Anna Grayson and The Order of Merlin
Guardian Born

A strong gust of wind blew fromthe mirror’s surface as it spoke, swelling the girl’s robe out behind her. Shelooked up again at her mother in the ceiling, who was clutching her hands tightto her chest. The girl stepped forward. Placing her right foot through thesurface of the mirror, Anna could immediately see the foot protruding out ofthe back behind it. It seemed covered in thick, gray smoke as she pushedherself through. When she exited the mirror’s backside, her body looked muchtaller, and completely shrouded in the gray mist. The cloud took the shape of afully-grown woman, wearing glasses and reading a book.

“She looks like a librarian,”said a boy, sitting behind Anna.

“She belongs to… THE SERVERS’ UNION!” roared the voice from the mirror, and there was athunderous cheer from the Servers’ table in response. The girl’s brothers cameforward in jubilation, running to the platform’s steps on the left. The gray,ghostly mist began to clear away from the figure standing on the platform,revealing the same young girl who had just entered the mirror. Her robe,however, had changed from all black, to black with royal-blue trim. The girllooked down in amazement at her right arm, which now carried the singleblue-embroidered hash mark of a first-year student. She smiled, and thengleefully ran to the steps and into the arms of her waiting brothers. Annalooked up and could see the mother happily crying and waving a handkerchiefdown at them. Before the cheering had subsided, the man called another name.

“Jordan Humphrey!” bellowedProfessor Titan.

A small boy to Anna’s right nowstood and began to climb the stairs. An older girl from the Searchers’ tablealso stood as the boy stepped onto the platform, and a man with thick arms anda blackened face, wearing a leather apron, caught everybody’s eye as hestraightened to stand high in the ceiling above them.

“Enter… and prepare to be joined,”roared the voice from the mirror again. The boy stepped through. A balloon ofgray smoke and mist bellowed out the other side, completely engulfing the boyas he exited. The mist formed itself into that of a huge man, swinging anenormous hammer down upon an anvil. It landed with a loud and deafening BANG. The large figure within the mistlooked very much like the man in the ceiling, with huge arms and enormouslypowerful legs. The first-year students, seated in the front row, recoiled asthe figure slammed the hammer down once again upon the anvil. BANG!!

“He belongs to… THE LABORERS’UNION!” echoed the voice from the mirror, rattling the windows of the Rotundaas the students seated in their green and black robes leaped to their feet,cheering and clapping madly.

The mist cleared, and the smallboy remained proudly displayed in his green-trimmed robe as his sister raced tothe edge of the steps to hug him. Their wizard father, high above, gave themboth a satisfied wave before seating himself once again.

“Donna Archer!”

“She belongs to… THE DEFENDERS’UNION!”

“Stephan Lewis!”

“THE DEFENDERS’ UNION!”

“Christopher O’Brien!”

“THE SERVERS’ UNION!”

One by one, the names were readfrom the Book of Births and each of the students stepped through theMirror of Enlightenment.

“THE ARTISIANS’ UNION!”

“THE SEACHERS’ UNION!”

“THE LABORERS’ UNION!”

Anna’s heart was pumping sohard, she began to wonder if the people seated around her could hear it. Herface was hot, but her blood felt ice-cold. When would her name be called? Thenshe noticed something strange about the first-years walking up to the mirror;they seemed to be getting younger and smaller than those called earlier in theevening. Then it dawned on her; something that Captain Dunning had told themearlier. Each student would be called in the order they were listed in the Bookof Births. Anna’s heart sank. From what Doctor Pearl had told them at home,her name was the last entry in the book. That meant Anna would be the lastperson called. The thought of it made her anxiety double on the spot as shesunk painfully into her chair. The wait was going to be torture.

As the students dwindled downto just a few, one small boy stepped out from behind the mirror within agigantic, swelling cloud of mist. It reached high into the ceiling, taking upall the space on the wooden platform. The mist formed itself into a tallstrapping man with a wand in his outstretched hand, pointing at a monstrousfigure forming above him.

“It’s a dragon!” somebodyyelled from behind them.

