Chapter Eighteen: The Guardians
A week after Majid's return from the Void Between Worlds, the team had established a
new base of operations in a small villa on the outskirts of Fez. They needed a more
secure location as they prepared to confront the Guardians and reveal the truth to the
Door Keepers.
Majid sat in the garden, meditating. Since reaching the Fifth Level, his perception of
reality had fundamentally changed. He could see the threads of time and possibility with
perfect clarity, could perceive the subtle energies that flowed through all living things.
But the sacrifice had taken its toll. There was an emptiness inside him, a coldness where
once there had been warmth. He found it harder to connect emotionally with others,
harder to feel the simple joys and sorrows that had once defined his humanity.
"How are you feeling today?" asked Rana, approaching him with two cups of tea.
Majid opened his eyes, accepting the tea with a nod of thanks. "Different," he replied
simply. "Every day, I feel less... human."
Rana sat beside him, concern evident in her eyes. "Is it getting worse?"
"Not worse. Just different. The part of my soul I sacrificed—it was the part that
connected me most strongly to this world, to human emotions and desires. Without it, I
see things more clearly, but I feel them less intensely."
"Do you regret it?"
Majid considered the question. "No," he said finally. "The knowledge I gained was worth
the sacrifice. Now I understand what we're truly facing."
Inside the villa, Layla, Abdul Rahman, and Samir were gathered around a large table
covered with maps and documents. They were identifying the locations of the seven
main Gates that the Door Keepers protected—the Gates that were actually parts of the
Observer's prison.
"The first Gate is in Mecca," said Samir, pointing to the map. "It's hidden beneath the
Grand Mosque, guarded by the Supreme Council's leader, Hassan Al-Qurashi."
"The second is in Jerusalem," he continued, "beneath the Dome of the Rock. The third is
in Vatican City, the fourth in Tibet, the fifth in Egypt's Valley of the Kings, the sixth in the
Amazon rainforest, and the seventh in Antarctica."
"Seven Gates, seven members of the Supreme Council," said Abdul Rahman. "And if we
destroy these Gates..."
"We weaken the Observer's prison," said Layla. "But we must be careful. If we destroy
them all at once without proper preparation, the Observer will be released suddenly,
which could cause chaos."
"We need to do it gradually," said Majid, entering the room with Rana. "And before we
destroy any Gate, we need to convince as many Door Keepers as possible of the truth."
"I've made contact with some of my former colleagues," said Samir. "Those who, like me,
had begun to question the Observer's true nature. There are more than you might think
—Door Keepers who have seen the Observer in their dreams and sensed something was
wrong."
"How many will listen to us?" asked Abdul Rahman.
"Perhaps a third of the lower-ranking Door Keepers. The higher ranks are more
indoctrinated, more resistant to questioning their beliefs. And the Supreme Council..."
Samir shook his head. "They will never willingly accept the truth. They have too much
power to lose."
"Then we'll start with those who will listen," said Majid. "Samir, arrange a meeting with
these questioning Door Keepers. We'll show them what we've learned, tell them what I
saw in the Void Between Worlds."
"And what about the Guardians?" asked Rana. "If they created the Door Keepers to
maintain the Observer's prison, they won't stand by while we try to free him."
"The Guardians have been absent from our world for millennia," said Layla. "The ancient
texts suggest they withdrew after creating the Door Keepers, returning to their own
realm."
"But if we start destroying the Gates, they might return," said Abdul Rahman.
"They will," said Majid with certainty. "I've seen it in the threads of time. When we
destroy the first Gate, it will send ripples through the cosmic fabric. The Guardians will
sense it, and they will come."
"And then?" asked Rana.
"Then we face them," said Majid simply. "We show them that humanity has evolved, that
we deserve the knowledge and power the Observer wanted to give us."
"That won't be easy," said Samir. "The texts describe the Guardians as immensely
powerful beings, far beyond even Fifth Level Travelers."
"Nothing worth doing is ever easy," replied Majid. "But we have something they don't
expect—knowledge of their true nature and purpose. And we have the Observer on our
side."
They spent the next few days preparing for the meeting with the Door Keepers. Samir
contacted his former colleagues, carefully selecting those most likely to be receptive to
the truth. Layla and Abdul Rahman gathered evidence from ancient texts and artifacts.
Rana helped Majid practice controlling his new Fifth Level abilities, which were still
sometimes unpredictable.
On the night of the meeting, they gathered in an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts
of Casablanca. Samir had arranged everything, ensuring they wouldn't be discovered by
loyal Door Keepers.
One by one, the questioning Door Keepers arrived—twenty-three in total, from various
countries and ranks. They were nervous, suspicious, but curious enough to come.
Majid stood before them, his presence commanding in a way it hadn't been before. Since
reaching the Fifth Level, he emanated a subtle power that others could sense
instinctively.
"Thank you for coming," he began. "I know many of you are risking much by being here.
But what I'm about to tell you is worth that risk. It's about the Observer, about the Door
Keepers, and about a deception that has lasted for thousands of years."
He told them everything—about his journey through the Traveler levels, about his
encounter with the Observer in the Void Between Worlds, about the true nature of the
Gates they guarded, and about the Guardians who had created the Door Keepers to
maintain the Observer's prison.
As he spoke, he could see the disbelief on their faces slowly transform into shock, then
anger, and finally, for many, acceptance. These were Door Keepers who had already
begun to question, who had sensed something was wrong with the doctrine they'd been
taught.
