We started our descent through the passage to the private platform in the Magichariot Port. The cold walls in the Royal Palace underground were painted with gold stripes near the floor and ceiling. The rest was red and seemed smooth, but had tiny holes.

  *Like concrete, like in my world.*

  The Port was lively as always, but we boarded the vehicle without issues using the same platform as before.

  The journey itself was the same sensation-deprived horror. I welcomed my nightmarish hallucinations of the glaring eyes with a mix of suppressed fear and a spark of hope.

  "Show me her..." I whispered.

  "Show me Veronica."

  "Or Victoria..."

  But regrettably, only Althea responded.

  "They're not here, Leonard."

  Her measured voice contrasted with the quicker movement of my chest. Calm pulse of the seal contrasted my rapid beating of my heart.

  When we arrived, I crushed all lingering emotions and hid them somewhere in the back of my mind. On the same pile I placed all other distractions.

  Outside the Magichariot, the Holy Knights saluted. Their fists bumped in sync against their chests with a metallic clank. With smooth lightness that contradicted their size, they walked away.

  Corvus also ended his duty with a bow and silent farewell. Evadne asked to be excused due to her duties. Pythia's calm silver eyes measured hers before she nodded. "You are dismissed, child."

  Evadne's absence was... unsettling.

  The air around me grew strangely colder, and shadows in the corners seemed to stretch toward me.

  *Maybe we'll find common ground after she sleeps this over? This friction about the Princess... I don't get it.*

  *I need the distance too.*

  I lowered my shoulders and tried to smooth the muscles around my eyes.

  *Now, the guards, then Althea.*

  *The faster I deal with it, the faster I can rest before tomorrow. Relax a bit. This was a long day.*

  "Perhaps a meal first, in my office?" Pythia's question pulled me back to reality. Back to Magichariot Port.

  Strangely, I felt my hunger grow when she said that. "Thank you for the invitation, I gladly accept." A smile started to grow on her face, but then stopped when I added, despite my instincts, "after we're done picking my guards."

  I gave her a shallow bow to soften the blow. "Highest Priestess."

  "Very well. You're just like Argus," she showed her white teeth in a sudden smile. "Patience is not your forte."

  We navigated the warm, though often dark and ominous corridors of the Temple—an unpleasant contrast after the Royal Palace—and stopped before a door I'd passed before but never entered.

  It had a painting with three swords pointing to a skull in the center, swords laid out at the corners of a triangle. I might have mistaken it for a mere section of the wall if not for the solid frame betraying the smooth surface. First, a vertical slit appeared, slicing the painting in half with quiet hiss. Then, the heavy slabs slid apart with muffled and rhythmic clanks, revealing the interior.

  Inside was a view similar to the Holy Knights' Armory, yet the exposition was different. In the room to the right, Shadow Guard armors stood behind glass, like clothes for sale on mannequins.

  The gym in front was occupied by people training in various ways—simple squats and push-ups, stretching, bare-handed sparring, and sword swinging. The grunts and stench of sweat reached us even at the entry to the armory. There was enough room to fit two volleyball fields.

  Tall windows offered relief from the dark corridors, though the sunlight streaming through was weak. Sickly. A faint yellow. The sun hung rather high in the sky, yet never seemed to shine with full force. Another contrast to the Royal Palace, where the sun had actually felt warm.

  *Huh, never a cloudless sky in the Temple. But I'm only a few da-*

  *Three months here.*

  The tall lectern near the entrance was empty. Silas led the way to the gym.

  We stood on the border between the armory and the gym. Silas's shout cut through the murmur, silencing the soldiers. "Attention! Highest Priestess and Saint Leonard present!" Order was restored within seconds. "Fall in, two ranks! Now!" He pointed near his position.

  When the chaos settled into order, I caught a glimpse of the strangest sight so far—cat eyes.

  But they were gone before I could take a good look. Pythia's body balance shifted, and I entered the gym beside her. I skimmed over the people, but the cat eyes were gone.

  *Am I seeing things?*

  *Now's not a good time, my little nightmares.*

  *Time to pick good guards.*

  When we reached the line of people that had formed near the opposite wall, I asked Silas, who stood in front of everybody.

  "Is the second guard who was with us during the attack here?"

  "Highest Priestess, forgive me," Silas said, "but do you remember who was your shadow back then?"

  "Brutus," she said from beside me, then her face turned to me with a wide grin. "Are you trying to rob me of my best, Saint Leonard?"

  *Well, she got me.*

  *Whoever that was, had proven his value, and I saw that with my own eyes.*

  "My limited experience doesn't leave me many options," I said, my voice measured, then finished with a shallow nod. "Highest Priestess."

  She must have been satisfied with my answer. She nodded.

  A short walk along the line of people through the silence, and we stood in front of a man with only black pants on. His torso was slick but muscular. His face seemed familiar, but the neck tattooed with a dagger crossing a heart gave him a distinct, defiant look.

