The Hue Shrine shimmered in quiet divinity, its pristine white stone corridors humming with light magic. Seraphina had returned to the capital to resume her training under the sacred order. As always, the air in Kullaye, the magical heart of the empire, buzzed with holy energy, shadow enchantments, and ancient secrets hidden between walls that had witnessed the descent of countless Children of the Gods.

That morning, robed lightmaidens lined the inner sanctum’s arched study hall. Sunlight filtered through stained-glass windows depicting saints of old—faceless figures crowned in light. Floating orbs hovered near the ceiling, casting halos of gentle warmth.

Seraphina took her usual place near the front. Beside her sat Meris, a curious and gentle girl with honey-blonde hair and sage-green eyes. The two had become closer, sharing late-night prayers and long talks by candlelight.

At the head of the room, Matron Calla raised a crystalline staff. Her voice, clear and commanding, echoed through the vaulted chamber.

"Today, you will learn of the ones who came before you. The saints. The saintesses. The blessed few who bore the will of the gods."

The room fell into solemn stillness.

"Every ten years, a child is bestowed upon this world through the Holy Room. The gods choose them—infants wrapped in divine light, delivered to the shrine in silence. Not a soul ever witnesses the descent. Only when the first morning bell tolls do we find the cradle glowing upon the sacred room."

Seraphina leaned forward, heart beating faster.

 "They grow under our care. But no matter how bright their light, none have lived past the age of twenty. At that precise moment, they vanish. No blood. No farewell. Simply gone."

A rustle of unease swept through the room. One maiden shifted in her seat; another quietly traced the emblem of Hue for protection.

Matron Calla continued, "Each one born with unmatched light magic—able to heal wounds beyond hope, purge curses thought eternal, and summon divine shields even knights could not break."

Seraphina’s fingers tightened around her ink quill. Visions. Light. Vanishing at twenty. She hadn’t dared tell anyone about the vision—the haunting glimpse of a wedding veil, a coronation... and her blood painting the cold stone of a throne room.

 "The first Saint," Calla went on, "was born during the Great Erosion, when shadow threatened to engulf our realm. That child alone turned the tide with the breath of the gods on her lips. Since then, each generation has known one."

When the lecture ended, the lightmaidens were dismissed to their reading hour. Scrolls and tomes lined the ancient stone shelves, each humming faintly with sacred enchantments.

Seraphina and Meris sat side by side at a carved marble table.

 "That was… intense," Meris murmured, flipping through a velvet-bound history text. "I never knew they just vanished. Not even a grave…"

Seraphina nodded, her voice soft. "There’s so little detail. It’s like they’re honored, but never remembered."

 "I always thought I’d be trained to care and protect the saintess— you," Meris whispered, leaning in. "But maybe… maybe we’re just being prepared for the unforeseen."

Seraphina stared at a flickering orb above them. "Do you think any of them saw… visions?"

 "What do you mean?" Meris blinked, then gasped. "Wait—did you—"

Seraphina hushed her gently. "Keep it between us."

Meris nodded quickly, lowering her voice. "That might mean you’re different, Sera. You were not born as an infant in the Holy Room. You came here fully grown."

The two exchanged a look. A shared understanding.

Later that evening, Seraphina wandered to the shrine’s private records vault. Few were allowed beyond the threshold, but the emblems on her robes granted her access. The interior smelled of sandalwood and old magic. There, tucked between forgotten scrolls and worn scriptures, she found something strange: a list of saintesses... with no ending.

"Saintess Alira... vanished at twenty."

"Saintess Velia... vanished at twenty."

"Saintess Elarine... vanished at twenty."

"Saintess… Seraphina Ivory… Blank."

Her name had already been etched. No date. No fate.

"But what about the vision I saw? Was it true?"

Behind her, a voice.

"Searching for something you won’t find?"

It was Matron Calla, standing like a sentinel.

Seraphina turned, heart skipping.

"I just… wanted to understand."

The matron softened. "And that is what will make you different."

She stepped closer.

"But I must warn you, Saintess… curiosity has taken more than it has ever given. If you seek the truth of the vanished… be ready to face what even the gods have left unsaid."