The sun was setting, casting a soft golden glow over the white-marble of Luminaries Temple. The high spires reached toward the heavens, bathed in the radiant light of the evening sky.
From a distance, it seemed like a beacon of hope, a place where the faithful sought solace and guidance from the divine. But for Elara, it was the last sanctuary she had left.
Her small frame limped toward the temple gates, her hands trembling as they clutched at the torn fabric of her tunic. Bruises marred her pale skin, fresh scrapes bleeding along her arms and knees.
The sharp sting of the injuries, though painful, was not nearly as crushing as the echoing taunts that still rang in her ears.
"Oh, Elara. Poor little orphan. Who will love you when you're all alone?" the young voice of one of the girls, Mira, resounded in her mind, followed by cruel laughter.
They had cornered her again in the village, the girls– jealous of her beauty and her soft, golden hair that caught the light like silk. Jealous too, of her violet eyes that glistened even when clouded with tears.
They hated her for how the older men of the village would often praise her beauty, and though the young Elara had never asked for it, their bitterness only grew.
"You don't think you're better than us, don't you? With that pretty face of yours!" Mira grabbed her by the hair, yanking her head back, making Elara cry out in pain. "You'll always be nothing, Elara. Just a sad, lonely orphan."
"The girls pushed her to the ground, kicking her ribs and pulling at her hair, while Elara tried to shield her face. She remembered pleading for them to stop, only to be met with harsh blows.
Don't know how long time has passed, the girls finally stopped after they're tired of beating her. They left her to fend for herself.
Now, her face was streaked with tears and dirt, her body aching from their assault. Her shoes had been left somewhere along the road, and her bare feet were caked with dust and blood.
But even in her pain, she dragged herself toward the only place she knew– the temple, her sanctuary, her refuge.
The Luminaries Temple had always promised salvation to the downtrodden, a warm embrace to the forsaken. Elara believed in that promise.
~~~
Inside the temple, the scent of incense wafted through the grand hall. The sound of chanting echoed faintly from the inner chambers as the priests and priestesses offered prayers to the Divine Light.
The great murals along the walls depicted scenes of the Order's triumphs– saviors bathed in radiant light, casting away shadows. The Divine Order, protectors of the world, bathed in the glow of eternal faith.
As Elara reached the steps of the temple, her legs suddenly gave out, and she collapsed at the entrance, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Please…" she whispered between sobs, clutching her arms to her chest as if the act alone could protect her from the world's cruelty. "I just want to be loved… somewhere I belong…"
The heavy wooden doors creaked open. A soft voice, gentle and kind, spoke above her.
"My dear…?"
She looked up to see Mother Aveline, a high priestess of the temple, draped in her flowing white robes with golden embroidery. Her soft eyes, full of warmth and wisdom, widened in concern as she knelt beside Elara.