Sure enough, towering high intothe domed ceiling, looking positively ferocious, stood a huge dragon belchingblack smoke. Its deafening roar thundered before the future wizard standingbravely at its clawed feet. Tiny Sarah Bell, sitting next to Anna, screamed andcovered her face as the beast’s smoky-gray wings spread across the entire roomand all of the students in the hall gasped and wowed loudly. The wizard shot a bright beam from his wand,hitting the dragon between the eyes; its roar shook the entire building aroundthem as the smoke began to clear.

“He belongs to… THE DEFENDERS’ UNION!” Everybody in the Rotunda cheered and whoopedloudly.

“Wow! He’s going to work withdragons. That’s incredible!” said a fourth-year student at the Searchers’table. Anna was sinking still lower into her chair. There were only two of themleft seated.

“Sarah Bell!” called Titan fromthe stage, and Sarah slowly stood. She was visibly trembling, and in a state offearful collapse. The sight of the dragon clearly must have been too much forher. Anna looked around, hoping to see somebody within the Rotunda or in theceiling moving to stand for the girl, but she was completely alone. Sarahtimidly walked toward the steps, staring back at Anna, her face a study ofterrified panic. Anna tried to demonstrate a reassuring expression, but it wasdifficult to give the girl confidence from across the room. There was a growingmurmur through the crowd, and Anna could see Professor Thordarson looking aboutthe Rotunda and then high into the ceiling above them. He stood.

“Is there no one here today whowould stand for this delightful young lady?” the crowd was quiet. Everybody waslooking around for somebody who might know her. “Nobody?” asked the Chancellor.Anna could see Professor Titan now helping Sarah up the steps and escorting hertoward the glowing mirror. She was clutching his arm with all her strength.Anna’s stomach was tightening. The scene looked more like the coming of anexecution than anything resembling some happy event. The crowd started tomurmur as Professor Thordarson reluctantly sat back down again.

“Who is she?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well… where’s her family?”

“She must come from anall-Muggle family,” whispered the voices in the crowd.

Anna was almost sick watchingpoor Sarah, scared beyond standing but for Professor Titan’s help, looking intothe light of the mirror before her. She held tight to Titan’s arm and thenburied her face into his robes. Taken aback, the teacher tried to coax the tinygirl forward.

A small voice began to ringinside Anna’s head; she could hear her father’s words: We honor the memory of those Graysons who came before us when we helpand protect those in trouble or who are less fortunate. Anna had seenenough; without thinking, she stood.

“I will stand for Sarah Bell!”Anna said confidently. Everybody in the hall went silent, and all of theteachers began to point down at Anna as Professor Thordarson looked up. Wouldhe tell her to sit down? Would he demand Sarah’s proper family come forwardbefore she was joined? Would he send Sarah home? Would he escort Anna out thedoor and throw her into the moat?

The old wizard was still for amoment, staring appraisingly at Anna standing alone for the girl. TheChancellor suddenly smiled broadly.

“Thank you, my dear. And I amsure Miss Bell thanks you as well.” Sarah peeked up from Professor Titan’s armto see Anna smiling back at her.

“Go ahead, Sarah. You can doit,” Anna motioned to her, confidently. Sarah looked up and into the mirroronce again.

“Enter… and prepare to be joined,”roared the voice from the mirror. Sarah’s silky blonde hair blew back; her eyessquinted from the mirror’s breath. Professor Titan leaned in and softlywhispered something into her ear. She looked at Anna again.

“Go on. You can do it. Justwalk straight through. Go on…” Anna said, motioning her forward once more.Sarah finally released the teacher’s arm and Professor Titan cautiously backedaway. She stood alone in front of the mirror, while the light from within beganto brighten.

“ENTER!” it shouted.

Sarah looked at Anna one lasttime. She suddenly stiffened, and then, without another moment of hesitation,she stepped through. A wave of smoke accumulated on the other side to show atall, beautifully slender woman, feeding birds from her hand.

“She belongs to… THE SERVERS’ UNION!”

The entire Rotunda erupted intoa loud roar of cheering applause. Muggle family or not, Sarah Bell had done it.As the smoke cleared around her, Sarah looked down to replace the royal bluecolors of the Servers’ Union embroidered on her sleeve, and even some of theCrimson Guards, standing stiffly against the upper balcony, were clapping forthe courage displayed by this tiny young girl. Sarah looked over to see Annawaiting for her at the steps, and she joyfully ran to the side and into Anna’swaiting arms.

