"But why?" the High Priest asked, his brow furrowing as he looked down at the six-year-old child, then back to the desperate parents. "A power like this... it is a miracle. He could help countless people, alleviate so much suffering in the empire. Why would you wish to extinguish such a divine gift?"
Cherion's mother stepped forward, her silk skirts rustling as she instinctively placed a protective hand on her youngest son's shoulder. Gone was the gentle warmth that usually softened her elegant features within the safety of their estate. "Because with how things are, Your Holiness... the moment the King or the royal family finds out about this, they will not see a miracle. They will see a tool. They will stop at nothing to possess Cherion and bind his power to the crown until he is entirely drained."
