In the middle of the night at Eris’ home, she, Marianna, and Noah were in the living room. Eris was still shaking from what happened to her hours prior. Marianna was holding Eris trying to calm her down.

“What happened, Eris?” Marianna asks with concern.

“I…” Eris starts. “I was walking from the lake to come back here. Then, I was being chased by several bandits and their leader. They were about to kill me, until one of the bandits slaughtered the others and injured the leader and making him retreat. The man carried me here and left the moment you two opened the door.”

“Seriously?! Who was the guy?” Noah asks Eris.

“His name was Kai. I asked if he was the Kai, but he didn’t answer.”

“So, why were they chasing after you? Why with that many bandits?” Marianna asks.

Eris got out of Marianna’s arms. “They told me that I was the harbinger of ruin. I’ll show you two why.”

Eris unbuttons the top of her shirt a little and lifted her sleeves, showing her upper chest and her arms. Marianna and Noah become shocked when they see the marks.

“I am fully convinced that these are the Queen’s marks. I am the upcoming queen for this land.” She adds.

“But… but you aren’t royalty.” Marianna comments. “Any woman born of royalty are chosen to be the next queen.”

“I know that, and that’s what I said to myself. But, I remembered what Mom said: A woman with a heart of gold is prone to become queen as well. So, royalty doesn’t matter. I guess Alpha doesn’t care about social status.”

As they were in thought, they heard a knock at the door to where Noah decided to get it. He opens it and sees a light skinned woman with red streaked black hair wearing a blue dress and high heels and sees a young-looking boy with slicked back black hair wearing all gray shirt, pants with a black belt, jacket and dark gray boots with fur covering them. Noah becomes stunned at how beautiful the woman looks, but he snaps out of it.

“Yes? Can I help you?” Noah asks them.

“Hello,” The woman greets. “We’ve come to talk to an… Eris Gadison. Is she here?”

“Why do you ask?”

“She has become a person of interest as of late.” The young man replies.

“For what?”

“For the sake of Elem and its throne.” The woman replies.

Hearing this response, Noah realizes that everything that Eris said earlier was true.

“Please, Mr. Knight. It is of the upmost importance that we talk to Ms. Gadison.” The young man insists.

“Wait. How do you know my name?” He asks concerned. “Who… are you two?”

“Boy, we are the true safekeeps of Elem.” The woman retorts annoyed. “Now may we please see Ms. Gadison? You’re starting to get on my nerves.”

Noah opens the door for them to come in. As they walk in, they see Eris and Marianna sitting on a couch.

“Hello, Ms. Gadison.” The young man greets. “And nice to see you, Ms. Collie.”

“Hello.” Marianna greets back. “Who are you guys?”

“I am Oma Warrens, the Safekeep of Elem’s Water.”

“And I am Senuo Mika, the Safekeep of Elem’s Time.”

The trio gasped with disbelief.

“Are you two really the actual safekeeps?” Marianna asks.

“Everyone in the provinces thought you all were dead!” Noah adds.

“No.” Senuo responds. “We’ve been in hiding, unfortunately.”

“And very much alive.” Oma comments.

“Why are you two here now?” Eris asks.

“We’re here to escort you to a secluded location. You are no longer safe here, Ms. Gadison.”

“We were ordered by Queen Furia to do so since we were notified that you have the marks of the queen.” Senuo adds.

Eris looks at the marks on her body, now knowing they were indeed marks of a queen.

“So, grab as much stuff as you can. We need to go.” Oma states.

“Wait a minute.” Marianna interrupts. “Let us come, too.”

“Sorry, Ms. Collie, but we were ordered to take Ms. Gadison. No one else.”

“Ms. Warrens, I agree with Mari.” Noah interjects. “We must go with Eris. The three of us are all that we’ve got ever since our parents were killed on the behest of that witch on the throne. This house is what they left us. Eris needs us for support.”

Oma just stares at Noah with an uninterested face.

“That is a somber story and I’m sorry for your loss, but we have our orders.” She replies sternly. “We’re only taking her. That’s it.”

Noah grumbles annoyedly at Oma’s response. “Geez! For a safekeep, you are so stubborn!”

“Excuse you?”

“You’re not deaf! You heard me.”

Before anything could get out of hand, Senuo gets in between Oma and Noah.

“Please, you two, let’s not do this at this time of night.” He reminds and looks at Oma. “Here’s a compromise. Along with Ms. Gadison, Mr. Knight, and Ms. Collie, may go with us on one condition. The two train with us so we all together can liberate the neighboring lands and Elienta. We can train them to be guards,”

“What about our home?” Marianna asks.

Senuo looks at Marianna. “We promise we will keep this household safe until all of this is over.”

Noah and Marianna look at each other, then look to Senuo, and nod in agreement.

“Alright then.” Senuo speaks. “You all get some of your belongings so we can go.”

Eris, Noah, and Marianna went to their rooms to get their belongings.

.   .

Minutes later, Eris, Noah, and Marianna exit their rooms with the necessities, schoolwork, and other belongings they could carry.

“If everyone is ready, let’s go. We’re on a schedule.” Oma informs.

With no one objecting to Oma’s response, Senuo extends his arm out and opens his hand. “Kenkyona!”

