A week had passed by, and I was still living with this entity. Sometimes he was tolerable, sometimes he wasn't. It made me think about if I had just done things differently... If I had picked the arcade closer to my house than the one closer to my school to play instead... If I hadn't been so nosy and watched him play Guardians of Eyris... If my stupid ego hadn't challenged him to a match in Pretty Punches... Now I have a stupid parasite leeching off my life — and what's worse is that he's in love with me.

I still couldn't believe all of this was real. Parasites... the guardians... It was like that stupid Bondkin movie Daybreak, where the unbelievably average teen is somehow in a love triangle with a Bondkin and Parasite. Except that's me and there is no Bondkin. At least not yet.

"Another match of Ultimate Brawl Melee?" Ezelion asked from where he had been sitting on the floor next to my bed.

"Can't. I have homework," I answered. I ejected the disc suddenly, causing an error message to appear before I shut off the console and placed the controller next to it.

I unzipped my Street Kicker backpack (I really need to update that) and pulled out my Egalish homework. Funny how we live in Caneria and that's the language we speak. Erika would regale me with a history lecture about this, but I will continue to think it strange that our country never came up with a second language.

"Give me your uPhone," Ezelion demanded, holding his hand out.

"Why?" I asked cautiously. If he wants to play a game on it... Well, he could just turn the console back on. My uPhone is personal. Very personal to me.

"I'll look up the answers—"

"That's cheating!" I slammed my thick textbook on the top of his head. He jumped back in pain before quickly rubbing it.

"What's wrong with that?!" he asked, frowning. "Kelnar did it all the time." Kelnar was one of his previous hosts.

"Just because Kelnar did it doesn't make it right." I slammed my textbook back down on my yellow wooden desk before crossing my arms. Erika and I had always been against cheating. I will admit I have cheated a couple of times in the past, but only when I forgot to study and legit didn't know any of the answers. Alexa had cheated multiple times, even copying parts of my homework when I wasn't looking.

"I didn't take you to be so goody-goody." Ezelion smirked.

"I'm not." I grabbed the textbook with both hands threatening to hit him again as he covered his head with both of his hands.

"That's not a bad thing."

"Then don't say it like it is." I placed the book down more gently this time, flipping to the page I needed.

"After you're done, wanna play again?" he asked casually as if the previous conversation and bonking never happened.

"No. I'll have to sleep by the time I finish."

"So soon?" He frowned.

I took a deep breath before sharply exhaling. "Thanks to you, I have to eat more than usual. Except, I can't find a way to smuggle more food without it looking suspicious, so I'm starving. Because I'm starving, I need more sleep. When you come up with a food solution that isn't stealing, then we'll talk."

"I wasn't going to suggest stealing." He pouted.

It wasn't long before the console was turned back on, and he was playing some adventure game called The Myth of Zapphire. I told him to turn the volume down a couple of times, but the rest of my homework was mainly uninterrupted.

Sleep was an entirely different issue.

I'm one of those people that needs complete darkness in order to sleep. After dimming the TV as much as it would, it was still too bright.

"When you get to a good stopping point, call it a night," I called over from where I was curled up under the covers. He was sitting on the floor with his back propped up against where my footboard would be if I had one. I, more than anyone, knew how frustrating it was to be interrupted in the middle of a level, so I wasn't that mean to force him to stop everything he was doing.

"Can I play a game on your uPhone, then?" He paused the game before shutting everything off.

"No," I answered as the light from the TV faded. "Go to sleep."

"Parasites don't sleep."

"Then read a book or something."

"In the dark?"

"Build a pillow fort."

"I'm not ten."

"Ezelion," I snapped, tired of arguing when all I wanted to do was sleep. "Let me get some sleep. Because like it or not, you're leeching off my life. And if I don't take care of the little life I have left, there might not be any more life for you to leech off of."

A pause. He was upset; I knew that much without even looking at his face. He never hesitated to reply unless he was upset. "I didn't ask for this, you know. I didn't ask to be completely dependent on a stranger! To be dragged from place to place, never getting the chance to live my life the way I want to! Because it's not my life anymore, is it?"

