Hello everyone,
I honestly don't know how to begin talking to you. Maybe the simplest way is to just say this: this is the end of Daniel's story. At least for now.
If you didn't catch it before (though I think most of you probably realized by the end), VANGUARDS: ELITE Vol. 1 has always been about Daniel. The story of a high school student thrown into a world bigger than himself. But my story was never about Daniel becoming the strongest, or climbing to the very top. That was never what I wanted this to be.
Some of you might have been misled by the titles given to him — "Legend," the comparisons to Gideon Cross. Those names existed in the crew world, where Daniel's rise looked similar to Cross's in one way: both stood out while still just high schoolers. But that's the only link between them. Daniel is not Gideon, and he was never meant to be. His journey is different, and I hope by the end of this saga, I'll be able to show him in a way that he's remembered not as a copy of anyone, but as someone greater in his own right.
This story first took root in me when I was around seventeen. Back then, all I had were scattered fragments — vague characters, flashes of scenes, feelings I wanted to capture. I didn't know how to create a character, not really. Daniel was just me in disguise, a way to voice my own views of the world. That's why I connected to him so deeply, but it also meant I struggled with everyone else.
In the beginning, the characters weren't distinct. You can probably see it in the early chapters: Daniel's friends all sounded similar. Their jokes overlapped, their personalities blurred. I thought, "they're close friends, so they tease and laugh," but that wasn't enough to make them real. Anyone paying attention would have noticed, and maybe even dropped the story there.
I leaned on Daniel's first-person narration to cover that weakness. If I stayed in his head, I didn't have to show much more than what he saw from his friends. But even then, I failed to show what Daniel truly thought about them. Still, as time went on, something shifted. The more I wrote, the more the characters revealed themselves to me. Slowly, their voices grew sharper, their choices more natural. They stopped feeling like placeholders and started feeling alive.
And now, I want to share with you what I came to understand about each of them:
Ethan Blake – Ethan is the brother figure. Not in the sense that he plays that role for the whole group, but in the way he naturally becomes one whenever it's needed. He cracks jokes, but beneath that, he's thoughtful. He carries a maturity that makes him the first to step in, especially when it comes to Daniel. Ethan sees Daniel as his best friend and values him more than anyone else in the group — because he understands him the most. On the field, he plays as a left forward for Crestwood High, but to me, his most important role has always been that quiet anchor for Daniel.
Ryan Brooks – Ryan is the leader who never has to say he's the leader. He doesn't boss people around; he just knows what needs to be done and does it. He's confident, stylish, the guy who always seems to know a little bit about everything. A native of the city, he carries the place in his bones, and it shows in the way he grounds the group. On the field, he's the heart of the team — the midfielder who coordinates everything. When Daniel joined, Ryan's burden lessened. Daniel read the game differently, in a more psychological way, while Ryan used his experience to respond. Together, they made Crestwood nearly unstoppable. Outside the field, Ryan has a natural maturity, much like Ethan, though he's more talkative and connected with others. His bond with Julian, his friend since middle school, remains his closest.
Julian Reyes – Julian is the beauty of the group, the goofy one who brings brightness without even trying. He's handsome, stylish thanks to Ryan's influence, and he has that effortless charm that makes people want to be around him. He isn't serious most of the time, preferring to keep things light, though sometimes you can feel his hesitation underneath the jokes. On the field, he's a right-wing forward, quick and skillful, having played since long before high school. He's Ryan's best friend, but his roots with Logan go even further back. Julian is approachable, easygoing, the kind of person who could walk into any room and leave with friends — or admirers.
Logan Haris – Logan is the big guy, the presence that instantly makes the group stand out. He isn't the funniest, but when he does bring humor, it lands. Deep down, he's protective — his mind always circling back to how to keep the group safe. Innocent in some ways, he speaks to everyone the same, never putting up walls. He's like Ethan in the sense that he could be a "big brother," though he doesn't always take charge. His loyalty, though, is unwavering. On the field, he used to be a forward, once forming a formidable duo with Julian. But as he grew bigger and slower, he shifted to defense — and that experience as an attacker still shapes his instincts today.
Zachary Fisher (Zach) – Zach is both the academic and the joker, a strange balance that somehow fits him perfectly. He's goofy, always pulling attention, lightening the mood — yet when things matter, he understands their weight. He isn't a bookworm, but he's sharp in class, listening carefully and pulling it all together in time for exams. He comes just behind Daniel academically, though you wouldn't guess it from how easygoing he acts. Zach joined the group later, and in some ways, his mark was the biggest. Being Daniel's classmate gave him countless chances to break through Daniel's walls, and over time, he became Daniel's best buddy. Their dynamic is different from Daniel's bond with Ethan — more casual, more full of private jokes and moments — but no less meaningful. Zach is also the one who saw Daniel in ways no one else did, even when they started off as enemies. On the field, he plays full-back, and his balance between brains and instinct makes him stand out.
Owen Mitchel – Owen is the tall one, the presence you notice the moment he walks in. He isn't loud or full of jokes, but he fits in anywhere, easygoing and naturally likable. There's an innocence to him, though when tension rises, he shows his own strength. His closest friend is Logan, though he has a quiet admiration for Julian too. On the field, Owen is the striker — tall, skillful, deadly when it counts. His instincts in front of goal are remarkable, turning even harmless plays into dangerous chances. One-on-one, he knows how to escape, and with focus, he could easily go pro.
Adrian Reed – Adrian is the quiet one, the least talkative in the group, but always smiling. To outsiders, he might look like a sidekick, but within the group, his presence matters more than it seems. He's observant, always catching the little things others miss — the details that spark conversations or turn into running jokes. He looks up to everyone, sometimes shy in serious situations, but that innocence makes him endearing. On the field, he's the goalkeeper. Though shorter than most, his height is part of what makes him incredible at the role. His reflexes, timing, and jump give him reach far beyond his frame, and his vision allows him to coordinate the defense from the back. Against powerful shots, he can make saves that seem impossible.
That's the group overall.
Of course, there are other important characters — James Donovan, Dane Mercer — who I feel were written clearly enough that I don't need to explain them here. Then there's Rowan. Some of you may question his characterization, wondering why someone who despises fighting and carries scars from a violent past would ever step back into that world. But to me, that's exactly what makes Rowan who he is. He isn't someone who "moved on" from his past; he's someone still living with it, taking each challenge as it comes.
And then there are others still — Dylan Carter and his friends, for example. When I wrote their chapter, I remember calling them my favorite group at that time. They had a mix of happiness and energy that contrasted so much with the central theme of action. Maybe that's why I enjoyed them so much — because they weren't yet bound by a thread I had already set in my head. They gave me room to imagine freely.
Looking back, I don't think I "explored" the world in this first volume — not really. I only introduced it, showed you pieces so you'd understand the setting. Now that we've stepped out of Daniel's perspective, there's more space to explore the others — their hidden stories, their untold struggles, the ways their worlds shaped them. Daniel's role isn't over, but he's no longer the center of everything. This saga isn't just about him. It's about many lives running parallel in a world like this.
By the time the story ends, Daniel will be someone the entire world looks toward — but until then, let's walk through the stories of others.