I slowly opened my eyes, feeling a soft surface beneath me. I saw a dark wooden ceiling adorned with carved beams and strange symbols. Sunlight filtered through a stained glass window, casting vibrant colors across the room. I wasn’t in darkness or the cold liquid I had grown accustomed to. Now, I was in a warm, cozy bed, in what seemed to be a lovely room. I felt shocked; I thought I was dead.

When I turned my head, I saw three figures nearby. A kind but emaciated man with wise eyes, dressed in a simple robe, approached the bed. Next to him was a serene-looking woman who appeared worried as she tried to wake another person beside her. The woman wore what looked like a nun’s habit, a black outfit with a veil, though she seemed quite young. The soldier she was trying to wake was imposing, clad in broad white and gold armor, and even while still half-asleep, he looked quite formidable.

-Where am I?- I murmured, my voice raspy from disuse.

-At last, you’re awake, my son. You’re in Valandria, a village in the heart of the Sylvaris continent,- said the man in a calm voice. -My name is Enzo; you can call me Father Enzo, as everyone here does. We found you badly injured and brought you here to heal your wounds. Tell me, do you remember what happened?-

-No, I’m sorry…- I replied, my face filled with regret, my voice still rough.

-Don’t worry, rest and regain your strength. With time, perhaps you will remember,- the woman said with a warm smile as she shook the soldier awake. -I’m Meliora, Meliora Valandil. I was here when they brought you in, and I was surprised to see you in such a state. Tell me, are you alright? Does anything hurt? If you feel any pain, let me know. By the way, what’s your name?-

-I’m fine, nothing hurts, thank you. My name is Zein,- I said. -Zein Ravenscroft.-

-Ravenscroft?- the soldier asked. -That’s not a common name around here, is it? By the way, I’m Lucian Bellamy; nice to meet you.- He exclaimed with a smile on his face.

Meliora instantly hit Lucian, scolding him. -Why the hell weren’t you waking up? I’ve been trying to get you up for quite a while!-

-Come on, can’t a guy sleep peacefully for just a bit?- Lucian replied as Meliora continued to poke him.

I interrupted the commotion. “What happened? The last thing I remember was… a fall.”

-My son, don’t tell me…- Father Enzo said.

-Did you get those injuries from a fall?!- Lucian interrupted, his face filled with astonishment.

-I think so,- I replied.

Everyone looked shocked. -That would explain everything we found around Zein-, Father Enzo whispered to himself.

Meliora approached me, her expression worried yet kind. -Don’t feel bad. The important thing is that you’re safe now; we’re here for you. But there’s something else you need to know. We found another girl near you, in similar conditions.-

Father Enzo nodded and continued, -She’s younger than you, maybe about five years old. We’ve been caring for her as well, and she seems to have a special connection to you. To be honest, you look quite alike. Tell me, can you walk?-

-Yes, I think I can,” I said hesitantly.-

-Perfect, let’s go see her.-

Still feeling weak, I got up with Lucian’s help. I walked slowly down the church hallway, my footsteps echoing softly on the stone floor. Finally, we reached a small, cozy room, illuminated by the gentle sunlight filtering through the stained glass.

In the center of the room, in a crib, lay a small, fragile girl with barely perceptible white hair. Her eyes were closed, and she breathed with an odd calmness. I felt a tug in my heart as I looked at her, a desire to protect this being before me.

-Zein, she is the one we were talking about. She’s very young; we’re not sure exactly how old she is. It’s truly a miracle that she survived all of that at such a young age. But about her name… - said Father Enzo.

-Her name is Lyra - I interrupted him.

-Excuse me? - said Meliora, surprised.

-Yes, her name is Lyra - I said again with certainty.

I kept thinking, “How? How do I know her name? I’ve never seen her in my life; until now, all the faces I’ve seen are new to me. But… this feeling, what could it be?”

-How is it that…? - Lucian said.

-I don’t know, I just feel that… there’s something inside me telling me her name is Lyra - I said, trying to justify myself.

