《Beneath the Hidden Moon》 Prologue Prologue ¡° What do I do?¡± Kiara breathes heavily, sweating dripping off her face. The air feels suffocating in the area she is in. Her fingers grip heavily on her katana, her battle stance shaking heavily. Her opponent is covered in a whirlwind of spiritual energy. She was deep in the forest and all alone, and she was faced with someone much stronger than her. She only had her skills and blade to protect her. The talisman behind him is broken. The energy he is emitting, slowly crushes Kiara¡¯s lungs. He slowly walks forwards towards Kiara, his footsteps heavy and deliberate. ¡° Thank you for releasing me, ¡°his cold, and husky, quickly summoned his blade in his outstretched hands, ¡° It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been in a battle. Prepare yourself girl.¡± Kiara raises her katana high, preparing for the inevitable, ¡° I won¡¯t make¡­ it easy for you,¡± her voice was shallow and quiet, fear taking control of her. There was only one way out of this. Only way out of this situation. 12 years ago Since the beginning of human civilization, curse spirits roamed the world. Invisible to regular humans and forms made of pure shadow. Those awakened with the power to fight these curse spirits are called Wardens. Europe- Poland The sun is peeking through the clouds, the birds are flapping their wings and chirping. The sky looks peaceful but it is a different story in the battlefield below. ¡° Everyone¡­retreat right now-,¡± the warden said before dropping dead from his wounds. ¡° It¡¯s too strong, we have to regroup,¡± another warden commanded everyone else on the battlefield, his eyes darting to all the survivors nearby. The grassy field is soaked in red and bodies. The air was thick with smoke, blood and the scent of blood. Elusives are ranked from a scale from lowest to strongest, D rank to S rank. Wardens follow a similar scale from F to S. A gigantic vulture-like creature covered in armor appears through the flames, crashing through it with high speeds, sending many flying away. Many tiny smaller spirits accompanied the giant creature. Elusives with the rank of S, are named by one title- Monarchs. A few wardens jump towards the Monarch, but their efforts are quickly stopped as its accompanying spirits grab them mid air and swiftly tearing them apart and disappear into the skyline. ¡° There¡¯s just too many,¡± a young apprentice says, his voice quivering in fear. His face and body covered in blood and dirt, ¡° We can¡¯t handle this.¡± ¡° We can¡¯t do anything if that thing keeps laying eggs, and creating more reinforcements,¡± the apprentice¡¯s companion says next to him. ¡° We just gotta keep holding on, until reinforcements arrive,¡± a senior warden appears, putting his hands on their shoulders, calming them down but ultimately preparing them for the inevitable. Only A ranks and above are capable of handling these types of creatures. Even then it is still a challenge for them. The sky darkened as the battle continued, as more Elusives appeared through the smoke. The wind blows against the battlefield, brushing to a country far in the east in Asia, where a different battle is about to unfold, far in the countryside, hidden in the mountains. China. The monasteries are filled with monks and students training and meditating. A falcon flapping its wings perched itself on the head monk¡¯s arm, with a report wrapped around its leg. Gently untying the paper, the man reads the paper. A bell signals a group of monks of an Elusive attack, and they prepare themselves for battle. ¡° We have gotten a report of an Elusive in the countryside,¡± the head monk commands as he reads out the report to the group, ¡° There is a nearby village in its trajectory, evacuate the village and neutralize the threat. The younger students look at their mentors, fear flickering in their eyes. The group rushed out of the gates, rushing into battle, each step bringing them closer to neutralizing the threat. On the other side of the world, in the distant ocean, in the dim wet streets of America. People are running around, seeking shelter against the rain. Wind blowing violently against the trees and the buildings below. The battle against the Elusive is a constant battle between survival and death. A task bestowed on themselves, to protect mankind in secret. America. Rain fell incessantly down, wreaking havoc on the entire small neighborhood. Each drop shimmers in the dim moon light, and makes tiny splashes, sending little ripples across the streets. A lone middle-aged figure stands still in the real desolate streets, wearing his trench coat and, with an umbrella, standing alone. His silhouette is lit by the streetlights as he walks slowly toward a house in the neighborhood. Superficially, it looked just like any other suburban house- well-mowed lawn, flower bed rather on the neat side, trapped colors from the orchids and daisies in bloom. Slowly climbing the stairs, the man''s feet seem to echo as he ascends the creaky wooden steps; it almost seems as if the house were grumbling under his own weight. "Charm." A transparent barrier shimmers into existence around the suburban house. As he moved closer to the house, he carefully speedily retracted the umbrella, folding it back and placing it in one of his many pockets on his coat. He gently knocks at the door. Knock. Knock. Knock. His voice followed the second knock, a low murmur cutting through the silent night. ¡° Alexander. Open the door. Are you okay?¡± Silence. Without any hesitation, the man pushes his way into the house, the hinges screeching in protest. The brightly covered wallpaper was now torn, scratched, and peeling. The chandelier lay broken on the ground, its crystal scattered like fallen stars. The man slowly investigates the area, the atmosphere oppressively weighing heavy on his senses. The house reeked heavily of death and sorrow. Pulling the pendant from his pocket, it shone into the dark and desolate house. He senses a dark spiritual energy coming from the second story. Quickly unsheathing the sword as he climbs the stairs, he disregards the creaking of the old hardwood boards. His approach was rushed. The dark energy grew stronger as he ascended. A huge sinister spirit notices the man climbing to the second floor-an Elusive. It waits patiently for just the right moment before making its move. ¡° The cursed spirit here somewhere,¡± he whispers to himself, his voice low, but shaky. His eyes kept falling on one corner and the other to ensure he was never caught unaware. He was just preparing himself because he could sense the sudden dark spiritual energy from the room ahead. He quickly prepares himself for the inevitable. Gripping his blade tightly, he slowly opens the door, the hinges slowly creaking. The room was barren, the furniture was broken and it was covered in clawed marks. The man was about to leave before he noticed something or someone was watching him from the closet. He froze for a moment, his heart beating heavily in his chest. Quickly pointing his blade at the closet doors, he stepped closely, his footsteps feeling heavy but delicate. His eyes flickered at the doors. His hands trembled slightly before pushing the doors open. Slowly creaking the closet door, he sees a small girl cowering under a pile of clothing. Her face was pale in shock, covered in droplets of blood, and her eyes widened and covered in fear. She was clutching onto a small stuffed animal, her breathing very shallow and rough like a wounded animal. Kneeling carefully, the man lowered himself to her level, his voice soft and gentle, despite his heart pounding heavily on his chest. ¡° Hey there¡­ What¡¯s your name.¡± The girl looked at him cautiously, eyes darting across the room, not knowing whether to trust the stranger or not but after a couple seconds she answered his question, ¡° My name is¡­ Kiara.¡± The man slowly offers his hand to Kiara, his smile radiating warmth and safety for the young girl. ¡° It¡¯s nice to meet you Kiara,¡± his voice soft but trembling, ¡° My name is Edward and I am your grandfather. Your father hasn¡¯t introduced me to you yet, hasn¡¯t he.¡± The girl slowly nods, still unsure whether to trust him. ¡° Where are your parents Kiara?¡± Edward¡¯s voice was worrisome, waiting for Kiara¡¯s response to ease his consciousness. ¡° The monster killed them¡­ in that room. In there.¡± pointing directly at the room across from where the two were. Edward quickly approaches the room, loudly pushing the door wide open, creating a little shockwave that rippled the home. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Edward just stood there, and the silence was palpable. There was no sign of the cursed spirit but the remnants of something tragic. The oppressive feeling and smell of death were still lingering in the air. His heart was hammering in his chest, and the feeling couldn¡¯t be ignored. With a powerful sigh, he slowly makes his way back to Kiara, the sadness in his chest growing more with each step. He turned towards Kiara, clearly trying to hide the pain on his face and in his voice. He kneels back down to Kiara. He glances at the empty room, the air thick of memories of what happened back there. ¡° It¡¯s alright Kiara. I¡¯m not gonna let anything happen to you.¡± his heart raced- the thoughts of her parents lying dead on the ground lingered in his chest. He couldn¡¯t undo what happened in that room, or undo what she had seen. ¡° There are people I know that are going to help you as well. I promise.¡± Kiara, hesitant at first, slowly offers her hand to her grandfather, and she slowly leaves the closet. Grabbing his Nokia out of his pocket, he quickly presses the number and answers whoever picks up the receiver. He firmly holds onto Kiara¡¯s hand as he waits for someone to pick up his call. His footsteps brought anxiety upon Edward as he knew the cursed spirit was still inside the house, and he needed someone to come pick up him and Kiara. A click sounded through the receiver. ¡° What¡¯s the problem, Edward?¡± The voice on the end was rigged, familiar, but with an edge of concern. ¡° Hey. I got to the location, and I couldn¡¯t save the parents, but I found this girl. I need some backup to take her safely back to the temple. Now¡± Edward said, his voice low but commanding. ¡° No problem. Help will arrive in about 10 minutes. Hope she doesn¡¯t mind being stuck in the rain for a while. We don¡¯t want new recruits to be sick on their first day¡± ¡° Hahaha. How funny!¡± he said sarcastically, looking down at Kiara, his gaze covered in worry and uncertainty. I don¡¯t know about this one. I don¡¯t think she possesses any spiritual gifts at all.¡± ¡° Did she show any signs of sensing or seeing the Elusive?¡± The man¡¯s voice had a hint of skepticism. ¡° Yeah.¡± ¡° Edward? Are you under the weather? That¡¯s a clear sign that she possesses spiritual energy. She has to be recruited. Is there anything wrong Edward, that the council needs to know about?