(12 Hours Later):
We woke up. I grabbed my daggers, threw on my hoodie, and everyone geared up. The sun was blazing, and the sky was finally a clear, brilliant blue. The clouds were snowy white, gliding slowly but gracefully across the horizon. We stepped out of the caves, locked in and fully prepped for the next quest.
Steal that Power Gem.
Defeat the next beast that dares to stand in our way.
I turned back to my crew and smirked.
"Y'all ready?"
"Oh hell yeah, we are!" Archie said, fire sparking in his palms.
We strolled into the dark blue valley and made our way toward the kingdom. The Zirixes were out and about—calm, peaceful, and just vibin' like always.
As we moved deeper into Thunderstark Kingdom, we hit the crowded district. The noise was unreal—people shouting, chatting, trading. The air was basically made of static from all the voices bouncing around.
I had my ear pods in this time, blasting Renegades of Funk by Rage Against the Machine.
I was just grooving—throwing in some dance moves, moving my legs to the beat, bobbing my head. At the drop? Yeah, I full-on default danced. I know it's 2025, but some things are sacred, bro.
I swayed my tail, hit the Woah, and completely owned the street like it was a concert stage. Genius-level song choice, not gonna lie.
Mid-walk, I broke into a quick breakdance spin and casually flipped back into stride like it was nothing. Eyes closed, music blasting. Didn't notice a single thing.
Until—
BAM.
Olsen punched the CELESTIA OUT OF ME.
I snapped back, shaking my head, spotting my air pods on the ground. Olsen was glaring.
"Listening to Rage Against the Machine again, huh?"
I puffed, smoke flaring from my nose.
"Ugh, I was almost done with it!"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Focus on the mission. We're sneaking into Thunderstark's Castle tonight. Right now, we're just grabbing food and trading supplies," Archie explained.
We wandered through rows of market tents packed tight together. So many Electronites bustling around.
"Hey, I'll take two pieces of bread, please."
"Thanks!"
"Can I trade this sword for your shield?"
"I'll give you my cows for your pigs."
"How much for these vegetables?"
"An Electronite banner? Sweet!"
"15 gold for those chickens."
"I'll pay 50 gold for a Zirix pet."
The tents were ragged, held up by crooked wooden poles. Stands everywhere—piled with weapons, food, animals, you name it. Sacks of corn, meat, bread, blueberries—
BLUEBERRIES?!
Okay, pause. You need to know something about me. I have a wild relationship with blueberries.
Like, intense.
I love all berries—except strawberries (don't ask)—but this stand? This glorious blue stand? It had every berry. Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries. A berry buffet.
See, I'm a weird dragon. Supposed to be all meat-eater, big bad Celestianite warrior and all. But blueberries? That sweet, juicy taste? Bro, it's everything.
And when I say I go wild, I mean feral.
Back in Insane Middle School, they served meat and veggies, but I locked eyes on the berries like a predator. Instincts took over. I acted up. Full beast mode for a few juicy blue balls (pause).
But I'm trying to be better. A leader. Civilized. Mature. Prophecy member and all that.
So I crossed my arms and tried to resist the stand. Olsen was paying for food—rich boy energy from his parents' gold—and I kept glancing at the berries.
Each look made my mouth water. Every berry stared back at me like, "Eat us."
My instincts screamed,
"TACKLE THE SACKS. DEVOUR THE FRUIT. UNLEASH THE BEAST."
I started shaking. And then... the berries spoke.
In a soft, seductive voice:
"Come on, dragon boy... you know you want it~"
I did. I really did.
But I held firm.
Until they whispered again:
"Don~ just one bite before the seller leaves... just one~"
I took a deep breath. Intrusive thoughts kicked in—hard.
All I heard in my head was:
"EAT THE BERRIES. EAT THE BERRIES. FEAST, KING."
"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!" I screamed.
I transformed into my Celestianite Dragon form and sprinted on all fours.
I lunged at the berry stand, obliterating it.
Slashed open the sacks. Berries poured out like a fruity waterfall.
I made a giant mouthful and went feral.
The whole place went into panic mode. People screamed. Ran.
Did I care? Nope.
I was deep in berry bliss. Thrashing, chomping, tearing through every juicy orb like a beast possessed.
I roared, "I NEED MORE!!"
I demolished more stands.
I plowed through berry stalls like a bulldozer on a sugar rush.
Made a mountain of berries and consumed it like a madman.
I didn't stop 'til there was nothing left.
Then I flopped on my belly, groaning. My face was covered in berry goop—red, black, blue. A mess.
"Ugh… I think I ate too many…" I groaned, wings stretching out.
