I woke up and looked down from my perch. Everyone else was already up. Guess I overslept again.
Sunlight poured through the entrance, casting golden beams onto the floor. The sky outside was a flawless blue, glowing with the sun's radiant energy. The clouds drifted by — fast, but peacefully. Tumbleweeds rolled across the tall, thick sand dunes, and the wind whooshed like usual, rushing past with a familiar hum.
I unfolded my dragon wings and glided gently back down to the ground, landing with a soft thud on my feet.
Ella and Power were at the table, casually munching on breakfast. The others? Already outside, deep in training mode.
I stepped through the doorway and spotted them, each locked in their own element-honed battle routines. Lemme break down what I saw:
Olsen's Earth Moveset
Seismic Smash: He slams the ground with raw force, sending out a shockwave that could wreck everything in his path.Rolling Smash: He stomps the ground, launching a boulder into the air, then spin-kicks it straight at the enemy like a meteor.Spiky Ground: A quick punch creates five massive, jagged rock spikes jutting up from the ground.Earth Pillar: His arm transforms into a rocky pillar, extending like a battering ram to strike from a distance.Insane Collateral Damage: Olsen wraps himself in earth armor, then triggers a quake that erupts with 30 tightly packed earth spikes all around him.
Prince's Lightning Moveset
Electrical Charge: He lunges forward, electricity crackling as he delivers a thunderclap punch that leaves a shockwave behind.500 Volts: Charging up, he zips in with a blur of punches, dashes around the opponent, and ends it with a hurricane kick that explodes on contact.10,000 Volts: A massive lightning beam erupts from his hands, leveling anything caught in its path.Fry: He drains electricity from nearby sources, then blitzes around the opponent, forming a lightning vortex before sending them sky-high — and axe-kicking them back down.3.5 Million Volts: He condenses a huge ball of lightning in his hand and slams it down, sending out a frying shockwave that can roast any limb used to launch it.
Demaurion's Water Moveset
Tidal Beam: A focused water beam with pressure that adapts — weak when he's tired, brutal when he's fired up.Flood: A massive water vortex crashes down, slamming and potentially crushing his target with sheer weight and pressure.Tidal Slash: A high-pressure water slash sharp enough to cut through solid rock.Tsunami Wave: He summons a devastating wall of water capable of obliterating anything in its path — and drowning the careless.Water Domain: Demaurion submerges the area in an illusion-like underwater world, pulling enemies into a drowning battlefield.
Archie's Fire Moveset
Burning Fireball: A soccer ball-sized flame projectile, sizzling with power.Burning Boom: He claps his flaming fists together, creating a burst of fire that incinerates everything in front of him.Fire Beam: A continuous stream of fire that detonates on impact.Flaming Gauntlets: Fire-forged gauntlets boost his melee attacks to scorching levels.Blazing Hell: He forms a gigantic fireball in his hands and slams it down, triggering a fiery explosion that devours the battlefield.
My (Don's) Celestial Moveset
Spin Drop: Mid-air, I spin into a celestial vortex and crash down with explosive force.Celestial Uppercut: My fists glow with energy as I unleash a rising uppercut that detonates on contact.50-50-50 Celestial Dropkick: I power up, teleport around randomly, and launch a brutal dropkick — double-footed and devastating.Celestial Bash: I toss the enemy skyward, teleport above, and hammer them with a fistful of celestial fury.Blinding Destruction: I clap, flashbang the opponent, summon 10 mirrors, and phase into pure energy — bouncing mirror to mirror at light speed before smashing their face and shattering the mirrors in one blazing punch.
"Yo, morning y'all! How's it going?" I waved as I walked over.
Olsen turned after finishing his Seismic Smash and grinned. "Good! You?"
"Chillin'. Kinda can't believe we're actually training with THE Power Z though."
Demaurion sliced through a cactus with Tidal Slash. "Who knows… maybe one day we'll be the next Heroes of Avangard. All thanks to this guy."
I flopped down into the sand and looked up at the blazing sun. Hot as ever — even with the wind whistling past my ears, the heat was no joke. Still, something about the way the tumbleweeds rolled and the sunlight poured onto me… it felt peaceful. Kinda like those calm mornings back in Iris Town.
