The sun was already hiding behind the distant mountains, painting the sky in orange and red, but the training courtyard of House Valemortis remained illuminated by the soft light of the magic candles that flickered outside the mansion. Elyandra, with her impeccable posture, stood in the center, surrounded by an aura of magic glowing in golden hues. With hands raised, fingers almost touching the air, she tried to concentrate on the essence of the mana within her body. Each movement was carefully calculated, as if she were trying to touch something she could not see.
Beside her, Dalia Vernhardt observed with an attentive and impassive gaze. She knew how difficult it was for Elyandra to understand the mysteries of mana and, more specifically, the secrets of divine magic that she was beginning to grasp. The tutor knew the young girl had exceptional talent, but the greatest challenge was making her connect with the magical energy that flowed almost imperceptibly.
For all intents and purposes, divine and spiritual magic are extremely complex arts. Even if the practitioner has an extreme affinity for such magic, adapting to and molding it is extremely complicated. Divine magic is a power that transcends simple logic; it uses forces beyond natural knowledge like water, earth, and the like. Its power comes solely from the Goddess of Light, which makes it a very rare and difficult magic to learn. As for spiritual magic, it is a Taboo, almost as profane as the demonic, banned in nearly every corner of the world. Its history is written in blood and molded in the greatest tragedies and crimes that bordered on insanity, so finding someone willing to teach such magic was not an option. In every sense, it is practically dead magic—magic that even Dalia could not teach Elyandra. Thus, the girl would have to learn it from scratch, on her own.
— Focus more, Elyandra. Feel the mana around you. Do not force it, just... allow it to flow through you.
Elyandra closed her eyes, breathing slowly, feeling the flow of mana in her veins.
"This makes no sense... How am I supposed to understand this? Everything I know about magic is what I learned in games... In that world, mana was just a number, a statistic... Here, it is real. I mean, in books they describe ways to mold mana, but now in practice... I don't know what I'm supposed to understand. Molding is different from expelling it like I did when I destroyed the stones." The thought crossed her mind for an instant, but she did not allow it to distract her. "Focus... focus like in the old days, when I had to calculate everything to the millisecond."
She knew her mentor was watching, so she forced herself to remain firm, trying to understand what was happening—after all, Dalia did not seem to be a very patient person, and Elyandra had a certain fear of that. "Divine... I am a Saint, that's what they told me... I have to be able to control this..." She concentrated harder, but her thoughts continued to wander.
Dalia, with her always rigid posture, noticed the slight hesitation in Elyandra's movement. She knew her student was trying to follow the instructions, but her mind was divided.
— Do not lose yourself in your thoughts. Divine magic demands purity of intent, and you know what that means. Remember who you are, Elyandra.
"Can I even be considered a pure person? I mean... I sort of reincarnated," Elyandra thought with a trembling smile.
Dalia watched in silence and hesitated for a moment, but then continued:
— Your mother... She was a priestess. Although she was a very capable priestess, she no longer has... an affinity for divine magic.
Elyandra stopped moving her hands for a brief instant, but returned to the movement, trying to hide her curiosity. She knew her mother, Altheria, had always been a reserved woman regarding her past; despite her title as a former priestess, she never spoke much about it.
— But... why is she not a Saint? — Elyandra asked, her voice softer than usual, but still imbued with a sharp curiosity. — Everyone says the blood-chosen are predestined. So, how could my mother have been a priestess and not a Saint? She has the same blood as I do, right? She has the Ancient Blood.
Dalia remained silent for an instant, her eyes observing the young girl with a mixture of patience and caution. Elyandra could see she was struggling with her own words, but as always, the tutor maintained her composure.
"She isn't going to tell me, is she? Something about my mother is more complicated than she lets on." Elyandra thought, but her curiosity was now sharper than ever.
— Saints, by all indications... — Dalia began, reluctant, her voice as calm as ever. — Are people chosen by the Goddess to become a channel, someone who represents her in the present. Your mother was a priestess by her own strength of will, not by natural gifts. She... did what she could to follow the path of the Church, but the magical lineages were not generous to her.
Silence filled the courtyard for a moment while Elyandra processed the information. This was something she had not imagined hearing. She knew her mother was somewhat rigid and even secretive regarding certain aspects of her life, but this was information that seemed to pull the floor from under her certainty of what she knew. She looked at the tutor, trying to understand the depth of that statement.
— And... is that not a problem? If my mother no longer has magical affinity... — Elyandra asked, a hint of doubt infiltrating her voice, but her tone was like that of any noble seeking information that might benefit her.
Dalia breathed deeply before answering.
