Cron and Lia were shocked when he said that. "Not the Timekeepers?" Cron asked.
"Yeah, how do we know if you're lying?" Lia asked.
The man nodded. "Unfortunately, I have nothing to prove that to you. So, what I will ask of you is to trust me."
Cron shook his head. "You made a threat towards the Council of Time!"
The man sighed. "Without context, it may seem that way. But I assure you we are merely frustrated at the council's foolish decision to return the Time Festival."
"Why is that?" Cron asked. "The Time Festival always brings people together."
"The Burning Skies," the man said in a low tone.
That was all Cron needed to hear. He should have known that was the reason not to bring it back, but he was so caught up with the Timekeepers that he forgot they were responsible.
"Hmmm, seems a little convenient," Lia said.
"Please, follow me," the man said. "You clearly know a lot, and I cannot erase your memories; all I can do is explain myself."
Lia nodded. "But I don't trust someone without a name."
The man nods. "Likewise. My name is Damon Mins."
Lia nodded, too. "I am Lia Thorn."
"I'm Cron Orus."
Damon looked at Cron with wonder. "An Orus? Is your father Tez Orus?"
Cron was shocked. "Yes, how do you know him?"
"Come, I don't want anyone else finding this door. If you found it, someone else might too."
Cron and Lia looked at each other, unsure of what to do. Then they shrugged and followed Damon down. Once they were back in the same room, Damon asked them to clear the area so he could discuss a topic with the teens. They bowed as they all left into the room's only hallway.
Damon gestured for the duo to take a sit in the meeting chamber. When they did, Damon sat across from them. Lia crossed her arms and spoke. "Okay, who are you guys?"
Damon smirked. "I like you, straightforward. Anyway, we are the Guardians of Time."
Cron thought about that, and he never heard of them before. "How long have you guys been around?"
"Since the start of New Onyx Province," he said.
"What?!" Cron asked. "I've never heard of you guys before in history classes."
"That's because you are not taught about us or anything that happened during the war or before."
Lia's face was shocked. "What? Are you serious?! That's why history is boring?"
"No, the council deemed it dangerous to teach. They wanted the young minds to start a new without the past trauma."
"Wait, are you guys meant to be a secret?" Cron asked.
Damon nodded. "Yes, because we need to work from the shadow to keep a peaceful society. However, the Timekeepers have been making it difficult as of late."
"Wait, the Timekeepers have been active since the Burning Skies?" Lia asked.
"No, they were active before that tragedy," Damon answered. "The Guardians of Time has always been an active member of the world. We fought wars that you'll never know about. But the Timekeepers ruined that proud name."
Cron already knew the answer but wanted to see what Damon would say. "So, what were the Timekeepers?"
"Timekeepers were mighty warriors. They wielded all three abilities. However, once the significant war ended, they fled society and died out as a species. They deemed their powers too powerful and didn't want to bring hardship into this world anymore. But these Modern Timekeepers want to return to what it was like before the war."
"What was that like?" Lia asked. "Was it dangerous for us?"
Damon was hesitant to answer. "Something like that."
"Why would they want that back?" Cron asked.
Damon shrugged. "I'm not sure. They talk about one thing in particular. They want an actual Timekeeper."
Cron gulped. He is a Timekeeper. But he didn't want to tell Damon that. What if he tried to kill him now? Just so whatever plan the Timekeeper had never go through. It was too risky to let Damon know that.
"What if they get a Timekeeper?" Cron asked.
"I don't know. And I never want to know. But that brings us here. The Timekeepers have been bolder lately. And we cannot discover any leads. If we cannot find a lead before the Time Festival, we could face another Burning Skies."
Cron and Lia both felt the same way. They wanted to help. They had lost so much and knew this was their calling—their chance to save people.
"We want in," Lia said for her and Cron.
"Whoa, now, take it easy," Damon said. "You're just children; I can't have any of you participate."
"Too bad!" Lia said. "We lost so much that day. And now I know who my anger can be directed to; I will make sure they pay!"
"I agree," Cron said. "I was powerless back then to do anything. But now, I can do something; I can be a hero."
Damon sighed at these kids. He knew they would want to help but didn't want to get hurt. But it looks like he had no choice. "Fine, I'll make you a deal. If you can spot anything odd, please tell us. This means the movement of someone odd to you or just odd in general. Trust me, it makes more sense if you see it. Report back to us, and we will follow through."
Cron wanted to do more, but this was okay with him. "Yes, I can do that."
"Fine," Lia said. "I wanted to do more, but I guess this is a start."
Damon nods. "Thank you. I guess this will help us in the long run. Having students keep an eye out will be helpful. Oh yeah, one more thing, Cron."
"Yeah," Cron said.
"Your father was a great man. He didn't join us, but he helped us a lot. So, from me, I want to say thank you."
Cron wasn't sure what to say, but he simply nodded. "Of course."
Damon then escorted the two out. Then, the two had a lot to think about. Unfortunately, they had no time since they were late for their next class.