Chapter 4: The First Guardian
The ancient bell continued to echo.
Once...
Twice...
Three times.
Its sound traveled across the mountains, through the White Valley, and deep into the Frozen Fortress.
No one spoke.
Every person present stared toward the enormous Gate visible beyond the distant peaks.
The silhouette inside it had disappeared.
But the feeling remained.
Someone had been watching them.
Not for minutes.
Not for days.
For centuries.
A powerful wind swept across the valley.
The blue flowers bent toward the Gate as if bowing before an unseen king.
Elian lowered his head.
"They've awakened him."
Cassian stepped forward.
"Who?"
Elian looked toward the mountains.
"The First Guardian."
Orion slowly stood.
The black energy that had struck him moments ago had already disappeared.
But his breathing remained uneven.
Fragments of forgotten memories flashed through his mind.
A massive battlefield.
Five ancient kingdoms.
A sky filled with burning stars.
And one warrior standing before the Gate.
The warrior wore white armor.
His face remained hidden.
Only his glowing golden eyes could be seen.
"I know him..."
Orion whispered.
"But I don't remember his name."
The faceless leader suddenly laughed.
The sound echoed unnaturally through the valley.
"You were never meant to remember."
"The Gate erased your past."
Riva frowned.
"The Gate erased memories?"
Elian nodded.
"The Gate never opens without taking something in return."
"Sometimes it takes time."
"Sometimes memories."
"Sometimes..."
He looked toward the silent mountains.
"...entire kingdoms."
The words sent chills through everyone.
Eva instinctively looked at her compass.
The needle had stopped spinning.
Now it pointed directly toward the Gate.
Its surface glowed brighter than ever before.
Ancient symbols slowly appeared around its edge.
She carefully traced one with her finger.
The symbol suddenly rearranged itself into words.
She read them aloud.
'When the First Guardian walks again, the Path of Echoes shall awaken.'
Silence.
Aarvi blinked.
"I don't like prophecies."
"They're always confusing."
Before anyone could respond, the ground beneath them began shaking violently.
Not from the Gate.
From beneath the valley.
Huge cracks spread across the flower fields.
The crystal-clear lake started glowing with silver light.
Then...
The water began disappearing.
Not flowing away.
Vanishing.
As the lake emptied, something hidden beneath it became visible.
Stone stairs.
Ancient.
Covered with glowing blue symbols.
They descended deep beneath the earth.
Cassian stared in disbelief.
"There was a temple beneath the lake..."
Elian shook his head.
"No."
"It wasn't hidden."
"It was waiting."
The faceless leader immediately pointed its spear toward the stairs.
"Do not let them enter!"
Hundreds of shadow creatures rushed toward the staircase.
Cassian raised his sword.
"Royal Guards!"
The surviving guards formed a defensive line.
Selene fought beside Cassian.
Orion joined them, cutting through wave after wave of shadows.
Kael wasn't there.
Elias and Lyra were still at the fortress.
For now...
This battle belonged to them.
Riva looked toward Elian.
"What's inside?"
Elian hesitated.
Then answered quietly.
"The Hall of Echoes."
"The place where forgotten memories are kept."
Eva's eyes widened.
"If Orion enters..."
"He might recover everything."
"And so might you."
Elian replied.
His words made all four girls fall silent.
Could their lost memories also be waiting below?
Suddenly Riva had another vision.
She saw herself standing inside a vast circular hall.
Five glowing thrones surrounded a silver pool.
One throne was empty.
Another was broken.
The remaining three were covered with black vines.
Then she heard a voice.
Soft.
Familiar.
"Don't trust the echoes."
The vision shattered.
Riva stumbled backward.
Parna caught her before she fell.
"What did you see?"
Riva repeated every detail.
When she mentioned the broken throne...
Elian's face lost all color.
"That's impossible."
"What?"
Aarvi asked.
"The Hall only shows the truth."
"It never shows what hasn't happened."
The valley trembled again.
This time a brilliant beam of silver light erupted from the staircase.
It shot into the sky.
Far away...
The ancient Gate responded.
Its doors opened a little wider.
The Keeper's voice suddenly echoed inside Riva's mind.
Not through sound.
Through thought.
'The Echoes have awakened.'
'Choose carefully.'
'Not every memory wishes to be found.'
The voice disappeared.
The faceless leader slammed its spear into the ground once more.
Black chains erupted from the earth.
They wrapped around the staircase, trying to seal it.
"No!"
Elian shouted.
"If the Hall is sealed now..."
"The memories will be lost forever."
Without hesitation, Riva ran toward the staircase.
Eva followed.
Then Parna.
Then Aarvi.
Orion immediately realized what they intended.
"Cassian!"
"I'll hold them!"
Cassian nodded.
"You have five minutes."
"No more."
The Four Heirs and Elian rushed down the ancient stairs.
Behind them, Orion, Cassian, Selene, and the Royal Guards fought desperately to keep the shadow army away.
The deeper they descended, the warmer the air became.
The blue symbols along the walls glowed brighter with every step.
Finally...
The staircase ended.
Before them stood an enormous circular door carved from white stone.
Five handprints were engraved across its surface.
Exactly five.
One for each Heir.
Riva slowly raised her hand.
"So..."
"This place has been waiting for us all along."
The symbols across the door began glowing.
One by one.
As the Five Heirs placed their hands upon the ancient stone...
A deafening rumble echoed through the mountain.
The door slowly opened.
Warm golden light poured into the darkness.
And from somewhere inside the Hall of Echoes...
A child's laughter echoed.
The Five Heirs froze.
None of them recognized the voice.
Yet every one of them felt the same impossible certainty.
They had heard that laughter before.
Long before they were born.
End of Chapter 4