“Well done, Sarah!” Anna said,brushing the girl’s blonde hair out of her face. “Very well done, indeed.”

Sarah beamed, and then lookedaround to replace Eric and some of the other students from the Servers’ Unionwalking up to greet her.

“Anna Grayson!” yelledProfessor Titan. Anna looked up in surprise. In all of the excitement, she hadcompletely forgotten it was now her turn to enter the mirror. She walked to theother side of the platform and up the stairs. She could hear several studentswhispering in the hall around her.

“Look how big she is!”

“She’s a first-year?”

“No way! She looks a lot olderthan that.”

“She looks like a teenager tome. What’s going on?”

Anna was so nervous her heartseemed to skip several beats as she moved toward the mirror. As Professor Titanescorted her forward, Anna could hear the scrapping of many chairs in the Rotundabelow her. She looked over in time to see Eric coming around the corner of thetable, and the entire Server Union strained their necks to see whom it was hewas standing for with obvious pride. Tencha and Dowla were also standing at theSearcher’s table, and Damon could be seen leisurely, if not reluctantly,getting to his feet among the Defenders. The Grayson name was obviously wellknown by the academy faculty, and seeing so many Graysons moving to standimmediately gathered their attention. There was movement above her, and Annacould now see her father and Mrs. McConnell standing in the front row of theirseats, their images strangely bent against the brick and mortar of the ceiling.Gwen was also standing at the Artisan’s table, and Anna couldn’t help smilingat the strong show of support all around her.

Still, one more person chose tostand. Little Sarah Bell was now standing next to Eric among the other Servers.Smiling brightly, she was motioning Anna forward. “Go ahead,” she mouthed. Annanodded before turning to look deep into the mirror’s light.

“Enter… and prepare to be joined,”bellowed the voice from the mirror.

Its breath was hot. It swirledAnna’s hair up and around her head, blowing her robes tight against her chest.Anna took a deep breath, lifted up the hem of her robes, and then stepped overthe bottom edge of the frame and into the mirror.

Immediately, Anna felt herbalance fall away, as if she had missed the landing at the bottom of somedarkened staircase. She was spinning and turning around over and over, the hotwind from the mirror blowing wildly all about her. Was this normal? Is thiswhat everybody else experienced while inside the mirror? What washappening? She finally stopped spinning and opened her eyes.

She found herself lying flatupon a bright white floor. Anna tried to stand and then stumbled slightly froma sudden twang of dizziness. Seeking to recover her balance, she immediatelyreached out for something to lean on, but found nothing and fell to the flooragain. She looked up. There were no walls in this strange place. No ceilingabove her; just whiteness, a kind of snowy emptiness everywhere.

“Where am I?” she said,pressing her body up from the floor once again to look around.

“Hello? Can anybody hear me?”Nothing. This is really weird, Anna thought, trying to gather herbearings. She stood again and walked forward, trying to center upon anything inher line of sight that might help her to focus. It was void, complete, andtotal blankness.

“Hello…?” she called again.

“Comitis!”

Anna wheeled around. Wasthat a voice? She was sure she heard it. It said… something. It said,“What…?” Anna replied, listening hard.

“Hideux!”

There it was again. But thistime, it was different; another voice, separate from the first.

“I’m sorry?” Anna said,concentrating hard. Then she heard them, softly at first, but growing louderwith each passing second. Voices, too numerous to count, began whispering allaround her. It sounded like a crowd slowly making their way toward her.

“Polleo” “Can it” “Fortis”“be?” They were growing louder now.

“Excuse me? Where are you? Canyou help me?”

“Charmant…” “After all…”“der Begleiter”

There were too many voices, somany languages, whispering and talking to each other, their words mixing andmingling into a nonstop soup of buzzing pressure.

“these years…” “the DarkLord…” “… a child… friend or foe to the light?”

Suddenly, there was a loudscream, “Kalandomõ!”

“Viscus edoedi essum!”

Anna fell to her knees and put herhands to her ears. The voices were too loud, too many people yelling andscreaming at once. She couldn’t hear herself think. She didn’t understand. Shecouldn’t comprehend what they were saying.

“Stop!” She screamed. Suddenly, itall went quiet.

Finally, a single voice spoke fromout of the blankness. “Welcome, Guardian!”

