Guardians of the Light (Book 1: Rebirth)

Chapter 12

Life returned to normal for Lillian as normal as it could when you suddenly remember a completely different life you once lived and that you had died, somehow became alive again and spent all that time living a lie. To say the least it had been hard at first for her to adjust to the flooding memories that poured into her mind after the events that had happened only a few days ago. Trying to piece things back together was simple enough, just being back in the Guardian Headquarters brought flashbacks of the first moment Lillian had ever met Ronin.

The true moment everything had come into focus was when Sara had unleashed her light energy, it had been the key to unlocking her past. Over the next following days, she had spent relearning her Guardian skills, brushing up on the history of the world she had missed. In between she checked up on Ronin from time to time but his condition hadn’t changed.

The Guardian Healers had been able to close the wound and stop the bleeding but the road to recovery would be long, the fact that Ronin had not woke up was causing everyone to worry Lillian included. It had only taken a day before Sara was awake and back on her feet since unleashing her light energy and becoming officially a Child of Light. Time after such events differed from each person who had been chosen to carry the holy light but Sara was a strong person so it didn’t surprise Lillian when she learned Sara was awake and requesting her.

Lillian was relieved that Sara was okay, Sara had been relieved to see her okay and of course asked Lillian what had happened, the last thing Sara remembered was shouting, everything went black, waking up in a stranger place with strange people. Lillian filled in all the details the best she could, she promised more would be explained to her and that both her and James would make sure she was supported through everything.

To Lillian everything made sense, the protective feeling over Sara, the fated meeting of Ronin, the feeling of knowing him and dreaming about moments together. Then there was the time Pyrros had walked into Terry’s bar, she had frozen at the mere sight of him, a sense as if she knew him but could not place where, now like everything else, it made sense.

A huge chapter of her life had been missing, now that she knew everything she felt more complete than ever before. There was one part of her past life that needed to be taken care of, something that Lillian had taken a few days before phoning Terry to tell him that she would not be coming back to the bar.

The last thing she needed was her dangerous life interfering with Terry’s simple human life, it was better for his safety if she broke all contact with him at least until things settled down. Of course, Terry had been heartbroken to hear but understood and told her she would always have a place to work and stay if she ever came back to New Haven.

Lillian owed so much to Terry and words could not describe how thankful she was, she could at least do this one act for him to pay back for everything that he had done for her since arriving in New Haven all those years ago.

Today the Sanctuary was buzzing with movement in preparation for Elder Theokritos and Guardian Nicole’s visit, after the Elder had found out Lillian remembered everything and Sara had become a Child of Light, the Elder had insisted that he met Sara properly. Lillian already knew the Elder well but she did look forward to seeing him and Nicole again.

She was finishing lunch with Sara, who was over the moon to sit there and tell Lillian everything that had been going on with her the last few days. Lillian could not help but smile at the pure joy that lit up in Sara’s eyes and the excitement in her voice as Lillian sat there letting the young woman tell her all about the knowledge and training James had been teaching her. Lunch ended early as Sara informed her that James was going to show her around the Guardian record vault and the weapon vault to possibly pick out a weapon to train with.

Lillian was not sure if it worked the same but for Guardians the weapon chose them when it came time. Many Elders believed this was because the ancient weapons contained small amounts of the light energy, the energy sensed the good aurora of a Guardian claiming it as it’s master, to strike against the unholy creatures of darkness. Lillian wished her luck hugged her goodbye and headed in the opposite direction towards the Sanctuary, she had not been to check on Ronin for some time now and she was free the rest of the day.

As she walked, her mind drifted to the idea if Ronin never woke up, this over whelming feeling that came up just thinking about him. Did she still love him even after all this time and even with what he had done to her? Yes, she could forgive him for the events of the past that had not been him when he killed her.

The thought of not having him around made her heart sink, she may still love him deeply but what about him, did he feel the same way. Lillian shook away those thoughts when she reached the room Ronin was in. There were still two Guardians posted outside the door, they nodded to her as she entered the room to find Ronin was not alone.

In the corner of the room, an Elder was setting up different scrolls and herbs for the Healers, Lillian did not want to interrupt the Elders work but the Elder seemed to sense her there and just nodded his head carrying on with his work. She would take that as he did not mind her there, she took a sit beside Ronin out stretching her hand to grasp his own, feeling the soulmate bond between them flow through her body.

She smiled, tears threatening to spill as she looked upon his peaceful resting face, Lillian was aware that the Elder had moved closer, “Please come back to me, I remember everything Ronin and I can’t lose you”, she spoke to him. The Elder was now on the other side, facing Lillian as he reached to grab something from the supplies on the bed, she noticed it right away.

Under the sleeve of his robes, visible black ink marked his skin, the symbol of the Guardians exactly the same one she, Ronin and every other Guardian got after their training was completed. She quickly sat up knowing something was wrong, the imposter Elder grinned raising his head up to stare at Lillian, cold black eyes stared back at her and she knew than that the Elder was in fact not an Elder at all but a demonic infused Guardian. She had seen the same thing all those years ago when Ronin had been taken over by the Archdemon.

Lilian quickly grabbed the closet piece of equipment she could use as a weapon and point at the traitor, “How could you, what did it promise you that you would betray your own kind”. The traitor Guardian laughed, a deep dark sinister chuckle came from his lips as he removed the Elder disguise, “The Ancient One promised ultimate power and safety from the upcoming purge of this world into darkness so a new Dark Era can begin”.

He leaped over the bed, slamming into Lillian so fast and hard that she did not even have time to react before he had her up against the wall defenseless. Lillian did the only thing she knew she could do, she screamed loud, the doors busted open and the two Guardian stationed outside stood there weapons at the ready.

The traitor chuckled again, forcing Lillian into a tight hold and then just like that everything disappeared around them, the room changed before her eyes, they were no longer in the Guardian Infirmary but another place that was surrounded by stone walls, a castle or tower maybe she couldn’t tell. The Guardian let go of his grip on Lillian before striking her in the back of the head, the world around her went black.

She was not sure how much time passed, she could feel a burning sensation overcomer her body. Lillian tried to scream but only silence fell. Suddenly her eyes jerked open moving quickly to take in what was going on. She was aware of the unbearable pain shooting across her whole body but what caught her attention was that she was not alone.

Looking up her eyes met those of two hooded figures, the one on the right grinned speaking, “Welcome to the Order of Shadows, Guardian Lillian Chen”, the figures voice sending chills down her spine.