Who do you think you are? To insult my family! Kiara thinks to herself, clutching the marble floor tightly.
One of the council members continues his taunt towards Kiara, " A person of your nature will be killed, if you were trained properly then you would have likely…" His words falter as a chilling presence wraps around his throat.
The dimly lit room created a dark shadow over Kiara's face, her deadpan stare cutting through the air like a blade. The silence that followed was heavy- everyone felt it in the room. For a brief moment, no one moved. Even the flickering candlelight seemed to freeze.
Zhang looks intensively at Kiara, her sullen stricken expression quickly replaced with anger and hate, "That is the look of a killer." He wasn't sure if it was fear or fascination pounding his chest.
The voices of the seniors and the recruits above murmur amongst each other. Their expressions intimidated and alarmed.
Anby looks at Adam, concern written across her face, "Adam."
Adam placed a gentle hand on Anby's head trying to calm her down, "I know Anby." he thinks to himself, trying to rationalize the situation, This is not going to be a good look. This will make waves, and it won't be pretty. His eyes scan to the frightened council members, and a small smirk tugs on his lips.
Her eyes dart toward the blade then back to the council members, her hands slowly outreach towards it. The feeling it would bring would temporarily fix the humiliation and ridicule from them. Just one throw could end it all.
Alwin Dubois watches silently, his deadpan eyes analyzing the situation awaiting Kiara's next decision. He quickly gazes at Edward, his hands clutched on the railing, preparing to stop Kiara if she does the unforgivable.
Don't Kiara, Edward thinks to himself.
Zhang raises his outstretched arm, and a black spiral vortex swirls around his fingertips summoning his katana. Edward's hand glows with spiritual energy. Kiara grabs the dagger off the ground, putting many on guard. Many of the council members get off their chairs, sweat dripping down their faces,
She's not going to…
She's just a D-rank.
She better stand down for her insolence.
Their thoughts race as they try to rationalize everything happening right in front of them,
Kiara gets off the ground, wiping off the tears trailing down her eyes. She tries to cover everything up with a smile but the words of the council still struck Kiara deeply.
Their words echo in her ear, You have no drive or passion to be a warden. Stop pretending to be a protector.
Every sentence, every taunt, every insult echoes loudly, and slowly breaks her down. Tears trailed down harder, her stance trembling by the second, You've never known real loss- how can you expect to dedicate your life to this?
Kiara bowed down to the council member, her stance awkward and wobbly, " Thank you… for… your reproach." her voice was soft but trembling. She turns her back and rushes out of the evaluation room, wiping off the tears from her eyes. Her body trembling still affected by their words.
The council member looked at his colleague sharing each other's worrisome looks, "Did we imagine that?" one of the members said, his face stricken with fear. Alwin Dubois leaves the evaluation room, tipping his rice hat to cover his gaze.
"Let's just ignore it," the Arbiter quietly commanded, pondering on his thoughts for a moment, "Let's keep an eye on her training."
The seniors and the council members swiftly exit the building complex, with Edward running fast to find Kiara. Adam signals Anby and Seth to be quiet and they all leave the premises.
"Let's give her some space guys," Adam says worryingly, trying to distract them from what happened.
Zhang walks over to the Arbiter who is busy cleaning up his table. His wrinkled old hands gentle sweep the dust off the artifacts and papers.
"Arbiter," Zhang politely addresses, standing tall towards his superior. The Arbiter gazes intently at Zhang, before greeting him, "What do you need, my successor?"
"Did you not see that?" Zhang crosses his arms, "Kiara managed to put everyone under a cold shoulder, just by her anger alone. Does that not raise any alarms?"
The Arbiter motions Zhang to follow him and they briskly exit the evaluation room. The Arbiter's eyes dart around the hallway, "That show of spiritual pressure was impressive, affecting the likes of A-ranks like you."
"So should she not be ranked higher than a D-rank," Zhang questions, noticing below through a window Edward scurrying through the training yard, "To bring down a heavy suffocating sensation on everyone higher ranking than her through just bloodlust proves that she has more potential than she thinks."