  *Would he be obedient?*

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  "Brutus," Pythia said. "Saint Leonard requested your service. Your reply?"

  Brutus stole a glance at me. His mask remained intact.

  "I was impressed by your actions during the attack, hence the request," I added, hopefully giving more weight to Pythia's words.

  "Is that an order, Highest Priestess?"

  *He's honest and bold. Do I need that?*

  *Flattery dulls the mind and clouds judgment.*

  "No, Brutus. It is an honest request based on your merit and Saint Leonard's judgment," Pythia said.

  Brutus finally rested his weary, cautious eyes on me. "It's an honor, Saint Leonard."

  I reached out my hand to him, and he reluctantly moved his. I took a grip on his sweaty forearm so that our seals touched.

  When I focused my mind on his seal, mine became hotter, and the strange feeling from before came back.

  *Second time now. This is not a coincidence.*

  *I'll keep it a secret, for now, but I need to ask Althea about this.*

  I quickly released him, saying, "I'm counting on you, Brutus."

  He gave me a short, quick nod.

  We made a few steps further down the line.

  Silas held his elbow close as he pointed his hand at another knight.

  "This is Idas. He hasn't had Shadow Duty before, but he's very promising."

  Idas had a long face, but I couldn't meet his brown eyes. They were looking past us. His long hair was tied in a ponytail.

  "Introduce yourself," Silas ordered.

  Idas had a slightly nervous, but energetic voice. "I'm Idas of the Patorious Family. My father was a Shadow Knight too," his lips hid a nervous smile, "he helped me train and that's why I got good results early on."

  "Your superior vouched for you, and I expect you to deliver."

  His chest swelled at my words.

  "You'll be my shadow from now on."

  "It's an honor, Saint Leonard!"

  He replied a bit too loud for my taste, but his enthusiasm was a good sign.

  I stretched my hand out, and he met it quickly. This time, I deliberately shifted my grip to avoid his seal.

  *I'm not risking that sensation again until I have answers. Is my seal broken? I have to ask Althea—but not now. Not when everyone was watching.*

  I shook his hand one more time and turned toward Silas.

  "Who's next?"

  "This is Silvanus," Silas said without taking a step, pointing toward the shortest man in the row, just beside Idas.

  But Silvanus made up for his height with musculature. His whole body was like a warning sign, and I liked his intelligent eyes.

  He started serious. "Saint Leonard, I'm Silvanus of the Mezos Family," but then a small smirk landed on his lips, "and I'm better than Idas in every way."

  I looked at him, tired.

  *I don't need rivals, friendly or not.*

  "Who's next?" I asked, facing Silas again.

  "Saint Leonard, forgive this humble servant of Pandora—"

  I turned back toward Silvanus.

  *I swear if I hear 'humble' one more time...*

  "I don't need servants of Pandora. I need loyal guards, working as a team."

  "S-Saint Leonard, I overstepped." Silvanus began nervously, his eyes staring somewhere in the distance. "We're good friends with Idas, and I got carried away by the moment." He swallowed audibly. "Please forgive me. I would be honored to be your Shadow."

  I measured him from head to toe.

  *He tried to break the ice with me, but the moment was not right. He has the mind and courage to repair the damage quickly, though.*

  I glanced at Silas.

  He gave a slow nod of approval.

  *Still, I'm not sure.*

  I stepped toward Silas and leaned in to his ear.

  "Can they spar?"

  Another nod.

  *Alright.*

  My foot tapped on the floor when the plan formulated in my mind.

  *The attack I survived was not a duel. It was an unfair, asymmetric fight.*

  *What the guard has to do? He has to protect me, of course. He has to stop someone's attack at me.*

  I returned to Silvanus and poked him with my finger. "You're going to attack me. If you can touch me, you win." I turned to Idas. "And then you lose. You can win by disarming Silvanus."

  I grabbed Idas—he did not resist—and pulled him toward the center of the gym. "I won't move during the fight." The faces of the other people in the gym were mixed with surprise, anticipation, and excitement, but they remained silent—still standing in a triple row.

  "Begin," I said.

  The command barely left my lips before Silvanus exploded forward. He launched a two-footed dropkick, his body leveled like a bullet. He aimed at me. He would hit me in the stomach, and I had no chance to dodge.

  Idas threw his body into the path of the projectile. He took the heavy impact on his shoulder, deflecting Silvanus just in time, inches from me. I felt the wind of the passing body on my face. The fabric of Silvanus's clothes grazed my robe.

  My heart skipped a beat, maybe two.

  A sickening thud of Silvanus hitting the floor echoed in the gym. Idas groaned, dropping to one knee, but scrambled up fast. "You lunatic!" he shouted.

