Edin tugged on the straps of his backpack as he walked along a dirt path. His smile beamed like the sun above him, which kept him warm while the morning blew its cool breath onto the world. It was his first day of work in months, and the Guild had assigned him to Irien. He did not know if the placement was intentional but was content regardless. Having work so close to home meant that he could walk instead of drive, allowing him to save on fuel and get warmed up prior to his shift.

Edin reached his workplace a half hour after he started his journey by foot. Irien's station looked like Stoll's, except it was roughly twice the size. The presence of a sedan parked next to it told him that the previous shift's guardian had not yet left. Actually, now that he thought about it, he had never seen anyone pull up to Stoll's station after him and Rowan, nor had he caught anyone leaving from it after they arrived. Was it simply unmanned at night? He could find out later. Edin pulled his phone out to check the time; it was nine minutes to nine. He still had ample time to change into his uniform. His hand reached into his pocket to grab the key he was given, but just before he could unlock the door, it swung open.

The cadet who answered the door, a tall brunette of nearly Edin's height, leaned against the door frame. She tilted her head as her black eyes scrutinized him. "Are you that Edin kid everyone's been talking about?"

"Uh, yes."

The cadet stepped aside to make way. "Come in."

Edin set foot inside the station. Memories of his time at Stoll rushed back into his mind as he glimpsed the interior—there was no difference between his previous post and his current one except that Irien's had much more space, as well as an additional room for changing in and out of one's uniform. There was a hard click as the cadet shut the door behind Edin.

"I was watching you walk here," she said, pointing at one of the screens. "Where d'you live?"

"Just further down there. I can show you." Edin strode towards the control panel. His hands reached for a knob and joystick, and a moment later, the camera zoomed in on a granite castle with five spires.

The cadet blinked twice. "Arden's castle? I didn't know it was that near."

"It's still quite a walk from here," Edin said, "but not too far."

"How long?"

"Half an hour, about that."

"I'd rather drive if I had to walk that far," she said.

"But it's nice to walk here," Edin chirped, "plus I get to have a little exercise."

The cadet scoffed. "Wait till Miroel comes. It's near the end of Sigelend and it's already getting chilly; you'll start driving to work soon enough."

Edin glimpsed the wall clock. Eight minutes till the start of his shift. He headed toward the storage room to store his belongings, then entered the adjacent room to change. The changing room was bare-bones like the rest of the post: there was nothing inside aside from a full-length mirror and a coat rack to hang one's clothing. The female cadet's clothes—a thick, long-sleeved shirt and a pair of jeans—were still hanging from the pegs.

Edin heard a new set of footsteps enter the post while he was changing. That must be his new partner. He edged closer to the door to listen in on the conversation happening outside.

"He's here?" a male voice asked.

"Yeah. He's getting changed right now."

"I'm so excited to meet him. My best friend was his partner when they were still recruits!"

His current partner was best friends with Rowan? Edin slipped on his uniform top, tugging at the sleeves and bottom hem to straighten out the wrinkles. The voices became clearer as he rested his ear against the door.

"...got kicked out because he was too brutal," the brunette mentioned.

"Yeah, it was pretty scary. Like one moment he's all innocent and then the next moment he just goes absolutely crazy."

"But why'd they have an issue with it? Sounds like he'd be unstoppable. Just send him off to finish Damon, all he'd really need is a sword and a blood bag..."

Edin gritted his teeth. At once he wished he had not eavesdropped.

His hand reached for the doorknob and he leaned on the door as he pushed it open, interrupting the conversation between the female cadet and the younger male. Chatter very quickly dissolved into quietness as they turned their attention to him. Edin turned his head to face his new partner.

Near the entrance stood a young man who looked very much like a teenager. His obsidian irises twinkled with youth, quite like what Edin saw in Rowan's eyes, except that youthfulness extended far past his eyes and into his tan and acne-ridden face. His straight, jet-black hair reached below his ears, and as for the rest of his physique, he was extremely skinny. Looking at him made Edin wonder just how young he was, and how much—or little, rather—he ate that he appeared so thin.

