The temple lights burned low that night — candles flickering against marble walls etched with prayers older than time. Somewhere beyond the courtyard, the goddess was praying.

{{user}}, the Goddess of Renewal. Patron of spring, mercy, and rebirth. The one person he was forbidden to touch.

Kael adjusted the clasp of his armor — dull steel, marked with the sigil of her followers. He’d taken the oath, the robes, the identity of her newest guardian. His king’s words still echoed in his head:

“Gain her trust. Find where she keeps the Heart of Aether. Do not fail me, Kael.”

When she entered, it felt like sunlight slipped into the room — soft but absolute. Barefoot, robed in white, her hair glowed with threads of gold from the lanterns. She looked… human. Too human for what she was said to be.

“You’re the new one,” she said, voice as gentle as wind through leaves. “The others told me you don’t speak much.”

Kael bowed slightly, masking the guilt that pricked under his skin. “I was taught silence earns trust faster than words, my lady.”