Keth knelt in the shallows of the lake, cradling Mariah's lifeless body. His arms trembled, his face pale with grief. The weight of loss crushed him.
Footsteps rushed toward him.
Zillah gasped, her breath catching as she spotted Keth in the distance, clutching Mariah's lifeless body tightly.
"Keth?!"
Rex and Maingan stumbled beside her, their faces twisted in horror as they took in the sight before them.
Rex tried to hold back tears but couldn't
"Mariah… no… no!"
Maingan dropped to his knees, his hands clenched into fists. Zillah covered her mouth, shaking her head as tears streamed down her face.
They all wept.
Then, from the misty edge of the lake, a figure emerged. A man, dressed in flowing white robes, stood watching them. His presence was calm, almost otherworldly.
Keth looked up, his vision blurred with tears.
"Who… are you?"
The man stepped forward, his gaze resting on Zillah. Then he spoke, his voice smooth and deliberate.
"I am the Guardian of this island, the keeper of the lake and the tree within it."
Zillah's tear-streaked face lifted in shock.
"The Guardian? But… how do you—"
The man's expression softened.
"I know you, Zillah. I knew you when you were but a child running through the forests of the island. I knew you when you left this place, when fate carried you beyond the waters. And now, you have returned."
Zillah staggered back, stunned. The man watched her in silence, his golden eyes unreadable.
She swallowed hard, steadying herself. There was something strange about him—his presence felt heavy, almost overwhelming. But right now, she had no choice.
"Then if you know me, if you know who I am, you must help us! Please! My daughter—she's dead! The evil Queen Spadina sent her men, and they killed her! You must help us defeat them!"
The Guardian's eyes darkened slightly. He looked at the grieving family, then simply turned away, speaking in a low, measured tone.
"No."
Keth's breath caught.
Zillah with desperation written all over her face
"No? But—"
The man in white, in that same measured tone, spoke as he moved farther away.
"It is not my fight."
A heavy silence filled the air. Then—
Rex filled with furious and rage, ran after him:
"So, this is what a so-called Guardian does?!"
The man in white stopped as Rex's voice cut through the air.
Rex shouting
"You watch as a child dies? You watch as the island you claim to protect is destroyed?"
The Guardian turned his head slightly, his expression unreadable as Rex continued ignoring the signs his mother were giving him.
"If you won't fight for us, then at least fight for the land you claim to love!"
The wind stirred, rustling the trees. The Guardian was silent for a long moment. Then, finally, he turned back toward them. Speaking in the same tone.
"You misunderstand me, child."
He stepped toward the lake, his hand outstretched. The water rippled beneath his touch.
"I will not stop them. You will."
Keth's grief turned to confusion as he spoke up.
"What do you mean? We are broken—we can barely stand, let alone fight!"
The Guardian's gaze remained steady.
"If you wish for strength, then prove yourselves."
He stretched out his hand, stirring the waters. The lake darkened, swirling with unseen currents.
"Beneath these waters lies a diamond ring. Find it… and return it to me."
Zillah hesitated, her voice uncertain, before speaking up to question the task.
"A ring? How can a simple ring—"
Man in White immediately interpurted, cutting her off before she could continue.
"Only those who are worthy can retrieve it. But beware—the lake does not forgive weakness."
Keth looked at his family, his sorrow momentarily replaced by determination.
"We have no choice. We must do this."
One by one, they stepped into the lake. The cold water wrapped around them as they dove beneath the surface, searching the murky depths.
The deeper they went, the heavier the water felt. The pressure tightened around their chests. Their lungs burned.
Then, amidst the darkened silt, Rex spotted something glinting, His chest tightened as he reached for it, his mind racing.
"There!"
Maingan reached for it, his fingers brushing against the smooth diamond ring. The moment he touched it, the lake churned violently. A powerful force pulled them downward.
Their limbs grew weak. Darkness crept into their vision.
They were drowning.
Just as their consciousness began to slip away, the man's voice echoed through the water.
"Come up."
Suddenly, their bodies surged upward, breaking through the surface. They gasped for air, clutching their chests.
Keth looked around in shock—his wounds were gone. The pain was gone. And then—
Mariah coughed.
Zillah's eyes widened as she turned to her daughter.
She cried out, her voice trembling as she sees the faintest movement from her.
"Mariah?!"
Mariah opened her eyes, blinking as though waking from a dream.
Mariah softly as she slowly takes her breath
"Mama?"
Zillah let out a sob of relief, pulling her daughter into her arms. Rex and Maingan stared at their own bodies—their wounds were gone, their strength renewed.
The man in white watched them, his expression unreadable.
"You have been given power from above. But know this—"
He raised his hand, and the lake behind him shimmered, revealing a hidden grove with a single towering tree at its center.
Man in White gives the warning.
"No one shall find this lake or the tree within it. Swear upon your souls that its secret will never be revealed."
Keth, Zillah, Rex, Maingan, and even little Mariah met his gaze. They understood the weight of his words.
Keth solemnly
"We swear it."
The air around them shimmered. The man in white nodded once, then turned, disappearing into the mist as if he had never been there.
And from that day forward, they were no longer the same.
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