"I don't expect you to take my word for it," said Majid when he had finished. "So I offer
you this—see for yourselves."
Using his Fifth Level abilities, Majid created a small portal—not to the Void Between
Worlds itself, but to a space between dimensions where they could glimpse it. Through
this window, they could see the distant figure of the Observer, bound in chains of white
light.
The Door Keepers gasped collectively. This was not the all-powerful deity they had been
taught to worship, but a prisoner, bound and suffering.
"This is... this changes everything," said one Door Keeper, an older man with graying
hair. "If what you say is true, then our entire purpose has been based on a lie."
"Not a lie," said Samir, stepping forward. "A deception. We were created to serve the
Guardians, not the Observer. We were told we were protecting humanity, when in fact
we were preventing humanity from reaching its full potential."
"What do you want from us?" asked another Door Keeper, a young woman with fierce
eyes.
"Your help," said Majid. "We plan to free the Observer, but we want to do it carefully,
gradually. We need to ensure that when the knowledge and power he brings are
released, humanity is ready for it. And we need to be prepared for the Guardians' return."
"You're asking us to betray everything we've believed in," said the woman.
"I'm asking you to serve your true purpose," replied Majid. "Door Keepers were meant to
be guardians of knowledge, not its suppressors. Help us ensure that when the Observer
is freed, his gifts are used wisely."
There was murmuring among the Door Keepers, heated discussions in whispered tones.
Finally, the older man stepped forward again.
"I cannot speak for all of us," he said, "but I will help you. I have served the Door Keepers
for forty years, and I have always felt there was something wrong with our doctrine. Now
I know what it was."
One by one, others stepped forward as well—eighteen in total. Five remained apart,
shaking their heads.
"We need time to think," said one of the five. "This is too much to accept all at once."
"I understand," said Majid. "Take the time you need. But remember, the Supreme
Council cannot know what we've discussed here. If they learn of our plans, they will stop
at nothing to prevent them."
After the meeting, as they were returning to their villa in Fez, Majid felt a strange
disturbance in the fabric of reality. It was subtle, barely perceptible even to his Fifth Level
senses, but it was there—a ripple, as if something vast and ancient had stirred from
slumber.
"What is it?" asked Rana, noticing his sudden alertness.
"The Guardians," said Majid quietly. "They're awakening. They sense that something has
changed."
"But we haven't destroyed any Gates yet," said Samir with alarm.
"No, but we've begun to turn their servants against them. The Door Keepers who joined
us tonight—their shift in allegiance has created a disturbance in the cosmic balance."
"What does this mean for our plans?" asked Abdul Rahman.
"It means we need to move faster," said Majid. "The Guardians are stirring earlier than I
anticipated. We need to destroy the first Gate soon, before they fully awaken and realize
what we're doing."
"Which Gate should we target first?" asked Layla.
Majid considered for a moment, consulting the threads of time and possibility that only
he could see. "The Gate in the Valley of the Kings," he said finally. "It's one of the oldest,
and its guardian, Fareed Al-Masri, is the youngest member of the Supreme Council. He
might be more vulnerable than the others."
"When do we leave?" asked Rana.
"Tomorrow," said Majid. "We'll need to prepare carefully. Destroying a Gate won't be
easy, and once we do, there's no turning back. The Supreme Council will know what
we're doing, and they'll send everything they have against us."
That night, as the others slept, Majid stood on the roof of the villa, gazing at the stars.
With his Fifth Level perception, he could see beyond the visible spectrum, could perceive
the cosmic energies that flowed between the stars and planets.
And somewhere, in a realm beyond normal space and time, he could sense them—the
Guardians, ancient and powerful beings who had shaped the destiny of humanity for
eons. They were stirring, their attention slowly turning toward Earth, toward him.
"I know you're watching," he whispered to the night sky. "I know you can sense what
we're planning. But you don't understand humanity as well as you think. We've evolved.
We're ready for the knowledge you've denied us."
There was no response, of course. The Guardians were still too distant, too dormant to
communicate directly. But Majid knew they would come. And when they did, he would
be ready.
As dawn broke, he joined the others in preparing for their journey to Egypt. They packed
carefully, taking only what they would need—ancient texts that described the Gate's
defenses, artifacts that might help them bypass those defenses, and weapons, both
conventional and mystical, in case they encountered resistance.
"Are you sure about this?" asked Abdul Rahman as they loaded their vehicle. "Once we
destroy a Gate, we're committed. There's no going back."
"I'm sure," said Majid. "I've seen the possible futures. If we do nothing, the Observer will
eventually break free on his own, but the release will be chaotic, uncontrolled. By doing
this, we can ensure a gradual, managed transition."
"And the Guardians?"
"They will come," said Majid. "And when they do, we'll face them together. We'll show
them that humanity has outgrown their restrictions, that we're ready to determine our
own destiny."
As they drove toward the airport, Majid felt a strange mix of emotions—determination,
anticipation, and a cold, calculating clarity that was new to him, a product of his Fifth
Level transformation. The part of his soul he had sacrificed had taken with it some of his
humanity, but it had left behind a resolve that was unshakable.
He was no longer Majid Al-Harthi, the broken man who had traveled back in time seeking
revenge. He was something more now—a Fifth Level Traveler, a bridge between
humanity and cosmic forces, a challenger to the Guardians themselves.
And as they boarded their flight to Egypt, he knew that the true battle was just
beginning.