¡± Edward¡¯s mind raced with thoughts: the council, the system, the rules. He didn¡¯t have time to get involved or argue about them; his main mission was getting Kiara to safety. He had a strange feeling about all of this¡ªhe knew how the training for the recruits went. Her spiritual gifts made her not belong to this world nor did she belong to the world the council would likely demand out of her. What could Edward do? He was one man in the system and he had to do his job. The most that Edward can do is shield her as much as he can with her training. Kiara¡¯s quiet voice broke Edward out of his thoughts, her gaze drawn to the blade that he sheathed on his side. She slowly met his gaze. Kiara, noticing his discomfort, tugged on his sleeve, ¡° Why do you have a sword grandpa?¡± Edward gives off a small smile to Kiara. ¡° This sword is a part of what I do Kiara¡± Edward was having a hard time trying to describe what he does for a living and why he carries a blade around him, ¡°My job is to protect people from dangerous spirits- Elusives.¡± Kiara blinked, ¡° Is that¡­what killed mommy and daddy?¡± Kiara¡¯s words felt like a knife to Edward¡¯s throat, he didn¡¯t expect her to bluntly say that to him. He wasn¡¯t sure how to respond. A strange dark presence snuck up behind Edward, the elusive was near. ¡° Kiara. Stay behind me now.¡± Edward quickly unsheathed his blade and Kiara scurried behind her grandfather. His eyes darted everywhere, unable to find the elusive. The dark presence was near. ¡° We¡¯re not safe in this house, you walk in front of me as we descend the stairs okay.¡± Suddenly a huge dark monster leaped towards Edward, catching him off guard, a blur of claws and teeth. His instincts kicked in - quickly pushing Kiara out of the way before the elusive and Edward fell down the stairs. As they tumbled down the wooden stairs, the world spinned as they crashed into the dust-filled air.. The dusty smoke cloud created, blinded Edward, making him unable to see the creature. His vision was still spinning and he needed to regain his footing. He grabbed his weapon, and used it to block the creature¡¯s vicious attempt to bite his face off, its jaws snapping a few inches away from his. ¡° Flame!¡± His voice was steady but commanding despite the pain he was in. Edward¡¯s blade glowed red before being engulfed in a whirlwind of fire and ash. The elusive jaws backed away from the blade hissing as the heat burned its twisted form, scurrying back to create enough distance. Kiara¡¯s eyes widened in shock and amazement, her mouth wide open as the fire surrounded her grandfather¡¯s blade. Swiftly dashing at the spirit, Edward swung his katana. The elusive tried to dodge it but it was too slow. Edward swiftly sliced into the monster¡¯s side. The fire covered blade burned and scorched the creature, trying its best to escape. Its shrieks echoed throughout the house. Using all its strength, Edward swung his arms, and managed to cut the creature in half with brutal force. It¡¯s twisted body cracking from the slice. Quickly bubbling and expanding before exploding into dark mist. Vanishing with a howl. Edward gives off a quick sigh of relief as the dark energy is transmitted into the man¡¯s blade. ¡° Kiara. It¡¯s safe now. You can come out.¡± His voice is calm, but urgent. Kiara quickly ran down the stairs almost tripping but she walked up to her grandfather, holding his hand. Her face once covered in fear was now covered in awe. ¡° Grandpa, that was awesome. How did you do that? That was cool.¡± She exclaimed, her eyes wide opened. ¡° It¡¯s a skill,¡± he says keeping it simple, ¡° A skill you learn to survive¡­ and to protect others.¡± ¡° Do you think I will be able to do that, Grandpa? When I¡¯m older?¡¯ ¡° I don¡¯t know Kiara,¡± his voice uncharacteristically low, ¡° It¡¯s not a life anyone should be forced to do¡­ there are people in this world who will break you if you are not careful.¡± Kiara smiled and squeezed his hand tighter, an unexpected determination, ¡° I can do it Grandpa. I¡¯m strong just like you.¡± Edward gave a small chuckle to himself, a small faint smile across his face. He quickly escorts Kiara out of the house where they waited for their backup to arrive. The rain continuously poured heavily onto the house and the neighborhood. Edward gave a quick glance at Kiara who was still tugging on his sleeve after witnessing him kill the elusive. The tired man looked off to the distance as his comrade¡¯s car arrived onto the scene. Its headlights pierced the rain. Quickly rolling down his windows to alert the duo. ¡° You guys look rough. Edward, get the kid into the car, she looks like she is gonna get a cold real quick in this weather.¡± Edward slowly kneeled down to Kiara. His hand resting on her messy dirty hair. ¡° I almost forgot. How old are you Kiara?¡± ¡° Five,¡± she replied. ¡° You must have a lot of questions Kiara. That trick you saw me doing, there¡¯s a chance you could be able to do that too, you could be like a warden like me¡± Kiara¡¯s eyes widened in happiness and curiosity, she began jumping in excitement. ¡° Do you think I will be able to control the fire? Or¡­ create candy out of my hands?¡± Edward chuckles to himself, amusing in Kiara¡¯s child-like antics. He grabs her hands, retracting his umbrella, and they walk to the car. ¡° Listen Kiara. You don¡¯t have to be a warden, there are many more important things in life than that, but if you choose this path, I will always protect you, no matter what. ¡° Kiara¡¯s hand gripped her grandfather¡¯s, he could feel the unspoken promise between them. ¡° These people might not be the nicest and most caring like your parents but I will shield you from them, you understand.¡± ¡° I understand Grandpa.¡± Edward¡¯s eyes lingered on Kiara¡¯s serious and amusing face. He has no idea what the future will lead to her or for him but he knows all he can do is guide along the right path. Edward slowly puts Kiara in the backseat of the car, he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that this was just the beginning of a new life for him and Kiara. The days that followed blurred into weeks then into months then finally years. 11 years later The sun dipped low. The streets bustling with busy people leaving their driveways to work, and kids walking to school, unaware of the ancients forces lurking in the shadows. Edward¡¯s hands trembled a bit as he finished cleaning up the last of the pans and dishes, he slowly picked up his slow roast coffee but nearly dropped it when he noticed the time. ¡° Kiara. Finish your breakfast. At the pace you are eating, you will be late for school.¡± Kiara with her mouth open, about to consume a piece of pancake on her forks, puts it down. She checks the time on her clock, and her eyes shoot out in shock and confusion. ¡° Oh crap,¡± she begins quickly putting the pancakes in her mouth and washing it down with a nice glass of orange juice. It was a sharp contrast from the scared girl from that many nights ago. Edward rolled his eyes, he almost forgot what it was like to take care of a teenager at his old brittle age. ¡° Oh by the way Kiara, there will be no training this week, and if you dare try to disobey me¡­ that¡¯s 20 bowls of veggies for you for the next two weeks. You need to study for college and not worry about killing elusives.¡± Kiara gives a soft groan a familiar sound to Edward, ¡° I understand grandpa, I promise to try to not disobey you,¡± tossing him a grin and playful wink as quickly grabs her bag and dashed out of the door, leaving Edward contemplating whether she is really being sincere or not. ¡° That girl is gonna be the death of me someday. Just like her father.¡± His voice felt unrecognizable, rough with years of experience and too long burdened by secrets. He begins putting his hand into a hand sign. A dark mist appeared in front of Edward, revealing a small spirit falcon. It hovered in front of Edward, its glowing eyes met his. ¡° Keep an eye on Kiara today,¡± Edward ordered steadily, ¡° Report to me when she eventually hunts another elusive.¡± The bird quickly flapped its wings once and disappeared into the air, vanishing into the shadows of the house. Edward walks back to his study room, his steps steady, but his thoughts are anything but. Something was off today. But what? Ch 1. Kiara Meitner Chapter 1 Kiara Meitner A hero is someone who, regardless of the cost, steps forward against adversity, making sacrifices to help others or achieve a noble goal. Kiara quickly dashes out of the house, unaware of her grandfather¡¯s spirit companion following her. Her gaze was focused on not being marked tardy by her teacher. She quickly sees her friends walking up ahead and runs hard to catch up to them. ¡° Hey, it''s been a while.¡± yelling loudly to her friends. Kiara¡¯s friends jump from her sudden appearance but they all laugh it off together as they continue on their way to school. ¡° Where did you come from Kiara?¡± one of her friends asked, teasing her. ¡° I just ran really fast from my house,¡± she replies, her voice dry and out of breath, wiping the sweat from her forehead. ¡° Did you oversleep again?¡± her other friend teased, a mischievous smile on her face. Kiara just rolled her eyes as her friends giggled. The air was crisp and gently filled the area with the fresh scent of grass and flowers. The scent of the orchids reminded Kiara for a moment about when life was simple when her parents were still alive, and she was just a simple kid. It was a stark contrast from how intense and fun her life is in life-and-death situations fighting curse spirits. ¡° Oh Kiara, how is your grandfather doing?¡± Her friend¡¯s comment about her grandfather quickly snaps Kiara out of her memories. ¡° Oh he is doing just fine, why do you ask?¡± her voice was puzzled. ¡° Is he some kind of fencing instructor or swordsman because whenever I see him, he is always swinging his blade around and teaching you?¡± Kiara¡¯s eyes darted away, her gaze flickering to the ground as her hands twitched. Quickly pushing back her long black hair that covered one side of her face. The question about her grandfather did make her throat tighten but she forced a smile. She couldn¡¯t let her friends know about the Warden society and what she does in her free time. ¡° Oh. I mean he is¡­ some swordsman but I swear he is just¡­. Uhhhh-¡± Kiara¡¯s rambling is interrupted when she accidentally bumps into a tall white-haired man and his female companion standing next to him. Kiara was caught off guard by the man¡¯s stern, cold, and tired expression. His eyes clearly told her that she was in big trouble. She couldn¡¯t do anything. It was as if every limb of her body was frozen in fear. The air felt chilled, the man¡¯s presence was unlike anything she felt before. The air around him seemed to intensify. The man¡¯s companion, the long blonde-haired girl with a stern expression, nudged him on his side with a sharp look, ¡° Come on brother, don¡¯t give her that look. It was clearly an accident.¡± The man said nothing, putting his hand on Kiara¡¯s shoulder, and violently pushed her to the side, catching both her and her friends off guard. ¡° Hey! You could at least be gentle.¡± one of Kiara¡¯s friends yelled out. ¡° Let¡¯s get going,¡± the man¡¯s partner says swiftly, ¡° Sorry about my brother. He is not gentle with people,¡± Kiara tries to push her friends to keep moving on as they are getting late to school. Her friends are busy cursing the man and his sister out for being rude. The day has started pretty awkwardly for her. ¡° You should probably teach your brother some manners for once, you hear that you little-¡± Kiara¡¯s friend exclaims before she and her other friend cover her mouth. ¡° Hahaha. Ignore that please,¡± she whispers something quietly, ¡° Nina, let¡¯s get going now. The school bell is about to ring in 5 minutes.