I stood up, stretched a bit, and started practicing.
The 50-50-50 Celestial Dropkick was still tricky. The timing, the teleporting, the double-footed madness — yeah, it was a beast.
Celestial Bash took a while too. The teleporting alone made it a pain to nail, but I eventually got the rhythm.
Blinding Destruction? Bro. That one was a full workout. Clapping my hands? Easy. Transforming into celestial energy? Cake. Moving faster than light? Strangely doable. But timing that final punch? Tough as hell.
Still, I kept grinding. Punches, jabs, spin kicks — even threw a few backhands at Casper for practice. Every time my body lit up with celestial crackles, I knew I was leveling up.
After hours of straight-up cosmic training, I started getting the hang of it. I kept going until I mastered them all.
Then, just as the sun began to shift in the sky, Power and Ella stepped out of the pyramid.
Power's blue aura sparked like a live wire as he cracked his knuckles and said, "Alright guys — today's the day you get to fight… me."
Everyone lost it.
Prince got so hyped he accidentally zapped Olsen.
Power just smirked as he stepped forward, fists clenched, energy sizzling in the air around him.
"So… who's going first?" "Hey—but before you guys get to sparring," Ella said. "I got something to show you all…."
At Foreshade
It was a dark and stormy night.
Werewolves howled in the distance, their voices slicing through the air like lightning. The silver moon glowed fiercely above, but even its light couldn't pierce the black, suffocating gloom that blanketed the land.
The very air shimmered with shards of dark glass, as if reality itself had cracked. A kingdom of towering black structures loomed across the landscape, each one pulsing with an eerie purple aura. Fog—thick, jet-black, and suffocating—crawled through every crevice.
At the center of it all stood the castle of King Dreadixz—a spindly, monstrous tower surrounded by other looming structures, like skeletal fingers reaching for the void. Beyond it stretched jagged black mountains and bleak valleys carved from rock, drenched in silence so deep it felt alive.
Only the wolves dared make a sound.
Four massive bridges of dark stone stretched from each corner of the castle, connecting to the surrounding cliffs. But only one—ancient and crumbling—led directly to the Entrance of the Dead.
Through the portcullis, the castle's interior was pure nightmare fuel.
A throne of black stone sat in the center of a grand, dim hall, outlined in sinister violet. Pillars of obsidian stood like sentinels, each topped with raging violet flames. Skulls littered the floor, some piled high like offerings, others scattered carelessly—recent trophies, perhaps.
Behind the throne, a tattered purple banner hung like a shadow. On it: a crescent moon, white as bone.
A medieval red carpet stretched across the floor, lined with golden trim. Stained glass windows—black and purple, diamond-shaped—lined the walls on both sides, casting strange fractured light into the darkness.
Seated on the throne was King Dreadixz—once a miner, now a monstrous king intoxicated by power. His tattered purple cape swayed with a life of its own. He wore black samurai armor, polished like obsidian. He had no helmet. Instead, a jagged stone mask covered one eye, the other burning faintly with lunar energy. The mask was forged from pure stone, carved with sharp ridges and soaked in lunar darkness.
From his back unfurled massive, sharpened black dragon wings. His tail—long, barbed, and menacing—coiled at his side like a serpent ready to strike.
A knock echoed from the castle gates.
"Enter…" Dreadixz said, his voice like gravel soaked in poison.
The gates creaked open.
Dark Don stepped into the room, his presence like a chill crawling across the skin. His metal-plated shoes clicked ominously against the stone floor as he approached the throne. He gave a low bow.
"Master," he began, "I've served loyally as your second-in-command, and I remain honored. But I bring grave news. The five children… they are the Chosen Ones. If they ever locate the Lost Key, we'll lose any chance of dominating this world."
He paused, then raised his hand.
"I've brought this to you… The Black Power Gem—known as the Incarceration Gem."
From his hood, he revealed a gleaming gem pulsing with dark energy. Shadows swirled around it, twisting and writhing like spirits trying to escape.