"True," the Arbiter calmly replies, "Yet, her skills were unrefined, her energy control was nonexistent, and we didn't see what drives a young girl like her to be a warden"
The Arbiter and Zhang walk over to a balcony staring below everyone in the courtyard discussing what has just transpired. The younglings murmur to each other, their eyes filled with curiosity and amusement. Edward moves past the crowd trying to find Kiara but along the way, he overhears what the kids are talking about.
"I just heard from my mentor that Kiara's anger brought chills on everyone including the Arbiter," one of the kids says to his friends. Edward's eyes dart to see the most likely place Kiara has run off to.
"A person like her shouldn't be a warden if she can't keep her emotions in check," another kid snickers to his friend group. Edward looks on at the crowd, Kiara's action has now become a big talking point for everyone at the temple. Their concerns and worries echo everywhere.
"I heard it looked like she was going to kill the Arbiter and the High Council."
"I feel bad for her, she looked like she was completely crushed."
Edward scurried through the crowd, gently pushing aside the children talking to each other. Many of the seniors and younglings looked at him, their eyes filled with skepticism and fear. Edward thinks to himself, "She has to at least be in her room, I need to check."
The Arbiter watches cynically as Edward runs over to his barracks.
"You see what happened today Zhang," the Arbiter softly utters, "Edward's method of teaching has clearly failed her. Embarrassed and humiliated by all… but you can fix that." Zhang looks on with skeptical eyes at the Arbiter.
"Remember Zhang," the Arbiter puts his hands on Zhang's shoulders, "As my successor, you would have to lead this temple and be a shiny symbol to the other temples around the world,"
Zhang looks on at the kids training and talking in the courtyard. The Arbiter tightens his grip on Zhang's shoulder, "Loyalty is not blind. You have to teach them to be strong, resilient, obedient then they will follow you wherever you see fit."
"Edward plans on shielding the children from reality Zhang," putting his arms on the balcony rail, the Arbiter glances at Zhang, "But shields break over time, these kids don't need shields to hide from danger, they need to face reality with a sword in their hands"
Zhang's eyes narrow for a moment as the tension in his chest tightens. He watches the children spar with their naivety and hopes in check. His gaze softens momentarily as the sight of their youthful energy pulls something deep inside him.
"The world doesn't care about shields," Zhang says softly almost to himself, "We need results. Strength comes from…enduring pain."
"Good. I knew I could trust you," the Arbiter smiles softly, almost showing real compassion for a moment.
Meanwhile in her room, Kiara lays on her bed, fidgeting with the dagger in her hands. Her thoughts wander in her head. She absentmindedly twirls the weapon, her gaze distant as her mind drifts with her thoughts. With a flick of the wrist, she swung her dagger at the wall.
The world is designated by prey and hunters… Without any drive or passion, you will be reduced to just prey to those stronger than you, the council's taunts and insults were reverberating in the small room.
"What a bunch of self-righteous overcooked puppets," Kiara slams her hand on her bed frame, looking intently at the dagger stuck on the wall. Edward slowly opens the door, seeing Kiara lying motionless on her bed.
"Are you doing okay?" Edward inquires, his voice is gentle yet cautious.
"Better that you are here," giving a soft smile at Edward as he sits on her bed. Kiara stands up straight, her eyes looking down on the wooden floor, "Grandpa. Do you think the council is right? Do I not have the drive to be a Warden?"
"Your drive is that you want to help people," Edward gently says, placing his hand on Kiara's head, "That might not be enough for the council but that is sufficient enough for me."
"That is everyone's goal, Grandpa," Kiara glanced at Edward, her fingers twisting and shuffling against each other, "A warden's main job is protecting and helping people."
Edward breathes heavily, and his shoulders slump down.
"You're right," Edward says, his tone contemplative, "I never thought of asking about your drive, I thought that fiery energy you had as a child was your drive and never thought to dive into it further."
"Was the reason I wanted to become a warden built on a lie?" Kiara reflected, breathing heavily on the realization, "Maybe I wasn't meant to be a powerful warden like you."
"Kiara." Edward consoled, reminiscing on his past, "Maybe the reason for your journey was a lie but that doesn't define who you are right now."
There is a moment of stillness between. Kiara wipes her damp eyes, taking a deep breath. She stares at the floor before a funny thought pops up in her head.