Anna slowly lifted her hands awayfrom her ears and looked around.

“Hello?” she replied, checking herability to speak.

“Welcome… Anna Grayson,” the voicesaid, speaking to her like an old friend.

“Thank you… I think…” Anna counteredmeekly. “What is this place?” she asked the voice. “Where am I?”

“You are among friends, Sentinel. Weare part of the community you seek to serve.”

“The what? I don’t understand. Look…I was at Castlewood, walking through the Mirror of Enlightenment, and thensomething happened and I ended up here instead. I need to get back to theschool and to my family. They’ll be worried when they see I’ve disappeared.”Anna could hear the far off whispering starting to rumble forward once again,even before she had finished her sentence.

“It must be worse than we thought…to have such as this. Where has it been?” a voice said somewhere high aboveher.

“I’m sorry?” Anna started to say. “Ican’t hear what you…”

“We are they whom you have been sentto protect,” said the singular voice to Anna once again.

Anna’s frustration was building. Itseemed to her the last few days had only created confusion and uncertainty, andnow she was lost. She didn’t know where she was or why she was here. She couldfeel the temples in the sides of her head throbbing as the whispering continuedon and on.

“Stop it! I… I don’t understand you.What do you want from me? Tell me who you people are. Tell me what you want!”

“Lejárónyílás” “Comitis” “Avaleur”“…friend to the beasts in the field…”

Therewas a pause, and then, “Tell us, Guardian. Where you have been?”

“Where have I been? What do youmean? You mean… today? Where would you have me start? I…”

“From your birth,” thevoice interrupted.

“From my birth?” Anna repeatedin stunned alarm. “Since I was born?” Her aggravation was steadily building.“I’ve been with my father and family, of course.” The whispers began again.

“Listen — I need to get out of here.My family will be…”

“You are not what was intended!”

Anna’s blood suddenly froze. Shedidn’t like the sound of that remark; it had the ring of something painfullyfamiliar. The words cut like a knife into her heart, because, deep down, sheknew it was true. Until only recently, she had never been what anybodyintended, not to her father or her family. Anna started to string some of thecomments and words from the voices together, thinking carefully about her nextquestion.

How would they, whoever or whateverthey were, have anything to do with her life? It was impossible, yet, they wereacting as if they had some knowledge of her past. Anna felt like a fishcontemplating a hooked worm, but decided to go ahead and bite anyway.

“What were your intentions forme, then?” Anna knew the question was preposterous, but she found herselfwaiting fearfully, her breathing suddenly put on hold.

“Our intension… was to halt thechaos… the madness to come.”

These words surprised Anna, forshe had definitely heard them once before, from the strange visitor in herbedroom. Anna stepped forward warily.

“Are you the ghost that came tovisit me twice last week?” She frowned suspiciously, waiting for a reply.

“She is speaking of the ally —the murdered one,” said a whispered voice in the background.

Anna’s eyes widened. “Yes! Yes…the ally. That’s what it called itself. Is the ally among you here?”

Another pause and then, “Theally is not part of what is, child. She is not here.”

“She?” So, the ally was awoman. Did she hear one of them say… she had been murdered? Anna thoughtagain, choosing her questions carefully like a person with a limited number toask.

“Creatura” “…állat,” the voices continued.

“What is… a Guardian?” Anna asked them.

“She has been altered from whatwas intended.”

“Creatura”

“állat”

“Háztartási alkalmazott mágikus,szép lány”

Anna thought she heard herfather’s voice in the distance. “There has always been something special aboutyou, Anna, when it comes to the creatures and animals around us…”

“Daddy?” Anna called. “Are youthere?”

“Touch the child’smemories,” said a whisper from the blankness above.

“Nah! Borzalmas! Kalandomõleöléstámadható!”

“Lejárónyílás szép lány”

The voices seemed to be arguingwith one another and, try as she did, Anna couldn’t seem to get anybody’sattention. After several attempts to interrupt their squabbling, Anna sighedruefully and sat down.

“This could take a while,” shesaid irritably.

