Until We Meet Again, My Heroine

The kettle whistled with a sharp screech, venting steam through its age-stained brass spout. It was the signal that the water was ready to pour the morning tea.

With gentle, unhurried movements, Eunomia poured water into her cup. She cherished the ritual of tea, taking joy in the tiny details that kept her mind peaceful and orderly.

“Ow,” she groaned, bringing a hand to her neck.

That cursed neck again.

Her ash-colored veins stood as a quiet reflection of misfortune and frailty.

The symptoms of Corruption had altered her life drastically. She no longer possessed the vitality to gather with her fellow mages or knit blankets beneath the sun beside her neighbors.

Her world was practically confined within the walls of this house. All Eunomia could do was smile, endure the pain, and keep moving forward—just as she had always done in the face of every hardship.

However, although Corruption could not be purged through stellar magic due to the continent’s entire atmosphere being poisoned, its physical effects could at least be temporarily soothed.

She herself could no longer channel the magic required to ease her own suffering. But she was fortunate to have Daniella—a daughter who not only possessed immense magical capacity, but was also infinitely patient and gentle when taking care of her.

The problem was that Daniella hadn't come to see her last night. Eunomia hadn't seen her for a full day, ever since she fled the house the previous morning.

And Eunomia didn't blame her in the slightest. No one could receive a vision from Goddess Datia Herself and pretend nothing had happened. Much less when fate demanded that you journey alone to retrieve the Sky Torch and restore it to the Lighthouse of the End.

She felt immense pride that her daughter was "the chosen one" whom the whole world had been waiting for.

Yet at the same time, she felt guilty for sending her own child into harm's way, all by herself.

Still, she knew it was necessary.

She knew the Goddess had Her reasons. And those born in Crusdelsur lived for Her.

So, there was nothing more to debate.

Was she worried? Of course she was. Ever since Daniella ran out of the house—not to alert anyone, nor to flee far away.

She simply needed time to make sense of what was happening to her.

And her mother's intuition proved right. Just as she was about to take her first sip of tea, she heard the front door open, followed by the light pitter-patter of feet rushing up the stairs at lightning speed.

Eunomia simply smiled and took that first sip. Then another, right before reaching for a second cup.

Listening to the bustling footsteps, the sound of items being set down, and faint inner murmurs, Eunomia finished her tea.

She poured fresh hot water into both cups.

She added sprigs of mint and chamomile, and once both infusions had steeped to perfection, she placed them onto the modest living room table.

Just in time for Daniella to come downstairs, breathless, stopping right in front of her mother. She was fully clad in her mage attire—her white robe beneath her green cloak, and her wide-brimmed hat neatly adjusted. She wore her leather pouch at her belt, held her staff in her left hand, and even carried a small rucksack on her back.

Her agitation wasn't physical at all. She was breathing heavily, as though desperately trying to hold back tears.

“I was at the library... All night, I studied the roads and cities across the continent...” Her voice began to crack, growing higher and more anguished with every word. “The climates too, the terrain, the animals, and the plants. I read books on how to build fires, how to fish, and how to construct a natural shelter.”

Eunomia, quietly observant once more, merely offered a tender smile. She had known this would happen.

Unable to hold her mother’s gaze any longer, Daniella closed her eyes and hung her head, her knuckles turning white as she clutched the strap at her belt.

“I-If... If Datia thinks I can do it... If you think I can do it... And that I’ll be fine... And that I can save Crusdelsur... And save you...”

‘Then I’ll try,’ she was about to say, before a warm pair of arms wrapped around her. The surge of emotion proved too much, and Daniella could no longer hold back her tears.

“I’m scared, Mom.”

A gentle palm answered by tenderly stroking her head.

“I know, my child. I know.”

Daniella was going to miss this. Her mother’s warmth. The quiet nights of prayer. The peaceful afternoons spent reading in the library.

Everything that shielded her in life was right here.

And she was about to leave it behind.

Perhaps never to return.

“I am so very proud of you, you know?” her mother spoke softly. “You might think you are fragile and fearful. But you have a heart of gold, along with an immense, pure magic. I never doubted for a single second that you would accept this destiny.”

Pressing her lips together timidly, Daniella absorbed those words, feeling her mother’s warmth dissolve a fraction of the icy mist wrapping around her heart.

“Who’s going to take care of you?” Daniella pulled back slightly to look her in the eye.

“I’ll be fine. I can manage on my own; I’m not an old woman yet. Besides, I’ll find someone to soothe my pain. While you strive to soothe everyone else's.”

