Natalie trudged toward her quarters, her eyelids heavy with exhaustion. Suddenly, she sensed a presence, but before she could react, a powerful energy blast struck her. Pain flared in her arm.
"They actually managed to wound me," she growled, clutching her throbbing arm. "If I catch you, you are seriously going to be barbecued!"
A massive creature materialized before her, wielding an equally huge weapon.
"Honestly, it would have been better if you hadn't shown yourself," Natalie sighed.
"You are mine now, Guardian!" the creature roared.
Natalie pressed her wounded arm, stopping the blood flow that had started when she blocked the blast. She ducked behind some rocks to assess the threat.
"Why am I always the one they look for?" she muttered, frustrated. "There are plenty of Guardians here, yet they always spot me. These creatures are infuriating."
"Show yourself, Guardian! Where are you!"
Natalie heard another sound and saw a small girl frozen in terror, staring at the monster.
"Are you actually going to stand there and gape? Run!" Natalie yelled.
The girl was paralyzed by fear. As the creature advanced on the child, Natalie seized the opportunity. She fired a powerful energy blast at the monster's back.
"I'm the one you're looking for, aren't I?" she called out.
Natalie leaped high, gathering immense energy that she condensed into a blade, striking the creature and driving it downward. Half the monster's body instantly turned to stone, though it still struggled. Natalie coughed up blood from the sheer force of the energy she exerted.
Suddenly, an even more powerful blast of energy hit the monster. It solidified entirely into stone, shattered instantly, and turned to ash.
Natalie sank to the ground, grabbing her wounded, searing arm.
"Your wound is too deep," a familiar voice said.
"Master Nephtali? Where is the girl?"
"She is safe. Come on. We need to treat your wound."
Nephtali cleaned Natalie's wound in his own quarters while she rested. Red arrived, handing fresh bandages to Nephtali.
"Your fighting skills are still excellent, even when wounded," Red commented to Natalie. "That's why I didn't object to you teaching the Juniors."
"Are you sure you both made the right decision?" Natalie asked, looking at Nephtali as he continued to treat her arm.
"It wasn't just my decision; your Guardian agreed."
Natalie remained silent, watching Nephtali's focused expression.
"That child was so annoying. Doesn't she know it's dangerous here at night? The Outcast always sneaks in, looking for Guardians to kill. Why can't they just put up a protected fence?"
"The Healers don't have time to come out here," Red said. "Everyone just endures the creatures that attack us."
"And they always see Natalie?" Nephtali asked, a dangerous edge in his voice.
"Natalie's spirit must taste sweet to them. She's their favorite opponent."
"You're ridiculous, Kuya Red. Stop teasing me."
"Here are the bandages. I'll leave her to you, Neph. I need to check on the Headmasters guarding the perimeter. Natalie, get some rest."
"Yes, Kuya Red. Thank you."
Nephtali paused, looking up when she called Red "Kuya."
"Why do you call Red 'Kuya'?" he asked.
"He said I could call him that when we're not in his office or the training ground. I'm close to him because he used to scold me all the time for causing trouble. But I don't always call him Kuya."
"Sleep here tonight," Nephtali commanded. "Don't go back to your room. There might be another creature waiting for you."
"I might disturb you. That would be embarrassing."
"You are my responsibility. I am your Guardian. If anything happens to you, I am accountable. Sleep here. I will be in the next room. Get some rest."
Nephtali left. Natalie watched the door close.
Hours later, Natalie was shivering, burning with fever. She cried out in fear, caught in a terrible nightmare. Nephtali rushed back into the room.
"Natalie? Natalie? You're just dreaming."
Natalie was still asleep, tears streaming down her face. "They burned me! They burned me alive!"
Nephtali froze, hearing the words—the exact words he had tried to forget for three hundred years. He embraced the sleeping girl, who kept repeating the dreadful phrase.
"Kuya, don't leave me."
"I won't leave you," Nephtali choked out. "I am right here beside you."
"They burned me, they burned me alive!"
"I know. Forgive me. I couldn't save you." Tears streamed down Nephtali's face. "I will never abandon you again, and I will never leave your side. I promise."
He held her tightly, listening to the agonizing, repeating whisper of his sister's death.
Natalie woke up, disoriented, staring at the room.
"Oh, right. Master Nephtali let me sleep here. Oh no, I'm late for my first day of teaching."
She sat up quickly, but a wave of dizziness forced her back onto the bed.
"Don't push your body if you aren't ready."
Nephtali entered, placing a hand on her forehead to check her temperature.
"You still have a slight fever. Rest. Your body can't handle teaching yet, and your wound is inflamed from last night's activity."
"I'll rest in my own room, Master Nephtali. It's embarrassing to have you taking care of me."
"You are in my quarters now, so you will call me Kuya Nephtali. And there is something you need to know about your room."
Natalie looked at him, confused. Headmaster Kirill brought in a few pieces of Natalie's belongings.
"What happened to my clothes? Who did this?"
"Your room is in the farthest section. Some creatures broke in and destroyed your belongings. This is all that survived."
"Looks like Kuya Red was right. My spirit really is sweet to them."
"Kirill, increase the guard tonight," Nephtali ordered.
"Yes, Master Nephtali. I'll leave now."
Natalie stared at her ruined clothes. "What am I going to wear? I don't have anything left."
Headmaster Fairah arrived, carrying shopping bags and handing a gold credit card to Nephtali. Boxes of shoes were brought in as well.
