The wind howled through the jagged peaks as they descended from the mountain temple, leaving behind the haunting mirror chamber and Serene's solemn farewell. The path downward was slippery with ice and silence, the group weighed not only by the climb but by the lingering visions they had seen—especially Liam. Elira's face, distorted and sorrowful in the mirror, haunted him with every step.
They didn't speak much. Even Kael, whose sarcasm often broke tension, remained uncharacteristically quiet. Nyra walked ahead, her hands pressed together as if in prayer, and Aeris stayed close to Liam, watching him from the corner of her eye.
It was only when they reached the lower forests that Kael finally said, "So... a guardian who forgot she was a guardian. That's new."
Liam glanced at him. "She didn't forget. She was forced to forget."
"Yeah," Kael muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Even worse."
Aeris finally spoke. "Serene remembered enough to give us a clue. The name. The place. Valemere. That's where the next protector might be."
"But where's Valemere?" Nyra asked.
Kael turned toward Aeris. "Do you know?"
"Only in fragments," she admitted. "Valemere isn't on any modern map. It's a place buried under time, one that was lost during the collapse."
Liam's thoughts drifted. "Then maybe it's not just hidden physically... maybe it's hidden through magic, like the mirror chamber."
Nyra nodded. "Makes sense. If it's meant to protect a fragment, it would be warded."
"That means we'll need someone or something tied to the old wards. Another realmwalker, perhaps," Aeris added.
Kael exhaled deeply. "Back to chasing ghosts, then."
But before they could continue their planning, a loud snap echoed through the trees. The group immediately froze.
Another snap. Closer this time.
A low growl rumbled in the distance, sending birds scattering from the branches above.
"No rest today," Liam muttered, drawing his blade.
Nyra stepped forward, summoning her wolf familiar from a spark of silver light. The beast appeared with a snarl, eyes glowing with ethereal flame.
From the shadows emerged three hulking figures — twisted, humanoid, but malformed. Their arms were too long, their eyes sunken and pulsing with red energy. Each wore tattered armor that looked familiar… too familiar.
Aeris's breath caught. "Those... those were guardians."
Kael's jaw clenched. "No. They were. Not anymore."
The corrupted guardians charged.
Kael was the first to intercept them, wind flaring from his blade as he met the closest creature with a burst of force. The collision shattered branches and sent a shockwave through the glade.
Nyra's wolf pounced on another, jaws locking around its neck. She chanted quickly, her fingers weaving sigils that shimmered above her palm, calling a storm hawk that swooped in with talons alight.
Liam held his ground, waiting until the third lunged. Time seemed to slow as he raised his sword, catching the creature's strike with the flat of his blade. Energy pulsed from his core, not summoned — awakened. A ripple of violet light erupted from him, stunning the creature mid-lunge.
"Whoa," Kael called, slashing through his target's chest. "Didn't know you could do that."
"Neither did I," Liam muttered, his eyes still glowing faintly.
Aeris, meanwhile, drew the same crystal that had brought them into the human world. Holding it aloft, she shouted, "These creatures are bound by something — not just corruption. Look at their markings!"
On the twisted guardians' bodies, old sigils burned dimly, flickering between gold and black.
"That's Elira's symbol," Nyra whispered. "But it's inverted."
Kael cursed under his breath. "Someone's using her power — twisting it."
With coordinated effort, they brought down the creatures, one by one. As the last fell, its body dissolved into ash and whispers, leaving only the faint mark of the inverted sigil burned into the soil.
The group stood in silence, breaths heavy, hearts pounding.
"They weren't meant to attack us," Aeris said after a while. "They were meant to slow us. Someone knows we're getting closer."
"Someone from the shadows," Nyra said grimly. "Always watching."
Kael sat down on a fallen log, wiping blood from his cheek. "So what's next? We hunt for Valemere and hope no more corrupted guardians show up?"
Liam shook his head. "We follow the trail. Elira's voice said, 'Return to where it all began.' Valemere might not just be a location. It could be... the start of everything."
Aeris's eyes widened. "Liam, what if Elira isn't trying to mislead you? What if she's... trying to lead you home?"
He looked at her, heart heavy. "Then I hope I remember what home is."
That night, they found shelter in the remains of an old chapel, overgrown with ivy and forgotten by the world. Inside, a single stained-glass window remained unbroken. It depicted a guardian holding a book aloft to the stars — the Spellbook of Ages.
Liam stared at it for a long time.
"Kael," he said, breaking the silence. "Do you think there's any hope? That we can save Elira?"
Kael leaned against the wall. "I don't know. But if you believe she's worth saving, then we fight for her. No questions."
Nyra added softly, "And if she's truly gone... we still fight to stop what she helped protect. That's what guardians do."
The fire flickered low. And outside, in the night sky, a shadow moved — unseen, watching.
Far above, high in the clouds, the eyes of the hidden manipulator glowed faintly blue, not red. And from his perch on the boundary between worlds, he whispered:
"Soon."