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My final memory of my mother:

The village was crumbling, engulfed in flames from the magical firestorm unleashed by the Demon. The desperate cries of people filled the air.

One young sorceress scooped up her little child and ran, hoping only to keep her own child safe.

"Hack! Hack!" gasped the sorceress.

"Where are you taking me, Mother?" asked the child.

"Your aunt, my dear. Your lovely little cousin will keep you safe," she replied.

She continued running, exhausted, through the scorching inferno. The mother cast spells to provide moisture to her child, shielding them from the searing heat.

They passed by numerous people whose skin had started to dry out due to the surrounding flames.

"In the name of the divine, I beseech *the Goddess* to bestow drops of moisture upon the righteous," the sorceress whispered.

"Is this magic, or is it you?"

"It won't be long before the king's soldiers arrive. Hold on a little longer," she urged.

Hope started to rise among the people.

"Why do you help those people, Mother? Their gardens have been destroyed,because of them" the child asked.

"You see, my dear, saving many lives is better than feud just one. When you grow up and encounter people in distress, don't hesitate to be their strength," the mother explained gently.

With those words, she bestowed a tender smile upon her child.

Sob!

"Mother... Mother, why won't you speak to me? Mother..."

The sorceress remained silent until they reached a safe location. She entrusted her child to her own trusted sibling.

At that moment, the five-year-old child understood why her mother hadn't responded to her since then.

Hidden behind the mom's back were two arrow wounds, the mark of a skilled Demon's archer—a? Perhaps it was from the group of people whom the sorceress had saved momentarily.