Blood

Chapter Twenty four: The guardians

“Wait… you can’t mean…”

  The words barely left my mouth before the man gave a calm nod, his eyes gleaming with a strange mix of amusement and wisdom. “Yes, Ethan,” he replied, his voice deep and unshaken. “Indeed, there is more than one Heartstone.”

  I felt a surge of questions bubbling up inside, but before I could even decide where to start, he lifted his hand, signaling for silence. “For now, just join the others in line,” he instructed gently, motioning me toward the group of students. As I moved into place, he continued. “For those of you who don’t know, my name is Alistair, and I’m here to guide you in becoming guardians of your respective realms’ Heartstones.” He glanced down the line. “Today, two of you join us for the first time—Ethan from the Earth realm, and Kaelin from the Shadewind realm.”

  At his mention, a girl a few spots over gave a small, shy nod, her dark hair pulled back tightly, and her eyes glanced quickly over to me before looking down. There was a flicker of something—nervousness, maybe. But I wasn’t any more at ease than she looked.

  “Now, I want each of you to step forward and introduce yourselves—name and realm.” Alistair's eyes moved across the line, resting on each of us in turn. “Go on,” he encouraged.

  The student farthest on the right, a boy with a mess of sandy blond hair and a strong build, stepped forward first. He looked straight ahead, projecting a confidence that could probably knock over a tree. “Name’s Aiden,” he said, his voice strong and clear. “Realm of Solaria.”

  The name sounded foreign but fitting, conjuring images of a sunlit kingdom somewhere far away. Aiden stepped back into line, his expression unchanging, as if this was just another day at work for him.

  Next, a girl stepped forward, her curly hair pulled back and her gaze sharp, almost intimidating. She held her head high, looking every bit like someone who knew how to handle herself. “Lira,” she announced, her voice smooth and a little challenging, “from the Mistvale realm.”

  She stepped back, folding her arms as though daring anyone to say anything. It was almost impressive, the way she carried herself.

  Beside her, a tall, wiry boy stepped forward next. His eyes darted around, never settling for too long on one place. “Galen,” he muttered, looking somewhere near Alistair’s shoulder. “Of Umberfell.”

  The name seemed to match his serious, quiet demeanor. His words were soft, almost hesitant, like he was only here because he had no choice. He shuffled back into the line, head down.

  A girl with flame-colored hair followed, her freckles nearly disappearing as she smiled. She stepped forward, bright and almost carefree. “Hi! I’m Riona,” she said with a wave. “From Emberreach.” Her voice was bubbly, like she was introducing herself to a group of friends rather than joining a line of guardians.

  She flashed a quick smile at me, then moved back into line.

  Next came Kaelin—the girl from the Shadewind realm. She moved carefully, as though trying to avoid being noticed. She barely lifted her head as she spoke. “Kaelin,” she said, her voice nearly a whisper. “From the Shadewind realm.” Her eyes darted to Alistair, and he gave her an approving nod. She moved back in line as quietly as she’d stepped forward.

  Finally, the last girl stepped forward—a tall, slender girl with jet-black hair tied in a tight braid down her back. She looked older than the others, with a serious expression that made her seem like she’d been doing this for years. “My name is Isolde,” she said, her tone composed, “from Frostgard.”

  Her name and realm had a chill to them that suited her steely demeanor. She gave a slight bow, then returned to her spot.

  And then, it was my turn. The other students all turned to look at me, and I swallowed, feeling every bit the outsider. I took a step forward, trying to match their composure.

  “I’m Ethan… from Earth,” I said, hoping I didn’t sound as unsure as I felt.

  When I stepped back, Alistair took a deep breath and looked us over, as if considering each of us individually. “Now that you’ve all introduced yourselves, it’s time for you to understand why you’re here.” He clasped his hands behind his back. “Each of you has been chosen as the guardian of a Heartstone—a responsibility both noble and perilous. Each Heartstone holds the life force of its realm, and without its guardian, it becomes vulnerable to forces that would see it destroyed.”

  I felt the weight of his words press down on me, making the title of “guardian” seem like more than just a label. Alistair continued, his gaze never wavering. “This training is essential for you to fulfill your roles. You’ll need to learn more than just guarding your Heartstone—you’ll need to understand the forces that may seek it out, and the skills required to fend them off.”

  He looked over each of us again, his expression turning almost sympathetic. “The path you’re about to walk will be challenging, but it’s the only way to protect your realms. And until you complete this training, none of you will be able to return.”

  The silence that followed was heavy. It was strange, knowing that the only way back to the life I’d known was through whatever lay ahead.

  “Now,” Alistair said, his voice softening just a little, “you should all get some rest. Your dorms are prepared, and your first day of training will begin tomorrow. Make sure you’re ready.”

  He motioned for us to leave, and slowly, we filed out, murmuring our goodbyes and casting curious glances at each other. As I turned to find my way to the dorms, still processing everything I’d heard, I caught sight of one of the guys coming up beside me.

  "Hey you're Ethan right? I'm Galen."

  "Nice to meet you."

  "Pleasure's all mine." Galen said. "So you're from Earth right?"

  "Yeah, I suppose."

  "So what's it like over there? My mom told me stories as a child."

  "It's alright, I guess. I've been there all my life so I never seem to see anything there as exciting anymore."

  "Dorms, Now!" Alistair shouted as he saw us stalling in the hallway.

  "Guess I'll see you around." Galen smiled before going to the opposite direction of where I was headed. I just figured out recently that guardians of the heartstone existed and now they're telling me there's more than one heartstone?

  Well, on the bright side, things can't get crazier than this. Right?