Dreadixz stood slowly, his eyes glowing with cruel delight.
"Ah… yes," he said. "Dark Don, you have never failed me. So loyal. So wicked. So perfect…"
He stepped down from the throne and took the gem, drawing it into his palm.
"Perhaps, when I pass into the afterlife… you may take my place."
Dark Don bowed again. "I accept the honor, King Dreadixz."
Dreadixz turned the gem in his hand, examining it with cold reverence.
"This gem… it doesn't serve its wielder. It consumes them. Unstoppable. Beautiful. Destructive. Shame that Incarceration Z is still loyal to the Zeniths… but I have my own man of destruction…"
He turned toward the entrance.
"OVERBRAWL!"
A red-orange glow filled the room as Overbrawl busted through the portcullis
His body radiated chaos—literally. Red and orange energy pulsed around him like living flame. His eyes burned with untamed fury. A tattered red scarf whipped behind him, trailing sparks with each step.
Dark Don smirked.
"You've chosen wisely, my king," he said, eyes on the new arrival. "Overbrawl was once one of Power's greatest rivals. Defeated—but never outmatched. His Element is Chaos."
Overbrawl glared up at Dreadixz, chaotic energy flashing in his pupils like stormlight.
"You summoned me?" he said, voice low and dangerous.
"Don't let this a waste of time, I'll kill you where you sit. Ten seconds, no more."
Dreadixz sneered, then turned to Dark Don with a sigh of disgust.
Overbrawl didn't respect Dreadixz—not one bit. But he obeyed… as long as the gold kept flowing.
Dreadixz shot him a venomous glare. "When will you learn to kneel before your king?!"
"I don't kneel for overgrown dragon tyrants," Overbrawl snapped.
"I don't care about your war. I care about gold. You got a mission, then give it. You don't, I'm out."
Dreadixz let out a slow breath.
"I do have a mission," he said coldly. "Find the Chosen Ones… and eliminate them."
At the Sand Dunes
"Welcome to the Dune's Kingdom." Ella spreads her arms and stares down at the city like she's announcing a magic show. Below us the town looks built from one impossible sandbox: towers, spires, and houses all hewn from sand that somehow refuses to tumble. Dunenanite Dragons, Chimeras, some colossal glowing Buddhas, lots of prehistoric and mythic reptiles as Dunenanites. It's retro-sandcore, and it's beautiful.
I scan the crowd with the boys—Olsen, Prince, Demaurion, Archie—then freeze. Queen Dune herself is strolling through the plaza, chatting with citizens as casually as someone discussing the weather. She's statuesque in a sandy-brown gown that sparkles like sunlight on dunes, a circular crown perched on immaculate hair. Calm, regal, wholly unbothered. She gives "royalty who owns the chill" energy.
Power stands next to me, arms folded, all seriousness. "Dune doesn't want war," he says. "But she used to. Forestinites, Lunaranites—people keep marching in looking for trouble."
"So why is the city still standing?" My violet eyes track the wind and the grit-smudged sky.
Power's voice drops to a conspiratorial whisper. "Because they moved the kingdom's heart. To outsiders, it's a mirage. If you can't see the city, you're a threat. If you can… apparently you're okay. Doesn't mean there aren't monsters, though."
If I can see it, I guess I'm not the threat. I glance back—everyone's nodding like the sensible bunch of idiots they are—and give a thumbs-up. "Cool. That's our next beast. Don't worry—I'll deal with it in no time."
Classic me: say it like it's a TikTok tutorial, then leap off the sand in a burst of violet celestial energy.
For a hot second the Dunenanites keep minding their beeswax. Then they look up. Then they look right at me. Then their eyes bulge because some idiot from the sky is about to crater their main street.
WHAM.
My face finds sand in the most dramatic, face-first way possible. I tumble across the plaza, creating a dust storm and living my best bowling-ball life—Dunanites scatter like pins. I burst through a window, pop into a house, and—of course—land in a bathtub.
SPLASH.
