Falling Sins

chapter 2

Nazarene sat on the cool stone floor of her home, her back pressed against the door she had just slammed shut. The echoes of her mother's scolding still lingered in the air, but her mind was elsewhere—lost in the chaotic swirl of emotions stirred by the day's events. The memory of his face, weary yet familiar, haunted her, pulling her thoughts into a turbulent sea of questions and uncertainty.

She glanced around the room, the soft glow of the luminescent stones casting gentle light on the disarray. The bathing room lay just beyond, its once peaceful aura disrupted by the mess she had neglected. Her mother’s words about managing her time better echoed in her mind, but she couldn’t focus on that now. There was too much to process, too many emotions to untangle.

Nazarene closed her eyes and drew a deep breath, trying to steady her racing thoughts. She could still see him, walking through the healing house, his presence commanding attention without effort. How had levinte changed so much? How had she? The boy who once made her toy dance with a flick of his fingers was now a man hardened by war, and she—a healer who had seen her share of suffering—was not the same girl who had giggled with innocent delight all those years ago.

She pushed herself to her feet, her movements slow and deliberate as if trying to ground herself in the present. Nazarene wandered into the bathing room, the mess her mother had scolded her for now a symbol of her inner turmoil. The warm, smooth stones under her feet were a comfort, but the chaotic state of the room reflected the chaos within her mind.

She began to tidy up, her hands moving almost automatically as she folded towels, gathered discarded garments, and straightened the flowing curtains. As she worked, her mind drifted back to the past—the attack on Quuara, the years spent traveling with her father, and the passion for healing she had discovered along the way. These memories, once so vivid and defining, now seemed to blur with the present, as if the woman she had become was still trying to reconcile with the girl she had been.

But as much as she tried to focus on the task at hand, the image of Levintre kept intruding. She could still feel the weight of his gaze when their eyes met, the unspoken connection between them, forged long ago and left dormant until now. The intensity of it all was overwhelming, pulling her into a spiral of emotions she wasn’t sure how to navigate.

Once the bathing room was in order, she returned to the main living space, feeling slightly more centered but still restless. She paced back and forth, her mind racing. How could she face him again? What would she say? The promise made when she was a child seemed like a distant dream, and yet here it was, looming over her like a shadow.

Nazarene’s heart ached with the weight of it all. She had become a skilled healer, respected and admired by many, yet she still felt as though she were stumbling in the dark, unsure of what her path truly was. The wildness that had always been part of her spirit tugged at her now, urging her to break free from the expectations that had been placed upon her.

She stopped pacing and stood still in the center of the room, her breathing steadying as she tried to find clarity. Perhaps it was time to face these feelings head-on, to confront the boy she once knew and the man he had become. Perhaps it was time to discover who she truly was, beyond the promises of the past and the responsibilities of the present.

As she stood there, bathed in the soft glow of the Venusian stones, Nazarene made a silent vow to herself. Whatever happened next, she would not be ruled by fear or obligation. She would be guided by her own strength, her own instincts, and the fierce determination that had carried her through the darkest moments of her life.

With renewed resolve, she turned to the door. The night was still young, and the path ahead was uncertain, but she would face it with the same courage that had brought her this far. Tomorrow, she would return to the healing house, not just as a healer, but as a woman ready to confront the promises and possibilities that awaited her.