by Ammar Habib
They would finally fully comprehend the hero who had inspired so many.
This was a meeting none of them wanted to have. Since the funeral, William had retreated to this sanctuary without stepping foot outside. The world still thought him dead, and he was faced with a choice. And that choice was what this gathering was about.
William broke the warehouse’s silence. “He’s really gone, isn’t he?”
Jonathan slightly nodded without looking up.
“He’s dead. Ethan Daniels is dead. Why doesn’t that sound right?”
“Because he was the best of us,” Jonathan slowly replied. “He was always willing to make the sacrifice that others couldn’t.”
“And yet, even being the best of us, he was the one who had to sacrifice everything—who had to lose everything. What did he get for all his efforts?” William paused. “Nothing more than a tombstone.”
“No.”
Jonathan and William looked over at Adam.
“He got a legacy,” Adam proudly said. His gaze focused on Jonathan before moving to William. “Ethan inspired this world. He inspired them to make the lives of their neighbors better. He inspired them to give and not take. He inspired them to be a beacon of light, and the world is a better place because of him. He’s leaving the world much better than how he found it, and now countless others are trying to do the same.”
Jonathan slightly smiled.
William took a few moments to digest Adam’s words before taking a deep breath. “Daken’s army is broken, though more may still be out there. Crown City and Tripton are safe now. And Amelia will be taking the throne soon. Villanueva and all those under Daken’s control are free, and that monster’s reign of terror is over. But we still have a choice to make.”
Jonathan nodded. “Ethan told me to look after you but he wanted each of you to choose your own path.”
William stared at the mask in his hands for a few long moments. “His legacy will live on no matter what, but his banner also needs to keep flying. It needs to be there to remind people what he taught them.” He paused. “If staying dead is what it takes to keep the legacy of The Guardian alive, then it’s a small price to pay. And if anyone should pay it, it should be me, his best friend.”
“And I will help you hold his banner up,” Adam said. “After everything Ethan sacrificed, what he started needs to be carried on. The world needs a Guardian. It needs something—somebody selfless to pick up the fallen and battle injustice at every turn.”
“We’ll make his mission brighter than ever,” Jonathan added, his voice filled with conviction. “Not only Tripton and Crown City, but soon every nation will have a Guardian, and the army will keep the world from darkness.”
Hearing Jonathan’s words, William smiled. “Since losing my wife, I’ve spent years looking for a good death. But this, this will be a good life… good enough.” He paused, remembering the words Ethan spoke years ago when his crusade as The Guardian started. As William repeated them, a swell of confidence flooded his soul. “And so it begins.”
***
Under the clear skies and yellow sun, a thirteen-year-old boy ran down a white shore. To his left rested crystal clear waters with no end in sight. To his right stood beautiful cliffs that seemed to be carved by the hands of God. He ran down the immaculate coastline, collecting exotic looking seashells. But the boy abruptly stopped when something caught his eye.
In the distance, he saw two people: a handsome man and beautiful woman. They were the same age, probably at least twice the boy’s age. The two of them were dressed in white. The lady possessed jet black, silk-like hair while her counterpart’s black hair was short. They were both fair-skinned, their faces seeming to glow with joy as they held each other’s hands.
The boy could not help but stare. There was something captivating about them. It was as if they were not walking, but slowly gliding above the sand. They carried this aura of tranquility about them.
The couple moved across the white shore and towards him. The woman’s head rested on the man’s shoulder. The two of them suddenly stopped. As they turned around to look behind them, the boy noticed a young girl racing across the shores towards them. The dark-skinned girl was no older than twelve. The man and woman both crouched down, arms extended to receive the girl as she drew nearer.
Something about the couple looked familiar. Their faces seemed to be ones that he recognized. In fact, the man’s face looked just like… Eth—
No, it couldn’t be. The world watched him die weeks ago. The boy blinked. He’d idolized Ethan Daniels, always fantasizing about meeting him. But Ethan Daniels was dead. The handsome couple may have just as well been another husband and wife in love. Just like anybody in love, they wanted to be left to themselves. The boy turned around to walk in the opposite direction.
And he let them go in peace.
About the Author
Ammar Habib is an award winning & bestselling author who presently resides in his hometown of Lake Jackson, Texas. Writing has always been a passion of Ammar’s. He enjoys crafting stories that are not only entertaining, but also have something useful to say to the reader.
Other works by Ammar include:
Memories Of My Future
Dark Guardian
Dark Guardian: A New Dawn
In the Shadows (Releasing February 2018)
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