Bubbles everywhere. A woman—white-skinned, twenty-something, dragon wings the color of half-melted caramel (why am I describing this)—stares at me like I'm a particularly rude sea creature. Bubbles cling to the tub rim. She's obviously mid-bath and wildly not thrilled. Her jaw drops. So does mine. My face goes fifty shades of tomato. I squeak the most pathetic "Hi…?" possible.
She shrieks, tail-whips me through the window like a human slingshot, and I go airborne again, sail into the street, and land—hard—right in front of Queen Dune.
Hallucination-level dizziness. My vision is that cartoon blur where everything is slightly too far away. Then my friends loom over me like a jury that's just seen a trainwreck.
"Bud," Prince says, grinning. "You really gotta work on your landing technique."
He helps me up. I dust sand out of my hair, cough twice for dramatic effect, and straighten up to Queen Dune, who's smiling like she's genuinely amused.
"Name's Dune," she says—clipped British phrasing, voice like honey poured through glass. "And you are?"
"Don—Lens Don, the Celestianite." I offer my hand like some overconfident prince in a parody romance.
She chuckles softly, shaking it. "A pleasure, Don."
Behind me, male soldiers collectively malfunction. I can literally feel the simping. Not me though. Totally not me. My tail flicks pink. Okay fine—mildly simp-adjacent.
"You've come to battle the kingdom's tyrant?" she asks, arms crossed.
"Yeah. Pretty sure it's somewhere nearby." I flex, and a golden star flashes from my eye—because apparently I can't stop being extra.
Her gaze shifts to Ella. "Ella, darling! What a surprise."
Ella bows slightly. "My pleasure, Your Highness. I'm sure you know Power?"
"Unfortunately," Dune teases. "Still stubborn, I see."
Power sighs. "You're not wrong."
Dune's smile fades as her tone hardens. "You've chosen a dangerous time to arrive. The Markilao Titanoboa has awakened again. It's no mindless creature—it sees through deception, moves faster than a sandstorm, and strikes with the wisdom of something ancient."
"Sounds fun," I say.
She raises a brow. "It spits golden venom that burns hotter than magma, and it hunts by sound and movement. Even illusions fail to fool it for long."
"Well, it should be—"
BOOOOOOM.
The desert erupts. Sandstorms whip through the plaza. Stone trembles underfoot. The crowd screams as the ground splits open—and from the chasm rises a serpent so massive it turns the horizon into a spine. Its scales shimmer like molten sandstone; its eyes blaze molten gold.
The Markilao Titanoboa.
Its hiss sounds like an avalanche of blades.
I yank my daggers free, their hilts humming with celestial energy. "You guys hang back. I got this."
I charge, leaping into chaos. The serpent's tail crashes down like a meteor, the shockwave tossing me across the plaza. I flip midair, plant my daggers in the sandstone to stop my slide. Sparks fly.
The Titanoboa's head whips toward me. Golden venom builds in its throat—then it spits. A beam of liquid fire screams across the plaza. I roll, and the blast vaporizes a building behind me.
"Okay—note to self. Don't let it breathe."
I sprint up a dune, celestial energy crackling around my feet. I vault off the top and slam onto its back, daggers drawn. Each strike hits like I'm carving into metal. Scales barely crack.
The serpent learns—tail curling, predicting my moves. It flings me skyward. I twist midair, fire a burst of celestial energy downward, blasting its snout. The explosion rocks its head back—but it recovers, lunging again with impossible precision.
It's reading me.
"Don, its eyes!" Dune shouts. Her Mirage Element flares—holograms of me scatter in every direction. Dozens of false Dons sprint across the battlefield, glowing faintly in the dust.
The Titanoboa blinks—momentarily confused. But then its golden eyes flicker, analyzing each illusion. Within seconds, it deciphers the trick. The clones vanish in a ripple of heat.
"Guess it doesn't fall for mirages," I pant.
"Not for long," Dune replies, her tone grim.
The beast slams the ground again, cracking stone. I tumble into the crater, sand cascading down on me. Venom seeps from above—liquid gold that ignites into flames upon contact with air.
"Water!" Demaurion roars, summoning waves from thin air to snuff the fire. Steam floods the battlefield, and through it—the Titanoboa charges.
