Night fell, and the villagers of Tevira sang and danced around a blazing bonfire. From a distance, Caela watched Valia intently. Valia proudly displayed his fire magic and the crystal that held the Fire God, Agi, within it. Caela overheard him recounting the story of his ritual with Agi. Valia said that around ten Guardians had participated in the ritual—and only two had survived. They used spells to weaken fire magic and channeled ice power to subdue Agi when the god resisted and tried to fight back.
Caela couldn't help but recall everything Rieva had told her earlier, and it made her start to question her faith in the current teachings about the Gods. The current belief among the elders was that the Gods must be sealed inside crystals and guarded by Hosts—people who were wise and strong enough to prevent misuse. Hosts were chosen by the Gods and believed to be immensely powerful.
But… listening to Valia's story, Caela felt more like... pity? It sounded more like forcing a wild beast to cooperate—trapping it in a cage against its will.
After some time, Caela noticed Rieva pulling Valia aside for a private conversation. During their talk, Valia glanced at Caela with a look of slight disdain. Caela simply returned the gaze coldly, as she always did. When the conversation ended, Rieva came over to her.
"Hello, Caela."
"Aunt Rieva, what were you two talking about?" Caela asked curiously.
Rieva sat down beside her. "There's an opportunity for you to become the Host of the Water God, because as of now, that temple is the only one with a known location that still don't have Host. And I'm willing to be your Guardian to help you through the ritual," she said.
"Thank you, Aunt Rieva. Do you know who else might want to be my Guardian?" Caela asked.
"No need. I'll be enough."
"Huh? Aunt Rieva? Are you serious?"
"Yes, I am. But if you're not comfortable with that, you're free to ask someone else instead."
"But… Valia said he needed ten people to survive his ritual."
"I believe the two of us will be enough. Besides, I have faith in you."
"Aunt Rieva…"
"Do you trust me?" Rieva asked, smiling.
Caela could only nod in that moment, drawn into Rieva's crimson eyes. In truth, she doubted herself more than anything—but somehow, she trusted Rieva's words.
***