Will escaped from the castle, running through the garden with her heart pounding from confusion and adrenaline, unsure if she was safe since there were no guards around. Unexpectedly, she could not help but wonder if it was just a stroke of luck or if a path had appeared only for her. Feeling glad for the safe passage, Will cupped the Heart of Kandrakar in her palms, opened a small portal, and jumped into the radiant vortex. Stumbling out of the gate, she landed on her knees in the gritty sand. After examining her shoulder, which had already started to heal, Will knew she should reverse the transformation but feared more damage. Without a choice, she bit her lip to prevent any noise from escaping and canceled the magic. Injuries, scrapes, and bruises were common, even if the Guardians were more durable than average humans and healed much faster. Yet, regardless of their elemental powers, girls always spilled their own blood. That was the nature of fighting. She was responsible for protecting the innocents, even if their missions ended in damage. Will clutched her aching shoulder when the injury transferred to her human form like a huge black and blue bruise. Usually, injuries did not stop her from performing her duties, but Will wondered how long she could hide them without unnecessary people noticing something was wrong.
It was early morning on Earth, and Will was relieved that no one could see her battered form. Her belly rumbled, and her hands shook —transformation always took lots of energy out of her. She needed to eat something to regain her strength. Will walked down the empty streets, hoping the girls were okay and waiting for her at Cornelia's house. The girls arranged a sleepover, so nobody would question where they disappeared in the middle of the evening. Thinking about her friends made her frown. What should she tell them? Everything seemed like a delirious dream. Girls would never believe Phobos allowed her to go without a fight. She tentatively touched the sore throat. Well, not exactly a fight. Will shuddered, recalling the absolute control he had over her body. One move from his hand, and she would have been dead... It was wrong, so wrong, and yet... Will couldn't explain her conflicting emotions. On one hand, she knew what happened was unacceptable, but on the other hand, something did not make sense — Phobos could have forcibly taken the Heart of Kandrakar away, so why did he not?
Also, his Garden was such an elegant and beautiful place. Why did he create such a magnificent garden? It made no sense. Everything she knew about Metamoor made no sense. Every battle they had portrayed a terrible picture. Rebels had to free the people from poverty and oppression, and the Guardians found and closed every portal so that monster soldiers could not get to Earth. Yet, Phobos let her go. Her mind moved in circles... The prince let her escape despite the fact that he could have destroyed everything with the tip of his finger after taking the Heart. Knowing all the horrible things girls had learned about the prince, his actions were such a contradiction. If there was more to him than met the eye or if Phobos had ulterior motives, the uncertainty of the situation left her apprehensive and uncertain.
There was a light inside the house — girls were waiting for her. Luckily, Cornelia's family was away for the weekend, allowing them to organize a girls' night. Will silently slipped into the corridor and had her breath knocked out as Taranee barreled into her, squeezing her with an unexpected hug.
'Will, are you all right? What happened?' She asked frantically as the other girls joined in with greetings.
'We were so worried after you had disappeared.' Cornelia frowned. 'You look like crap...' she gripped her arm and guided her to the sofa.
'Eat and tell us what happened.' Hay Lin slid a cold pizza into her arms and placed an orange juice glass on the table.
'Spill…' said Irma, curling up on the plush carpet. 'We wanted to return, but the portal had closed. Without you, we could not find another one linked to the castle. It was difficult to do nothing but wait.'
Will took a large bite of the delicious pizza and looked at the girls, who were comfortably sitting on the various surfaces in the living room. She took another bite and chewed it slowly, unsure what to reveal.
'I ran…' Will started talking after taking a sip of the juice. 'I wanted to give you more time to reach the portal, and the next thing I knew, a stray arrow got me... It hurt so much, but I climbed to safety and fell over the wall.'
'Wait a minute. You took a tumble from an approximately twenty-meter-high castle wall, and you're fine?' Taranee lifted her head from a pillow, eyes wide with disbelief.
'Yeah... I know it sounds crazy, and I am not alright; my back is killing me. I think the Hearth of Kandrakar protected me somehow...' Will winced as the pendant started to heat up under her sweater. An unexpected and hazy memory of the comforting 'Shhhhh...' sound surfaced in her mind. She could not recall where it came from, but the medallion pulsed again, gently warming the skin and stilling as if encouraging her to remain silent.
'I don't know how long I was out, but it was dark when I woke up. When everything calmed down, I got out of the castle very quickly. It was strangely easy because nobody was nearby. I think the regular patrols missed me while I was unconscious in the middle of some bushes... and here I am,' Will continued, trying not to look anyone in the eyes. 'Luck was on my side tonight...' She lied, immediately feeling guilty for hiding the truth. Nobody would believe the real story. Will unconsciously rubbed her neck, relieved that the finger-shaped bruises had faded by the time she got to Cornelia's place. If the girls knew, they would be horrified by everything that happened more than she was.
'Unbelievable…' Cornelia shook her head. 'You are fortunate to be alive. I kind of want to hit you for making us so worried.' She threw a plump pillow at Will's head. It landed at her feet, and the girls laughed in relief because everything ended on a good note.
'Guys, I am exhausted, and sleeping standing up does not sound pleasant; we should probably go to sleep.' Irma yawed.