I emerge, panting, blades glowing white-hot with celestial light. "Alright, snake. Round two."
I lunge. It strikes. We collide midair—fangs and daggers clashing with an explosion of golden sparks. Its venom sprays across my chestplate, burning through armor and skin. I scream, forcing celestial energy outward, forming a barrier just in time to keep from being melted alive.
My daggers crack under pressure. The snake wraps around me, constricting tighter and tighter. Bones creak. Air dies in my lungs.
"Don!" Olsen yells.
I grit my teeth, eyes flaring gold. Celestial Override: Ignition Mode. My aura detonates in pure light, searing through the Titanoboa's coils. I burst free, wings of radiant flame spreading from my back.
"Now I'm mad."
The Titanoboa screeches, rearing high above the city. Lightning flickers through the sandstorm. Dune raises her staff—her Mirage magic splitting the sky into mirrored layers, disorienting the serpent. "Finish it!" she cries.
I channel every drop of celestial energy I have left into my daggers. The light is so bright it turns night into day.
The serpent lunges, mouth open, golden fire burning within. I rocket upward—straight into the inferno.
"THIS IS FOR MARKILAO!" I roar.
SLASH!
Both daggers plunge deep into its skull. The celestial explosion that follows shakes the dunes for miles. Light, heat, and sand consume the world.
When the storm settles, I'm kneeling in the crater, daggers buried in the sand, smoke rising off my armor. The Titanoboa lies motionless—its body half-buried, eyes dimmed to dull amber.
Dune walks toward me through the settling dust. "You fought beyond reason," she says quietly. "The desert itself will remember this day."
I grin weakly, blood on my lip. "Tell it I'm taking a nap."
Olsen runs over, laughing. "You look like you lost a fight with the sun."
"I did," I mumble.
The crowd of Dunenanites slowly emerges, cheering faintly, unsure if they should celebrate or cry.
As the sand glows with dying embers of celestial light, I stare out over the city—a mirage that somehow keeps surviving—and think, yeah… maybe the real miracle here isn't the magic. It's the people who refuse to fade.
A Few Hours Later
After Olsen and the others trained to fight Power, when they came back to me at the Pyramid, their results were pretty good. (Archie failed, he gets a re-match). The wind blew through my skin and I already knew that I'm about to go next. I saw Power from afar in the near sand, so I slowly walked towards him through the wind.
The desert at night always felt too big.
Stars stretched forever, the dunes rolled like waves, and the air had that still silence that made even breathing sound loud. My shoes crunched into the sand as the wind brushed by, carrying the scent of dust and moonlight.
Power floated beside me, his aura glowing blue like a tiny star. "Peaceful, right?" he asked.
"Yeah," I said, squinting toward the horizon. "If you ignore the part where we've been walking through sand for an hour straight."
He chuckled. "You're about to forget all about the sand."
I frowned. "What's that supposed to—"
Before I could finish, everything twisted. The dunes shattered like glass. The stars flickered and warped. For a split second, I felt like my whole body got yanked through a portal made of lightning.
Then—boom.
The world rebuilt itself around me. No more desert. No moonlight. Instead, a city stretched in every direction — skyscrapers gleaming with blue and violet veins of energy. Clouds rippled overhead, glowing faintly like storm clouds waiting to burst.
And me? I was standing sideways on the side of a building.
"Wait—WHOA—!" My feet slipped, and I windmilled my arms like a cartoon character trying not to die. The gravity felt all wrong. "Bro, what is—how are we—THIS IS NOT NORMAL!"
Across from me, on the opposite skyscraper, Power stood completely chill — arms crossed, aura glowing like a comet. "Relax," he called out, grinning. "My Element can create Domains — artificial spaces for training. Think of it like a hyper-reality battleground. Gravity's just… flexible here."
I clung to a window ledge, glaring at him. "Flexible?! I'm about to flex into the pavement if I slip!"
Power laughed. "You'll get used to it. Every part of this place responds to energy — your movement, your aura, even your thoughts."
I glanced down. The "ground" was a thousand feet below, twisting like liquid light. "Yeah, totally comforting," I muttered.
