The next day had arrived. Edin fidgeted as he sat on his bed. Arden had said that she would announce the results that afternoon. "Before dinner," she had told him. Edin glanced out his window. Though the sun had not set yet, it was already rather close to the horizon. He could hardly wait for the news to arrive.

Part of him wished that he had failed the test. His heart was still racing from the battle against the ætterhund, and his clash with the glæsseling had left a permanent impression on him. To think that he would have to face and slay such creatures on a daily basis—oh, that would be too much! He was not sure if he could handle it. If two battles were enough to haunt him for days, how much more two fights a day, or more? Soon after the test, he had gone to Irien to purchase enchanted sleeping pills to ward off nightmares. They were only half as effective as claimed. He was tempted to consume more than prescribed, but knew that it would not be worth the risk of addiction or dependency.

Another part of him wished that he had passed. After all, he knew that the realm was in desperate need of guardians. The existing ones, especially senior guardians like Arden, were already working to the bone to protect Idelhen. It would be selfish of him to not use his power to help and protect people from whatever foul creature prowled the land. He would rather sacrifice some sleepless nights in exchange for the safety of those who could not defend themselves from wild beasts. It would not settle well with his conscience if he did not.

He saw a speck of light in the sky. He squinted. The light expanded into a portal. Edin stood up from his bed and paced towards his window. A familiar sedan emerged from the portal, flying in his direction.

Edin raced out of his bedroom and hurried down the tower's staircase. Oh, he could not wait any longer! She had not yet arrived, yet he was already at the front door, awaiting her presence. He lowered his head to peek through the peephole. Her car had just landed on the castle grounds. He paced some steps backward to give her space. A few moments later, the front doors swung open to reveal his mentor standing squarely in the middle.

She tilted her head. "Were you waiting there the whole time?"

"Only for a minute," he said.

Arden huffed in amusement. She entered her home and glided down the hallway, removing her fingerless gloves as she strode towards him. "I have the news you've been waiting for."

"What did they say?"

"You passed."

Edin breathed a sigh of relief.

She chuckled. "Congratulations on becoming one of us. My fellow seniors said that you did well."

"Thank you."

"Do you know what that means?"

"I'm a guardian now?"

"Not just that. You've officially completed your training."

He paused. He had grown so accustomed to being a student, he did not know what to do with such information. "You're not mentoring me anymore?"

"Why would I? I've been preparing you to become a guardian. Now that you're one of us, what else is left for me to teach?" The corners of her lips quirked upward. "You'll still live with me if that's what you're concerned about. I'll tell you more about your shifts and station later this evening."

And with that, she left him to retreat to her room.

***

Dinner was decadent, as usual. Edin and Arden had eaten their first courses—warm salad dressed with goat's cheese and vinaigrette—and were now savoring bowls of cream of chantarelle and foie gras soup. The two of them had only opened their mouths to eat or drink, and as they approached their main course, Edin wondered if Arden would soon tell him more about his new job. Where would he be stationed? Would he work alone, or would he be with a colleague? If the latter, then with whom would he be paired?

Arden ate her last spoon of soup, wiped her mouth with a napkin, and then moved on to the third course: medium-rare filet mignon with a side of garlic butter mushrooms and savory scalloped potatoes. As she reached for her fork and knife, she spoke, "Excited about your new job?"

Edin nodded. He would have replied verbally, but there was still soup in his mouth.

"I don't know all the details yet," she went on, cutting her meat, "but here's what I know: you'll be stationed in a village called Stoll, which is about thirty minutes from here by car, and you'll be partnered with another recruit. I don't know his name, but Norman told me that he'll introduce you to him on your first day of work.

"You've been assigned the morning and afternoon shifts—your first shift starts at nine, your second ends at five, and your break's from noon to twelve thirty. You're a bit lucky; some recruits start with night shifts. My first shift was an early morning shift.

"I'll buy you a car so that you can drive to and from work. It won't be a Radien Stallion like mine, but it will be a nice and reliable car. Speaking of which, luckily you've gotten your driving license already. Do you still remember how to drive?"

"I do," he replied.

She paused. She took a bite of her steak, chewed, and swallowed before she resumed. "In the meantime, you should practice driving. I'll leave the keys for the white sedan on the table before I leave for work tomorrow. You don't have to be an excellent driver, but you should be able to maneuver a car comfortably."

Edin merely nodded before moving on to his main course. The next moments passed without another word from either pair of lips. He did not ask her anything, for she had answered the questions he had in mind. Even if he did have a question, he was not used to asking her over a meal. He would rather look at his plate and wait for her to invite a query. As he cut his steak, his gaze lingered on the red-tinged juice that leaked from the meat.

The purge's reddish tint reminded him of his first fray. He relived his first battle. The edge of his blade cut through warm flesh, opening many a vein. Dark red blood dripped from where he made the slice. He inhaled. The metallic scent of fresh blood, repugnant to most, only deepened his desire for bloodshed. Hack and slash went his sword, and with every cut and slice, the world around him turned a deeper shade of crimson. His mouth watered as the forbidden drink spilled out of the body like fine wine flowing from a toppled jug.

"Edin?"

He blinked twice, then looked up at her. "Pardon?"

"You've been slowly cutting and staring at your steak for the past ten seconds."

"Oh. I was, uh, just thinking about work."

She was not convinced. "I don't know what was on your mind, but please, wait till after dinner to go and muse. I've already told you that it's rude to not be wholly present at the dining table."

