"Is she jealous?" I assumed.

Eugene laughed as if he heard an excellent joke. I had to wait long for him to calm down.

"You are funny!"

"It was not a joke…" he raised his eyebrows, as if not understanding what I meant. "I thought you are close with her."

"Yes, it's true. She's my soulmate. Why would she be jealous?"

"That's what usually happens with people: when the bride sees her fiancé with another girl, she gets angry and freaks out."

"Oh! That's where you're getting… You know, it's just impossible. She can't be jealous of you."

"Why is that? Since you're so truthful, then tell me: am I a freak?"

I wanted to punch him in the sore spot, and then kick Milena's ass. I, of course, was not as stunning as his girlfriend, but to treat me like that was just beyond normal.

"No, you're not a freak. By human standards, you're quite attractive. That's not the point…" I suddenly felt better. However, it was not clear why I was so interested in the opinion of the Guardian. "Let me put it this way. I've already told you that people are the inferior race for us. Any relationship between you and us is abnormal. It can be compared to the love of a human to a dog, and not just as an animal but as a partner for life. I can't physically have feelings for a human, so it would be weird to be jealous of you. I really don't know how it works with people," Eugene looked at me.

"Interesting! Though, now it's hard to call me just a human. What are your rules about this?"

"I don't think there is a significant difference. Right now, you're just a Vessel into which the Force was placed, but, essentially, you remain a human. And it's not you who absorbs the taken abilities, but what's inside you. Sooner or later, this all can be pulled out, and you'll be a normal person again. But I'd like to warn you of the future. If you kill the immortal and absorb his immortality, you will become immortal. There will be no way back. You'll become a part of our world forever. Immortality can't be extracted. People will cease to be significant and cherished… Even your parents."

"But you're not immortal…Why can't you accept people for who they are? Why do you consider us the inferior race?"

"I was born this way. Not all higher races are immortal. But you can only become a part of our world by gaining immortality. Everything else must be returned to the Source to restore the Balance. Everything but immortality."

"How will I know the enemy is immortal?"

"It's hard to tell. Unless you study the races. But even Tol doesn't know them all, so it just must be luck… Tremendous luck."

"Are there any exceptions?"

"It's more like a pathology for us. Puzzling and strange. So be on guard."

"Nothing will change for me. They'll always be my parents. It's impossible to stop loving someone who is related by blood."

"Believe me, anything is possible. Now you know this. One can't fight immortality. It's either there or not. If you become immortal, you won't be able to prevent what's coming. Your mom and dad will no longer be the most important creatures, and your cute brothers and sisters will no longer seem dearest and closest. You'll be sick of the memory of kissing your beloved, and there'll be nothing you can do about it."

"Can I ask you something? Please, help me not to kill the immortal one and not to take his Force. I don't want to become a part of this world."

"Okay! I will help, but my abilities are not limitless."

Eugene decided to train in a small hall away from the rest of the Guardians. They always frowned and glanced in an odd way at me, as if I was a rat that had accidentally run into the kitchen of the expensive restaurant.

When we arrived at the place, Eugene threw me a sword, which was too heavy, and began to take off his leather jacket. And when he turned around, I screamed in fear. His eyes lit up as if someone had set them on fire. One could most likely see them in the dark as well.

"Your eyes…" I muttered.

"Get used to it. The Guardians always light up their eyes before a fight. That's how we warn the enemy of danger and intimidate it."

"Oh! Okay! It works," I muttered.

I could not take my eyes off those eyes: they mesmerized and horrified at the same time. Most likely, that was the purpose. But when Eugene took his sword out of the sheath, and I understood that his eyes were not the biggest problem of the enemy, that's me at the time. It was not like the laser sword from The Star Wars, I could clearly see the contours of the steel. However, the glow coming out of the weapon was unearthly. It looked tangible so one would want to touch it. The sword seemed to radiate the sunlight. The scene was fascinating!

"This is the Guardian's Sword. Each of them serves only its master, and no one else can touch it. It's hardened with Zeus's lightning, so there's no equal opponent for it – any steel breaks, bends, or crumbles in contact with it. The sword isn't given right away. One should deserve it through trials that often end with death, so each Guardian values it. Newcomers, of course, don't have such a weapon. They fight with swords like the one in your hands. We specifically invented this weapon, the one of its kind that can withstand the impact of the Guardian's Sword as the recruits have to train not only with each other, but with experienced soldiers to improve their skills.”

"Now I get it. But there's only one issue: I've never held a weapon in my life, except for a kitchen knife. How am I supposed to override blows of an experienced soldier?"

"Stop thinking and follow your instincts. The Force inside you will do the rest."

He nodded and took a stance. Instead of following the example, I focused on the feelings raging inside me. And rather a few accumulated over the past few hours. Fear, resentment, hopelessness, distrust, fatigue, and anger fought inside with no means of relief. I could feel the Force they all were talking about. It seethed, flowed the same way as emotions, and longed for release. And I let it out. A powerful flow of energy formed a sphere, took the form and crushed the Guardian with the black mass. I thought it would take Eugene long to get from point A, where he was standing, to point B, where the hall walls were, but this did not happen. He did not even move. The ball just flew through him and hit that same wall, making a hole in the next room. Those, who trained close to us, looked back in surprise and long could not figure out how half of the wall of one meter thick was blown away.

"Not bad!" Eugene said. "But I didn't tell you one thing. The Guardians are immune to almost all the Forces, except for the physical impact. We protect the Balance and must resist even the Gods, who may want to ruin it. So, your tricks won't work."

"Great! What am I supposed to do when attacked by one of you? Not knowing how to fight with swords, not having any weapon to withstand your blows and without your protection, I will become an easy prey! How will I protect myself from someone who can't be killed?"

"Firstly, the Guardian can't attack you because it will directly affect the Balance, and this is contrary to our purpose. Secondly, we can die since we are not immortal. Tol has already told you this. Thirdly, that's why I'm warning you not to go home! You're unable to protect yourself, and especially those around you. Think about it!"

"Okay! So, I need to learn how to use this thing!"

I got the sword and took a stance, awkwardly repeating the movements of Eugene. He nodded, and in an instant, the halos of his pupils lit up and scared me again. The next moment, Eugene lunged, forming an arc in space, which left a light trail. I narrowed my eyes, putting my arms forward without the slightest hope to withstand the impact and expecting that my sword would break like Eugene warned, but nothing happened. Having opened my eyes, I found that my weapon stopped the Guardian's Sword, and Eugene was smiling. He began to walk around, playing with his Sword and drawing spheres in the air. He moved so fast that it was impossible to keep track of his movements. I could only marvel at the dexterity of maneuvers and the caused hypnotic effect. It was pure grace.