"Well, it's certainly not mine either." I pulled the blanket over my head before turning away from him, signaling that the conversation was over. Thankfully, he didn't care to continue it either.

---

The next morning was quiet. Ezelion hadn't talked to me at all since last night. He hadn't even appeared before me since then. Not through breakfast, not on the bus... Maybe I was a little too hard on him. But what else was I supposed to say? Clearly, neither of us were happy with our current living conditions. But it's not like it's something we can solve overnight, or really at all...

I rested my chin in my hand, my elbow propped up against the bus window. Today was a field trip to visit different historical sites in the area. One of the places — a fort — was considered "cursed" since it was one of the oldest sites on the list. Supposedly, it dated back over a thousand years ago when the different forms of life such as Parasites were exiled. I normally would have brushed this off as an old wives' tale, but after learning that the myths were true...

I was both unnerved and excited!

Our first stop was a museum that dated back a hundred years. Cool, I guess. I've always found museums boring, so I was yawning the entire way, eyeing the vending machine we passed near the exit.

Two bags of chips (and an hour-long drive) later, we were at the second location. Some famous rich person from a hundred years ago lived here. This excursion was far shorter than the museum, but still mind-numbingly boring. A pang of guilt surged through me. If I hadn't pissed off Ezelion I could be talking to him right now. Maybe. If I could break away from the group, that would be.

It's a shame that Alexa and Erika weren't here to save me from my boredom. Alexa wasn't interested in the field trip at all, and Erika came down with the flu a couple of days ago, her temperature only dropping this morning. I didn't want to come either, but the moment my parents heard about it they signed me up.

Finally, it was the last stop on the trip; the one everyone had been looking forward to.

I felt uneasy as we stepped foot in the fort. Everyone (or at least most people) around me was still under the impression that the incident a thousand years ago was just a myth. But I knew the truth now. And it was terrifying. It made me wonder how Erika would feel about this place; or even Ezelion.

Maybe it was just a placebo, but something about this place felt... off. Most of the walls were cracked. It was clear that a lot of restoration went into the fort, making it difficult to tell what was original and what was not. Even still, I could almost picture the fort in all its glory, with the many statues and silver decorations. Wait, what? None of those were in here. And why would they be in here? It's a fort, not a place of worship! Was I having some sort of delusion? I'm clearly letting all of this get to me... And I'm still so hungry!

I followed the rest of the class out of the fort, my vision becoming blurrier the longer I walked. Should've bought more than just those two bags of potato chips at the vending machine... The lunch they served left something to be desired...

I was unsurprised when I dozed off on the bus.

---

Where... Where am I?

I glanced up to see five statues before me — the five guardians of Eyris... Directly in front of me was the Guardian Minerva in all her stony glory. If it were in color, you would be able to see her stunning purple hair that drapes down to her thighs.

But what was I doing here? Certainly not praying. I didn't even believe in the guardians until just last week. But if not that, then what?

Staying here wouldn't answer any questions. I walked through hallway after hallway before exiting the fort. In front of me was a site I had only ever seen in the history books under ancient myths:

A giant crater with a strange purple glow sat before me.

I quickly took a few steps backwards fumbling in the process. I definitely did not want to fall in that.

"What are you doing out here? I thought I ordered you to stay in the fort," an elegant yet stern voice spoke.

It was Minerva. The actual Minerva. If it wasn't that I had just seen her statue, I wouldn't have even made the connection. She easily towered over me by at least half a foot. Her gaze was commanding her gentle. The way she carried herself signified she meant business.

Compared to her, I felt very, very small.

"S-Sorry, I forgot," I stuttered before realizing I failed to address her. But how do you even address a supreme being? Especially one you previously held no regard for?

