The room readied itself for ravaging. Its fragile, stained-glass windows sunk into the walls, hiding behind a seamless layer of stone; its grand chandeliers hauled themselves into the arched ceiling, fading until nothing but their light was left; and bricks crept over the marble floor, forming a shield over the precious surface. Once the hall had transformed into an indoor battlefield, its first combatant entered the zone.

A stone golem. With a round body and a rounder head, it was brought to life by shadow magic. Two holes represented its eyes, while a simple slit mimicked a mouth. Its hands were as formless as its face. Four stubby fingers with no clear joints jutted from the ends of two arms—it was not clear if the creature had palms or wrists. The hands were still more defined than its feet, if they could even be called feet, for their only distinguishing feature was that they protruded a bit more than the rest of its stocky legs.

The second combatant entered from the other side of the hall. Edin. A striking contrast to the plain golem across him, Edin was a living and breathing young man. His body was lean, almost lanky, and his slender fingers belied his strength. His sharp, blue eyes stood out from his innocent face like polished lapis lazuli on a porcelain mask. One might wonder if he—or any man, for that matter—would be able to challenge a stone brute. Of course, anyone could. The real question was whether he would succeed or not.

Arden stood close to one of the walls as she directed the scene from a "safe" distance. Even if she did not mention it, one would know at once that she was Edin's superior. An air of authority shrouded her pallid figure, contrasting his aura of naïveté. Her unseen stare, though concealed under a curtain of raven hair, was piercing enough to command deference. She placed her hands behind her back. Her fingers twiddled the air as she controlled the golem.

Edin outstretched one arm, summoning a plain sword out of thin air. He put one leg behind the other and grasped the hilt of his sword, holding it in front of him as he entered his stance. He and the golem stood still. Sooner or later, the golem would be ordered to strike him, but its master had commanded it to be stationary. In the meantime, Edin scrutinized its body for any weak spots. There were no "weak" spots per se, for it was made out of stone, but he could easily discern that the joints of its limbs were more vulnerable than its rotund belly.

A deep and commanding voice resonated from Arden's mouth. "Now, fight."

Edin fed lightning into his sword and struck the floor with it.

Cracks formed in the floor and slithered towards the golem. It sprang to one side, landed, and galloped towards him. The floor shook with its every step. Its hands balled into fists.

Edin sprinted towards it. He drew an arc with his blade. It missed. He sidestepped to evade a stone fist. He skittered back and forth as he maintained his distance from the golem. He leaped and ducked as he dodged its punches. Step, dodge, swing sword, step, step, repeat. After a while, the golem swung its arms so far that it became unbalanced. The perfect opportunity. Edin fed lightning into his sword once more before he swung it at the golem.

Crack! His weapon sliced through the golem's arm and shattered it. It froze, bewildered. Edin took the chance. Lightning enwreathed his blade before he thrust it at the golem's chest. A loud boom echoed through the room as the golem was smashed into a million shards.

Edin lowered his sword and let it fade into thin air. He glanced at Arden. The corners of her lips rose in satisfaction.

"I was not expecting you to finish that quickly. Well done," she congratulated him.

Arden raised her right hand. Light magic flowed from her fingers and swept over the broken floor, mending it. The remnants of the shattered golem filled the crevices. Whatever space still remained was soon erased. It took only a moment for the floor to fully repair itself. With a flick of her wrist, Arden opened the door.

"I think that's enough practice for today," she said. "We'll resume tomorrow. You are dismissed."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Edin paced towards the door and exited the chamber. He strode down the corridor as he made his way to his room.

Ever since the day Arden found him lying unconscious in the middle of a meadow, she had taken him under her wing and let him reside with her in her castle. He recalled being astounded at how magnificent her house was, bedecked with precious metals and gleaming gems. It was lavish bordering on excessive—perhaps it was excessive, considering how it held a hundred or so rooms and only two residents. It took Edin a few months to discover each chamber and corridor in the castle. It took a few more for him to be familiar with them. If one were to convert a maze into a stately home, it may resemble Arden's residence.

The sound of soles clinking against the marble floor echoed from the other side. Edin turned around. Arden was gliding in his direction, donning a thin black jacket.

"Going somewhere?" he asked.

"I have an errand to do," she replied. "You want to go outside?"

"Sure. When are we leaving?"

"You can leave anytime you want. I'm not going there with you."

Edin paused. He had never left the castle without being accompanied by her; she had forbidden him from doing so, out of fear that an amnesiac like him would lose his way. "I can go out on my own?"

