The old man staggered toward the Guardians. With the eerie sound of clanging metal, the Guardians approached the old man, who was looking for his son among them.
Looking at the old man's back, I remembered the days I had spent with him. He was my mentor. He was deep in the mountains, alone and absorbed in his studies, when he found and healed me after I was severely injured while practicing magic. I recognized his magical prowess and, after much begging, became his apprentice.
For thirty years, Master devoted himself to a single study. He never spoke of his past or personal history, and he never told me the purpose of his research. But on the day the experiment he was certain would succeed failed, he revealed for the first time that his work was to bring back his son, who had become a cursed wraith.
And not long ago, Master's last experiment also ended in failure. The magic schema always failed when it was on the verge of completion. The aging Master realized that he didn't have much time left, so he abandoned his research. He instead climbed aboard a ship to see his son one last time before he died.

Even though he insisted on going alone, I followed him and we arrived at a remote, unnamed island. When I realized that he intended to make it his last place, and tried to dissuade him, he shook his head with determination.
He pushed me away from him, and walked alone toward the Guardians. He barely fended off their attacks while trying to locate his son. I wanted to help him, but I could not sway his resolve.
Suddenly a smile spread across his wrinkled face. Though he was nothing but armor, without a face or body, Master seemed to recognize his son. In the brief silence that followed, Master breathed his last and died. And the Guardian, presumably his son, stood frozen in place, as if mourning the death of the old man.
I realized that the story of Master and Guardian, their story was not yet finished. It was clear that his death had touched something beyond the Guardian's cold armor. I vowed to continue my master's research, believing that this would be the clue to a new beginning.