Back when she was little, it was the first time Linda saw the outside world. Her clothes were ragged, her tiny legs are tired, but as soon as she got out from the forest, the feeling of impotency completely gone.

It was her first memory on the outside world. The striking view from the grand canyon had engrossed her eyes as though she has not seen this magnificent view. The warm draped of the sun linger on her graciously. It was at this time little Linda grew fond of the nature.

Later.

Linda was caught on by some monsters. It’s a pack of Coywolf.

She’s pinned and she’s tired. Linda has been on the run over the midnight, up until dawn.

She covered herself. Her tears dropping nonstop.

Not long after, she heard a slash. A hissed of blade against the ground. The following was a loud crashed of body against the wood. Whimpered came from the Coywolf. Another gasping breath and there’s an eerie silence.

She heard footsteps and it’s certainly coming towards her.

Linda’s expected something bad. She was prepared for the worst and would have made a sprint away. Instead, the stranger coated her.

“Are you alright?”

It was manly, but comforting.

Her little head burrowed on the coat, slowly raised to see the man. He greeted her with a bright smile.

“My name is Rod.” And he pointed the rest of his colleagues who’re younger than him. “That’s Axel and Sabrina.”

She’s silent.

“Did the monster scared you? Don’t worry, we’ll protect you. Where are your parents, by the way?

Linda remembered it very well. Her mother sacrificed her life to stopped the ritual.

Linda could not answer. She only shook her head.

Rod’s expression turned to grave. His eyes reflected a feeling of sympathy and sorrow. He is no stranger of being an orphaned.

“So, you’re like us, huh?”

His words are occupied with void and stricken throat. Then, he beamed widely.

“From now, you’ll be one of us.”

Rod declared and carried her in his back.

Few years after that day.

Linda as of now is 9 years old.

She’s thankful for Rod who has taken care of her. Ever since she came here, she had learned a lot about the outside world, something that she was prohibited.

There was one time when she’s asked what would she want to be, but her mind is too young for that. She had never thought about it, in fact, she’s clueless what kind of future she’ll have if she ever leaves the Glade.

Year after that, an incident occurred. It’s the day where the winter starts.

She’s sparring with the other trainees at that time. Linda and her sparring partner were equal. Each attack, Linda deflected it perfectly. The winter wind had blown over them and then something happened to her, something twitched inside her.

Linda’s strength doubled. The sword of her partner broke and stunned on the ground.

It was at this very moment, her untamed power manifested. As the snowflake fell on the ground, everything became white.

She woke up in the infirmary after that.

She recognized the sterile and the antiseptic smell of the place before she woke up. The bright morning sunlight greeted her after her eyes trailed on the window.

Linda got up. She heard few muttering voices outside. Almost whispers.

Before the door open, she heard few people discussing something, but it’s sounds like an argument. She recognizes one them. It was Rod.

He greeted her with concern mirrored in his eyes.

“How are you feeling…?”

Linda’s head throbbed.

She resisted the urged to sighed. “It felt like something hard hit on my head.”

A medic came inside. Her strict eyes altered to Rod.

“You can talk. That’s good. We were worried about you.” Her arms crossed.

Rod shook his head thinking of her.

He remembered very well that time, Rod was at the training ground overseeing the instructors and talked to some of them before leaving. Linda at that time is doing her best to win. He wanted to talk to her, but his duty preceded first.

It was too sudden. Rod felt her mana riled up with something unknown to him. The instructors even themselves rushed to her. The other trainees had saw this too and ran away. At the time of panic, the others stumbled but was helped by the instructors.

Together they conjured dozens of chantless barrier spells to protect them and the trainees from the rampaged of Linda.

Some of the instructors was hurt and got sent in the infirmary, but they recovered with mild to moderate wound.

They considered themselves lucky. Linda’s frostbite didn’t kill their nerve to the point where a part of their body needed to be cut off.

“Linda.” Rod softly called to her. “You don’t remember what happened?”

Linda shook her head. “I remembered I was sparring but… after that, it’s blank. Nothing.”

The lady and Rod exchange a glanced.

She nodded and left the room.

“Why don’t you take the day off and get some rest.”

It was hardly a question, but an order, in which she reluctantly agreed.

It appeared that everyone wasn’t happy about her. She felt the stares stabbing her. Linda did not dare to look at them. She went straight at her room.

It would be months for everyone to feel comfortable with her. Thanks to the interference of several directors. They explained to them that it’s an accident due to some unknown prowess that manifested and with some sympathetic words they forgave her. After all, they’re family. Obviously, there are some who does not completely forgive her and took some time before they communicate properly to her.

Rod, Orion and Red turned their attention on her. They studied her power and found out her heritage.

Linda told them about her past. Although, her explanation seems to be unclear and hard to understand, they were able to connect the dots.

At first, they don’t know what to say. She’s a mephistic hunter, but she didn’t inherit their nature for some reason. Mephistic Hunters are fond of dark energy, they can absorb any kind of relics that’s imbued with dark energy. Because of absorbing dark energy, the Mephistic Hunters can use magic and strong dark spells.

Later they had found out about the ritual. The ritual that changed her completely.

During the transition, a temporary state of death, her mother interferes with the ceremony.

Linda was supposed to gather celestial energy and convert it into dark energy by injecting dark magic from a person or any kind of cursed artifact to the lamb after she revived which clearly did not happen since Linda’s mother interfered.

There were training and all, but Linda can’t control her power. The training is getting nowhere, so decided to stop and wait for the right time for her to master it.