The Guardian

Chapter 262: Who Started First?

Clémentine with her eyes closed meditated visualizing a lake in her mind.

That lake was small, but it represented the psionic energy present in her surroundings.

It was only an absurd and abstract representation, but it was the idea she had given herself.

So, she manipulated that psionic energy trying to control and agitate that lake as much as possible using all her mental capacity.

Defining how much psionic energy she could control and use, only to then keep testing her limits, over and over again.

Little by little she controlled the magical energy in greater quantity and although it improved, she could not shake the entire lake as she wanted and even though the result was not to her liking, she did not get depressed.

Clémentine needed to be stronger, to keep advancing in control and ability to achieve her goals.

Her mind pushed herself to push her limits and when she was about to take a small step in her control, her thoughts disoriented her again.

Why did she have to be locked in this place when the people she cared about could be in danger?

Aurora and Alice were fighting against the goblins and it was possible that they were now facing the rift Chaos.

The last news that came in was with the last group of students and then nothing.

Ryu Sujin did not comment on the topic, but Clémentine sensed that something was wrong.

Were they all right?

It was impossible not to remember their names or not to have seen it and even more so when they had both been participating in the tournament.

Aurora might be unknown, but Alice wouldn’t be... She was the ‘glutton’, one of the many students who caused the biggest stir during the international tournament.

Did she know or didn’t she know?

Maybe, just maybe, Ryu Sujin knew something else and didn’t tell her why he noticed her concern... Maybe they were among the fallen in battle.

As her thoughts reached that point, a ripple spread everywhere, managing to shake part of the lake and causing her to open her eyes.

“...”

The small garden was partly affected as her telekinesis went out of control affecting her surroundings.

Blood trickled down her nose, letting it be seen that, instead of progress, her uncontrolled emotions affected her.

Were they all right?

Instead of an affirmation, what appeared in her mind was a doubt and that doubt gnawed at her mind, making her bite her trembling lips.

Why should she be training in this place?

The only reason she wanted to get stronger was so she wouldn’t lose her friends, not to lose those she knew and the people she cared about.

Now for her it was a mockery to have to be locked up unable to do anything for those she cared about, while those people were risking their lives.

She understood that it was impossible to always protect them, but giving them a hand and being there in their time of need as support, however small, was what she was looking for.

That was what her logical side pointed her to and her emotional side, demanded her to strengthen herself so as not to lose anyone, to change the worst outcomes in her favor.

Her uncontrolled emotions and constant worries turned into anger when she wanted to destroy everything in her path and leave this place.

Her logical part told her that this place was an opportunity... The psionic energy around her was so dense that it managed to increase the effectiveness of her training.

But it was also the possibility of monks who seemed capable individuals to teach or advise her.

She had tried it, improving her melee and combat skills, training quite hard and although she failed on a frequent basis because of her mental state, the progress was evident.

Still, she couldn’t help but be conflicted about getting out of this place that was completely closed.

It was quite possible that once she got out she wouldn’t be able to get back in and as ridiculous as it sounded this temple was that kind of place... A unique opportunity that rarely presents itself.

“...”

Clémentine bit her lips again, affected by too many emotions.

When was the last time she felt so agitated?

Perhaps it was when her father told her that her mother had died... That moment was one of her biggest breaks and now she felt she was on the edge.

Be a perfect ‘student’ guided by logic or let her worry out and miss an opportunity?

Clémentine took a deep breath, trying to calm her mind and empty her emotions.

Her father was someone cold and almost indifferent to most people, always guided by his interests and partly logic.

She felt she had inherited some of her father’s personality.

Still, in the end it was still her.

Clémentine stood up from her place again and looking at the mess she made in the small garden, tried to fix it using her telekinesis.

Then she left the small garden, heading for the main pagoda.

She could see that in another area monks and foreigners were training hand-to-hand, as she normally did.

What was the best way to solve both cases?

“Good morning. Has my pass to leave been approved yet?” asked Clémentine to the monk in charge of the reception and hiding part of her emotions, she let her concern show and pointed out. “As a student winner of the international tournament I can receive an elixir, but I have to ask for it personally. I think it’s time to drink it to continue training.”

Her worry and doubt was eating her up inside, making her training fail from time to time, but she couldn’t stay on the sidelines.

She was worried about her friends.

In that conflict between logic and emotions, she played with both... Ask permission to leave with the excuse of asking for the elixir.

She hadn’t asked for it yet, so it was perfect as an excuse.

Getting the elixir was important to keep improving, and it was in line with the idea of coming to this place to train.

While she only had one doubt now and it was slowly eating away at her, she needed to make absolutely sure.

******

Erica, Nicole, Leslie and Andrés were sitting in a room of a building in Mamaia-Sat City.

They all had solemn expressions, but there was a certain relief hidden in those expressions.

The solemnity did not come from concern, but rather from waiting, which seemed too formal, causing everyone to become serious.

In this kind of atmosphere, Andrés turned up the volume of the television.