"Sure. You've been to town plenty of times; you should be able to find your way back."

"Oh, thank you."

"You're welcome. Just make sure you arrive before dinner."

She retrieved a pair of fingerless gloves from her pocket and fitted them over her hands. He watched as she strode down the hallway, opened the front door, and left.

***

The town of Irien was austere compared to Arden's abode. While her castle rested atop a hill, Irien lay inside a shallow valley. Most of its buildings were plain, no more than three stories high, and arranged in neat little squares. If one were to look at them from a bird's eye view, they would all appear identical, as though they were churned by a factory instead of being built by hand. Only the more important institutions had grander buildings, complete with domes and pillars and stained-glass windows, and they were all huddled together in the center of town. Everything else appeared as eye-catching as a single brick. While the infrastructure was rather colorless, the environment made up for the lack of vibrance. Trees and hedges lined the streets with soothing shades of green, and colorful flowers festooned the windowsills and painted the gardens. If that was not enough, the cerulean sky, splotched with wisps of white, made for a rather pleasing backdrop.

Most of the townsfolk were as variegated as the patternless walls that held up their roofs—which was to say, not that much. Coats in boring shades of beige and brown clothed most of the adults, and even the children were subject to such plain attire. That was not to say that all of them were drab; the bold ones wore daring shades of red, gold, and other brighter hues. In contrast, their voices were more vibrant than their clothing choices. Excited squeaks and squeals from little boys and girls overpowered the more sober conversations of the older folk. Gossip slipped from one close ear to another, though sometimes the wind carried them further than intended. A shout could be heard every now and then; some of them out of surprise, others out of anger, and the rest were salesmen trying to convince potential customers. The rumble of car engines and honks of buses added to the plethora of noise. Somewhere, in the middle of a busy sidewalk, a fair-haired man was lost in a sea of townsfolk.

Edin ambled aimlessly as he thought of where to head. He had only been to town a couple of times a week, and it was only to accompany Arden. They always had a goal whenever they went out, whether it be grocery shopping, purchasing new clothes, or acquiring ingredients for potions. With her not around, Edin had no idea where to go. A few of the townspeople gave him curious glances as he walked; he was as stiff and inflexible as a wooden toy. Edin averted his gaze as he tried to blend in. It was bad enough that he was on his own for the first time. Unwanted attention only made him more anxious.

He passed by an array of establishments, from cafés and bistros to banks and boutiques. Nothing interested him. He need not any more clothes; he and Arden had gone shopping two weeks before. His stomach was not empty enough for him to crave even a snack. Everything else that was being offered, whether it be gold jewelry or spare shoelaces, was deemed too inessential for him to shell money for. He inserted his hands into the pockets of his tapered jeans. He was done perambulating the town. He would rather much be at the castle, where people did not look at him as though he were machine-made-man.

He began his trek towards the castle. Though the town had a grid of asphalt roads, the lanes that slithered out of it were mostly made of gravel. The path he would take was no exception. Grass and weeds flanked the dirt path as he strolled. Stray rocks and boulders were scattered at his sides. The sun showered him with harsh rays. He did not mind; as a fire-wielder, he more than welcomed the heat. His skin tingled as he basked in the blazing sunlight. He peered towards his destination. A symmetrical castle with five spires stood out, its granite structure a stark contrast to the bright sky above it. A tall wall drew a thick border around the property, concealing the first two floors from prying eyes. Home. He paced faster.

A silhouette loomed up ahead. Edin furrowed his brows. It was not shaped like a person, nor did it appear to be a vehicle. He hid behind a rock, tilted his head, and squinted.

The figure was not a man, but a monster. Its body was bulky and muscly. It had four limbs whose knees bent backward and tough-looking skin that could be best described as black sandpaper splattered with red wax. A long snout protruded from its small head, and its slit-like eyes were a stark contrast to its flared nostrils. Its teeth were like its claws: long, sharp, and very visible. It growled. It slunk in one direction in search of prey.

Terror struck Edin's heart once he realized what he was witnessing. He knew he would have to slay such creatures someday, that was why Arden had been training him for the past two years, but he had never seen one in the flesh. It was nothing like the golems he had been practicing with; it was living, breathing, and menacing. If a golem proved too strong for him, Arden could always stop it before it killed him. If he were to fight the beast, there was no guarantee that he would make it out alive. He squatted to hide more effectively from the creature. Perhaps, if he were still, it would pass him.

The beast snarled as it crawled across the ground. It crouched. It then sprinted on all fours. Edin gasped.

It was heading towards the town.