A tense silence filled the room.

-Well, if the boy says so, I think we should believe him. After all, he’s one of those blessed children the legends talk about - Lucian said to break the silence. -Sounds good to me. Zein, do you need some time alone with her? - Father Enzo responded to Lucian’s comment.

-Yes, please - I said.

I slowly approached the crib where Lyra lay. I observed her small, tranquil face, unaware of everything that had happened.

I knelt beside the crib and took Lyra’s tiny hand. Gently, she grasped my fingers when I touched her hand. Instantly, a warm sensation coursed through my body, filling me with great joy and warmth in my heart.

-Lyra… - I whispered, feeling the name resonate in my heart. -I don’t know how or why… but this feeling I have when I see you is inexplicable; I just want to give everything… for you -.

Lyra moved her hand slightly, responding to our touch. I felt something I could never explain, something warm and beautiful at the same time. In that moment… in that instant, my life, which had once seemed monotonous, gained meaning. I no longer wished to die; now I cared about living, about moving forward. She… gave me a purpose.

I closed my eyes, and after opening them, I said: -I promise I will never leave you alone - my voice was firm and filled with conviction. -I will always protect you, no matter what -.

I finally had a goal. I couldn’t let anything happen to Lyra. Love, I thought. I don’t really know what “love” is, but seeing her, that word came to my mind.

I left the room, lost in my thoughts. It’s strange; I feel as if Lyra has lived the same life I have. I feel… no, rather, I know we’ve been through the same things, even though she hasn’t experienced everything I have due to her young age.

Ha… who would have thought this would give me a purpose? A sister. I never thought I could do something with my life. Living an immeasurable time in that dark, viscous liquid made me lose all hope. The pain I felt from the doctors’ tests made me wish for death. Day after day, after day, after day… I’m glad to have escaped that place.

Still, this place is quite strange. My head keeps spinning from seeing so many colorful and new things: people, sounds, colors. All of this overwhelms and disorients me. I opened the door to the room to leave, but suddenly I felt my strength draining away. As I fell to the ground, I looked at Lucian, Meliora, and Enzo. What would I do without them? I thought. Worse still, what would become of Lyra without them? Maybe I should thank them properly later. But right now… I feel so tired. It’s best if I close my eyes and rest for a bit.

I woke up in the water, where I had been drowning earlier, but… this time I wasn’t at the bottom. I was at the surface. I stood up; it was quite a feeling Strange. I began to walk around the place to see what I could find, although honestly, there was nothing at all. It was then that, for a brief moment, my mind filled with visions or memories. I didn’t know whose they were, but everything felt so familiar. I noticed something. The water was quite bright and beautiful, while everything else was pure darkness. It was a much calmer place than I remembered.

I sat down and started to wonder, what will I do with my life now? What am I supposed to do? Of course, I need to take care of my sister, but… what else? What does fate have in store for me? What is written in my destiny? I would love to know. I might be surrounded by good people, by everything I want and that makes me happy.

Looking into the absolute nothingness, I said, “This isn’t so bad.” It was then that I sank into the water.

In an instant, I found myself back in bed. I shot up, breathing heavily. Next to me was Lucian sleeping, and beside him was Meliora, sleeping on his shoulder… drooling. To be honest, sleeping on Lucian’s armor didn’t seem very comfortable. I mean, it’s metal, and putting your head there to sleep is not the best, to say the least.

For a moment, I stared at nothing, lost in the cracks of the walls. I thought about nothing, just like before. I looked up, right at the light coming through the stained glass.

“I will be the best version of myself.”

Time has passed, about two years. In these two years, I have adapted perfectly to the village; Lyra is now three years old, while I am eight. I have been learning quite a few things since I arrived, but the most interesting was a legend: “The Blessed Children.” It is said that they are children with the grace of God, regarded as the children of God, and they are easy to identify by their white hair. In this world, only a few have white hair, which can mean two things: 1) If you were born with completely white hair, you are one of the “Blessed Children,” and 2) If you were born with white hair, but not entirely, you most likely belong to the elven race.

