Seraphina could not recall ever feeling this free in her life.

As an orphan, she had to work hard to ensure her place in the orphanage. Since there were so many people, the orphanages were often overcrowded and not everyone could survive there.

So she had to work hard to secure her place there.

That was where she met Leon, the younger child who was strange and was often neglected by everyone else.

But there was something about him that made Seraphina want to take care of him like an older sister. So that’s what she did.

And because of that, she was taken in by the temple and had a hard time.

But she could not bring herself to blame Leon. He was just as much a victim as she was.

As soon as she was brought to the temple, she had a premonition. Something in her told her that she would be trapped in the temple and would never be able to leave.

She could even see flashes of her life before her eyes - her sitting in the temple halls, surrounded by people but having no one to talk to. And that night, she had a dream.

In that dream, she was all alone with no one to talk to. There was no escape from her lonely hell and she kept looking for Leon. But even he was nowhere to be found.

It was maddening but she kept looking and looking until she could no longer keep searching. She decided to give up and rage built up inside her heart.

’If this is my fate, then I would much rather burn it all. I don’t want to live this life anymore. I want to be free and-’

The world around her started to burn and she felt better. Even looking at Leon’s concerned face telling her not to do this could not stop her. She wanted this. This was her true self.

"Seraphina-"

A voice called out to her and she turned around. Her eyes landed on a familiar face that was burning away and for the first time, her heart skipped a beat in shock and horror.

Kael looked older, and he was burning. But he still had a smile on his face that tried to reassure her.

"N-No! No-! Wait-! Don’t burn. I-I did not mean to-! Come back-!"

Seraphina’s voice sounded older and her hands looked older as well as she reached for Kael. She tried to touch him, but it was of no use. He was burning away and out of her reach.

"Don’t go! I won’t allow you to go!"

Her voice sounded raw as she yelled desperately. But Kael did not hear her and ended up disappearing in the end.

It felt like a part of her was breaking apart and she let out a gasp of terror. She suddenly felt lost and her life no longer had any purpose-

She woke up with a gasp and looked around her room. It was not a temple but a beautifully decorated place. It helped ground her and she decided to take a walk.

The more she walked, the more she was able to calm herself down. After a while, she felt calm enough to head back to her room. But she swore she saw Leon wandering around as well just before she went back to bed.

...

The next morning was much different from her usual routine. Kael sat them down and told them about the house rules.

It sounded like he was doing a formality, but his sincere voice told Seraphina that he was serious about wanting to be there for her and Leon.

She...had never had anyone there for her before and it made her feel warm inside.

’Can I...really trust this person? What if he is saying all this because of Leon? Would you abandon me if Leon was not here?’

Kael did not feel like that kind of person, but Seraphina did not want to take a chance.

And yet, the memory of her dream came back to haunt her. The feeling of terror and desperation as she looked at Kael hit her with full force and made her want to trust Kael.

So she decided to give him a chance...for now.

He gave her permission to use the library but Seraphina did not have the courage to head to it alone. She did not want to overstep her welcome so she decided to wait until it was time to start preparing lunch.

She made it in time for Leon and Kael to come back and lunch passed calmly. And then Leon headed to his room, leaving her alone with Kael.

The silence filled the air, but it was not awkward. Honestly, it felt familiar and Seraphina felt much calmer in Kael’s presence than she expected.

A part of her told her that Kael was someone safe for her and she did not have to worry about him betraying her.

But she decided she could not let that vague feeling decide her future. She needed more proof before she could make a decision.

"Seraphina, is everything alright? You were sitting here for quite some time. Did you not like the books in my library? I can order some more if you want me to."

Kael asked her and Seraphina felt her mind go blank. She did not know how to answer him since she had never gone to his library.

Her silence must have been enough for Kael because he sighed and looked at her with a tender expression.

"Ah, it must be hard for you to get around this house alone. I will guide you to the library today and show you where things are. But only if you want to."

Kael was offering Seraphina something she had never been offered in her life - a chance to better herself.

There were not a lot of common people who knew how to read and write. And those who learned could often find good employment.

Seraphina did not know how long she would get to live here as the hero’s childhood friend and a companion of the temple, so this was an opportunity she could not miss.

But...could she really take this opportunity? This did not feel right...

"I wanted to teach both you and Leon how to read. You both will need it in the future. But since Leon is too tired, you can start now. I will get you started today so you can help him later. Somehow, I have a feeling you would be able to explain things to him far better than I would be able to."

Kael told her and Seraphina nodded. This...made sense in her mind. If this was for Leon’s sake, then she could learn how to read and write.

And she could also learn to trust Kael a little more.