"Do you ever feel like punching them in the face?" Kiara mimics an uppercut motion, "Like ShabAm." She exaggerates the motion for effect, making a dramatic face as if she is making the movement. Edward just stares there dumbfounded, not knowing how to respond.
"Yes. Every day," Edward smiles to himself. "I don't know about this Shabam thing or whatever but yeah sometimes I want to punch them." He tightens his hands, his voice calm and measured. "But you can't just use violence against the council. There's something called consequences and it has lasting effects with something as old as Warden Society."
With a quick exaggerated flick of her wrists, Kiara throws her arms dramatically and screams, "But violence is sooo much fun, Grandpa!" Her face lit up with frustration and mischief, unimpressed with Edward's serious tone. "We all need some form of cartoonishly graphic violence in our lives."
"Who is we?" Edward raises his eyebrow, crossing his arms, "Did you not hear about the consequences? Tell me if this was the Russian monastery, you would have been frozen in ice, turned into fancy cold statues where they break'em for fun."
"That sounds super Russian, to be honest," Kiara leans back, her bottom lip jutting out a half pout, half smirk.
"Kid. Listen for real," Edward breathes heavily, stretching his neck out, "I was a coward. I was too afraid to step up and whenever I did, I was too worried about my presence to keep my promise."
Kira, noticing Edward's tone, stops for a moment. She tilts her head to better understand his words.
"You're not a coward," She says softly, almost hesitantly, "You just..care too much."
"I chose to avoid the fight. I chose to stay quiet," Edward looks at her wearily, placing his hand on her head, "Many choices in our lives have consequences tied to them and that is the truth. Every action leaves a mark."
"They'll keep pushing you around," Kiara stands up, her voice serious for the first time.
"That's why you should not be afraid of the tougher choices," Edward explains, his voice low yet inspirational. "Real strength is fighting because you have to not because you want to."
"Yeah, I'm going to try my best," Kiara jokes to herself before leaving the barracks. "Am I still allowed to be a warden because of the whole 'almost killing them' thing?"
Her hand twitches at the memory of what happened. The way she contemplated throwing the dagger directly toward the council members. Was that something she could really brush off?
"You're on probation but you are still allowed to train and work," Edward reassures Kiara, slightly amused, "Also regarding my words on using violence…If someone harms you or anyone else. Just kill them. Don't hesitate. It's not about the thrill–"
"YES. Hell yeah." Kiara dramatically jumps in the air, raising her hands in the air, "Shabam, I get to use violence." She poses in an almost mock victory pose but her heart isn't fully in it; it is easier to laugh than to face the gnawing truth. Opening the door, she happily rushes out of the barracks, her voice echoing out of the hallways. "Finally real action."
"Maybe Zhang is right….She is a killer," Edward stares frighteningly, standing still in the empty barracks. "I hope not," Edward whispers to himself, his words hung in the air almost like a warning.
Kiara rushes out into the courtyard with many eyes looking directly on her. A few whispers ripple through the crowd while others give her sharp dirty looks. The weight of their eyes made it feel like she had a spotlight on her. The leaves from the trees blow heavily against her suit, with the fabric moving back and forth.
The familiar sting of humiliation bubbles up, but Kiara forces it down, plastering a fake careless grin on her face.
"Sorry about almost killing them," Kiara waves her hand in the air trying to break the tension. Her sarcasm doesn't win any smiles from the recruits. There's no relief in her words but a deeper knot clawing itself in her stomach.
Turning her head, Kiara oversees her friends playing a card game on a wooden table. Her footsteps crunch on the fallen leaves signaling her friends of her presence.
"How are you doing?" Adam asks somberly, awkwardly pushing a deck of cards towards Kiara.
"Eh. Better now," Kiara shrugs her shoulders, sitting down at the table as Seth places a card down onto the pile. His face was too amused for such a casual game. Even as she smiles, she can't escape the feeling that the world is closing in on her, something gnawing in the back of her head.
"What are you even playing?" Kiara tilts her head, eyeing the cards. She raises her eyebrow seeing the inconsistent plays on the table, "Also where'd you get these cards from?
"I think it's called Go Fish," Adam ponders to himself, staring off into the distance. "Also I stole these from the senior's lounge area."
