Aric stood on a little isnd of short green grass, under the shade of a great tree, surrounded by a great meadow that stretched as far as the eye could see. He couldn’t tell when he’d got here. It was like he’d just arrived yet he’d always been there.

  ‘So confusing!’ he sighed.

  Seated at the edge of the small isnd, a girl in a flowery dress sat with her knees pulled up to her chin, her arms wrapping around them. Aric was familiar with this pce despite not knowing where it really was. It was the same pce he’d wandered into during his Tempering Ritual.

  He always assumed it was a pce in his mind but that’s all he could say. Some things about it didn’t make sense to him… but he didn’t mind. And that’s where the problem y. The boy gripped his head, ‘I had forgotten how confusing this pce can be.’

  Something inside him knew there was more to this pce but whatever magic made him disregard it proved too strong for him to overcome. In the end, he could only manage small outbursts like the string of words that came out his mouth in the next moment. He yelled at the girl seated at the edge of the small green isnd, “Can't we talk the way we normally do without come here to this confusing…”

  “This pce is important to us, Aric,” the girl shut him down.

  “Where is this pce, exactly?” the boy asked, looking around the simple world around him. It was so warm and welcoming here… and yet, it broke rules he found rooted at the core of his being. It was a simple world… because it wished to be. It muddled thoughts and simplified everything when in fact, that’s not how the world worked.

  “Some call it ‘The Pce Between’. I like to call it the Guardian Realm, a pce where guardians come to rest and recover. Everyone has access to their own part of it. Where do you think I go when I’m not in your world?” the girl responded.

  In this pce, Alia shed her armour and assumed the visage of a girl Aric’s age. Here, she looked less like a warrior and more like an innocent girl. A girl with hobbies, fears, worries and things she cherished. Of course, she was much more than that.

  This pce was where she spent her time when she wasn’t in Aric’s physical world. Unlike the guardian though, Aric was sure his body didn’t travel to this pce like her body did… or did it? Wasn’t Alia supposed to be safely tucked inside his shadow?

  Wait, what was he doing in a pce only Guardians could go? And could any Guardian just wander into this space or was this just Alia’s space? What would that make the weird bck beast he spent a lot of time chasing during his Temper Ritual?

  ‘Ah! My head!’ the boy winced.

  Amidst his tumultuous thoughts, the girl spoke, “Why didn’t you call on me?”

  Aric’s mind went silent as once. Much as he liked the silence, he didn’t like the dread it came with.

  ‘What is she going on about now?’ he thought to himself.

  It took a while for him to remember how he got here—how he’d fallen unconscious. His expression paled as his mind fshed with jarring images of demons… tens and tens, if not hundreds of demons.

  “I-I didn’t have time to summon the S-grade Concealment Barrier,” Aric responded.

  But Alia knew this. His guardian was far more calcuting than he was. So her question hadn’t really required an answer. The boy came closer to the girl and sat beside her, “I’m sorry if I scared you.”

  She looked away from him with a scoff, “Tch! I knew you would survive.”

  “Did you now?”

  “I did. It just… didn’t make it any less frightening. Besides, if things had gotten out of hand, I would have…”

  “Don’t say it,” Aric cut her off, “You’re the one who told me revealing yourself when I’m still too weak is the same as committing suicide.”

  The girl nodded knowingly, “I know…”

  If there had ever been a time in Aric’s life when his guardian was too difficult to understand, it was now. She always spoke with logic behind every word, never giving in to her emotions. Then again, he didn’t entirely hate this side of her either. She looked less like a benevolent all-knowing being full of secrets and more like a mother worried for her child.

  “Don’t overthink it,” the guardian responded, “I just got worried. That’s all.”

  The girl stood up with a forced smile, “Now then, you must be on your way now. Breathe a word of this to Finn or Dar and I’ll make you regret the day you were born.”

  The boy chuckled with a nod, “Understood.”

  With that, the world around them began to crumble. Before everything vanished, he saw the girl turn to the meadow. Out there, a pair of bck wings peered from within the tall grass.

  She mumbled to the creature in the distance, “You’d better start earning your keep.”

  ………………..

  Moments ter, Aric awoke to the gentle bounce of someone’s footsteps. He could feel the indents of two rge arms holding him high up as whoever was carrying him walked. He could tell it was a man—for what woman could bear such rge arms—and that the man carrying him was exceptionally rge and of sturdy build, probably of a high Temper Rank.

  But none of his deductions mattered as his mind came to a conclusion all on its own—almost like an instinct. He knew instantly that the man carrying him was LionHeart.

  His heart didn’t even panic upon waking up. Aric knew he was safe long before he thought to open his eyes. Fshes of the moments before he passed out echoed through his mind, along with an exhilirating wave of relief.

