Forgotten Angel

Summoning creatures was never a skill I possessed. No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t. I was removed from the school after failing time and time again.

I learned to build mechanical prosthetics for the people who had been outcast from the inner city. The summoners would battle in the outer cities, destroying everything. Those civilians had no rights. We were looked at as expendable.

I would roam the wasted battlegrounds, scavenging scrap from the ruins.

That’s when I first saw her.

The storm dissipated for a brief moment, dramatic skies revealing crepuscular rays over the landscape.

One sunbeam in particular caught my eye. My heart skipped a beat as I saw her lying at the end of it.

Only one thought crossed my mind.

“Beautiful, this must be a god ray.”

Her body was mangled, torn clothes revealing her silhouette. She looked lifeless underneath the rubble.

As I got closer, I mumbled to myself, “This is so wrong, what a waste!”

Between life and death, I saw breath.

I immediately ran to her and checked for a pulse. It was faint, but there.

I rested my head on her chest. Her heart was beating.

Gurgling on her own breath, she whispered through blood, “Master, you came back?”

I was at a loss for words.

“Who would abandon you?” I thought.

I deeply wanted to save her, even if it meant lying to her. Her survival was all I wanted at that moment.

An aura emanated from her, her presence rippling outward.

“Limerence.”

I was captivated by her.

I replied, “I’m here. My servant will attend to you. Follow his orders till I return.”

I would later regret this decision.

I started removing the rubble. I noticed some of her limbs were missing. I dressed her wounds the best I could on the spot.

With urgency, I had to move, so I carried the weight of a quiet storm.

“I’m going to help you,” I said to her while carrying her on my back through the rubble.

“You won’t be able to. I’m broken…” she replied under her tender breath.

At that moment, I felt it.

The whispers of a cold wind walking over my skin, my flesh erupting into a thousand little stars.

“Let’s focus on stopping this bleeding. I’ll make you better than before.”

“Was it a bad promise, or could I really do that for her?” I thought to myself.

My thoughts were interrupted by a silent breath of gratitude.

In the quiet of my soul, I was captivated by the soft light your gentle spirit cast upon my world.

I promised myself that I wouldn’t stop until I made you better than before.

We finally made it to the land beyond the outer city.

The forest and mountain range were undeveloped, which made it the perfect place for my lab.

The haunting beauty of this place, spruces and aspens divided by rivers like arteries, made it feel untouched by the world. The monsters that lurked in this region would keep all but a few summoners away.

The summoners didn’t care about us without power. We were just useless tools.

I put her to rest on my bed.

As she lay there in pain, I wasn’t going to give up. I would be using a new prosthetic I designed. The fusion was going to hurt her very much, but if successful, it would give her a better quality of life.

It was mana-infused, driven by willpower.

I would use the stone I kept hidden from the world. This very gift you wanted me to keep safe.

This stone was going to grant me the ability to summon someday, but you needed it more.

I give you part of this dragon heart.

Its sleeping magic promised me the summoner’s throne, yet your survival outweighs my selfish need.

I give you the power of my precious stone.

I couldn’t shake this daunting feeling. Usually, there were beasts nearby.

I thought to myself, “There isn’t much time, I fear.”