  Before Idas could recover from the pain, Silvanus snatched a wooden sword from the weapon rack nearby and rushed again. He pointed the sword and made a series of quick stabs aimed at Idas.

  Idas weaved through the first, deflected the second, but allowed the third to graze his ribs so he could trap the blade against his side and grab the wrist. Then he yanked Silvanus forward, driving a vicious elbow toward his face.

  Silvanus flinched, his arms jerking up instinctively to cover his face.

  *There.*

  Idas seized the opening. He dropped low, burying his fist into Silvanus's stomach, then hooked his leg behind Silvanus's ankle and driving his shoulder into the man's chest. Silvanus hit the stone floor hard, the breath knocked out of him. Before he could recover, Idas pressed his forearm against the windpipe, his other hand bending Silvanus's wrist dangerously.

  "Yield!" Idas shouted, spit flying.

  Silvanus's face turned a darker shade of red, his hands scrabbling uselessly at the arm choking him. But then I felt something.

  A faint, rhythmic tap on my boot.

  *What the...*

  I looked down. Silvanus had stretched his leg out in a grotesque, desperate angle. His toe was tapping against my shin.

  *Ha! Good one!*

  He wheezed, his voice barely audible under the pressure. "I... won."

  Idas froze. He looked back, following the line of Silvanus's leg to my boot. His face twisted—first with confusion, then disbelief. The grip on the throat loosened.

  "You..." Idas panted, the adrenaline fading into shock. "You bastard. You crazy bastard!"

  A beat of silence hung over the gym as the other guards processed what had happened. Then, a low chuckle started from the back, quickly swelling into a roar of laughter. Tension broke like a fever.

  "Enough," I said, gym fell silent again. Idas let Silvanus go, and they both returned to the line, though Silvanus needed a moment longer, coughing and staggering.

  I locked eyes with Silas. The veteran guard was shaking his head, suppressing a wide, satisfied grin.

  I tapped Silvanus's arm—careful to avoid the wrist. "Dirty. Unexpected. Efficient."

  Then added when he finally met my eyes. "My life will be in your hands. Next time, make sure I'm not the collateral damage."

  I shifted my gaze to Idas. "You both can learn from each other. You have great skill, but life is not an honorable duel. You thought you won when you pinned him down."

  I leaned in closer to Idas, whispering so only he could hear. "In the real world, your only honor is keeping me alive, and the enemy dead."

  Without waiting for a reply, I turned away. Pythia, Silas, and the rest of the escort fell into formation around us.

  Behind us, the room erupted. I caught fragments of conversation as we walked...

  "—that was insane—"

  "—maybe the 'Street Cat' nickname fits after all—"

  "—fights dirty, but survives—"

  "I'd rather guard a street cat than a palace peacock—"

  Laughter followed, rough and approving.

  Pythia glanced at me, a knowing glint in her silver eyes. "It seems Diomedes's parting gift has evolved."

  I missed a step.

  *The name. The man who died saving his commander.*

  Unspoken question in my eyes.

  *She knew?*

  "I know everything that happens in my Temple, Leonard," she said, her voice amused but not unkind. "He meant it as a tease for a scrawny stray. Seeing them claim it as a badge of honor..." She paused, looking back at the gym doors. "That is a rare victory."

  She turned back to me, her expression shifting to business. "Now that you have your guards picked," she said, placing her hand on my elbow to steady me, "let's eat in my office."

  ~ ? ? ~

  Her room was just as before, though one window frame looked newer than the rest—freshly repaired from the attack. The sound of shattered glass falling on the floor raced through my mind, making me twitch. I shifted my gaze toward the silver eyes of my host.

  We sat at the side table, in the more private part of her study where we talked before. Spacious. Comfortable, with small personal details. Paintings occupied the walls, most were moving, but two were motionless. A painting of a forest, not very well done, like Pythia made it herself. A much better one near it looked realistic and professional.

  Scent of Pythia's dinner, rich with juicy meat, watered my mouth.

  I scraped the last of the tasteless paste from the bowl. When the spoon landed with a quiet clack, I straightened on the sofa. Pythia suggested I rest for the day.

  *I agreed—partially. Rest, yes.*

  *But first, I have questions that couldn't wait any longer. The seal anomalies. Althea controlling my body. The "intruder" she'd sensed.*

  *All of it had been pushed aside for more urgent matters.*

  *But those matters are handled now. And before the Crucible began tomorrow, Althea and I are going to have a very serious conversation.*

  "I'd like to take a walk outside," I said.

  "Excellent idea." Pythia stood up.

  "In private, if I could," I added quickly, stopping her motion. "I'd like to clear my thoughts before tomorrow."

  Amusement at my bold rejection entered Pythia's face. She glanced at the guards. "With your guards."

  "Yes, with my guards." I'm never truly alone.

  "Alright, I understand, Leonard. I recommend the Temple's walls; you'll have a nice view there."