The following week was a busy one for Eli. Every day, he would train with Ilkama and study his previous notes. While the papers proved useful in relearning powerful glyphs and tactics, the real experience came from training on the castle's roof. Atop the castle was an arena capable of withstanding Eli's glyphs. Ilkama reassured Eli on multiple occasions that an enchantment prevented the attacks from escaping or damaging the arena, especially when Eli showed concern for collateral damage. In the latter half of the week, Eli found the use for the glyph, Repeiletus, which he discovered at the temple; plunging it in the ground would form sharp stalagmites in a region surrounding him. He believed it would be useful in defending against strong foes or dealing a lot of damage to those around him.

Eli awoke one day, inspired by a dream, and headed to his desk; he wanted to make good progress. Intrigued by some intricate designs in the lower half of the pile, he hastily reached for them. The first revealed a detailed drawing of two teenage boys standing, their arms around each other's shoulders. Eli sat back in his seat, analyzing the photo. Dirt covered both boys from head to toe while giant grins rolled across their faces. The one on the left looked slightly taller than the one on the right. Glancing up at the mirror in front of him, Eli realized the boy was a younger version of himself, from the way his hair combed across his head to the shape of his nose to the uniform's color. His younger counterpart held a fang in his hand. While many details had changed since then, Eli quickly recognized the other as Ilkama, who held what looked like a snake's tail.

Eli grew anxious, impatiently tapping his foot; he wished for his memory to return and knew he was powerless to retrieve it. Even so, he could not help to smile, knowing that his younger self had been happy. The drawing confirmed they had indeed been close friends, and suddenly the idea of them growing together did not seem so farfetched. The swordsman sighed, propping the artwork against the mirror. As he continued sifting through the papers, he occasionally looked up at the picture, pleading to whatever deity may have been listening to give him back his memories. The swordsman audibly gasped when he found a paper titled "Memory," swiftly picking it up and reading the page.

"I have discovered a new glyph, the first of its kind," began Eli. "Unlike the other glyphs we discovered, this glyph is only useful outside of combat. Memories, no matter how significant, do not fade. The deepest parts of one's mind will always remember the truth," Eli's excitement grew at the thought of bringing out those deepest memories. "The glyph shown below will reveal one's memories when the enchanted sword is placed against an object. The sword connects the wielder to anything it touches and will play a memory the two share once the glyph is used. This glyph can be used on both objects and people, but the wielder cannot use it on him or herself," he continued. The page had more information, but Eli's eyes jumped to the bottom of the page to analyze the glyph. When he finished looking at it, his eyes bounced back to continue reading. Eli's eyes lit up as the paper revealed the enchantment did not require any form of perforation; simply placing the blade's blunt part against an object would suffice.

Eli hurriedly picked up his sword from beside the desk and unsheathed it. He glanced between the paper and the hilt, carefully drawing the glyph, watching as the blade glowed a bright yellow color. He placed the sword's blade carefully against the picture, closing his eyes as a memory returned to him.

*                    *                    *

Eli looked down at his hands, seeing how young they looked. He realized he was viewing the world from a more youthful perspective. He looked at the thick forest around him, waiting for something to happen. The forest was full of life; unique sounds and smells filled the air. Eli and the young Ilkama stood back-to-back, their copper swords raised high.

"Where are the Kasiya Snakes?" Ilkama asked, frantically looking around. "This is their nest, and we need those fangs and tails."

"I do not know," Eli's gaze jumped frantically to different parts of the forest. He took a deep breath and tried to focus on hearing the snakes moving through the woods. The boys prepared their stances. Looking up, Eli noticed they were in a small clearing; snakes couldn't surprise them from above. Ilkama's focus was much more precise than Eli's, capable of hearing the snakes' soft hissing as they approached. The rustling of a nearby bush alerted Eli. He quickly turned to face it. A family of black, maroon-spotted snakes creeped out of the bushes, letting out a low hiss as they noticed the boys. Two of the snakes perked up.

