Her Awakening

This morning, I woke up crying again…

Ever since I was a little girl, I had these strange dreams… Dreams that seemed they belonged to another person, in a world that I do not recognize. Lately, I’ve been waking up crying more often than before. For a time after, I feel like a part of me is missing and that my soul aches for it. I feel as though a heavy boulder is pressing on my heart the longer I try to ignore these dreams. I don’t know why this is happening, but there must be a reason. I… I have a feeling that these aren’t just dreams, but I cannot prove it… I don’t know what to do…

Suddenly, the doors to my room swung open. “Lady Nashjar, get yourself dres… Oh… Were you… Crying again?”.

I looked at my maid, Thallys, with my watery eyes. “I… did.” I murmured, my voice nearly breaking.

“My Lady, we have been through this already.” She closed the doors behind her. “We can’t have these ‘dreams’ dictate your life.” Her hand caressed my shoulder as she sat next to me on the edge of my bed. “The Kingdom needs you; your unwavering support is necessary for our victory. You need to focus!”. She tapped my back supportively. “Now, get dressed, His Majesty wants your presence at the temple. And while we’re there, we might ask the head priestess what is wrong with you.”.

“What does Father want from me now?”. I asked curiously.

“I don’t know the details, but… it will be a grand surprise!”. Thallys smiled as she then sat up to get out of the room. “I will be waiting outside the door for you, my Lady.”. Her steps soft and elegant, as she closed the door behind her, exiting my room.

It took me some time to get decently dressed for the occasion. I had to call Thallys in to help for a moment. Afterwards, we set foot for the temple.

It wasn’t that far away from the royal palace, but it still felt excruciatingly long walking there. I think Thallys might have noticed that I was still thinking about those dreams, but I wonder why she didn’t say anything.

When we reached the temple, my Father, the King, was waiting for us at the entrance, surrounded by guards and a small crowd.

“Nashjar, my dear, it is finally time.” He caressed my cheek as he spoke. “Today is a very special day indeed.” His hand returning to his body. “Because today, Nashjar, you will finally become a priestess!” The small crowd cheered in exuberance.

His words didn’t surprise me. I always had a high magical affinity. I suppose they called me the ‘Blessed’ one for a reason. “How come are you pushing for this now?” I asked.

“With the war brewing, we need our best and strongest on the battlefield.” His face quickly turned serious. “But do not worry, my dear, you will not be fighting anyone.” His hand placed on my shoulder in reassurance. “Your healing magic is something we have rarely seen, and in the royal family, nonetheless!”

“So all I will do is heal soldiers?”

“Exactly! You will be deep behind our lines, healing our wounded.”

I always thought of myself as a kind person, so if I can save a lot of people from dying with my powers, I will do it! In my mind, there is no hesitation; I want to help others…

Father then continued. “Your strength is already admirable, being a ‘Blessed’ one with control of all magical types, yet you choose to immerse yourself in the only type of magic that saves people's lives, while others bring them to their graves.” The crowd cheered again upon hearing his words, although, less excitingly. “Today, you will attain priesthood, thus elevating your healing powers to an even greater level!” His voice louder and stronger. “Come with me, dear, we have a meeting with the head priestess to attend to.”

He then led me inside. In the main hall, priestesses gathered along both sides, bowing their heads as we walked. We entered what appeared to be a long hallway before reaching the inner sanctum. The priestesses opened the door. Father, and they stayed behind as I walked in, alone. Inside, the head priestess was awaiting me.

“Welcome, my ‘Blessed’ child.” She welcomed me with a warm smile. “The day has finally come. The princess who became a priestess… It will surely be a tale for the future.”

“Greetings, priestess Varijar. It's been a long time.” I lowered my head respectfully.

“It has been indeed.” Her expression softened for a moment before regaining its solemn weight. “Now, my child, before we proceed, we will need to ‘Awaken’ you.”

“Awaken?” I asked, intrigued. “What do you mean exactly?”

“It is not something we do often,” she said, folding her hands as though she were praying. “But the ‘Blessed’ need to be awakened to truly find their meaning in life.” Her gaze lingered on me with unsettling intensity. “Awakening you will allow you to tap into magic you haven’t seen before.” She paused, letting the words settle in my mind. “It will also tell you a lot about yourself.”

“If that truly is the case… Then I have no objections.”

“Perfect! Now then. Why don’t you sit here?” she pointed at the center of the room, which had engraved markings in a circular motion. I followed her words and sat in the center. “Now, close your eyes and try to relax.” I listened, carefully following her commands.

She then placed her palm on my forehead, and I felt a slight tingling, probably from the magic she used. It felt like soft blows were bashing against my head.

Suddenly, I began seeing things… My dreams. Only this time, they felt way more real. It felt as though I had actually lived them; they weren’t only a fabrication of my mind, they… They actually happened.

It was at this moment that I realized… My goal… My one and only mission… Is to find Flinn!

As the priestess removed her hand, tears started flowing down my cheeks.

”Flinn…” I mumbled.

“Oh, my!” Said Varijar as she gasped in surprise. “It seems as though you had quite a curious previous life.”

“I… I must find Flinn.” My voice cracked, trembling under the weight of my tears.

“Calm down, dear.” Her tone was firm, yet still somewhat compassionate, like a mother who soothes her restless child. “I realize you have a lot to process, but I would advise you not to do anything hasty.” She reached out, brushing the tears off my cheeks. “You do have a new life, and the people are counting on you.”

“I understand that. But you must understand…” My words swallowed and choked by sobs.

“I do understand.” Her eyes softened with sorrow. “For now, we shall proceed with the process of you becoming a priestess. We will discuss your life afterwards, okay?”

“O-Okay.” I mumbled, still crying, my body shivering as I tried to hold myself together.

I-I must continue on. Flinn is my everything, but the people of this land still need me. I want to save them from their doom.

Flinn… I’ll save them. I’ll save everyone. And then… I’ll find you. I swear it.