(Sylvie's POV) :
I opened my eyes and saw the familiar ceiling of my room. Why am I here? I asked myself as I remembered standing in front of Kael.
"Kael!" I said as I recalled what happened in the church. I panicked. Kael—where is he?
I stood up from my bed and started running toward my father's study. As I opened the door, I saw my maid standing there.
"Lady Sylvie, you have woken up!" she cried, overjoyed.
But I was only thinking about Kael, so I hurried past her. I came in front of my father's study and didn't even knock, just like always. I opened the door forcefully to see my father there with his attendants.
They all stopped talking and turned to look at me. My father, the Duke, set down his quill, his expression unreadable.
"Sylvie," he said, his voice deep and calm. "You should be resting. The awakening took a heavy toll on your body."
"Where is Kael?" I demanded, ignoring his concern. My heart was thumping against my chest. "The ceremony... the Archbishop... what happened after I passed out?"
My father signaled for his attendants to leave. They bowed low and scurried out of the room, closing the door behind them.
He sighed helplessly. "He has been taken to the Abyss."
Hearing that, I felt my world lose its color. Tears began falling. I knew what that meant. The Abyss was a place where not even an S-rank could survive, let alone a person with no mana.
"Why did you not stop it, Father? Why?" I cried.
My father came beside me and placed his hands on my head gently. "I am sorry, Sylvie," he said helplessly. "I don't have the power to defy the Church and the Royal Family."
I fell on the floor sobbing. I recalled how I had said to him that I would protect him, but I wasn't able to. My father patted my back gently, but his touch felt miles away.
Then a thought appeared in my head—maybe I still had time. I stood up, wiping my tears, and started running toward the door.
My father asked, "Where are you thinking of going, Sylvie?"
I turned and said, "To the Abyss," I replied without any hesitation.
My father's face went pale. "No, stop, Sylvie! You can't go there!"
"No, he is alone in there! I have to go to him and bring him back!" I replied as I hurried toward the door.
But my father suddenly appeared in front of me and blocked the door.
"Father?" I asked.
"I can't let you go to that place. It is too dangerous," he said.
"But Father, he is there!"
"No. It has been three days since then. He is probably dead."
"No... that can't be true." My heart felt like it was being crushed. "Was I out for three days? Then why did you do this?" I asked. I knew he was the one who had ordered his attendant to knock me unconscious.
He looked at me with a pained expression. "I could not let my daughter commit heresy by protecting someone the Church declared forsaken by the Gods." He sighed, his voice heavy with regret. "And even if I hadn't interfered, Sylvie, you wouldn't have been able to protect him."
"You don't know that!" I screamed. "I am a Legend rank! I could have fought them! I could have taken him and run!"
He sighed and said, "Do you even know how to use your power? And do you even know your element?"
I thought about it. No, I didn't. I only felt a vast amount of mana in my chest.
He continued, "When you were unconscious, the Church officials visited me. I checked your element. It is the Life element, Sylvie. It is not for fighting."
"Life element," I muttered. If Kael got injured, I could have healed him, but he wasn't here anymore, I thought as tears spilled from my eyes.
Then my father said, "Even if he is dead, you can bring him back with your power."
Hearing him, a hope bloomed in me. "How? Is this even possible?" I asked, my voice trembling.
He replied, "You possess a vast amount of mana and have life element, and I have once read about a forbidden spell that can bring the dead back to life."
"Where is that spell?" I asked, grabbing his arm.
He said, "It is in the Central Cathedral in the capital."
"Central Cathedral... isn't that the Church headquarter of the Celestoria Kingdom?"
"Yes," he replied, "and there is an invitation for you to become its Saint."
I thought a bit, then said, "If that is possible, I want to go there."
He said with a gentle expression, "If that is what you want, then I will support you. You are tired; go and rest for now, Sylvie."
"Thank you, Father," I said as I left his study. I now had a way to bring him back.
(Aleric Aurelius POV) :
I watched my daughter leave and I sighed. "Luke" I said . from my shadow, a middle-aged man with brown hair and eyes appeared. His name is Luke, and he is one of my personal attendants.
"Yes, milord," he said.
"Keep an eye on her and make sure she does not do anything reckless," I ordered.
"As you command, milord... but," he began.
"Ask what you want, Luke," I said, seeing the hesitation on his face. He is one of my most trusted people.
"Milord, is it all right to send young lady to become Saint?" he asked.
I knew he would ask. Even though he is an A-rank awakened and has Shadow element, he is not well-versed in politics. I walked toward my chair and sat on it.
"Do you know there are only two Legend-rank awakened in this Kingdom?"
"Yes, milord. One is Commander Gareth, and the other is Lady Sylvie, who awakened recently."
"That is right. Commander Gareth is in the control of the Royal Family. Naturally, the Church also wants a Legend rank in their control," I explained. "Sylvie has the Life element. Think—if she is sent to a battlefield, she can make the army nearly immortal. The Royal Family will want her more than ever; they will send a marriage proposal soon."
"I had not thought of that," Luke said. "But why the Church?"
"Because I cannot refuse orders from the Royal Family," I said with helplessness. "But the Church is different. It can refuse them. If Sylvie becomes its Saint, they won't want to give her up to the Royal Family."
Then Luke asked with hesitation, "Milord... about the forbidden spell..."
I sighed and replied, "I know it exists, but it is very difficult to learn. I said that to Sylvie to stop her from doing anything reckless and to get her join the Church."
I sighed with a pained expression. I had even used my own daughter, even if it was to protect her. I was giving her a ghost to chase so she wouldn't throw her life away in a pit of monsters.
"She will hate me if she finds out the truth," I whispered, looking at the door she had just walked through. "But I would rather have her hate me and be alive than have her die in the Abyss for a boy who is already gone."
"And the boy, Kael?" Luke asked, his voice blending with the shadows. "Should I confirm his status?"
I looked out the window at the dark horizon. "No. The Abyss is a one-way trip for those who did not awakened mana. Focus all your strength on the royal family and Church's movements.
"yes milord" he said as he vanished in the shadows.
I sighed one more time before calling my attendants.