Chapter 8 – The Heir
Cordelia walked alone through the desolate desert.
"Today I'll search for my parents near that abandoned city..." she whispered to herself, determination in her voice.
Suddenly—clang... clang... clang...—the unmistakable sound of clashing swords echoed through the air.
"What's that noise? Sounds like swords... Could it be my parents?!"
She ran toward the sound, her heart pounding faster. As she got closer, she heard someone shouting:
"Come on, you bastards! I'll defeat all of you, take the inheritance, and protect everyone at the orphanage!"
Hidden behind a crumbling wall, she peeked out and saw a teenage boy—wounded, desperate—facing off against ten skeletal knights alone.
"He doesn't stand a chance... he's just a human..." thought Cordelia, clenching her fists.
She narrowed her eyes and muttered with resolve:
"Divine Possession."
In an instant, a radiant explosion of light enveloped her body. Her brown hair shimmered and turned golden, her eyes sparkled like emeralds, and a pair of delicate white ram horns emerged from her head. Her clothes transformed into a glowing, ethereal, and graceful armor.
She charged forward, divine energy building at her feet.
With a powerful leap, she landed in the midst of the skeletal warriors and delivered a mighty kick, enhanced with light magic. The force of the impact caused a brilliant explosion, scattering bones and armor in every direction.
When the dust settled, she turned and saw the boy unconscious, blown back by the blast. She rushed to his side.
"Hey... hey... are you okay?"
The boy groaned softly, lifted his head just enough to glimpse her face... then collapsed.
"Looks like he passed out..." Cordelia murmured, lowering her glowing aura.
After a quick scan of the area to make sure no enemies remained, she knelt beside him.
"He's still breathing... Good."
She looked around, then back at the unconscious boy.
"I can't leave him here. And it's been so long since I've seen another human..."
Without hesitation, she hoisted him onto her back and carried him through the ruins to her shelter.
Once inside, she gently laid him down on an old, dusty couch. Standing beside him, she whispered:
"Cancel."
Her transformation vanished. Her radiant hair returned to its natural brown, her horns disappeared, and her armor melted into a simple tunic and cloak. She was once again just a green-eyed girl—but her presence still felt strangely divine.
She knelt beside him and examined his leg, now bleeding heavily.
"He's seriously hurt... If I don't treat this soon, he's going to die..."
Seeing the potions on his belt, she frowned.
"Why didn't he use these?"
Then, after a moment of thought:
"He probably panicked. A beginner's mistake—trying to play the hero and forgot what he had..."
She opened one of the potions and gently poured it into his mouth. His body glowed faintly as the healing properties took effect, closing most of the wound.
Cordelia leaned back and exhaled deeply.
"Now... I just have to wait for you to wake up."
Some time passed. Then, suddenly...
"Ahhh!" Adrian gasped, sitting up in panic and looking around frantically.
"Where am I?!"
Cordelia, calmly sitting beside him, replied:
"You're in my home. I saved you." She tilted her head. "Now... can you tell me how you ended up here?"