Willow Creek is a very normal place. Every morning, the mailman drives his little truck down the street. Every afternoon, the sprinklers go shhh-shhh-shhh on the green lawns. The houses are all neat and tidy.
Everett, Audrey, Claire, and Robbie live in the four houses at the very end of the street. Their backyards touch each other. They do not need to walk on the sidewalk to visit. They just jump over the low wooden fences
It is the day after they find the marble. Everett sits in his room. He looks out the window at the cul-de-sac. He holds the Blue Ball in his hand. It feels heavy. It feels like a secret.
Downstairs, his mom calls his name. "Everett! Do you want a sandwich?"
"No, thank you!" Everett shouts back.
He is not hungry. He is busy. He looks at the marble. Today, the blue swirls inside look like tiny, tiny rivers. He puts the marble in his pocket. He grabs his plastic sword and runs outside.
He jumps over the fence into Robbie's yard. Robbie is under a big oak tree. He has a pile of smooth stones. He is trying to build a wall.
"Hello, Everett," Robbie says. He looks tired. "I do not sleep well last night. I hear a sound in my closet."
"What sound?" Everett asks.
"It sounds like a deep breath," Robbie whispers. "Like a very big dog is sleeping in my shoes."
Everett frowns. He remembers the shadow from yesterday. He remembers the cold wind.
Suddenly, Audrey drops from a tree branch. She lands on her feet. She does not make a sound. She wears her denim vest again. Today, she has a blue streak of paint on her forehead.
"The shadows are weird today," Audrey says. She points to the ground.
Everett looks at Audrey's shadow. It does not look like a girl. It looks long and sharp. It has points like a crown. When Audrey moves her arm, the shadow moves slowly, like it is tired.
"That is strange," Everett says.
"It is more than strange," a voice says.
Claire walks toward them. She carries her notebook. She looks worried. She points to a page in the Rulebook.
"I find something new," Claire says. "I do not write this. But it is in my book."
The kids look at the page. In the middle of the paper, there is a drawing. It is a drawing of a dragon. The dragon has wings made of glass. Under the drawing, the words are in gold ink.
~The Ego grows where the light is dim.
~The King must lead; the Guard must limb.
~The Truth is hidden in the stone.
~The Four must fight or stay alone.
"Who writes this?" Robbie asks. His voice trembles.
"I do not know," Claire says. "I leave my book on the porch last night. This morning, the gold words are there."
Everett pulls the Blue Ball out of his pocket. The moment the marble sees the sun, it pulses. A bright blue light hits the grass.
In the middle of the yard, the air starts to wobble. It looks like the heat on a black road. The kids see a shape. It is a man. He wears a suit of old, rusty armor. He is not solid. He looks like smoke.
"The Knights..." the smoke-man whispers. His voice sounds like dry leaves. "The Chosens are here."
"Who are you?" Everett asks. He holds his plastic sword in front of him.
"I am the Errante," the spirit says. "I am the ghost of Chivalria. The Dragon Egomania wakes up. He smells the heart of the world. He smells your marble."
"Why does he want it?" Audrey asks. She steps in front of Claire.
"Because he is selfish," the Errante says. "He wants to be the only thing in the world. He wants to turn every kingdom into a mirror. He wants to see only his own face."
The spirit starts to fade. The smoke becomes thin.
"Go to the gate," the spirit whispers. "The gate is in the center of your world. Use the Ball. Save us."
The man vanishes. The air becomes still again.
The four kids look at each other. They are not playing a game anymore. They are not just neighbors.
"Where is the center of our world?" Robbie asks.
Everett looks at the three fences that meet in the corner of their yards. It is the place where they always meet. It is the place where the grass is worn down from their feet.
"There," Everett says. He points to the corner.
They walk together. They do not run. They feel the weight of the moment. Everett holds the Blue Ball high.
"Are we ready?" Everett asks.
"Yes," Audrey says. She grips her shield.
"Yes," Claire says. She holds her book tight.
"Yes," Robbie says. He adjusts his backpack.
Everett presses the Blue Ball against the wooden fence post. The iridescent light explodes. It covers the yard. It covers the houses. It covers the world.
The cul-de-sac disappears. Willow Creek is gone.
The kids fall through a tunnel of blue fire.