Chapter 1

I, Eleanor Vance, or Ellie as everyone in our small community knew me, lived a quiet life. People said I was kind, maybe a little too quiet. They saw a simple young woman in a secluded place, like a hidden valley. They didn't know my secret, my true name: The Lumina. I was destined to lead The Hearthguard Conclave, an old, powerful order. We protected the balance of natural and spiritual energies here. My own power, The Radiance, was immense, and I had used it for years, secretly, to help Michael.

Michael Thorne, my Michael. He was the Chapter Head of our local Conclave, ambitious, charming. I loved him deeply. For years, I poured my Radiance into him, lifting him up, helping him rise. He didn't know the true source of the power that aided him, only that I seemed to bring him good fortune, that my presence soothed his own lesser spiritual energies. Soon, I planned to tell him everything. That I was The Lumina, the next Grand Lumina. Then we would marry. That was my dream.

Today felt like the day. I walked towards the Conclave' s main hall, my heart light. I was ready.

Then I heard voices from Michael' s private study. His, and his closest friends. They were speaking the old Hearthguard dialect, a language few used now. I was fluent. My mentor, Seraphina, the current Grand Lumina, had insisted.

"The marriage to Victoria Ashworth is set, ten days from now," Michael was saying, his voice full of satisfaction. "The prophecies say this union will bring great prosperity."

Victoria. Daughter of High Council Elder Ashworth. A political marriage.

My breath caught.

"Her father's connections are unmatched," Michael continued, and there was a boastful tone I rarely heard. "It' s a necessary step."

One of his friends chuckled. "And what about Ellie? Little Ellie Vance?"

Michael' s tone shifted, became possessive, almost dismissive. "Ellie? I took responsibility for her after... well, after we first became close. Her unique spiritual constitution, that 'Pure Spring' essence she has, it' s too beneficial for me to just let go. She' s sweet, pliable, always listens."

My stomach turned. Pure Spring essence. He knew of it, but not its true scale in me, not that it was tied to The Lumina. He saw it as a personal battery for himself.

Another friend, his voice crude, asked, "So beneficial, eh? Think we could get a taste of that sweetness, Mike?"

"Don't be fools," Michael snapped, his voice hard. "Elara is mine. Mine alone."

Elara. He used my true first name when possessive, even if he didn't know its full weight.

They didn't know I was listening. They didn't know I understood every archaic word. They didn't know I was The Lumina.

The world tilted. The future I imagined shattered. Sweet. Pliable. Beneficial.

My love, my sacrifices, reduced to that.

I backed away, silent, my body cold. The words echoed, tearing at something deep inside me.

I walked away from the hall, away from the sound of his voice. My path was suddenly, terribly clear.

I found a quiet place, took out the small, secure communicator Seraphina had given me. My hands trembled, but my voice, when I spoke, was steady.

"Seraphina," I said, the word a stone in my throat. "It's Elara. I'm returning to the High Sanctum. I will assume my duties."