"What are they?" Sophia whispered to Marcus. "They're the guardians of the lost city," Marcus replied, his voice barely above a whisper. "They've been charged with protecting the city's secrets for

p. Breathless and shaken, Sophia turned to Marcus. "What just happened?" she demanded. Marcus's eyes were still glazed over, but he seemed to be coming back to himself. "I...I don't know," he stammered. Sophia's eyes narrowed. "You knew about the guardians, didn't you?" she accused. Marcus hesitated before nodding. "I knew they existed," he admitted. "But I didn't know they would be so...powerful." Sophia's mind was racing. She had so many questions. But before she could ask any of them, Marcu