Before Emma and her friends stood the guardians from ages past, their faces all somber, as if weighing the strength of each new soul coming into their world. The guardians flickered in the dim light, like shadows caught between this world and the next.
Emma's heart quickened as the leader of the guardians stepped forward, his face lined with the wisdom of battles fought for infinity against unknown forces. His gaze locked onto hers, and her chest swelled with an overwhelming sense of purpose.
"You have come this far," he said, his voice a rumble seeming to echo within their very bones. "Yet strength is not enough to bear the title of Guardian. The most important trial is one that concerns spirit and heart. Will you give your life to the ocean's call?"
Emma's eyes went flat. She turned to Eldric, Naida, and Leo, who nodded silently, her resolve reflected in the set of their faces. Each of them had chosen to be pulled into this; each was bound to the sea in ways they still didn't know.
His hand rose, and the world seemed to twist and blur, dissolving into a vortex of mist. She blinked, finding herself standing along a shoreline achingly familiar, yet now strangely otherworldly and dreamlike-the beach she'd known her whole life.
Then a voice echoed from behind her back. "Emma.
She spun and froze. Her mother was before her-soft, familiar-but tinged with the sadness that reached her heart. Twisting it. Years had gone by since she'd seen her mother. The memory of the loss was a wound that would never heal.
"Mom?" Emma's voice shook.
Her mother smiled softly and stretched out her hand. "Emma, you don't have to do this. Come home. Live a normal life. Leave the ocean behind. It's never too late."
Emma stepped forward, her mind obscured by emotion. Suddenly, she was wracked by longing-a longing to be free of the onus of her destiny, to turn her back and seek refuge in the familiar arms of her family.
But then she remembered Eldric, Naida, and Leo. She remembered the promise, the pact to take care of the ocean, to face whatever lay ahead. They were counting on her. The ocean was counting on her.
Emma closed her eyes, taking a deep breath in. "Mom. I love you, but I just can't turn back. This is my path now.
In a sad face, her mother's form slowly disappeared and changed into a proud one. "Then go, my brave daughter. The ocean is in your hands."
The illusion dismissed itself, and Emma felt herself standing once again in the chamber of the temple. The leader of the guardians nodded.
"Your heart is pure," he said. Respect saturated his voice. "But the test is not over yet.
Emma turned, her eyes found Eldric, pale and shaken returning from his own vision, gone was the confident demeanor replaced by a more vulnerable emotion. Whatever he saw, it had obviously affected him.
And before Emma could ask him, there Naida was, standing in her line of vision, her eyes grave. In an instant, it seemed she had aged, as if her eyes shone with a new depth of wisdom and sorrow. Their eyes met in a silent understanding. For each of them, there had been something different beneath the surface: a fear, a longing, a regret.
Last to emerge was Leo, and gone was that careless expression that had been the hallmark of his countenance. He met their gaze with a seriousness seldom seen on him. "I saw. things," he mumbled, his voice thick with emotion.
The guardian leader nodded respectfully at the resilience of the boys. "You have faced your past, confronted your fears. But there is one final trial-one that shall try your bonding as Guardians.
He passed his hand in the direction of the altar, upon which sat the chalice aglow. The water within it pulsed with a light not unlike pure luminance, beating in time with that of their hearts.
"This is the water of the heart of the sea," he said, his eyes passing between theirs. "Drink, and make the power of the sea within yourself. But be aware, for it also strips away falsehoods and pretenses. Only your purest self will remain.
The first forward was Eldric, his face alight with the firm decision taken. Drawing a deep breath, he pressed the goblet to his lips and drank. A shiver ran through him as the liquid entered his body, and his eyes went wide as if he'd glimpsed some hidden truth.
He passed the chalice to Naida, who drank without a second's hesitation, her face composed, her eyes shining with a resolute light. Next was Leo, his jaw clenched, yet his hands slightly shaking as he raised the chalice to his lips. Finally, it was Emma's turn.
The chalice felt warm against her fingers, and as she raised it to her lips, a wave of serenity washed over her. The liquid tasted of salt and sun, of the endless ocean and its secrets.
As she drank, the power of the ocean welled inside her, coursing through her veins and binding her to the sea with a sensation that was both exhilarating and terrifying. It was as if she were becoming one with the water itself, her very essence mingling with the waves, the currents, the tides.
As she lowered the chalice, she looked at her friends, and this time with a new transparency; she could feel their hearts, their strengths and weaknesses, the love for the ocean and for each other.
The guardian leader nodded, satisfaction glowing in his eyes. "You are worthy, each of you. From this day forward, you are bound not only to the ocean, but to each other. Together, you are the Guardians of the Tide."
As he spoke, the temple began to shake. The walls cracked, and beams of blue light burst from the stones, illuminating the entire chamber.
Quick-to-react Eldric looked around in alarm. "What's happening?"
The face of the guardian was serene. "The temple has fulfilled its function. It goes to take its rest in the ocean now, as will you. Remember, Guardians--to be strong does not reside in having no fear, but in daring to confront it.
As if with those final words, the guardians vanished and their forms started to dissolve into wisps of light that mingled with the light beams surrounding them. The walls started breaking down as the floor gave way under their feet.
Emma felt herself falling, her friends with her, stretching out hands as they plunged into the depths of the ocean below.
They hit the water with a rush of cold, and for a moment it was all darkness and chaos. Then, as they came to their bearings, they were surrounded by a soft, gentle blue glow, a soft light guiding them back toward the surface.
They burst through the waves, gasping for air, the sky above them a canvas of twilight hues. The storm had passed, and in its wake came a peaceful calm.
Emma looked around, her heart swelling with the newfound sense of purpose. She could feel the power of the ocean in her, a strong pulse that beat in time with her own heart.
They swam ashore, exhausted and exhilarated at the same time, each aware that they had passed a test that changed them in ways they were only beginning to understand.
Standing on the beach, they watched the waves lap gently at their feet. Emma turned to her friends, a fierce determination in her eyes.
"We're ready now," she said, and her voice was firm and clear. "Whatever next comes over the hill, we're ready to face. Together."