Parting with Gladys earlier that morning had set a storm of emotions whirling through me, a maelstrom of anticipation and excitement that was both exhilarating and daunting. The notion that she was on the brink of accepting the Portal Key, of stepping into the realm of Guardianship, lent a weight to my steps as I made my way to the Portal Cave. This wasn't just a transition; it was a passage, a sacred moment in the life of a Guardian, and although every fibre of my being ached to be the one to hand her the key, I knew in my heart that this was a moment she needed to experience through the official channels, through her Guardian Atum. It was a rite of passage, a ceremony that I wanted her to hold close and remember as a pivotal point in her life.

The path to the Portal Cave was familiar, yet today it felt different, as if charged with the significance of what was to come. My heart raced, a steady drumbeat against my ribcage, mirroring the tumult of my thoughts and the nervous energy that vibrated through my veins. The secret I had shared with Krid had now set the stage for this moment, and alongside Freya, they stood ready to play their parts in welcoming Gladys into our fold, into the intricate tapestry of Guardianship of Belkeep.

"Here," I found myself saying, a tremble in my voice as I handed Freya my heavy coat. My hands shook slightly, betraying the whirlwind of emotions that I struggled to contain. It was a small action, yet it felt monumental, laden with the symbolism of shedding layers, of moving towards something new and unknown.

Freya's gaze was perceptive, cutting through the veneer of my attempted composure. "Don't be so nervous. Everything is going to be fine," she said, her voice a soothing balm to my frayed nerves. Her smile, warm and comforting, was a beacon of reassurance, a reminder of the strength and support that surrounded me.

Krid chimed in with her own encouragement. Her smile was infectious, a wide beam that seemed to dispel the shadows of doubt. "Freya and I will be here when Gladys arrives," she promised, her words a solid ground amidst the shifting sands of my apprehension.

Taking that deep breath felt like drawing in the calm before the storm, an attempt to centre myself amidst the chaos of my thoughts, which mirrored the ferocity of the blizzard outside. It was a moment of introspection, a brief pause in the eye of an emotional hurricane that had swept me up in anticipation and nerves. Freya and Krid's presence, their unwavering support and encouragement, felt like a lifeline, grounding me in the reality of what I was about to do. With a final, affirming glance in their direction, I found the resolve I needed to step forward, crossing the threshold into the Portal's humming embrace.

The transition was immediate and all-encompassing. The Portal's energy enveloped me, a symphony of colours swirling around me in a vibrant dance. It was like stepping into a living kaleidoscope, where light and energy pulsed and flowed with a life of their own. I allowed myself a moment to close my eyes, not to shut out the experience but to fully immerse myself in it, to feel the energy of the Portal coursing through me, connecting me to Clivilius in a way that words could never fully capture.

This connection, this bridge between worlds, was a sensation I had become familiar with over the years, yet its magic never dulled. Each journey through the Portal was a reminder of the vastness of the universe, of the intricate web of energy that connected all things. It was a humbling experience, one that never failed to evoke a deep sense of awe and wonder within me.

Stumbling through the door of Gladys' fridge, I found myself caught off guard by the sight of an unknown woman standing in the kitchen. This unexpected encounter threw me into a moment of surreal realisation, a stark

Stumbling through the door of Gladys's fridge, I found myself caught off guard by the sight of an unknown woman standing in the kitchen. This unexpected encounter threw me into a moment of surreal realisation, a stark reminder of the ordinary world's boundaries and the extraordinary elements of my own. The fridge, a mundane appliance, had momentarily become a portal, a bridge between the common and the incredible.

"Oh, hey," I managed, my voice a mixture of surprise and an attempt at normalcy as I steadied myself. The room felt charged with an awkward energy, the air thick with unspoken questions and confusion. Despite the absurdity of the situation, I strived to regain my balance, both physically and metaphorically, eager to smooth over the bizarre impression I must have made.