"Time to fight," Ilkama chuckled with a sly grin. The two perked snakes pounced at the boys without warning. The two jumped out of the way, landing face-first in the dirt. Eli got up first, quickly wiping his face a little, but ended up just smearing the dirt across his face. He charged at one snake while Ilkama charged at the other. In a quick motion, they took out the two that initially attacked them. Slicing them in two, the snakes' lifeless bodies flopped to the ground. When they turned to the remaining three snakes, the boys found the other snakes fleeing.

"Do we pursue them?" asked Eli, ready to charge.

"No, we have what we need," Ilkama replied, picking up the snake he had killed. He dug his blade into the snake's mouth, prying the teeth out one at a time. Eli followed his lead, doing the same with his snake. The swordsmen proceeded to cut off the snakes' tails before heading back to their master. On the way back, Eli took the fangs while Ilkama took the tails. In the following hour, the two made it back.

"Master! We completed our mission!" cheered Ilkama, shaking the snake tails in the air. Eli recognized the Master from his dream in the prison cell.

"Ah, excellent work, you two. You completed your first task gracefully. To commemorate your success, I have hired the young man over there to draw you two," their Master explained, gesturing to a young man in the corner of the room. He sat on his knees and drew on a tablet using charcoal. He looked up at the boys and waved. "If you could, I would like you to draw these two young boys," the Master said. The man nodded and walked over to them.

"Of course, sir," the artist smiled. He carefully led the boys to the correct pose, their arms wrapped around each other's shoulders, holding their successes in their hands. The man sat down and let the charcoal fly across the canvas freely.

*                    *                    *

Eli jolted upright in his seat. Though he had not known what the glyph would do to him, he expected the memory simply to emerge into the forefront of his mind rather than reliving the memory in its entirety. Eli looked down at his hands; the feel of the snake fangs and Ilkama's armor lingered. Everything from the memory felt so surreal, as though it had just happened. Eli's breathing became rapid as his heart raced. His senses had heightened, and he had not been prepared for any of it.

The swordsman stood up and began pacing the room back and forth, processing what he had just seen. Though he found Ilkama's explanation unnerving and somewhat unbelievable, the memory he had seen confirmed the Lord's claims that they had grown up together. Eli nodded as more pieces of the puzzle fell into place. He failed to notice a young man walk into the room.

"Excuse me, sir?" the young man whispered. Eli jerked his head towards the door and saw a boy enter with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a sky-blue outfit. His posture was rigid, but the fear in his eyes was unlike the other guards'. Eli estimated the young boy's age to be in his late teens.

"Yes, please come in," Eli offered with a smile, noticing the young man's lack of mindlessness. The boy barely slouched for a moment before shaking himself and standing up straight, mimicking one of Ilkama's guards. "How may I help you?" Eli's voice was calm and quiet, and the boy seemed to shake slightly.

"I—" the boy gulped before he could get another word out. The young guard held his hands behind his back. He looked down and took a deep breath.

"Are you okay?"

"My apologies, my Lord," the boy said confidently, straightening his back quickly. "Lord Ilkama requests your presence in the Grand Dining Hall," the boy explained, trying to maintain a monotone voice. Eli raised an eyebrow, confused by this boy's actions; while not mindless like the other guards, he tried to act as though he had been. Eli decided to ignore it for now; this boy's actions did not bother him, after all. "Do you know where the hall is?" asked the boy.

"No, I am still getting accustomed to this palace. Could you please take me there?"

"Of course," the boy bowed. "Follow me, my Lord," he explained. Eli stood up, and the young boy visibly became more fearful, gasping for air slightly as his feet began shaking.

"Please, lead the way," Eli said, gesturing to the door. The boy spun and left the room, walking perfectly upright, though he struggled to maintain it. On his way out, Eli latched his sword and sheath to his hip. The two walked in silence during the trek until the boy's posture gave in, and he began slouching. "Are you certain you are okay?" Eli asked the young boy.

