Chapter 89 – A Light in the Darkness

Elena Brightwind's POV

The morning sun bathed the academy grounds in golden light, filtering through the tall stained-glass windows of the Holy Church's private chapel. The soft scent of incense lingered in the air, bringing a familiar sense of peace.

Elena Brightwind knelt before the grand statue of Solis, the god of light, her hands clasped in quiet prayer.

Most people knew her as the Saintess Candidate, the prodigious healer blessed with divine magic, destined to bring hope and salvation.

But before she was Elena Brightwind—she was just Elena.

An orphan.

—

She barely remembered her parents. Their faces were vague blurs in her mind, warm hands that had once held her, soft voices that had sung her lullabies. But that warmth had been stolen too soon.

The streets had been cold. Unforgiving.

She had learned quickly that kindness was a rarity in the slums side of city. Hunger gnawed at her constantly, and survival was an endless struggle. She had spent nights curled in alleyways, shivering from both the cold and the fear of being found by the wrong people.

She had watched as children like her disappeared, taken by men with cruel smiles, never to be seen again.

But then—fate had intervened.

A priest of the Holy Church had found her, weak and starving, collapsed near the church steps.

Instead of ignoring her, instead of turning her away like so many others had—they had saved her.

She still remembered the warmth of Sister Marianne's arms, the kindness in the old woman's eyes as she whispered, "You are safe now, child."

That had been the first time in years she had felt hope.

It was within the Holy Church that she had first discovered her gift—a natural affinity for healing magic.

She had been overjoyed at first.

But it hadn't taken long for the church to realize the true extent of her talent.

The ability to purify curses, mend mortal wounds, and even slow the decay of life itself.

A miracle in human form.

And in the eyes of the Holy Church—a Saintess in the making.

—

Elena opened her eyes, the weight of her past momentarily pressing against her chest.

But as she exhaled, she let go of that heaviness.

The past had shaped her, but it did not define her.

She was not that helpless child anymore.

She was Elena Brightwind.

And her future was hers to decide.

A warm smile graced her lips as she rose to her feet.

She had a duty—not one forced upon her by the church, but one she had chosen.

To help others.

To bring light to those lost in the darkness.

And perhaps—just perhaps—she would find her own light along the way.

—

Elena stood at the edge of the training grounds, watching her classmates sprawled across the dirt, utterly exhausted from Instructor Reinhardt's brutal regimen.

Even Leonhardt, with his boundless energy, was sitting on the ground, catching his breath. Alicia was leaning against Seraphina, her usual fiery spirit momentarily dampened by fatigue. Reynard lay flat on his back, muttering complaints under his breath, while Luca and Sylvara gulped down water like they had just crossed a desert.

A soft chuckle escaped Elena's lips.

It was strange seeing them like this—so drained, vulnerable.

Yet, it was moments like these that reminded her just how far they had come together.

Her friends.

The people she never expected to have.

—

Years Ago –

Elena had always been surrounded by people.

Priests. Clerics. Devotees of the Holy Church.

Yet, she had been alone.

From the moment her healing abilities were discovered, she had been treated like something fragile—precious, untouchable. She had been showered with respect, but not warmth. Admiration, but not companionship.

The church had become her home, but not once did she feel like a normal child.

That changed the day she met him.

A boy with messy brown hair and bright green eyes.

Leonhardt Valerian.

He had barged into the church, dragging an unconscious Reynard Faulkner behind him, his clothes torn, his face bruised.

"Help him! Please!" he had shouted, eyes wild with worry.

She had never seen a noble act like that before—so desperate, so unafraid to show how much he cared.

Elena had healed Reynard without hesitation.

When the boy finally woke up, he had grinned at her. "You're amazing! Holy crap, I thought I was dead for sure!"

That was the first time someone had looked at her not as a Saintess, but as a person.

From that day on, everything changed.

Leonhardt dragged her out of the church whenever he could, introducing her to Alicia, Seraphina, Sylvara, and Luca.

They trained together. Laughed together. Lived together.

She had thought bonds like these were impossible for someone like her.

But they had proved her wrong.

—

Present – A Familiar Warmth

A breeze swept across the training ground, ruffling her blonde hair as Elena smiled softly.

Her gaze lingered on each of them—her closest friends, the people who had unknowingly saved her from a lonely existence.

Yes, they were exhausted.

Yes, they would likely complain endlessly once they recovered.

But they would get up.

They always did.

Because that's who they were.

And as long as she was here, she would make sure none of them ever felt alone—just as they had done for her.

—

To Be Continued…