"Forgot?" Her eyebrows scrunched, her tone accusing. Her expression quickly softened. "You don't need to lie to me, little one. It's okay to be curious." She placed a hand on my shoulder, and I could feel the power within her. She smiled while I must have grimaced. "I wouldn't be here if I wasn't half as curious as I am."

Minerva was always described as one of the strongest guardians along with their leader, Rhea. She never once lost a battle, and rarely showed her enemies mercy.

I never would have expected her to be so... personable.

"...Stop." I could hear in the distance. I looked around but nobody was there.

"Your stop," it repeated.

My eyes flew open to Ezelion sitting before me on the bus. "This is your stop, yeah?" He asked again.

My eyes fluttered around the bus. Outside the window was the school, and students were filing out of the bus. How long had I slept for? And why had Ezelion chosen to appear now?

"Are you going to go?" he asked, slight annoyance in his voice yet he also looked concerned.

"Y-Yeah," I said, getting my bearings.

I collected the smallish messenger bag I had elected to bring for the trip. I had seemingly been using it as a pillow but was too tired to recall ever having made the decision. I could hear the empty chip bags crunch around as I swung the strap over my head. Curses; I should have looked for a trash can.

---

When I got home, I cooked a pot of pasta and ate it all. This whole sharing food thing is very cumbersome.

To be honest, the steaks sitting in the freezer looked far more appetizing after a day of carbs, but I'm pret-ty sure my parents would be more than upset if I ate their steaks. Pasta is easily replaceable.

Plopping down on my bed, I decided to blow off my homework. I had a long day; surely it could wait until tomorrow.

"What were you dreaming about earlier?" Ezelion appeared on the floor sitting at the side of my bed looking away from me. Nearly gave me a heart attack, gee.

"Who says I dreamt?" I asked, not entirely fond of the fact that he chose to reappear now of all times.

"Your eyes were moving back and forth. You were dreaming."

I paused. Eh, what did it matter? "Minerva."

"Minera?" He turned to me; surprise evident not only in his voice but in his expression.

"Why so surprised?"

"You dreamt about one of the guardians at a place like that?"

"Oh, so you were paying attention. What do you mean by a "place like that?"

"I mean the location more than anything. The fort itself has practically been all but replaced. You're lucky if you can spot any of the original structure. Not only was it used to house weapons to fight against the Outbreak, but also as a spiritual place to pray to the guardians. Supposedly, it was built by Minerva herself as a last bastion for the humans who had not been contaminated."

I was familiar with what he explained — save for the fort essentially being a sham and Minerva building the original — but it had never meant anything to me. It was just another fairytale story like The Queen and the Pauper, or Tawny Beauty. Now, I had the sudden desire to reread every myth about the guardians and other mythical beings that were banished.

The Outbreak refers to the meteor that crashed down on Eyris over a thousand years ago and caused anomalies and defects that turned humans into Parasites among other things.

"So, what I saw, was it like a memory or something?" I asked, recalling how I had seemed to have glimpsed the past before leaving the fort.

"You'd have to be more specific about the dream," Ezelion answered.

I explained the dream in detail as well as what I had felt at the fort.

"No, I don't think it was a memory." Ezelion looked lost in thought. "But something akin, definitely."

"How do you know it's not a memory?" I asked.

"Because you were still conscious of yourself. You knew something wasn't right, you knew you didn't believe in the guardians which would be... unheard of during that time, and you chose to leave to investigate. These were all your feelings and decisions, meaning it's impossible that it could be a memory. Yet what you experienced was so historically accurate despite records not having such intricacies... There's no way your mind could have come up with this on its own. Something happened, but what exactly?"

What indeed...

"Well, I guess it doesn't matter. You're fine, I'm fine, and that's all that matters." He shrugged.

Right...

I turned off the light and turned over onto my side. Within a few seconds, I drifted into another dream...

---

The crater's mysterious purple glow was beginning to fade. No doubt it was because of the guardians. To my right, Minerva was just standing there staring at the crater. Her expression was unreadable as her long hair bellowed in the wind. I could feel my own short hair move as well.

"Is... Is that it?" I asked her, still feeling a little scared around her.

