The wool scratched. It was a good scratch. Deep in the skin.

I stood in the hall. The stone was cold. The torches flickered. Shadows danced. They were ugly things.

My name is Elias. I am a Warden. I wear the grey cloak. It is heavy. It is stained. It smells of damp and old blood.

"Move," said Kael. He was by my side. He held his sword. His hand shook.

We moved.

The Great Hall was empty. The tables were bare. The chairs were stacked. No one ate. No one drank. The silence was thick. It pressed on my ears.

"Where are they?" I asked.

Kael did not answer. He looked at the floor. He looked at the dust.

We walked. Our boots clacked. The sound echoed. It felt like a heartbeat. Slow. Heavy.

The King was on the throne. He wore gold. It was bright. It hurt my eyes. He did not move. He did not breathe.

"Is he dead?" Kael whispered.

"No," I said. "He is waiting."

The doors opened. Men entered. They wore armor. They carried spears. They looked at us. Their eyes were hard. They were the Crown Guard.

"Kneel," the Captain said. His voice was low. It was like gravel.

I did not kneel. I stood. My cloak hung low. The dust settled on my hem.

"Who are you?" the Captain asked.

"I am Elias," I said. "I am the Warden."

The Captain smiled. It was a cold smile. "A Warden. Yes. We know."

He pointed at me. "He is a thief. He steals the light."

I looked at the Captain. I looked at his men. They held their spears tight. The tips were red. They were wet.

"What light?" I asked.

The Captain said nothing. He turned. He walked to the throne. He stood before the King.

"Your Majesty," the Captain said. "The Warden is here."

The King did not move. The gold on his face glinted. It was a mask. It was not his face.

I looked at the King. I saw his eyes. They were closed. They were dark.

I felt a pull. It was in my chest. It was a hook. It tugged at my soul.

"Look at him," I said to Kael. "Look at his face."

Kael looked. He shuddered. "It is wrong," he said. "It is empty."

I walked forward. I ignored the Captain. I ignored the spears. I walked toward the throne.

"Halt!" the Captain shouted. He drew his sword. The steel sang. It was a sharp sound.

I did not stop. I kept walking.

The gold was heavy. It weighed on the King. It crushed him. I saw it. I saw the weight.

I reached out. I touched the King’s hand. It was cold. It was stiff.

The Captain struck. I felt the pain. It was in my side. It burned. I fell. I hit the floor. The stone was hard.

Kael screamed. He drew his sword. He charged. He was brave. He was foolish.

The Captain’s sword flashed. It was fast. It was precise.

I heard a thud. I heard a gasp.

I looked up. Kael was on the ground. His sword was gone. His eyes were open. They were wide. He looked at me. He did not blink.

"Kael," I said.

I could not stand. My side burned. The blood was warm. It spread on the stone. It was dark. It was red.

The Captain walked over. He stood over me. He looked down. He was tall. He was strong.

"You are dead," he said. "You see? You are dead."

I looked at the King. The King’s eyes opened. They were gold. They were not human. They were fire.

The King sat up. The gold cloak moved. It rippled like water.

"Enough," the King said. His voice was deep. It was like thunder. It shook the floor.

The Captain froze. He lowered his sword. He knelt. He bowed his head.

The King stood. The gold cloak fell. It was not a cloak. It was skin. It was flesh. It was the King’s own body. It was wrapped in light.

The light was blinding. It was pure. It was terrible.

I saw the truth. The King was not a man. He was a vessel. He held the fire. He held the power. He was the anchor.

The Captain stood. He looked at me. His face was pale. His mouth was open.

"He is the master," the Captain said. "He is the golden master."

I looked at the light. It was beautiful. It was cruel. It consumed everything. It ate the shadows. It ate the silence.

I looked at Kael. His body was still. The light touched him. It did not burn. It healed. It washed over him.

I felt the pull again. It was stronger. It was in my blood. It was in my bones.

I wanted it. I wanted the light. I wanted to be part of it. I wanted to be free of the pain. I wanted to be free of the doubt.

I reached for it. My hand trembled. My fingers brushed the edge of the glow.

It was warm. It was soft. It was like a mother’s touch. It was like a lover’s kiss.

I closed my eyes. I let go. I let go of the grey cloak. I let go of the name Elias. I let go of the pain.

The light took me. It wrapped me. It held me. I was weightless. I was nothing. I was everything.

I opened my eyes. I was on my knees. I was whole. The wound in my side was gone. The blood was gone.

The Captain was on his knees. The other guards were on their knees. The King stood before them. He was tall. He was radiant.

He looked at me. He smiled. It was a kind smile. It was a sad smile.

"Welcome," he said.

I stood. I felt strong. I felt clear. I felt alive.

I looked at my hands. They were clean. They were bright.

I looked at the Captain. He looked at me. His eyes were filled with fear. But it was not fear of death. It was fear of change.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I am the Warden," I said. My voice was calm. It was deep. It was like the King’s voice.

The Captain lowered his head. "I am sorry," he said. "I was wrong."

I looked at the King. He nodded. He turned away. He walked to the window. The sun was rising. The light outside was pale. It was weak.

The light inside the hall was strong. It was golden. It was eternal.

I walked to the Captain. I placed my hand on his shoulder. He flinched. I did not pull away.

"You were wrong," I said. "But you were brave."

He looked at me. His tears fell. They hit the stone. They evaporated.

"I do not understand," he said. "What is this place?"

"It is home," I said. "It is the center. It is the heart."

I looked at the King. He was watching the sun. He was watching the world. He was watching the people. He was holding them up. He was holding the light.

I felt the weight. It was not heavy. It was right. It was the weight of the world. It was the weight of the truth.

I looked at Kael. His body was gone. There was only dust. The dust glittered. It was gold.

I closed my eyes. I breathed. The air was sweet. It was pure.

I opened my eyes. I was still there. I was still Elias. But I was not the same. I was not the thief. I was the keeper. I was the shield.

The Captain stood. He picked up his sword. He held it. His hand did not shake.

"Will you teach me?" he asked.

I looked at him. I saw the hunger in his eyes. It was the same hunger I had felt. It was the same pull.

"Yes," I said.

We walked to the door. The door was open. The light spilled out. It filled the hall. It filled the room.

We walked out. We walked into the world. The world was bright. The world was clear.

I did not look back. I did not look at the throne. I did not look at the King.

I looked forward. I looked at the road. It was long. It was hard.

But I was not alone. I was not afraid.

I was the Warden. I was the light.

The sun rose. It was golden. It was perfect.

I smiled. I walked on.

The wind blew. It was cool. It was fresh.

I felt the cloth on my back. It was no longer grey. It was white. It was clean. It was light.

I felt the sun on my face. It was warm. It was kind.

I was home.

I was whole.

I was free.