He summons a staff in his hand and taps it on the floor twice. A purple aura surrounds the five of them. In an instant, they vanished from the house.

.   .   .   .   .

The five arrive underground with a large body of water that is the cavern’s main source of light. Eris, Marianna, and Noah were in awe as they saw the spacious area with the sanctuary made of stone embedded in the earth, the large pool of water being fed by a waterfall. The three were confused at how the water was illuminating with no type of light source.

“How is the water so bright when there’s no sun or moonlight to hit it?” Marianna asks.

“It’s a blessed hot spring. Purified to the point it shines the whole area. Blessed by yours truly.” Oma replies.

“Are you three ready to go in?” Senuo asks with a smile.

Oma and Senuo open the giant double doors to the three revealing the spacious pristine interior as they enter the structure. On the granite tile floor, the three saw a large symbol of the queen’s mark. There were five doors surrounding the sanctuary; portals that lead to Haliae, Satori, Oreads, Alpine, and Pamola. Eris, Marianna, and Noah were in awe at the sight they saw of the large space.

“Wow. This… is something.” Noah comments.

“It’s amazing; that’s what it is.” Marianna adds.

“I’ve never seen a building so big like this…” Eris speaks.

As Oma and Senuo close the double doors, the sanctuary becomes dark. The five hear snapping fingers and one by one, little blue fires begin to light the areas of the sanctuary. Oma and Senuo begin looking up to the spiral stairs connected to the structure.

“Xianchi! Where are you?” Senuo asks making an echo.

“Follow the sound of my voice.” The high voice of a woman quietly replies.

Senuo heard her voice was above but far and looked up along with Oma and the three. They see a mocha skinned woman with long red hair balancing on a railing. She then slides down on the chrome steel banister all the way to the first level and slides off and walks towards Oma and Senuo. When she sees Eris, Noah, and Marianna, she puts her hands on her hips and a smile on her face.

“So, who are the three new faces?” Xianchi asks with a smile.

“This is the chosen queen and her… entourage.” Oma replies.

Eris walks towards Xianchi and extends her hand. “Hello. I’m Eris Gadison.”

Xianchi takes Eris’ hand and shakes it. “Xianchi Soule. Nice to meet you, lady. And who are the other two?” She asks.

“I’m Marianna Collie. How do you do?” She introduces herself while waving.

“Noah Knight.” He greets by bowing his head.

“Nice to meet you all and welcome to the underground sanctuary of the queen.” Xianchi greets.

“Where’s Landon and Yurich?” Oma asks her.

“Uh, they’re helping her majesty with her nightgown.”

Oma becomes upset. “Then, why Landon and not you?! You know it’s improper for a boy to see her majesty without clothes!”

Xianchi scoffs. “Chill out, Oma! Landon wouldn’t do anything wrong to the milady. He’s a safekeep like us, is he not? Also, Yurich is there with them. Why would think like that?”

“Yes.” Senuo agrees. “Please, calm yourself, Oma.”

“Hmph.” Oma grunts as she crosses her arms.

As Oma walks away to a nearby pillar, Xianchi stares gleefully at the trio squealing with delight.

“Oooh! It’s so nice to meet the queen-to-be and her friends!” She comments.

Eris chuckles and smiles with modesty. “Well… thank you?”

“So, you were the one who just made the fires to light the sanctuary?” Marianna asks.

“Oh yes. I am Xianchi Soule, Safekeep of Elem’s fire.”

Xianchi then snaps her fingers, producing a blue fire ball in her hand. The three were in awe as they saw the fire change from blue to red, making the interior’s lighting change to red also.

“That… is… an awesome power.” Noah comments with amazement.

“Oh please. Wait ‘til you see us all in action.”

As Xianchi disperses the fire ball from her hand, they hear footsteps coming from another room to their left. Two men; one was tall with shoulder length platinum hair and gold eyes, and the other was slightly short with short black hair and had light green eyes. They were holding the hands of a young teenage girl wearing a long silk white robe with a hood over her head; helping her walk to her throne while Oma, Senuo, and Xianchi walk toward the girl. As the girl sits down on the throne, Oma, Senuo, Xianchi, and the two men kneel in respect. The girl puts her hands together and the five begin humming a tune, a tune that Eris heard earlier at Cailo Lake. The tune soothed everyone’s ears as it calmed the soul. Eris begins to speculate if the girl was the one she heard humming that same tune which piqued her curiosity. After the humming finished, the girl stands from her throne and looks at the trio.

“Ms. Gadison, Mr. Knight, and Ms. Collie. It’s nice to meet you all.” The girl greets with a curtsy.

“Nice to meet you, too…” Eris greets back. “Are you… the girl I heard earlier at Cailo Lake?”

The hooded girl holds her hands together and looks at Eris.

“I… don’t understand what you mean.” She replies. “Perhaps you heard it from somewhere tonight, but I’ve been here.”

The girl takes off her hood and shows her face. When the three saw the girl’s brunette hair, green eyes, and young round face, they recognized who she was.

“Queen Furia Nyle.” Eris speaks with certainty. “You’ve been hiding here this whole time?”

“Yes, Ms. Gadison. I have.” Furia replies. “But it was not by will.”