The Lost Light

Shen felt an indescribably strong need to find Sister Lina right away when he left the fortress. He couldn't help but go straight to the old church.

When he got there and opened the doors, he smelled cold stone and candles. But the deep silence inside didn't make him feel better. It only made the worry in his heart worse, though.

A nun with a simple wimple around her face saw him come in all of a sudden. As she walked toward him, her face showed both fear and interest. As she took in his imposing presence, her gaze stayed on the shiny rank insignia tied to Shen's shoulder. The fear that was already there grew.

"Commander," she said in a low, polite voice. "What are you doing here? Is there anything I can do to help you?

The cool air did nothing to slow down Shen's racing heart, so he took a deep, calming breath. "I'm looking for Sister Lina." "Is she here?" The worry that was on his mind so much made his voice sound rough, even though it was usually strong and steady.

The nun shook her head gently, and her face softened with pity. "I'm sorry, Commander. Sister Lina was kicked out of the church two days ago. I don't know where she went, to be honest.

Shen felt like the words were hitting her in the body. As his heart sank, the nagging fear that had been with him for hours grew stronger. Was the worst already behind us? Was it too late for him?

He turned around and walked out of the chapel without saying anything else because his mind was racing. Once he was outside, he looked around for any sign or hint. He went to the local market in the hopes that someone in the busy town might have seen her. The sounds of shouting sellers, laughing kids, and the smells of fresh fruits and vegetables and baked bread filled the air here like a crazy symphony.

He yelled, "I'm looking for a former nun named Lina," cutting through the noise and catching the attention of a group of women who were haggling over textiles. She has beautiful blond hair and blue eyes, and she's about my age. Have any of you met her or seen her?

The women looked at each other nervously and whispered to each other before shaking their heads in agreement. One of them, an old woman whose face was wrinkled from years of worry, spoke for the group. "Sir, I'm sorry. No one here has ever seen or heard of someone like that.

Desperation scratched him. Shen kept moving through the crowd, his voice getting hoarse as he asked more and more urgent questions. A shopkeeper, whose eyes lit up with recognition, stepped forward as a small amount of sadness began to break through his resolve. He was using an apron to dry his hands.

"Oh, I know her!" The man said, his voice full of excitement that was almost awe-inspiring. "The nice person with the hair that looks like sunshine? She came here a lot to help take care of and feed the homeless kids. That one is a true saint. But the poor girl... I heard that she was kicked out of the church.

Shen felt a wave of icy fear with each syllable, which made him more worried. "When did you last see her?" he said, his voice shaking with fear and hope.

The shopkeeper looked up at the sky as if the answer were written in the clouds. He finally said, "It was this morning." She was going south to the forest trail. She walked by with a look of such deep sadness, but she didn't say anything when our eyes met for a split second. It looked like she was carrying the whole world on her shoulders.

The knowledge gave Shen hope again, a small light in the dark place where his worries lived. "Thank you!" he yelled over his shoulder as he ran. With a heavy heart and a new, desperate resolve, he hurried toward the southern forest route. With each thumping step, his worry for Lina grew, and the fear inside him curled up like a snake getting ready to strike.

The trees got thicker as he walked deeper into the woods, and their tall shapes made long, crooked shadows on the path. This was very different from the market. He thought it would take forever for the overgrown path to clear and for him to get to the edge of the cliff. Shen's heart raced as he ran to the edge.

Then he saw Lina at the very end.

Her figure stood out sharply against the fading light of evening, a lonely shadow against the vast, uncaring horizon. Something inside Shen broke. His voice came out of his throat in a desperate yell, and his eyes were full of emotion.

"Lina!"

His screams, full of all the pain and fear he had been hiding, echoed through the quiet woods.

When she heard his voice, Lina turned quickly and flinched as if she had been hit. She looked like she was looking for one last glimmer of hope in a world that had given her none. Her eyes were wide and full of tears that had not yet fallen. As soon as she saw him, she started to run. Her body shook with tired emotion as she got closer to him and threw herself into his arms.

Shen held her tightly in his arms, so tightly that he was afraid she would break. He was flooded with conflicting emotions: the great relief of finding her, the lingering horror of almost losing her, and a wave of joy so strong it hurt.

"Shen, where were you?" Lina said, "I can't hear you because your voice is muffled against my chest and your tears are coming through my uniform." "I went to look for you at the stronghold, but you weren't there. I thought that maybe.

"I've come here now," Shen said, his voice full of passion as he pulled back just enough to look her in the eyes with determination. He said, "And I'll keep my promise," in a firm voice that showed he was determined to do what he said he would.