'Agreed.' Hay Lin stood and gathered empty boxes from the table to bring them into the kitchen. Taranee followed her with cans and other garbage in her hands. While the girls dispersed, sharing two rooms for sleeping, Will dragged herself to the shower. The hot water felt like heaven, washing away the grime and sweat from the skin. It pounded on her aching back, and Will winced while lathering the sensitive bruises with soap. Will leaned against the cold tiles, feeling overwhelmed by everything that had happened to her. The tears and silent sobbing followed as the conflicting emotions poured out where no one could see them. Water washed away all the hate, fear, and suffering that came out as if a burden had been lifted from her shoulders. Phobos released her... As the hot water steamed in the small space and Will closed her eyes sighing quietly in relief. He could have easily killed her, yet she was still alive. How can they oppose him when all their combined powers are unequal to his strength?
A year ago, girls got their Guardian's magic from the Kandrakar and were thrust into a war they did not understand. The Oracle informed them that Guardians protected the Veil, a shroud separating Earth, Metamoor, and Kandrakar, the sacred place of all the magic in the universe. The Veil was raised to prevent Phobos from spreading his evil to the rest of the world, but all she saw on Metamoor was a civil war. The harsh and tyrannical ruler was ruthlessly trying to crush the rebels, who fought for the rightful heir to the throne, the missing sister of Phobos. They believed only the rightful heir could restore peace to Metamoor and overthrow the usurper on the throne. However, finding her proved difficult because she had been missing for years and her whereabouts were unknown. The corruption, weather anomalies, and skirmishes ravaged the land, and people suffered. Yet the Oracle said Phobos' evil magic was killing the planet and that he had to be stopped before it was too late. So the girls believed him and aided the rebels, involving themselves in their battles. They freed the people, led them to shelters, assisted with food supplies in the camps, and fought with rebels in the battles while shutting the portals to prevent enemy soldiers from using them. The girls were determined to fight because it seemed like the right thing to do. Now, for the first time, Will's faith faltered. The enemy who could slay them without a second thought was more complicated than they realized. In that one moment, something transpired between them. He was a cruel, captivating man, but there was a glimpse of something else beneath that merciless exterior. There was a missing piece from the bigger picture, and what she saw did not fit in. With that thought, a pink, rosy glow filled the shower stall. Will opened her eyes in mild wonder. The Heart of Kandrakar rose from her chest and swayed in the air, pulsing with warmth.
'What do you want to tell me?' She gently took the pendant in her palm. The old, sentient light spilled through her fingers, filling her with eager anticipation and hope. It wanted her to finally ask the right questions. The moment was interrupted by a knock, and the pendant dropped into her hand, cold and silent once again. Will slipped the pendant around her neck, annoyed with the unexpected disruption at such a curious moment.
'Will, are you alright?' Cornelia's muffled voice came from behind a door.
'You were in the shower for almost an hour?'
'Just a minute!' Will shouted, wrapped a towel around her body, and took another to dry her hair before opening the door. 'You can come in. I need your help anyway.' She said, rubbing her head while motioning at her back. Cornelia gasped upon seeing her friend's body. It was one big blue and purple bruise, with a few smaller spots littering her neck and ribs. It looked painful and uncomfortable.
'Why didn't you say anything? Cornelia scolded, directing her to sit on the toilet seat.
'It does not hurt much. The worst damage has already healed, and the bruises should be gone in a day or two' Will shrugged, downplaying how hurt she actually was previously.
'If your mom saw that, what would you say? You look like someone mistook your body for a punching bag.' Cornelia frowned impatiently, tugging the towel down and tucking it around Will's legs. It was not the first time she was bare around the other girls. They saw each other in various stages of nakedness with all the injuries they collected, and the blonde was their only healer. It still embarrassed her, especially when Cornelia looked like a goddess, and she felt inadequate with her small frame. Will always felt like the odd one out of all the girls and could not help but compare herself to them, wishing for their confidence and beauty. She was athletic and lean, with a smaller chest and more prominent muscles as a result of her regular swimming. Her short red hair and brown eyes were unremarkable. She was average, and girls sometimes made her feel self-conscious and underestimated. It made her work harder to prove herself and never give up.
Will concentrated on Cornelia's palms, which were glowing green as she directed Earth's energy into the wounds. She hissed when the healing began. It felt like warm mud was applied to the skin, sucking away all impurities. The whole thing hurt — it always did. Soon, the visible bruises faded, leaving pink and sensitive skin.
'Thank you. You should go to sleep. I will finish drying up and come.' She yawned and relaxed when the strain that had unconsciously made her tense disappeared. Cornelia nodded, yawned, smiled at their antics, and left, allowing the cold air in.
After a few minutes, Will was finally lying in bed, exhausted after the long and emotional day, listening to the girl's silent breathing. She tried to clear her mind, but the events kept replaying in her head, making it hard to fall asleep. Will suddenly had a vivid image of Phobos gracefully gliding into the clearing, and she could still feel his overpowering magic challenging her to surrender.
'He's so beautiful…' Will thought, admitting to herself that he was very captivating. It was such a forbidden image — she was torn, unable to reconcile her attraction with the attack and kindness that followed soon after. It went against everything she believed in. Plagued by these self-contradictory emotions, Will slowly fell asleep, dreaming of blooming roses.