TWO

Back in the Rotunda, the scenehad become tense. Anna had completely, and it would seem totally unexpectedly,disappeared. While everybody else had walked straight through the Mirror ofEnlightenment, it had been more than ten minutes now since Anna had entered theglass. Professor Titan himself had walked through the mirror shortly afterAnna, looking to replace her without a sound or response from the mirror at all.Since that time, however, the glass had gone completely solid, and looked justas normal as any other mirror that might have hung within the castle. Some ofthe other teachers had joined Titan on the platform with their wands out,working to get a response from the mirror. Professor Thordarson wassurprisingly quiet, still sitting in his chair in the observation box. CaptainDunning was now by his side.

“Chancellor, what are we to makeof this?” asked Dunning. “Where has the girl gone?”

“Patience, my good Captain…patience.”

“So… you do expect the girl toreturn?” Thordarson did not answer. He leaned forward to look up at the ceilingtoward Mister Grayson.

In his office back at theestate, Mister Grayson and Mrs. McConnell stood motionless in the dark in frontof an emerald green fire. They were watching the events unfolding in the Rotundawithin the flames. Although it was difficult for Mister Grayson, he could tellfrom the calm reaction of the Chancellor below him that it wouldn’t be properto panic yet. Although he tried to display the same coolness as Thordarson forthe benefit of his other children, it didn’t stop Anna’s father from saying aquiet prayer to himself.

“What should we do, Boris?”asked Mrs. McConnell, who was just as confused as everybody else about what washappening. Looking down once more at the Chancellor leaning up to see him,Mister Grayson sat back down in his chair.

“Patience…” he said smoothly.The Chancellor smiled, and then leaned back to settle himself once again.

Unfortunately, patience was nota virtue the other Graysons possessed. Eric, Tencha, Dowla, and Damon were nowon the platform talking to the other teachers, and closely inspecting themirror on all sides. After a while, Gwen and Sarah Bell also joined them.

“Where the hell is she?” Ericdemanded. He had his wand out now, his thoughts pondering the possibility thatsome kind of sneak-attack had been carried out upon his family. Damon wasdiscussing the problem coolly and rather analytically with some of the otherteachers around him. The four girls were huddled together, trying to grasp whatwas happening.

“You… Sarah is it?” asked Dowla,pointing at Sarah Bell. “When you walked through the mirror, did anythingstrange happen to you?”

Sarah spoke softly. “Well… I wasinside for about thirty seconds. There were these voices, but they only askedme one question. They wanted to know if I preferred large or small animals.”Sarah looked worriedly up at the mirror. “I hope I didn’t break it.”

“Don’t be silly, Sarah,” saidGwen, who had already introduced herself to Anna’s new friend. “Nothing youmight have done could have caused this.”

As for Eric, panic was nowbeginning to settle in. It had been nearly twenty minutes since Anna’sdisappearance and he was looking for answers. He walked over to theChancellor’s box.

“Professor Thordarson, I demandto know what’s going on. Where is my sister? Where is Anna?” Thordarson did notanswer. He simply leaned forward again to look into the ceiling. Eric turned tolook up at his father as well, and saw Mister Grayson calmly holding up areassuring hand toward him. Eric could see Mrs. McConnell leaning in to speakto their father, but he wasn’t paying any attention to her.

“Have patience, Eric… please.Give it a little more time,” Thordarson’s voice said behind him. The old wizardwas settled comfortably back in his chair once more.

“But how long?” Eric saidsoftly, glaring worriedly at the mirror. “How long must we wait before doingsomething?”

“So, there’s a delay betweenwhat actually happens to somebody walking into the mirror and what everybodyelse sees on the outside?” asked Dowla, responding to Sarah’s comments. “But Idon’t remember anything like that when I was joined.”

“I do. The same thing happenedto me when I walked through,” Tencha interjected. “It felt like I was insidefor about two minutes, answering a bunch of questions. But after I came out,everybody told me later that it looked like I had walked straight through. Theydidn’t see any delay at all.”

“My God,” Gwen moaned, afrightening thought suddenly passing through her mind. “If your delay was twominutes without any perceivable difference from the outside… then… how long hasAnna been in there?”

“About thirty minutes now,”Dowla replied, looking at her watch.

“No! I mean for Anna… inside themirror?”