¡± The trio runs quickly to make it to school, running past all the civilians passing by. The man stares back as the trio moves along, his partner nudges his side for them to keep moving. ¡° Let¡¯s get going,¡± she murmured, ¡° We don¡¯t want to leave big sis all alone any longer now,¡± The man¡¯s eyes lingered on Kiara, glaring at her presence, ¡° That girl¡­she is a warden. Her spiritual energy has potential but it¡¯s sloppy and too uncontrolled. Filthy human.¡± ¡° Father said not to engage with wardens, ¡° his sister teased, ¡° He wouldn¡¯t appreciate your attitude.¡± Rolling his eyes, the man turned and walked away, his sister trailing behind him. ¡° He is not our father,¡± he mutters quickly but silently to himself, out of earshot from his sister. A chilling sensation crawled up Kiara¡¯s spine, it was unlike anything she felt before. She quickly pulls out her pendant but it doesn''t shine- a sign of an Elusive in the area. Kiara''s eyes dart around but she doesn¡¯t feel anything off in the area, no hint of dark spiritual energy. Was it that man and his sister? Kiara slapped her hands on her cheeks to calm herself down, her imagination was running all over the place, and she just bumped into two strangers. That unnerving situation must have made her think there was an Elusive nearby. She hoped school would be kind to her, and her day would be better from this point on. The school day did not make Kiara¡¯s day any better. The classroom felt like a prison, the humming of the teacher¡¯s voice faded into the background as her mind wandered. It smelled like chalk dust and stale paper. The outside world felt so colorful through the windows, with the sun peeking through the clouds. It was too disorienting for Kiara. It would be so much better if I was out fighting Elusives, then stuck in this desk, she thought doodling in her sketchbook. ¡° Kiara,¡± the teacher yelled out her name. She quickly snapped back to reality, but the moment went by quickly. Time felt like it slowed down for an eternity. Kiara¡¯s friend watch her softly smack her head on her desk in Advisory. ¡° You really don¡¯t like that teacher don¡¯t you Kiara,¡± Nina asks. ¡° I don¡¯t hate the teacher, I just hate the way she teaches, it¡¯s so slow and boring like¡­ you feel time slowing down in her class,¡± Kiara exclaims to her friends. ¡° I think that¡¯s a you thing. Your attention span is so bad, your brain requires stimulation almost every second, it¡¯s that bad,¡± Chloe jokes. I mean if you are constantly jumping off roofs and buildings and working with magic, your brain would be used to fast-paced action all the time Kiara smiles to herself at the thought. The school bell suddenly rings loudly, echoing down the hallway, signaling the end of the day. Students flood out of their classrooms- some clogging the halls to chat with their friends, while others hurriedly dash towards the exits. Kiara grabbed her notes and stuffed them in her bag. There was a strange sensation that wasn¡¯t quite right. Something was wrong- but Kiara couldn¡¯t place her finger on it. She walks down the stairs chatting with her friends. Her friends were laughing beside her, unaware of the unease in the area. She is forced to pretend everything is okay with a smile. ¡° See you tomorrow,¡± she said as they parted ways, waving each other off. As she walked out of the school gates, Kiara tried to blend in with the crowd, but her eyes darted around, scanning for danger, but unaware to her, Edward¡¯s spirit companion was following her. She started sensing a dangerous feeling a couple streets down from where she was. Quickly ignoring her doubts, she dashes into the busy streets to where that dangerous feeling came from. Meanwhile, Edward sits alone in his dimly lit study room, documents, and loose papers everywhere. He is busy talking on the phone with another person on the receiver. Edward¡¯s eyes dart around, picking up and looking through the loose papers as the call continues. ¡° How are things going with your training with Kiara?¡± the man on the receiver asks, his voice smooth but very disingenuous with the topic. ¡° She¡¯s just like any other rank at her age, just a regular D rank,¡± Edwards replies diligently, his tone stiff, ¡° Nothing out of the ordinary.¡± There is a long silence on the other end. ¡° Hmm¡­a D rank huh. The current climate right now is very tense. A and B rank Elusives are growing and evolving at a rate much faster than expected- you know what that means.¡± Edward¡¯s eyes darted at a picture frame of him in his younger days, the glare covering up the face of the person next to him in the picture. The memories it brought lingered in his head. ¡° I¡¯m doing what I can,¡± Edward swiftly says, his voice quiet but still controlled. ¡° But you should already know the drill. We A ranks handle the major threats. It is not Kiara''s fight yet or any of the younglings. They are all¡­ too inexperienced.¡± The voice on the other end doesn¡¯t seem satisfied with Edward¡¯s answer. "Perhaps it would be better for Kiara if she were fully integrated with the curriculum¡ªtraining alongside the other D ranks and below." Edward¡¯s face is stern, his hands clenching into a fist. ¡° I still think it¡¯s better if a person close to her should train her. All those younglings should not be forced to train harder because of an increase of A rank Elusives, it¡¯s not their battle it¡¯s ours. Kiara and the rest need time. We should prepare them for what¡¯s to come properly.¡± ¡° Perhaps you are right but remember you asked to be her mentor, while it is true that it is normal for kids her age to still be D rank, a lot of them manage to proceed to at least C and B rank. Maybe your training is not as sufficient as you proclaimed those many years ago.¡± ¡°You were about Kiara¡¯s age once, Zhang. I remember training you, you had major respect for me. All full of hope, and you were such a cute boy. Now look at you- no-nonsense, very strict, and rules. What happened to the cute boy that idolized me?¡± Edward snarks back, clearly trying to tease him. ¡° You must be misremembering things, I was always all rules and no-nonsense¡­.¡± Edward smiles to himself as he hears Zhang breathing heavily to himself. He played directly into Edward¡¯s teasing game. ¡°Your attempts to change the conversation are not working Edward, we need strong wardens in this day and age, there hasn¡¯t been an S rank in a long time, and we need one as fast as possible.¡± Edward¡¯s gaze shifts back onto the photograph, picking it up and examining it, ¡° I¡¯ll make sure to show you her potential. I¡¯ll make her ready. She¡¯ll not fail you.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Tightening his grip on the phone, Edward¡¯s mind flashed to when he was her age. He trained hard and obeyed all orders and rules set by the council but Kiara was different, she inherited that rebellious personality of her father. She had potential but she lacked the discipline and control. There¡¯s a long pause. The silence consumes Edward, waiting for Zhang¡¯s response. ¡° I hope you are right. If you ever change your mind, you should at least let her tour the area, but don¡¯t be surprised if your training is not enough for her, the world is changing and it is unforgiving to people like her.¡± Zhang rudely hangs up the call on Edward. He slowly puts the phone back in his pocket and continues working in his study room. Tapping the pencil on his notebook, Edward contemplated on himself. ¡° Maybe it wouldn¡¯t hurt for Kiara to meet other children like her,¡± he mutters softly to himself. ¡° Kiara should be home by now, where is she?¡± He puts his hand over his eyes and sees through his spirit companion following Kiara running through the busy streets away from her home. Edward¡¯s face is empty for a couple seconds before bursting out in playful anger, ¡° Kiara! You are making me look bad.¡± he rubs his forehead, ¡° Disobeying my orders¡­ heh just like her father. ¡± ¡°I hope she doesn¡¯t get hurt,¡± Edward says, muttering to himself. After a couple minutes of running, Kiara stops to take a breather. Quickly wiping the sweat and breathing hard to catch her breath. Taking out her pendent, it flowed brightly, signaling Kiara that the elusive was near in this area. She explored the alleyway, graffiti, and garbage were everywhere. Kiara¡¯s eyes darted everywhere to find the Elusive but instead, she saw a hand behind a set of boxes. She slowly walks forward to see a child slumped over next to a pile of garbage. Cowering under fear when he notices Kiara walking towards him. ¡° Hey. It¡¯s okay now,¡± she says gently, her voice slow and sincere. She thinks to herself, "He probably got lost somewhere, I should get him to safety before I can fight the elusive, ¡° I promise I won''t bite.¡± The scared child moves farther away from Kiara as she reaches her hand towards his. She immediately felt confused at his gesture. She didn¡¯t know what to do after this moment. What did I do wrong? Do I look suspicious? Kiara¡¯s mind raced with thoughts, I thought kids loved me. ¡° I¡¯m not going to eat you. I promise,¡± Kiara¡¯s heart dropped, her words hanging in her throat, Girl. Stop saying you are gonna eat him, good job for him not trust you any further. The uncomfortable silence did not make the situation any more awkward. Edward¡¯s spirit companion slowly perched itself on a nearby ledge, watching over Kiara¡¯s action. Kiara swiftly slapped herself on the cheeks to calm herself down, but that feeling of the kid being scared affected her slightly. ¡° What¡¯s your name?¡± Kiara says gently, ¡° My name is Kiara and what¡¯s yours.¡± The boy looked at Kiara briefly, his breath heavy, hands trembling, ¡° My name is¡­ Noah.¡± ¡° That¡¯s a cool name, Noah,¡± Kiara says with a big smile on her face, offering her hand again, ¡° I don¡¯t think you are comfortable hiding behind those boxes. I¡¯ll buy you some food before I return you back to your parents. Okay, I know a killer pizza place near here.¡± Noah stayed quiet for a long time, unintentionally making Kiara think she said something wrong. She kneels down to Noah¡¯s level, ¡° Look Noah, I know you are scared and don¡¯t trust me, but I promise you, I won¡¯t leave you alone.¡± ¡° Come on,¡± she said again, trying to sound more sincere, ¡° I could show you something cool,¡± she swung her finger around, a black mist trail of spiritual energy following her finger. Noah¡¯s eyes widened, his curiosity sparking. Kiara''s lips form slowly into a smile, ¡° Let¡¯s get you out of here, this place is kind of scary, to be honest.¡± ¡° I don¡¯t want to go,¡± Noah quietly mutters to Kiara. Kiara tries to comfort Noah but he says something that made Kiara¡¯s heart, ¡° The monster is near.¡± Kiara''s eyes widened, her eyes darting to find where the Elusive was. Thinking quickly, she placed her hands into a charm spell. In an instant, the alleyway is covered by a translucent barrier shimmering into existence. Shifting her hands into a different hand sign, Kiara¡¯s normal school uniform is engulfed into a misty black smoke, transforming them into formal attire with a purple kimono draped over her shoulders, with a katana sheathed next to her side. ¡° Woah, ¡° Noah gasped, his eyes widening at what he just saw, ¡° How did you do that?