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I also discovered something: here in the village, specifically in the religion practiced here, elves are highly repudiated. They are considered an impure race, and for some to have white hair seems like a disrespect.

I have never seen an elf. They say they have large, long, pointed ears. Wouldn’t that be a nuisance? I mean, when putting on clothes or being in tight spaces. When I stroll through the city, I sneak through small alleys between the houses. With long ears, it would be quite difficult to pass through there.

They discovered that Lyra had a disease called PSACD, Progeria Syndrome of… to be honest, I didn’t quite understand the name. It’s a bit strange. What I did understand is that it is a very rare disease that gradually deteriorates the body, which also causes the carrier to die earlier than a normal human. For example, if someone can live up to 80 years, the disease makes them only able to live up to 50.

The good news is that it seems to be treatable. And that for years, a cure has been sought, although since there are very few cases, it hasn’t been prioritized. Enzo told me he would do everything possible to find a cure as soon as possible. The only thing they can do for now is to postpone the disease for an indefinite time.

I didn’t expect that. I want to do everything I can for her, but right now, I can’t do anything. I feel helpless and sad. Maybe Lucian noticed that, and lately, he has been taking me out with him. He takes me on raids where they kill monsters or help other villages. When we return, I tell him stories about what happened to Lyra. She looks quite happy when I tell them, and that makes me happy.

Lucian has become my personal “bodyguard” and Lyra’s as well. Meliora, to me, feels like a mother. She helps me every day with everything, she’s kind, she washes my clothes, cooks for us. She reads stories to me and Lyra. She is much kinder than the other nuns, even though she is much younger than the others.

Life is going quite well for me. For now, I’m receiving a bit of training from Lucian, and when I can, I help the people of the village.

I spent most of the day playing with Lyra or helping Meliora with her duties. The other nuns scold me, saying that it’s not work for a blessed child, but Meliora, instead of scolding me, thanks me with a warm smile.

One day, while walking with Lucian, I found myself wondering, what kind of relationship do Lucian and Meliora have? I’ve seen that they are quite close, but I don’t know what they are.

-Hey, Lucian,- I said while we walked to one of the raids he was taking me on.

-What’s up, kid?- he replied, chewing on a stalk of wheat he picked up along the way.

-Isn’t what you’re eating a bit unhygienic?- I asked, making a disgusted face.

-Haha, what do you think, kid? Want some?- he said with a teasing grin.

-No, of course not. By the way, you and Meliora, what kind of relationship do you two have?- I asked.

-Hey, aren’t you a bit young to be asking those kinds of questions?- he said, looking at me intently.

-I think I’m old enough to ask those kinds of questions,- I said confidently.

-Haha, alright. We’re friends, pretty close. I’ve known her since she was young. I enlisted to be part of the newly formed army exclusive to the church. She was just a girl in training to be a nun. Plus, she’s married and has a daughter, though her husband and daughter live in another village.-

-And isn’t it hard for her to be so far from her husband and daughter?-

-Of course it is, but that’s what I like most about her. She’s really good at facing problems. To be honest, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen her so happy. Maybe you and Lyra coming into her life was a good thing. You probably remind her of her daughter,- he said with a smile on his face.

At that moment, we decided to head home; it was starting to get dark, and we needed to return. Meliora gets really angry with Lucian when we arrive late, and even more so if I come back dirty.

We arrived, as usual, at sunset. Meliora was waiting for us at home—well, more like at the church—with a warm smile on her face.

-How did it go?- she asked us.

-Good!” I replied as I walked in.

-And you, Lucian? Why didn’t you let me know you were taking Zein with you?- Although she maintained a smile, her tone made it clear she was quite angry. It was… unsettling.

-Well… the truth is…- I waited for the excuse he would use this time. -Sorry!- Wow, I didn’t see that coming.

