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?"
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 humble 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, though no helmet adorned his head. 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 boots 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 locate the Lost Key, we'll lose any chance of dominating this world."
He paused, then raised his hand.
"That's why I've brought this to you… The Black Power Gem—also known as the Incarceration Gem."
From his cloak, 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. "You, Dark Don, have never failed me. So loyal. So wicked. So perfect…"
He stepped down from the throne and took the gem telekinetically, drawing it into his palm as if gravity itself obeyed him.
"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 party-crasher."
He turned toward the entrance.
"OVERBRAWL!"
A red-orange glow filled the room as Overbrawl stepped inside.
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, yes—but never outmatched. His Element is Chaos itself."
Overbrawl glared up at Dreadixz, chaotic energy flashing in his pupils like stormlight.
"You summoned me?" he said, voice low and dangerous. "If this is 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. If not, 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
"Come and get me!" Power shouted, crackling with radiant energy.
I smirked as celestial sparks lit up around me. "BET."
He rocketed toward me, fist cocked. I dodged the first punch, but he grabbed me mid-move and hurled me across the sand like I was nothing. I tumbled, rolled, and braced as he sprinted after me, launching a barrage of punches—left hooks, right hooks, overhands—like a machine on overdrive.
I flipped back, dodging strike after strike, and retaliated with a flurry of celestial punches to his chest. He blocked each one with his arms, the impacts lighting up the air between us.
Then he swung again—I ducked under and launched a flash kick straight to his chin. He went flying, crashing back down in a blue shockwave.
I blocked the blast, but before I could move, he was already midair, flipping and kicking with insane speed. Each hit kept me suspended like I was part of a deadly juggling act. Then—BAM—he teleported above me and dropkicked me straight down.
I hit the sand and rolled, but I wasn't done. I bolted up, launched a Spin Drop that spiraled him into the air, then zipped behind him and landed a celestial punch right to his face.
He skidded back hard, but teleported again—pop!—right in front of me. He pointed a finger like a gun and shot out glowing energy bullets. I dodged every single one, slipping between them like I was born for this.
We clashed again—punches, kicks, energy blasts. No breaks. No time to think. Just pure instinct.
He went for a leg sweep—I jumped, flipped, and kicked him right in the face mid-air. When he charged again, I grabbed his arm, spun him like a Beyblade, and yeeted him back across the dunes.
I didn't let up. I blasted forward and hit him with a 20-20-20 Celestial DROPKICK to the face. He soared through the air, and when he landed, a burst of blue energy exploded out of him.
I dashed in, grabbed his legs, and threw him up like he weighed nothing. I followed with a Celestial Uppercut, launching him higher, then teleported above and slammed him down with a Celestial Bash.
The impact shook the ground.
As he hit, I sprinted toward him, a celestial punch locked and loaded. When it landed—BOOM—a shockwave rippled through the dunes.
I drew my daggers and charged, slashing fast and wild. He dodged every single strike like a phantom, then burst forward with a punch of his own.
I blocked, twisted, got behind him, and slashed at his throat—not to kill, but to throw him off balance—then grabbed his arm and body slammed him into the sand.
He got up fast, grabbed my neck this time, and drove me into the ground, firing a radiant blue energy beam point-blank.
I got blasted back, skidding through the sand. My body buzzed with pain, but my energy sparked stronger. I zipped forward, surrounded by celestial light, and met him head-on.
He threw punches. I dodged. He did a full-on air flare spin—I backflipped out of the way, landing with fists clenched.
"Come on!" I shouted.
"Great reaction time!" Power said, smirking, charging up again.
He blurred toward me, flipping, kicking—a total acrobatic frenzy. I slipped around him, ducked, dodged, and got behind him again.
Left hook. Right hook. Forward backhand.
He tumbled across the sand, dust exploding behind him. I jumped on his back like I was catching a piggyback ride and whack whack whack—daggers banging against his head.
He flung me off. I transformed into raw celestial energy, moving faster than light, hitting from every direction.
Uppercut. Bash. Down slam.
"Confusion—I like it!" Power shouted as he got wrecked.
He crashed into the sand, and I zoomed in, kicking his arm before stopping just in time.
We locked eyes. He ran at me. I boosted forward.
We both powered up—violet vs. blue.
He went for an underpunch. I leaped for an axe kick.
BOOM. A massive explosion of color shook the dunes.
We crashed to the ground, both out of breath. He looked at me and smirked.
"Nice job. Didn't expect that from you," Power admitted.
I smiled, pulling myself up. "I expected a lot from you though."
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 and my mom."
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."
"Yup. Thanks." I stood up, brushing the sand off my jeans. "I'm gonna go spar with Power real quick."