Then Power raised a hand — the whole city flickered, and suddenly the walls beneath my feet stabilized. My shoes gripped firm again.
"Better?" he asked.
I took a cautious step forward, testing it. "Still weird… but yeah."
Power smirked. "Good. Because now that you're balanced—" He slammed his fists together, blue energy exploding from his body, lighting up the entire skyline. "—we train."
My aura flared in response, violet light igniting around me. "Figures," I said, crouching low, grin spreading. "You just couldn't resist showing off."
He shrugged. "What can I say? It's kind of my thing."
The city trembled. Neon lights pulsed.
Two elements — blue and violet — burned through the skyline like twin stars colliding.
And in that suspended city of light, the real battle began.
"GO!"
I blasted off the building, debris bursting into the air in a rippling violet streak, and hurtled toward Power. He darted back, glowing cobalt, a serrated line of energy slicing through the clouds. With a war cry, he swung his fists.
We collided, unleashing a shockwave of violet and blue light that cascaded outward, rattling the entire skyline as our arms flared.
Power grinned. "GREAT CLASH! BUT THINK FAST!"
His fists blurred—an uppercut detonated against me, bursting into a blinding flash.
"RAH!" He spun midair and cracked me across the face, blasting me through the city. My body ripped between towers as celestial energy crackled across my skin.
Power zipped from rooftop to rooftop, ricocheting off each surface with thunderous booms that toppled buildings into clouds of debris.
"BALANCE, DON!" his voice echoed. "BALANCE!"
I backflipped through the smoke, violet energy sparking wildly around me. My feet dug into the shattered concrete, skidding to a halt as dust flared. Whipping out my daggers, I twirled them in a blur.
"OKAY THEN!" I lunged forward—celestial fire blazing from my eyes.
In a flash, Power's feet slammed into the ground, sending shards spiraling through the haze. We vaulted simultaneously, energy compressing between us.
"GRAH!!!"
Our fists met, detonating a radiant shockwave that painted the storm in color.
I bent back, gritting my teeth. "GOT YOU, POWER!" My daggers danced, violet arcs thrashing with each strike.
He brushed it aside. "Yeah—remember, my superhuman strength's not something you can predict."
WHAM!
A cobalt fist drove deep into my chest.
Air rippled, FWOOM! rubble lifted, and I was hurled backward—crashing through a string of buildings.
"AGH! OUCH! OOF! ACK!"
Dust mushroomed, windows shattered, concrete split apart. The city convulsed beneath the chaos, folding into a cyclone of destruction.
Everything blurred. My body spun through the smoky wreckage, clothes torn and scorched. I slammed the ground repeatedly, each impact erupting clouds of dirt. Rebounding upward, I twisted midair like a wheel of light.
Power floated above, blue firestorm blazing off him. I hit the ground hard, sliding through the rubble as violet energy coiled around my legs, surging into my core.
I blinked forward, shredding the air with each burst. Wings ignited behind me, eyes gleaming through the storm clouds—until Power dived through them, wrapped in a surge of light-blue fury, and struck me square on.
"AGH!"
I crashed through a skyscraper, shattering glass and bending steel. My body scraped across the trembling floor as Power tore through after me.
"PAY ATTENTION!"
A blinding burst of azure energy ripped through the tower, splitting each floor in half as I plummeted through them. Pain lanced through me with every blow.
"RAGH!" I slammed into the earth, a seismic ring of dust rippling outward and toppling nearby ruins.
Power descended, fists glowing, eyes burning. "WATCH YOUR SURROUNDINGS!"
His foot struck my chest, erupting a wave that annihilated half the block.
"JUST WATCH THIS!" I shouted back.
He barked a laugh. "WATCHING!"
I vanished, reappearing behind him, striking fast. He twisted, uppercutting my jaw. A kick followed—I ducked and counterpunched, but he caught my fist, slammed a right hook of pure plasma, and sent me flying in a detonation of light.
I tore through the skyline, demolishing towers in my path. Power blinked ahead, fists radiating heat.
"Fast punches? Try me!"