— The Church, and especially the High Church of Divine Light, uses your blood as a tool of power. They viewed your mother as a valuable piece, but without the true divine magic to guide her. Your mother, in a way, was a figure of leadership who... was more of a symbol than a true conjurer.
Elyandra could not hide her surprise, but, like a well-trained noble, she quickly masked her expression.
— I see... So, my mother was a... figure of power, but not a Saint. — Elyandra's voice sounded almost indifferent, but within her, a fire was lit.
"This story is making me even more curious. What else is my mother hiding from me? Losing her magical affinity? Is there really a way for that to happen? Is that why my mother doesn't usually talk much about her past in the church...?"
The gentle wind blew through the training courtyard, making the leaves sway slightly. Elyandra, with her hands extended toward the sky, tried to capture the essence of the mana that pulsed in her body, but something in her mind continued to unsettle her. The revelation about her mother wouldn't leave her head, and the thought of her true nature—of who she really was before she became her mother—only expanded.
She looked at Dalia, who watched her with unwavering calm, and a new doubt arose in her mind.
— Dalia... — Elyandra began, her voice more serious than ever. — What, in fact, does it mean to be a Saint? Why am I seen as one?
The tutor did not respond immediately. She looked at Elyandra with a gaze that mixed concern and a certain caution. She knew the young girl was starting to question not just her training, but also the very meaning of her role in this world.
Dalia then took a step toward Elyandra, her words calm but firm.
— To be a Saint, Elyandra, means to be chosen by the Goddess of Divine Light. It is a direct link to divine power, a rare and uncommon affinity with divine magic—magic that only exists in this empire, which makes it even rarer. It is not something that can be forced, and that is why many people, including your mother, never reach this degree of connection. Saints are the highest degree of serenity, purity, love, and compassion that can exist in this world.
Elyandra concentrated, listening attentively, but her mind was in flames with so many questions.
— And how does it manifest? How can I control it? I don't understand the relationship between being chosen and having... magic.
Dalia observed Elyandra's questioning with a thoughtful look and then spoke with a voice soft but full of authority.
— Saints, unlike priestesses, are born with an uncommon capacity to channel divine magic. Their power is not simply an ability they develop. They are born with it, as a gift from the Goddess herself. They possess something called "pure divine affinity," which is beyond any learned or developed power. Priestesses, on the other hand, are dedicated to the word of the Goddess and have an affinity with divine magic derived from their faith, but to a more limited degree. They use this power to guide people, to heal, and to spread the divine light. Saints, however... they do not just spread the word of the Goddess, but act as her instruments, channeling divine magic in its purest form.
Elyandra frowned, processing Dalia's words. Then, a thought struck her like an arrow.
— So, my mother... was a priestess, but not a Saint...
Dalia nodded slightly, with a nostalgic look.
— Exactly. Your mother always had an affinity with divine magic, but she was never born with the purity necessary to be a Saint. She was, indeed, a great priestess, but her path was different. She used her ability to teach and help others, not to act as a channel for the Goddess, but I can say, your mother is one of the purest people I have ever seen in my life, in both good and bad ways...
Elyandra, as always, could not contain herself. There was something more she wanted to know.
— And how does divine affinity manifest? What does it mean to be born with "pure affinity"?
Dalia watched her with disconcerting calm before answering with precision.
— Saints are born with the golden eyes of the Goddess. Their eyes are the mark of their direct link to divinity. There have been few Saints in the history of the Empire of Divine Light. All of them were children, all were born with an uncommon affinity for divine magic, and all possessed golden eyes. Just like you.
Dalia's last sentence made Elyandra stop for a moment. Her fingers ceased moving the mana currents in the air, and she looked at the tutor with momentary surprise.
— Golden eyes...? — Elyandra murmured, as if testing the idea. — What happened to those Saints? Did they... disappear?
The tension in the conversation increased; the air seemed to cool, and Elyandra felt a growing restlessness. She wanted more answers. She needed more, even if she didn't let Dalia answer all the questions. But before Dalia could respond, the sound of firm footsteps approached, interrupting the moment.
— What are you discussing? — A strong and authoritative voice broke into the air, making Elyandra turn quickly.
It was her father, Lord Valemortis, with his imposing presence and stern gaze. He entered the courtyard with his velvet white cloak flowing behind him, his eyes observing the two with a mixture of curiosity and control. Dalia immediately straightened, giving a small bow.
— Lord Valemortis — she said, greeting him with her usual seriousness. — Everything is in order, as always.
Elyandra, for her part, did not hide her slight frustration with the interruption, but, as a well-trained noble, her face softened, and she bowed slightly.
— Father. — Elyandra's voice was serene, but full of curiosity.
"Why did you interrupt?" She did not say it in words, but her eyes conveyed it clearly.