“Those who had disappeared and supposedly swallowed by the portal have arrived. They survived on the other side and made it back successfully,” a female reporter announced and with a serious tone, she added. “In the face of this wonderful news for many people, another great news is added. The abyssal portal has finally closed.”

Those words got the group of students to give a smile.

Saturday, January 9, 2049... That was the date that marked the closing of the abyssal portal that had managed to shake humanity with goblins, a rift and monsters.

But for the group, this was the wonderful day that Aurora and Alice returned safely.

After the assault was made and the rift was closed, the allied forces took control of the area, but the abyssal portal was completely sealed.

Preventing anyone from entering or otherwise affecting it and only a few hours ago in the early hours of the morning, it ceased to be sealed when humans and goblins arrived on the other side.

When this news reached the group, they all decided to come immediately... The days when it remained sealed made each of them feel their nerves being eaten away, but now no one denied that they were happy.

For some their concern might seem excessive, but Aurora and Alice were not only their friends... For them, the sisters were the ones who gave them a chance to step onto a new path.

The ones who opened their eyes to reveal a bigger world than they had previously thought and who gave them the push to go even further.

From the moment they entered the practice last year, each of them changed completely.

Maybe that change could have been initiated in another way, but without a doubt the two sisters were the ones who gave them the necessary push.

And that was why respect for what they both did, along with their friendship, generated a greater concern in each of them.

Now they could relax.

“The former missing persons are restricted in Mamaia-Sat City for medical and security checks, however, they will soon be able to return to their lives,” said the reporter and with a serious expression, she commented. “While there are still many unanswered questions, it is time to celebrate that the situation did not escalate.”

“Now let’s tell you a little about those who disappeared, starting with the student who became known at the international tournament...”

Andrés lowered the volume as he felt the noise outside.

Now they were waiting to go see Aurora and Alice who had been quarantined for the various health checks.

They didn’t know the situation on the other side of the portal and that meant they didn’t understand if there might be any complications.

A disease, a virus or something deeper, like a curse that was capable of spreading.

Some of humanity had traveled to a fantastic and magical world during Terra nova, so they knew how dangerous an unknown world could be.

That was why those missing were quarantined and now they were waiting to be given permission to visit.

The journalist was not lying.

There were too many questions to answer and issues to question to seek the answer.

From why the abyssal portal was closed when the group arrived or why it had started in the first place.

To who or what had created that portal.

It was to the point that such questions got people to start questioning different issues.

Why didn’t the gods do anything with the portal, but helped close the rift?

Such a question made people doubt everything and if they kept thinking about such questions it was possible that they would start questioning everything about the gods.

Unlike Terra nova, where it was a naturally religious world and many of those churches said not to question the gods, here it was different.

People saw the gods as all-powerful entities capable of affecting human reality and instead of accepting the ‘divine will’, they questioned it.

So the best thing for them to do at this time was to celebrate, rather than ask questions that might lead to a state of heightened tension or paranoia.

Celebrate the closing of the abysmal portal and in their case the relief at seeing their friends safe.

At that moment, the entrance opened, and Liam stepped inside.

“All the checks are done, so you can come,” Liam said with a smile.

They all stood up excitedly and looking at each other they didn’t hold back their smiles.

Each of them was giving one of those smiles that were hard to control, because of how natural and sudden they managed to be.

Now it was the same.

Erica, Leslie, Nicole or Andrés.

They walked down the hallway trying to contain some of their excitement at seeing some mages walking the halls.

There were even priests and people who looked like doctors and scientists.

Magic and science had been used to make sure the people traveling from the other side didn’t bring anything dangerous and even priests were present to purify the bodies.

A priest had a greater advantage in purifying the ‘impure’ and to some extent on some occasions they could become vital in dealing with some kind of curse or corruption.

The priests looked like they were from the Church of Time and Space, while the scientists had the logo of the Cosmos Company and among the mages some elves or humans with colorful hair could be seen.

The group did not care for them and when they reached the entrance, they became anxious.

Perhaps for them it had not been too long since they disappeared, only about a week and a half, but it was different for the two sisters, who were on the other side.

The door opened calmly and the group could notice a large room that turned out to be a dining room.

“Are you going to eat that much?” Cithrel asked with a dazed look.

At her back was Venali and her gaze was on the plates that occupied the table in front of Alice.

Dozens of dishes of all kinds and different styles scattered around the table, to the point that it looked like a feast for a large feast.

Alice was eating calmly, but her look of hunger and enjoyment was undoubtedly glorious to see.

Next to her was Aurora giving a pleasant smile, while her damp hair was let down her shoulders.

She looked relaxed and very calm with her smile.

“Rationing was hard for her,” Aurora answered for her sister and giving a glance to her group, she asked. “Do you guys want to join? Akira and the others will join later.”

It was a question calmly as if nothing had happened, but it was also calm as if trying to tell her that they didn’t have to worry anymore.

Who started first?

None of them knew and before they knew it they were hugging their former boss and their current friend.