It’s surprising to see a strong warrior like Lucian in that situation.

The rest of my day went on as usual: I played for a while with Lyra, had dinner with her, Meliora, and a Lucian who still seemed regretful, and then I went to bed.

That night, I couldn’t fall asleep. I don’t know what was happening; I just couldn’t sleep. And suddenly, without realizing it, I fell asleep. Maybe I just needed a bit more time to rest.

I had a dream. I was sitting in a damp, dark place. Somehow, the place felt familiar, as if something in it filled me with nostalgia.

I got up and started walking, searching for something. There was nothing. However, slowly my eyes adjusted to the darkness, and I saw that I was standing on water.

At that moment, I remembered. It was the same place I hadn’t seen in a long time. But something was different: the water no longer shone like before, it no longer had the beautiful colors I saw the last time. It felt strange. Every time I had been there, the water had glimmered with those tones.

Suddenly, an immense pain shot through my entire body. I fell to the ground, writhing in agony. I saw a light, but it was strange. What I saw was fire, a fire of purple color. Everything around me began to burn, but I couldn't move. The pain was so intense and constant that it paralyzed me.

The fire felt so real, yet at the same time so different from the fire I knew, the one used to burn monster dens. This fire was chaotic and, at the same time, beautiful.

I just hope this nightmare ends once and for all...

I opened my eyes in my bed. I was drenched in sweat, and the air felt heavy, almost suffocating. It was too hot, and the smell was unpleasant. I jumped up, realizing something was wrong: something was burning. A lot of smoke was coming from under the door, and I got scared. I rushed out of the room as fast as I could. Before leaving, I looked for Lyra everywhere, but she wasn’t there. “Maybe they already took her out,” I thought to calm myself.

As I abruptly opened the door where the smoke was coming from, a thick cloud enveloped me, making me cough and making it hard to breathe. I quickly moved towards the exit, but it was difficult to orient myself in all the smoke. Somehow, I managed to escape the building.

Once outside, I saw it clearly. The whole village was covered in that purple fire I had seen in my dream. It was total chaos. People were running back and forth, trying to put out the flames, but it was useless. The more water they threw, the more the fire spread.

I desperately looked around for Lucian or Meliora, who were surely helping people.

At that moment, a large shadow rose before me. I turned to see what it was, although the intense light of the fire was blinding me. Soon, I could recognize it: it was Enzo, accompanied by a group of soldiers. I was relieved to see him, and the first thing I did was hug him.

—Enzo, what’s happening?— I asked, anxious. I needed answers, and I was sure he would have them. But Enzo remained silent. —Hey, seriously, we need to help the people. Why are we just standing here?

I started to walk towards the chaos, but Enzo grabbed my shoulder and stopped me abruptly.

—Zein— he finally spoke—, we need to talk.-

His expression was serious, with a hint of anger. He had always had a smile, even in the worst moments, but this time he didn’t. Something very bad had happened.

—What happened?— I asked, feeling a knot in my stomach.

—Don’t play innocent, Zein— his face changed to one of disapproval and disgust—. You should know perfectly well what’s going on.-

—What are you talking about?— I was confused—. Seriously, I don’t know what you’re talking about. We should go help the people.-

—Oh, don’t worry about them; they’ll be fine— his voice was getting louder—. But do you really not remember what you did?-

—I’m telling you I don’t! Why do you keep insisting on that?-

—Fine, if you’re not going to confess, I’ll tell you— Enzo coughed before continuing—. Zein Ravenscroft, you are accused of murder, vandalism, and property damage throughout the village. By the power vested in me as chief of the village, I sentence you to death.-

—What nonsense are you talking about?— My confusion was total—. I didn’t cause any of this!-

—Stop pretending, for God’s sake! All of this, you caused it all. Do you know how many people have died today because of you?-

—I’ve told you a thousand times, I don’t know what you’re talking about! I was just asleep a moment ago!-

—You know? You really managed to fool us all with that innocent face. The legend was right.—

At that moment, something came to my mind...