¡± Kiara started tapping her foot, not knowing how to explain what she just did to Noah, ¡° Uh. Magic.¡± She looks around, unsheathing her katana but she doesn¡¯t see the Elusive, the pendant still glows telling her that it was near her proximity. ¡° Stay back Noah. Stay close to me at all times.¡± Kiara ordered Noah as he went back into hiding behind the pile of boxes. Noah started breathing heavily, his eyes widening, sweating profusely. Kiara turned her head to see what was wrong, and she saw Noah pointing at something. Kiara quickly turned back to see a two-headed Elusive appear in front of her, her eyes widened from being caught off guard. She quickly turned her body to the side, before the spirit could grab her. Kiara¡¯s eyes darted towards Noah, who was watching the whole thing unfold. Shit. Shit. Shit. Kiara¡¯s mind raced, Calm down! If I die, Noah will die as well. Think of a plan Kiara, think rationally. She quickly dashes herself towards the beast, This is not a rational plan! Quickly swinging her katana, she manages to get an indent into the creature¡¯s shoulder. ¡° I did it!¡± Kiara exclaims proudly, before being thrown like a ragdoll into the nearby wall, falling face first into the ground, a dust cloud forming around her, ¡°Ow,¡± her eyes watering from the dirt in her eyes, coughing profusely from the smoke. Her back hurt badly from the impact. The pain radiating across her body, The two-headed Elusive launched its multiple tail whips at Kiara, who thinks quickly dodging their attempts to pierce her again. Quickly on her feet, she dashed towards the Elusive, narrowly missing many of their attacks. One of the tails managed to graze on her leg. Momentarily distracted, the cursed spirit pushed her back to where she started. Edward, watching the battle through his hawk spirit¡¯s eyes, thinks to himself, "I should help Kiara out, Zhang¡¯s words ring in his head, don¡¯t be surprised if your training is not enough for her, the world is changing and it is unforgiving to people like her. Edward gives a long deep sigh to himself, ¡° Maybe he is right,¡± he quickly examines the elusive, ¡° It appears to be at least a low C rank spirit, Kiara might be able to defeat it if she plays her numbers right.¡± Wiping her eyes quickly, Kiara quickly got into a stance against the Elusive. Her eyes still watered a bit, from the smoke in the air. She breathes deeply, trying to maintain her composure, raising her katana high. The taste of smoke rained heavily in the area, filling her mouth. The two-headed Elusive quickly glances at Noah and then back at Kiara. She slowly walks forward towards Noah, each step heavy and deliberate. The Elusive charges itself towards Noah, and Kiara acts immediately by aiming and throwing her blade. Edward¡¯s heart dropped for a moment, Kiara¡¯ action could either go well or go horribly wrong. The katana narrowly misses the Elusive, scratching it on its leg, causing it to collapse onto the ground. Kiara quickly dashed towards Noah, putting him behind her, ¡° Release,¡± Kiara¡¯s katana dissolves back into pure spiritual energy. She quickly outstretched her hands into a hand sign. The katana reappeared in her outstretched hands. Edward¡¯s eyes widened from how quickly Kiara acted in a high-stakes scenario, impressed by her actions. Kiara yhrew her katana into the Elusive¡¯s body, thrusting it as deep as she physically could. The creature squirmed heavily, trying its best to escape, ¡° Just stay down already,¡± in a clean slice, she successfully eliminated the cursed spirit. Kiara collapses onto the ground. She collapses onto the ground. The battle drained a lot of her strength and spiritual energy. She slowly laughs to herself. ¡° Hahaha. That was so exhilarating and amazing.¡± Her laugh was radiant and bright. Much better than sitting at a desk all day thinking to herself. Noah slowly walked over to Kiara, his eyes widened, and his face filled with curiosity. Edward¡¯s spirit companion still watched over Kiara on the ledge. Edward looked at Noah¡¯s face, it was the same face that Kiara made when she first saw him fight an Elusive. Before he could release his spirit, he noticed something in the distance, ¡° Oh no.¡± ¡° Let¡¯s get you to your parents now-¡± Kiara reassures Noah before being cut off by a group of people standing on top of the rooftop ledge. No one should be in the area since the charm spell was still in effect, which meant only one thing- they were wardens. There was a rule that Kiara forgot. Since she was a D-rank Warden, she had to be accompanied by a person of B rank or above at all times. Kiara started sweating profusely, not knowing what to do. ¡° Where is your mentor kid?¡± one of the wardens shouted loudly at her. Kiara had no answer to that, she didn¡¯t expect to see another warden before. Unlike her grandfather, they were not gonna show her any mercy. ¡° Is something wrong, Kiara?¡± Noah says, not understanding the situation Kiara is in. The leader of the group drops down to where Kiara is, ¡° Don¡¯t make things hard, kid, come with us so the council can decide your punishment.¡± Kiara''s blood felt cold, her heart rate dropping quickly. Their gaze and their authority- felt oppressive. Her throat felt like it was closing in on itself. I can''t lie my way out of this one, Kiara''s mind raced, her hands trembled. She didn''t know what to do. Edward, acting quickly, ordered his companion to attack the leader. ¡° What the¡± The hawk spirit quickly clawed itself on the leader, taking advantage of the situation, Kiara removed the barrier around the alleyway, grabbed Noah¡¯s hand and her school stuff, and quickly dashed away from the group. Kiara quickly fights through the pain in her leg to get Noah and herself to safety. ¡° Get back here!¡± one of the Wardens shouted. ¡° Leave them!¡± the leader commanded his group, ¡° I hope her mentor gives her some discipline.¡± After a couple miles downtown, Kiara and Noah quickly stopped their pace. Her throat stung from exhaustion, and her breaths felt non-existent, ¡° Oh my god¡­ I need to work on my cardio.¡± she said, taking deep quick breaths. She quickly noticed a nearby ice cream shop nearby. ¡° You like ice cream kid,¡± Noah nodded his head quickly. Kiara quickly pulled out her wallet, she had a couple dollars to spare for him. After a couple minutes of waiting in line, they exited the shop with two chocolate ice cream cones. ¡° Let¡¯s get you home Noah, where do you live?¡± pulling out her phone¡¯s map to help Noah find his home. Noah licks his ice cream, pointing his finger at Kiara¡¯s phone. Kiara¡¯s eyes widened, as she realized that they had traveled 20 miles away from where Noah lives. She scratched her head, not wanting to walk 20 miles to the opposite side of the city. ¡° I¡¯m going to take you to the police station instead, it will hopefully help you reconnect with your parents,¡± grabbing Noah¡¯s hands and they depart themselves to the police station. After around 30 minutes, Kiara dropped Noah off at the police station. Noticing the time, Kiara got herself a taxi to get back home. Kiara thought to herself as many lies she could come up with and tell her grandfather as to why she arrived around 2 hours late from school. Upon making it to her suburban house, Kiara quickly pats herself down, coming up with a lie that she just got lost and that was why she was late. Taking a deep breath, she knocks at the door. Edward opens the door, pretending to not know what Kiara just did. Kiara quickly moved past her grandfather spouting out her half-baked lie to him. ¡° Lost again? You should work on your stories, Kiara,¡± Edward says, raising his eyebrow. ¡° What? What are you talking about?¡± Kiara¡¯s voice is all high and she is sweating all over the place. A sign she is lying. Edward¡¯s tone softens as he notices the exhaustion in her eyes, ¡° It appears to me, you disobeyed my orders,¡± pointing at Kiara¡¯s wounds. She gives off an awkward laugh as Edward¡¯s lips thin and his eyes narrow. ¡° You were seen by other wardens Kiara,¡± Edward¡¯s voice was gentle but firm, ¡° You were lucky that I distracted them so that you could escape with that kid.¡± ¡° That was you?¡± Kiara¡¯s eyes widened in confusion, her mouth slightly open. She let out a breath, ¡° Thank you for having my back Grandpa. I¡¯ll try to be more careful.¡± ¡° You have to be careful, you can¡¯t just act on your own,¡± Edward gestured to Kira, ¡° You may have gotten lucky with that C rank and those wardens but I promise you that it won''t be that way.¡± Kiara¡¯s eyes looked down on the ground. Understanding the weight of her actions. Edward slowly walked to Kiara, and slowly embraced her in a hug, with her hugging him back. ¡° Don¡¯t think that I¡¯m being overly harsh on you kid,¡± Edward says gently but his voice is firm, ¡° I¡¯m just trying to protect you¡­ the council isn¡¯t overly nice to rule breakers like you,¡± he slowly pats her on the head, embarrassing Kiara, ¡° Get ready for dinner, we¡¯ll continue this conversation during dinner.¡± Kiara smiles as she slowly walks up the stairs to her room. She was glad she had her grandfather with her, the only one who truly understood her. Upon reaching her room, she threw her school stuff onto the bed and changed into your home clothes. Kiara quickly walked down the stairs for dinner, but a feeling that she had during the whole day popped up in her head. Why did she feel spiritual energy similar to that of an Elusive when she bumped into that brother and sister duo? That dark presence radiating off both of them lingered on her head. There was something off about them, that she couldn¡¯t place her finger on, Chapter 2. Young girls sass Old mans wisdom Chapter 2 Young girl Sass Old man¡¯s Wisdom Progress is impossible without change. The problem is whether the system or the people in it are willing to change or not. A woman is convulsing on the ground in an alleyway, in the busy streets of the city. The people walking by were unaware of what was happening in the background. She slowly stopped moving, foam dribbling out of her mouth. ¡° Another failure,¡± the man in the plague doctor outfit said next to his partner, his voice muffled through the mask, ¡° How should we report this to the master?¡± ¡° Eh. It doesn¡¯t matter to me anyway. We still have five more canisters,¡± the man in Roman-style armor said, nudging his partner with his shoulder, ¡° Let¡¯s find the next straggler to experiment with.¡± ¡° He said to find a perfect host,¡± the plague doctor mutters, ¡° so we should not find a random straggler.¡± ¡° I just want to get out of doing this petty task already,¡± glaring at his partner. The plague doctor pours a liquid out of his flask and the body is quickly dissolved into nothing, no evidence that a crime took place. The two men walked off into the streets, catching the attention of a few civilians but they just ignored the two, oblivious to what they just did. Around this time, in the evening, the smell of sizzling steak filled Kiara¡¯s stomach. She watched as her grandfather flipped steaks and shrimp on the grill. It was the only thing that distracted her from the pain from the Elusive battle. The healing ointment was not working fast enough for Kiara. Leaning back on her chair, the lingering discomfort of her wound gnawed on her patience. A question randomly pops up in Kiara¡¯s head. Something about her grandfather made her wonder- Did he ever have doubts? Does he have any secrets? ¡° Grandpa. How was life back when you were my age?