The Challenge of the Masters

⊱⊰ 1: Lionheart [New] ⊱⊰

Infinite voices filled En's ears. Each having a different tone, from the soft call of a child to an aggressive one, that seemed to have a mixture of a beast and a human. Despite hearing various languages, En could understand what they were saying.

A feeling of guilt and sorrow spread in his veins as he heard some voices asking for help and some looking down at others because of their status and power. He didn't let those voices distract him and kept listening.

"Leo," said a quiet voice behind him. "Seeing you around here. This means..."

The voices faded as he slowly opened his eyes. Surprise struck him as he found himself floating in the darkness that was painted with countless glowing dots. Looking below his crossed legs, he saw more stars shining under him.

"Yes. My chosen one has reached his limit thanks to his advanced age," he said, his voice calm. "Regulus has returned to the Sanctum since his owner can no longer fight. I have to find a new owner for it and this time I want to make sure the new Guardian will be right."

"Hm," said the quiet voice approaching him. "Choosing a new candidate used to be fun. Now it's so time-consuming and tiring. Despite us doing our best, we always end up choosing the wrong ones. I sometimes feel a little jealous since you, Aries and Libra find the right Guardians."

En gazed at his left side and saw a woman of average height in a bright blue flowing dress. What caught his eye was how her figure was glowing dimly and how voluminous her long dark hair was, despite looking wet. He noticed fish scales spread on her pale legs and in a smaller number scattered on her arms.

"I don't always choose the right one, Pisces," he said with a quick chuckle. "My last Guardian refused the quest to retrieve the Elements, even though he wanted to save the worlds. It showed how selfish he was since he didn't want to lose his powers."

"It can't be helped." Pisces walked a few steps forward. "Mortals are imperfect beings. At least he accomplished his duty as a Guardian instead of threatening other beings with his powers."

As a short silence fell, En sighed.

"To this day," he said slowly, "I still regret lending my powers to them. That was our greatest mistake."

Pisces walked around, examining each luminous dot she could see.

"We had no choice," she said, her voice calm. "We had to find a way to protect those powerless beings."

As En looked away, silence took over the atmosphere for several seconds. As Pisces explored the area, En couldn't help but feel guilt running in his blood.

"These stars are so far away from each other." Pisces broke the silence. "If portals didn't exist or perhaps were never discovered, mortals wouldn't have known that there are other worlds out there."

A small smile formed across En's face. "Maybe. But you never know, there are many curious beings out there."

"Yes." Pisces glanced over her shoulder. "But without a portal, it would take them a thousand to million years to reach another habitable world with life."

En folded his arms. "You're right."

Pisces smiled. As she walked towards him, En saw her marine blue eyes.

"I noticed that you're mostly looking for a new Guardian in your constellation," she said. "If you're having trouble finding a Guardian in your area, you know you're welcome to look for a candidate in others' constellations."