“Oh my…” Tencha said,comprehendingly. “To Anna… it must seem like…”

*****

“FOUR DAYS!!!” Anna screamed atthe whispering voices around her within the mirror. “I’ve been in here for fourdays… and I still don’t understand anything more of what you want than when Ifirst arrived! Am I your prisoner? Am I never to leave this horrible place?”Anna was in tears. The same aggravating questions where being asked of her overand over again.

“What changed you, Guardian?”

“Is the rage within the worldbuilding? Why were you brought out of hiding?”

“How will you protect us?”

“We are looking for the beast that altered you? Where is it?”

Over and over they asked, and never did they answer any ofAnna’s questions. In a fit of rage, Anna decided to stop answering theirquestions, and started walking into the blank distances around her. She musthave walked for miles, but her position never seemed to change, and the voicesfollowed her relentlessly. Eventually she stopped asking anything of hercaptors, and resorted instead to pleading and begging for her freedom.

Anna slumped to the floor once again, as the whispers continuedaround her, constantly debating and squabbling between them. Lying on her back,she started dreaming about color, and what it must have been like to see a bluesky and feel the warm sunshine on her face. She longed to see and sleep indarkness again. She slammed her fists into the thick parts of her legs infrustration. At least the self-induced pain shooting through her brain gave hersome form of input, something different from the insane blankness surroundingher. She knew if she stayed in this place much longer, she would loose hermind. She had to keep her focus; concentrate on the faces of her family and herdistant home.

All at once, Anna started to laugh. For a full minute, shelaughed until tears were streaming down her cheeks and face. Finally, sherolled onto her side on the floor to catch her breath, still giggling. Throughall of the madness, one funny thought had breached the nearly impenetrablefrustration clouding her mind.

“You know…” she said, smiling and sitting up sleepily to lookaround her. “Eventually, I’m going to need to use the bathroom.”

Anna’s smile turned cold as she stood once again and screamed atthe top of her lungs into the void, “And you can just imagine what that’s goingto do to your nice — clean — FLOORS!!!”

*****

The situation in the Rotunda was now becoming desperate. It hadbeen nearly an hour, and even Mister Grayson was motioning for a moment of theChancellor’s time from the ceiling above. The buzzing within the Rotunda nowsounded like a school auditorium. Nobody knew what was going to happen next.

“Quiet!!!” bellowed Captain Dunning, and the room instantly fellsilent as he walked over to the mirror. “Listen!” he said, and everybody on theplatform strained to hear. A low rumble, like rolling thunder in the far offdistance, was coming from the surface of the mirror. The sound increased andnow everybody could see the tiniest spot of light blooming from the center ofthe glass. It was growing.

Eric charged forward. “What have you done with my sister?” hedemanded. There was no reply as the light continually grew in size andintensity.

*****

Inside the mirror, Anna could now hear the rumble too. It wokeher up from the floor, and she looked around in shock to see a billowing stormgathering over her head. The clouds were growing darker, and swirls of mistwere dancing all around. Soundless lightning streaked across the blackened sky,burning her eyes.

“What’s happening?” Anna yelled through the now howling wind.

From the dark sky above, a chorus of voices finally spoke inunison. “We have decided to keep you as you are, Guardian. Time will notallow us to start anew. You will continue in the Order of those we sent incenturies past. We are part of the magic all around you, and seek your guidanceand protection from the destruction of those who would destroy all in theirfight. But you have been altered apart from what we helped to bring about atyour birth, and so we have a plan to enlist the assistance of others to helpyou in your noble cause. Together, you will protect us from the ravages ofchaos. But be warned. We have located the beast that altered you from what wasintended.”

Anna frowned. She didn’t understand what they were telling her.What did they mean she had been altered? Then an idea swiftly came to her, andher eyes widened with fear.

“Do you mean the Lethifold… the thing living inside of me?” sheasked frantically.

“No, Guardian. That creature is merely a manifestation, anunderstanding, of what you have once come to know through physical contact. Thebeast that altered you is a terribly evil thing that looks to escape from aprison of its own making. It will surely kill you for its master’s sake ifgiven a chance and learns of your existence.”

“But why? Why would such a thing try to kill me? What is it?”asked Anna in surprise. She could feel her concentration failing her. Fatigueand the lack of sleep were hampering her ability to understand what they weresaying. “Who is its master?”