¡± Kiara asks, catching Edward¡¯s attention off guard. Edward answers, a hint of confusion in his voice as he takes the food off the grill. His eyes looked on with mild surprise. ¡° Well. I wasn¡¯t popular with the girls,¡± he said with a chuckle, flipping the shrimp,¡° But I got along with my seniors.¡± ¡° No, I mean, tell me about how your adventures went. You are an A rank, and you get to handle the exciting missions,¡± Kiara says excitedly. ¡° Actually, I was mostly tasked with education, scouting, and searching for lost relics.¡± ¡° Oh,¡± Kiara says, disappointed with her grandfather¡¯s answers, her shoulders dropping,¡° Can you at least tell me what you do in your study room, you spend a lot of time there. It is driving me crazy.¡± Edward''s eyes meet Kiara¡¯s, his expression is different from what Kiara is used to seeing. Setting the tongs down, he slowly looks at his study room, then back at Kiara¡¯s gaze., It seemed as though if he was searching for the right words. ¡° I¡¯ll tell you one day Kiara. The most I can tell you right now is that it''s important, and when I think it¡¯s ready, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Edward says, his voice is husky and soft-spoken. Kiara¡¯s curiosity grew even bigger, and she frowned. She hated that feeling when her grandfather said the right words to satisfy her question but not enough for it to be an actual answer- it was annoying. Even though Kiara knew this was going to happen, she knew better not to press him any further. Still, the mystery was eating her on the inside. What is this project? What was in the study room? ¡° I¡¯ve been thinking Kiara,¡± Edward says, putting a couple pieces of shrimp in her bowls of noodles, ¡° You haven¡¯t been near other Wardens like you or me before¡­. I think you should know how things operate.¡± Kiara eyes look on in confusion, as she chews on her piece of shrimp and noodles. This announcement was very out of nowhere for Kiara. ¡° Why do you want to take me to the temple? I thought you were on bad terms with the council.¡± Kiara says questioning her grandfather¡¯s decision, This wasn¡¯t like her grandfather. Edward contemplates to himself, his expression unclear. He chews slowly before answering, ¡° I wouldn¡¯t say on bad terms, I would say I don¡¯t work well with them.¡± ¡° That¡¯s called bad terms Grandpa,¡± Kiara says jokingly, teasing at her Grandpa¡¯s cryptic message. Edward smirks to himself. He continued flipping more food on the grill, but Kiara couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was going on inside his head. ¡° I talked with an old apprentice of mine, and he made me think that maybe I was protecting you too much from how the warden society operated.¡± ¡° You already told me how it was operated,¡± Kiara said, poking at her noodles, ¡° they send C rank and above to hunt down Elusive, right? They find and train children like me who can sense spiritual energy, and they are sticklers for tradition. ¡± Kiara looks on at her grandfather, waiting for his response. His facial expression is unclear as if he is waiting for the right words to use. ¡° That is somewhat true,¡± he pauses, taking a piece of shrimp off the grill. His gaze was distant. Kiara¡¯s eyes widened, filled with confusion, as she looked at Edward, ¡° From what I¡¯ve heard about the council, they¡¯re just a bunch of grumpy old men.¡± Edward stares off into the distance, his facial expression unclear and vague to Kiara. The awkward silence felt like it lasted for an eternity. The sizzling sounds of the grill brought any semblance of noise. ¡° There are some events in my past that soured my relations with them, that¡¯s all,¡± Edward puts more food onto Kiara¡¯s bowl of noodles,¡± I¡¯ll take you to the temple on Friday. You¡¯ll meet some kids, and see how they¡¯re trained. I¡¯ll talk to some colleagues of mine.¡± ¡° Why haven¡¯t I trained in the temple Grandpa? From the sounds of it, I am the only one not trained in there? Why is that?¡± Kiara asks, shifting in her seat, glancing around the room, and her gaze intensified around Edward. Edward¡¯s hands move slowly as he takes off the last pieces of food off the grill. He leans back on his chair while Kiara leans forward to hear his story. After stretching for a bit, he slowly straightens his back. ¡° It¡¯s time you understand. I¡¯ll tell you why you are not trained at the temple.¡± Kiara¡¯s gaze sharpens, her mouth wide open in curiosity, ¡° What happened, Grandpa?¡± Edward gaze meets Kiara¡¯s eyes, his voice lowering, ¡° This happened a couple months after I found you¡­.¡± MARCH 2012- 11 years before modern day Edward was standing in front of the Warden council, his posture unyielding, and his expression unwavering. Five men in cloaks surrounded Edward waiting for the situation that required their attention. He was ready to defend his decision. Kiara is sat in the spectator room, watching her grandfather be questioned by the council. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡° Mr. Meitner.¡± one of the men firmly says, ¡° You request the need to personally train Kiara Meitner by yourself outside the temple.. Am I correct?¡± ¡° That is correct,¡± Edward said firmly, his eyes flickering briefly towards the gallery room. One of the older men in cloaks rudely interrupts his colleague, ¡° You do realize that this violates traditions, All new younglings brought into the temple are to be trained and looked after in the temple at all times.¡± Edward felt his jaw tighten, slowly turning his head towards Kiara. Her face all tired and bored not fully comprehending the situation to its fullest. Turning his gaze at the council, his defiance burning bright, ¡° I feel like as her grandfather, I need to be the one who should watch over her training to the fullest, no child should be trained and forced to train in a harsh system.¡± His voice was steady but his heart was beating fast. The crowd started muttering beneath their breaths, discussing Edward¡¯s point of view. Their faces are covered in shadow from the dimly lit room of the council. Only their voices broke through the darkness. ¡° Who does he think he is?¡± ¡° The training, while rough and brutal, builds strength and resilience.¡± ¡° He is only saying this because she is his granddaughter.¡± Edward felt their disapproval and their judgment. He ignored the whispering behind him, but the thoughts still lingered in his head. It felt like no one was on his side, no one understood the point of view he was looking from. Edward remained unmoved as the council continued their discussion. A young fellow, Zhang, watches from the balcony, his face radiating discipline and order. His colleague addressed the concerns written on his face. ¡° What do you think of Mr. Meitner, Zhang?¡± ¡° I don¡¯t see the point of him personally training her, he can still do it, he can still shield her from harm''s way, he will just have extra help from other people,¡± he says shrugging his shoulders, ¡° I don¡¯t see why he is so worked up over this,¡± ¡° I mean it is your mentor¡¯s granddaughter after all, a family connection can bias any decision.¡± ¡° I mean it¡¯s technically allowed for wardens to start families, it''s more frowned over because you are ignoring your duties to protect the citizens to protect one single person, but ultimately the final decision is up to the council.¡± ¡° Change is needed. The system breaks people down- some never fully recovering,¡± Edward proclaims bluntly. His voice echoed loudly in the chamber, ¡° I¡¯m not just protecting her, I¡¯m all the other recruits and younglings like her.¡± The whispering and the exchange of looks continued behind Edward, he expected this type of reaction from the people behind him.The council members turned their chairs back at Edward, discussing what should their next decision be: accept Edward¡¯s request or deny it. Edward looks on at the council with their backs turned against him, anticipating the inevitable decision. He looks back at the people in the background, their faces mostly covered in shadows, unable to know what emotions they are feeling. After a couple minutes of discussion, the council members turn back towards Edward. His fist formed into a fist, anticipating their answers. Zhang looks on from above, his brown eyes lingering on Edward¡¯s presence. ¡° We decided to allow your request,¡± one of the council members proclaimed from his chair. Edward quietly congratulated himself, but there was something that tugged on his mind- Why did they accept his request? A cold thread of doubt slithered in his mind. An unanswered questioning was now gnawing on him. ¡° I promise I will not disappoint you,¡± Edward bows his head towards the council before slowly leaving to pick up Kiara from the gallery room. The council stopped Edward before he could make a huge distance. ¡° We¡¯ll see Mr. Meitner. Your mentee will break down by just the reality of this world,¡± the council member in the middle proclaimed to Edward, his eyes narrowing on him. His voice cutting through the air, ¡° If that girl dies, the only one you can blame is yourself. Dying because of your insufficient training. The sounds of clapping echoed through the people in the shadows. The sound infuriated Edward. He slowly turns his head, his eyes glaring back at the council members, his fists balled tightly, a look of anger and bloodlust flowing through him. The silence in the room thickened, their gazes wandering on him. ¡° That is true but if she lives and surpasses your expectations, the only insufficient training is the one that you all have been enforcing for all this time,¡± Edward says coldly to the council members. Muttering and whispering following his proclamation. ¡° So be it,¡± the council member says sarcastically, ¡° You may now leave, and continue chasing loose ends for the rest of your life. ¡± Edward just ignores the council member¡¯s taunts and walks over to pick up Kiara from the gallery room and they swiftly leave. ¡° That¡¯s why you¡¯ve never been to the temple before Kiara,¡± Edward says softly, finishing the story, ¡° I didn¡¯t want you to be involved with the council that runs things, and I didn¡¯t want to return to a place with people like them. ¡° Kiara listens intently, not losing her focus on her grandfather¡¯s storytelling. Her eyes and mouth are wide open waiting for what¡¯s coming next. ¡° That¡¯s why I was being so hard on you earlier, I wanted you to make better decisions for yourself, and actually think about the long-term consequences, and I didn¡¯t want you to make the same mistakes that I made when I was young.¡± ¡° If you despise the council so much, why do you still worry and enforce a lot of their traditions and rules on me?¡± Kiara sharply questions. ¡° I never hated the traditions, Kiara, I didn¡¯t want you to get that idea, traditions and rules have their place in society,¡± Edward says, his voice weary and steady, ¡° The problem is that the council does not know when to give up or reform traditions that hinder our progress.¡± Kiara taps her chopsticks on her bowl of rice, her eyes wandering around, and pondering his answer in his head. ¡° How long have you been trying to reform things, Grandpa?