The rain has turned into a gentle hum outside, giving a sense of peace inside the room. The wind carries the scent of wet earth giving a very peculiar yet refreshing smell.


    "So have you eaten your breakfast?"


    Asher asked sitting beside Elda who still chose to watch the world outside the window. Once in a while drops of water would splash over her face making her squint and frown in return.


    "The doctors said due to the drug''s effect my body is now rejecting food."


    Elda calmly replied her hands laid on her lap, she was wearing a hospital gown her black hair neatly tied back. Her face was still pale. Recovery would take time.


    "I see, what do you plan to do after getting discharged."


    What I had just asked was a very cruel thing to ask her. But it''s better to do it now than later. If I am here I can at least give some advice to her.


    "What am I even supposed to do with these legs now?"


    She shot Asher an annoyed look before thinking deeply. She added. "I used to work as a maid but I don''t think its possible anymore. I don''t have any job now do I ?"


    Asher sighed heavily and rubbed his chin. He knew that finding work in a society where physical strength and health were valued would be difficult for her.


    "There is still hope don''t worry by the end of this week I will have something prepared for you."


    I was not lying, I truly had a plan. If it worked then it''d be wonderful but if it doesn''t there is nothing that can be done.


    Elda gave Asher a suspicious look but decided to trust her savior.


    "Alright.....Just don''t give me any false hope."


    She said with a nod her hands clasped together on her lap.


    Asher gave her a look of contemplation but decided not to say anything else and stood up from his seat.


    "I am staying in Cozy Inn, if you need any help don''t hesitate to reach out to me."


    He said placing his hand gently on her shoulder and leaving a piece of paper with an address on the bedside table.


    Before Asher could leave he turned to give her a last look then with a bit hesitation he told.


    "Someone once said that even at the darkest of times hope is still there hidden somewhere. We just need to find it. So Elda don''t give up."


    Asher spoke with a firmness that was rare for his usual carefree demeanor. His eyes held a spark of something that Elda couldn''t quite place but it comforted her nonetheless.


    "I am not brave enough to give up again."


    She still remembers how much courage it took just trying to stab herself. But Asher somehow stopped it breaking that resolve.


    Elda watched him leave, her eyes lingering on the empty chair for a few moments before she reached for the paper with his address. Her hands trembled slightly as she unfolded it, feeling the weight of his words. The silence of the room was pierced only by the occasional drip of water from the eaves outside.


    ******


    The rain is still ongoing showing no sign of ending. The shrill sound of it pouring down gave me an inkling of what I was supposed to do today.


    In a rather slow manner, I walked toward my new destination. With a flick of my wrist, I took out the paper Morgana had given me. The location we had decided to meet upon was given upon it.


    Giving it a look I put it back inside my pocket. The hospital corridor was not so crowded. Nurses and doctors could be seen checking on patients while the patient''s relatives looked at them with concern in their eyes.


    The place I needed to go was behind the Temple, it would not take much time if I decided to run but I plan on strolling around a bit more today.


    Asher didn''t know if it was consciously or unconsciously but he was avoiding going there. He wanted to be prepared for what he was going to face today. He had a bad feeling but he couldn''t understand what this feeling was.


    But it was inevitable that he needed to go there.


    After walking around the hospital for some time he finally decided to head towards Temple.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    The rain had lightened to a drizzle by the time he arrived at the alley behind the Temple. The cobblestone path was slick with moisture and the air was thick with the smell of damp earth and wet stone. The buildings loomed tall and dark, casting long shadows that danced in the flickering light of the occasional candle or gas lamp.


    Soon the Temple was clear in view. It was a white building with a dome-shaped top made up of colored glass panels. Inside on both sides of the wall seats could be seen for the devotes to sit upon. Due to the rain no devote could be seen right now. At the center were stars wrapping in white light illuminating the hall in a holy light.


    ''Where am I supposed to go now?''


    Thankfully I didn''t end up waiting for much longer.


    A man with green fuzzy hair soon entered the hall, he squinted his eyes to get a proper look then nodded as he said.


    "Asher, lady Morgana will meet you in her office. The rain has caused a change in locations."


    Does he know me? I was sure I had never met this guy before.


    As if realizing his mistake he continued. "I am Franz, you may not know but I saw you once before."


    ''No never met this guy. Not remembering this guy would be an insult with how odd he looks.''


    Asher thought with a chuckle.


    "Then I must have not seen you. Sorry for that my memory is a bit weak."


    I replied with a smile trying to ease the tension that had unintentionally built up.


    "Follow me, she is waiting for you."


    Franz said with a nod, leading Asher through a side door that was almost hidden in the shadows of the grand hall. The corridor beyond was dimly lit and lined with portraits of priests and scholars from ages past, their stern gazes following him as he limped along. The sound of his foot echoed through the hallowed space.