“The Dark Lord is gathering strength, and so are his minions inhiding everywhere. Fear not. We will serve you now in ways like no other sincethe falcon flew among your kind, and you will serve us with your strength andcourage. You will turn what has been done to you against the madness. Thebeasts, creatures, places, and the things of magic are now part of your family.You are one with us, Anna Grayson. Faith… little one; keep it close to yourheart. Good luck, Guardian. Go… and be vigilant!”

And with these final words, Anna saw a flash of yellow light anda small hole opening before her. Anna recognized the swirl, as the same lightwithin the surface of the mirror that had first brought her to the emptinessthat had become her prison.

“Exit… and prepare to be joined!” yelled the mirror.Anna could see several teachers back at the school walking on the platformthrough the hole in front of her.

*****

On the other side, smoke beganto swell out the back of the mirror as it had done for the other students.Professor Thordarson and Mister Grayson stood and watched in amazement as thesmoke turned purple before their eyes.

“Come on, Anna!” Eric yelled.“Get out of there! Come on!”

*****

Anna stood at the exit ready tostep through when a blast of scorching wind suddenly pushed her forward. Ericsaw something shoot out from the back of the mirror and onto the floor at hisfeet. The heat from the body was tremendous, and although he could see it wasAnna lying on the floor below him, he was forced to back away from theblistering wave of hot air hitting him full in the face.

Anna was out. Finally, she wasfree. She stood and looked up. She couldn’t hear anything, but she could seehundreds of students standing and looking up at her in astonished alarm. Theywere pointing and … there was something else. Anna could now hear themscreaming. Loud shrieks of panic were coming in from all around her. Anna heardpopping noises, and the sound of several blasts behind her. She turned to seeseveral blurry images, teachers, and Crimson Guards, shooting spells of waterat her with their wands. The jets of water transformed into purple clouds ofsteam five feet in front of her.

What are they doing? Why arethey attacking me? Anna heard a familiar voice screaming at her and sheturned to replace Eric trying to throw his robes over her head. She watched thegarment float toward her and then instantly explode into flames. She could seeTencha and Dowla, frozen in shock, their hands covering their mouths in horror.Gwen was clutching Sarah tightly and covering the little girl’s eyes. Whatwas happening?

Anna finally turned and saw herown image standing in the back of the Mirror of Enlightenment. What she saw horrifiedher . Purple flames engulfed her entire body . She was on fire. The infernothat was her body, shot high into the air above her, and only one thought cameinto Anna’s mind: She was going to die. After everything she had been throughover these last several days - she was going to die here, like this, in frontof her family. She closed her eyes and prayed for a quick end, and then sherealized… there was no pain. Theflames billowing forth from her body did not burn her skin. In fact, it felt noworse than a soft sweater on a warm summer’s day.

The Rotunda was now in completeand screaming chaos. The Chancellor stood and began to fire water spells atAnna from the orb on his staff, but not even the greatest wizard in all the Americas coulddouse the flames engulfing the girl now.

Mister Grayson was screaminginto the fireplace from his home. “Somebody, do something! Save her — oh, myGod — save her!”

“She belongs to… US!” boomedthe voice from the mirror. With these words, Anna was sucked back into theglass once again and quickly out the other side in front.

“She belongs to… MAGIC!” roaredthe mirror.

The flames surrounding Anna’sbody were gone now. Only the thick, misty smoke remained. It began to twist andturn, forming itself into the image of a tall woman, staring blankly out intothe Rotunda. The mist surrounding the image of the future Anna Graysoncontinued to change and distort, and then a huge beast, a giant leopard,formed, which sat slowly down on her right side. The gigantic cat roared,shaking the windows around the Rotunda. Its breath was that of something rancidand putrid, like death in a freshly opened grave.

“What is that thing?” shouted aseventh year, stumbling backwards at the Defenders’ table.

“A Nundu!” replied a Searcherfrom the other side. “Its breath is poisonous… do not breathe it!”

More images began to formaround Anna. A goblet of fire sat on the floor at her feet with a unicornstanding above it. The icons of several magical places filled the spaces behindher, floating wands, brooms, orbs, crystals, and stars swirled above her head.Anna’s ghostly image wore a tall witches’ hat with the markings of severalconstellations woven upon it. Finally, an amulet formed around her neck with acrest and coats of arms containing two dragons, one black, and the other white,facing each other with a sword separating them in the middle.

