Alexander lay in his room, recovering from the duel with Elizabeth. His body ached, but it was his morale and his confidence that had taken the hardest hits. He replayed the duel in his mind, feeling the sting of each taunt and the weight of his defeat. He stared at his hands, wondering if he would ever be strong enough.

Meanwhile, in the great hall, Erika, Elizabeth, and Merlin met to discuss the duel’s outcome.

“I was right,” Elizabeth said, her tone firm. “He lacks a true fighting spirit.”

Erika’s eyes flashed with anger. “Even if that’s true, you didn’t have to be so cruel!”

Elizabeth, having grown tired of her sister’s near constant admonishments, finally snapped. She grabbed the collar of Erika’s robes and yelled in her face, “You need to realize that our lives now depend on him, just as his depends on us! If he won’t fight like his own life depends on it, how can he be expected to protect anyone else’s?!”

Erika’s lips began to quiver and she avoided eye contact with her sister. “Let me go, Elizabeth.”

Elizabeth released her, realizing she had greatly upset her sister. She started to apologize, but Erika interrupted. “You’re right, okay?! I know that…but I just wish we could go about it a different way.”

Merlin spoke up, her voice calm but resolute. “I have one final idea. It may be time for Lord Bellmont to visit the Shrine of the Guardians.”

Erika looked at Merlin, her eyes wide in surprise. Even Elizabeth seemed uncertain with this new proclamation. “So soon?”, she asked.

Erika agreed, “Can we really send him there this early in his training?”

Merlin nodded. “We may be out of options. The Shrine is not necessarily dangerous. Each person has a different experience there. In the morning, you will escort him to the Shrine. This has to work...”

Alexander woke, still reeling from the duel. His body still aching; he groaned in pain with even the slightest movements. He thought back to yesterday, even as Elizabeth provoked him and made him angry, he hadn’t been able to make her flinch or knock her down. Was he really meant for this? Was there truly no one else?

The door to his room opened, and Erika walked in. “I’m sorry for the abruptness, my Lord, but you need to get ready quickly. We’re traveling.”

Alexander did as she instructed and quickly prepared himself, his heart rate spiking and his breathing becoming rapid as his mind raced about what would happen next. He met Merlin and the twins in the great hall.

Merlin addressed him, her tone calm but serious. “Lord Bellmont, the twins will be taking you to a cave in one of the nearby mountains. Within the cave lies a hidden memorial known as the Shrine of the Guardians.”

Alexander looked puzzled. “The Shrine of the Guardians? What’s that?”

Merlin continued, “It’s a place of great significance. The shrine is an area of intense magical concentration, it has, in a sense, its own consciousness. It serves as a memorial to past World Guardians, it’s customary for all guardians who train here to make the pilgrimage.”

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Alexander wasn’t sure what she meant by it having its own consciousness, but it didn’t make him feel any better. “And what’s my objective there?”

“Navigate through the cave and reach the shrine,” Merlin answered simply.

Based on her previous explanation, Alexander speculated that it wouldn’t be all that simple.

Merlin spoke again. “The twins will escort you to the entrance of the cave, but you must enter and find the shrine alone.”

He didn’t say anything back, only stared with his mouth slightly open. Merlin added, “Even I’m not sure what you will find within.”

The ominous nature of her comment did nothing for Alexander’s nerves. Before he could say anything else, Erika pulled him away. “We should get moving, my Lord.”

They went outside the castle, and Alexander saw a small stable that had been obscured when they first arrived. There was no one present at the stable, but two horses waited outside, saddled and ready for travel.

“Are we riding horses to this cave?” He asked nervously.

Elizabeth sarcastically replied, “It’s a fair distance away and on a mountainside. How else would we get there?”

Erika, now mounted on one of the horses, apologized. “Elizabeth is a better rider than I am, so you’ll have to ride with her.”

Alexander looked at Elizabeth and slowly started to back away as she approached. She grabbed him and threw him on top of the horse before climbing up herself, sitting behind him.

He could barely handle the awkwardness as she reached from behind him and grabbed the horse’s reins. “You really are useless,” she commented.

He fired back, “In our world, riding horses is more of a recreational activity. People don’t really use them to get around anymore!”

Elizabeth brushed off his statement. “Yes, I know. I’ve studied our world.”

It dawned on Alexander that even though they were from his world, they had spent most of their life on Avalon. “How will you adjust once we all go back?”

Elizabeth, irritated, told him, “Don’t worry about us.”

They traveled through the countryside of Avalon at a steady gallop. The gentle breeze flowed through Alexander’s hair, and he took in the landscape. The rolling hills and grasslands stretched out before him. He saw small villages in the distance, with people working farms by hand, their simple lives a stark contrast to the chaos he had left behind. For a brief moment, the serenity of this world calmed him, and he forgot all the pressure and anxiety that had been plaguing him. He smiled as he looked out across the landscape, appreciating its untouched beauty.

As they rode, Alexander’s gaze shifted to Erika, who was galloping beside them. She noticed the peace on his face and smiled back at him, her golden eyes reflecting the sunlight. In that instant, he realized for the first time just how beautiful she was. Her kindness and gentle demeanor had always been a comfort, but now he felt a strange warmth in his chest, something he hadn’t noticed before. He wasn’t sure what to make of this new feeling, but it seemed to stir something within him.

His face flushed and he quickly looked away, embarrassed. An annoyed Elizabeth, behind him, broke the moment. “Could you stop daydreaming about my sister? It’s making me sick.” she snapped, causing his face to turn even redder.

A bit later, they crested the top of a hill, and a short distance away, Alexander saw a small mountain jutting into the sky. Elizabeth pointed to it. “The cave is located about halfway up the mountain.”

Alexander’s heart raced as he wondered what he would find within. The butterflies in his stomach stirred, and he anxiously awaited whatever trial or secrets may lay within.

Back in the castle, Merlin went to the scrying mirror in her private chambers. She cast a spell, transforming the mirror’s surface into a projection of another world—Alexander’s world. She focused, attuning her senses, remotely surveying for any disturbances. She could feel something was off with the flow of magical energy.

She located a small town on the edge of the wilderness. It lay in ruins, the bodies of its citizens scattered through the streets. The destruction was devastating and absolute. It also seemed fresh. She could tell by the wounds on some of the bodies that this was the work of vampires.

“No…” she whispered to herself, her heart sinking. They were running out of time…