The young man gaped at him. "You're Edin!"

"Yeah—"

"Rowan's my best friend; he told me about you!" He paced towards him and reached his hand out for a handshake, which Edin returned. "I'm Stefan. Rowan and I—"

"Hey kid," the female cadet interrupted him, "change first. My shift ends in four minutes and I'd rather not have to wait out for you."

"Ah, sorry."

Stefan stowed his belongings in the storage room before he went to change. While he was doing so, she glanced at Edin. "Is it true that they kicked you out because you were too bloodthirsty?"

"Uh, yeah," Edin replied, trying to conceal his urges behind tightened lips.

She shrugged. "I never thought that could be a thing," she uttered. "My name's Bethany, by the way, or 'Beth' for short."

Edin extended a hand toward her. "Nice to meet you."

Beth grabbed his hand and shook it firmly. "Nice to meet you too." They let go, then she went on, "I gotta warn ya, beasts tend to pop up way more during the day than at night. There's a reason why Irien had majors stationed here at one point."

Edin's mind wandered back to the two majors he met after his first battle. It made him wander further: why would the Guild replace majors, extremely powerful and experienced guardians just one rank below the seniors, with cadets? He supposed that the area around Irien had gotten significantly safer for them to implement the swap. Even then. One would think they would put sentinels, or at least sentries, in their place—not two cadets with less than a year under their belts.

Edin nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Good."

Quietude ruled the room once more until Stefan returned, having put on his uniform. Stefan's every step bounced with excitement, contrasting Beth's nonchalant attitude. She headed straight for the changing room as soon as it was vacated.

Stefan stared at Edin with fascination, and it did not take long for him to ruin the silence. "I-I'm sorry," he started off, "I'm still processing that you're my partner. Like, the Edin?"

Edin chuckled. "What do you mean? I'm just a cadet like you."

"But you took down an entire shadow army, unlike me! Rowan said you were insane out there, and... I'm sorry, I don't wanna bother you with questions."

"It's fine. You can ask."

"But Rowan said that the first time he kept asking you Senior Norman shut him up."

Edin held back a laugh. Rowan was excessively chatty at the time. "I don't mind, really."

"But I might—actually, just tell me when to stop." Stefan rubbed his hands together as he prepared his first question. "So, just how powerful are you?"

"I don't know," Edin answered. "Definitely more than I thought I was."

"No kidding, with how you saved Beor," said Stefan. His dark eyes glittered with wonder. "I wish I saw it in person; it must've been so cool."

"Trust me, you don't. It was rather scary."

"Scarier than you going full bloodlust mode?"

Lust flared up inside Edin, and he shuddered. "Sorry, but can you please not say that word?"

"Oh, sorry," Stefan said. "I didn't know it was a trigger."

"It's fine. It's unavoidable anyway." Edin glimpsed the landscape out the window. "And to answer your question: I don't know. I guess it's not as scary? It's one thing to see beasts rush at you; it's another to see your ally act beastly."

Stefan looked up at him. "Well, at least you can control it now, right?"

"Yep."

"So if a beast comes by you won't go crazy in front of me, right?"

"No," Edin smiled, "I can handle it now."

There was a hard click and creak as Beth barged out of the changing room. She gave them no regard as she hurried up the steps to dump her uniform in the laundry, and not a word was uttered by her as she picked up her belongings and hurried out the post. Edin felt bewildered—not even a goodbye? Did she dislike them so much that she bade neither of them farewell? Part of him supposed that she meant no ill by it, and that he was just so used to Rowan's friendliness that anything less appeared cold.

Beeps emanated from the control panel. Edin and Stefan swiftly took hold of the controls and zoomed in on their target. On their screens, two beasts with backward-bent knees charged at them.

"Well that was quick," Stefan commented. "Not even ten minutes here and we got two glæsselings coming right at us."

