Chapter 1 Healer's Burden
Help me! Please help me, Sabrina!”
A desperate woman laid her dying child on the cold ground, her voice cracking with fear and exhaustion.
“Not again!” Sabrina’s mother warned the gathered crowd harshly. “My daughter cannot help you. Take her to the Priestess!”
“The Priestess has grown weak,” a man muttered sadly.
“Blasphemy!” Sabrina’s mother snapped, her eyes flashing with anger. “Do not utter those words here ever again. Leave now, all of you! My daughter cannot help you.”
“She has done it before… please…” the woman begged, pulling at her own hair in despair.
From the shadows of the doorway, thirteen-year-old Sabrina leaned against the wall, her heart heavy. She would never understand why her mother always tried to stop her from helping. Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward, fingers nervously stroking her forearm.
“Go inside,” her mother whispered urgently.
Sabrina shook her head. “Mother, please… let me help them.”
Her mother hesitated, pain flickering across her face, then stepped aside with a defeated sigh.
Sabrina knelt beside the child and placed her small hands on the girl’s chest. Warm golden flames of light bloomed between them. A few seconds later, the child gasped and began breathing normally. A wave of fulfillment washed over Sabrina but it was short lived. The world spun violently. Her mother caught her just before she collapsed.
“You have what you wanted. Now go!” her mother shouted at the lingering crowd.
She quickly pulled Sabrina inside.
Sabrina was born from the pity of the water goddess Zipora. After losing her husband to the sacred lake, her barren mother had prayed endlessly. Zipora took mercy on her, offering a single drink from the divine waters. She became pregnant almost overnight.
The villagers called it a curse.
But when Sabrina was born, she carried the goddess’s blessing, the power to heal with a touch, to speak with animals, and sometimes to sense thoughts. Yet the fear and disdain in the villagers’ eyes never truly faded.
------------------------------
“Stop it, Kiki!” Sabrina giggled as the small squirrel leapt onto her shoulder, his tiny claws tickling her skin. A warm flutter of affection filled her chest.
“You panic too much,” Kiki chattered, his tail flicking against her cheek.
Earlier that day, she had snuck into the forest with him, heart racing with excitement and nervousness. They had hidden in the thick bushes for hours as usual, watching Priestess Huruna gather rare herbs.
“I’m starving,” Kiki complained, rubbing his round belly.
“Shh! Don’t make noise,” Sabrina whispered, her pulse quickening. “She’ll catch us.”
Kiki suddenly jumped onto her back. She lost her balance and tumbled out of the bushes with a sharp yelp as pain flared in her scraped elbow.
“Ouch!”
The Priestess turned slowly. A cold smile curved only one side of her lips, sending a chill racing down Sabrina’s spine.
“Sabrina… the curse that found glory.”
Sabrina’s heart skipped a beat. She brushed the dirt from her skirt with trembling fingers.
“Mighty Priestess! I am sorry for... You’re my role model. My mother always tells me stories about your legendary deeds.” She said nervously.
The Priestess’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. “How interesting. I have matters to attend to, but perhaps another time.”
Sabrina bowed politely and ran off, a strange mix of awe and unease swirling inside her. But as she disappeared into the trees, Priestess Huruna’s expression darkened with cold fury.
“That girl has stolen my glory,” she whispered. “And I will take it back.”
It was late when Sabrina returned home. Their small house stood isolated on the edge of the village, far from the warmth of others.
Her mother waited anxiously by the door, lantern light flickering across her tired, lined face. When she saw the golden glow from Sabrina’s palms, relief flashed in her eyes quickly replaced by exhaustion.
“Look, Mother!” Sabrina said excitedly, holding out her palm. “I have a new power!”
Her mother’s shoulders slumped. “You were out too late, Sabrina. Come eat and rest.”
While they ate, Sabrina recounted her adventure with bright eyes. But her mother’s grip on her spoon was tight, her knuckles pale.
“I have warned you many times to stay away from that woman,” she said sharply, fear bleeding into her voice. “You never listen!”
A pang of guilt twisted in Sabrina’s chest. “I’m sorry, Mother.”
After dinner, Sabrina went to bed, her body heavy with exhaustion. But sleep brought no peace.
In her nightmare, dark shadows curled around her, whispering her name. She thrashed wildly, cold sweat soaking her nightdress, heart hammering against her ribs. When her eyes snapped open in terror, Priestess Huruna was sitting beside her bed, smiling cunningly.
“Hello, Sabrina.”
Sabrina’s heart lurched. “How did you get in? She stared at the door. "My mother will see you!”
“Don’t worry,” the priestess whispered smoothly. “She won’t.”
Sabrina looked toward her mother’s bed and froze in horror. Her mother was wrapped tightly in dark, glowing webs, completely still.
“No! What did you do?!” Sabrina screamed, her voice raw with panic.