  ‘We made it out of that gauntlet of death alive,’ he thought to himself.

  His surroundings were silent, not at all what he expected. Where was Scarlett? What happened to Guild Master Schiller? Had he hallucinated the man in full-body armour with a rge butcher-like sword and gargantuan shield, kicking a line of demons like they were made of paper?

  What about the demons? Would the Holy Barrier hold against so many? And if so, what were they going to do about that? Aric didn’t dare to think about a situation where the demons broke through the Holy barrier. It was unheard of… and if it were possible, then LionHeart wouldn’t be wasting time carrying Aric around like a princess.

  “Someone’s awake,” a deep voice echoed above him.

  The boy cracked an eye open to see the widest grin known to mankind. LionHeart was carrying him like he weighed nothing. From his st memories though, he couldn’t remember seeing the man. Perhaps he’d jumped into the fray after Guildmaster Schiller, “Where are we going?”

  “Back to Sariah’s house,” the man spoke.

  Aric looked around, recognizing the familiar sights… but something still remained wearily off about everything. Doors remained closed and no one dared to make a sound… Either that or no one was around.

  The boy looked through the vines he had scattered through the neighbourhood and grasped the splitting headache that formed as a result of invoking his powers when he was this low on aether. He reminded himself to hold off on using aether on instinct as that was just as painful, if not more painful than trying to lift weights with aching muscles.

  He did, however, for a split second, catch the glimpse of humans walking about like nothing was wrong. There was some hint of panic and scramble as rumours of a horde of demons milled through them… but that didn’t expin why Aric’s eyes couldn’t perceive them.

  “What’s going on?” the boy asked, looking around even more.

  “It’s a spell. Sariah had her house built with a protective enchantment. Anyone who knows the way to the house will find themselves completely isoted and invisible to anyone as they make their way to it. If they don’t want to be followed, the spell will shield them from the eyes of those around them.

  That way, no one ever knows the location of the house and it remains the safest pce for you in the whole of Melbourne,” Leon replied in a sad tone, “Now don’t go using your abilities like that. You’ll cause irreparable damage to your Spirit Vessel and your Aether Channels.”

  Aric sighed and allowed his head to drop back. Sweat dotted his forehead. He was exhausted… and yet, he was awake. Even his guardian had pushed him out of the Guardian Realm knowing he was exhausted.

  That could only mean there was something he was missing. Normally when he wore himself out completely, he fell asleep until his body had recovered enough for him to at least function like a human being.

  Right now, he didn’t even feel like he had the power to walk, let alone be awake. He had even more questions now, “What happened while I was out?”

  Leon remained quiet for a bit before speaking, “There was a mass panic. Some adventurers informed the Guild about the demons. The Guild Master went rushing to the Holy Barrier and that’s when they saw the fire… and the demons. Horrific sight, I heard. I arrived ter to find you passed out and in the hands of that red-haired girl you call a friend.”

  “She is a friend.”

  “She’s an assassin.”

  Aric narrowed his eyes at the man and spoke in a dangerous tone, “What did you do?”

  Aric held the man’s gaze, fighting hard to keep his emotions in check. He still didn’t know what had happened when he was passed out… but he also didn’t like the way LionHeart was talking. He was aware of the general prejudice surrounding assassins. Everyone had an opinion of their shady work… but Aric couldn’t find it in him to hate Scarlett.

  That, however, came with having to deal with situations such as these. Leon’s eyes looked conflicted as he stared at the boy, “I told her to leave you alone… and that she’s not to contact you again.”

  “Why?”

  “Why not?! Look at you. You can barely stand!” the man argued.

  “And that fault lies with the demons we found in the woods. Bme the demons, not Scarlett,” the boy countered.

  LionHeart looked away from him and drew a sharp breath. It was only then that Aric remembered the st time they’d argued. Back then, the big man had yelled at Aric for taking control of his guardian and in turn, his guardian had gotten mad at him for yelling.

  With that in mind, Aric could guess what was going through the man’s mind. He looked like he was holding himself back to avoid finding himself serving another punishment, [ I don’t think that applies here. He’s only looking out for you… which was not the case st time. ]

  [ I know but LionHeart doesn’t need to know that ] Aric responded. Was it a cheap shot? Yes. Aric didn’t think it was fair but he also didn’t want to be yelled at.

  He could feel Alia rolling her eyes at him.

  The boy sighed and looked away, “Asn won’t punish you for scolding me if you believe you’re helping me but listen. Scarlett is a former assassin. She’s nothing like the ones you fear.”

  “Is that what she told you?” the man raised a brow at him.

