Cecilia was glad to have a simple life.

In a village just outside of the Valencian Capital, Taifa, her daily life consisted of just helping around the village, earning her names names like 'that blonde angel' or something similar.

"Cecilia! Lunch is ready!" A small voice came through the door. It was her little brother Rett.

She smiled at the cheerfulness of the child and called out, "I'll be out in a minute!"

Cecilia put her headband on and let her straight bangs cover her forehead. She put on her simple dress and brown shoes.

"Took you long enough!" An old voice said at the table as he laughed at his beautiful twenty year old daughter.

"Sir Higgs! A lady needs to be presentable on the dining table." Cecilia mocked an admonishing tone before laughing at her act.

"Right right, and a man's stomach needs tending too, not just your pretty face." Higgs grinned under his gray mustache.

"Oh c'mon old man, you're a soldier, you can take a few seconds without food." The young Rett said innocently at his father not without some snark.

Cecilia giggled at their interaction, "Rett is right, sir Higgs. You're a strong man, you could take care of that grumbling hole you have there."

Higgs eyebrow twitched a little bit, "How many times am I gonna tell you young lady, call me father. You're practically family here." Higgs pouted like a child.

"Oh my apologies! As a token of my apology..." Cecilia went to the other side of the table and hugged the old man tightly. "I'm sorry father!"

The old man laughed at her antics but felt a sharp pain on his back, "Ow ow ow, alright, young lady, you're forgiven. Now could you please release me?" He croaked at her tight hug.

Cecilia grinned at him, and Higgs sighed. "Sometimes I wonder how can you be so princess-like yet so mischievous at the same time."

Cecilia smiled softly, "I grew up in a priory, remember? Besides, that's not important right now, both me and Rett are starving, isn't that right little guy?"

The little boy raised his fist in the air, "Yeah!" Rett said as cheerfully as he could.

Higgs shook his head with endearment. Ever since she came in to their lives, it has been nothing but blessings one after the other. He even wondered if the Goddess Yaldabaoth or Osiris gave her to them but all the same he loved her like the daughter he never had.

Lunch came by quickly as they began devouring the food. Work was always the main reason why they survived even the harshest of winters.

"Are you going to the church again?" Higgs asked as he noticed that she wasn't carrying her flower basket.

"Yes, I'll pray that the coming harvest would bring us great food." She let her wavy locks flow complementing her fair skin.

"Well take care now. And don't forget to come by the Center after you're done. We need our Lady for the festival. We wouldn't want one of the Oracle to drag you back."

Every year, they would always celebrate the Spring Festival by recreating the events of the Age of Heroes while everyone dance and cheered until the night's end and now she was chosen to be Lady Valkyrie in a play. "Of course! I'll be back as soon as possible."

Cecilia waved at Higgs as she left the house. She walked down the lively streets of Rind Village. She saw some of the children playing and having fun, she saw some of the villagers wave at her with grins on their face, she saw boys her age giving her a shy smile.

She felt happy. Being accepted was always her dream. She didn't know whether coming to Eddan to start a new life was the right decision nor does she know whether this life would continue going on.

"Hey Cecilia!" A man called to her. "How's your old man?"

"Oh you know Higgs, despite being old, he still loved doing things on his own. Me and Rett had to keep an eyes on him all the time." 

"That sounds about right." The man laughed picturing Higgs getting coddled by his own children. "By the way lass, would you mind taking my boy Iago? He doesn't show it but the kid's head over heels for you."

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To Cecilia, Iago was a good guy, a bit weird compared to the other teenagers but he has a good heart nonetheless. She was also aware of his affections for her but getting in a relationship was a waste of time at the moment, maybe someday.

She remembered that Iago's father asking her for a favor and smiled, "Of course. I'll dance with him at the Spring Dance."

The man laughed out loudly. "Thanks so much kiddo! Well if you'd excuse this old back, I still need to prepare the stage."

"I'll see you later!" Cecilia waved at the man.

Cecilia continued her routine of helping the villagers on her way to the church. It took her while, but she finally reached the church at the far end of the village hidden in the light forest.

The church was empty, typical since it was quite unnoticeable by people.

She took a sit and held her hands together, looking at the statue of a woman with angelic wings holding a sword.

She closed her eyes to pray and yet no words came. She found it difficult to find the words for a prayer. She didn't know why and she didn't how but she felt like all that she's cherished in her life left as soon as she entered the church.

