Yòu'nà could not stop it, but she found a bit of solace in it.
Sylvia was quiet for a moment.
She heard that Dowdo, her granddaughter's lifetime companion, had died.
She didn't try to comfort her. She couldn't.
When a priest creates something with a soul, it is naturally bound to her. It becomes her lifetime companion.
They do everything together and have an unimaginable bond.
When a priest loses that companion, the priest spirit is often tormented, lost.
Until a new companion is created or a new lifetime companion is received.
Sylvia got distracted for a moment. She left an opening.
Yòu'nà exploited it.
She gripped a pocket of light, shaped it into a blade, and swung it down at Sylvia's head.
Sylvia dodged, finally serious.
"Well, you know I had enemies." Sylvia's movements picked up in speed.
"Some came for a fortune reading they didn't like." She continued closing in on Yòu'nà.
Yòu'nà gained distance and Sylvia kept closing it.
"I went behind Heaven's back to look deeper… and paid the price." She sent a dark matter spell at Yòu'nà.
"They battled me, then used my body for a ritual to change their fate."
Sylvia pushed Yòu'nà a few paces back.
Yòu'nà gasped but did not pause mid-strike. She knew the weight of that crime—defying Heaven's refusal.
"And what about your priest-spirit?" she asked carefully.
"Half destroyed by Heaven,"
Sylvia answered bluntly. She sent an arcane bind that locked Yòu'nà in place.
"Dammit!"
Yòu'nà broke free instantly—with forbidden magic.
Sylvia laughed wildly.
Her hair flared around her as powerful winds spiraled, lifting her into the air.
Yòu'nà floated opposite her.
Fragments of her dormant Priest-spirit stirred awake, resonating at the presence of another Priest.
Its injured kin.
The clash built—until it was interrupted.
Both of Sylvia's soulmates entered: Huo Jianren and Ouyang Ningkai.
Ouyang Ningkai stood in the middle, holding them in place with time magic only known to Elfian elders.
This caught Yòu'nà's attention and reined in her behavior.
"The rest of the family has arrived," they announced. "Continue later."
The voice belonged mostly to Ouyang Ningkai, the Elfian elder.
His name meant victorious and tranquil, and his presence carried exactly that.
Yòu'nà's expression shifted immediately.
When she touched down, she gave traditional greetings.
She performed a flower-dance bow, kissed the wrist, palm raised to her forehead, eyes closed in reverence.
She dared not meet his gaze until permitted—ancient Elfian law.
She waited for his acknowledgment. She showed that she respected his power, wisdom, and intelligence.
The elder was shocked. Few even knew this tradition anymore, let alone performed it properly. It was thousands of years old, reserved for council members and family of the highest rank.
'This grandchild of his wasn't so simple,' he thought silently. A glint passed over his eyes.
"Have you spent much time with the Magi Elfians?" he asked, genuinely surprised.
Yòu'nà grinned and reached into her belongings.
She pulled out a tokened bracelet—an ancient world tree's gift, the Always Welcome bracelet.
It was made with the strands of the Fairy Queen, married to the Elfian King. The queen had used her hair and strands from her grown world tree garden to make the bracelet. She was very fond of Yòu'nà.
She would often have people sing for her. The queen would bring Yòu'nà to their kingdom before sending her back home. Yòu'nà's arms were always filled with fruits, berries, flowers, and treasures of all kinds.
Yòu'nà would miss all those fun times.
She explained casually, "I'd stay with them weeks to months at a time. The elders let me run wild, causing trouble in the forest clans and cities. This pass was given by Queen Larmpirus—the Fairy Queen gave me free access anywhere."
The elder froze.
Sylvia froze.
Huo Jianren froze as well.
All of them stared at the bracelet, thoughts racing.
This wasn't just access.
This token meant Yòu'nà was a favored guest of the Elven King and the Fairy Queen themselves.
For generations, she and her descendants would be treated with the highest honors, always welcome in their realms.
The fairies had long stopped interacting with the outside. They only showed up for routine council meetings.
No one knew why the Queen closed her gates.
But there was a rumor: The King and Queen were very fond of a human priest girl. They wished she were their daughter since they could not have children of their own. They would invite her over, let her enjoy herself, and then send her home.
One day, that girl stopped coming.
Then the Queen and King found out she had sadly passed.
Sylvia and the others seemed to stumble upon a secret.
They now seemed to know why the King and Queen closed the kingdom gates.
It might be because of their granddaughter, Yòu'nà.
They were flabbergasted. What kind of heaven-sent luck did she carry—even as a Priest?
Meanwhile, Yòu'nà remained blissfully unaware of the token's true weight.
To her, it was just a trinket. In fact, she often used it as a weapon—tossing it at people who annoyed her. It looked light but was deceptively heavy. Perfect for knocking humans upside the head when they walked by.
Huo Jianren broke the silence first, reminding everyone that the rest of the family was there for dinner.
They all exited the living room and made their way to the dining hall, where all the family members were seated.
Yòu'nà caught the eye of her cousin Huo Xiulan and smiled.
'Oh, she was so looking forward to dinner with the family!'