She looked up at me — a flash of surprise quickly turned into a serene smile. "The Outbreak is contained, little one. No more will have to suffer. As for the crater... Deymerk will deal with it when the time comes."

Even though her posture remained confident and relaxed, and her smile showed the relief she no doubt felt, her eyes betrayed it all. There was a sadness in her eyes that was far deeper than any mortal could ever show.

"What's bothering you?" I asked.

Her eyes briefly widened as her lips parted into an O. "Nothing's bothering me, child. Why do you ask?"

"You wouldn't be out here watching over the crater with a blank expression otherwise. Your eyes look sad."

"Look... sad?" She tilted her head to the side — an odd gesture for one of her position. She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly. "Walk with me." She opened her eyes, holding her hand out to me.

I took her hand — it was warm and soft. Smaller than I had expected, too. I always considered my own hands small, and hers weren't much bigger than mine.

We set off at a moderately slow pace. Seems she wasn't in a rush to get to wherever we were going. I hope it's nearby... Then again, part of me didn't want this closeness with her to end.

A few minutes later we had entered a forest south of the fort. It wasn't much longer before we reached a clearing; a shrine seated at its center, a rather small one at that. It seemed to be one devoted to... her. Did she bring me here to worship her? A rather odd thing for someone to do; guardian or not.

"I didn't bring a gift," I muttered, feeling slightly awkward.

"Oh!" Her eyebrows rose in alarm as she quickly covered her gaping mouth. "That's not why we're here. Forgive me, I chose this place as it's more secluded. Once the fort was built, this shrine became desolate. This place is merely for us to talk in private. Please, sit." She motioned to the ground in front of her as she took a seat herself.

I mimicked her actions and sat on my folded legs. It was strange being completely alone with a guardian. It's not something many others could claim they had done. And even if they did, nobody would believe them. The thought made me blush, especially with how at ease she looked now. It was difficult to tell whether she was wearing makeup or if she was naturally this beautiful— Of course she's this beautiful! She's a guardian for Eyris' sake!

"You're the first human I've spoken to like this." She smiled, glancing up at the treetops rather than at me, which I was grateful for since my blush only deepened. "But perhaps it's because you're the first to see behind the stoic mask I must always wear."

"I think the others would understand if you weren't always so perfect." I chuckled, though it was the truth.

"Some, maybe. We have a reputation to uphold, us guardians. But that's not what you wanted to know. You asked why I was so sad. The truth is... I can't help but feel guilty." She frowned; another foreign expression. "It was I who singlehandedly banished the Afflicted to the minor realms."

"Y-You?" I gawked. "You're that powerful?!"

"That is beside the point."

I nodded sheepishly, feeling very guilty that I dismissed the feelings she was trying to communicate with me.

"I banished the same people I had sworn to protect. What sort of guardian turns their back on one group to save another?!"

"I—"

"Miya, wake up!!!"

I jumped up into a seated position as I blinked the sleep out of my eyes. I was in my room again... Minerva! I didn't get to reply to her. I have to go back to sleep and let her know this wasn't her fault!

"Miya, what are you doing?" Ezelion grabbed my shoulders as I lay back down. "Your alarm clock rang five minutes ago. You need to get up!"

"I have to talk to Minerva!" I exclaimed, breaking free of his grip before shoving a pillow at him.

"Minerva? No, don't tell me you had another dream?"

I was already facing away from him, covers pulled up.

"Miya, this is serious! You need to get up!" A gust of chilly wind swept over me as the comforter was pulled off.

"Why do you care so much whether or not I go to school?" I narrowed my eyes. I wasn't particularly angry, but I was confused.

"I don't. I really don't. What I care about is that you do not go back to sleep. For the love of Eyris, Miya, please stay awake."

"I will. Once I tell Minerva what I need to tell her." I continued my quest for sleep in the cold.

Or tried to. I felt my body being scooped up and quickly shrieked in surprise.

"Sorry, Miya, this is too important." He carried me down the stairs and placed me on my feet.