    As they approached the high priestess''s office, Asher could hear the faint sound of birds from outside. The door was made of a rich, dark wood with intricate carvings depicting scenes from sacred texts. Above it, a brass plaque read "High-Priestess Morgana" in flowing script.


    Inside the room sat a lady wearing a black cape on her shoulders. Above her heart was a white star. Her red eyes looked at Asher''s figure as he entered the room. Her face poker, masking her thoughts.


    With an aloof look, she nodded at them as they both took a seat opposite to her.


    "Sorry for the delay, the hospital visit took longer than what I had expected."


    Asher began explaining as soon as he sat down. High-Priestess Morgana studied him for a moment, her gaze sharp and assessing.


    "It''s alright. I had thought you would take longer. But you came earlier than expected."


    Her voice was smooth like velvet, but something about it sent a chill down my spine. High-Priestess Morgana''s eyes never left my face. She knew something, or so I thought.


    "Let''s discuss your plan without wasting any more time. How do you plan on saving the captives."


    Her tone was serious, cutting through the silence like a knife. The room was warm, but the tension between them was palpable.


    Franz meanwhile ignored the seriousness completely, sitting in a relaxed manner he took a sip of tea brought by the attendants.


    Morgana once again showed her incredible skill of ignoring him and looked at Asher waiting for his reply.


    "We need to infiltrate their base, find where they''re keeping the captives, and then find a way to get them out without alerting the guards."


    "Are you confident in doing that?"


    She asked with a tilt of her head. What Asher was saying felt absurd to her. Asher was going to infiltrate alone and risk his life for it. But what he said made little sense to her. If mundane humans were the criminals Morgana would not care much but obviously the enemies are awakeners and awakened alike.


    "I am confident. I would have gone without telling anyone but since you had asked me to come here, I thought it would be better to inform you first."


    Asher replied with a determined look in his eyes. He knew it was a dangerous plan but he had to do it. The lives of innocents were at stake.


    "So let me get it straight. Your master plan is to simply infiltrate the gang base who did the kidnappings. Save the captives and just escape with them without any help."


    Franz interjected with a playful smile. Even he thought Asher was joking and tried to dwell deeper into it.


    "Is that it? No backup or any strategy other than brawn over brains?"


    Morgana raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced by Asher''s simple plan.


    "What are the chances that a transcendent would be present there?"


    Asher asked in a plain and simple tone as if their worries were unfounded by him.


    "I can''t say for sure, but if we assume the worst, then yes, a transcendent might be there."


    "Then can I ask you to take care of it?"


    Asher leaned forward, his eyes meeting Morgana''s, his tone urgent yet respectful. The High Priestess studied him for a moment, her expression unreadable.


    "Alright, but only if a transcendent were to arrive I will interfere. Otherwise, it would not be possible for me to arrive."


    Morgana said after a brief moment of contemplation.


    "How will you know I am in danger?"


    Asher''s question hung in the air, the gravity of his words sinking into the quiet room. High-Priestess Morgana''s lips curled into a knowing smile.


    "I will do that job." Franz raised his hand eagerly like a child wanting attention. In his palm, an invisible force could be felt by Asher.


    It was not there but now Asher could feel it, that something invisible was there. Squinting his eyes he tried to peek into what was hidden but ultimately failed.


    "What is that? I feel its...alive?" Asher was not sure if what he felt was correct or not but decided to ask it anyway.


    Franz seeing Asher''s looks laughed a little before telling. "A spirit, this is called a nature''s spirit." The invisible force was not invisible anymore for a brief moment small green glow appeared in Franz''s palm.


    "Spirits are creatures of other dimensions living in a higher plane than us. They don''t have vessels to interact physically but those with the correct source element and affinity can interact with them."


    Morgana clarified after seeing Asher''s face was full of doubts. After a bit of thought, Asher finally nodded and said.


    "So he was the one stal- I mean listening to our talk yesterday."


    Asher said with a hint of sarcasm that was lost on the unflappable High-Priestess Morgana. She simply nodded. Franz simply shrugged as he couldn’t care less about it.


    "Indeed, Franz is quite adept at his craft. He''ll serve as our eyes and ears should you encounter trouble."


    "That''s fine with me."


    Asher nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. He knew that he couldn''t take on a transcendent alone, not yet at least. Having Morgana as a backup was a comfort, despite the risks involved.


    "You don''t think that you won''t kill anyone do you?"


    Franz suddenly said in between their contingency plans.


    Asher hearing it just bit his lips for a moment then answered with a deep and solemn tone.


    "Let''s just leave it to fate."