The mirror roared again. “Sheis… A GUARDIAN! SITHMAITH!Only those willing to sacrifice much may serve under this banner! But she is unprepared… you must… help her.”

With these final words, themirror’s yellow light went out and the smoke surrounding Anna began to fade. Asthe purple swirls slowly evaporated, they revealed Anna lying on the floor in acrumbled heap. Eric ran over to her and gently lifted her head up and onto hislap.

“Anna!” He felt for a pulse inher neck and listened closely to her breathing. “She’s breathing, she’s allright! Anna! Wake up… please open your eyes. It’s me; it’s Eric. Can you hearme? Anna!” Eric shook his sister and then cautiously inspected her arms andlegs for burns. He was relieved to see there were none. Anna slowly opened hereyes and stared up at Eric and the others standing above her.

“Let’s get her to her feet,”said a warm voice from behind them. It was Professor Thordarson. “I don’t senseany permanent physical damage. She should be all right. Come now… gently.” Ericand Titan helped Anna to stand.

“Are you all right, my dear?”Thordarson asked her tenderly, smoothing Anna’s hair and inspecting her bodyfor injuries.

Anna wobbled a little, coughed,and rubbed her eyes. “I… I think so,” she said, weakly.

Eric wasn’t so sure. “Anna, Ican’t believe this. It looked like you were on fire. What the heck happened toyou in there? We were about to take that mirror apart!”

“I wish you had. How long was Igone? Did everybody wait all that time for me here?” asked Anna, looking inamazement at the large crowd still standing in the Rotunda.

“Over an hour!” said Dowla,glancing again at her watch.

“An hour?” Anna yelped. “No! That’s impossible. It was days…nearly a week! There were these voices. They wouldn’t let me sleep. They keptasking me these stupid questions about my birth… and…”

“Questions? What kind ofquestions?” Eric asked, angrily.

“That’s enough for now,”Professor Thordarson pronounced calmingly. “I think we had better get Anna tothe hospital floor and have Doctor Pearl take a look at her. No more questions now.Captain Dunning, please make sure she gets a proper escort. And Eric, I thinkit would be sensible if your family went with her as well.”

The Chancellor then turned andwalked to the edge of the platform to speak to the crowd. “She’s all right.She’s going to be fine!” he announced to the students in a high voice. TheRotunda erupted into happy hoots and cheerful clapping. The Chancellor lookedup into the ceiling at Mister Grayson and waved merrily back to him, givingAnna’s father the assurance he needed to know that his daughter was unharmed.

Mister Grayson fell back downinto his chair at home. “Thank God,” he said in relief.

Professor Thordarson raised hisarms to the crowd once again. “Circumstances being what they are, I believe itproper to end the evening here. We will hold off announcing the new UnionKnights and the student president until tomorrow night at the start of termbanquet. Please make your way back to your Union Halls. I would ask our seniorsto pair up with our new first-years, and make sure they get their roomassignments and day-one schedules. Good night, everybody. We’ll see you allagain tomorrow evening. Sleep tight!” he said, amusingly.

“What’s that?” asked ProfessorTitan, who was inspecting Anna’s robe. Anna looked down and was surprised tosee a single colored hash mark on her right sleeve.

“It’s purple!” said Gwen inamazement.

“Purple? But we don’t have any Union hoisting that color,” said Captain Dunning,admonishingly. “Wait a minute!” He peered in closely at the new coat of armsupon Anna’s chest. “I’ve never seen a crest like that before. What do you makeof it, Professor Thordarson?”

The Chancellor stepped in totake a look. The crest carried the same double dragons and sword seen in theclouded amulet around Anna’s neck when she first came out of the mirror.

“Hmmm, yes… I see,” saidThordarson. He inspected the markings on the badge and then lifted Anna’s armto examine the purple colors embroidered on her robe. “Interesting… veryinteresting, indeed,” the wizard mumbled evasively.

“What does it mean, sir?” askedDunning.

“Well, it would mean… we haveall just witnessed the founding of a new Hall at Castlewood.”

“What?” several people wowedtogether.

“Yes,” said the old wizardflippantly. “It would seem there are six unions now among us: The Searchers,the Servers, the Laborers, the Artisans, the Defenders… and now… theGuardians.”