Demaurion didn't wait.
The Leviathan's jaws split wide—and not normal wide. Wrong wide. Like the ocean itself was screaming through its throat. A compressed beam of water tore out, not a wave, not a splash—a weapon. The impact punched the sea so hard the ocean floor shuddered.
Our boat lurched. Wood screamed. The mast cracked like it had bones.
"BRACE—!" I yelled.
Too late.
The wave slammed us sideways. The deck tilted. Power grabbed the railing just in time, blue energy flaring as the boat dipped halfway under.
Then the Leviathan rose higher.
That's when I saw it.
Burned into its chest—glowing through its translucent blue hide—was a symbol. Sharp. Ancient. A beast insignia pulsing like a living heart.
Second Beast.
My stomach dropped straight through the deck.
For half a second, I froze.
Demaurion didn't.
He exploded into motion, vanishing in a blast of spray and reappearing above the surface. A pillar of water hurled him skyward like the ocean itself had chosen him. His trident ignited, liquid fire spiraling around its prongs.
"Don—NOW!" he shouted.
Not please.
Not if you can.
Now.
Something in his voice snapped me out of it.
I didn't think. I moved.
I leapt from the boat, daggers snapping into my hands midair. Celestial energy crackled along their edges as I hit the water—running—running—boots skipping across the surface like I actually believed I could do this.
THWAP—THWAP—THWAP!
Three razor-thin water blasts slammed into the Leviathan's skull. Explosions rippled beneath the surface like depth charges. The roar that followed vibrated straight through my bones.
"Direct hits!" Archie yelled, way too shocked for comfort.
The Leviathan answered by lighting up its chest insignia.
Then everything went insane.
Multiple beams fired at once. The sea detonated. Waves stacked on waves. The boat bucked so hard I thought Power was gone.
My heart tried to escape my chest.
Demaurion didn't slow.
He zigzagged between the beams, detonations chasing his heels. Water exploded under every step. A tentacle whipped toward him—
I didn't hesitate.
I jumped.
Flipped over the tentacle. Drove both daggers down and ripped.
Blue light sprayed. Superheated water blasted my face. The blade bit deep, and the Leviathan shrieked—hard enough to tighten the storm overhead.
"Nice cut!" Demaurion barked, grinning like a madman.
That did something to me.
Not confidence.
Not yet.
But belief.
"Finish it!" I yelled back, voice steadier than I felt.
Another beam fired—closer this time.
The shockwave slammed into the boat. Prince screamed something that sounded like panic with punctuation. Olsen yelled my name. Archie yelled everyone's name.
Demaurion crossed his arms and took the blast head-on.
The ocean flattened around him.
Then exploded outward in a massive ring.
Steam rolled off his shoulders as he straightened.
"My turn," he growled.
He hurled the trident.
It vanished.
Then reappeared behind the Leviathan—inside its blind spot—and detonated. Fire-infused water tore across its spine. The insignia cracked. Light flared wildly, unstable.
That was it.
That was the moment.
Fear clawed at my chest.
And Demaurion—battered, steaming, still standing—looked back at me.
Not shouting.
Not commanding.
Just trusting.
So I trusted myself.
I launched upward, spinning through spray and lightning, and drove both daggers straight into the glowing symbol.
The blades sank in.
The light screamed.
The Leviathan convulsed as blue energy tore itself apart from the inside. Demaurion yanked the trident back through its core—
Water collapsed inward.
Then burst outward—
—and the Second Beast fell.
Its massive body crashed into the sea. Light faded. The insignia shattered into nothing.
For half a second—
Silence.
Then the ocean inhaled.
The water beneath us vanished.
"Uh," Olsen said from the boat, way too calmly, "that feels bad."
The sea collapsed upward.
A wall of water rose—higher than the mast, higher than the storm—blotting out the moon.
Demaurion turned, eyes wide.
"DON—!"
The tsunami hit.
White swallowed everything.
The boat.
The sky.
Power's shout.
The ocean wrapped around me and dragged me under.
I couldn't control my body. Couldn't breathe. Couldn't tell which way was up. Panic crushed my chest as water forced its way into my lungs.
"PRINCE! OLSEN! ARCHIE! POWER?! DEMAURION!" I screamed—then choked as the ocean stole the sound.
Another wave slammed me deeper.
My strength faded. My limbs went heavy. The storm muffled into nothing.
A single bubble slipped from my nose as the darkness closed in.
And this time—
I didn't know if I was brave enough to come back.
A Few Hours Later…
Faint voices drifted in and out of my head, blurry and overlapping, like I'd woken up in the middle of a group chat argument.
"Is he breathing?"
"He better not be dead, I swear—"
"Give him space."
"Move. All of you."
