The sanctuary was quiet.
Elias stood at the center of the chamber, the Primordial Light pulsing behind him, casting warm shadows across the stone floor. The new guardians were gathered before him, their faces filled with hope and determination. They had trained for months, learned to channel the light and shadow, learned to see the balance in all things. They were ready.
But Elias knew that being ready and being prepared were two different things.
"You have done well," Elias said, his voice steady and calm. "You have learned to channel the light and shadow. You have learned to see the balance in all things. But there is one more lesson you must learn."
The youngest guardian, a boy of seventeen with dark hair and intense eyes, stepped forward. "What is it, Guardian?"
Elias looked at hi