"Let me teach you a fun game me and my friends play all the time," Kiara grabs the deck and awkwardly shuffles it. Adam stares skeptically as he glances at Anby utterly confused by Kiara's shuffling.
A few cards accidentally go face up as they slip out of her hand's mid-air.
"Give me the goddamn deck," Adam says sarcastically, putting his hand down trying to grab the deck from Kiara's hand.
"I'm teaching you how to gamble," Kiara finished shuffling, the cards shifting awkwardly in her hand. "It's called poker. My father used to play this all the time."
"Oh," Anby says softly under her breath. She doesn't make eye contact with Kiara. Adam just breathes heavily trying not to make a sound. Seth just smacks his lips tapping his little fingers on the wooden table top.
"So your father taught you a lot," Seth asks, trying to distract from the brewing awkwardness. "Poker sounds way cooler than Go Fish. I could probably learn it."
Kiara's smile falters at the mention of her father. Her fingers felt stiff around the cards as she fidgeted with them. "Yeah he taught me all of his secrets and stuff," Kiara sniffles, not even cutting the deck in half. "Also this game is very complex and has a lot of rules."
"Kiara." Anby intervenes, slowly breathing heavily, "I don't know how you should feel about this… but… I'm really sorry."
Kiara looks up to see Adam and Anby looking very serious at her, their eyes filled with concern while the young Seth is more focused on the game.
"My god guys, he was not an addict. Calm down," Kiara reassures, sliding the cards in a rigid motion into each player.
"Oh thank god," Anby breathes a sigh of relief.
"It's not a big deal you know," Seth says to Anby with a shrug, "You're acting like Kiara's dad sold her soul or something."
"He sold your soul?" Anby's eyes widened with fear and paranoia. She places her hand on Kiara's shoulder trying to comfort her.
Kiara just rolls her eyes as she finally finishes shuffling the deck. Adam just stares blankly as Kiara's finger slides two cards in front of him. Anby gently kicks Adam in the leg trying to get him to be quiet. Seth looks anxiously as Kiara finishes drawing out their cards in an uneven scattered mess.
That was a hate crime against cards, Seth thinks to himself as he picks up his deck.
"I hope your deck sucks," Adam sarcastically says, trying to psyche out Kiara a bit.
Without warning, Kiara couldn't contain her laughter, as she placed the hand with her deck in front of her to cover her waves of laughter.
"Woah. Adam, you can't say that." Kiara chuckles to herself, her cards practically falling out of her hands. "Didn't know you were into that kind of stuff?"
" What did I say wrong?" Adam says confused trying to rationalize the situation.
Kiara moves her chair next to Anby whispering something in her ear. In a second, Anby chuckles to herself but maintains her composure when Adam looks at her.
"Kiara." Anby says half seriously, "It's not funny. It's just misleading." She glances at Adam bewildered at Anby's reaction.
"I want to hear it," Seth leans forward but Kiara frantically moves her arms trying to protect Seth's innocence.
"You can't, you're too young," Kiara screams out, her movements irrational and fidgety.
"I'm not that young." Seth raises his eyebrow, "How old do you think I am?"
"Oh..uh…You look to be around..nine." Speaking gibberish, Kiara sides eyes Anby trying to get her answer.
"I'm eleven god damn it," Seth cutely pouts, crossing his arms. Kiara pretends to already know that while not making eye contact with the little kid.
"I already knew that," Kiara tries to recover, but it's too late. He looks young for being eleven. They all keep growing smaller and shorter. She thinks to herself.
"So what did you say, Kiara?" Seth says with a grin, "What's this big secret?"
Kiara bites her lip, still not looking him in the eye as she shuffles with the cards in her hand. "Well. I was protecting you…from my awesome poker skills." Kiara says with a forced smile, covering her nervousness.
"Well see my awesome skills," Adam says confidently before playing the card on the table.
"You already made a mistake, you lagger." Kiara teases, her tone lighthearted yet firm, "What's with you not waiting for instructions?"
"What happened to the quiet and unconfident Kiara for the past couple of days," Adam questions himself with a trace of amusement, raising his eyebrow. "Alright, let's see how great you really are Kiara. I'm going to freehand this and win." He dramatically declares to himself, convincing himself that he is in control.