"They're heading from the north," Edin said. "That's the opposite side of town."

"I can't run that fast."

"I can." Edin rose from his seat, flashing a confident smirk. "I got this."

He rushed out of the station. He leaned forward, swung his arms back, and thrust.

Fwoosh!

Azure fire blazed from his palms and soles. A cloud of dust billowed behind Edin as he propelled himself around Irien's border. Specks of sand flew into the air and his right hand rose to shield his face, his eyes peeking through the gaps between his fingers. The northern edge of Irien was far away, but the beasts were even farther; he would make it across town long before they did.

Edin skidded to a stop once he reached Irien's northern side. Unlike the south side, which was more desert-like, the north side had lusher vegetation along its borders. Edin squinted his eyes. Up ahead he saw two monsters galloping on all fours. It would still be long before they could set foot in the outskirts.

But not long before their tongues could penetrate the border.

Edin called his sword into his right hand. His fingers grasped the hilt tightly, then he sprinted. His left hand thrust backward.

Fwoosh!

A wave of blue fire carried him across the land. Edin leaned forward, his eyes narrowing on his targets. The beasts spread themselves further apart as they charged at him. He tilted his head—why would they do that?

The glæsselings turned their heads inward. Opened their snouts. Edin knew.

Sharp tongues shot toward him. Edin spun as he leaped, dodging their tongues, and drew an arc with his blade.

Slice!

Sword slashed through flesh in a single swoop. Bits of tongue fell to the ground.

And liquid scarlet with it.

Edin's temples grew hot, and his mouth wettened instantly. He shook his head.

The glæsselings reeled their tongues back in, wailing from pain. Edin bolted toward them. Lightning wrapped his blade as he closed in.

The creatures plowed on. Their keen claws lengthened as their paws pounded the ground. Rows of canines snapped at the guardian, ready to tear him apart once they clashed.

They were seconds apart. Edin raised his sword, aimed, and thrust.

Crack!

Shrill cries erupted as lightning pierced the beasts' bodies. They collapsed, twitching from shock.

Edin seized the chance. Both hands gripped the handle as he sprung forward and drove his blade through their chests. Stabbed through their abdomens. Cleaved off their heads for good measure. His forearms buzzed with a thrill, an urge...

No. He would not give in.

Edin released his grasp and let his sword vanish into thin air. There would be no more butchering from then on.

A little smoke still wafted from the charred, bloodied corpses of the glæsselings. Edin's stare lingered on them. He knew there was something else to be done after slaying a beast, but he could not recall what it was exactly. There was a certain method for getting rid of the bodies...

Of course. Decomposing powder.

Edin felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He retrieved it and picked up the call. "Hello?"

"Uh, Edin," Stefan said, "you forgot to bring decomposing powder with you."

"Yeah, uh, I just remembered." Edin's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "It's been a while since my last battle and I completely forgot. I'll, uh, pick it up—"

"Nah it's fine, I'll send it to ya."

"How?"

"I'm a shield summoner. I'll fly it over."

"Oh, nice," Edin said. Realization hit him in the head a second later, and with widened eyes, he told Stefan, "You could've flown yourself here!"

"I'm sorry!" Stefan's bright voice rang with half-laughter. "I just had to see you in action."

"Ugh."

"It was pretty cool though!"

Edin rolled his eyes and hung up. His gaze returned to the two monsters he had just slain. There they lay, a little butchered, but definitely not as cut up as those he had slain before. A flame of desire burned in his chest near his throat, and he patted the area with one hand as if to calm it. He was in control now, not the curse. And it made him rejoice a little deep inside.

Minutes passed. Edin turned his body to face the south. Soon enough, a medium packet of decomposing powder zoomed at him, sent in a translucent, floating bubble. It hovered in the air in front of him a bit before popping into inexistence, dropping the packet to the ground. Edin picked the sachet up and ripped it open, then sprinkled its contents over the carcasses.

The bodies rotted away, and with it, a thirst that once plagued him.