"Here are her essentials, Master Red added extra bandages and medicine for Natalie's wound."
"Where are her beddings?" Nephtali asked.
"In the living room. We'll be going now, Master Nephtali."
Natalie watched Fairah leave, bewildered. "Master Nephtali, why did you buy all this for me?"
Nephtali did not answer immediately. Natalie smiled, remembering the rule: Kuya in the quarters.
"Kuya Nephtali, thank you very much for my things. Since my room was destroyed, where will I sleep now?"
"Where do you think?"
"Here? This is your quarters! I can't sleep here! People will say I'm trying to gain favor."
"Everyone knows what happened to you last night. I need to protect you from the creatures who want to fight you. This is your room now. You can use anything in my quarters. You need to get used to it."
Natalie fell silent, remembering the dream. "Kuya, did I say anything last night? I remember saying things, but I can't recall. Did I say anything bad? Sometimes I talk in my sleep."
"No, nothing bad. Do you have nightmares often?"
"Yes, since I was a child. I'm used to them, which is why I don't like sleeping next to people. I know I'll just bother them. I must have disturbed you last night. Sometimes I even scream, like I'm being burned. I don't know where those dreams come from."
Nephtali was lost in thought, studying her face.
Later, Natalie was reading her teaching modules when she noticed a shimmer of light coming from Nephtali's room. She went in to investigate. As she approached, a box flew open, and a Chain floated out, attaching itself to her left wrist. Natalie gasped in terror.
"Kuya Nephtali!"
Nephtali felt her panic and rushed in, finding her standing still, staring wide-eyed. He saw the Chain on her wrist.
"How did you get that bracelet?"
"It just suddenly appeared on my hand! I can't take it off!"
"What do you mean, it just appeared? That bracelet has no power."
Natalie began to cry, terrified. Nephtali realized the truth: the Chains of Guardians could only live when Sariel returned to the world.
"Don't cry."
"I see blood and ash on the floor," Natalie sobbed. "So many dead people, and I hear their pleas. I don't understand what I'm seeing and hearing. I'm scared, Kuya."
Nephtali pulled Natalie into a fierce embrace, holding her as she cried. She eventually cried herself to sleep. Nephtali stayed by her side. In the darkness, Red appeared.
"She doesn't know who she is, even with the Chains of Guardians on her wrist," Red observed. "She remembers nothing of her past, but she was right: her second mortal body cannot hold her true spirit. When she uses too much energy, she will weaken."
"The important thing is she is here with us," Nephtali whispered, his eyes never leaving Natalie. "We waited centuries to find her. We cannot abandon her again. The time will come when she remembers everything."
They both looked at Natalie, sleeping peacefully.
The next morning, Nephtali cleaned Natalie's wound so she could train the Junior Guardians.
"Be careful not to hit it; it might bleed again. The wound is still fresh, so watch yourself."
"Thank you for taking care of me, Kuya Neph. I could have had the nurses clean it in the Clinic, but you did it yourself."
"Isn't that what an older brother does for his younger sibling?" Nephtali replied, his voice soft. "To care for them when they are sick and to guide them."
Natalie froze, surprised by his words.
"Outside of here, I am your Grandmaster, but inside these quarters, I am your brother."
"I've never had a brother," Natalie confessed, tears filling her eyes. "You are the first person to say something like that to me. I didn't expect you to treat me like a sister, especially since we just met."
Nephtali gently wiped her tears, smiling. "I see my sister in you—always needing help, always needing guidance. You are a good Guardian, Natalie. I know that in every chaos you create, you are helping another Guardian. You are always there for your friends, but you never think of yourself. It is time for someone to care for you and worry about you."
Overjoyed, Natalie hugged Nephtali, who returned her embrace.
Natalie finished teaching her Juniors and headed to the office for her report. She saw Malika and Lencia in the training ground, clearly preparing to fight.
"I thought you wouldn't show up," Lencia taunted. "I've been waiting to fight you here. I thought you were too scared to come."
"Enough talking. Let's just finish this fight and find out who truly deserves Fedor," Malika snapped.
"Don't expect to win against me. I'll make sure you can't stand up after this fight."
The two fought, evenly matched. Malika landed a strong kick, sending Lencia stumbling. Lencia recovered and used her energy, but Malika dodged. Malika fired a powerful blast. Lencia dodged, rising into the air.
"What is their deal?" Natalie sighed, watching from the side. "They're fighting and injuring themselves over a boy? What is wrong with these people?"
Lencia was struck by an energy blast and fell, immediately pulling out her dagger, which burst into flame. Malika dodged Lencia's flaming attacks. Lencia used smoke to obscure Malika's vision.
"You're going to die now!"
Lencia lunged to stab Malika, but Natalie rushed in, catching the dagger with her wounded arm, stopping the blade inches from her friend.
The two girls stared at Natalie, horrified.
"If you two don't stop right now, you will both be suspended from this Division," Natalie warned, her voice strained. "You know you'll be punished after this, right?"
"Why are you interfering? Get out of the way, or you'll be the first one I stab!" Lencia screamed.
With lightning speed, Natalie snatched the dagger from Lencia. Despite the blood now gushing from her still-fresh wound, she held the weapon securely. Lencia stumbled back, shocked. Headmaster Kirill and several other Headmasters arrived.
"What is this commotion?" Kirill demanded.
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