He unleashed a flurry of lightning-speed blows—each one barely missing as I weaved between them, my body bending with the wind. I zipped away, rocketing skyward, cosmic trails blazing behind.
He followed, blue energy fracturing like glass. Midair, he spun his arms, manifesting a glowing tendril that lashed out and coiled around me.
"LEARNED THIS MOVE WHEN I WAS THIRTEEN MILLION YEARS OLD!" he roared, swinging me around like a comet before hurling me through the stratosphere.
I stopped midair just as he streaked toward me, blazing like a meteor. He struck from every angle—the sky twisting as I absorbed the barrage at light velocity. I roared, fists charged with celestial fire, and lunged.
"OKAY!"
Our punches collided—BOOM!—a ringed explosion split the heavens.
He raised an arm to crush me, but I flickered away. Hovering, I stared him down. He dashed forward—I flickered again. Again. And again.
We zigzagged through the clouds, violet and blue streaks clashing like storms until our fists met once more, detonating another surge.
He spun for a side kick—I ducked. He lunged from below—I vanished behind him, spiraling in a vortex of cosmic light.
"50-50-50 CELESTIAL DROPKICK!"
My boot connected, blasting him through the clouds.
He fell, laughing. "Nice combo! But handle THIS!"
Throwing his arms wide, he erupted a massive ripple of blue force that shook the heavens.
I launched toward him, fists glowing like twin stars, spiraling through the clouds in a helix of celestial energy wrapping my entire body.
Power's eyes lit up—and then he disappeared. I froze midair, vanishing too, reappearing just as he hung motionless among the vapor.
I roared and bolted forward. He turned to strike—flash. Gone. His gaze darted wildly.
I appeared behind him. "GRAGH!"
He flinched—too late. I spun around him, energy flaring violently, then unleashed a flurry of radiant kicks.
He dodged, weaving between afterimages. "Nice fake—got me for a second!"
He lunged, nearly catching my leg. "WOAH!" I flipped back and dove for the city.
He followed, energy crackling. "SO FAR, YOU'RE PASSING! LET'S SEE YOU HANDLE THIS LEVEL!"
We plummeted, hurling energy blasts that collided midair in rapid detonations. I spun through the clouds, palms glowing, firing celestial bolts. He countered instantly—every shot collided in dazzling bursts of violet and blue.
He appeared in front of me, fists drawn. I blinked beside him, wings unfurled, spun, and drove an elbow into his ribs, launching him into a rooftop.
I teleported behind—he was gone. I turned, spotting him on another building, fists sparking with heat.
"Passing in reaction time and resilience, kid."
He lunged, ripping through the rooftop. A left hook swung—I ducked, front-kicking him skyward, celestial coils winding around my legs before I struck again, blasting him higher in a burst of cosmic light.
He spun midair, blue energy swirling around him, firing orbs that streaked toward me. They exploded, forming a vortex that hurled me across rooftops.
I skidded to a stop, dust and fire raining around me. Power charged again, fists blazing. I sidestepped, flipped over his swing, turned—he attacked again. Left hook. Right hook.
I caught his arm, slammed a celestial strike—he deflected, and the air cracked with the shockwave. He retaliated with a blazing jab that sent me tumbling off the building, screaming through the air.
I twisted mid-fall, glanced at the wall, and smirked. "Got it!"
My feet slammed against the skyscraper, sprinting downward as my hoodie whipped behind me. The skyline blurred by in streaks of light.
Then Power came rolling toward me—a glowing orb of pure blue.
I leapt aside, celestial fire trailing behind me as he shredded the wall, crashing into the ground below. The explosion shook the entire block.
He shot back up, a blazing streak, grabbed me midair, and slammed me through another building. I tumbled across the floor, glass scattering everywhere.
"GO ON!"
Power unleashed a colossal beam of blue light. I flipped over it, dashed aside, deflected the next bursts with celestial mirrors, then slid forward, fists crackling.
He lunged—I vaulted over him on one hand. Our eyes locked. Then I burst through the window behind him.
A tendril of celestial energy lashed from my palm, wrapping around his neck and yanking him out into the open sky.