¡± ¡° A pretty long time,¡± Edward says with a heavy sigh, ¡° They have been like this since when I was around your age, no matter who leaves or gets promoted, it¡¯s always the same people with the same attitudes and beliefs.¡± He stares up at the ceiling lights, his wrinkled fingers tapping on the tabletop cloth, ¡° I want you to make your decision. You need to know how they operate, and what they are all about. Maybe you can see things differently from me.¡± Kiara''s eyes widened, her voice growing weary, ¡° So you want me to help you change things¡­ change the system.¡± Edward chuckles to himself, ¡° I don¡¯t know Kiara. I just want you to see everything for what it is¡­ to make your decisions without it being clouded by my judgment.¡± taking a sip out of his cup of tea. ¡°The plan is that you will still train under me but you will do work on tasks and missions that higher-ups require out of recruits like you.¡± Kiara''s eyes widened further, not yet taking in all the information that was brought onto her, her mouth slightly widened, ¡° What!¡± her voice rising, the shock evident on her face. ¡° I¡¯m only 5 feet away from you kid, you don¡¯t have to scream out so loud,¡± Edward gestures, rubbing his ears trying to ease the pain out of them. ¡° This just feels so fast,¡± Kiara quietly says, pulling her hair back, looking at Edward with a sense of disbelief and exasperation, ¡° What if I don¡¯t like what I see?¡± ¡° That¡¯s completely fine, you may not like how things are run, but all I care about is that you see it for what it truly is,¡± Edward says, comforting Kiara to the best of his ability. Kiara exhaled a bit, her fingers twitching at the thought. It was her first time being in the temple, witnessing how wardens are created. The good and bad thoughts rushed into her head. On one hand, she will get to meet people like her, people who could understand her best, but the thoughts of the council and the way everything is taught soured her mood. ¡° Thank you for telling me grandpa, I¡¯ll consider it,¡± Kiara says, her voice soft, but her mind was swirling with thoughts. Edward gives a soft smile to himself, before putting a piece in his mouth. Everything felt normal for a couple seconds, until- ¡° You are still in trouble by the way,¡± Edward says bluntly to Kiara, catching her off guard, and making her cough up her food. ¡° What!¡± Kiara shouted, ¡° After everything we talked about, you still want to punish me.¡± ¡° You broke my rules Kiara, you didn¡¯t think I actually forgot. I¡¯m old, not senile. Since you helped a boy get to his parents, 5 bowls of vegetables today.¡± Kiara groaned to herself, squirming around on the chair like a toddler. Edward prepares her bowls of vegetables and patiently waits for her to eat it all. Kiara, giving out a fake groan, quickly consumes the five bowls, surprising Edward. ¡° It¡¯s nice that you are actually taking care of your health for once,¡± Edward jokingly teases to himself. ¡° You are making me eat this bowl of sadness,¡± Kiara proclaims, her hands in the air, pacing back and forth in the dining room. Leaving out a long, theatrical sigh to herself. Edward couldn¡¯t help but laugh at Kiara¡¯s outburst. His laughs echoed through the room, in short breathless giggles. Kiara let out a soft chuckle, and they both continued eating their meal. Meanwhile, across the city, the white-haired man and his blonde companion stop at an abandoned factory building in the middle of nowhere. The area is desolate and empty, only a couple trees cover the area, and the rest is covered by roads and empty land. The starry night illuminates the abandoned factory. Chapter 3. Who are you? Chapter 3. Who are You Time is a scarcity. It is unpredictable and unforgiving. We think we can control the flow of time but we get swept up in its current instead. The stars stretch infinitely, a soft, silvery glow reflecting off the landscape. The pair stand before an abandoned factory. The blonde-haired girl is busy catching her breath after their long walk from the city. ¡° Why don¡¯t we have a car, Hirano? Pointing her finger at her brother, ¡° Your appearance isn¡¯t too young so you can easily convince the DMV that you are eligible.¡± Hirano gives off a disgusted look, ¡° Don¡¯t you ever learn to mind yourself, Kawata, a couple centuries should have taught you something by now.¡± Kawata stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry at him, causing Hirano to whip spit off his face in disgust. Glaring with cold intent, he quickly marches over to knock sharply at the door. ¡° Lilith, open the door,¡± Hirano shouted at the top of his lungs, his frustration palpable, ¡° I know you are in there, I see your stupid ravens watching over us.¡± Two ravens- one white and one black are perched on the rooftop ledge staring at Hirano and Kawata,. The black raven rudely squawks. ¡° Caw. What¡¯s the password Hirano., Answer the password or no entry¡± ¡° Password? There is no password,¡± Hirano mutters, knocking more aggressively, ¡° It¡¯s freezing out here Lilith. ¡° She enjoys making you suffer,¡± Kawata teases, ¡° You were awfully mean to that warden girl for no reason.¡± ¡° It¡¯s because one she bumped into us, like a total klutz, and two, you know how I feel about those wardens, they caused nothing but trouble for us¡± Hirano mutters to himself, ¡° It felt better when we ruled." A sweat droplet slowly crawled down his face. ¡° That was like over 6000 years ago, you should-¡± Kawata quipped before a tense silence took over them. Suddenly out of nowhere, the temperature dropped. Chills and sensations cover the duo, a suffocating feeling slowly creeping on them, freezing them in place. Kawata''s eyes shot out in happiness, and a huge smile appeared on her face, ¡° Oh. That must be Lilith.¡± Hirano rolls his eyes, unamused by the whole scenario, ¡° Did she really have to drop the temperature that badly around us? What was even the point?¡± ¡° I only did that so you both could stop arguing and shouting all over the place,¡± Lilith softly says, suddenly appearing between Hirano and Kawata. They both jump out in fear, unaware of when or how she appeared between them. Lilith¡¯s ravens slowly perched themselves on her shoulders, and she slowly floated herself to the door, allowing Kawata to enter the building, but not quickly stopping Hirano. ¡° Apologize for yelling at my ravens,¡± Lilith quietly says, her long grunge black hair covering her face. Hirano just stares at Lilith, bewildered as to why she is not letting him in, but after a couple seconds, he just rolls his eyes and gives a half-baked apology. Lilith gives a small smile, but Hirano can¡¯t see it through her long black hair, ¡° Good enough Hirano. Come inside.¡± Hirano gives a sigh, showing a bit of attitude towards Lilith as he walks past her. The interior of the abandoned factory is framed like a regular home with rooms, couches, a TV, and a kitchen. Kawata scurries over to the bean bag chair, a dark mist engulfs her, switching from her female form to that of a young male. The air shimmered brightly as the transformation took place. ¡° Oh it feels so much better being home,¡± Kawata exclaims to himself, ¡° Lilith, you should hear what Hirano did today.¡± ¡° Oh, what did Hirano do this time?¡± Lilith questions, as she floats over to hang a plate of oranges to the two. Hirano quickly puts his hand over Kawata¡¯s mouth before he can say more. ¡° A girl bumped into me, that''s all,¡± Hirano disclosed, his grip squeezing on Kawata¡¯s mouth, causing him to squirm around. ¡° Oh really?¡± doubting Hirano¡¯s story, ¡° How was your mission today?¡± ¡° The same as always Lilith. Nothing,¡± bluntly answering, ¡° The wardens know how to hide their talismans well.¡± ¡° You predict that there is one here?¡± ¡° The city is massive, Lilith. We¡¯ve barely scratched the surface,¡± Hirano snapped. Kawata yanks Hirano¡¯s hands off his mouth, ¡° Hirano didn¡¯t mention she was a warden- and he pushed her in front of her friends.¡± Lilith put her hands on her face, heavily exhaling, cold air leaving her mouth. ¡° Hirano, how do you think your father would react when he hears about what you did?¡± She quickly floats over to pinch Hirano¡¯s ear. ¡° Ow. Lilith let go,¡± Hirano says, wincing from the pain, ¡° It wasn¡¯t that serious anyway she just ran off with her gang of misfits.¡± ¡° That¡¯s not the problem, Hirano,¡± Lilith says angrily, but her tone is the same as she normally speaks. You disobeyed your father''s rule not to interact with any wardens or cause any harm to humans at all.¡± Hirano scowled, pushing Lilith¡¯s hand away from his ear, ¡° Why should we care whether humans or wardens to be specific are harmed or not? How does that benefit us at all? What happens to them doesn¡¯t affect me in the slightest.¡± Kawata tilts his head forward towards Hirano giving him a no-nonsense attitude look at him. Hirano stands there waiting for Lilith¡¯s response, towering over her, being only a couple inches taller. ¡° It¡¯s just what father prefers, and as the maternal figure, you¡¯ll respect that,¡± Lilith warns, her voice quiet but commanding. Slowly floating over to pinch Hirano¡¯s cheek, the way a mother scolds her child. ¡° Ow. Enough with the pinching already." Exclaiming loudly, Hirano pushed Lilith¡¯s hand away from his cheek, ¡° That¡¯s why ¡®father¡¯ is weak Lilith. He has accepted defeat, and is willing to bow his head over to the wardens, like a little dog.¡± ¡° He would eviscerate you if he heard that Hirano,¡± Kawata jeered, not even looking in Hirano¡¯s direction, ¡° We don¡¯t even interact with them, why are you so pressed?¡± ¡° I¡¯m angry at what they represent,¡± Scowling towards Kawata, ¡° Humans are worthless beings, the wardens may call themselves peacekeepers protecting the people from the Elusives but they are just fools who pretend they are doing something greater than themselves.¡± ¡° They make good food though. They¡¯ve been improving their cooking skills over the past thousands of years,¡± Kawata quipped, paying attention on his phone, ¡° The men and women are pretty tho, I don¡¯t see why you are so upset.¡± ¡° Kawata. Hirano is currently not in the mood for your quips and jokes right now,¡± Lilith says, trying to calm the situation down. Slowly turning her head towards Hirano, ¡° You should take a breather, Hirano, I read online that-¡± ¡° I don¡¯t need to take a breather, Lilith,¡± Hirano says, his voice calmer, but annoyed. ¡° You clearly do, Hirano. ¡° Kawata jeered. Hirano¡¯s eyes glow a golden-yellow aura, his hand radiating in a whirlwind of spiritual energy, ¡° I think someone has got to teach you when to be quiet.¡± ¡° Ah. You want a sibling fight,¡± Kawata remarks, his eyes glowing a hot-pink, reddish aura, ¡® You should have said so from the beginning. I was getting tired of hearing your reminiscence of the past.¡± Not again, Lilith thinks to herself, unamused with the whole situation. Quickly raising her hands, she brought the temperature down for Kawata and Hirano as they were about to clash. The chills quickly consumed them, goosebumps appearing on their skin. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡° That¡¯s enough you two,¡± Lilith whispered, her voice commanding and distorted, ¡° I have already finished cleaning this place up. I don¡¯t need you two to ruin my hard work.