"I'm Cody," I introduced myself, extending my hand in a gesture of friendliness. My mind raced to piece together a coherent explanation for my unconventional entrance, but the immediacy of the moment demanded a simpler approach. The woman, taken aback, shook my hand with a grip that spoke of both bewilderment and a cautious curiosity.

"Abbey," she responded, her eyes flicking between me and Gladys, the wheels of comprehension turning as she tried to piece together the peculiar tableau before her. Her expression, a mix of surprise and intrigue, mirrored the countless reactions I had encountered in my life as a Guardian, yet each encounter never failed to stir a mixture of amusement and a twinge of discomfort within me.

Feeling a surge of responsibility to clarify the situation, I turned towards Gladys, hoping to offer Abbey some semblance of understanding. However, before words could form, the distinct knock on the front door sliced through the tension, redirecting our collective attention.

"That'll be Jeremiah," I announced, the name alone enough to convey the importance of the moment to Gladys, if not to Abbey. With a quick, apologetic glance towards Abbey, whose presence and confusion I could not properly address, I made my way to the door. The guilt of leaving her with more questions than answers gnawed at me, a silent promise forming in my mind to return to this conversation, to offer her the understanding she deserved.

Opening the door to Jeremiah, my voice carried a mix of urgency and restraint, a reflection of the tumultuous sea of concerns churning within me. "Jeremiah," I called out softly yet with a clear edge of urgency, drawing his attention as he stepped over the threshold into the haven that had suddenly become a stage for an unforeseen dilemma.

"What?" His response was sharp, a furrow of concern etching his brow as he closed the door behind him.

"We may have a problem," I began, the words tumbling out in a rush to articulate the gravity of the situation without alarming anyone beyond the walls of this conversation.

Jeremiah's sigh was a soft echo in the tense air, his shoulders tensing as if bracing against the weight of yet another challenge. The world of Guardianship was never devoid of its trials, but the intrusion of the unexpected was always a harbinger of complexity.

"Gladys has a visitor," I continued, watching closely for his reaction, hoping to convey the significance without sparking undue alarm.

His reaction, however, was underwhelming, marked by a nonchalance that belied the potential unravelling of the situation. "I'll come back later then," he offered with a dismissive shrug, misunderstanding the core of my concern.

"No!" My response was more forceful than I intended, a reflex born out of the need to underscore the urgency, the door slamming shut under the weight of my push. "She saw me come through the Portal," I added in a quieter tone, the admission heavy with the realisation of the risk now posed to Abbey.

Jeremiah's reaction was immediate, his features tightening as the full implications of my words settled in. "Gladys?" he queried, seeking clarification, his stance shifting as if preparing to address a threat.

"No. Abbey," I clarified, my stomach knotting as I acknowledged the inadvertent witness to our hidden world. The moment of my emergence through the fridge portal, a spectacle I had never intended for outsider eyes, now loomed large with consequences.

As Jeremiah moved towards the source of the voices from the kitchen, a silent signal for me to follow, my mind raced with scenarios, each more worrying than the last. "Do you think we should take her to Clivilius?" The question slipped out, a reflection of my spiralling concern for Abbey's safety amidst revelations she was never meant to encounter.

"She's probably better off with me," Jeremiah replied, his tone carrying a gravity that matched the seriousness of our predicament. His stride into the living room was purposeful, each step a testament to the weight of our guardianship duties.

"I could find Luke, or Beatrix?" I suggested, grappling for solutions, my desperation to protect Abbey from the unintended exposure to our world palpable in the tension that vibrated through my voice.

"I don't think we should-" Jeremiah's response was cut short, his thought interrupted by the approach of Gladys and Abbey, each holding fresh wine glasses, an odd contrast to the storm of worries besieging my thoughts.

Gladys's expression, etched with concern, oscillated rapidly between Jeremiah, Abbey, and myself, mirroring the tumultuous storm brewing in the room. The atmosphere was thick, charged with a palpable tension that seemed almost too dense to breathe through.

