Chapter 25: Chapter 25: Classes
The loud, clanging bell yanked me out of sleep with the kind of urgency that felt like an emergency. My eyes snapped open, taking in the dim, unfamiliar room around me. Right… the guardians, the Heartstones, the other realms. I rubbed my face, trying to shake the last remnants of sleep away, and stumbled to my feet, looking around for anything resembling a toothbrush. Surprisingly, there was one resting neatly beside a small basin, already set with water.
I brushed my teeth quickly, the minty taste helping me feel slightly more alert. When I glanced around for clothes, though, I found a dark green robe draped over a nearby chair, along with a belt that seemed to be braided from some sort of rough cord. I picked up the robe with a grimace. Primitive didn't even begin to cover it. This thing looked like something a monk or a medieval farmer might wear.
But, well, there was nothing else. I shrugged it on and tied the belt, trying to ignore the itchy fabric, then opened the door and stepped into the hallway. A stream of other students—also in similar robes, I noted with relief—were moving in the same direction. It didn't take long to find the classroom, a large, circular room with tall, arched windows that filled the space with a pale light.
Once we were all seated, a woman appeared at the front of the room. She wore her robe with a kind of grace that I couldn't imagine pulling off, and her silver hair was tied back in an elaborate braid that cascaded over her shoulder. Her expression was kind but serious, her eyes sharp as she looked us over. She held up her hand, and we immediately fell silent.
"Good morning, guardians-to-be," she began, her voice echoing slightly in the high-ceilinged room. "My name is Lyra, and I will be instructing you on the knowledge of dimensions. This information will be crucial as you take on your duties, so I expect you all to pay close attention."
She moved toward the chalkboard and picked up a piece of chalk. "Each of you," she continued, "is bound to a Heartstone that protects your respective realms. But as guardians, you are not confined to your own realms alone." She began sketching a series of circles on the board, each connected by lines. "In fact, guardians must have knowledge of all dimensions, as there may come a time when you'll be called to assist in battles across realms."
I leaned forward, interested despite myself. It sounded like something straight out of a storybook—realms and battles and mysterious Heartstones. Lyra tapped the chalkboard, her gaze steady. "This dimension we are currently in," she said, "is unique. It exists outside space and time. That is to say, it isn't quite real, and because of that, the flow of time here is… unpredictable. In here, minutes may pass, but days could go by outside. Conversely, weeks may go by here while mere minutes pass in your realms."
A murmur passed through the class, and I felt my stomach twist. So time itself was beyond our control here?
Lyra continued, undeterred. "There are beings known as Time Keepers who monitor and manage the flow of time across all dimensions. But"—she raised a finger for emphasis—"they are none of your concern. Your duty, first and foremost, is to protect the Heartstone of your realm. Each of you has been chosen for this purpose, and the task of safeguarding the flow of time is for others."
As she spoke, she wrote several key terms on the chalkboard—Heartstone, dimension, Time Keepers—along with diagrams of what looked like realms or perhaps gateways between them. I took in the terms, committing them to memory, though it felt strange. Just yesterday, I'd been in a normal classroom in a normal town, with nothing more pressing than next week's biology test.
I was still lost in thought when the bell rang, the loud, metallic sound filling the room and making a few students jump. The moment it stopped, students began dashing out, eager to escape, their footsteps echoing down the hallway.
I followed, my mind still spinning with Lyra's words, trying to make sense of it all. Just as I stepped into the hall, I saw Galen approaching from the opposite direction, a small grin on his face.
"My favourite earthling. How's it going?"
"I'm good. Are we done with classes for today?"
"I wish. We usually have one class and one on the field training."
"You're talking like you've been here for a while."
"Yeah I have. I didn't pass last semester so I'm here again. Unless I complete my training, I won't ever be able to go back home to protect my realm."
"So what if something bad happens there as you're here?"
"I guess Alistair will take care of it. I heard he's crazy powerful or something like that."
"I've been here for some time so I've been able to narrow down the location of the time keepers to three locations."
"Why do you want to find the location of the time keepers?"
"Don't you want to know how time works? Don't you want to be able to go back and change some things? You can't tell me there's no incident in your life you would've wanted to happen differently."
As soon as Galen said that, I remembered my mom. If I could go back, I would be able to save her. Galen had a point though, there are incidents that I would like to change.
"What's this about finding the time keepers?" A voice said from right in front of us. When we looked closer, we saw that it was Aiden.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"This is so like you Galen. Trying to do things that you know we're not supposed to."
"You're not going to tell on me, are you?"
"Nahh, I'm not a snitch." Aiden suddenly turned to me. "It's better you don't join him in his quest to find the time keepers. He's going to get you into trouble."
"So you and me, tomorrow night? Finding the time keepers?" Galen asked me as soon as Aiden walked away.
"I'll think about it." I replied. "But for now, I have to get to class and you do too."
Chapter 26: Chapter 26: Into the wild
We joined up with the others, trying to look casual about our late arrival. Alistair wasn't impressed. He folded his arms, giving us a look like we'd just walked mud all over his perfectly clean floor.
"Nice of you two to finally join us," he muttered, eyebrows raised. "In the field, lateness gets you nowhere—except maybe dead."
I shot Galen a look, but he just grinned like it was a compliment. Alistair sighed and went on, explaining the day's mission.
"Today, we're testing your adaptability and teamwork," he announced. "I'll be assigning you to groups. Each group will be working together to retrieve an item from the center of the training grounds. The terrain is unstable, full of magical traps, and will change periodically, so be prepared for anything."