I gripped tight, spinning violently in a whirlwind of cosmic power. My eyes blazed as I swung him like a living weapon, twirling through the air before slamming him into the ground.
BOOM!
A wave of blue and violet light swept through the city.
When the smoke cleared, Power had me pinned, pressing my face into the dirt. Both of us were wrecked—his skin scorched, mine torn and bleeding, every breath sharp as fire.
Then he smirked and whispered, "Reaction timing… aerial awareness… area control… velocity… power output… endurance… adaptability…"
His grin widened. "YOU PASSED!"
"I PASSED?!" I shouted, dazed.
Power stepped back, laughing as he threw his arms up.
"It wasn't about winning, Don! It was about adapting—learning in real-time. Archie begged me to stop after three minutes. Olsen lasted longer thanks to that tank build of his, but only scored eighty for reaction speed. Prince? Lightning reflexes and wild AOE—seventy-nine, lacking strength and stamina. Demaurion? He crushed it. Used water so dense it turned solid, even boiled it. Ninety-five! And you? One hundred percent. Dynamic element mastery. Perfect synchronization."
After hearing that, I just grinned—exhausted, bruised, but proud.
Couldn't wait to crash into bed after that test of chaos.
I blinked again, and we were back at the Pyramids of Markilao.
He looked at me and smirked.
"Nice job. Didn't expect that from you," Power admitted.
I smiled, pulling myself up. "I didn't either."
We both laughed. The sky had dimmed while we fought. Stars shimmered. The moon glowed silver. Wind whispered across the dunes, and crickets chirped softly.
I turned toward the pyramid. Its lights were on. I sat down on the sand to stargaze. Power walked back toward the pyramid in silence. "Whatcha doing?" she asked, her gaze turning to meet mine.
"Just enjoying the sky," I replied, still staring up at the stars.
She let out a light laugh. "You Celestianites are really something."
I smirked. "Yeah, I guess we are. What about Dunanites? I'm pretty curious about you guys."
"Oh, us?" she grinned. "There's so much I could tell you! We love desserts, playing in the sand, Desert Cats love yarn, we don't have wars anymore, we're peaceful, kind, always having fun… basically, we're the nicest Elementalnites in all of Avangard!"
But then, just like that, her smile faded into a quiet frown.
I glanced over, concern creeping into my voice. "Is something wrong?"
She looked down. "No, it's just… I wish they were still alive."
My heart paused. "What do you mean? Aren't the Dunanites supposed to be the happy ones?"
"Well… half of our tribe is gone. When I said we don't have wars, I meant now. Back then, during the Celestianite and Lunaranite War at the Pyramids of Markilao… everyone vanished. I was born in the Sand Dunes, and by then, barely anyone was left. Just me, my mom, and other Dunanites."
She paused, her voice quieter.
"Then the Lunaranites came. They raided the Sand Dunes and the Pyramids… and they took my mother. Dragged her off to Foreshade. They kept her locked away and gave her a few years—just a few—to tell them where the Power Gems were. She was the first Power Gem wielder, chosen by the Zeniths to guard them. She used them to protect our homeland. And then… she was gone."
She lifted her eyes back to the sky, her expression fierce with purpose.
"Since then, I've wanted to save her. That's why when I got my first Element—Sand—I started training. I swore I wouldn't leave until I was ready. But once I am… I'll go after her. I'll bring her back. And when I do, I'll be known as one of the Heroes of Avangard."
I looked at her, smiling, then returned my eyes to the stars.
"You know… I'm trying to be a Hero of Avangard too. Once we take down King Dreadixz, I'll lead the Celestianites to victory. That's my biggest dream. I want it so bad… just to prove I'm not some little weakling. I know it'll be a long road, but…"
I trailed off, watching the stars flicker like little promises.
Ella looked down, then turned toward me. "Do you really think you can?"
I met her eyes. "I know I can."
"I'll try my best too…"
She looked back up. "Yeah, right. Don, just… don't give up, okay? Don't let people or life drag you down, no matter how hard it gets. I believe in you. You've got this."
"Yeah, hopefully you'll find your mother…"