The legend of the blessed children (Luminar) was longer than I remembered. It not only talked about the blessed children but also mentioned other characters: the cursed children (Umbrae). They were said to be just like the blessed children: white hair, young, and with extraordinary minds. But there was one detail that set them apart.

The blessed children possessed a "protective spirit" that they could use for various purposes, while the cursed children did not. They could be said to have "a demon." As the counterpart of the children of God, they were known as the children of Satan.

"The ancient prophecy stated that, on the day a blessed child was born under divine grace, their cursed shadow would awaken as well. No mortal eye could distinguish them, for they share the same appearance. However, beware, for both will walk among us, and only the wise observer who looks closely can discern the fate they bring."

I returned to reality and noticed the men accompanying Enzo were pointing their swords at me. I froze. They probably mistook me for an Umbrae, but how could I convince them I was not one of them? No matter what I did, Enzo wouldn’t listen.

In the distance, I heard a shout:

—Stop!-

It was Meliora, who had come for me. As she approached and positioned herself in front of me, she shouted:

—What are you doing threatening an innocent instead of helping the people?!-

—Meliora...— I said, almost crying.

—Shut up!— For the first time, I saw Enzo yell at Meliora—. Stop protecting the demon, you cursed witch!-

—Witch?— Meliora stepped back a step with me behind her, visibly shocked by the accusation.

—Exactly, witch. I always knew that marrying that elf, even while training to be a nun, was a sign of something. And now you come to protect this demon!-

—Don’t you dare bring them into this!— Meliora shouted. I was becoming more and more confused about what was happening.-

At that moment, she picked me up and carried me back into the burning building.

—What are you doing?-

—Shh, listen to me. They won’t leave you alone until they kill you, I’ll buy us some time. In the kitchen, under the table, there’s a hatch. Sneak through there; it will take you to where Lucian and Lyra are. Do you understand?-

—But what will happen to you, Meliora?-

—I said, do you understand?!— Her face returned to calm—. Don’t worry about me; I’ll be fine. I’ll catch up with you later. For now, I need you to get out of here.-

—Alright— I replied reluctantly.-

I slipped through the fire while saying goodbye to Meliora. I reached the kitchen, and indeed, there was a hatch leading to a tunnel. It was dark, dusty, and dirty, but I managed to escape. When I saw a bit of light, I noticed it was Lucian waiting for me on the other side.

—We need to leave— he said seriously.-

—But… Meliora is still there. She said she’d catch up with us.-

—She… It doesn’t matter. We’ll wait five minutes, and then we’re leaving, understood?-

—Understood.-

Four minutes passed, and nothing. I was very worried about Meliora and what might have happened to her. Lucian gave me a Farscope (a type of binoculars) to see if Meliora or anyone else was approaching. For a moment, I saw normal fire, not the purple kind, but the usual. I looked closer, and suddenly I froze…

They had Meliora tied to a wooden post and were burning her with wheat at her feet. While teaching me about the world, they told me about these practices, how years ago they burned people accused of "witchcraft." But why Meliora?

—Lucian, hey, Lucian.-

—What’s wrong, kid?-

—They’re… they’re burning Meliora —I said, sobbing.-

—What are you talking about?!-

—We have to go rescue her, quick!-

—We don’t have time for that! We need to leave now.-

—I don’t care! We have to go!-

I looked again through the Farscope. I don’t know if it was the light reflecting off the glass or if she really saw me, but Meliora looked in our direction and gave a warm smile, as if to say, “It’s all right,” while the flames consumed her.

In that moment, I understood. I climbed down from the tree crying and obeyed Lucian. He hugged me, I hugged him back, and we left. I will never forget her face: the face of someone who fulfilled her duty in this life.

She was always kind, loving, fearless. I fear I did not live up to the expectations she had for me. She will never see what Lyra and I will become. I will miss her.

Tears kept flowing from my eyes, as if they were completely flooded.