The village of Arren lay hidden in the valley below, but it was no longer the sanctuary it once seemed. Ahn followed Elder Kael as they hurried down the mountain path, his legs burning with each step. His mind, however, was racing even faster.
"What do you mean by 'the others'?" Ahn asked, his voice trembling with exhaustion and confusion. "There's no one else left, right? I'm supposed to be the last Guardian."
Kael kept his gaze forward, his face set in grim determination. "You're the last Guardian, yes. But you aren't alone in this fight. There are those who remember the old ways, the ones who will stand with you when the time comes. The realm has many secrets, Ahn. More than you know."
Ahn opened his mouth to press further, but the words caught in his throat. He had so many questions—about the darkness, about the visions—but none of them mattered right now. They had to keep moving.
The sun was setting behind the jagged mountains, casting long shadows over the valley. The air grew colder, and Ahn could feel the weight of something sinister creeping behind them. Whatever had stirred in the ruins wasn't going to wait. They had to reach the village before nightfall.
As they neared the village, Kael slowed, his eyes scanning the horizon. "We'll need to be careful. The darkness has eyes everywhere."
Ahn's chest tightened. He hadn't fully grasped what Kael meant earlier when he talked about "the darkness." Was it an actual creature? A force? An army? He knew so little about what he was up against, and the weight of that ignorance pressed down on him.
The village came into view just as the last slivers of daylight faded. Arren, a place of peace and simplicity, now looked fragile—its wooden huts and narrow streets far too exposed. Ahn had lived here his whole life, but now it felt foreign to him. Something inside had changed, and it wasn't just the knowledge of his identity as the Guardian. It was as if the village could no longer shelter him from what was coming.
The two entered through the northern gate, moving swiftly past the houses. Ahn's eyes darted around, half-expecting shadowy figures to rise from the ground and attack at any moment. But the streets were empty, eerily quiet.
"They've gone inside," Kael said, noticing Ahn's uneasy glances. "They can feel it too—the change. They know something's coming."
Ahn nodded, though he wasn't sure what the villagers could feel. He felt it, though—like an itch under his skin, a constant hum in the air. The power that had surged through him at the temple hadn't faded. It lingered, pulsing faintly with every heartbeat.
"Where are we going?" Ahn asked as Kael led him deeper into the village.
"To see someone who can help us."
They stopped in front of a small, weathered house near the center of the village. It looked no different from the others, but there was an air of importance around it, as though it had stood for far longer than the others. Kael knocked on the door, the sound echoing in the still night.
Moments later, the door creaked open, revealing a woman who appeared even older than Kael. Her hair was silver, pulled back into a braid, and her eyes gleamed with intelligence. She looked at Ahn with an expression that was neither surprised nor confused, but rather as if she had been expecting him.
"You've awakened, then," she said, her voice low but steady.
Ahn blinked in surprise. "How do you—?"
"Get inside, both of you," the woman interrupted, stepping aside to let them enter.
Kael motioned for Ahn to follow, and they stepped into the dimly lit room. The air was thick with the smell of herbs and incense, and shelves lined the walls, filled with books, jars, and strange trinkets Ahn couldn't identify. The woman closed the door behind them, locking it securely.
"I had hoped this day wouldn't come for many more years," she said, turning to face Ahn again. "But the signs have been clear. The darkness stirs, and now the Guardian has awoken."
"Who are you?" Ahn asked, his voice a mixture of awe and suspicion.
"My name is Mira," she said simply. "I am a keeper of the old ways, much like Kael here. I've spent my life guarding the knowledge of the Guardians and the history of this realm."
Ahn looked from her to Kael. "So you both knew? You both knew what I was, this whole time?"
Mira nodded. "We knew who you were, yes. But we didn't know when you would awaken. The Guardians' powers lie dormant until the realm itself calls for them."
"And now it has," Kael added gravely.
Ahn's head spun. "Why didn't you tell me? Why did you keep me in the dark?"
"Because the burden of this knowledge would have crushed you before you were ready," Mira said, her eyes softening. "We've been watching, waiting for the moment you would be strong enough to bear it. And now, it seems, that time has come."
Ahn clenched his fists, frustration bubbling inside him. "And what if I'm not ready? What if this is too much?"
Kael placed a hand on Ahn's shoulder. "You don't have to be ready yet. But you will be. That's why we're here."
Mira stepped forward, her gaze piercing. "You carry the blood of the Guardians, Ahn. The ancient power that flows through your veins has lain dormant for centuries, but it is waking now. The darkness knows this, and it will come for you."
"What is the darkness?" Ahn asked. "What does it want?"
Mira exchanged a glance with Kael before answering. "The darkness is a force older than the realm itself. It seeks to consume, to destroy. It has no master, no form—it is chaos incarnate. And the Guardians were created to keep it at bay."
Ahn swallowed hard. "And now I'm the only one left."
"You're the last of your kind," Mira confirmed. "But you don't have to fight alone."
Ahn raised an eyebrow. "How can I fight something that has no form? How can I even begin to stop it?"
Mira walked to one of the shelves and pulled down a worn leather-bound book. She opened it to a page filled with symbols that looked eerily similar to those on the altar in the ruins.
"By finding the artifacts left behind by the Guardians of old," she said, holding up the book. "They hold the key to unlocking your full power. But the journey won't be easy. The darkness will send its agents, and the realm will not remain quiet for long."
Ahn stared at the symbols, the weight of his responsibility sinking in deeper with every word. This was real. All of it. And his life was no longer his own.
"I'll help you find the artifacts," Kael said firmly. "Together, we'll be ready for what's coming."
Mira looked at Ahn, her expression one of quiet strength. "The choice is yours, Ahn. But know this—if you do nothing, the realm will fall."
Ahn met her gaze, his heart racing. The dreams, the visions, the voices—it was all leading him here. He could feel it in his bones, in the very core of his being.
"I'll do it," he said, his voice steady. "I'll find the artifacts. I'll stop the darkness."
Mira nodded, a faint smile crossing her lips. "Then we begin at dawn."