The sun dipped low over the crooked rooftops of Ashglen District, casting golden rays that only partially masked the hardship carved into its every street. Children laughed faintly somewhere in the background, but Damien Gray trudged home silently, his sneakers worn thin, his schoolbag hanging by a single thread. He walked past the rust-stained fence, ducked under the broken metal arch, and entered the cramped one-room apartment he and his mother called home.
"Damien?" his mother's soft voice called from behind the small kitchen curtain.
Vivian Gray emerged, her face etched with fatigue but still managing a warm smile. Her apron was stained with oil, and her fingers bore the burns of a late shift at the neighborhood food stand. She was the kind of mother who gave everything and asked for nothing.
Damien forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm home, Ma."
He was about to set his bag down when a knock echoed from the door.
They both turned.
At the doorstep stood a man in black robes embroidered with golden scripture—an official from the Saint Academy Church Bureau. He handed Damien a sealed letter, nodded politely, and disappeared down the hallway before questions could be asked.
Damien stared at the envelope for a long second. A golden seal shimmered at the flap: SA — Saint Academy.
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The Letter of Acknowledgement
To: Damien Gray, Son of Vivian Gray, Resident of Ashglen District
On behalf of the Council of Saints and the High Administration of Saint Academy, we extend our formal recognition and gratitude for your extraordinary bravery during the unauthorized incursion event on [Date: 5th Sun of Emberfall].
Your actions directly contributed to the successful outcome of the battle waged between High Saint John Davis and the warlock of Mammon Rank. Your instinctual valor and disregard for personal safety are qualities of a Saint in spirit, if not yet in power.
We are pleased to offer you a full scholarship to Saint Academy, covering:
Tuition and boarding fees
Saint standard gear and apparel
Basic allowance
Access to Academy privileges granted to candidates with Divinity Rank
You are expected to report to Saint Academy on the 1st day of the Crescent Term. Your anonymous benefactor has covered your initiation sponsorship.
Confidential Addendum: By recommendation of High Saint John Davis. This must remain undisclosed.
May your Divinity shine through the darkness.
— The Council of Admission, Saint Academy
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Damien read the letter twice, then a third time, unable to believe what he held. He had barely even registered as a Zadkiel, the lowest of Saint ranks, yet they wanted him.
His fingers trembled.
Vivian clutched her mouth, tears forming in her eyes. "Damien… they want you. You're going to be a Saint."
He shook his head. "I can't leave you, Ma. Who'll take care of you? The job, the rent—"
She interrupted, pulling him into her arms. "You're my greatest blessing. If this world gave you even a sliver of hope, then you grab it. Don't stay behind for my sake. Live."
Damien sat silent for hours that night, watching her patch up his one prized possession: a worn, dark gray hooded jacket that somehow still looked cool despite its age. She even stitched a tiny golden cross inside the sleeve—a quiet wish for protection.
By morning, she had packed him a faded travel backpack with essentials: two sets of clothes, a toothbrush, a metal comb, and an old photo of the two of them smiling, from when times were less cruel.
Damien decided that he would go and do his best to become a Saint, for his mom's sake and after he became a Saint, he would come back and take his mom out of this awful life and give her a better life and to make her proud of him. They said their farewell, each pretending to be fine in front of the other but once they parted ways, they both burst into tears. A special escort vehicle was sent to pickup Damien and take him directly to the academy, after a long drive, they arrived at the academy, the drive was long enough for Damien to figure out what he wanted to do with his life and set his goal.
Standing at the edge of the Saint Academy gates, Damien looked back once before stepping into a future far greater than anything he'd dared imagine. The towering campus shimmered with radiant gold, domed spires scraping the clouds, and students in uniform strode confidently across pristine walkways.
The air crackled with Divinity.
Damien whispered under his breath, gripping the straps of his backpack. "I'll become the strongest… I'll surpass John Davis. No matter what it takes."
He took his first step into the unknown.