Chapter 10: The start of a calling.

One could say that this whole experience was the start of something. When Alice witnessed that wave, that seemed to be made of sunlight, something ignited inside her. As the plague afflicting Palo Verde died out, this young woman grew a boundless fascination with that kind of power and a desire to be able to wield that kind of warmth, for the good of others.

How that warmth made its way into the sick and expelled the disease from the body as if it were removing a stain. Thus freeing the village from the weight of the disease that afflicted all present, even diseases unrelated to the plague. Not just symptoms of cough and fever, but all the sadness and stress that lingered, faded. 

Being able to help others like that, to care for them and protect them, was something Alice dreamed of since she understood the principles of good and evil. The moment she understood that people suffer, was also the moment she understood that she wanted to be able to avoid it, especially if the person she could help was her mother. 

Even though no one really demanded or gave her the idea that being a magician was her only purpose. As Alice began to approach her fifteenth birthday, the prospect of waking up her Nexus was a dream that both tormented her and filled her with hope. She couldn't help but feel a strong longing and hope for that possibility, but also a strong pressure that it might not happen. 

Both mother and daughter remembered how difficult that winter was. When that plague, which the cleric called "the flu", caused more than half of the town to fall ill. Back then, people were afraid of what might happen, they felt helpless, and honestly, they really were. It is peculiar to consider that everything was sorted out as soon as the cleric arrived. One could almost arrive at the conclusion that it was a divine coincidence. The clergyman in charge of the eternal winter ceremony, for the whole area, arrived in the village when he did, and just as he did, he was met with a young and desperate Alice.

Such was the impact of this man, and her desire to help was so strong, that she came to consider that if she was not a magician, she could always venture into the church. Especially since, when it came to possessing a pure soul and an honest intention, both Ana and some members of the village, had not the slightest doubt that the young woman should be able to meet those requirements, which were believed to be the minimum to be a clergyman. 

Alice related this story, sometimes full of hope and illusion, sometimes filled with the idea of sadness for all those who may have been lost in that winter. However, the joy filling that story grew more and more as the date of the fifteenth birthday became more present. 

Regarding miracles, Ana knew they were a kind of magic. Although she only knew a little more than her daughter, since she had never witnessed one. Even the one that took place that winter, happened while she was still unconscious and only learned about it from the stories. 

Similar to magic, explained the cleric back then, miracles were another gift that was given to mortals by the gods, but the way it was given was very different. Although they did not share exactly what was different, it was fair to assume that it had something to do with their Nexus, since the clerics did not possess a Grimoire as such. It was said that only the most faithful believers, with the purest souls, could contact the gods in search of a miracle, and really Alice would only lack faith, the unshakable purity she already possesses.

Even at some point in her upbringing, Ana considered sending her daughter to church. Although that thinking quickly changed, there were some rumors about the subject in the village, but nothing about the reasons why she gave up on doing so. Not only did she change her mind about getting her daughter into the church, but it even led her to take the initiative to keep Alice always discreet around church members if they ever saw one. Such a drastic change, seemingly overnight and for no apparent reason. 

Fortunately, according to Ana, Alice gave up the possibility of joining the church and illusions about magic, well those stopped with time. 

The only thing that would make Ana change her mind, and that she would not be at all surprised if it happened, would be for her daughter to one day create a divine miracle. There were few qualities that Alice lacked to reflect the dominance of a clergyman or a magician, she only lacked that spark, whether it was a Nexus or an unshakable faith.

Moreover, it was common among citizens, especially in rural areas, to believe that those born with golden hair and strong affinities to something related to nature were blessed by the mother goddess. In all the width and length of the south of the continent, there was not a single individual with shinier hair or greater affinity than Alice. 

Of course, no one in the village dared to mention such a thing too openly, especially when in front of the cleric of the eternal winter ceremony. It was common knowledge, after all, that one should not speak lightly about the will and blessings of the gods. Even merchants and other visitors made no obvious mention of Alice's unusual features, it was an open secret, so to speak.

Ultimately, her daughter's motives spoke volumes about her personality. Ana was almost certain that no matter how much she wished to make all of her daughter's wishes and longings come true, expecting her to awaken a grimoire was not realistic at all, so there was little point in worrying about the subject anymore.

Having finished dinner and making remembrances of the past. Mother and daughter made hot drinks and made themselves comfortable. This would be a sleepless night because of Alice's birthday. Because, although they both pretended to have no illusion or hope that the spark would arise, deep down they wished that Alice's dreams would come true. Besides, it was a good reason for Alice to somehow get excited about her birthday.