The biting wind whipped through the narrow, snow-laden streets of the village, carrying with it the distinct, cloying odor of sickness. Huddled figures, wrapped in layers of worn furs, moved with a slow, weary gait. The air felt heavy, stagnant, as if even the snow couldn't cleanse the pervasive illness that clung to the place. Rayna, shivering despite her own meager coverings, was immediately struck by the pallor of the villager's skin, the dullness in their eyes, the ragged coughs that punctuated the silence. Children, their faces thin and drawn, leaned against their parents, their small bodies seemingly weighed down by an invisible burden. This was a place where life felt fragile, where every breath seemed like a small victory against an unseen enemy.
As she stood at the edge of the village, uncertain of her reception, a woman with sunken eyes and a persistent cough approached her cautiously. "Who are you, traveler?" her voice was raspy, each word an effort. "We don't get many visitors this far north."
Rayna, her own throat tight with a mixture of apprehension and a burgeoning sense of purpose, managed a weak reply. "My name is Rayna. I… I was traveling and lost my way."
The woman studied her, her gaze lingering on the faint silvery lines visible on Rayna's hands despite the gloves she wore. "You look… different. Are you well?"
Before Rayna could answer, a small child nearby erupted in a fit of violent coughing, his frail body shaking. The mother rushed to his side, her face etched with worry. In that moment, something within Rayna shifted. The blue panel flickered into her vision:
Rayna
Race: Sundrop Elf
Class: None (Potential: Sundrop Healer)
HP: 78/100
MP: 3/6
Status: Divine Infusion (Stable)
Aura of Healing (Inactive)
An instinct, powerful and undeniable, surged through her. It was a pull towards the suffering, a resonance with the illness that permeated the village. Without conscious thought, she took a step towards the child and his distraught mother. "Perhaps… perhaps I can help," Rayna said, her voice surprising even herself with its newfound steadiness.
The woman looked at her with a mixture of suspicion and desperate hope. "You? You look barely older than my son. What could you possibly do?"
Rayna hesitated, unsure how to explain the strange power that now resided within her. Instead, she focused on the blue panel, concentrating on the words Aura of Healing. As she did, a faint golden light emanated from her hands, a soft warmth spreading outwards. The child's coughing seemed to lessen slightly, and the mother's eyes widened in surprise.
"What… what is that?" the woman whispered.
Rayna didn't have an answer, not a logical one anyway. But she knew, with a certainty that resonated deep within her being, that this light, this warmth, was connected to her transformation, to the burning light of the fire, to the whispers of the Sundrop Flower in her mother's tales.
Over the next few days, Rayna tentatively offered her help to the ailing villagers. She discovered that by focusing her intent and the faint golden light that now seemed to emanate from her, she could alleviate some of their symptoms. The racking coughs would subside for a time, the fevered brows would cool slightly, the deep weariness would lift just enough to allow for a few hours of peaceful sleep. The blue panel became her guide, the Aura of Healing skill slowly becoming more responsive as she used it. She learned that it drained her MP, the golden light dimming when her energy waned. She also noticed that physical contact seemed to amplify the effect, the silvery lines on her skin glowing brighter as she touched the sick.
The villagers, initially wary, began to regard her with a mixture of awe and gratitude. They called her the "light-touched stranger," whispering about the faint golden glow that surrounded her when she worked. The children, especially, seemed drawn to her gentle presence and the soothing warmth of her touch.
However, the sickness was pervasive and relentless. Rayna's abilities, still untrained and limited, were not a cure. She could offer relief, a temporary respite from the suffering, but the underlying illness remained. Frustration gnawed at her. She could feel the potential within her, the promise of the Sundrop Healer class hinted at by the blue panel, but she didn't know how to unlock it, how to truly heal these people.
One evening, as she sat beside a feverish elder, the blue panel flickered again, a new notification appearing:
Rayna
Race: Sundrop Elf
Class: None (Potential: Sundrop Healer)
HP: 65/100
MP: 1/6
Status: Divine Infusion (Stable)
Notification: Experience gained in [Aura of Healing]. Consider resting to recover MP and integrate new understanding.
Rest. The word resonated with a deep weariness she had been ignoring. Perhaps, by allowing herself to recover, she could unlock more of this strange power, this unexpected gift that had emerged from the ashes of her former life. The cold county, filled with disease and despair, had become her unexpected training ground, and the suffering of its people, her reluctant motivation. The journey north had not just been an escape; it had been a path towards a destiny she was only beginning to understand.