A murmur went through the group. Great, we were basically thrown into an obstacle course without any clue what would happen.
"Since he has more experience than the rest of you," Alistair continued, "Aiden will be working alone."
Aiden shrugged nonchalantly, already looking like he knew he'd ace this whole thing. I rolled my eyes, but there was a small part of me—a very small part—that was impressed.
"Kaelin, Ethan, and Lira, you're a team," Alistair continued, nodding at us. "Riona, Galen, and Isolde, you're together. Remember, this is not only about completing the task but also about working as a unit."
As we made our way to the starting area, Kaelin glanced at me, looking worried. "I hope you have some kind of plan."
"I thought that's what you were here for," I replied, trying to keep my tone light. "Galen's got his smirk, Aiden's got his 'experience,' and I… I'm here for my natural charm."
Kaelin rolled her eyes, but I could tell she was smiling.
"Just don't get us lost," Lira chimed in with a smirk. "I know you earthlings have a thing for getting distracted."
"First of all, rude," I said, putting a hand to my chest like I was offended. "Second of all, if anyone's getting us lost, it's going to be Kaelin, right?"
Kaelin shot me a glare. "I'll have you know I'm a master of directions."
As if on cue, the training grounds began to transform before our eyes. The ground shook a little, and the terrain stretched and twisted until we were surrounded by thick forest on one side and steep hills on the other. A thick mist rolled in, cutting visibility down to a few feet ahead. Somewhere in the distance, I heard a low rumbling noise that could have been some sort of animal. Or… something worse.
"This'll be fun," I muttered, trying not to let my voice shake.
---
We set off, trying to keep quiet so we wouldn't attract anything lurking in the mist. Kaelin took the lead, occasionally looking over her shoulder to check if we were still behind her.
"You know," I whispered to Lira as we followed, "if I don't make it out of this, tell everyone back home that I bravely sacrificed myself in the line of duty. None of that 'he tripped and fell in the mud' nonsense."
"Noted," Lira said, stifling a laugh. "But maybe try not to trip in the first place?"
We hadn't gone more than a few steps when we encountered our first obstacle: a massive wall of thorny vines blocking the path ahead. The vines were alive, shifting and curling like they knew we wanted to get past them.
"Great," I said, crossing my arms. "What's the plan? I'm open to all suggestions, especially the ones where I don't end up scratched to bits."
"How about burning through?" Lira suggested, inspecting the vines closely. "If we could just…"
"Or we could be a little more subtle," Kaelin interrupted. She extended her hand toward the vines, and they began to shudder, untangling just enough to let us through.
"Show-off," I muttered as we stepped through the gap, trying not to look too impressed.
"Your sarcasm isn't helping," Kaelin said, not even bothering to look back at me.
---
As we moved deeper into the misty forest, the terrain grew even trickier. The ground began shifting underfoot like it couldn't decide if it wanted to stay solid. I nearly lost my balance at least three times, which Lira seemed to find endlessly amusing.
"Maybe if you took fewer risks with your 'charm,' you'd stay on your feet," she teased as I stumbled yet again.
"Listen, I'm a master of controlled falls," I replied, attempting to save face. "It's all part of the technique."
We reached a clearing where the mist parted slightly, revealing what looked like a small temple ruin in the center. Kaelin's face lit up.
"That's it! The target should be inside," she said, already moving toward it.
"Not so fast," I muttered, catching a flash of movement out of the corner of my eye. "We're not alone."
Before I could finish, something lunged at us—a shadowy creature with claws like jagged rocks. I barely dodged, dropping into a roll as the creature missed by inches.
"Plan?" I gasped, getting to my feet.
"Survive!" Kaelin yelled, sending a blast of energy at the creature. It stumbled back but then reformed, its shadowy shape knitting back together.
"That's… not helpful," I muttered, taking a defensive stance as the creature turned its focus on me.
Lira pulled me back just as the creature swiped again. "Can we all agree this isn't the ideal moment to crack jokes?" she said through gritted teeth.
"Hey, if I stop joking now, I might actually start panicking. Can't have that, right?"
---
We managed to take down the creature after a few close calls, mostly thanks to Kaelin's quick thinking and Lira's sharper aim. As we made our way to the temple, the adrenaline still buzzing, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of pride. We might not have been the best team, but we'd made it this far. And hey, we'd avoided any embarrassing falls.
We were almost at the temple when we saw Aiden casually walking back from the opposite side, a small orb—the target—in his hand. He looked us over, not even slightly out of breath.
"Oh, hey. Took you guys long enough."
I exchanged a glance with Lira and Kaelin, and they looked about as thrilled as I felt.
"Of course he got it first," I muttered, crossing my arms.
Aiden just shrugged. "You're welcome for the warm-up," he said, smirking as he walked past us.
"One of these days," I grumbled to myself. "One of these days, we're actually going to beat him."
"Keep dreaming," he called back over his shoulder.
"Gather round children." Alistair said. "Team A: Galen's team. Your coordination was okay but your team work wasn't anything to write home about. You guys kept arguing all the way. Team B: Kaelin's team. Your team work was good but coordination? Not so much. I think a little experience will do you good. As long as no one died. I think we're good for the day. And Aiden, excellent work today. You should be out of here and protecting your realm in no time if you continue like this."
Well at least we're done for the day. Aiden really showed us that two heads or in our case maybe three aren't always better than one.
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