CALE BROKE FROM his stupor first. He took a step forward, placing himself between Aharon and them, and raised his sword. "You're going to tell me what's going on," he said, "or we are going to see how you fare against a sword weaponless."

Aharon smiled, far too relaxed given the threat. "I am more than willing to explain, but I do suggest that we get moving while I speak. Moshe is still in danger."

Cale hesitated, and Aharon's expression softened.

"I believe the ones you seek are with the ones who attack him. The Paladin leader and a young boy, correct?"

Josh stood straighter, his doubts and confusion tossed out the window. Eli was close, or at least within the same temple with them. They didn't have time to stand around being careful. He took a step forward, mouth opening to demand they hurry, but a hand on his forearm brought him up short.

Mara met his gaze and gave a tiny shake of her head.

"Alright," Cale said, and Mara grinned, almost knowingly. "The moment anything you say or do doesn't seem right, though, we will fight. If you really are the Aharon who created this dimension, you've not done much to make it seem you want us alive."

"I will explain that as well," Aharon said. He chuckled. His continued lightness should have been irritating given the situation, but something lurked beneath the easy laughter and smiles that made Josh's insides prickle with worry.

"Now then," Aharon went on. "Let's make haste. This way, young Paladins." He gestured for them to follow and jogged to the door on their left.

With a quick glance amongst themselves, Josh and the others ran after him. "Let me be up front," Josh murmured as they circled the room to the door.

Cale shot him a questioning brow. "I feel much better now. I'll be fine."

"But I have the shield," Josh countered. "It's easier for you to hurry around me and counterattack than it is for me to jump in front of you with my shield."

A pause, followed by a sigh. "Fine, but I need you to react the moment I give an order."

"Of course." Josh grinned, but Cale shot him an unconvinced stare as he passed.

Aharon examined each of them when they stepped into the hallway. It was the same as the others they'd traveled, but the dragonheads provided brighter illumination, making it appear less grey and intimidating.

"There aren't any more traps past that room," Aharon said when they reached him. He fell into step beside Josh. "If I hadn't sent the reaper away, you were to die in there."

"Comforting," Cale grumbled.

Aharon winced. "Apologies, but if I wish for you to trust me, I believe I should be wholly honest."

"Thank you," Mara said, and Cale grunted a quiet grumble. When Josh glanced back, he saw Cale rubbing his forearm. "Why were you a child? And how did you get the reaper to go away?"

Aharon licked his lips, thick brows furrowed. "If you are here, I'm going to assume you know these dimensions are seals for Lucien and Sheol. My brother and I—turn left here." He pointed to an intersection up ahead, and then he restarted. "My brother and I oversee this dimension. First, I need you to understand, nobody is supposed to be in these dimensions, whether they be Shadow Knight, Sage, or Paladin."

Josh frowned. "But you're a Paladin, too. You should be on our side."

A bitter edge touched Aharon's upturned lips. "I am on the side of the Paladins, but not all Paladins are on mine. Betrayal occurs, and it would be foolish of my brother and me to give someone full reign in this dimension because of their current elemental alignment."

"So, the dimension could have killed us?" Cale asked. He no longer spoke as guarded as before, but it was impossible to tell if he fully trusted Aharon or simply hid any suspicion in his voice.

Aharon gave an apologetic shrug. "It could have. Anyone who comes here should know that risk. The only goal of the attacks was not, however, to hinder you. As soon as you met my child self, it was a test to see if you were true Paladins or potential traitors."

He cut off, his pace slowing until he came to a stop at an intersection. "One moment," he said.

Josh turned to the others, assessing their thoughts on the situation. They were looking at each other, a silent conversation passing between their eyes. Mara frowned, causing Cale to raise a brow, but when she gave the slightest shake of her head, he nodded to himself.

Josh had been in the desert a good bit over the last twenty-four hours, but he hadn't once felt like he'd eaten a mouthful of sand until now. He swallowed what little saliva was in his mouth.

As if sensing his gaze, Mara turned to Josh. Her expression softened, and she grinned, revealing her dimples. The tight ball in Josh's stomach—one he didn't even understand why was there—exploded into squirming butterflies. She glanced at Aharon, then back at him, and nodded. They were trusting the ancient Paladin then. For now, at least.

Josh shoved down the sudden desire to kiss her and gave her a thumbs-up. Not the time, he told himself. And no, Boomer, I do not know where the off switch is.

Hey. I was trying not to think that too loud, Boomer defended, then added, quietly, as if that would change how well Josh heard it, Doesn't mean it wouldn't be nice though.

"This way," Aharon said. He massaged his temples. Unlike when he was a child, he only needed to use one hand. The same action, yet so different.

Even as they continued their run through the right hallway, Aharon gave a shake of his head. "Apologies. It is harder to sense Moshe when he is still a child."

"And why is he a child? Why were you?" Cale pushed.

Josh may have had the shield, but Cale had the questions to drill into Aharon. Maybe Josh should have let Cale take the lead.

