Seraphina stood at the edge of the forest, gazing at towers glinting in dawn's rose glow. A shining citadel rose from the emerald plains, defended by spears of sunlight.
"Radiance," Solomon said. "Home to Etherea's leader, King Leonidas. He shall aid your quest."
They journeyed beneath arches canopied by willows into bustling markets where laughter and song bubbled like brooks. Citizens garbed in flowing robes smiled upon noticing Seraphina's armor, nodding respectfully at her determined stride.
The palace loomed vast yet welcoming, aglow within by crystal chandeliers. Marble tiles glided beneath Seraphina's boots as she followed Solomon past gilded statues. A pair of guards bowed before a corridor opened into a vast chamber where Leonidas awaited on a dais.
His gold-threaded robes and noble beard were matched by warm eyes that lit up Seraphina. "Welcome, champions of light. What brings you to my halls?"
Solomon recounted her emergence from the forest with lost memories. Leonidas studied her thoughtfully. "You bear yourself with courage befitting our line of guardians. Come, let us seek proof of your role."
He led them into a vaulted library housing countless tomes, pausing before one embossed with a sword and sunburst. Cradling it gently, Leonidas turned gilded pages listing legendary Guardians and their sacred weapons.
His fingers stilled upon an intricate illustration of a sword-wielding maiden. "'The child of dawn shall arise when Etherea's horizon blackens,'" he read softly. "'With ancient songs of truth upon her lips and souls of kindred spirits behind her, she will vanquish shadows devouring light.'"
As Seraphina gazed upon the detailed image mirroring her appearance, fragments of prayers whispered in summer fields drifted from memory's shroud. A purpose greater than herself beckoned, yet uncertainty lingered at the weight of such a destiny.
Solomon smiled assuredly. "Doubts will dissolve through training your gift, young Guardian. Come to the arena; your initiation awaits!"
They emerged under a crystalline dome, revealing lush gardens and a sandy oval enclosed by benches. Seraphina's hand rested upon the hilt at her hip, sensing restless power within that yearned to be honed.
At Solomon's instruction, she unsheathed the blade and gasped. Forged from blinding light, it burned with righteous fuel concealed before. How her hands remembered their balance yet her mind did not confuse her. But she pushed doubt aside and began under Solomon's guidance.
Her movements flowed fluidly, slicing through imaginary foes with conviction blossoming within under the sword's purifying energy. By dusk, her skill had sharpened, yet not her uncertainty concerning her forgotten life and fate's demands. But in the stars' calm glimmer and comrades' encouragement, her resilience was rekindled for the challenges ahead. Rest would grant clarity before dawn revealed what the morrow would bring.
“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.” -Martin Luther King Jr