"I'm sorry," Jeremiah cut through the silence, his voice a solemn echo of regret. His eyes, dark and unwavering, were fixed on Abbey. "But you're a witness now. It's too dangerous for you to stay here." His words fell like stones into the quiet, stirring ripples of dread that lapped at the edges of my consciousness.

Gladys reached for my arm in a futile attempt to bridge the chasm that was rapidly opening between us. Her touch was light, yet it carried the weight of her concern—a silent plea for restraint. I understood her fear, felt the vibration of her worry through the slight pressure of her fingers. Yet, beneath that, I also recognised the necessity of guarding the secrets of Clivilius with a zeal that bordered on fanaticism.

Jeremiah and I, united in our cause yet divided in our methods, each grasped Abbey's arms in a show of solidarity that felt more like a betrayal. "You don't understand!" she cried out, her voice a mix of anger and fear, struggling against the inevitability of our grasp. 

"I can't," Abbey's voice cracked, a fragile sound that splintered the moment her wine glass met its end against the hard floor. The shattering of glass, a sharp and sudden intrusion, seemed to punctuate her desperation, her refusal to be ensnared in a reality she had not chosen.

"Is this really necessary, Cody?" Gladys's voice, now tinged with an edge of desperation, sought to find a crack in the armour of our resolve. "I've seen the Portal and I'm still here." Her words, meant to soothe, instead felt like a challenge, a reminder of the delicate balance we navigated between secrecy and trust.

Jeremiah's gaze locked onto Gladys with an intensity that felt almost tangible. "For now," he uttered, his voice a harbinger of uncertain fates, sending a shiver down my spine

The gravity of the situation hung heavy in the air, the weight of impending choices palpable. Yet, before I could fully process it all, Abbey's frustration reached a breaking point, and she took matters into her own hands.

With a swift stomp on Jeremiah's foot, she freed herself from his grasp, delivering a sharp elbow to my gut that forced me to release her other arm.

Doubled over, the taste of bile rising in my throat, I was a portrait of vulnerability in the face of Abbey's fierce determination to escape. The room seemed to spin, the edges blurring as I struggled to catch my breath. In that moment, as the situation spun out of control, a part of me lamented our approach, wished for a path less fraught with conflict.

The moment unfolded with a kind of surreal clarity, as if time itself had slowed to allow me to absorb the passing of each second. Gladys's rush towards me was a blur of motion, her voice a beacon of concern. "Cody!" she cried, her distress painting the air, wine sloshing from her glass as if to mark the path of her urgency.

Jeremiah, ever the steadfast Guardian, moved with a purpose that spoke of years honed in the service of Clivilius. Yet, Abbey's authoritative stance, an immovable force of conviction, arrested his advance. I stood there, torn—a guardian of secrets and a protector of hearts, my own caught in the crossfire of duty and desire. The weight of my role pressed heavily upon me, a mantle that both elevated and ensnared.

"Stand down!" Abbey's command sliced through the tension, her voice a surprising crescendo of authority. The command, delivered with hands raised defiantly, brokered no room for disobedience. Jeremiah and I, bound by our oaths yet momentarily swayed by the force of her conviction, found ourselves acquiescing, a testament to the unexpected power she wielded.

Gladys's plea, eyes alight with a mixture of fear and hope, sought to bridge the chasm that yawned between understanding and secrecy. "Please!" she implored, her gaze piercing into mine, a silent entreaty for compromise. “If we explain the situation, I'm sure Abbey will understand the importance of secrecy.” Her words echoed the sentiment that had begun to gnaw at the edges of my resolve, the belief that perhaps, in understanding, there lay a path to resolution.

Jeremiah's response, though, was a steel-clad reminder of the stakes at play. "I'm sorry, Gladys. It's a risk we can't afford to take right now.” he intoned, a bastion of his sworn duty, his voice devoid of hesitation. The finality in his tone marked the boundaries of our predicament, a line drawn firmly in the sand.

