GUARDIAN OF THE FIFTH REALM

CHAPTER 3

Jace barely had time to process Aila’s words before the runes on the walls flickered ominously. A low rumble echoed through the chamber, and Aila spun toward the entrance, her staff already glowing with silver light.

“He’s found us,” she muttered, her voice tight.

“That didn’t take long.”

“What? How?” Jace stumbled to his feet, panic surging through him. “I thought this place was supposed to be safe!”

Aila’s masked face turned toward him. “Nothing is safe when it comes to the Phantom King. He doesn’t just follow, he erodes. Every barrier, every spell, every defense. He wears them down until there’s nothing left.”

The rumble grew louder, and cracks began to spiderweb across the chamber walls. Jace could feel the oppressive weight of the King’s power pressing down on them, suffocating, consuming. He gritted his teeth, trying to summon the golden energy he had wielded before, but his body refused to respond. He was drained physically, mentally, and magically.

Aila cursed under her breath and planted her staff into the ground. A shimmering dome of silver light spread outward, enveloping them in a protective barrier. “This will hold him off, for now.” she said, glancing at Jace. “But it won’t last long unless you start pulling your weight.”

Jace blinked at her, incredulous. “Me? I don’t even know what I’m doing! I’m not a Guardian, I’m just...”

“A stable boy,” Aila interrupted sharply. “Yes, I know. You keep saying that like it means something. Do you think the magic burning in your chest cares about what you were? Do you think the Phantom King does? The moment you were marked, Jace, your past stopped mattering.”

Jace opened his mouth to argue, but the walls began to crumble, and the oppressive darkness surged closer. Shadowy tendrils slithered through the cracks, probing at the edges of Aila’s barrier. One of them struck the dome, sending a ripple of energy across its surface.

Aila hissed in frustration. “Listen to me, Jace,” she said, her voice low and urgent. “The Phantom King’s power comes from the Void. It’s chaos incarnate, unbound by rules or reason. The only thing strong enough to counter it is the light of the Realms themselves. That’s what’s inside you. That’s what the Guardian’s mark is.”

Jace stared at her, the weight of her words sinking in. “But I don’t know how to use it,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Aila stepped closer, gripping his shoulders. “Then learn now. Because if you don’t, we’re both dead.”

The dome shuddered, cracks forming along its surface as the shadows pressed harder. The Phantom King’s voice echoed through the chamber, cold and mocking. “You can’t hide, Guardian. I see you.”

Jace’s heart pounded as the darkness closed in. He clenched his fists, his mind racing. He had no idea how to control the magic inside him, no idea how to fight back. But Aila was right, he didn’t have a choice, he had to try.

Taking a deep breath, Jace closed his eyes and focused. He could feel the mark on his chest pulsing faintly, like the heartbeat of a distant star. He reached for it, mentally grasping at the light, willing it to respond.

At first, there was nothing. Just a void, vast and empty. But then, deep within the darkness, he felt a spark, a tiny flicker of warmth. He latched onto it, pulling it closer, fanning the flame with every ounce of willpower he had.

The mark on his chest flared to life, and a surge of golden light erupted from his body, blasting outward. The tendrils of shadow recoiled, hissing like living creatures. The dome shattered, but instead of leaving them exposed, the golden light expanded, forming a new barrier, stronger, brighter.

Aila stepped back, her masked face tilted upward as if in awe. “There it is,” she murmured. “The light of the Fifth Realm.”

Jace opened his eyes, his body trembling with the effort. The light surrounded him, pulsing like a living thing. For the first time, he felt something beyond fear, something deeper, more powerful.

Hope.

The shadows surged again, but this time, the light held firm. Jace raised his hand, and the energy responded, shooting forward in a brilliant beam. It struck the tendrils, slicing through them like a blade of pure sunlight. The darkness writhed, retreating.

But then the Phantom King’s laughter rang out, cold and unrelenting. “Impressive, Guardian,” he said, his voice reverberating through the chamber. “But light alone won’t save you.”

The ground beneath them cracked, and a massive, clawed hand burst through the stone. It was the dragon-beast, its molten eyes glowing with fury. The creature roared, its voice shaking the chamber, and lunged toward them.

Aila swore, raising her staff. “Jace, focus! You have to control it!”

“I’m trying!” Jace shouted, the light around him flickering as the beast’s presence overwhelmed his senses. He raised his hand again, but the golden energy sputtered, barely forming a spark.

The dragon-beast’s claws came crashing down, but Aila intercepted it, her staff glowing with silver light. The impact sent shockwaves through the chamber, and Aila grunted with effort as she held the beast back.

“Jace!” she shouted, her voice strained. “I can’t hold this thing forever!”

Panic surged through Jace, but he forced himself to focus. He closed his eyes again, reaching for the light within him, willing it to respond. This time, the spark came faster, brighter, and he pulled it forward with everything he had.

When he opened his eyes, the light wasn’t just surrounding him, it was pouring out of him, a torrent of golden energy that illuminated the entire chamber. The dragon-beast roared, flinching as the light burned its flesh.

Jace raised his hand, the energy coalescing into a blazing spear of light. With a shout, he hurled it at the beast, the spear striking its chest and exploding in a burst of brilliance. The creature howled, it's form disintegrating into shadow and ash.

The chamber fell silent, the oppressive darkness retreating. Jace collapsed to his knees, his body trembling with exhaustion. Aila approached him, her staff dimming as she knelt beside him.

“You did it,” she said softly. “You’re starting to awaken.”

Jace looked up at her, his face pale but determined. “This isn’t over,” he said. “The Phantom King… he’s still out there.”

Aila nodded, her mask glinting in the faint light. “And he won’t stop until he breaks you. But now you know what you’re capable of. And that’s a start.”

Jace swallowed hard, the weight of his destiny pressing down on him. He had survived this battle, but the war was far from over. The Fifth Realm was counting on him, and the Phantom King was only getting stronger.

“Let him come,” Jace said, his voice steady. “I’ll be ready.”