A sudden fit of coughing violently shook Eunomia’s chest. Daniella immediately darted forward, holding her by the shoulders in a mix of panic and devotion, channeling a gentle hum of starlight to ease the spasm.

Her mother offered her a weary yet resolute smile, taking her trembling hands.

“I know you can do this, my daughter. I know how beautiful your magic is, and how vast it can truly become. Datia wants you to be the Heroine who rekindles the Lighthouse. Make it so.”

They shared another embrace, holding each other a little tighter, seeking to engrave the warm memory of one another into their hearts.

“I’m going to miss you,” the young girl whispered against her shoulder.

“I’ll miss you too, my sweet girl. I’ll miss you too,” Eunomia replied, closing her eyes.

“Now, before you go... how about a little tea to warm your soul?” her mother teased gently, a mischievous glint sparkling in her eyes.

“...Okay,” Daniella nodded against her shoulder, letting out a soft laugh choked with tears.

~~~~~~

The sun had not yet reached its zenith when Daniella set out.

Side by side with her mother, she walked down the main trail until they reached the edge of town. Beyond lay a few scattered farmsteads, followed by the absolute desolation of the outer roads where shadows lurked in waiting.

A shiver ran down her spine at the thought, but she kept her back straight, leaning on her twisted staff whose green sphere emitted a steady, calm pulse.

“If you keep along this road, you should reach the Midnight Inn,” Eunomia instructed serenely. “You’ll be able to sleep there tonight and prepare whatever else you need.”

Daniella nodded slowly, swallowing hard.

“You know... you really didn't need to walk me all the way out here...” she murmured, eyeing her mother’s tired feet with a mixture of guilt and worry. “You’re weak; you should be resting at home.”

“And miss the very last steps of my little mage in Crusdelsur? Not a chance,” Eunomia smiled sweetly, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “Besides, the fresh morning air does wonders for these old lungs.”

Daniella felt a warm squeeze in her chest. She pressed her lips together, fighting off the urge to beg her mother to turn back home with her, and forced herself to nod.

“Then, if you don't need anything else... I had better get moving.”

“Wait...”

Driven by the desire not to make the moment any harder, Daniella turned around to take her first steps onto the trail. However, a gentle tug on her sleeve halted her, forcing her to turn back.

“What is it, Mom?” she asked, her eyes wide.

“You forgot to take this.”

Eunomia held out her old, worn leather notebook, along with a finely sharpened piece of charcoal.

Daniella looked at the items in surprise. “I think... I should save as much space in my pack as possible for supplies and important things.”

“This is the most important thing,” her mother told her with a knowing smile. “This way, you can draw everything you see along the road, and you can show it all to me when you return.”

A spark of emotion and gratitude lit up the young girl’s face. She accepted the notebook with utmost care, clutching it tight against her chest as if it were an invaluable treasure.

“Alright... Thank you,” she whispered with a small, genuine smile.

“In exchange, though... I want you to bring me a stone from the Lighthouse, Daniella.”

The request left her momentarily bewildered. She blinked a few times, tilting her head.

“A stone?”

“Of course. Not that stone, naturally,” Eunomia chuckled softly. “I want you to return safe and sound, and bring me a simple rock from that place as proof that you made it to the end. And I know you will.”

Eunomia cupped Daniella's face with both hands, gazing at her with profound devotion.

“The lights will guide you home, and they will ignite your soul, as you heal the world one spell at a time.”

“...Heal the world?”

Daniella blinked slowly, processing those words. The sentence echoed within her chest, though she didn’t fully understand what it truly meant.

Guide her home...

Ignite her soul...

Heal the world...

It still sounded far too mythical for a girl whose greatest daily concern was simply not tripping over her own robe.

Yet Eunomia saw something entirely different. There was a glimmer of blind faith shining within her mother’s weary eyes. So, Daniella said nothing; she merely nodded slowly, carving every single word into the deepest corners of her memory, if only for her mother’s sake.

Daniella felt tears threatening to spill over once again, but this time they weren't born of pure terror—they stemmed from a deep, warm resolve. She looked toward the winding path disappearing into the horizon, took a deep breath that filled her lungs with crisp air, and tightened her grip on the handle of her staff.

“Then... I’m off,” she said, looking back at her mother one last time.

Eunomia watched her walk away, her figure growing smaller and smaller in the distance, a smile blurred by tears and a heart brimming with pride.

“I’ll be waiting for you right here... my Heroine.”