Seth and Anby exchange eye rolls as Seth tries to take a peek at Anby's deck without her knowing.
Kiara laughs to herself, the earlier tension melting away. "Yeah. Let's see about that." She smirks, playing a card amused. "Whatever helps you at night."
As they continue playing, the game moves with an unpredictable rhythm and friendly competition. Yet through the casual jabs and laughter, a familiar bond is forming between them.
The sun once fierce and proud in the sky began to slowly dip below the skyline. The afternoon air soon faded as the crisp air of the evening inches every passing moment. The horizon blushes with a gradient of pink and orange before fading into the coolness of the approaching night.
Kiara and Edward take their belongings and go back into the city through the gate systems. Kiara's friend waves their goodbyes knowing they will likely see each other again next week. Seth yawns to himself as he starts to get ready for bed. Anby looks over at Adam looking off into the distance but he brushes it aside.
"It's just been a crazy day. I almost got executed just like Kiara," Adam chuckles to himself gesturing to Anby to go to bed. A sudden chill runs up his spine as he laughs to himself. The starry night flickered like dying distant ambers yet the silence that hung felt suffocating.
As Kiara and Edward drive their way to their home, and her friends at the temple make their way back to bed- something happens in the background. In the darkest corners of the city, a mass congregation happens under the eyes and noses of the civilians walking by. Its purpose is as mysterious as the stars above them.
"Remember to praise your hearts." the white robe man raises his arms high in the air, his voice smooth yet carrying a hypnotic cadence to it. "We are social beings yet through our history, we've been the most divided. We have so much to learn together. We must unite together to build a world that we are truly one."
The people sitting in their seats listen with a hypnotic look in their eyes letting the words wash over them.
'People," the robed man begins, "We have to search for the truth but what is truth? Truth is what we create. We create with the Covenant. Only he can show us a better path for us, a better future." The word Covenant lingers in the air, all-powerful and revered.
The people in the auditorium clap their hands together, the sounds echoing in the room. The headlights illuminate the cult leader while everyone else is encased in darkness. With swift movement of his hand, the cult leader raises his finger up to his forehead and slightly lowers his head, pressing against it.
Reacting almost instantly, the followers follow his exact movement, tilting their heads to press on their fingers.
A long deep silence follows.
"The Covenant will soon arrive to answer us," the cult leader says, his voice smooth and alluring, "Remember to praise and worship god. Prove yourselves to him. Prove your faith."
A man behind the curtains holds his blank hollow mask with gloved hands. His white cloak drapes over his body reminiscent of that of a holy figure covered in gold-colored symbols. He slowly puts over and readjusts the mask over him.
To seize the minds of the people, you must understand their struggles and desires, the man thinks to himself, peeking through the curtains in front, the crowd slowly anticipates the Covenant to show himself to them. You can't tell them they are united. You show them. You make them feel at their core.
Azrael and Trajan make their way out of the darkness, their regular outfits replaced with holy cloaks draped over them.
Azrael, while wearing his plague doctor mask, walks with elegance in his cloak, his steps carrying a sense of reverence to it. Trajan looks more annoyed as he tugs on the cloak's collar.
"Master Wellz. The apostles will soon make their entrance onto the stage," Azrael calmly explains, his voice muffled through his mask.
"That's good," the master analyzes putting his arms behind his back, "What about the talisman? You have not yet discovered it despite the amount of time given."
"The Crimson PineGlade is a massive national park sir, with large areas of forest and mountain area stretching as far as the eyes can see," Azrael explains calmly, "But I have pinpointed at least one area where the talisman could be– if we go after that area, nearly an 80% of finding it."
"Perfect," the master smiles beneath his mask, and a sense of satisfaction fills his voice.
"May I ask a question? What happens if the Hero accidentally frees the Ascendant from the talisman?" Azrael inquires, "I don't believe in his current skill level that they can defeat entities like them."
"The Hero would obviously need to worry about the 6000 spell layers meant to harm the person trying to mess with the talisman," the Master recites, tilting his head towards Azrael, "He also needs to worry about an extra lingering spell that could ruin everything- he would need a high-level protection spell to negate those effects."
