The streets of Grenhant were eerily quiet that night. Midnight had long passed, and while the heart of the city still pulsed with distant lanterns and muted laughter, the district where Ean wandered had long since fallen silent. The cobblestone road stretched endlessly under his feet, glistening faintly with the dew of late hours. The chilly wind bit through his thin clothes, gnawing at his bones, while his empty stomach twisted in protest.
Hunger was nothing new to him. Loneliness was worse.
Tap. Tap.
Ean froze. Footsteps - soft, deliberate, matched his own. He had just slipped away from the house that no longer felt like home when a figure appeared beside him as though conjured from the shadows.
"You!" Ean gasped, his head snapping back toward the house he had left behind. His pulse hammered.
The woman's golden hair shimmered faintly beneath the moonlight. He recognized her instantly: the woman he had once glimpsed at the Guardian of Dawn's office.
"Where are you going?" she asked with a soft smile, her tone gentle but her eyes watchful.
Suspicion cut through him. "That's none of your business. What, are you here to capture me?" His voice trembled with both defiance and fear.
Instead of answering with force, the woman tilted her head. "If you have nowhere to go… why not join us?"
Her words struck him like a blow, halting his steps.
"Join you?" Ean blinked in disbelief. "First you accuse me of being a criminal, and now you want to recruit me?"
The woman's lips curved faintly, unwavering. "My name is Eira Solenne. I serve the Guardian of Dawn. Our duty is to protect people from corrupt powers and hunt down Shadow. From what I can see… Shadow's servants already have their eyes on you."
Ean stiffened. The words Shadow's servants were foreign to him. "Shadow's servants?"
Eira nodded. "The one who erased your memories, we call it Shadow. And those who worship it as a god call themselves its servants. Both we and they search for Shadow, but for opposite reasons. The Guardian of Dawn seeks to destroy it for the peace of the world. The servants… seek to resurrect it."
Her calm explanation crashed over him like cold water.
Ean faltered, realizing with a sinking heart that he had left home without a plan, without a destination, just the blind urge to flee.
Seeing his hesitation, Eira pressed gently, "We can't follow you forever, and we don't know what they want from you. So why not join us? At least then, you won't be alone and safe."
"I'm just… ordinary," Ean muttered bitterly. "How could I possibly join you?"
But Eira's thoughts whispered otherwise. Ordinary? Yet you made Shadow reveal itself. Twice. She had seen it or rather, felt it.
When she had stood outside Ean home while Kael and Selene entered, she had sensed the surge of Shadow's energy. That boy had done something no ordinary person should be capable of.
"It doesn't matter," she replied aloud. "You could serve as an Acolyte. They support us without needing special powers."
She extended her hand. "Don't think too hard. Join us, and help protect the innocent out there."
Ean stared at her hand, conflict raging within him. Nothing in this world is free. But… if I join them, maybe I can find the truth. Maybe I can get my memories back.
Finally, he exhaled shakily. "Very well… I'll rely on your guidance." His hand reached out, clasping hers.
Eira's smile bloomed with satisfaction. "From now on, call me Eira."
Almost on cue, the sound of wheels and hooves clattered in the night. A carriage painted in the colors of the Guardian of Dawn pulled up before them, lanterns casting long shadows across the road.
Ean's breath caught. "How… did they know we were here?"
The carriage door swung open, revealing Kael Draven and Selene seated inside.
"Are you two planning to stand there holding hands all night?" Selene's sharp voice cut like glass, her gaze narrowing on Eira.
Eira chuckled lightly, releasing Ean's hand. He recoiled, awkward, as though burned. "Is that how you greet our newest recruit?" she teased as she stepped inside.
Selene turned her face away, unimpressed.
"Come," Kael said simply, his voice calm as ever.
Ean obeyed, climbing in and sitting beside the man. The carriage lurched into motion, wheels clattering against stone.
"You're surprised they arrived on time," Eira said knowingly, as though reading his thoughts. "That's because Selene and I communicate through magic. They knew exactly what was happening."
Ean glanced at Selene and Kael. Both looked detached, as though this were nothing unusual.
"You'll get used to it," Eira assured.