Gladys's frustration, a palpable wave of emotion, crashed against the resolve that Jeremiah and I had built. Her exasperation, so vividly expressed, was a mirror to the turmoil that roiled within me. "Oh, come on!" she exclaimed, the essence of her dismay hanging between us, a tangible testament to the clash of ideals. "Surely–"

"It's okay, Gladys," Abbey said, her gaze a balm to the frayed edges of our confrontation. As she lowered her hands, a gesture of peace, the unfolding of her left fist revealed a twist that none of us had anticipated.

The device nestled in her palm, an emblem of our cause, spoke volumes in the silence that ensued. "I'm a Guardian too," Abbey declared, her words a revelation that reverberated through the very foundations of our understanding.

In that moment, as Jeremiah and I exchanged glances, a myriad of emotions played across our faces—surprise, disbelief, realisation. Abbey's disclosure, a bombshell that shattered the barriers of assumption, forced us to reconsider not just the situation at hand, but the very fabric of our alliance.

Gladys's reaction was immediate, her voice laced with incredulity, as if the words struggled to form amidst the whirlwind of revelations. "But how? When?" she stuttered, her questions hanging in the air like fragments of a puzzle we were all trying to piece together. The atmosphere was charged with a palpable sense of curiosity and disbelief.

Abbey's response was a gentle touch, a soft anchor in the tempest of our emotions. Her fingers brushed against Gladys's elbow, a simple gesture that seemed to carry the weight of reassurance and solidarity. "It's been a few years," she began, her voice a calm amidst the storm. "I'm the last member of my Guardian Group."

"What's your settlement?" Jeremiah seized upon the moment to gather intelligence.

"Enders Climb. It's near the Capital, Port Stower. Well, it was the capital,” Abbey disclosed, her words sketching the outlines of a world both familiar and fraught with the shadows of change.

"Yeah, we know about the unfortunate fall of Port Stower," Jeremiah acknowledged.

As I opened my mouth to weave in more threads of understanding, to add my voice to the tapestry of our unfolding narrative, Gladys's hand rose in a silent command for silence. "And close that bloody Portal!" she demanded, her gaze piercing Jeremiah with a mixture of fear and authority. Her concern for Snowflake, who had been drawn to the mesmerising dance of colours within the Portal, underscored the personal stakes at play. "I can't afford to lose a second baby!" Her words cut through the air, a sharp reminder of the tangible dangers that our secrets harboured.

With a swiftness born of necessity, Gladys exited, leaving a brief void in her wake. The clatter of cat biscuits in a bowl from the kitchen filled the silence, a mundane sound that seemed almost alien amidst the complexity of our situation. When she returned, her movements were a study in domesticity, offering wine with a persistence that brooked no refusal.

"No, thank you," Jeremiah declined, waving his hands in front of him.

"Yes, thank you," Gladys insisted, forcing Jeremiah to accept the precious vessel.

I chuckled as I admired Gladys's determination to enforce the wine, even though it felt like we were navigating through a fog of uncertainty. Abbey, Jeremiah, and I re-engaged in heated conversation, while Gladys slumped against a chair and sipped her wine.

Jeremiah's words sliced through the charged air, a definitive line drawn in the sands of our tumultuous reality. "There is only so long you can remain a bystander, Gladys. Soon, you will need to make a choice on which role you want to play,” he declared, his voice laden with a gravity that seemed to pull at the very fabric of the room. The firm squeeze on her shoulder was meant as reassurance, perhaps, or a silent plea for understanding, but it carried the weight of inevitable change. His statement, a harbinger of decisions that lay ahead, hovered between us, an unspoken ultimatum that demanded contemplation.

Gladys, ever the emblem of resilience wrapped in a veneer of casual indifference, met his proclamation with a quizzical arch of her brow. "Huh?" she responded, her voice a mix of confusion and defiance. It was a simple utterance, yet it spoke volumes of her internal turmoil, the clash of a present comfort against the tide of an uncertain future.

