legacy. When they first met, she told Areum that being adopted and taught by her came with a condition—Areum had to take a mana-infused oath to repair and nourish the Earth's energy grid, not just in this life but in every lifetime to come. Breaking the oath would doom her to a painful existence in every reincarnation.
Areum agreed, despite being only three years old and not understanding much of what was said. All she cared about was not being returned to the harsh life of the orphanage. The witch then created a complex crystal grid, had Areum stand at its center, and gave her an herbal concoction to drink.
Areum collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain, feeling as if something had been seared deep into her soul.
She couldn't recall the faces of the people in that life—not even her own—but she remembered the pain as if it was yesterday.
It was as if to remind her to never forget her task.
The witch diligently taught Areum a vast array of subjects: magical spells, herbology, beast taming, medicine, drawing crystal grids, art magic, sound magic, and even ordinary life skills like scavenging for food, cooking, cleaning, and sewing.
After the Sight was activated, Areum realized the Earth she stood on—and everything on it—was conscious. This included seemingly inanimate objects like rocks and wooden furniture. Every time the church or royal family excavated gems and minerals, the Earth's energetic grid in that area would rupture and weaken, reducing mana concentration and disturbing the balance of plants and animals. Whenever this happened, Areum and her teacher would travel to the affected area, using the Sight to locate the disruption and weave the energy like threads to mend it.
After restoring the grid, they would use crystalline arrays to draw mana back into the area, paired with sound magic to communicate with the traumatized plants and animals and reassure them.
Despite her aloofness, the witch was not heartless. She emphasized that while repairing the Earth's grid didn't have to be Areum's sole purpose, it should be something she responded to whenever she sensed the Earth calling for help.
The witch also warned Areum to live in isolation and trust no one. Many witches had died by trusting the wrong people. She reminded Areum that the purpose of magic was not to instill fear or exert control—that would make her no different from the royal family or the church.
Areum didn't mind the task. In fact, she was grateful for the imparted knowledge. She loved nature and its inhabitants, and found joy in her studies. She felt a deep connection to spells, plants, crystals, and the motherly Earth she stood on. The more she attuned to the Earth, the more she felt its boundless love—for all beings, even those who wounded it. That love alone anchored her devotion to the legacy.
For three years, the witch taught Areum everything she knew. Then, one quiet night, she left—without a word.
The next five years were peaceful. Areum lived in hiding, in a cozy stone cottage deep within a dangerous magical forest that most people avoided. Each day followed a gentle rhythm—gardening, foraging, brewing remedies, nursing magical beasts, and protecting the forest with spells.
Whenever she sensed the Earth's call, she would identify weakened areas in the energetic grid and travel to fix them. Over time, she became so skilled that she no longer needed to go physically—she could astral project to the location, arriving instantly, a feat even her teacher hadn't achieved.
Her life was peaceful, but she underestimated the cost of keeping a promise. Living in solitude, fulfilling her oath in silence, eventually wore on her. Despite her bond with nature, she remained human—with relational needs only another human could fulfill.
One day, her solitude ended. While foraging in the forest, she discovered an injured boy about her age, unconscious. She brought him back to her cottage and cared for him. They grew close, forming a bond stronger than anything she'd experienced before. Despite her teacher's warnings, she trusted him—how could she not, when she could see his mana signature and sense his emotions? He genuinely enjoyed her company.
Areum helped him activate his dormant supernatural abilities and taught him how to control mana, accelerating his progress in leaps and bounds.
One day, the boy told her he missed his parents and siblings. He wanted to return to his hometown—and asked if she would come with him.