The Guardians' Legacy

Colth and Garta both headed to the library. A double door at the end of that corridor that, when opened, took them to the gigantic room with shelves piled one on top of the other full of books and reams of papers.

The writing room was cramped with the immense collection of bound books of all kinds. The enormous stacks of paper rose from the floor, across the mezzanine floor above their heads, and reached the beautiful ceiling.

Not even the spiral staircase that led to the upper floor of the library, in the corner of the room, escaped the messy paperwork. The windows high up on one of the walls brought in light from outside, and a fireplace with embers in the background was responsible for warming the visitors. In addition, a beautiful framed mirror next to the controlled flames complemented the refinement of the cozy environment.

In the center of the library there was still space for a study table that was surrounded by half a dozen luxurious chairs and filled with more books arranged haphazardly on its surface. Celina was sitting in one of the chairs, busy with a thick, dusty hardcover book. When she noticed the two coming from outside, she welcomed them without expressing any reaction and returned her eyes to the pages yellowed by time.

— How boring. Here there's just paper, paper, and guess what? More paper... — Aldren complained as he walked to the table in the center. Coming from the middle of the crowded shelves, he kept an annoyed look until he came across those who had just entered the place. — Colth!

The boy ran towards everyone else without hiding his happiness.

“It’s good to see you,” Colth said as soon as everyone was at the central table. “By the way, Aldren, doesn’t your leg hurt?”

— Oh yeah, my leg. I had almost forgotten about it. — The short boy looked at his perfectly good ankle for a moment, then returned with an awkward smile. — It doesn't hurt anymore, I guess it wasn't that bad after all.

“Impressive.” Colth thought blankly.

— That's good. Thank goodness — he replied, truly relieved to see the boy physically healthy and mentally recovered. — And you, Celina, that man didn't hurt you, did he?

— No, I'm in perfect condition — she answered neutrally as she closed the book. — Girl, are you ready to explain all this now? That's what we agreed on, right?

—That would be nice, indeed. — Colth made sure to show that he agreed with the girl's request.

— Of course — he rolled his eyes — Where do I start? — Garta was about to begin his explanation, everyone else in the room was waiting attentively. — Have you ever heard the legend of the “Brightness and Darkness”? Of course you have. Well, the story is about a Goddess and a God, rival siblings who fought over an entire world beyond their own. Both believed they had the right to those lands and did not want to give up such power, so they fought bloody battles for centuries without ever managing to resolve this impasse.

— I don’t understand. Why are you telling us about this legend? What does it have to do with anything? — Aldren asked impatiently.

— Calm down, I'll get there. Well, the end of the legend says that the brothers were blinded by power and that they were both condemned by themselves to fight in an endless war for their worlds. — Garta looked deep into the eyes of each person who listened to her. — Have you ever stopped to think how incomplete this story is?

— It's just a legend to make kids think about their actions before fighting with their siblings. It doesn't have to be something that makes a lot of sense. — The one who seemed impatient this time was Colth.

— It may be. After all, legends are used according to the needs of those who tell them, right? — Garta replied and received a concession from the others. — But then, what was lost in the legend over time and that no one tells us anymore, is about a third force. A character capable of tipping the scales to one side of this dispute and ending this war between worlds once and for all.

— Are you telling us that this character was omitted? — Celina asked, she was really interested in the story and even stole hesitant glances from Aldren who didn't expect the girl to give relevance to something so incoherent.

— Yes. This third force was not relevant to the story at that time. After all, it happened more than a century ago, before the walls of the capital were even built...

— Wait a minute. Why are you talking as if this really happened? It's just a silly legend, this is just fiction. — Aldren countered Garta's obvious belief in his own words.

—Right—Celina intervened curiously. —Leaving that aside...

— Leaving that aside? — Aldren interrupted, surprised by her words. — Did you really accept this little story, so easily? — he asked in disapproval.

The answer to his doubt came with the immediate indifference that Celina, and the others, demonstrated towards his insulting question.

— Why are you so defensive, Aldren? — Colth found his colleague's subsequent reactions strange.

— I'm not... Never mind. — He looked away, dissatisfied.

—What are these worlds? — Celina asked directly.

— There are several worlds beyond ours. Two of them, Lux and Finn, who were subordinates of the two gods of legend, went to war, as described in the story. Both gods wanted the world of Tera, our world. — Garta narrated seriously as he watched Celina and Colth's faces become the representation of confusion.

— What an absurd thing. — Aldren expressed his discontent in his grumpy tone of voice, whispered without direction, he continued to be irritated.

— The reason you're here is that Celina is possibly a guardian of the world of Tera. — Garta finally got to the main point.

— Okay, you already said that, so what? What does that mean? — Aldren kept saying.

— A guardian has the responsibility to protect his world, that is what he was chosen for, and that is what he must dedicate his life to. If it were not for the guardian of Tera, his world would have already been decimated.

— What? That's enough. — Aldren was really distressed in a way he had never seen before. — Celina, let's get out of here...

He grabbed his friend's hand and turned to walk towards the double doors, he was determined and it seemed like he wouldn't be resisted by any argument.

— Calm down, wait... — Celina tried, but the boy's determination spoke louder, she was pulled by force by the stressed man and forced to get up from the chair.

— No. Enough of that... — he replied harshly.

— There were entire sleepless nights, endless nightmares, voices that remained in his head even while he slept. — Garta threw out the dominant words.

— How... — Aldren whispered upon hearing the woman's words, immediately stopping his walk a little before reaching the door. — Celina, don't listen to her...