Before he could offer, Aharon spoke. "As I said, part of what you have endured was to test you. See if you were strong enough to survive. See how you handled danger. See how you handled me and the danger I brought with me. It couldn't be a single instance, as I couldn't risk a miscalculation or you knowing things you shouldn't. You did well.

"But there was always meant to be a final test: the room. If I had not decided by then that you could be trusted, I never would have stopped the reaper. You would have been left in there to die, because no matter what you did, you couldn't kill it."

"Our light hurt it, though," Josh said, though as he thought about it, he grew less certain. His sword had left some kind of wound on the reaper, but he didn't remember the gas continually pouring out.

"And," Cale cut in, "that doesn't explain why you were a child."

Aharon paused long enough to direct them to the next left turn, and then he shot them all a wry smile. "Would it perhaps make more sense if I used the common name for what my town called the reaper? You may recognize the name escrivus an'zra?"

A memory flickered from Boomer through the bond. Josh pulled from its draw when either Mara or Cale stumbled behind him.

"Samara, are you alright?" Cale asked.

Mara took a moment to answer. Josh glanced over his shoulder to find her blinking rapidly. "Yeah," she said. "Kidron really does not like those things. He's never seen one, but one murdered the wife of the man he bonded to in the past. They're..."

She drifted off, her gaze turned inward as she spoke with her dragon.

I've heard that name somewhere, Boomer said. I feel like my parents told me about them once.

"Your dragon must be older," Aharon said. "Escrivus an'zra are ancient creatures that can only form when the barrier between dimensions weakens."

"You made us face such things?" Mara asked, her voice hitching. "You must have known that none of us would have a dragon with us."

Again, Aharon provided an apologetic shrug. "I did say you weren't supposed to be able to defeat them."

"What are they?" Cale asked with a tinge of impatient frustration. At least Josh wasn't the only one in the dark.

"Esvrivus an'zra translates to unbound energy in English. When we slay a monster and they pass between realms, some energy can be left in the rift between the two. When enough of that energy collects, it becomes a mindless creature whose only goal is to devour bodies in the hope it can form its own," Mara explained.

Those things! Boomer exclaimed. His confusion from before gave away to a smug smirk. I know about those things. They're weak. My father said he took out one that got near our Sanctum.

Josh scoffed. That reaper wasn't weak at all, Boomer, he pointed out.

Oh, yeah... A slight pout entered his tone. But I am so sure that is what my father fought.

"And," Mara said dryly after a moment, "only creatures of pure energy can defeat them. Such as a dragon."

Josh's eyes went wide. That explained the ease Boomer's father had and the remark about none of them bringing a dragon. If the only way to defeat those things was to have a dragon along...

He shuddered.

"That is the most common way, yes," Aharon agreed. "They were somewhat frequent in the desert around my home. The dragon that lived with us took care of many of them, but for when she would pass, she told us a secret: unbound energy most crave tainted energy, because they themselves are made up of it. That is why pure energy, such as light, hurts them, but the other elements don't affect it. Because of this, they most crave the bodies of the eldest child, believing the age will have given them time to taint their energy further.

"Their desire created an accidental weakness: they despise the blood of children. Their energy is still too pure, and it repels the reapers."

"That's why you were a child?" Cale asked.

"Yes. My brother and I placed seals upon ourselves to keep us as children until we dispelled the reaper. We had to be fully a child, otherwise our energy would not have been as pure," Aharon explained. "I hope this helps you understand everything you have faced up until now. It was all for the protection of the seal upon Sheol."

Josh mulled over the information. It was a lot to take in, and he could see the point to an extent. "Seems a bit over cautious though, if you ask me," he said. "I don't get why you would be so distrustful of a Paladin. We are supposed to be the good guys."

Aharon shot him a sidelong, questioning glance. "Has it been so long that Lucien's origin has been forgotten?"

"It isn't spoken about very frequently," Mara said. She spoke hesitantly, as if uneasy about the information. "The Sages believed it best if everyone spoke of the seals as little as possible and pushed the Paladins and Shadow Knights to do the same, if I have heard correctly."

A beat of silence, then Mara sighed.

"Lucien was a Paladin that betrayed us," she said.

Josh took a sharp breath and held it, almost like he was preparing for a hit. The big adversary they had to keep locked away had been a Paladin, just like him. Maybe he shouldn't be surprised. He had seen games with traitor villain storylines often enough, but somehow, having it be real felt, well, unreal. He was only about two-months into his Paladin journey, but he couldn't imagine turning sides. What had happened to make Lucien do such a thing?

He forced himself to exhale. "Oh," he said lamely.

"I hope now you can understand." Aharon's eyes dropped to the floor. His gaze was distant, seeing a past they would never truly know. "Things were very different when Moshe and I crafted this dimension and its rules. Our trust in the world had been fractured. It relieves me that you once again live in a time where you can have faith in your fellow Paladins."

Josh didn't want to understand, not when it meant realizing that the trust he'd built toward the Paladins could be destroyed like it had been for Aharon, but he did. He sighed.

"Yeah," he said. "I do. Sorry."