Jeremiah's insistence, unyielding and sharp, brooked no room for ambiguity. "Either you become a Guardian or a Clivilius citizen. Remaining on Earth is not an option for you, Gladys," he pressed on, his gaze unflinching, a mirror to his resolve. The intensity of his stare, unwavering and piercing, seemed to challenge her very essence, prompting a discomfort that writhed visibly beneath her skin. With a twist and a turn, she managed to escape his grip, a physical manifestation of her struggle to evade the impending choices that loomed over her existence.

His silent departure, marked by a stern glance cast in my direction, felt like a passing of the torch, a silent command for me to understand the ultimatum he had presented Gladys. The hallway, set ablaze with the mesmerising colours of his departure, seemed to echo the turmoil of my heart, painting my reality with the hues of uncertainty and the burden of choices that defined the paths ahead.

Abbey's voice, a soft yet firm echo of Jeremiah's resolve, pierced the lingering tension. "Sorry, Gladys, Jeremiah is right," she said, her sideways glance a silent acknowledgment of the shared burden of her options. "You need to make a choice. And soon." Her words, though spoken with a gentle firmness, carried an undercurrent of urgency, a reminder of the inexorable tide of decisions that awaited us all.

Gladys, a portrait of weariness and contemplation, rubbed her temple as if to soothe the ache of our intertwined fates. "Please go," she whispered, her voice a fragile thread in the fabric of our confrontation. The plea, devoid of her usual strength, was a testament to the overwhelming cascade of realities we had imposed upon her. Her inability to meet our gaze spoke of the internal chaos that our revelations had wrought, a storm of emotions and decisions that she was unprepared to navigate.

In that moment of hesitation, a silent goodbye lingered in the air, a pause filled with the unspoken words and the heavy burden of my next steps. Abbey's departure, a swift movement through her own portal, left a finality that hung heavily in the room.

Casting one last glance at Gladys, I grappled with a maelstrom of emotions. Guilt, for the upheaval I had brought to her doorstep; sorrow, for the innocence that had been irrevocably altered; and a deep, unyielding empathy for the choices that she, too, would have to make. With a heavy heart, I stepped back into the familiar yet now seemingly distant realm of Belkeep, leaving behind the echoes of a life that, for Gladys, would never be the same. The portal closed behind me, a door to one chapter ending as another, fraught with uncertainty and the weight of newfound responsibilities, beckoned.

As I stepped into the Portal Cave, the transition was like moving from one world to another, the vibrant kaleidoscope of the previous destination fading into the dim, earthy hues of our cavernous hideaway. The warm colours that danced across the walls as I selected my new destination couldn't quite pierce the veil of melancholy that had begun to drape itself around me. The contrast between the lively colours and my sombre mood was stark, as if the cave itself was trying to lift my spirit that felt tethered to the ground.

"Cody!" Krid's voice, filled with unguarded enthusiasm, momentarily cut through the fog of my thoughts. Her eyes, wide with the anticipation of my return, searched mine for signs of Belkeep’s newest Guardian. The absence of Gladys, however, hung in the air like a silent spectre, its presence palpable even in the dim light of the cavern.

"Where's Gladys?" Freya's inquiry, laced with a concern, felt like a gentle nudge towards a reality I was reluctant to face. "Gladys isn't coming," I confessed, the heaviness in my voice a mirror to the burden I felt, a mixture of disappointment and the sharp sting of reality biting at the edges of my hope.

Krid's young face, a reflection of innocence and budding strength, drooped visibly at the news. Her reaction, so raw and genuine, prompted me to grasp at the threads of hope that still lingered within me. "Not today, anyway," I found myself saying, the words more a balm for my own disappointment than anything else. The possibility of Gladys joining us, of standing beside me as we navigated the complexities of our existence, was a beacon of hope I wasn't ready to extinguish. Perhaps, in my heart, I was holding on to that future more tightly than I cared to admit.