— How do you know that?

Too late, the girl clung to those words and, breaking free from her friend's hands, turned to see Garta's prevailing expression.

—How do you know about my dreams? — he reinforced his question.

— I know, Celina, because just like you, I am also a guardian.

The library fell silent. Everyone, including Aldren who was more averse to the idea, tried to pay attention.

Garta leaned against the table in resignation. He sighed, preparing himself for an explanation that would fill Colth, Celina, and Aldren's ears.

— A guardian has the task of protecting his god and the world ruled by him. I, like you, Celina, were chosen for this task.

— Protect? From what exactly?

—From other gods, isn't it obvious?

The moment Garta finished saying his convinced words, the large mirror in the corner of the room began to emanate a bluish light from its entire reflected surface.

— Garta? Garta, are you there? — asked a distant voice coming from the dim light of the mirror.

— Yes, Manager. Just like the supposed guardian you spoke of — Garta replied, standing in front of the mirror.

— Great. Bring her when you come.

— Yes, sir. — Garta nodded as if he were being ordered by a superior. — And the other one?

— What other one? — As soon as the voice from the mirror brought the question, everyone in the library fell silent and looked at each other strangely. — Well, it doesn't matter. Bring him too.

“As you wish,” Garta said, ending the conversation. Then the reflected light was dissipated and the mirror returned to its former state.

— What was that? — Colth and Aldren wondered, Celina had the same expression of doubt, they were all ignored.

— You won't be able to move them all. You know that, right? — Hikki asked, entering through the double doors of the library.

— And do I have a choice? — Garta replied, shaking his head negatively.

— That old man is going to end up killing you... — complained the boy. — Why don't you leave the short guy and the fool here? Just for today.

— Shorty? You're shorter than me, you brat! — Aldren was ignored once again.

— Sounds like a good idea, little brother. — Garta gave in to the boy's wishes and soon turned to announce his decision to the others in the library. — Celina, you're going to come with me, I need you to meet someone. Colth and Aldren, you'll have to wait here.

— I'll come with you. — Aldren stepped forward.

— No. It won't. — she replied firmly.

— Who do you think you are?

— I'm Finn's guardian. — Garta looked the boy straight in the eye, making sure to look him up and down, even though their heights were similar, her greatness was seen through her eyes.

— I don't care. You're not going to... — Aldren brought his index finger to the woman's nose, hoping to intimidate her. The effect was the opposite of what was desired.

Garta grabbed the boy's wrist and mercilessly twisted him with a quick downward movement. He immediately knelt on the carpet of the hall, preventing his arm from being twisted for nothing.

— Ouch, ouch, ouch!

— Don't oppose someone you can't beat, — she said with authority.

— Okay... Okay. Let me go, you crazy woman. — he gave in. There was no other choice, the guardian made him kneel with just one hand, without having to move. Garta released the boy's wrist with impetus. — Shit! You could have broken my arm, you savage.

— It would have been deserved.

— Aldren... — Celina crouched down next to her friend. — Are you okay?

— Yes, I am — the boy looked away in defeat. — Go ahead, if that's what you want so much.

— Come, Celina. The Manager doesn't have all day — Garta urged the reluctant girl. — I'll tell you more about it once I meet him.

— Okay... — Celina stood up detachedly while Aldren continued to hide his face in failure.

“Hikki, keep an eye on them,” the guardian said in a farewell tone. “I’ll be back in a few hours.”

— Of course. It's always been my dream to be a nanny, really — the brother retorted, full of sarcasm and displeasure.

Celina stood in front of Garta, she had already been through that, and already knew what the next step was.

— Wait. What about me? — Colth finally stood out. — I have to go back to my city and...

—Do you really want to discuss this now? Your arm seems to be in great shape, Garta replied coercively. Once again his raised nose and superior gaze dominated the entire room.

— Forget it... — Colth held his own arms and swallowed in threat.

Garta left the boy aside and turned to Celina, then placed the palm of his hand on the girl's shoulder and concentrated. His hand began to emanate a characteristic glow. Colth was convinced that that light was the same one he had seen earlier in the infirmary, and his mouth fell open.

The brightness suddenly expanded throughout the library, the flash of light hit the boys' eyes and made them turn their faces away from the brightness. When they returned their vision to the center of the hall, Garta and Celina were no longer there.

“What happened?” Colth asked. He seemed to be the only one confused.

—They went back to Tera. — Aldren replied listlessly as he stood up.

— Garta used displacement — Hikki added. — His guardian ability.

—So, that’s what you were talking about—things were starting to fall into place in Colth’s head. —Can Celina do that too?

—That's what they went to find out. — replied Hikki.

“Nonsense,” Aldren grumbled. “This is all nonsense.”

— I'm sure my sister has already explained it to you. Don't be so stupid as to...

“I don’t care,” he interrupted, shaking his head. Then he walked toward the double doors leading to the outside of the library. “This is all nonsense.”

— Do not leave the fortress premises — ordered the boy indifferently.

— Don't bother me!

Aldren slammed the double doors shut without looking back. His heavy, agitated steps showed his irritation with the whole thing.

“What’s gotten into him?” Colth asked.

— He just hasn't accepted reality yet — Hikki seemed completely unconcerned. — I'm starving. Do you want to eat something?

— Huh? — Colth hesitated.

— Well... It's up to you.

— Okay... Sure.

The boy shook off any anxious thoughts and accepted the invitation. He seemed out of place in the situation, but denying the invitation was denying any possible explanations. Besides, it wasn't as if he was busy with any commitments.