Timeless

One does not simply stroll into the Guardian's Palace. Apprentices are taught how to go from the human world to the Guardian's only when they are old enough, otherwise they would likely get lost in the limbo of the labyrinth, adrift between two worlds, or at least that is what Piero told her... Eventually it becomes easier and faster. Even though Cassie had successfully negotiated the challenge many times before it still made her feel somewhat uneasy. She envied the way Piero and the other members of the Twelve could flash from place to place in mere seconds while it always took her a few embarrassing tries.

Thank god Tate isn't here, thought Cassie. The fact that she was about to find out what would be happening in the days ahead didn't help her concentrate.

New Zoldova is a quiet, unassuming town, by day and with no one to be seen on the streets she took a deep breath and ran again. Cassie closed her eyes and thought about the Guardian's Palace, the marbled floor, the beautiful animated paintings, the golden decorations, the Aesterdis, and Piero. Running, she began to feel her whole body lift off the ground embraced by a whirlwind of some divine force. Any human watching would have thought she'd simply disappeared into thin air.

Her feet finally came down on a white marbled floor. Cassie looked up, agitated, knowing she was there to find out who would replace her for the Icarus mission. Facing the fact that it just wasn't possible to change Tate's mind, and yet going against all her training, Cassie struggled with the one thought that kept circling. She was still one of them...for the moment.

Feeling a hand on her shoulder, a warm smile welcomed her.

"Piero," she smiled back. If circumstances were different she would have hugged him.

"Does Tate know you're here?"

"Yes."

"Did you say goodbye to him?" he asked with a probing, but soothing voice.

"No," she frowned, "that would suggest I wasn't ever going to see him again."

Piero nodded holding both of his hands together in a gesture of respectful authority. "Let's go."

Knowing she was facing her future, Cassie looked at the walls and the corridors, perhaps for the last time. So much had changed in her life and yet the one rock-solid constant was the Guardian's Palace. Cassie had practically grown up playing amid the hallowed halls, but for some reason whenever there she felt trapped...stuck in time...or as if there was not time, no clocks to countdown the days, hours, minutes she had left to live.

In its timeless perfection, nothing ever changed there...except for her.

Cassie knew the Twelve did change, though, but it takes place so slowly that even if a hundred years passed, they would still look the same. She glimpsed back at Piero, sure his eyes would remain like melted gold forever.

Of course, the other thing that changed was her future, when someone touched the Aesterdis. It could have been an apprentice but, why would an apprentice change the Aesterdis? Cassie didn't know any of them. Maybe it was one of the Twelve, then, but again why would they risk so much and break such an important rule?

Suddenly she felt the urge to ask Piero to answer all her questions, but the time just wasn't right. He opened the door for her. They were welcomed by ten Guardians standing in a circle; Heron was in the middle sitting on a chair that looked more like a throne. Cassie realized that one of the Twelve wasn't there. She whispered to Piero,

"Where is Rasmus?"

Piero only responded shaking his head slowly. She wanted to ask what happened to him but a echoing female voice interrupted her.

"Cascadia, you're here. Yes, she is here, Heron." Damaris looked at her and smiled while pushing the long braids of her silken hair behind her ears.

"Cascadia," he said warmly.

"Sir," she answered, feeling Piero's hand on her back, pushing her towards the middle of the room.

"You haven't completed the mission."

Even though the tone in his voice was warm, there was a hint of anger festering just below the surface of his calm demeanor. He sounded like an adult talking to a child who did something wrong and would need to be punished. Cassie placed both hands on her hips, feeling the tension of everybody in that room judging her.

"What can I say...really, I did everything I could."

Heron looked her up and down in slowly processing his measured reaction.

"Sure you did," hissed Alexander, in a terse whisper between his teeth. Cassie glared at him and wondered if the others just ignored his rude comment or didn't care.

"Sorry?" asked Cassie, she didn't know why she was being so boldly defensive.

"Cascadia!" Piero reproached her.

"She is acting more and more like him," Cassie heard someone say on the sly, followed by other comments about her relationship with Tate.

"We are disappointed," continued Heron, ignoring her obvious challenge to his authority. "We chose you because of your incredible skills and intelligence but sadly your destiny wasn't operating in your favor."

"I'm not responsible for my destiny, sir." That remark got the other Guardians murmuring. "And I accept whatever you are disposed to do with me now," she stubbornly added.

Heron took a deep breath. Cassie couldn't decode the mood behind the look on his face. If anything, he seemed amused by Cassie's bold responses and the other Guardians' reactions. He walked slowly towards her. She didn't step back. They were face to face, but Cassie had to look up because he was much taller and as such, intimidating, especially with the dark lines growing like black lighting scars on his face.

"Cascadia..." he said slowly, tasting each of the letters in his mouth.

Her heart raced as she felt the atmosphere in the room change. Her hair bristled and she felt a cold chill singe her skin as her new identity and destiny was about to be revealed. Heron sighed before speaking.

"Tomorrow will be your last day on the mission. Cascadia, you've been assigned to another human."

Cassie felt empty, she was secretly holding on to the dream that maybe the Guardians might make her human so she could live her last month at peace with Tate. She let out a frustrated breath. "So...I will still be a Guardian and immortal?"

"Yes."

"But...I am supposed to die in a month why would you give me a human to protect if I'm going to die!"

"And we will find another Guardian to replace you when the time comes," Alexander declared disapprovingly.

"Truth is, Cascadia, we don't know for sure what will happen to you. Until then, you must do what you were born to do...protect humans."

Cassie took a deep breath and asked of Heron, coolly polite, "Where is this human located, sir?"

She was interrupted by the sound of heavy doors opening. A cold wind blew her hair as everybody's attention shifted to someone standing on the entrance. Cassie's heart stopped.

"Petra?" she said, stunned. He looked at her and smirked running his fingers through his dark curls.

Alexander went by his side, probably saying something about his dramatic entrance. But she couldn't look anywhere else. Fortunately Piero moved in front of her, hiding her view of Petra.

"Cassie, Cassie...is there a problem?"

"N—No. It's just...isn't he Alexander's apprentice?"

Piero turned to him and then back to Cassie, "Yes. Why?"

"Nothing," Cassie replied abruptly, shaking her head.

"Petra," called Heron, going back to his seat.

Petra took long steps to move to the center of the room and stand next to Cassie. His arm brushed her skin, which made her flustered. She felt his eyes on her but stared at Heron instead.

"Cascadia, this is Petra, he will be replacing you on the Icarus mission."

Cassie nodded trying to hide her disquieted mood.

"It's an honor." Petra's voice was cutting.

"Petra, this is your time. You will now turn immortal."

"Thank you for this opportunity."

Alexander rolled his eyes so dramatically that Cassie caught him without turning. He walked closer and placed his hand on Petra's shoulder, just like Piero did to turn Cassie immortal. In matter of seconds everyone heard the sound of Petra's body falling to the floor. Cassie closed her eyes looking away, knowing he would be in pain soon.

"Cascadia, you can go now. Details about your new human will be sent to you soon."

Cassie nodded again and gazed over at Petra, unconscious on the floor, and wondered if he knew she was a Guardian all along. Either way she took a step back because now all the Guardians were circling him.

The door closed in her face. She stood there for minutes before running away back to New Zoldova.

She had a strange feeling; Cassie returned to the place she was before going to the meeting and everything was the same...no one on the streets, everything quiet, and the sun still shined...

Timeless...everything the same...except for her.

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Hello, I'm Mad, don't forget to comment and vote if you liked this chapter, every little feedback helps me be a better writer adn develp the story, thank you <3