Guardians of Anteverum City

Chapter Seventeen: The Message

Hi readers! Sorry for the HUGE delay between the last chapter and this one. I'm finally back in time for summer though! I hope you enjoy the last couple chapters of Guardians. 

On November 20, 2024, the Heavenly Limit was finally broken and the Knights of the Round Table all lost their powers. The victory went to the Guardians and the Gods of Olympus, but the Guardians could hardly celebrate. As soon as Esmeralda broke the Limiter Sword, she rushed over to both Lyra and her mother to find that neither of them was breathing. Seira, Ottie, and Luciano appeared on the cliff shortly after to the shocking sight of Esmeralda weeping over two limp bodies. The three of them lifted Lyra and Demetria onto Seira’s carpet and flew them down to the rest of the group. They all returned to Anteverum City immediately.

   Lyra, Demetria, and Opal were admitted to the Emergency room at the General Hospital that afternoon and everyone else received whatever general treatment they needed. A few hours after she was admitted, Demetria vanished. Operations sent out search teams, but she was gone without a trace. After 48 hours, everyone decided to focus on those still in the hospital and search for her afterwards.

Most of the group needed treatment for just a few days, and stayed at the hospital for the duration of their recovery. Arelia busied herself in the pediatrics ward cajoling sick children to sleep with pleasant dreams. Ottie, Seira, Reese, and Ethan returned to school two days after the battle after they had recovered. The Guardians offered to brief Seira and Ethan fully, but Seira refused; she would wait to hear the story from Lyra once she woke up.

  Opal was discharged after three days of treatment provided she limit her physical activity for three weeks. Lyra still had not woken up. Callista, Luciano, Therese, and Rubus visited her every morning from nine to noon. Opal, Zircon, Jaden, and Arelia stayed with her from noon to three. Ottie, Seira, Faye, Ethan, and Reese visited from three to six. Lastly, Garrett, Sascha, and Sapphira were by her side from six to nine pm. Lyra’s allowed visiting hours ended at nine pm, but Esmeralda was allowed to stay with her overnight because of her healing ability. For three nights, she worked her powers on Lyra’s body without rest, even though her condition showed no signs of improvement. On the fourth night, Esmeralda was healing her as usual until someone came flying though the window.

  “Reese?” she called without turning around.

  “Sorry if I scared you. I can’t control moonlight very well yet,” he apologized as he pulled a chair over next to Esmeralda. “No change huh?” he said, looking over Lyra’s charts from that day. Esmeralda shook her head.

  “Don’t worry too much,” she said softly.

  “I’m not worried,” Reese replied, smiling at Lyra’s sleeping face.

  “Then why are you here?” Esmeralda asked. “You’re breaking your curfew and the rules of this hospital. Don’t tell me it’s because you’re not worried.” Reese laughed nervously.

  “Alright, alright,” he gave in. They watched Lyra’s heart rate monitor for a few seconds, which was kept steady by a series of high tech machines created for General Hospital by the city’s most skilled technopath, none other than Jaden. “Could you give me a moment, no questions asked?” Reese asked Esmeralda. She turned to face him and studied his face for a moment, then halted her healing process.

  “For a second,” she said curtly.

  “Thanks,” Reese said. Esmeralda scooted her chair towards the window and looked out at the starry sky. Reese smiled, not having expected her to agree to his request. He stood up and leaned on Lyra’s bed so that his face was just inches above hers.

  “If you were awake right now, you’d yell at me wouldn’t you?” he whispered so quietly that Esmeralda couldn’t make out his words. “Wake up soon,” he pleaded softly and he lowered his face so that his lips met hers. After a few seconds, Reese lifted his head and around to see Esmeralda standing right behind him with her hands on her hips. “Esmeralda, I–”