The Midnight Guard [TMG Book One]

Part X: A New Beginning

There was warmth.

A golden sun, a blue sky.

Trees, grass, flowers of every kind and every colour.

There was no ice, no falling snow.

Not anymore.

Wynter landed softly in the grass that now graced the mountain tops of her homeland. She ran her fingers through the short green blades, gasping as she observed the new world. It was different, so different and yet so familiar at the same time. Birds sang sweetly overhead in the branches of trees as emerald leaves rustled in the light wind. Wynter squinted against the sun, she looked out to the town beneath her in awe.

It was beautiful.

Journeys End was no longer colourless and aged, it was alive.

Structures of gold-flecked stone rose into the sky all along the streets that led to a glittering turquoise sea in the distance. The train station remained, she could see puffs of smoke rising softly into the air as another train began its long journey to the mainland.

Wynter began to walk a gently sloping path that now led down through the mountains and into the town. Just before she began her descent, she looked over her shoulder one last time. The ruin was gone, as was the shimmering blue symbol that had shone upon the earth only seconds before. Now it was just a circle of dirt.

Wynter's mouth opened and she felt herself laugh.

It was the circle that had been created by Eiran. The earth was damp, fresh and within it stood that same bare tree. Though, it was no longer isolated. She felt a single tear seep down her cheek, but still she smiled.

Wynter began her walk.

*

Journeys End had, in another life, been an isolated town forgotten by the rest of the world. It had been old, mysterious, its buildings decrepit and black. Now Wynter saw the resemblance between her home town and the now ancient city of Iporia.

The first thing that greeted her was a shimmering, iridescent fountain that sparkled in the sunlight. The streets were as busy as ever, but it was a different sort of busy. People now laughed, talked together, they seemed to enjoy the day. There was no fear, no panic about time or having to keep in mind The Rule of Midnight.

And yet even though she was home and amongst crowds of people, Wynter had never felt so alone.

She was very aware of her appearance, the blood, the injuries.

Hiding herself as best as she could, Wynter began her gloomy walk towards the orphanage. She wondered how different the world was, would Mrs. Archer remember their conversation?

Of course not, that had never happened now.

Perhaps they had argued over something different, maybe she was still not welcome even in this world.

Wynter sighed.

She could still be in trouble yet if she had nowhere to go.

The orphanage was quite possibly the only building that had undergone little or no change. She could see her own window as she walked toward the doors, but inside she could make out different curtains to the ones she had kept.

'Someone has already taken my room anyway.'

She raised a fist to the door and knocked.

In a matter of seconds the door was answered by a stout, angry-faced woman. She regarded Wynter with small piercing eyes over the top of her glasses.