“Speaking from experience, dying sucks.” The beloved Library Master of the Oak Leaf Monastery smiled at his young apprentice. Life had been hard on him but the aged man was satisfied with his coming death.

The man’s apprentice, a much younger looking woman, held back tears as she ignored her own wounds as she tried to heal her master. “Don’t say that. The monastery still needs you. I’m not ready to take your place.”

“Leave me to die. I know you love me but If you heal me you won’t be able to save yourself.”

“I don’t care. I won’t let you die, you deserve that much.”

The master sighed and slapped the desperate woman across the face. “Even if you save me I won’t have the time to train someone to replace you before I pass on from old age.” He pulled her into a passionate embrace and gave her a loving kiss. Even ignoring his responsibilities as the Library Master the aged man couldn’t let the woman kill herself saving him. He pulled out his dagger and quickly slit his own throat.

The pair had been together from the moment they entered the monastery, she a genius in the making and he a wasted genius. His slow cultivation allowed old age to knock on his door early. In another life they would have married and grown old together.

In that other life the Library Master lived in another world, one without monstrous beasts and cultivators. In that other life he had lived quietly before passing away, old and alone. He had met death before and saw no reason to delay its return.

He awoke from his stupor what seemed like almost five years later. He was known as Alex Fairwind in his new life. His new father was something of an antique collector and had brought home an ancient looking walking staff. The staff bore the familiar Oak Leaf emblem of the monastery he studied at in his previous life.

Alex’s four year old self couldn't help but stare at the strangely familiar wooden staff. It became an obsession that worried the four year old’s mother. Finally after a full month he made the connection. The staff had belonged to him in his life as the Library Master.

“Alex, come upstairs. It’s time for dinner. Your Aunt Linda is here with your cake and a present.” The former Library Master suppressed his memories and Alex shouted, answering his mother as he began running to the table excited for his favorite food, mixed meat and cheese pasta shells.

Alex would be turning five the next day and because his first day of school would be the next day they decided to celebrate his birthday early. Alex ran past his aunt wanting to get the first plate. When he got to his family's small dining room he jumped up and down impatiently awaiting the food.

When it became obvious he would still have to wait a minute or two the boy turned around running back to his aunt to give her a hug. He rubbed his face on her leg taking in the familiar scent of leather, blood, and herbs.

Alex’s Aunt Linda was his most favorite person in the whole wide world. Her scent mixed with his memories from his life as the Library Master causing him to hug her tighter as a wave of empathy washed over him. She doted on Alex because as much as she loved children she would never be able to have any of her own. A necrotic curse had forced the doctors to remove both of her ovaries and her womb. The organs had finished rotting away before the anesthetic spell had been fully removed.

The Library Master was glad that tears hadn’t come to his innocent self’s eyes before he managed to suppress Alex’s new understanding of his aunt. Linda squatted down and gave her nephew a powerful hug as she carried him back into the family's dining room. Alex watched her examining his face with a look of confusion on her own face. Without the advantage of the Library Master’s memories Alex could only return the look with confusion of his own.

Alex quickly turned the exchanged look into a staring contest which he won by letting out a puff of air toward his aunt’s face. “Made you blink!” His aunt playfully returned the favor before setting him down and clearing her place at the table.

Once the meal began Alex started trying to guess what meat each pasta shell had been stuffed with as the adults watched him with smiles on their faces. Once he had eaten his fill of the main course Alex quieted down and listened to the adults as they discussed more important matters while playing with slices of bread as he ate them.

After the meal was over and the cake had been eaten it was time for Alex to open his birthday presents. Three wrapped boxes were placed on the table in front of him. Alex’s family smiled at him as he looked them over. He picked up the biggest box first and opened it.

Inside the box Alex found a few shirts and some socks which he carefully set to the side until he reached the real gift. Surrounded by the clothes was a smaller box which contained a pendant on a small chain. The pendant had a single gem quality jade set in the center of it. Alex’s mother explained, “That's a memory jade. Once you begin cultivating you can use it to record your lessons. It can only keep about an hour’s worth of memory but I think it will be useful when you start school.”

The next gift was from his father. When Alex found it after removing the clothing that was used as packing material his father said, “I got you a soul reinforcement stone. Cultivating can be dangerous in the beginning. This should keep you safe until you learn your limits.”

The final gift was a small jewelry case which contained a small ring which looked like it was made from volcanic glass. Linda smiled at him and explained, “I got him a spatial ring. It won’t carry much, but he won't need to bring a backpack with him. Happy birthday little man.”