The church bell rang after the mass had ended. The priest took a stroll into the maze beside the church. Upon reaching the center of the maze, he saw a girl playing by the fountain. He walked to the girl, sat beside her and they talked.
"What brings you here all the time little angel?" He asked
"I find it peaceful in here father." She replied
"How many times have you gotten lost in here again?" He asked again
"Hehe, a lot of times already. But everytime i find my way here i don't feel lost, i feel free." She answered
"5 years ago we found you here." Says the priest
"I almost forgot the details of that story father, can you tell me again?" She asked
The priest straightened himself and started storytelling.
"It was a rainy morning that faithful day, i was out to check on the roses when i heard a soft cry. I followed that sound and i found you there (pointing on the wooden bench), you were drenched in the rain and sobbing. Your clothes were burnt but miraculously you were unscathed. You had a high fever so i took you inside, i asked the sisters to change your clothes and care for you while i went away to look for your parents. I was not able to find them, it had seemed that you were not from around here. When you woke up, we asked you about your name or where you came from but you cannot remember a thing, so we decided to take you in. There are things in life that happen for a reason, your arrival here might've been an accident caused by circumstances, but to us you are a gift, a miracle of God."
The girl cried after hearing her story. She hugged and thanked the priest who consoled her with a warm embrace too. They both wiped their tears after and the girl went asking again.
"Father, were you the one who gave me my name?"
"You had no memory of anything so we baptised you and named you Serena." The priest answered
"What does it mean father?"
"Well.. i'm not quite sure but i think it means Moon Goddess. You see the night before your baptismal, i had dreamt of a distant star descending from heaven. That star was an angel and it praised the greatness of our church. In glee i told him it was the work of a woman, a woman who helped build this church and this small town. I woke up after that dream feeling happy."
"Woah! She's so cool! What was her name father?" The girl asked in amazement
"It was Seren, her name means Moon so i thought it would be a good idea to name you Serena after her. Hehe" The priest replied
"Isn't that a little derivative father? Don't you have any other choices?" She humored
"I'm sorry child, but i tried very hard. Hahaha"
"I'm just kidding father! I am deeply thankful and indebted to all of you for taking care of me. I love it here and i wouldn't find another place to call home."
"Are you gonna cry again? I don't wanna wet my cloak with tears." The priest humored back
The two laughed their way back to the church. The sisters met them outside the maze and invited them for breakfast.
On the church's roof there stood the angel watching over her. Since the day he saved her, he's been hanging around the church just to see her. Even in school he follows the girl who seemed oblivious of him, until one day, when the girl was walking home from school, a rabid dog came running into her. With its mouth foaming, the dog was about to bite her but the dog saw him behind her, his gaze was intimidating which scared the dog away. The girl noticed it and she turned around to see a man standing and smiling at her. The angel disguised himself as a human, he even accompanied her on her way home just to keep her safe.
On the second encounter, when the girl was about 15 years old, she went outdoors with her friends. On their way to go camping, they crossed a river which that time was flowing rapidly. They used a raft to try and cross the rapid river, the current eventually swept them into the downpour where the water is crashing into the rocks. Their raft was torn to bits and they were thrown into the river. As they were swept further, she realized at the end of the river there was a huge waterfall. They tried to swim against the current but their efforts were useless, Serena grabbed unto a rock and searched for her friends but she couldn't find them. In the state of panic she thought they were dead, little did she know they already swam their way out of danger and searched for help, she on the other hand was not so lucky because she was swept the farthest. Her grip on the rock slowly loosened, she grew tired of fighting until the current dragged her under the swirling rapids. Her body crumbled into the bottom and bumbed her head on the rocks, she fainted. She fell on the waterfall but was luckily saved by the angel. He once again healed her wounds but this time he stayed beside her. With her wits fading she asked the man.
"Who are you?"
"Tyriel." the angel replied