"Look! The light from the Aethertower!"
One of the Holy Guards in the castle spotted the magnificent light from the tower. He did not point it to the sky, but instead just shouted it out. His voice boomed across the castle, notifying everyone around him.
The guards in the castle courtyard looked up, witnessing the same light in the sky.
Even though the distance between the tower and the castle was quite far, the light could reach the entire kingdom. They knew, without questions, that all kinds in the kingdom could feel the blessings.
"You're right. It's the brightest light of the day."
The light was brighter than the sun in the clear sky, even purer and warmer than any blessings of mere angels in the realm. This was what they called as the blessing given by the Absolute through a holy angel whom they called as the princess of light.
"It's our princess!" Said another guard full of gratitude for the blessing.
"Princess Philia, the princess of light."
Not a mere title, princess of light was given by angels for her after they witnessed her great power of light to pray for the entire kingdom and realm. Within this great power reaching afar entirely the kingdom, she deserved such a title to prove the true kindness and generous blessings of the Absolute through her light.
It constantly blessed the kingdom of Aetherion at any time.
After hearing the bell ringing while sensing the purest light afar from the tower, all the guards in the castle knew that the miracle was for the returning Holy Guards from the tough battle against the shadows. Those shadows from the Abyss always haunted the realm every time, and they left the residue of their dark power over the returning guards from the battle. And here was the princess of light, just blessing them by purifying and healing them with her great power, which could be perceived by all kinds in the kingdom instantly.
The true power of light was their shield from the shadow behind the wall.
"My Holy Absolute."
An unfamiliar voice came out around them. As they looked around, they found a strange old lady passing them to the garden in front of the castle. Her fragile body was shaking while she slowly walked to the garden, and in one blink she fell on the ground on her knees. The guards could hear the painful sound of it, but the old lady seemed to praise the Absolute and ignore her pain.
One of the guards moved to help her, but seeing people in white veils approaching her with the same gesture, he was stunned. These people… it was just not a small group, but rather a larger group of people in white veils gathering and following the old lady in the garden. Their voices joined in harmony, echoing their prayer to the Absolute.
"Praise the Absolute! Bless us under Absolute name. Embrace us with Absolute blessings."
All the guards looked at each other. This had never happened in the kingdom before.
"Aren't they the faithful from afar?" They started to talk about it in whispers from behind them.
"From another kingdom… why are they kneeling for the light?"
"They must have never seen this miracle before."
Even for the first time witnessing such a miracle from the blessing casted by the princess, the guards, Atherians, admired it and felt it deeper in their hearts and souls. They had been trained that their hearts and souls were enough to express their gratitudes and reverence instead of their action by kneeling under the light. The real action like their duty was another way they expressed it.
"Have you heard the story from our leader?"
All the guards who remained on the ground leaning their ears towards one guard in the middle.
"A year ago, our leader was asked to train the Holy Guards in the eastern kingdom. He was supposed to train them in six months, but it took a whole year to finish their training. The leader said that he could not leave them undone, so he continued the training by himself."
"Isn't it obvious? Our leader must fulfill his duty."
"Yes… but," he took a deep breath before continuing "but it was because the Holy Guards in the eastern kingdom could not be compared to us."
"What do you mean?"
"Does it mean that we're greater than them?"
"Yes…" he answered the questions. "You'll see it before winter because he will bring them here to train with us."
"For real?"
Even though it was just a mere story among the guards during their duty, they did not even lower their guards down. The story had given them such another power growing in their soul. Not such a pride of having greater power, but rather the huge responsibility they carried on their shoulders. They knew that the power they had, stronger or not, was for the realm to protect. It showed how strong their lights were, how strong they could stand for the realm behind their back, and Aetherion was their fortress against the shadows far away behind the wall.
The Holy Guards were blessed with greater power, like their princess, to strengthen the kingdom for the realm.
The light from the tower started to dim slowly in the sky, returning the great light back to the caster. The faithful also finished their prayer, starting to stand up on their feet. Their white dress and robes turned dirty by the dirt and blood from their injured knees. However, they did not feel any pain from it, or they ignored it as they perceived the wonderful blessings from the Absolute. They smiled in happiness, in the glory of the Absolute.
The Holy Guards who watched over them just could praise the Absolute from their heart. The divine light indeed could affect them, the faithful, like a direct answer from the Absolute.
The wounded may heal.
"It is one of the miracles that happen in Aetherion."
Cleric Benedict, in his usual plain white robe with his iconic stole-a full white with the slight line of gold in the edge- slowly approached the faithful. After all attention turned to him, he introduced himself with a gentle smile,
"I am Cleric Benedict of Aetherion. Come, I'll guide you to the hall of the castle where Arch Angel Michael showed us his miracle."
The faithful were flocking to the cleric, following the cleric passing through the guards to enter the sacred hall.
From deep within the castle, someone had been watching over them. He sighed heavily, especially the moment Cleric Benedict led them into the hall.
Not liking them coming into this castle, the king refused to welcome them directly but let the only one who suggested this tour handle everything.
The king sat on his chair in his messy study room. With his assistance, they had been looking for some documents needed relating to the true sacrifice in the entire library in the castle, and his study room was not an exception. His wavy long hair was also messy like a lion with his golden crown on his head.
Seeing the faithful made his mood even worse.
But somehow, his daughter's light saved the day. The entire kingdom might not deal with the king who was annoyed with the faithful after that miracle. She had steadied him too.
He was blessed with two talented children in his reign which never happened before in Aetherion history. They both seemed to possess divine power beyond angels could dream about. Since they finally could pray to bless with their light power, it never failed. Deep inside his soul, he knew that they were not just ordinary children.
They were a sign.
"Searching for the old books again, my dear king?" the queen appeared from the door, looking at him disgraced. "How many times have I told you that the old books were destroyed already by the clerics?"
She came in with graceful steps while carefully avoiding some books and scrolls on the floor. She also brought a maid to help her serve the afternoon tea for the king.
"They are fools." The king growled. "How can they destroy such valuable treasures of our kingdom?"
The queen put the porcelain cup on the table, calmly without making a single sound. They had been arguing about this almost everyday just because the king was worried about his vision in his dream since that day. After a long deep breath, she took his arms and squeezed it gently.
"My dear… we're all worried," a few words came out from her lips, "don't you just feel our daughter's light?"
He did not answer at first.
"The light just eased me about the faithful, not about this matter."
"Joseph." Her tone rose to remind her husband. "Remember. It is not only you having such terrible vision. We have to believe."
The king looked outside the window where he could see the Aethertower starting to dim the light. His daughter was there, blessing the Holy Guards from the war for the kingdom and realm. Just like her brother's bravery leading the guards outside the wall, she had done this duty in honor of her name to uphold her faith for the kingdom and realm. In their gifted power… the king glimpsed something more.
"I believe…" he said softly, almost whispering in the middle of the noises in his heart. It was not just a scream of his doubtful faith, but rather the dark future he might face to protect the kingdom. "We'll be fine."
Just like the light from the Aethertower.
The fallen may rise. And the lost may find a way home.