Silence fell, broken only when Ean whispered, "How… how are they?" His voice cracked as he dared to ask about his family.
"They're safe," Kael answered evenly. "But it will take time for them to accept the truth."
Ean lowered his head. Guilt gnawed at him.
"You left them behind," Kael added bluntly. "That made them feel guilty."
"How could I face them? Their memories were changed… because of me." His voice quivered with regret.
"Good or bad, all things pass," Selene interjected cryptically, her gaze lingering on the Codex Memoria she held. Her tone made Ean shiver, though he didn't fully understand why.
---
The Guardian of Dawn's headquarters loomed like a fortress at the edge of Grenhant, its spires cutting into the night sky. To Ean, it was both alien and intimidating.
They gave him a small chamber of his own: a narrow room with a single bed, a desk, a chair, and a private washroom. It wasn't luxurious, but to someone who had nothing left, it was enough.
Though hunger clawed at him, exhaustion was heavier. He collapsed onto the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
"Forgive me… Father, Mother, Lira…" he whispered, eyes closing. In just a single day, his world had been overturned.
Earlier, Kael had explained everything while filling out his report.
"Several important figures in Grenhant committed suicide in front of calligraphy pieces you wrote," Kael had said flatly.
Ean sat in stunned silence, struggling to breathe.
"At first, they were dismissed as ordinary suicides. Until Emus Clin, the candidate for city leadership, did the same, in front of his wife and son. Witnesses claimed he acted possessed, muttering of sins and penance before stabbing himself to death." Kael's tone didn't waver. "Can you imagine what his son must have felt, watching that?"
Ean shook his head faintly, horrified.
"We traced the calligraphy back to the Civic Observers' guild. They often accused Emus of corruption, even murder, though nothing was proven. When Emus received your work, he suddenly confessed his crimes, laid bare the evidence, and then… ended himself."
Ean clenched his fists. "I never… I only gave them what they asked for. They liked my calligraphy, so they asked me to write names. I thought… it was just a gift."
"Because of that, the guild was disbanded and placed under surveillance. But secretly, they formed a new order - an organization that began to call you 'the herald of justice.' That's why we arrested you. Including them."
Ean's face drained of color. "But I did nothing."
"We know," Kael admitted. "Selene confirmed it. She dealt with the rest."
"The truth," Kael continued, "is that your brush carries a strange aura. It channels Shadow's power."
The words echoed in Ean's skull long after.
---
Morning.
A chime jolted Ean awake.
ting, ting, ting - from a small device fixed to his wall. Words glowed across its screen like a floating note.
"Meeting. Conference room."
He rubbed his eyes, startled. "When did I fall asleep…?" The clock showed past nine.
He rushed to prepare, then hurried into the crowded chamber where Acolytes and Guardians gathered.
"We've received reports of unusual suicides in Duskbell Market," an elderly man announced, reading from Aurora Lysandria's decree. "A team of three will be dispatched: Eira Solenne, Kael Draven, and his Acolyte, Ean Briden."
Murmurs rippled through the hall. The three exchanged glances before stepping forward.
Eira gave Ean a small, reassuring wave. He responded with the barest nod.
"All travel expenses are arranged. Depart today. Review the files en route," the messenger instructed, handing them reports. His gaze lingered on Ean. "Be careful. This will be dangerous."
Ean accepted the papers, bowing faintly. "Thank you. I understand."
He turned to his team.
"You three, you may go."
At his command, the group assigned to Duskbell Market City bowed and left the briefing chamber, allowing the next squad to step forward and receive their orders.
As Ean walked out of the chamber, a sudden pat on his shoulder made him flinch. He turned, only to find Eira Solenne smiling at him with disarming warmth.
"Don't be afraid," she said gently. "I'll protect you."
Her smile lingered, soft yet confident, leaving Ean with nothing more than a faint, uncertain smile in return.
Before he could answer, a voice slipped through the air, delicate yet achingly familiar.
"Ean…"
The young man froze. His eyes widened, snapping toward the corridor. There, three figures stood beneath the lantern light, their eyes fixed on him.
"Father… Mother… Lira…"
The words escaped his lips in a whisper of disbelief, his chest tightening as though he were staring at ghosts.