Chapter 74 - The Book of Guardians
At the end of the portrait hall stood a circular reading room.
Unlike every archive they had discovered before, this chamber contained only one object.
A massive wooden table.
Upon it rested an enormous leather-bound book.
The cover carried no title.
Only the familiar symbol that had guided them through tunnels, maps, and hidden chambers.
Samuel carefully opened the first page.
Every sheet was handwritten.
The earliest entries dated back more than two hundred years.
"This isn't a family history," he whispered.
"It's a record of guardians."
Each generation listed one individual responsible for protecting something called The Record.
Most names ended with a final notation.
Duty fulfilled.
Retired.
Succeeded.
But several ended differently.
Missing.
Unknown.
Never returned.
Daniel turned to the final completed page.
His father's name appeared there.
He had never served as guardian.
Instead, beneath his signature someone had written:
Declined the appointment.
Daniel stared silently.
"My father refused."
The stranger nodded.
"He believed protecting his family mattered more."
"What happened then?"
"The responsibility passed elsewhere."
Daniel slowly turned the final page.
Only one blank entry remained.
At the top, written in elegant handwriting, were five simple words.
The Next Guardian Shall Decide
No name had been entered.
No signature waited below.
May you like
Only empty space.
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