"Yes, Master Sholam. Lord Ilkama gives me all that I need," he replied confidently. He fixed his posture, albeit for a very brief moment. Eli scanned the boy's body. Though the boy slouched, the rest of his body maintained its rigidity. Eli's skepticism returned when the boy paid attention to nearby guards, who did not return the action. He had already let himself be deceived once and would not allow for history to repeat itself. He unsheathed his sword, which made a high-pitched sound. The boy stumbled for a moment and stopped, turning his head slightly to face Eli.

"Who are you, and why do you mimic the guards?" asked Eli, aiming the sword at the young boy. The boy shuddered; this walk had not been going at all like he wanted.

"I—" he started, his voice faltering. He looked over his shoulder as though to make sure nobody was there. "I am on your side," the boy whispered, almost too quiet for Eli to hear. Eli's grasp on the sword strengthened, still unwilling to trust this man. "I cannot share more for now," the boy was clearly nervous. Eli scanned the boy's body, watching as he fidgeted further. His scrawny figure proved to Eli he was too innocent to deceive him.

"At least tell me your name," Eli said, slowly sheathing his sword.

"Curtis, sir," the boy hesitated. "Please, Master Sholam, we must hurry. Ilkama will have my head if I do not deliver you to the Grand Dining Hall," he explained. Eli nodded, gesturing down the hall. The boy turned and did not try to maintain the rigid posture of the other guards. After learning of his name, Eli became more relaxed and found the lack of mindlessness to be a pleasant shift from the previous week's experiences. The only sound in the halls became the footsteps of Eli, Curtis, and the guards. Eli found the silence eerie.

"How long have you lived in this castle?" asked Eli in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"I was summoned two years ago," answered Curtis. "I remember you from before. Has my family been well?" he asked. Eli froze, placing his hand on his sword.

"My apologies, I have no recollection of my past stay in the kingdom. I am surprised you recognize me, however. Ilkama believed nobody would recognize me from before," Eli said with a smile. "Were we friends?" The boy turned around and blinked for a moment, stopping in his tracks.

"Yes, we were friends," he explained. "I asked you to look after my family after my calling."

"I am sorry," Eli said somberly. "After I failed in the Great Revolt, I was taken to a prison for safe-keeping. I do not know of your family," he explained. Curtis quizically looked at Eli. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

"Is something wrong?"

"There is all too much to discuss, and we do not have time. The hall is down this corridor. But I must fix my posture until then," he explained. "Perhaps another time," the boy turned, stood perfectly upright, and continued walking towards the dining hall. Eli simply shrugged and followed him. Within a few minutes, they reached the entrance.

Eli looked into the room and noticed seven long rows of dark-brown tables, each hosting at least a hundred guards, patiently waiting at their seats, fully armored. Ilkama sat on a high platform at the other end of the room, spreading his legs as he played with a trinket. He was dressed in civilian attire. Several pillars in the space hosted lit candles, as well as along the room's walls. As Eli was about to step into the room, Curtis grabbed his arm.

"Please, do not trust everything he says—" Curtis began but got cut off.

"Ah, welcome, Master Sholam!" Ilkama's proud voice boomed throughout the castle as he finally took notice of his childhood friend. Curtis quickly dropped Eli's arm, stood rigidly, and walked into the room.

"I have brought him, just as you ordered," Curtis placed his right arm across his chest and bowed. "How may I be of assistance?"

"You have done well, please. Take a seat. And Eli, please come up here," Ilkama cheered. Eli watched as the young boy painfully moved to his seat like a mindless guard. When he sat down, Eli began crossing the room. Unnerved by all the eyes watching him, Eli picked up his pace, hurrying to his seat. When he reached the top of the platform, he stared out into the room; the room was significantly larger than he initially thought, and the platform felt substantially higher. He looked at Ilkama, who had a giant grin on his face. "Take a seat, and let us enjoy this lovely meal."