Freya, ever the pillar of strength and understanding, seemed to sense the turmoil swirling within me. Her hand, warm and steady on my shoulder, was a tangible reminder of the support that surrounded me, even in moments of doubt. "It's okay, Cody," she assured me, her smile a small yet significant gesture of empathy. "She'll come around when she's ready." Her words, meant to console, did offer a measure of comfort, though the shadow of uncertainty lingered, a silent companion to my hopes.

I nodded, appreciating my daughter's support, but still feeling a twinge of disappointment. "I hope so," I replied, my voice revealing the uncertainty.

Krid's voice, chiming in with her own brand of wisdom, surprised me. "Gladys is strong-willed, but she's also curious. She'll come to us when she's ready to embrace her destiny." The certainty in her tone, the unshakeable belief in the path that lay ahead for all of us, was both baffling and heartening. How could this young soul, so new to our world and yet so insightful, understand the complexities of a heart she had never encountered?

"Thanks," I responded, managing a smile that, though strained, was genuine in its gratitude for their presence, their faith.

The silence that enveloped us was a tangible thing, thick with the myriad emotions that churned beneath the surface. It was a moment of shared understanding, of collective anticipation and uncertainty, where words seemed superfluous, unable to encapsulate the depth of our connection or the complexity of our situation. Then, Krid's voice, a beacon of resilience in the quiet, pierced the stillness, her suggestion to return to Belkeep a gentle nudge towards normalcy. "Come on," she urged, her hand reaching for mine in a gesture of solidarity, "Let's head back to Belkeep. Maybe some fresh air will do you good."

I found myself momentarily caught in the warmth of her intent, her concern a balm to the unease that had settled within me. Yet, even as her fingers closed around mine, a sense of duty, a reminder of the obligations that lay beyond the immediate comfort of companionship, urged me to gently pull away. "I appreciate the gesture, but I have somewhere else I need to be," I confessed, the words heavy with the weight of responsibilities unseen yet deeply felt.

Freya's response was immediate, her curiosity piqued, halting her movements as if my words had physically drawn her back. "Oh? What's so urgent?" she probed, her tone laced with a mix of intrigue and concern.

The pause that followed was mine, a moment of internal debate over how much to share, how much of my burdens to lay bare before the eyes of youth and hope. "Other Guardian business," I settled on, a response shrouded in the vagueness of necessity, a shield against the complexities that were unfolding.

Freya's lips pursed, a silent but eloquent expression of her frustration with my evasion. It was a familiar dance between us, this balancing act of protection and honesty, and her unimpressed demeanour was a testament to her growing impatience with the half-truths that often coloured our exchanges.

Thankfully, Krid's intervention was timely, her gentle tone a contrast to the tension that had begun to weave its way through our conversation. "Cody," she began, her voice a soothing presence, "It's going to be alright. Whatever happens, we'll face it together." Her assurance, so simply stated, was a powerful reminder of the strength found in unity.

Turning to face them, the gratitude I felt was profound, a deep-seated acknowledgment of their significance in my life. "Thank you," I expressed, my words imbued with the sincerity of my appreciation. "I don't know what I'd do without you both." It was a truth, raw and unadorned, a recognition of their roles not just as companions or family, but as pillars upon which I leaned more heavily than I often admitted.

Krid's smile, warm and affirming, was a light in the shadow of our uncertainties. "We're family, Cody. We'll always be here for you," she stated, her hand squeezing mine in a gesture of unwavering support.

With their reassurance bolstering my spirits, a renewed sense of purpose coursed through me. The path ahead, though fraught with challenges and shadowed by the unknown, seemed less daunting with the knowledge that Krid and Freya stood beside me. And somewhere, in the quiet hope that flickered like a distant star, I harboured the belief that Gladys, too, would find her way to us. Until that day, the relentless march of Guardian work awaited, a constant reminder of the duty that defined me, of the legacy I sought to protect and the future I aimed to secure.