¡± her words cutting through the freezing air. ¡° Okay. We¡¯ll stop,¡± Hirano reluctantly says, his voice tightening up due to the intense sensations. Lilith quickly lowered her hand, stopping the chills from affecting the two. Hirano quickly pats himself down, while Kawata still lies on the ground, foam drooling out his mouth. ¡° Now you two hug it out and apologize,¡± Lilith quietly orders, commanding and booming, pointing at Hirano. He silently groans to himself, rubbing his face with his hands, before picking up Kawata and embracing him in an awkward hug. ¡° Sorry about¡­ infuriating you¡­. Big bro,¡± Kawata awkwardly mutters, his voice uncertain. Hirano¡¯s throat felt like it was going to close in on himself, but he managed to push past it. Fidgeting his arms, Kawata¡¯s voice falters as he mutters, ¡° Sorry¡­ for the teasing¡­¡± ¡° Yeah. You too. Sorry for my angry outburst towards you.¡± The words felt stuck in the back of Hirano¡¯s throat but at least Lilith had forced them to put that moment behind them. Slowly floating to the two, her pale, torn, white dress hovered off the ground. Lilith exhales to herself, her icy breath visible to the two, ¡° It¡¯s best you two go to your rooms for the night, you¡¯ll be busy tomorrow.¡± Kawata quickly transforms himself back into his more feminine form before slowly walking with Hirano, turning their back towards their rooms. Hirano jeers at Kawata, ¡° Wake up early. We¡¯ll be traveling far.¡± ¡° Oh how great,¡± Kawata sarcastically says. ¡° You little-¡± Lilith turns her head, unnaturally so, clearly irritated from their banter. Another chill sensation swept the two, as they walked faster to their own separate rooms. ¡° Those two are a handful,¡± she says to herself quietly. As the siblings settled into their respective routines, the rising sun slowly continued its ascent, marking the beginning of a school day for Kiara. She sits in her classroom, where free time has overtaken her class, all the students are doing their respective tasks- working on homework, talking with their friends, or just sleeping. As Kiara is busy discussing their favorite band members with her friend group, she overhears a conversation that sparks her intrigue. Slowly turning her head to the back of the classroom, she sees two boys discussing what they saw on the news. ¡° Have you seen the increase in missing people lately?¡± one of the boys asked. ¡° Yeah. I wonder what is going on.¡± the other replied. Thank god I got Noah to safety before that happened, Kiara thought, her mind racing. But why the sudden increase in disappearances?
A sudden tap on her shoulder brought Kiara back to reality, pulling her out of her thoughts. Instantly wincing in surprise,¡° Don¡¯t scare me like that guys,¡± Kiara exclaimed, a little flustered as she turned to face her friends. ¡° Sorry about that,¡± Nina apologized, ¡° Are you okay?¡± her voice filled with concern. ¡° Oh no.¡± waving her hands around, shaking off the unease, ¡° I just got distracted that¡¯s all,¡± Kiara¡¯s eyes still darted to the back of the room, the conversation still lingering in her mind. Maybe I should investigate it, Kiara thought to herself, but instantly slapped her cheeks with her hands, trying to shake off the impulse, No. I have to think about my choices from now on. Still, what''s really going on? ¡° Oh. You say you are going on a trip somewhere this weekend right? Her friend Chloe said, ¡° Where are you going?¡± ¡° Uhhh. Massachusetts,¡± Kiara said, quickly coming up with a lie, ¡° Yep. Massachusetts.¡± ¡° Massachusetts? That¡¯s pretty far you know that Kiara,¡± Nina replied, with skepticism in her voice, ¡° Are you going by car or plane?¡± ¡° Car. Definitely car,¡± Kiara¡¯s palms sweat, her fingers twitching from anxiety, her breathing becoming heavier by the second. ¡° That¡¯s almost a two-day Kiara,¡± Chloe rebutted, ¡° Are you going to be in the state for like a couple hours before you have to head back home?¡± ¡° Yeah. Quick trip,¡± responding quickly, her voice tightening around her jaw. Kiara hoped this conversation would end quickly. Chloe and Nina just shrug their shoulders, skepticism in their eyes, but they ultimately buy into her story, while Kiara forces a smile. Oh my god, that was so awkward, Kiara¡¯s mind raced. Still, I wonder what the temple is going to be like¡­ is it going to be as bad as Grandpa described it? Or worse?¡± As Kiara continues their conversation with their favorite band members with her friends, Edward is sitting in his study room, slouched over on his chair. His eyes were tired from exhaustion. He throws pieces of paper on a board hung up in his room. Edward¡¯s study room is covered in loose paper and documents. Pictures and cameras are scattered everywhere. No sense of tidiness and cleanliness in sight. His mind is uneasy. ¡° Another loose end,¡± mumbling to himself, ¡° Why is there a sudden increase in disappearances?¡± rummaging through his messy desk for answers. Could it be¡­ he thinks to himself, ¡° No. It is very unlikely. This is different,¡± faltering on his words. Doubt crept into his mind, clouding his judgment. Those words from many years ago returned to him, Continue chasing loose ends for the rest of your life. Edward''s gaze wandered over the place, contemplating that comment. Slowly getting up from his chair, placing a picture on his bulletin board, ¡° You¡¯ll regret those words one day, those loose ends will soon come to an end.¡± Hirano and Kawata walk in the busy streets of the city. The civilians quickly ignored them and walked past their presence. Kawata''s baggy street clothes contrast with Hirano¡¯s sleek black trench coat. Kawata quickly moves ahead when he spots a pretty girl in front of him. Hirano stops in his tracks, preparing for the inevitable, as he watches Kawata ask the girl for her number. The girl gives a dirty look and slaps him in the face. She quickly runs off in the opposite direction, leaving Kawata heartbroken. ¡° You, proud of yourself, kid,¡± Hirano says sarcastically, chuckling to himself. ¡° It¡¯s a different story when I transform into a girl okay. All the men couldn¡¯t resist me,¡± Kawata says, sneering at Hirano, ¡° Why are we even in this area again? We¡¯ve already scouted it like a thousand times.¡± Hirano walks forward with Kawata slowly pursuing him. He points his finger at the large forests that neighbor the city, the Crimson Pineglade National Park. ¡° That¡¯s where we need to go.¡± ¡° Why? The park is over four hundred thousand miles.¡± ¡° Then we should get to searching,¡± Hirano rebuked, continuing his path to the national park, ¡° We have a whole month ahead of us, so let¡¯s get going.¡± Kawata groans to himself before continuing his path. ¡° Why are we even going there in the first place?¡± Kawata says, a look of puzzlement across his face. ¡° Wardens have a restricted zone there, meant to train younglings and recruits.¡± ¡° So what. Are you gonna get your revenge on younglings?¡± Kawata sarcastically jokes to himself. ¡° No. There are many A-rank Elusives in that area, a higher amount than usual,¡± Hirano eyes dart around the city tops, ¡° Why do you think that?¡± ¡° Maybe it¡¯s because of our presence and our vast amounts of spiritual energy, I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡° That may be true, but there can be another reason as well,¡± Hirano stops his path, his eyes still gazing into the forest, ¡° There is a talisman there.¡± ¡° Why would the wardens place a talisman so close to where they train and where civilians live close to? Kawata tilts his head quizzically, before stopping for a moment. ¡° They most likely thought it was easier to surveil it during their training.¡± Hirano cracks his fingers, ¡° It doesn¡¯t matter to me anyway. Their carelessness is amusing.¡± a sly grin appeared on his face. ¡° Who do you think the person inside the talisman is?¡± Kawata nudges Hirano on his side. Hirano rubbed his side in the area Kawata nudged him, ¡° Can you stop doing that? I¡¯m getting sore because of you?¡± slapping the back of Kawata¡¯s head. ¡° All I care about is we free one of our own,¡± Hirano says, his voice thick with conviction and clinicality. ¡° Father is going to be happy at least.¡± Kawata exclaimed to himself. ¡° Yeah. I bet he does,¡± rolling his eyes, Hirano pushes Kawata to keep on moving. The two slowly make their way to the national park. Unknown to the two, a person standing in the crowd watches them from a distance. ¡° The Crimson Pineglade National Park huh,¡± the man softly mutters to himself before continuing his path in the opposite direction, ¡° Thank you for the tip.¡± a faint smile showing on his face, before slowly blending into the busy streets, unnoticed by the siblings. Ch 4. Temple Chapter 4. Temple The days seemed to blur together, as Kiara anticipated for that inevitable Friday, where she will finally see what the temple is like- and the people who lived in its wall. That day eventually came. The air was crisp in the afternoon chill. Kiara quickly rushes out of the schoolyard to see her grandfather waiting for her in his car, already dressed in his warden formal attire, with a black dress coat over it. Earlier that day, she already packed her stuff in the car. She quickly gets into the car, and they slowly drive off to their destination. ¡° Remember Kiara,¡± Edward quietly says, ¡° Whatever the seniors or the other younglings say to you could affect you- ignore them, ¡° reassuring Kiara, eyes glancing to his side-view mirrors, ¡° They were raised in an environment different than yours so they might not understand the severity of their words.¡± ¡° I understand Grandpa,¡± Kiara¡¯s fists clenched into fists, nodding to his words, but her stomach turned. The expectation of the people and the system weighed on her, it was not like anything she had ever felt or expected before. Kiara fidgets herself in her car seat, watching the large buildings in the city move past her in an instant. The spring leaves dance in the wind. ¡° Are you nervous?¡± Edward asks, his gaze momentarily leaving the road to focusing on her expression. Kiara¡¯s fingers twitched for a bit around the seatbelt strap, ¡° A¡­ little.¡± she admitted, ¡° I don¡¯t know what to expect from everyone.¡± Edward gives a reassuring smile, ¡° You might get along with them. Expect a lot of questions about what it¡¯s like outside of the temple,¡± his hands steady on the wheel, ¡° We¡¯re almost here.¡± Kiara¡¯s eyes wander as their tiny car parks in the lot of a large office building. Her eyes widened, ¡° Is this the temple?¡± ¡° Kind of,¡± Edward quickly gets out of the car to get both his and Kiara¡¯s bags out of the trunk of the car. Kiara quickly gets out to get her stuff as they both enter the building. The secretary in the middle, busy reading his newspaper, notices Edward and Kiara entering the lounge area. Shock formed around his face, his mouth slightly open. ¡° Mr. Meitner?¡± his eyes staring blankly at the old man, ¡° It has¡­ been a while. What¡¯s the occasion of returning back?¡± ¡° I plan on showing my granddaughter what the temple is like. That¡¯s all,¡± calmly explaining the situation to the man. Kiara looks at Edward, confused why the man is acting that way. The man swiftly scurries through the drawer trying to fish out something. ¡° Of course, sir. Here¡¯s the gate key,¡± quickly handing over Edward a small golden key in his hands. Edward quickly motions for Kiara to follow him. As they moved deeper into the building, Kiara couldn''t help but think about the reaction of the secretary. ¡° Why did he react like Grandpa?