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I kept watching the weeping guardians, and as I had expected, they started to walk away in a
cluster. I took a deep breath and moved away from the door, heading in the direction of the exit and
towards where the brothers were having a meeting.
âGuys, Iâve figured it out,â I said happily, feeling proud of myself.
They all turned to me and shared a glance, looking confused as they saw me smiling so brightly.
My smile grew wider, and I rushed forward, almost skipping. I didnât expect Cain to step forward and
spread his arms, as if he thought I was running into them.
âYes, we figured it out too,â Cain muttered, a strange mix of emotions crossing his face. I dodged
him and hurried to the center of the group.
Nash snorted a laugh at Cain before turning serious and giving me his full attention.
âThe weeping guardiansââ As soon as I said that, Cain narrowed his eyes and slid his hands into his
pockets, looking grim.
âI know whatâs causing them,â I looked at each of them, waiting for their
response.
âWhat is it?â Silas asked, looking interested. I donât know what they had been talking about all this
time. They must be coming up with plans to get answers from me. I wasnt that stupid to not realize
that had become the
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mission of their lives.
âSadness,â I shrugged, causing them to look less than impressed.
âOh! You think because Iâm sad these days, theâ,â Ryker somehow made it about himself, but I
shook my head at him with a pitying expression.
âNot youâthe victims. When they come across the weeping guardians and either stare at them for
too long, let them get too close, or walk past them, they get infected. The minute their sadness
deepens, theyâre killed.â I knew I wasnât making much sense because Cain had a look on his face
like he was about to sneeze.
âOkay, let me explain it better,â I took a deep breath, but Silas glanced at his brothers and
shrugged.
âThose were simple words. I understood every bit,â he said, slipping his hands into the pockets of
his hoodie and glancing at his brothers.
Nash turned to him, folding his muscular arms over his chest. âSure, then how about you explain it
to us instead of her?â
Why were they always turning things into a competition?
But part of me wanted Silas to explain. I wasnât sure why, but their banter was amusing. Oh no, I
shouldnât get carried away.
âSoâsadness attracts the weeping guardians, right?â Silas looked at me, his beautiful eyes shining
from behind his glasses.
âYes!â I nodded. âItâs likeâwhen I was sad, I encountered them. But I turned away and didnât let
them take over me. The others, however, gave in to their sadness, and thatâs why they died from
illness. Fevers, flu, coldâ,â I watched them nod in understanding.
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âNo wonder there werenât any marks or torture wounds on the victimsâ bodies,â Ryker concluded.
âSo, does that mean weâre pretty much screwed? The only thing we can do is make sure nobody
gets sad?â Nash asked.
As soon as I nodded, Cain pulled his hand from his pocket and gently pinched my shirt between his
fingers to get my attention.
It was done so subtly that I couldnât help but feel my heart flutter, which I hated.
âIâm sadâmake me happy if you want this cycle to stop,â Cain stepped forward, facing me and
demanding this in the calmest tone imaginable.
âHey, youâre not sad. I saw you laughing at one of my jokes earlier,â Silas complained from behind
him.
But Cain kept staring into my eyes. âWhy? Are you not worried about the mission anymore?â he
asked, pouting as if waiting for my reaction.
âIâm dying from sadness,â Ryker chimed in. Their desperation reminded me of myself. Was I this
clingy too?
But there were too many of them, and I was just one person.
How could I handle all of them when they were demanding so much attention?
âThis isnât how it gets resolved,â I stepped back from Cain, then moved to
face the others as well.
âSheâs changing her statements,â Cain grumbled, turning to complain to his brothers, but stopped
when he saw me glaring at him.
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âI know where these weeping guardians are coming from,â I said, watching as their faces grew pale.
âThereâs someone responsible for their
creation.â
They narrowed their eyes at me before Cain sidestepped. âI didnât do anything,â he raised his hands
in surrender.
âI knew it. I knew this guy was trouble,â Nashâs comment made me slap my forehead.
âBut heâs our brother. We canât get rid of him. What do we do?â Silas asked, genuinely concerned
but clearly mocking Cain.
âItâs Daphne,â I finally explained, and they all turned serious. âDaphne is the reason these things are
created. Every time she gets sad, these
creatures are born.â
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