  “It’s what… It’s what my gut tells me,” the boy replied with a defeated sigh. Now that he said it out loud, it didn’t sound as cool as it did in his head. He shook his head, “What else happened? I vaguely remember Guild Master Schiller coming to our rescue.”

  “Oh… Schiller was the first to make it to the scene. I arrived with a few other adventurers and we helped him hold the demons back while Scarlett carried you through the Holy Barrier. The Guild Master was barking mad. Specutions were flying around. First Earl’s Hollow, now Melbourne. Merchant Cities are already hard to protect. Everyone’s on edge and since nothing’s been normal since you arrived, some people are starting to suspect that you have something to do with it—naturally.

  Scarlett protected you, of course. She never struck me as the kind to go that far for someone she only met a few days ago. After I managed to pry you away from her, Sariah made sure no one was able to follow us as I took you away. We’ll handle the rest while you rest. For now, though, no one is allowed beyond the Holy Barrier until the Purification Ritual has been completed.”

  By the time the man finished expining the situation to Aric, they’d reached Sariah’s home. Leon carried Aric up to his room where he set him on a chair, “You stink, so you’ll need to take a shower first before you can rest.”

  The boy shook his head defiantly, “I… can’t rest yet.”

  LionHeart crouched in front of him and took off his Face Mask. Beneath the mask was a face that made the boy’s heart soften. It was the face of a man he trusted. Captured within his almond eyes though, was a resolve unlike anything Aric had never seen on LionHeart’s face before.

  “That’s out of the question. You will rest,” the man said.

  The boy still shook his head, “I’m awake now not because I want to… but because I have to.”

  LionHeart blinked, “I hate that I’m agreeing with you but that makes a bit of sense. You shouldn’t have been able to wake up at all.”

  Aric nodded in reply, “There are still things I need to do.”

  LionHeart stood up and paced about the room in thought. After a while, his face beamed and he returned to his position, “What things?”

  “Sariah hasn’t gotten back to me on the quest. I need to know how soon we can go so I tell Lucy. I also have to—,” Aric responded only to be cut off.

  “Who’s Lucy?” LionHeart asked.

  “She’s the other Silver-ranked adventurer coming with us. She can use Holy Magic… and Healing Magic,” Aric answered.

  “Oh… That would be useful indeed. Where does Lucy live?” LionHeart asked.

  “She lives in an establishment called the Sisters of Fragrance,” Aric answered.

  LionHeart paled, “The one that sells flowers and alchemical ingredients.”

  “You know them?”

  “More like who doesn’t? How did you get yourself involved with that sort?” the man’s face was pale at this point, “I’m starting to worry about the way you pick friends.”

  “You worry too much. Anyway, depending on Sariah’s answer, I need to let Lucy know when we’re going so she can prepare. I also need to talk to Scarlett about that. She kept reminding me to inform Sariah about the quest,” Aric specified.

  LionHeart nodded, “Is that all?”

  Aric looked to the roof in thought, then beamed, “Oh yeah, I need to take the body of the Bone Tiger we defeated to the Guild Hall.”

  “Bone Tiger? What Bone Tiger?”

  “We killed a Three-Cut Bone Tiger,” Aric expined, “I still have the body in my Storage Bracelet… though I’ll be holding on to its tail for now.”

  LionHeart blinked yet again before collecting himself with a deep breath, “A Three-Cut… How the hell did you kill one of those things? You should have run away.”

  “We tried to run. It had a weird ability… It’s like there was no distance we could travel that would get us away from it,” the boy replied.

  LionHeart blinked, “Combat Domains… Those are very rare. You know what? I’ve made up my mind. You don’t go anywhere without me. I’ll handle these errands for you while you rest. Does Scarlett know where to find Lucy?” The boy nodded, “Fine then. I’ll ask her to help me find the girl. Meanwhile, give me the body of the Bone Tiger and I’ll take it to the Guild for you. Don’t worry…”

  As LionHeart spoke of solving Aric’s problems, the boy’s eyelids grew heavier. Was he really that tired? He struggled to keep himself upright…

  LionHeart noticed this and snapped his fingers in front of the boy, “Bath first. Then you can sleep.”

  Taking a bath had never been harder for the boy. On top of being very sleepy, he found that the cold water in the bath did nothing to stage off the sleep weighing heavily on his eyelids. It was the most tyrannical kind of sleep he’d ever experienced.

  So tyrannical that he almost never made it to the bed, crashing onto the soft fabric as soon as he was on top of the bed. It was lights out before he could tell what was up from down.

  ‘What kind of sleep is this?’

  [ The kind that your guardian forces you into so you can let your body mend itself ] Alia responded in a neutral tone.