They lapsed into a silence, but even if none of them spoke, words weighed heavy in the air. Josh could almost feel him and the others processing the new information and reevaluating everything they'd been through the past couple of days.

"So," Cale said, slowly, as if unsure if he wanted to break the silence, "I think I understand everything so far, but what I don't get is how you and your brother could have known there would be separate groups. If you assumed there was a chance Paladin traitors would get in here, why would they not come along with the Shadow Knights?"

Aharon directed them to take the upcoming right turn before answering. "There is only one key into this dimension, so we never expected two groups to slip in. The plan was always for whoever came in to be separated by the attacks in the desert. Moshe would take the group that had the dragon scale, believing for them to have it to guard, they would be stronger, while I took the other." He grinned, but it didn't reach his saddened eyes. "The younger of us two, yet always so protective."

Cale hummed to himself at the answer. He made the start of a noise—perhaps to ask another question—but it shifted into a hissing gasp.

"Caleb!"

Josh twisted, eyes wide, the worried question on his lips. Before he could ask, the energy hit him like a crashing wave. He was enveloped, his mind drowned and thrown in circles. The energy seeped beneath his skin to claw at his nerves and shriek through his veins so that all he knew right then was it.

"Josh?" A gentle hand pressed against his back, and focusing on it helped drag him out of the energy's riptide. "Josh, are you okay?" Mara tried again.

Josh groaned. "What... What is that?"

"Dark energy, and a lot of it," Cale said. "I've never felt that much before, so I can only imagine what it feels like for you."

"Are you going to be okay?" Mara asked.

"Yeah." Josh forced himself upright despite the freezing pressure sawing through him. He refocused on their surroundings, and he gulped. He'd been looking at Aharon after they'd made their latest turn and didn't realize that an earthen door blocked their path ahead.

Beyond that barrier would be the Shadow Knights.

No, beyond that barrier would be his baby brother and the Paladin leader. He was so close. Dark energy would not stop him now.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go." Jaw set against the overwhelming energy, Josh jogged forward. He only got a few steps before a hand on his shoulder yanked him to a halt.

"Are you insane?" Cale demanded. "Have you not learned anything after all this time? We can't charge into a room with no knowledge of what's inside."

An argument swelled in Josh's chest. He pressed his lips together and swallowed against his anger. Cale was just worried, even if he sucked at showing it. Snapping wouldn't do Josh any good. "What else can we do?" he asked instead. "I don't think we can press our ears against the door and listen in."

Cale opened his mouth, but when no retort came out, he closed it. His brows drew together. Perhaps from frustration, or maybe from worry. It could have been both.

"As much as I hate to side against caution," Aharon began hesitantly, "I do believe Josh is correct. Aside from knowing that Moshe and the Shadow Knights are on the other side, I cannot tell anything else. The only way for us to proceed is assessing the situation in the moment and deciding from there. However..."

A smirk crossed Aharon's face, a confident spark lighting his eyes. The constant pressure of the Shadow Knight's energy eased. A soothing blanket slid over Josh to take its place. Warm, protective, unwavering.

Aharon's energy. Josh had seen him so much as a young boy that he'd forgotten that before them stood a man powerful enough to help defeat Lucien and Sheol.

"They will have a much bigger foe to handle than you," Aharon continued. "You are doing your jobs as Paladins, but Moshe and I are the guardians of this temple, and these Shadow Knights will learn why. You focus on whoever you came to help."

Without another word, he walked up to the door.

Cale stepped up beside Josh, the worried frown still etched on his face. "I hate that you two are right," he said. "I don't like this, but we have no other option, it seems." He tossed his sword between both hands before sighing and settling it in his right. "Let's do this then."

Mara appeared between the two of them. She gave Cale's shoulder a squeeze and smiled at Josh. "Yes. Let's go rescue them."

They shared one last look amongst each other before proceeding down the hallway behind Aharon.

He spared them a quick glance and nodded to himself. Turning his focus back to the door, he placed his hand on its center. A light glowed beneath his palm, and the door gave a massive shudder. He retracted his hand at the same time as the earth groaned upward.

And as it ascended, it allowed Josh his first look at the chaos within.

Fun Fact: Yes, the reaper is based on the great big reaper that was supposed to kill the first-born children as the final plague of Egypt.  However, children as also seen as innocent and sometimes get compared to as sheep or lambs... So, things people would have sacrificed to have smeared the blood on the door... I thought I was being creative xD (this also likely isn't the last time we see the reapers 👀)

It seems I have gained this habit of writing calmer first chapter halves and then going more chaotic.  Lots of talking this chapter, but I hope it has helped explain a lot to you guys.  And made you trust Aharon (so I can ruin all that trust next chapter. Muwhahahahaha!).  But now they think they've arrived to where the Shadow Knights are.  And hopefully Eli + Xander???

Let me know your thoughts on the chapter down below, and if you enjoyed it, don't forget to vote and comment! I also have a discord open to anyone who wants to join, and we have a section there to discuss the book :D It's in my bio if you'd like to join!