That last voice was calm. Firm. The kind of calm that didn't ask for permission.
My eyes cracked open.
Bright light. Wind. Sand—everywhere. I was sitting on something soft, but my brain was lagging like it needed a system update. When I shifted, pain flared up my arm.
"Easy," the calm voice said. "You took a hit."
I groaned and pushed myself upright.
We were in the Sand Dunes.
Not the pretty, postcard version either. This place looked wrecked—dunes torn apart, sand piled in unnatural ridges, the air thick with dust that scraped my throat every time I breathed. The sky was a pale, sickly beige, like the desert itself hadn't recovered yet.
Around me stood people.
A lot of people.
They looked human at first—travel clothes, scarves, jackets—but then my eyes focused. Bushy tails flicked nervously behind them. Fluffy ears poked through hoods and headwraps, twitching at every sound. Desert Cats. All in base form. No armor. No weapons. Just… shaken.
Some were kneeling. Others whispered to each other. A few stared at me like I might explode.
I glanced down at my arm.
Bandaged. Clean. Tight.
"Who—"
"You're awake," someone said, stepping forward.
Ella.
She looked exactly how I remembered—yellow-brown ears, tail swaying low and slow, a sand-colored mask pulled down around her neck. Her eyes were sharp, alert, tired in a way that came from responsibility, not sleep deprivation.
"You're safe," she added. "As safe as anyone gets out here."
I swallowed. "What happened?"
A Desert Cat nearby flinched at the question.
Ella noticed.
She turned slightly, addressing the group without raising her voice. "It's okay. He needs to know."
That didn't make me feel better.
She crouched in front of me. "You collapsed near the outer dunes. Looked like exhaustion mixed with lingering damage. We brought you back before the storms got worse."
I flexed my fingers. "Thanks… I think."
"You're welcome," she said, then stood and gestured around us. "And before you ask—yes. This is what's left."
I followed her gaze.
The Pyramids of Markilao loomed in the distance.
Or… what remained of them.
Massive stone structures once smooth and towering were now fractured, split, partially collapsed. One pyramid had been sheared clean down the side, glowing white cracks still faintly visible where lunar energy had burned through ancient stone. Another was half-buried under dunes that clearly hadn't formed naturally.
The place looked like it had been punched by the moon itself.
My stomach dropped. "Dark Don."
Every Desert Cat went quiet.
Ella nodded once. "He came without warning."
She paced slowly as she spoke, tail stiff. "Silver-white energy. Lunar. Controlled at first—then not. He hovered above the dunes like he was deciding whether to wipe us out."
A murmur rippled through the group.
"He didn't target us directly," she continued. "Not at first. He attacked the pyramids. Tore into them like they personally offended him. Stone didn't stand a chance."
I clenched my fists. "Why?"
Her jaw tightened. "Anger. Frustration. We heard him shouting—about a mistake. About not finishing something when he had the chance."
My chest went cold.
"He scared everyone," Ella said quietly. "Families ran. Kids hid under collapsed pillars. We lost supplies. Records. History. If he'd wanted us gone… we wouldn't be standing here."
I looked around again—at the shaken Desert Cats, the way some clutched each other, tails wrapped tight around legs.
"And Insane Middle School?" I asked.
Ella exhaled through her nose. "That was before this."
She met my eyes. "Last time he attacked, it was there. The moment he showed up, alarms went off. Staff didn't even hesitate—they sent everyone home. Full evacuation."
That hit harder than I expected.
"So you came here," I said.
She nodded. "The school wasn't safe anymore. And the Sand Dunes—were supposed to be."
Her ears flicked back toward the ruins.
"Guess we were wrong."
For a moment, no one spoke. The wind dragged sand across broken stone, whispering through cracks Dark Don had carved into history.
Then Ella straightened. "We're still standing," she said, louder now—for everyone. "And as long as that's true, we rebuild. We adapt. We prepare."
Her eyes flicked back to me.
"And you," she added, no-nonsense, "are not allowed to pass out again. Not today."
Despite everything, I snorted. "No promises."
Ella chuckled softly. "If you want my advice, stick to water for fun and leave the sticks for roasting marshmallows." She glanced ahead, already moving. "And we should probably head back to the Pyramids of Markilao before you start collecting any more battle scars."
I followed as the group set off across the dunes. Sand crunched beneath our feet, steady and rhythmic, and for once the wind wasn't trying to end us—it nudged us forward like it was on our side.
"So," Ella said casually, walking beside me, "one of the most powerful Elementanites, huh?"
"Gee, thanks," I said with a smirk. "Really keeps me grounded."