He nodded sheepishly. "I'm sorry."

No more words were uttered. Arden kept an eye on him as they dined. She had a feeling that it was not the meat that he was looking at, but the reddish liquid that seeped from it. She did not bring it up.

Arden could not put her finger on it, but she felt like something inside him had changed since he fought the glæsseling. That battle must have awakened something inside him—what it was, she could not identify. She recalled how bloody his clothes were that day, almost as if he had bathed in blood, but did not pay much heed to it. She had fought plenty of bloody battles. If it were not for her magic, she too would have been soaked in crimson after every clash. It was only after she saw him look almost lustfully at his stained plate did she look back at that moment with unease. The guardians knew for a fact that a young man, a gifted who was not yet a guardian, singlehandedly slew a glæsseling before it could reach Irien. It was later confirmed that that man was mentored by Arden Mægenstern herself. However, the report was accompanied by a rumor: he was overwhelmed by an extreme hunger for violence. The rumor was perpetuated by the guardians who saw him at that moment, and while she knew they had no reason to spread such gossip, she could not believe them. Edin was no savage. However, after seeing him in recent days...

No, the man sitting across from her was no bloodthirsty brute. She had watched over him for two years and nothing about him suggested savagery. Quite the opposite. He was quiet, diffident, and obedient. Besides, if he were bloodthirsty, he would have shown it during the final phase of the test. Yet, the seniors who assessed him did not tell her of his violent nature. It was not a part of him.

The rest of their dinner went about wordlessly. Neither party spoke—not during the main course, not while they were having soufflés for dessert, nor in between. Though they were both noiseless on the outside, their headspaces were much less so.

***

The sky had gone dark long ago, yet Edin was still wide awake. He had drawn the curtains and surrounded himself in darkness. He had switched off the clock to silence it. He had adjusted the temperature, wrapped himself in the softest duvets, and twisted and turned into a multitude of positions. Yet, there he lay, eyes still open. The images would not leave his mind. Crimson had stained his imagination, and no matter how hard he had tried to clean his mind, it would not fade away. Fear weighed down his heart—if a single battle could affect him like this, how much more a dozen, or a hundred? He could not even look at a steak the same way he used to. He might as well bring a glass to battle so that he had something to drink blood out of.

He shuddered and shook his head. No, he would not go that far. He would never go that far.

What he felt that day could have been a one-time occurrence. Yes, it could have been. When he fought the ætterhund he did not feel the same urges. Perhaps those urges would disappear as he fought more frays, and the sight of blood would no longer change him the way it did during his maiden battle.

Perhaps. Not certainly. Edin pulled the duvet over his head and shut his eyes. He shivered, not from the cold.

***

Edin glanced at the mirror and finger-combed his hair one last time before he marched out the front doors. He lifted his left wrist. His watch told him it was 8:20 a.m., just five minutes before Norman's car would—or should—arrive. He took a deep breath. He closed the front doors behind him, locked them, and gave their door handles a firm shake. They were locked. He hurried down the path towards the gate.

It was going to be Edin's first day at work. Though Arden said she was going to buy Edin a car so that he could drive to his station and back, they did not have many an opportunity before he was slated to start. He had been told that Norman would pick him up from Arden's castle at 8:25 a.m. sharp and that Norman was going to pick up his colleague, a fellow recruit, too. Edin fidgeted. He hoped that his partner would not mind working with him for the next three months if he were not keen. On Edin's side, he was simply glad that he would not be alone.

Edin closed the castle's outer gates behind him and checked to see if they were locked. Once he made sure of that, he leaned against the gate as he waited for Norman's car. It had been described to him. It was a black Radien sedan, much like Arden's. Its license plate was black with gold letters, like the license plates of all active members of the Guild, and its number was SG 233. Edin peered towards Irien. There appeared to be nothing and no one coming his way. He checked the time. Only a minute had passed.

Edin crossed his arms and waited. And waited. And yawned and waited. He checked his watch once more. Only sixty seconds had passed—he was sure it was longer. He cast a glance to his right. There was nothing but dull grass plains that stretched as far as the eye could see. He cast a glance at his left. He could make out an object heading in his direction. Edin squinted. It was a black sedan. A small, silver pegasus stood on the hood of the car. Below the hood ornament was a black license plate, and this was its number: SG 233.

Norman's car. Edin straightened his posture as he awaited its arrival. It cruised down the gravel path at full speed, leaving behind a cloud of dust, before slowing to a halt right in front of him. The side window of the front seat lowered to reveal Norman's smiling face.

"Good morning, Edin."

"Good morning."

"Get in the back. Your partner's already inside."

Edin nodded his head and strode towards the car. He opened the door and boarded the vehicle. At once, he caught sight of his colleague.

Sitting at the other side of the back row was a man who was three years Edin's junior, yet of the same rank. His raven hair was short and curly, and his obsidian eyes beheld a spark characteristic of eager youth. In contrast to Edin's sharp features and pallid complexion, the man had a tan skin tone and round facial features.

The young man turned his head and greeted him with a grin, slightly opening his mouth to flash a bit of his pearly white teeth. It was a warm, cheeky kind of grin. Edin returned with a shy closed-mouth smile before he closed the car door.

"Hi. I'm Rowan Eolern," the young man introduced himself, extending his right hand.

Edin shook his hand gently. "I'm Edin."

"The two of you better get along," Norman said, following the sentence with a chuckle. "You'll be stuck with each other for the next four months."

The engine roared before the car sped away from Arden's castle.