Uriel Platini had been only six years old when High Priest Platini adopted her, ripped from parents she could not even remember.
From that age, her body had been scarred with bloody symbols carved into her skin. Into her veins, they had injected the blood of the first Saint—so that she might bear the so-called blessing of holy power.
But Uriel's blessing had been nothing but suffering.
She had known pain since childhood. Pain without hope, for every Saint Candidate understood that death was their only end.
Some clung to blind faith and accepted their fate. Others knew something was deeply wrong, but could do nothing.
Uriel had endured her life with quiet strength, mastering the art of smiling while bleeding inside.
For a time, she had lived as though she were normal, and her years in the temple had been her happiest memories.
There, she made many friends. There, she learned what it felt like to smile with genuine joy instead of a mask.