Fine. He wants me to stay up? I'll play along.

"I'm hungry. Make me something to eat," I demanded.

"Make it yourself." He scoffed.

"I'm still a little shaky from yesterday. Please?"

He sighed. "Fine. I'm just going to grab you a bowl of cereal. Stay here, okay?" He asked as if I was a child. I nodded with a small smile before he turned to go to the kitchen.

I curled up on the couch and continued where I left off.

---

Sitting before me was a sobbing Minerva. She was huddled over her lap crying her eyes out. Curses! Why did I have to wake up when I had?

Wait, wake up? Wake up from what?

Thoughts are silly. Minerva needs my help.

"What's wrong?" I poked her shoulder affectionately, startling her in the process.

"Y-You're here!" Her eyes filled with light as her smile radiated the same. "I was looking all over for you! Don't leave me like that again!"

"I'm sorry. It was very foolish of me to have left you. I wanted to tell you..."

Water poured down my head. Hair stuck to the sides of my face as I snorted the rest of the water out of my nose. My vision was very blurry, but I could still make out Ezelion sitting in front of me. Wait, since when did Ezelion have long purple hair? Is that... Minerva?

"Are you all right, little one?" She frowned, stroking the hair out of my face. "No, perhaps I should think of a better nickname for you. Lively one?"

"Or you could just call me my name." I coughed. Wait, what was my name again?

Time seemed to freeze and accelerate simultaneously. It felt like I was in some sort of dream I couldn't awaken from. Dream or nightmare? I couldn't tell.

"Why?!" The shrill scream of someone pulled me from the insanity. In front of me was a noticeably clear vision of the forest shrine — the statue of Minerva cracked to pieces. In front of it was Minerva herself, crouched down on the ground. "Why did I have to banish them?! Why did I let the others talk me into it?! Why?!" Her scream was bloodcurdling and made me want to scream myself.

"You didn't have a choice!" I tried to reason. "You were trying to save the others—"

"What would you know of salvation? You're just a human!" She turned to me, her eyes staring straight through me. There wasn't a hint of recognition in those eyes. Her lips parted but not into a smile. It was a scowl, one of pure hatred. Was her hatred directed at herself, or towards me?

Panicking, I took a few steps backwards. Her gaze followed me, and I wanted to hide. No, it didn't matter where I hid. She would find me — she's a guardian.

I'm scared. But I can't pray to the guardians! She's one of them!

I'm scared.

The entire scene was flooded by darkness. I could still feel her presence near me, but I couldn't see her. I couldn't escape.

I'm scared.

"It's okay, Miya. You don't have to be afraid anymore." An unfamiliar voice rang through my ears.

My eyes flickered open, and I realized I hadn't left the couch the whole time. In front of me was Ezelion and... Who was she? Her short blue hair looked slightly familiar. Wait, wasn't she the girl Alexa had pointed out the other day?

"Miya!" Ezelion exclaimed as he wrapped his arms around me, tackling me back down to the couch.

"Hey! Don't undo all my hard work!" She pouted.

"S-Sorry." He released me, scratching the back of my head. "And uh, you promise you're not going to kill me?" He looked at her, his eyes showing the slightest hint of fear.

"Hm... Normally I would, buuuuuuuut... You did kind of just help save her life. I think that's worth sparing your puny existence. Unless Miya wants otherwise...?" She glanced over at me.

"Uh, no killing anyone, please..." I put my hands up defensively.

"Cool! If you're all good then, my audience is waiting!" She winked at me before seeing herself to the door. Strange...

"I'm so glad you're all right." Ezelion turned to me. Were those tears? "When you wouldn't wake up, I thought I had lost you..."

"I'm sorry..." I clenched a fistful of my shirt. "You were right that something was off, and I sensed it too. I should have listened to you. If you hadn't— Actually, who was that girl that was just here?"

"It's okay, Miya. You were out of it. As for the girl... That's a secret you'll have to ask her." He smiled.