In the lower depths of the monastery, the eldest of the priests of the Silver Lady inspected the body laid across a great stone table. On the cold stone, her body was lax and loose, the priest opening one eye and inspecting it.

  After long moments of study, the elderly man looked up at the small group watching him. “The woman, she is alive. Though nothing is left within her. Her light has been lost.”

  The golden-plated paladin stood tall within the crowd. He bowed his head and spoke. “I should have known better, I could have cut out my aura far sooner than I had. If I had done so, she would not have sustained such damage.”

  The highest of the priests spoke once more. “Yes. You should have, and yet you did not. Dwelling on this though, it does nothing to change what has been done. The information within her is lost to us. A ritual may return to her part of what has been lost. Though it seems a vital part of her soul was entirely done away with. It is odd, I will study this further.”

  The paladin alongside the lower priests left the master to do his work. The ancient man studied her. A beard of purest white twirled in two fingers, a silver streak perfectly cut the beard into two equal halves. He stroked the silver streak and breathed inward.

  A flurry of silver runes came forth as he raised his hand into the air before Cella’s unwavering body. The runes formed a circle within the air and sigils formed between each of them. Swiftly a networked formuli was formed. With a wisp of mana from the elderly priest, a singular symbol came alive.

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  The mana changed swiftly and flowed through the network of the ritual. It activated and a silver mist began creeping from the ritual above Cella and flowing down into her body.

  A pale silver light shone from her as the priest continued his work. His mana probed at her heart with a sharp bard of silver light. His silver mana merged with the mist, and so his consciousness delved into her.

  The silver mist swirled within her body and illuminated her very being. Every aspect of her being was shown to the man delving into her. His mind was drawn into the amber glow alive and burning within her heart.

  How the organ still functioned befuddled him. It was hollow only holding the amber, and yet circulated her vitality as it naturally would. At her level of ascension, it was not surprising it would operate if heavily damaged, but the heart was fundamentally no longer an ordinary human heart.

  Her heart also circulated stamina from the amber. The priest was only more curious as the oddities continued. The stamina was of life affinity, an affinity change to stamina or vitality was something far beyond the capabilities of someone only twice ascendant. The ability for him to do so took nearly four decades, and yet this amber allowed the young druid to begin the process so young and inexperienced. The discovery was baffling.

  Something stirred within the amber as he prodded it with a silvery barb of mana. Two forces moved within the amber. One asleep, the other a fading consciousness. He smiled as understanding finally donned on him.