¡± a look of puzzlement across her face. ¡° I would say¡­,¡± Edward paused and thought for a moment, ¡°I¡¯m pretty well known for good and bad reasons,¡± ¡° Like what?¡± ¡° Eh. You would soon see,¡± Edward replies, throwing the key up in the car before catching it, ¡° I¡¯m gonna teach you about gates, okay. Kiara stays quiet as her grandfather explains the nature of gates, ¡° There are basically interdimensional portals, letting us travel instantly between the city and temple,¡± stopping his track to an elevator door, inserting the key into the panel, ¡° They are accessed through like this.¡± The elevator doors open, showing a multi color portal instead of the cabin inside. The high speed wind blows against Kiara, her hair smacking across her face, her mouth wide open in astonishment. ¡° Let¡¯s get going.¡± picking up their bags, Edward steps into the portal, disappearing in an instant. Exhaling heavily, Kiara slowly follows her grandfather. Slowly opening her eyes, She finds herself staring at the beautiful sky. The warden temple is built inside a mountain top, with it extending to many nearby mountains. A large shimmering barrier illuminates the place. At the heart of the temple, dozens of trainees moved with synchronized precision. Rows of children no older than ten, stand perfectly still, balancing on thin wooden beams, holding heavy buckets of water. Many sparred in pairs, their strikes clashing rhythmically, while others practice on wooden dolls. Kiara notices Edward¡¯s gaze with a cold expression. His hands clenched into fists. The second he notices Kiara looking at him, his expression softens. ¡° Guess what mountain summit we are on?¡± smiling towards Kiara, anticipating her answer. ¡° Uhh¡­ Mount Everest?¡± quickly shrugging her shoulders. Kiara genuinely did not know where they were at. ¡° Haha. No kid, we are still in America.,¡± Edward laughs to himself, swinging his bag over his shoulder, ¡° We are currently in Washington right now, Mount Rainier to be exact.¡± Many of the senior wardens and the younglings notice the arrival of the two. Their stern expression quickly turned into confusion and shock. The recruits and younger kids quickly run over to Edward, their excitement clearly uncontained. ¡° Is that Edward?¡± one of the wardens asked, his eyes narrowing on the two. ¡° Ah the old detective is back,¡± another one retorted, masking mockery behind a smile. The younger kids swarm around Edward who smiles at their excitement and curiosity. Kiara is left awe struck to see her Edward popular with the kids. The children ask many questions for Edward, each one talking over the next. ¡° Can you tell us about your adventures?¡± ¡° Why did you randomly disappear?¡± ¡° You''re my role model, Mr. Edward¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Kiara stepped back, slowly taking in the situation. It was weird to see her grandfather so admired - and so infamous- despite the tension from the council. The smiles from the children clash with the stern look from the seniors in the distance. Kiara¡¯s mind raced with thoughts. The temple is unlike what I imagined but why are they all looking at Grandpa like that? ¡° Alright that¡¯s enough,¡± a cold voice cuts through the air, making all the kids run back to their training. A man in a well dressed tailcoat suit, and overcoat slowly makes his way towards Kiara and Edward. His eyes ignoring Kiara but looking at Edward. ¡° It¡¯s nice for you to take my advice,¡± the man said, his voice weary, but stern. He puts his hand out to Edward for a handshake. His eye bags, while subtle, are very prominent up close to Kiara. ¡° It¡¯s nice to see my old prot¨¦g¨¦, after so many years,¡± Edward quickly grasps Zhang¡¯s hand, his handshake firm, catching Zhang off guard from the grip. ¡° It¡¯s good seeing you again. I hope we can catch up soon. Slowly releasing himself from Edward¡¯ grip, he glances towards Kiara, ¡° So this is the girl you disappeared and trained with.¡± ¡° I¡¯m pretty sure you already met her, remember during the council meeting many years ago, you were directly looking over me.¡± ¡° Yes I was,¡± his eyes looked briefly at Edward. He slowly takes a step towards Kiara, in a knee jerk reaction, she takes a step back. Zhang¡¯s eyes still linger on her, ¡° Your spiritual energy is very peculiar. One moment it¡¯s beaming with energy, then in an instant it¡¯s like¡­ it¡¯s not there at all. Unpredictable.¡± ¡° Ah,¡± sweat droplets quickly form, slowly dripping of Kiara¡¯ face. The high intensity interrogation was too sudden for her, ¡° It¡¯s just been a struggle for me that¡¯s all.¡± ¡° Hmm. I beat,¡± Zhang slowly turns himself back to Edward, relieving Kiara¡¯s anxiety. She quickly wipes off her sweat, trying to maintain formality. ¡° Kiara. This is Zhang. My old prot¨¦g¨¦ - the next head leader of the Warden society in America. The Arbiter.¡± placing his hand on Zhang¡¯s shoulder. Kiara¡¯s eyes widened at the title but Zhang was far less receptive. With a subtle shift, he brushes Edward¡¯ hand from his shoulder, his discomfort unmistakable. ¡° How long has Kiara been training for?¡± his tone walking the line between conviction and curiosity. Edward rolls his eyes dramatically, ¡° Geez kid. We¡¯ve only been here for like five minutes and you are already interrogating me,¡± he teased. His tone was serious for a moment, ¡° She started training in her freshman year, 3 years ago.¡± Zhang eyes¡¯ sneak a look towards Kiara, quickly standing up straight when she notices his gaze, ¡° Maybe that¡¯s why her energy output is so inconsistent. Starting late makes it more¡­ challenging, isn''t it.¡± Edward¡¯s expression darkened for a bit but his voice was still calm,¡° I didn¡¯t want to burden her with training, as she started elementary and middle school.¡± ¡° Hmm. Well I¡¯m glad we got to chat for a bit,¡± slowly cracking his knuckles, Zhang turns his back, and slowly walks off. Before he makes a huge distance away, he looks back at the two for the last time, ¡° I¡¯ll like to see what Kiara can do during her evaluation.¡± Evaluation? Why am I getting an evaluation? Kiara¡¯s eyes open in surprise, her fingers twitching from this unexpected announcement. Edward slowly puts his hands around Kiara¡¯ shoulders, trying to console her. ¡° They just want to find out about your character and your skill level so far. That¡¯s it,¡± Edward¡¯s smile was warm and reassuring. ¡° But you already said I should be a D-rank,¡± confusion crossed on Kiara¡¯s face. Sweat still dripped from her chin. ¡° I was more of a hunch. This is an official evaluation of what your rank is. Don¡¯t worry it will likely still be a D-rank due to your current skill level.¡± Kiara nodded but hesitantly, though a knot in her stomach remained. Just a D-rank¡­ What if Zhang is right about me? What if I mess up and embarrass both me and Grandpa? Her thoughts raced. Doubt grew on her chest as Edward patted her shoulders. ¡° Ignore what Zhang said¡­ he¡¯s just under a lot of stress that¡¯s all,¡± Edward reassured, placing his hand on Kiara¡¯s head, flustering her. ¡° Try to talk to some of the kids here, get a feel for the place. I¡¯ll talk to Zhang about his behavior.¡± Kiara glances away, ¡° Alright¡­ Grandpa¡­¡± muttering to herself, her voice soft but uncertain. Edward smiles, giving one last pat before rushing over to Zhang¡¯s direction. Kiara glances at the other kids training in the courtyard. Clutching the straps of her bag, she tries to push away her doubts. Come on Kiara, you can do this quickly reassuring herself, but her fingers trembling under her own uncertainty, They look so much more mature and sophisticated. ¡° Excuse me, these people want to know you,¡± a voice snaps Kiara out of her thoughts. Quickly taking a sigh of relief. She quickly turns her face to see a beautiful young boy standing in front of her with a group of kids. Each one varies in ages. Thank the heavens I didn¡¯t have to greet people myself first. Kiara thinks to herself, ¡° Ah. Nice to meet you all.¡± ¡° My name is Adam. Adam lazarus, and these are the kids who want to meet you,¡± pointing to the trio. Kiara¡¯s eyes still wandered on Adam, his beauty catching her attention, his silver hair and his looks gleamed in the sunlight, with his blue eyes sparkling in curiosity. She quickly returns her gaze back to the two kids next to Adam, wanting to know more about their personalities. The duo around Adam nodded, or smiled, their reaction varying. A younger girl, her age no older than 14, gave a shy wave to Kiara, ¡° My¡­ name is Anby.¡± ¡° Nice to meet you ,¡± Kiara said, her smile radiating warmth and compassion. Anby smiles to herself. Her blonde braided hair bounced as she moved. Kiara¡¯s wander to a kid a bit younger than Anby, who appeared to be around 12 or 11 years old. His eyes were closed, and he appeared to be asleep. Anby kindly shakes the kid to wake him up. ¡° Don¡¯t worry he¡¯s always sleeping at the wrong time,¡± Adam reassures Kiara. ¡° Uhh, What¡­¡± the kid slowly opened his eyes. Anby continued to shake him to wake him up fully. ¡° Come on Seth. Wake up.¡± Anby quietly whispers in Seth¡¯s ear, ¡° You are greeting someone right now.¡± Seth¡¯s eyes quickly widened, quickly awakening from his nap, ¡° My name is Seth¡­ Nice to meet you.¡± ¡° That was formal I guess,¡± Kiara jokes to herself. Adam chuckles at her remark. Kiara felt more at ease,¡° Well. It¡¯s nice to know that everyone here has some unique quirks.¡± ¡° We hope you have a nice experience in the temple,¡± dramatically showcasing the courtyard, and the beautiful sky to Kiara, ¡° Trust me, you haven¡¯t seen anything yet.¡± Anby unintentionally interrupts Adam¡¯s conversation with Kiara, ¡° Ms. Kiara¡­. What is high school life like? Are lockers real?¡± Kiara gives a slight glance at Adam¡¯s expression, chuckling to herself but a single thought raced in her mind. Does she genuinely not know what a normal high school life is?, ¡° Well Anby. It¡¯s mostly¡­ normal. You just get school work, and occasionally see the chemistry teacher yell at students.¡± ¡° Oh.¡± Anby¡¯s voice sounded disappointed, her shoulders drooping down, ¡° So it¡¯s basically the same here.¡± Kiara¡¯s eyebrow raised, tilting her head in curiosity, ¡° What do you mean?¡± ¡° You know because I¡¯ve been hearing stories about high school life from the seniors, and I thought it would be a major upgrade than what we learn right now.¡± Anby thinks to herself, trying to ask another question, ¡° Oh. What is it like to drive a car? They don¡¯t look as fun as riding a spirit companion but they look interesting.¡± These kids seem to get the same education as a regular student¡­ but other than that, they don¡¯t know anything else about the real world. Kiara¡¯s mind raced with thoughts, This must be what Grandpa meant by that they grew up in a different environment. Adam, noticing Kiara¡¯s concern on her face, gently shakes her, ¡° Are you okay Kiara?¡± Quickly darting her attention away, Kiara gently smiles at Adam, trying to hide her thoughts, ¡° It¡¯s nothing. Can you all show me around?¡± ¡° Yeah sure,¡± Adam gestures to Adam and Seth to follow him and show Kiara around. The group walk together as they explore the area.