The Guardian

He was grizzled, gnarled, ravaged by time. His frail body bore the triumphant scars of many ancient battles, fought and won. Some would have thought he was long retired, but the benevolent old security guard had a distinguished air about him which suggested that he had served his post with an unwavering loyalty for many years, and would continue to do so in the years to come. But as self-assured as he might have appeared, the old man held a dark secret deep within his soul. He knew his time had come. He had fought the inevitable for as long as he could; not for himself, but for the sake of that which he protected. What he protected, he knew, was the most precious and irreplaceable thing of all.

Somewhere, a troubled person felt at peace, steady breathing sweetened by the tranquility of slumber.

The guard shut his eyes for only a second, giving his tired body the brief illusion of rest. But as he did, he sensed that a new menacing presence had arrived. He was right. Dark forces had descended upon the area. The guard stood still for a moment, unable to do anything but blink. They had grown in number since the last time he had encountered them. He could see that they were stronger now, more advanced, more resourceful…and more determined than ever. They stood, surrounding him on all sides, waiting silently, daring him to make the first move. All of a sudden, the old man felt the entire weight of his years crush him with a tyrannical force. He had never felt his age as prominently as he did at that moment. He was overcome by a hopeless sense of helplessness. Then, without warning, they struck the first blow.

Somewhere, a tortured scream pierced the night, a chilling, bloodcurdling scream that shook the very foundations of earth

The old man doubled over in pain, gasping for breath. His instincts were right; his enemy’s strength had increased immensely. Unsure of what to do, he cowered at their feet, racing through his options. Then, he remembered why he was there. He remembered what he was there to protect…and what the implications of losing it meant. With the strength of a man three times his size, the guard got to his feet and began an epic battle the likes of which had never been seen before. He took his enemies out three at a time, pounding and pummeling until they were begging for mercy. He fought with a ferocious fury that instilled fear in even the hardest of his rival’s hearts. He persisted with an unrelenting fortitude till his very last breath…but there were too many of them. They soon left him to die, unceremoniously and in solitude, as they hurried to claim what they had won. Through his tears, the old man watched them debase that which he had given his life to save, that which he had spent the entire duration of his existence protecting. Then he shut his eyes and never opened them again.

Somewhere, an unfortunate soul lost their mind…forever.