Lord Valemortis fixed a piercing gaze on his daughter for a moment before responding:
— That is something for later, Elyandra. There are other matters that need to be discussed.
Elyandra felt the taste of frustration on her lips. She wanted more answers, more information about her true nature, but she knew her father would not allow the conversation to continue down that path. With a controlled smile, she simply nodded.
— Of course, Father. As you wish.
Dalia, always attentive, noticed the tension and quickly changed the subject, taking advantage of the father's presence to redirect the focus.
— Elyandra, let's continue with your training. Divine magic, like any power, demands precise control. Let's focus on the channeling of your mana.
Elyandra, still restless, breathed deeply and prepared to resume training, but her mind continued to work. "I will find out more. Everything they told me... is not the end. I know there is more behind this." She looked at her father, who was watching her with an impassive expression, and her golden eyes shimmered softly. Something within her was waking up.
The training courtyard was illuminated by the soft light of the magic candles, their flames dancing in the fresh night breeze. The starry sky was clear, but the night, as always, seemed filled with a profound and expectant silence. Dalia sat in front of Elyandra, with her feet firmly planted on the ground. Her eyes were attentive, but the calm of her posture indicated absolute focus on the training. Elyandra, in turn, was a few steps away, her fingers delicately touching the air, feeling the currents of mana flowing around her.
— Elyandra — said Dalia, with her voice soft but decided. — Focus only on my words now. All you need to do is relax and connect to the mana. Think of nothing else. Concentrate on it as if it were part of you.
Elyandra closed her eyes softly, breathing deep. The weight of the world, for a moment, seemed to disappear as she began to concentrate. She felt something strange, as if her mind expanded beyond her body, as if the air around her were charged with a pulsating energy, waiting to be touched.
"Focus... Only on the mana..."
Elyandra's mind floated with Dalia's suggestion. Suddenly, she felt a presence, a subtle current, almost like a mist, enveloping her body. She reached out her hands, her fingers moving slightly, as if she were touching something ethereal, something she could not see but knew was there.
The sensation was like an invisible thread pulling at her senses. She could not touch it, but she could feel it. As if a warm current were flowing from her interior into the space around her. She imagined the mana as a malleable substance, something she could control, give shape to, like modeling clay.
"It's like it's a substance... something dense and flexible..." Elyandra thought, concentrated. She closed her hands, feeling the current of mana react to her touch, softly, without resistance.
— That's right — said Dalia, her voice soft, but with a tone of military firmness. — Now, imagine the mana as an extension of your body. As if it were your own flesh. Do not try to force anything. Just let it flow.
Elyandra was focused. She could feel the mana molding itself under her fingers, as if she were forming an invisible sphere in the air. It was not a sphere of pure raw energy, but something softer, more controlled. Her aura began to expand slightly, a faint golden light beginning to trace her form like a subtle outline around her body. It was as if the mana were adjusting to her, responding to her touch with an almost divine softness.
Lord Valemortis, who had stopped a few steps away, watched what was happening. He did not seem surprised. The expression on his face was impassive, but his eyes were attentive.
Dalia, on the other hand, maintained her firm posture, but could not help but make an optimistic comment, though in her characteristic style of military discipline:
— Well, we are starting to see some progress. Remember, Elyandra, control is key. Just don't rush. This is the basics, but it is a good start.
Elyandra, still with her eyes closed, felt a smile bloom on her lips. She had done it. The magic was starting to behave as she had imagined. It was not much, but it was enough to feel the power flowing through her veins. She felt she was on the right path, even if only at such a beginner degree. What before seemed an enigma was now starting to make sense.
With a light sigh of satisfaction, Elyandra opened her eyes, feeling herself invaded by a sensation of accomplishment. One more step on the path she had decided to tread.
The tutor watched her, as always, with a serious expression, but her eyes conveyed a glimmer of approval.
— That was good — she said, with a slight smile. — Continue at this pace. Discipline is what will bring mastery.
Lord Valemortis, who watched the scene from afar, seemed ready to leave. He took a step forward, ready to leave the courtyard, his countenance imperturbable.
— Elyandra, there is still much to do. Training never stops. — He paused, looking at his daughter with a slight expression that could be interpreted as approval, but nothing more. — Study well.
Elyandra, still with a controlled smile, watched her father start to turn to leave. She called to him in a low voice, but not enough to break her noble posture.
— Father...
He did not respond; he did not look back. But she, with her eyes fixed on him, felt something different. A bit of joy inside, although her expression remained calm and controlled. When he was almost out of sight, Elyandra turned her attention to Dalia, with a slightly broader smile and a glimmer of satisfaction in her eyes.
"I just need more time..." Elyandra smiled to herself.