Chapter 5
Theresia van Astrea
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Would it surprise you that it was love at first sight?
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- Brother, my successor is your daughter, Theresia. She was twelve years old when her uncle, who until then had held the title of Sword Saint, announced to the whole family that the blessing had shifted to her. That day was the end of the world for her.
Several hundred years earlier, Theresia's legendary ancestor, Reid Astrea, had performed great deeds and was the first in history to be hailed as a Sword Saint. Since then, the blessing has been passed on to other members of the clan, granting them extraordinary powers.
The Astrea family was one of the most important in the kingdom and had earned its status as protectors of Lugnica. For generations, the lives of all its members revolved around swordsmanship. Children were trained to fight with the sword regardless of gender, and Theresia was no exception.
She hated Reid for condemning her to such a fate by his actions, for making her take lessons that terrified her. She was afraid of the sword and had a reason for it: she was born with the blessing of the God of Death. This meant that the wound she inflicted on someone would never heal as long as the injured party was within Theresia's power.
The girl was aware of her power from an early age and feared the potential consequences. She decided to hide her gift. If you think about it carefully, it's not easy at all to live your life in such a way that you won't hurt anyone, even by accident. Life is dangerous. Unfortunately, Theresa's blessing was activated in every situation, including when she hurt someone inadvertently or unknowingly, which is why she considered fencing training to be her worst nightmare.
She felt like a Death God. Every time a sword appeared in her hands, everyone around her risked their lives. She began to make excuses to avoid contact with weapons. She understood perfectly well what could happen if she hurt someone, so she didn't give up. And she was a very stubborn girl.
Eventually the family came to terms with the fact that Theresia would not be a swordsman. Only then did the girl gain peace of mind and instead of fighting, she spent her days admiring the flowers. She could forget everything.
It was during one such quiet day in the garden that the blessing of the Sword Saint took up residence in her.
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- Take the sword, Theresia," said the uncle in a firm tone.
She had been hiding in her room for the past weeks. She had told no one of her new blessing, but the uncle sensed to whom the power that until recently had belonged to him had gone. Theresia was forcibly dragged from the garden, where she was brought before her uncle in tears and tattled.
- Take the sword, Theresia!
She didn't want to, she resisted, but her uncle shoved the wooden sword into her hands. Resigned, she gripped the hilt. Her uncle grabbed her by the shoulders and set her facing his opponent.
Theresia had three brothers - two older and one younger. The oldest, Thames, was a gentle, friendly boy and loved his sister very much. It was with him that she was now to fight.
He's standing badly. He's not defending himself.
She was surprised that such a thing had occurred to her.
The uncle meanwhile approached Thames and ordered him to strike the girl with a wooden sword, to show his skill. The boy shouted his refusal. The uncle called him a coward.
That word must have hurt Thames deeply, especially since it came from the mouth of someone he had always admired greatly, and in the presence of the other brothers. They were also deeply affected by it.
Theresia could see that Thames didn't want to fight. Unfortunately, he had no choice. His gaze made the girl suddenly understand something.
I know what he's going to do. He's going to knock the sword out of my hands, because that way I'm sure he won't hurt me. You can tell he's gonna do it. Just look at his eyes, the way he stands. I can feel it.
Thames was a talented young man, knocking the wooden sword out of the little girl's hands would definitely not be difficult for him. He simply wanted to end this farce as soon as possible.
Theresia wasn't sure what happened next. She only woke up when Thames' sword, whirling, soared through the garden and into the ground.
- That's enough... - the uncle's quiet voice rang out. Everything was clear now.
Theresia stood over her brother with a wooden sword in her hand. Its tip was touching Thames' throat.
- Virgin is the Sword Saint. There's no doubt about it.
She felt those words break her heart. The sight of her brother hurt her, too. She threw the sword to the ground, her head spinning with a groan, then tearing her hair out by the handful, howling like an animal, throwing herself about as if she had lost her mind. And she had no choice.
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