The sun rose slowly over the tower, golden light spilling across stone walls and into Tavari’s chamber. Warm rays touched his face, pulling him from sleep.
His eyes opened.
Standing at the door was the boy who had stood beside the Watcher in the vault. Silent. Straight. Waiting.
Tavari pushed himself up from the floor.
The boy greeted him coldly. “Get ready for training.”
Tavari blinked. “What about breakfast?”
“No breakfast when going for training. Follow me.”
He opened the door and walked out without waiting.
Tavari stood fully now and followed.
They reached the training ground.
It was vast — an open courtyard carved from polished gray stone. Tall tower walls surrounded it like silent guardians. Banners of the twelve kingdoms hung from iron poles, moving gently in the morning breeze. Wooden dummies lined one side, scarred by blades and burned by magic. Targets stood at the far end, some pierced with arrows, others split clean in half.
At the center was a circular marking carved into the ground — a symbol Tavari did not recognize. It pulsed faintly in the sunlight.
Matt was already there.
When he saw Tavari, he ran forward and hugged him tightly.
“Brother!”
Tavari hugged him back just as tight.
“Stop that,” the boy said sharply. “It is time for training.”
They slowly pulled away from each other.
Two other boys approached — Raphael and Joseph. They stood nervously but determined.
The boy stepped in front of them.
“Greetings. My name is Arie. I am the commander here, and I will train you all.”
Tavari looked at him more carefully now.
So this is Arie.
“Today’s training,” Arie continued, “is learning how to focus.”
He gestured to the ground.
“Sit.”
They obeyed.
“Close your eyes. Clear your minds. Let your inner self speak. Unlock your ears and hear from afar. If you cannot hear beyond yourself, you will never sense an enemy’s attack.”
The wind brushed across the courtyard.
If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.
They closed their eyes.
Silence.
At first, nothing.
Just darkness.
Then—
A faint vibration.
Tavari felt it brush against his skin like invisible silk.
Threads.
Small.
Restless.
Waiting.
He tried to reach them.
They slipped away.
Don’t force it.
He breathed.
The vibration returned.
Closer.
Something moved around him — thin lines of unseen color drifting through the air.
His heartbeat quickened.
Beside him, Matt’s breathing changed.
In his darkness, a face appeared.
Stephen.
Clear.
Closer than memory.
Not smiling.
Not angry.
Just staring.
Matt’s chest tightened.
“Why are you here?” he whispered inside his mind.
The image didn’t speak.
But he felt the weight of unfinished words, guilt pressing against his ribs.
The air around him trembled faintly.
“Stay still,” Arie said calmly, eyes still closed. “Do not run from what you see.”
Tavari’s darkness shifted.
He saw himself.
Two versions.
One stood crowned in light, threads spiraling around him like galaxies. Powerful. Untouchable. Alone.
The other was the Tavari of now — human, uncertain, small threads flickering weakly around him.
Between them stood a shadowed man walking toward the dark.
The world began to spin.
His body trembled.
For a brief moment—
Thin threads of faint color appeared around Tavari’s physical form.
Visible.
Just barely.
Arie’s eyes opened.
Interesting.
Tavari gasped.
His eyes snapped open.
The threads vanished instantly.
Matt’s eyes opened too.
Stephen was gone.
But the heaviness remained.
Raphael was sweating.
Joseph looked confused.
Arie stood.
“That,” he said quietly, “was your first lesson.”
They looked up at him.
“Your greatest enemy is not always outside these walls.”
The wind grew stronger.
“It waits inside.”
The banners of the twelve kingdoms fluttered harder.
And somewhere deep within the tower…
Something responded.
