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Nearby, a stone table rose to chest height, rough and irregular, as if hastily hewn from the earth.The table was encircled by dirt, and upon it lay the body of a person, their ankles and wrists bound by grimy chains affixed to the stone. A metal bowl, marked with unsettling stains, rested beside a knife embedded in the chest. Liona's heart raced as she beheld the skeletons surrounding them, their feet shackled. The sight of the monstrous altar sent shivers down her spine, and every instinct screamed for her to flee this place. "What is this place, princess?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "This was an altar used to worship in the dark," Cira replied, her tone grave."To worship the Dark King." "The Dark King?" Liona echoed, her curiosity mingling with fear. "Yes. That is why we will open the doors, to let him enter and transform this world, to strike down our enemies and grant us freedom." "But to do so, I need the keys to open the gates of Hades. This body cannot withstand its lethal power, so I must find a way to strengthen it and reclaim the power I've been missing." "But the other key belongs to Princess Abril," Liona interjected. "They are right there.When you can reach it, you will take the key that she possesses." Cira began walking, and Liona hurried to follow, the atmosphere thick with dread. "Your Majesty, don't leave me behind," Liona called out. "Are you scared?" Cira asked, glancing back. "No, I just don't want to get lost. This place seems enormous." Cira ignored the response and continued down the long corridor, leading them into a vast room lined with shelves overflowing with books. "Is this a library?" Liona asked, her eyes wide with wonder. "Yes, in this place there is a book that can respond," Cira explained."But first, we must enter so you can open the books and ask your questions." The room was filled with thousands of tomes, and Liona felt a thrill of anticipation. "We have to search for them all," she urged. "Exactly. Let's stop wasting time and focus on the search. Remember, you can only ask one question. Once you do, the book will disappear." "Does anyone use it?" Liona inquired. "The book remains here, but no one has used it since it was emptied," Cira replied. "Yes, Princess," Liona said, determination in her voice.Meanwhile, Alessandro took his time entering the guardians' chamber, intent on speaking to the first guardian. He hesitated, unsure of what to say until he decided to call out random names. "Tomas, Saul, Frederik..." he tried. "None of those names seem to fit," the guardian replied, a hint of annoyance in his tone. "Then tell me what you want, and I'll stop bothering you," Alessandro said, crossing his arms. "I don't want anything," the guardian retorted, his voice sharp. "Maybe next time my brother Cassian will win, and I won't have to spend all my time in this room," Alessandro mused."What?" the guardian asked, intrigued. Alessandro saw Cassian's name triggered something in the guardian. "Um... Castiel?" he ventured. The first guardian's expression softened, a glimmer of emotion crossing his face as a tear traced down his pale cheek. "There were many who never called me by my name." "That's why you didn't say it to anyone," Alessandro observed. "It's not that. Everyone knew my name; they repeated it over and over. But no one remembered me, as if they denied my existence, only recalling what was there and no one else.I suppose that was my punishment." Alessandro had no idea what Cassiel was talking about. The reality was far from what he had read, and he was more interested in the story than the guardian's feelings. "I said your name. Now tell me the whole story of the guardians and Hades. Who are you really?" "I won't share my story," Cassiel replied, his gaze drifting as if he were looking beyond the walls. "My story and the king's story are similar; both of us were expelled from the city for disobeying God." "What?" Alessandro asked, taken aback."The Dark Secret has had many names throughout time and across worlds. Satan is the prince of them all, but the name I had was Lucifer. I stood alone on the mountain, anointed by God as a guardian among the holy army, close to Him. But my heart was corrupted by my beauty and wisdom. I wanted to be like God, and that desire led to my downfall. Lucifer was cast out of heaven with his followers when he realized he could not seize the throne from God.However, he turned his gaze toward humanity, his precious creation, seeking to dominate and destroy everything." "Then you are also an angel?" Alessandro asked, astonished. "I was once, but compared to my brother, my punishment wasn't for rebellion. I was punished for my inclination toward humanity, for the pain I could inflict upon my Father. I was cast down from the heavens and forced to live among mortals." "Before I fell, I conquered many worlds," Cassiel continued. "There is more than one world. Each time the Dark King consumes a world, God creates a new one inhabited by humanity.noveldramaSome of the inhabitants of these worlds are magicians and elves, though they never truly love humanity. I grew weary of watching how they destroyed what my Father left behind, so I closed the gates of Hades to prevent them from entering this world. But I lost my way and became human, which is why I lost my physical form. I cannot die, nor can my descendants. That is why all guardians inhabit the space between this world and the next; we are tasked with watching over the Dark King.We are the only ones who can open the gates of Hades without being consumed by darkness." Alessandro had imagined he would hear a story like those he had read, but he never expected a tale like this. "Why don't the other guardians know they are descendants of an angel?" he asked. "That is why I chose this path, so they wouldn't feel superior to humans or anyone else. There are other reasons, but now that you have learned this, it is time to move on."