A week after academy started
Elena Brightwind's POV
In academy as a official force which trains students to fights against evil . They are also connected with holy church which is against evil . So academy naturally have chruch in academy .
The soft glow of candlelight flickered across the grand cathedral within the academy. Stained-glass windows bathed the interior in golden hues, depicting legendary saints and divine miracles. A faint hymn echoed through the vast chamber, carried by the hushed whispers of the faithful.
Elena knelt before the Altar of Radiance, hands clasped in prayer.
"O Lumina, Divine Guardian of the Light, guide me as you always have. Let your radiance shield the weak, and let your will be my path."
The warmth of divine energy surrounded her, a gentle yet firm presence that reassured her she was never truly alone.
The God of Light—Lumina.
A beacon of purity and justice. The deity worshiped by countless nations and the guiding force behind the Holy Church.
And she… she was his chosen.
The saintess of light
—
The Awakening of Ancient Beings
Long ago, when mana first surged into the world, the balance of existence shifted.
The skies crackled with power. The seas roared with newfound strength. The very land trembled.
And ancient beings awoke.
The mighty Dragons, who slumbered beneath the mountains, spread their wings once more.
The Primordial Beasts, creatures of legend, returned to reclaim their dominion over nature.
The Ancient Spirits, ethereal beings of pure mana, whispered their wisdom to those who could hear them.
And beyond them all, the Gods stirred.
Every race worshiped their own deities, and every deity wielded power beyond mortal comprehension.
They also helped humanity by granting power to humans when mana just entered the world and human knew nothing about it.
There were many gods.
Some were revered, their names spoken with devotion. Others were feared, their worshipers hidden in the shadows.
Lumina, the God of Light. The eternal guardian of righteousness.
Vorgath, the God of War. Worshiped by warriors and conquerors.
Sylphara, the Goddess of Nature. Protector of forests and wildlife.
Nythos, the God of Knowledge. Keeper of all wisdom, both known and forbidden.
Vashta, the Goddess of Shadows. Feared by many, but neither good nor evil.
And then there were those who should never be named.
The Forgotten Gods. The Eldritch Ones. The Malevolent Deities that lurked in the abyss, whispering temptations to the desperate and power-hungry.
Demon Worshipers also followed such gods.
Corrupting. Twisting. Offering power in exchange for devotion, sacrifice, and suffering.
It was the eternal struggle—Light versus Darkness.
And yet…
Not all gods were good.
Not all were evil.
Some simply were.
—
The Burden of a Saintess
As a Saintess, Elena was Lumina's chosen, blessed with a fragment of his power.
It was an honor.
But also a burden.
A Saint was never truly free.
Her life was a path already paved, one she could not stray from. She was expected to uphold the ideals of the church, to be a beacon of hope, to heal, to save, to sacrifice.
She was adored. Worshiped. Treated as sacred.
But never as a person.
Only a few had ever looked at her as more than a divine figure.
Leonhardt. Alicia. Seraphina. Reynard. Luca. Sylvara.
Her friends.
They reminded her that she was not just a Saintess.
She was Elena Brightwind.
A girl with dreams, with fears, with a heart that longed for more.
—
A Silent Prayer
Elena let out a soft breath, opening her eyes.
The light from the stained-glass windows painted her in gold and silver as she gazed up at the statue of Lumina.
"I will not falter."
"I will not be weak."
"I will carry the light… even when darkness surrounds me."
And with that, she rose.
Because her path was not just to follow Lumina's will…
It was to make it her own.
—
To Be Continued…