"I am Marcus Reed."
The answer got Lirien Thalor thinking. She felt a tingling sensation throughout her body, her eyes widened, and her legs shook uncontrollably. It felt like she had heard this name before but could not recall. The Voidspawn, which was aggressive only a few minutes ago, retreated.
She had not expected him to give him such a name, but she couldn't ask him any questions. She had already decided to conduct research on the name.
After a few seconds of silence, Ethan Cole, who was now Marcus Reed, agreed to the name. Lirien Thalor returned her staff to its proper place and turned eastward.
"Marcus Reed, it appears that you are not familiar with your surroundings. May I ask what rank you are?
Marcus Reed remembered the memories he had seen and leaned against the closed door where the Voidspawn had originally been.
"Sentinel."
Lirien Thalor's arms trembled and legs shook with fear. She could not believe what Marcus had just said. She bowed her head and brought her left knee to the ground.
"I apologize for not asking sooner."
"There is no need. You are allowed to raise your head." Marcus Reed gave a faint smile, not attempting to appear deceitful, but still perplexed as to why she bowed her head.
Lirien raised her head, but her voice was low and she appeared embarrassed.
"We'll be travelling to Aetherion. I would like to lead the way."
Marcus Reed gave a smile and raised his right palm.
"Lead the way then."
Lirien nodded as she led the way, her mind still processing the fact that Marcus was a Sentinel.
Being a Sentinel in this world required exceptional combat abilities. They were said to be just one step away from becoming wardens. However, Marcus Reed was already a step ahead of Lirien Thalor, who was an acolyte.
Lirien Thalor, walking towards the path, paused for a moment before glancing at Marcus Reed and asking, "How did you become a Sentinel?"
Marcus, who followed behind Lirien Thalor, smiled. He had already anticipated that she would ask him this question due to his rank.
Marcus Reed, who had no idea what a Sentinel was, decided to pose a question to her.
"Before I respond, let me ask you how you became an acolyte."
Lirien Thalor appeared dumbfounded, her eyes twitching.
"Was he attempting to divert my question?" she wondered.
Lirien sighed, having no other choice.
"Before becoming an acolyte, I was an initiate." It served as my first step toward becoming a gatekeeper. My initial responsibilities included studying starlight magic, gate runes, and basic combat, with a focus on discipline and loyalty. After passing as an initiate, I was promoted to acolyte, where I would guard less volatile gates and assist sentinels and wardens."
Marcus Reed tapped his cheek, understanding the gatekeeper's rankings. His mind raced as he watched Lirien continue.
"At the moment, I am still an acolyte."
Marcus nodded gently, clearly understanding the nature of the gatekeepers' ranking. However, there were two things he was certain of. For starters, he was a rank higher than Lirien. Two, how certain was Lirien's willingness to assist him during gate exploration?
When Lirien finished her explanation, she bowed her head and said, "Marcus, could you please accept my assistance in gate exploration?"
Marcus Reed rested his thumb on his chin, contemplating what to say to her, but Lirien persisted.
"Even though I'm an acolyte, a junior gatekeeper, I can still see you through the nine gates."
"The Nine Gates?" Marcus reflected on himself. "Are there nine gates in this world? What were gates?"
Memories flood his mind once more, and a void-tremor shakes what appeared to be the gate he had previously seen. Several Voidspawns surrounded the gate, and in front of him stood a dead body and a figure dressed in dark robes wielding a starlight blade on the left and a corrupted blade on the right.
Somewhere behind him was a gate. Despite the structure's lack of visibility, Marcus was blown back by its flickering shadows. The figure's face was not visible, but the starlight revealed the face of the dead body. That was his own face.
The memories faded, bringing him back to reality. Lirien was almost touching his face, her fingers snapping against his ears.
Marcus cleared his throat, giving a faint smile, and looked at Lirien, remembering what she had asked earlier, "Why me? I am confident there are other gatekeepers out there."
When Lirien heard this, she bowed her head in sadness. Marcus could tell that no tears had fallen from her eyes based on her posture.
"I asked some gatekeepers, and they told me to wait until I became a Sentinel, while others did not respond."
Marcus thought of this for some time. He wasn't sure whether he could trust her or not.
"When we reach our destination then I'll give you my answer." he replied.
Lirien bowed her head happily, continuing to lead the way.
After nearly thirty minutes of walking down the path, his eyes were blinded by a bright, multicolored light. While using his arm to keep his eyes away from the shade, he noticed a towering arch of translucent quartz. The sun's rays shone through the tower, pulsing with a soft radiance.
Lirien came to a halt in front of a gate, its runes glowing to their brightest and emitting a gentle radiance. Lirien passed through the gate without uttering a word. She yanked Marcus' robe, bringing him inside, leaving him dumbfounded.
The scene in front of him left him bewildered. The skies shimmered with aurora with gravity shifting, allowing people to glide between the spires. From within, the tower was shown clearly, set in a plaza of polished alabaster.
Looking around, seraphic sentinels, humanoid beings with prismatic wings, glided between the spires. The beauty amazed Marcus.
Lirien Thalor let out a joyful smile, staring at Marcus Reed, who was concealing his smile and giving the look of a Sentinel.
"Welcome to the first gate, The Crystal Spire."