She shot me a look—half amused, half assessing. The kind that made you feel like you were being called out and approved of at the same time. "I'm serious. The way you all adapt is wild. Wings as blankets. Color-changing tails. Efficient, creative… and mildly chaotic. I'd take notes, but unfortunately I'm the adult here."
I laughed, shaking my head. "Yeah. We're kind of a mess."
She tilted her head. "Ever been to the Sand Dunes before?"
"Not really. Just stories. Mostly from the CL War."
Her expression softened. "I still get uneasy thinking about that Lunaranite—Dark Don. One minute he's breaking into your school, the next everyone's evacuated. No one knows where he came from or why he's after you." She exhaled. "Makes me want to triple-check every exit."
I shrugged. "Probably wants me dead. Seems like a popular goal."
Ella raised an eyebrow, her gaze flicking to my wings. "Then explain this—where'd your scales go?"
I looked down. Smooth skin. No armor. "Lost them fighting King Scar," I said, like it was nothing.
She smirked, the exact expression of a parent catching their kid doing something wildly irresponsible. "Of course you did. Typical Celestianites."
Hours later, the Pyramids of Markilao rose out of the dunes.
Five massive structures loomed ahead, ancient and imposing, their stone sides brushed constantly by drifting sand. Even damaged, they felt powerful—like they were watching us right back.
Ella led us inside the central pyramid.
The interior was part museum, part training ground. Fossils lined the walls. Sandstone bricks formed wide platforms. At the center sat an enormous sand table carved with terrain markers and symbols. Impressive. Intimidating.
Prince stared around, eyes wide. "Why does this look exactly like the museum I lightning-struck last year?"
Ella didn't even hesitate. "Because this is the museum you lightning-struck last year."
Power grinned. "Perfect, then. You five—Don, Olsen, Prince, Demaurion, Archie—are about to train. Three days. By the end, you won't just survive fights. You'll win them."
Olsen practically vibrated. "THIS IS GONNA BE AWESOME."
Power tried to calm him, but I tackled Olsen into a hug mid-hype, my tail glowing yellow before I could stop it.
Ella sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Please don't get sand in anyone's hair. And remember—this isn't a vacation. Hydrate, focus, and try not to explode into unnecessary heroic chaos."
"We'll try," I said, grinning.
She smirked. "Didn't sound convincing. Now let's start before someone"—she side-eyed Archie—"accidentally sets the pyramid on fire."
Day 1
Brutal.
Power wasted zero time easing us in. Strength tests. Heavy weights. Fifty push-ups in five minutes.
Absolute misery.
Olsen demolished it—not fast, just unstoppable. He lifted double the required weight like it was a warm-up.
I held my own. Prince struggled hard. Demaurion powered through on pure anger. Archie… yeah. It was rough.
I managed five reps.
Olsen did sixty.
I was not jealous.
Okay, I was extremely jealous.
Power checked the stats.
Don: Stamina 50%, Strength 30%, Speed 80%, Durability 50%Olsen: Strength 100%, Stamina 100%, Speed 45%, Durability 50%Prince: Strength 25%, Speed 100%, Stamina 100%, Durability 29%Demaurion: Strength 29%, Speed 60%, Stamina 35%, Durability 30%Archie: Strength 15%, Speed 20%, Stamina 16%, Durability 18%
"Archie," Power muttered, "you've got work to do."
By the end of the day, everything hurt—but it worked. My strength shot up to 92%. Even Olsen somehow climbed to 110%, which honestly felt illegal.
Day 2
Speed and reaction time.
Running across sand was pure evil. Olsen failed on speed but refused to quit. Prince crushed it. Archie somehow passed, which shocked everyone—including Archie. Demaurion struggled at first, then adapted.
When it was my turn, I cleared it easily. My Celestial abilities kicked in hard—faster than I'd ever been, even compared to my fight with King Scar.
Later, Power tested reactions with a fake valorent gun.
I dodged before the shot even reached me.
Dragon instincts don't miss.
Day 3
Elemental training.
This was the good stuff.
Power explained that Elements weren't just weapons—they were tools for survival, movement, strategy. How you fought mattered as much as what you could do.
"Movesets are everything," Power said. "Master one, and you control the fight."
I was buzzing. The idea of creating my own moveset felt like the final step—like I was finally becoming the hero I was supposed to be.
That night, the sun dipped below the dunes, painting the sky in gold and purple before fading into stars. Moonlight spilled over the sand, silver and quiet.
Inside the pyramid, the lights shut off—probably Ella.
Crickets chirped outside. Something slithered past the walls. I flew up and hooked myself onto a handlebar, hanging upside down and watching my friends settle into their sleeping bags below.
Ella had already set everything up.
For once, the world felt still.
And deep down, I knew it.
Whatever came next—
nothing was going to be the same.