The doors open widely as 12 individuals in their varying cloak designs and glowing yellow eyes enter the auditorium. Bright gold star-shaped halos float over their heads as they slowly make their way to the center stage.
"The apostles have arrived," the master mutters to himself. The apostles calm the people down as they repeat the same hand motion to the people forcing the followers to copy their movements. The people in their silence, do not dare to breathe as the apostles make their gestures.
The eternal wheel, the master thinks to himself, is the ultimate failsafe spell in all of Warden Society. No one can escape it. It picks one spell out of its arsenal- due to this no one knows if they will receive a physical, mental, or spiritual judgment.
"Has the Hero been sent out to the location?" the master eerily says under his mask.
"He's on his way," Trajan arrogantly says, placing his hand on his neck.
"Good." the master slowly unveils the curtains, showing himself to his followers. Every single one of his followers stands up in unison bowing their heads to the Covenant. Each one of their heads looked directly down onto their feet, not making eye contact with the cloaked figure.
The suited man in the religious white robe bows his head towards the Covenant as well as the 12 apostles who lean their heads forward to push it against their fingers.
The master raises his arms high in the air, signaling everyone to raise their heads high.
"Remember my children: You are not here by chance, you were chosen to stand by my side," the master paced himself around the apostles and suited leader. Each step is deliberate and measured. "Say goodbye to the lowest version of yourselves. Gaze on the blood of the forgotten. Now go forth with the truth in your hearts."
With a single unified motion, everyone raises their hands and begins to clap. The force of their claps reverberates around the walls, creating a thunderous applause. A few begin to cheer, their voices rising in unison. Their faces once distant now show an eerie sense of devotion and shine with belief.
Their devotion grows every second, with every clap, and their cheers become a pledge of allegiance. The room is filled with an energy teeming with madness.
I won't allow anyone to stop me no matter what. The master stands rigidly in the presence of his followers, bathing in their allegiance. The suited man in the white robe stands in the background, his gaze fixed on the people cheering in the background while the apostles stare coldly, their expressions unreadable and unwavering in their golden radiance.
Azrael and Trajan look on behind the curtains watching everything unfold in front of them. As the congregation is happening, the starry night stretches as far as the eye can see. The neon signs of the city illuminate the streets as people move on with their lives.
A cloaked figure jumps across the rooftops of the buildings, making sure no one sees him- the Hero. Staring down at the people on the streets, he sees the bustling streets jam-packed with cars and taxis. The people walk around the city enjoying the nightlife it has to offer.
He turns his head to see the Crimson PineGlade in the distance. The master's plan is in full operation. Wasting no time, the man continues his path toward the talisman. .
As the claps of the congregation grow louder and louder, the master raises his arm signaling everyone to settle down.
I've laid the foundation, built everything up, and now everything is in place, the master's thoughts seem to echo across the congregation and the bustling city around him.
No one can stop- not even the wardens can stop whatever is coming.
The master's words transition to the Arbiter pushing a few chess pieces back on his side while also moving a couple forward. His room is lit with only candles as their flame illuminates the room with a bright orange color. His gentle analytical gaze stares at the stars above him, their soft silvery glow reflects off the landscape.
The apostles signal the congregation around the master to silence down. The loud overbearing noise of the followers silences almost instantly.
Edward places a thumbtack on a photo on his investigation board. The room is messy and unkempt with many misplaced files and books forgotten on the wooden floor below him.
They will fall one by one. The Hero will show them what's really out there. One by one until it's just me and my truth. The suited man in the white robe claps his hands making everyone slowly return to their seats.
The Hero moves in a quick precision, jumping and climbing many rooftops as he slowly makes his way to the talisman. His cloak's hem swayed back and forth, flapping with a soft whispering sound. The winds howl in the street, carrying a sense of something brilliant yet distant.
That's why I have to fight; if no one does, who would? The master finishes his thought, standing tall and defiant towards the congregation.
Kiara lays in her bedroom. The glow-in-dark stars on her room's roof mimic the beautiful starry night outside her window. The stars glitter like shards of broken glass on the black velvet sky. She slowly closes her eyes as the world around her is about to change entirely.