She thought that it was the perfect time to be sincere in her visit, yet she couldn't do it. She wasn't a believer after all.

It went on for hours. The time she spent on the bench went unnoticed. How could she make this last? How could she continue living like this? She wondered if asking these questions were something selfish.

She finally prayed for those words and yet none came. No answer. No sound. Only the wind that blew inside the church.

Despite being an adult in the village and an apprentice Oracle, she felt like she was a child. She didn't despise it, rather, she liked it. But the thought of it somewhat... unnerved her.

She couldn't really tell the first time she was saved. The first time she went to the village. The first time people accepted her in her entire lifetime. She was grateful to everyone who gave her the love and care she needed. She owe the people of this village her life. 

She noticed that the nightfall was coming and hurried back to the village to prepare for the festival. She noticed the bright light that illuminated in the distance and wondered what it was.

The closer she got to the village the more she felt ominous feeling through the air. Her vision began blurring a little bit, her nose picking up the smokey scent that cling to the atmosphere.

Smoke?

Cecilia froze in tracks. She smelled this stench before. She couldn't forget this stench in her life.

The smell of blood.

She ran as fast as she could. She couldn't sit idly by if the villagers of Rind were in trouble. She needed to help them.

When Cecilia reached the source of the light and she found the town on fire, houses were torn down, bodies were everywhere, both man and children were painting the ground red.

'What is going on?!'

Cecilia tried to check if someone survived but despite her best efforts, she couldn't see anyone who was breathing.

Her vision was getting distorted, the smell of smoke and blood began to suffocate her, the ringing on her ears increased that it almost became unbearable.

'This is just a nightmare, right Yaldabaoth? Osiris? This isn't real, right? I'm gonna wake up with Rett's adorable smile and father's warm look. This isn't real. This isn't real. This isn't real. This isn't real. This isn't real.'

Cecilia repeated those words like a mantra. She needed something to cling to through this nightmare.

But she had to try. She had to save at least one of them.

She ran towards her house but came across two ruffians. Cecilia's eyes darkened. They must be the one's who did this.

They ruined her life. They ruined the festival. The festival that everyone was looking forward to. She was supposed to be spending time with her family. She was supposed to be on stage right now taking on the role of the great Lady Valkyrie.

And for some sick twist in logic, she decided to play out her role in this play.

She grabbed a knife from one of the dead bodies and made a point to sneak up on them in the midst of all the flames.

"Man, it was a good thing that prince Charlemagne killed the royal family or else we wouldn't be able to get away with this." The burly man said.

"You got that right! This place is practically a gold mine since they were preparing for a festival." The other man said.

Cecilia's eyes widened after hearing their words. Why would prince Charlemagne do that? From what she heard from her father, the prince was a just one. Brave and kind like a warrior king. So why?!

She held her knife for far too long that both of the men disappeared from her sights and instead dropped her weapon.

Instead of pursuing those bandits, Cecilia instead went to her house to find her father lying on the floor, covered in blood.

"Sir Higgs!" Cecilia went by his side and placed Higgs's head on her lap.

"C-Cecilia—" Higgs coughed up some blood while his voice was course and rough. "Leave... with... Rett... forget about... me..." He wheezed out the words to her.

"No! I won't leave you here! Rett wouldn't want that either!" Cecilia cried out as her tears streamed down her fair face.

"Child... please... do this... for me... Let me... protect the one's... I love... for once..." Higgs's breathing became ragged as the air from his lungs was filled with the smoke.

Cecilia cried harder. She couldn't do anything to prevent all of this. She couldn't save the people who accepted her for who she was.

Cecilia felt a hand brushed over her tears.

"Don't cry... my dear... Cecilia..." Higgs was smiling at her despite the situation.

She felt his hands slipped away from her. "Father? Hey! Wake up! Please!" Cecilia's uncontrollable sobs were ringing through out the burnt house.

Why? What had she done wrong to deserve this? This pain in her heart, why was she experiencing this? Was this supposed to be a punishment for what she was?

Cecilia felt her tears streaming harder than before. Was this some kind of twisted joke? Does the Goddesses hate her that much?

Throughout the night, her mind raised many questions but despite all of her pain, she wondered if there was someone who could save her from this nightmare.

Oh how she dearly wished for herself to be saved.