Chapter 269: Ch 269: God’s Plan- Part 3
A few days before Kyle’s return, Racheal found herself growing increasingly restless.
She had tried to stay busy—fetching water, helping with food preparation, sitting by her brother’s bedside.
But despite her efforts, sothing gnawed at her, an unease that refused to leave. It wasn’t just worry for Rin’s condition. It was… sothing else.
A presence, a whisper, brushing against the back of her mind like a breeze barely strong enough to notice, yet always there.
Stranger still, she’d been approached several tis lately by unfamiliar villagers—soft-spoken people dressed in white and gold, always offering gentle smiles and subtle invitations.
“Co with us to pray.”
“The goddess welcos everyone, especially those with troubled hearts.”
“The gods can ease your burden, child.”
Each ti, Racheal had turned them away. She wasn’t interested in religion—especially not now.
What she needed was real change, real healing, not hollow words and sermons.
She’d vented her frustrations to the others, but most only shook their heads and warned her to ignore the zealots.
Still… their words echoed.
And the more ti passed, the more their suggestions began to take root in her tired mind.
Kyle had been gone for a while, and while she trusted him, there was always the question of when he would return—or if.
Her brother was still unable to move, and every morning she found herself praying without realizing it. To who? She didn’t know. Maybe that was the problem.
‘What harm could one visit do?’
That was the thought that finally pushed her to move.
On a misty morning, Racheal walked alone to the outskirts of the village, where a modest temple to Goddess Charrin had been built near a hill.
Its structure was simple, yet elegant—white stone carved with soft curves, a single copper bell above the entrance swaying in the breeze.
The mont she stepped near, a woman in ceremonial robes approached her.
“Racheal…We’ve been expecting you.”
The priestess said with a warm smile.
The familiarity of the greeting made her flinch. “How do you know my na?”
“The goddess listens to those in pain. Co. There is no pressure. Just peace.”
The woman replied gently.
Racheal hesitated—but curiosity and desperation worked against her skepticism. She followed the priestess into the temple.
Inside, the air was thick with sothing she couldn’t describe.
Not incense—energy. Divine and calming, like invisible threads of warmth brushing over her skin.
The room was quiet, lit only by filtered sunlight and a large crystal in the center that pulsed with soft white light.
The priestess motioned for her to kneel.
“Close your eyes. Offer a silent thought to the goddess. She will hear it.”
She said.
Racheal wanted to scoff. She wasn’t here to beco a follower. Just to… understand.
Still, she kneeled. Closed her eyes.
‘Please… let my brother be fine.’
A warm wind swept through the temple, and sothing inside her chest stirred. Her doubt, her tension, her anger—they all lted away.
Her heartbeat slowed. Her breath deepened. It was like floating. Her body felt lighter, her thoughts clearer. For one perfect mont, Racheal felt whole.
Her lips parted with a soft gasp.
When her eyes finally fluttered open, the light in the temple seed brighter, richer—alive.
The priestess was still beside her, smiling with a knowing look. She turned to the others gathered nearby and raised her hands high.
“She has heard the call. Another soul joins the fold. Rejoice!”
The priestess declared. The others began to sing, low and lodic, filling the chamber with harmonious sound.
Racheal stood slowly, still dazed by the lingering energy curling around her body. Her doubt hadn’t vanished—but it was muffled, buried beneath a wave of serenity.
She told herself this didn’t an anything. That she hadn’t joined anything.
But the feeling—like a presence lingering just beyond her vision—remained, waiting to be felt again.
And behind her, the priestess’s smile deepened.
Racheal couldn’t sleep.
Ever since her visit to the temple of Goddess Charrin, her thoughts had been clouded.
She’d co back ho imdiately, shaken and disturbed by what she’d experienced. But it wasn’t a negative feeling—quite the opposite, and that was what frightened her most.
For the next few days, she drifted through her duties like a ghost, responding late, forgetting tasks, and barely speaking to anyone.
The mory of the divine warmth she had felt during prayer clung to her like a second skin. It had been… beautiful. Peaceful. Enlightening.
She had never felt anything like it before—not even when Kyle had healed people, not even when she watched her brother slowly recover thanks to the support of the village.
And that guilt was unbearable.
‘How can I feel sothing so pure… from sothing he opposes so much? she asked herself, over and over.’
Finally, after three nights of sleeplessness, Racheal gave in. She left early in the morning, quietly, heading once again to the temple at the outskirts.
She told herself she wouldn’t stay long. She just wanted to see if what she’d felt had been real.
The priestess welcod her with a knowing smile.
“You’ve returned. I knew you would.”
Racheal said nothing, simply followed her inside. The mont she crossed the threshold, the divine warmth embraced her again.
She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, letting it wash over her.
She felt like she was stepping into another world—one that whispered comfort, aning, and a strange sense of belonging.
And yet, every mont spent there deepened her guilt.
She continued visiting in secret, always at odd hours, always making excuses to herself.
The more she prayed, the more she felt that Charrin was listening.
That sothing was. But Kyle’s voice lingered in her head—his warnings, his suspicions about gods, his distrust of the divine. He would never approve of what she was doing.
He had trusted her.
And she… was hiding this from him.
Then one afternoon, as if summoned by fate itself, Kyle returned.
Racheal happened to be returning from the temple, her heart pounding with guilt, when she spotted him walking through the village gates with Silvy beside him.
She froze in place, uncertain what to do, but Kyle caught her gaze and imdiately approached.
“Racheal. I was hoping to find you first.”
He said with a small smile.
She couldn’t et his eyes.
“I… I’m glad you’re back. Is everything alright?”
She mumbled, wringing her hands.
Kyle nodded.
“Better than alright. I’ve brought sothing that might help Rin.”
Her eyes snapped up.
“You did?”
Kyle reached into his satchel and pulled out a small vial filled with swirling golden liquid.
“The elves had a seed extract with rare restorative properties. I managed to get my hands on one. It won’t fix everything overnight, but with this, Rin should be able to regain so control over his body.”
Tears pricked the corners of Racheal’s eyes. “Thank you… I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to,” Kyle replied gently. “You’ve done more than enough already. I wanted you to be the first to know. After all, I did make a promise to you that your brother will be fine.”
Racheal looked at the vial, then at Kyle, and her guilt reached a boiling point. She clutched her skirt tightly, trembling slightly.
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