Gods and Divine Power I

Ever since becoming Baron Carmina's adopted daughter, Seraphine began to find life nothing less of how she found it back when it was Count Esmeralde who took her in.

She is being spoiled to no ends.

Even though she had not asked for them, piles after piles of presents such as dresses, shoes and jewelries had been showered upon her. She got herself another resplendent bedroom with an exquisite decorum, partook on banquets and tea times that were filled with all of sorts of tooth-rotting desserts, and was pampered by the maids and menservants all the time.

It's the life of a princess, so to say.

'And with everyone in this household keeping their eyes on me, I can't even work on learning more about my power...!' Seraphine bolted out inside her head, already feeling drained from all the attention that was being lavished on her.

'I did make some research by reading books in the library, but those were not enough. And then, I recalled that talks about dark magic were frowned upon by society. So, obviously, I can't find a book about it that easily, though that doesn't really mean that it doesn't exist.'

In the end, what she only ended up achieving from reading all those books was cause a particular rumor to spread around the manor - about her being a smart and bright child, that is.

She can't deny that to an extent, though. For this age, she's too much of a curious-cat and a fast-learner. Not to mention, living two previous lifetimes had made her more knowledgeable and intelligent than most children - she even knew what was going to happen in the future. It's normal for others to think that she acts like a grown-up from time to time since she does appear mature and refined.

"You look like you have a lot on your mind again, my dear. Don't you like the gift I gave you?"

At that, Seraphine is spared from further zeroing in on her thoughts.

She looks up to find Helios staring down at her with a worry-stricken expression. That's when she also realized that she had gotten too caught up in her contemplation that she forgot to react to another present that he offered to her - it is this lovely-looking, elegant doll.

"Oh, it's so beautiful, Father..." Seraphine said after a small pause on her part, forcing out a smile.

"Thank you for this."

"You're welcome..." Helios trailed off with a benign smile, though his concerned look did not leave.

"I must say, though - you appear self-absorbed and withdrawn most of the time. Is there something bothering you? Are you alright? Can you tell Father what it is?"

"N-No, I... I mean, I'm alright. There's nothing bothering me."

"Hmmm... As I thought, you'd say that again. Don't you trust me?"

"It's true, though. There's nothing wrong. Please, don't worry so much."

She looks away right then, hoping that he will not further ask about it.

This kind of thing has been happening for a while now. Although it is kind of her fault that she is behaving in a manner that somehow raises concerns in the adults, she is not expecting that he will be this persistent about it. He will always ask her what is on her mind every time they are together.

Now, there's nothing wrong about a guardian being worried for his child, but when it's him, she finds it a little strange - his line of questioning often ends with this particular remark, after all.

"If you're ready to open up about what you've experienced that day, you can always come to Father."

By that, Helios pertains to the time Seraphine has been taken down in the underground - she's sure that this is what it's about. His expression darkens whenever that topic is brought up, and his tone of addressing it is somewhat grim - ominous, even.

"Alright, Father," was what she would only say each time it happened, unsure of how to take it.

They are walking side by side at the moment, heading for the temple.

Today, Seraphine will finally be having her blessed naming ceremony.

In the Empire of Caelestis, there is that stage of life at which the temple officially assigns a second name and bestows blessings to a person. This event usually takes place soon after birth, but the timing may be adapted according to family circumstances. Since she was an orphan, she didn't have this ceremony before.

"Are you excited, my dear? You'll be having your blessed name at last. I'm sure it'll be wonderful," Helios beamed down at Seraphine to which she smiled back in return.

With that, they make their way inside the temple.

Though she had been in several temples back in her previous lifetime, it was her first time being in this one in particular. She did not really expect how grandiose this would turn out to be - unlike those she saw before, it had some kind of power that drew her in.

The architecture is embellished with ancient yet exquisite ornamentation. It has a tower-like structure in its center, which is used as the base for the ventilating roof-dome of the whole building. The patterns used on the wall exterior is mostly geometrical, and the ambiance is easily distinguished as that of a place of worship.

Not to mention, it is humongous. Surrounding it is a vast field and massive blocks of wall. The very temple itself might even be bigger than a castle - bigger than the temples she saw in the past.

"Woah, this is fascinating," Seraphine breathed out loud, struck with awe and wonder.

When they enter the front gate of the temple, a crowd is gathered around the place.

However, that is not what catches her off guard. What suddenly makes her eyes widen in astonishment is the breathtakingly stupendous altar in front of them.

Cascading down an enormous stone wall that is abound in vines is this stream of pristine water - an indoor waterfall, it seems. Its beauty is like an angel's poetry told in those lacy-white currents, and its charm lies in its crystalline transparency. There are power and brilliance in the tranquility - a place of stillness even in the roar of the waters.

"The waterfall represents the Divine Bestowal, the oasis for stray souls and the sanctuary of the gods," Helios started out of nowhere, making Seraphine turn in his direction.