Meanwhile, the castle was in a state of chaos. Guards were accompanying the staff and the servants and leading them towards the exit. The amount of people in the banquet hall was slowly dwindling, with citizens anxiously waiting to return to their homes to pack their things.
The announcement had been so sudden for all of them, but the royal family, including the Guardians, were now in the midst of their own preparations.
"Have all the guests been evacuated from their rooms?" the King asked the head of the royal knights.
The Commander, Barion, saluted to his superior and nodded firmly. "There is no one left in the guest rooms, Your Majesty," he reported. "All the soldiers are currently assisting with the evacuation process. It is estimated that the process will be completed before daybreak."
The King nodded. "That's good. What about the personal mission that I gave you?"
Barion shook his head. "I have sent my best men to search for whoever is suspicious. I also ordered a few to scan the outskirts as well as the nearby shores. So far, no one has reported any unusual individual wandering about."
The King gritted his teeth, his expression filled with displeasure. "I cannot believe this. 200 years, and they've returned… We should not let this go. We need to capture that Otherworlder at once. For now, we will focus on the evacuation, but keep an eye on any suspicious individuals in the meantime. Is that understood?"
Barion nodded, his gaze sparkling with a passionate determination. "I will not fail you, Your Majesty. We will find that Otherworlder and bring them to you, alive."
* * *
"Evan."
Evan didn't even turn around as he continued to drape the robe over his clothing.
This was commonly known as the Summoner's Robe, a flowing material that reached from the neck down to the ankles. It was a deep, velvety shade of black with a thick leather band cinched at the waist to keep it in place.
Around his neck was the Summoner's Necklace, sparkling under the chandelier lights.
Clay stood there behind the Prince, an uneasy, worried look crossing his features. He seemed a little fidgety, which didn't seem to suit his large, muscular build.
He had always been the fiercest and most capable in the group, the one who protected the others and constantly assured everyone that things were going to be okay, like a big older brother.
But right now, he was at a loss for words.
He had only traveled here to the Silver Kingdom for the purpose of celebrating his Summoner's engagement party, but then things changed so drastically that it made his head dizzy.
Who could have expected that the Calamity would be returning three years later instead of the expected eight years of peace? It was just unthinkable.
"We're really gonna do this, aren't we?" Clay whispered, his voice audible enough in the deathly silent room.
Evan paused in his movements before moving to face his Guardian.
When he turned around, the robe's hood was drawn low, framing his face in shadows. The sight gave off an air of enigmatic mysticism, very much unlike his usual bright, prince-like aura.
His hands were covered with gloves made of supple leather, embellished with intricate patterns of runes. The patterns glowed subtly as he moved, indicating that it was ready and activated.
The sight of it made Clay's heart lurch in his chest.
Evan seemed to sense his unease, because he drew the hood back to reveal a gentle smile on his face. His features were so soft that it felt like he was trying to silently reassure his companion that things were going to be all right.
"We've been ready for this for a while. Now, the time has come for us to do our duties," Evan said softly. "How are the other Guardians? Have you finished with your own preparations?"
Clay nodded, not finding it in himself to speak.
Evan smiled again, this time with a melancholic air permeating the room. "Don't look at me like that, Clay," he said lightly. "We'll succeed. There are risks, yes, but we'll be fine. Things will go according to plan."
Clay took a deep breath and nodded again.
"I know," he whispered. "Just… be careful, okay?"
Evan chuckled. "No worries. I have such capable Guardians by my side to protect me. Like you."
He took a step forward and locked the older man in a warm embrace.
Funny, they had done this quite a few times before. They would comfort each other, joke around, chat and gossip, and even scold each other affectionately, but this time, the hug just felt different.
Clay shut his eyes and hugged Evan back, holding him so tightly as though he were afraid of letting go.
"I'll protect you until death, my friend," Clay promised quietly. "As your Guardian, I swear to protect you until the end."
* * *
Standing outside the room were six people, leaning their backs against the wall and trying to restrain their emotions.
"…I'm scared," Elyana whispered.
"…Me too, Ely," Ansel muttered as he wrung his fingers together anxiously.
Gideon, who was beside him, reached out and clamped a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Don't worry. We're all here. We can fight it together," he assured. "Let's do it like we always do, but with ten times more effort."
"The people's lives are at stake," Blade added quietly. "We gotta do what we gotta do."
"I know that," Ansel mumbled. "Just that… the thought of seeing that monster again… It gives me the chills."
Mathias folded his arms across his chest, looking pensive. "As long as we do it according to the sealing process, we'll be fine," he said in a matter-of-fact tone. "The seven of us have enough experience under our belt, don't we?"
"Maybe we should create more backup plans just in case," Voss proposed. "There's nothing wrong with preparing too much in case something goes wrong."
"Yeah, like what if we fail?" Elyana said, squeezing her elbow nervously. "I can't even imagine the consequences of that."
"We'll go over the process as much as we can. We still have enough time before it appears," Mathias said calmly, closing his eyes.
In truth, he wasn't calm at all. Far from it, actually.
Studying, practicing, and training for it was one thing. But being faced with it and applying what you learned all your life… that was a different story altogether.
Right now it felt like they were lambs being sent to stop a rabid wolf from devouring everyone in the farm.
Mathias suddenly reopened his eyes and looked at his fellow Guardians. "Has he already left?" he asked quietly.
They all stared back at him with the same look in their eyes.
They didn't even need to know the name. They already knew who he was referring to.
"Evan sent him off hours ago, so yes, probably," Elyana answered.
"I was there," Ansel supplied. "We said goodbye."
"Okay," Mathias said simply before the conversation came to an end.
After all, it was dangerous to talk about him here, within these castle walls.
They never knew who could be a friend or a foe, and that included the King and Queen themselves.
