'Wake up, Samuel.'
"Ouch!"
After abruptly jerking his head up, Samuel felt an intense pain at the back of his skull. He then darted his eyes around and processed what just happened.
White, uncomfortable seats... A white and blue interior... Two people talking calmly... It was like a lightbulb lit up above his head. I'm in the carriage!
Why?
Why was he in the carriage?
Daylight had returned, as if it had never left.
What... happened?
All that the poor boy could remember was leaving the carriage and running toward the ditch with the male carriage driver.
After talking with him for a bit, Richard left the ditch to go and find his partner, Francesca.
Samuel stayed behind and waited for both to return. But after a short while, he got curious and poked his head out. Hearing an unexpected slice, Samuel could feel a head tumble and hit the ground, but he didn't know whose it belonged to.
After questioning for a bit, Samuel's ears perked up as they made out a small, faint singing.
Then, it all went black.
"We're almost at the citadel; please get your bags ready."
The female driver instructed Samuel, who shuddered at the sound of her voice. She didn't bother looking back at him, focusing all attention on the road.
She was the one who fought the monsters...
The carriage stopped, and the male driver exited quickly while opening the door for Samuel. "Here you are."
Samuel's eyes felt warm; he couldn't help but stagger to the entrance of the carriage and slowly walk out.
The male driver, who was bald and had the same colored eyes as 'Richard,' smiled warmly at Samuel. "I hope you had a nice trip."
The female driver, who looked the spitting image of 'Francesca,' repeated the same thing. Both of them smiled, an awkward, unfamiliar smile.
To anyone else, these two are just normal carriage drivers. But to Samuel, his heart ached. "T-Thank you."
He reflexively grabbed his own neck, making sure it was there. Why do I feel like my neck was bit off?
As his breathing increased, Samuel couldn't help but gulp down hard. What is going on?
Suddenly, his vision blurred, and everything around him twisted and convulsed. "Hel-"
An arm was placed on his shoulder. "Don't be nervous." It was a woman, no older than 40 years old. Samuel's vision felt relaxed now, like a serene, unbothered pond.
Parting his eyes wide, he spun around.
No one was there.
Instead, Samuel was met with the largest building he had ever come across. It was grey and black, with six massive pillars anchored at different points. Multiple spires were hooked on to these pillars, scraping and reaching higher than the cold blue sky.
The citadel towered over Samuel, giving off an eerie, uncomfortable vibe. Twin wooden doors in the shape of an arc were located in the center. Samuel gripped his bag and looked back at where the carriage was supposed to be.
Gone.
"..."
Calming his breathing, Samuel thought to himself. _They probably need to be somewhere._ He didn't want to try to pry into the mysteries surrounding the carriage.
I need to focus! It's almost time!
As he entered the Citadel of Worship, Samuel was met with many different hallways that led to a multitude of prayer areas.
The Citadel of Worship was created after the discovery of Mt. Ignis, one of the four Divine Landmarks. It serves as the largest place of worship in Lebrad, boasting insurmountable numbers of visitors every year.
The interior was coated in a dark brown and beige, with many different seats and theater-like areas.
In the middle of the wall in front of him, a portrait of Mt. Ignis was hung. It gave off a sense of familiarity, like Samuel himself had been to the mountain.
The mountain itself was no different from any other. It had frozen peaks and a green/brown body. Below were many different rivers and valleys, where those who want to increase their spirituality go and spend time there.
Looking to the right hallway, Samuel noticed a sign that read "Protector's exam --->" So he did as follows.
Not being able to stop his beating heart, the cold air helped Samuel calm down. Behind the large doors ahead, Samuel would officially begin his Protector's exam.
As Samuel opened the door, he saw 100 other participants, each looking about his age.
So many... He held his bag and found an empty spot. The participants were all situated on the floor facing an enormous black platform. The walls were painted beige as well, with multiple windows allowing for the bright sunlight to illuminate the hall.
The air hung heavy as the entrance exam neared its long-awaited start.
Samuel spent time trying to comb his hair, which was out of place after his awkward sleep in the carriage. Do I have any gel? He rummaged through his bag, looking for anything to aid in looking more presentable.
The chatter of the boys filled the hall; it was almost time for the exam to start.
After Samuel found his gel and fixed his hair, he spotted another item he brought along with him for the carriage ride.
I should've read this earlier.
He held the book in his hand. However, he didn't open it. The tense energy of the room left him unable to, so all he did was stare at the cover.
To his right, a teenager's eyebrows pricked up. "Lord of the Bathroom?! You're reading it?" The boy had short blonde hair with freckles that covered his cheeks. His dazzling blue eyes, which were eagerly filled with anticipation, left Samuel in awe for a couple of seconds.
"Yes. It's my favorite book series ever." After releasing just around the time Samuel turned 10, Lord of the Bathroom caught Lebrad by storm. The author, Anglerfish that hates diving, became a country-renowned celebrity.
The corners of Samuel's lips raised slightly.
The boy held himself from hugging Samuel. "What's your favorite scene? Mine is Adam's introduction! I had literal chills run down my spine!"
Samuel acknowledged the boy's favorite part; it was one of the best parts of Lord of the Bathroom: "I can't choose a favorite scene, but most likely anything involving Gerhman Sparrow."
"Awesome pick! German is so cool. I'm Diallo, by the way! What's your name?"
"Samuel Juladee. Pleased to meet you." Diallo's eyes dialed in on Samuel for a second. "How old are you, Samuel? You look very young. I'm 15 years old!"
"I'm 13." Samuel admitted honestly, "13?! Really?! What's someone so young doing in the Protector's exam?"
Samuel's voice lowered, his eyes darkened, and his lips quivered, "I want to heal my sick sister. Being a Protector gives the most money, and I get to speak with the most knowledgeable, his majesty Emperor Sorin."
It's a widespread fact that the most intelligent man in the Western Cradle was none other than Leopold Sorin. Samuel knows that the man with the highest chance of healing Heart is Leopold.
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that... I'm taking the exam because my mom kind of killed my dad. Now I need to get stronger to protect my siblings."
Diallo's abrupt and gruesome history was revealed just like that.
Samuel fell silent.
"Yeah, that's what a lot of people do, heh heh. She's not with us anymore, but she swore to come back and brutally kill us all."
Diallo faced the ground and began laughing, but nothing was funny.
Samuel noticed the boy laughing to deal with the pain.
"Well, his majesty will select four guards, so hopefully both of us make it."
When enlisting in the Protector's exam, one's strength wasn't accounted for. If you did come with a good foundation, however, it would provide an excellent advantage.
The reason why it's renounced all over Lebrad was its ability to amplify one's strength several fold. Basically, in the Protectors exam, it's anyone's game.
Diallo looked up and smiled. "Yeah, I hope so too! Anyways—"
Step, step, step
Samuel and Diallo shuddered.
Someone incredibly powerful is approaching. Samuel braced himself by clutching his bag; he saw Diallo doing the same thing.
The next couple of months are going to be hell