Elurra was surrounded by a group of dirty, disheveled men. Many were wounded, and all were wearing Amorian armor and carrying weapons. However, their armor was ancient, and the Amorian seal on their chest was one of the archaic variations. Their grim expressions mirrored the bleak sky above as rain began to fall. The Kerali Mountains were dark against the horizon, and close enough that she knew they were near the border. She assumed they were soldiers, judging by their tight formation and apparel.

All these deductions were passive, though, as her real fixation rested with on the being leading them forward. It was hard not to focus on him—he was quite literally glowing. His pale skin gave off a soft luminescence, and his platinum blonde hair curled around his pointed ears and complemented his complexion. He was wearing a uniform unlike any Elurra had ever seen, and the sword at his hip looked like silver, not steel. There was no doubt in Elurra’s mind he was a Guardian, as he was exactly as angelic as the stories described.

But there aren’t any more Guardians on Incari. They returned to Yamoi at the end of the Great War, she thought in confusion.

Suddenly, she realized she must be dreaming again. The glowing man looked back over his shoulder at the group with a somber gaze.

“We must hurry. They’re closing in. But don’t worry, they won’t approach Garthu Vore,” he said firmly as he picked up the pace. Terror crossed his companions’ expressions as they started to move faster. The forest rapidly began to thicken, and fallen trees littered the ground. Elurra noted most of the trees looked like they had been ripped from the earth or snapped in two by some colossal force, and those remaining looked much older than the woods they had been in a moment before. But the ancient forest became much more decrepit as the old trees turned to shallow husks of themselves and then gave way to stumps and pale white wisps without leaves or bark. She had never seen such a strange forest.

What happened here?

Her answer came into view soon after. In the distance, the terrain unexpectedly dropped off and exposed the edge of a large crater. In the center of the barren soil, a huge rock, about the size of a horse and scorched from its fall to Incari, sat among the tree husks. There was something strange about the crash site. Animal bones circled the crater, but they all rested in an exact circumference one hundred meters away, like there was an invisible wall of death surrounding the strange meteorite.

It gave Elurra chills.

The Guardian stopped before the end of the tree line and turned to the Incarians following him. Elurra studied him carefully and was amazed to find his hair looked longer and curlier than it had when she first saw him. She shook off the thought. She must be imagining things.

“Continue onwards,” he said. “I will hold off the Demons following us. My brethren are on their way. Once again, I thank you for your bravery, but you’re no match for them. Remember, they have an aversion to this place for a reason. Skirt around the treeline, and no matter what, don’t get any closer to the crater, or the temporal radiation will—”

The Guardian’s words were cut off by a blood-chilling screech from the back of the line. Everyone turned to see a rolling wave of darkness was encompassing the trees behind them. The ancient forest vanished in the pitch-black mist. Elurra’s heart stopped when she spotted glowing orange eyes amidst the fog.

“Demon!” the screaming younger soldier howled as he charged away from the forest towards the crater.

“No!” the Guardian shouted, but he was too late.

To Elurra’s horror, the man collapsed where the ring of animal bones resided, clutching his chest in anguish. His hair curled out from under his helmet and spilled down his shoulders. Ivory bones poked through his melting skin. His back hunched, and his fingers became crooked and claw-like as his fingernails quickly slithered from their beds, extending into long, soiled ribbons. His screams became feeble and pitiful. Elurra had to cover her mouth when he turned to his companions, and she saw his cheeks were sunken, his hair was thin and white, and he was covered in wrinkles. He collapsed. His armor rusted away as his skin bloated and shriveled. Within a minute, he was a skeleton in rusty armor.

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There was a moment of silence before the soldiers broke formation and ran for the forest. The darkness swelled forward, and the scene faded before the two forces clashed. Elurra was alone in the clearing, facing the crater called Garthu Vore. As she stared at it in silence, she felt like something was watching her, waiting for her to act. She took a tentative step forward, only to stop when movement caught her eye. The leaves on the trees were slowly growing. She watched in awe as the tiny foliage unfurled to become fuller versions of itself.

They’re growing up, she thought idly, taking a step closer to the tree line.

She was mesmerized by the sudden signs of life appearing around her. Then she realized she had gone too far. The trees around her didn’t look as tall as they used to. She looked down to find she was no longer a little girl. She took a few steps back and looked down at her hands.

I’m growing up.

°◌°○●○°♣°○●○°◌°

“Snow! Can you please come downstairs and help me wash the arnica?”

Terrin’s voice snapped her out of the disorienting dream. She shuddered, trying to cast away images of the melting man and dark Demons.

“I'm coming!”

She reluctantly swung her feet out of bed. So far, her days had been spent resting and helping Terrin collect herbs in the afternoons. Occasionally Ramer took them to town for one thing or another, but no one else had brought up her disappearance. Today, it seemed that pattern would change. Ramer must’ve decided she was ready to take on a few more chores. She was more than happy to do more work if it meant distracting herself from the strange dream.

Aside from the frequent visits to the forest, she tried to keep to herself. She didn't mind Terrin and grew to enjoy his company. However, Ramer was always downstairs working on some mixture or helping a patient. She wasn't sure what Ramer would do if he discovered the truth about her past. He might evict her, and she needed to avoid that possibility at all costs. Thankfully, Ramer had gone out earlier to visit a patient and he wouldn't be back until the afternoon.

Elurra tramped down the stairs barefoot. She winced as her injured soles tormented her. She doubted they would ever fully heal, despite what Terrin and Ramer told her. Every step felt like needles digging into her feet. She was used to the awful sensation, but that didn't improve it in the slightest. She glanced through the archway leading to the kitchen and found Terrin holding a basket of what she assumed was arnica.

“Nice of you to take your time getting down here," he grumbled as he dumped the basket unceremoniously into her arms.

She stumbled awkwardly under the weight. She had to bite her tongue to keep from giving him a sharp retort. She had almost revealed her position numerous times when she was ready to give him a scolding for disrespecting someone of her birth. She had to remind herself the boy wasn't her servant, and she couldn't treat him like one, even when she wanted to. She muttered some very unladylike words as she walked over to the metal basin used for washing.

He was obviously not in a good mood. That morning, Terrin and his father squabbled, and Ramer had doubled his chores as a result. Terrin was clearly still upset about the episode. Elurra set the basket down and investigated the basin, expecting it to be full of water as it normally was. It was bone dry.

“Where is the water?”

He looked over at her in disbelief.

“Where do you think it is? Don't be daft," he retorted sarcastically. She stared at him, completely lost.

“I don't know. Where?”

She scanned the room, wondering where she would find water. It must be in plain sight if he thought her inquisitions were jokes. He glanced up again, clearly annoyed.

“It isn't going to appear out of thin air. I used the last of it this morning, so you’re going to have to get some more.”

Elurra was out of her depth. When she wanted water at the palace, it was brought to her. She had seen servants carrying buckets of snow and heating them over the fire in Lur Alava, but she had no idea where they retrieved fresh water here. Terrin glanced up again, his brows knitted. Elurra shifted from foot to foot, unsure of what to do. Terrin's eyes widened as he realized she wasn’t kidding.

“You actually have no idea where to get water," he said softly as he set down the vegetables he had been peeling. “Of course. Ramer figured it was too heavy for you to lift, so you’ve never done it before.”

She looked away to hide her embarrassment. She saw him shake his head from the corner of her eye. After a moment, he sighed and picked up the bucket.

“Come on. I'll show you where the well is.”

He gave her a lopsided grin, and she bashfully returned the gesture as she followed him outside.