Olsen just stood there, eyes closed, breathing deep, looking equal parts disappointed and dead inside.
Then he glared at me.
"What did we both agree on, when it came to BERRIES?"
I chuckled nervously.
"Uhh… let's just head back to the cave, yeah?"
Back in the Cave
The time was 5:00 PM, and the thunderstorm had officially crashed the party. The kingdom's lights flickered off like someone flipped the master switch, and just like that, the power was gone. Rain slammed down in sheets—it wasn't just falling, it was showering. We were already holed up inside the cave, finishing off the last of the Leviathan meat.
That stuff had to be cooked for a whole day, minimum. Any less and we were playing with our lives—because who knows what ancient cosmic bacteria lives in a creature that's probably older than time. The meat turned out alright, though. Juicy, with that deep-ocean flavor, and the roasted blue scales? Crunchy as heck. Hot, but not too hot. Soft and crunchy at the same time. Honestly? Not bad. I'd eat it again. Olsen even brought bread for the squad, and a little bonus—some blueberries, just for me.
Personally, I didn't feel like I deserved them, but let's be real… I will never say no to a blueberry. I transformed into my dragon form, and in 2 milliseconds flat, the whole sack was history. Speed snackin'. The bread had a dusting of spices to keep it from being too basic, and we even had marshmallows to roast. Olsen tried his best, but man absolutely torched his. Thing turned into a crisp fossil. Archie's fire does not mess around.
By 6:00 PM, we were all full, groggy, and slowly easing into food comas. I leaned back, looked up, and asked the question on everyone's mind.
"So how exactly are we supposed to sneak into Thunderstark Castle? That place is locked down tighter than my hoodie drawstrings on a windy day."
Archie raised an eyebrow. "Also… like, what's the point?"
The whole squad looked at him like he'd just asked why water's wet. Prince blinked dramatically and spoke up:
"Dude. King Thunderstark is still alive. After going toe-to-toe with the Musinites, Flamenites, Oceananites, and Mechanites. If he's still breathing, who knows what he's scheming next?"
Demaurion took a savage bite of Leviathan meat, like he was staring the actual Leviathan in the face while doing it.
"Angel's the smartest one here. Why can't he figure it out?"
Angel rolled his eyes so hard I thought they might fall out. Adjusting his glasses, he gave me a look, then addressed the group.
"Alright, listen up. This is gonna be the best plan we've ever pulled off."
He narrowed his eyes. Game mode: activated.
The Plan
"Don and Olsen, you're up first. Don's got agility and insane Celestial energy. Olsen's got brute strength and Earth Element backup. The front door's always locked, too tough to break—unless you've got him. Olsen can force it open while Don cracks the codes using his Celestial abilities. Just don't use anything lunar-based, or it might mess with the systems.
Once they're in, they'll head to the Electro Knight room. Problem: invisible electric lasers. One wrong move, and ZZZAP—alarm city. That's where Prince comes in. He weaves through the lasers, presses the deactivation button. Boom, lasers gone. But the noise might wake the knights, and that's when Demaurion goes full water beast mode and wipes them out before they can snitch.
Then come the stairs. Ella, Power, and I take the back route. I'll cut the right cords to shut down the surveillance cameras. Ella watches our backs. Power uses the tracking tablet to guide the others toward the Power Gem.
Now, once you reach the silver-blue gates—yeah, those gates—the Power Gem's last line of defense? Archie scorches them down with his flames. No problem. Gem secured. I make a portal. Boom. We bounce. Mission complete, no L's taken."
We sat in silence for a moment, letting the plan settle in our stomachs like the Leviathan meat.
"So when's this going down?" Olsen asked, his face lit by the flicker of stormlight.
Angel gave that little evil genius grin.
"Midnight. 12:00 AM sharp."
Outside, the storm was just getting warmed up. Thunder cracked like the sky was breaking apart, and the wind howled through the cave entrance. Nature was doing the most. We knew sleep wouldn't come easy—but we had to try. I curled into my dragon form and closed my eyes. "Get ready, guys… 12:00 AM."
12:00 AM:
I woke up to the sharp BOOM of thunder, rattling the cave walls, and groggily shook my head. I was still in my dragon form, and I looked outside into the storm. Is there still chaos out there? I thought to myself, scanning the sky for any sign of movement. I glanced around the cave; everyone else was still asleep. That meant it was time for my Celestianite roar.
Now, I won't lie—it wasn't the loudest roar ever, but it was definitely menacing. The Electronites, thankfully, were deep sleepers, so they wouldn't hear it. I opened my mouth and let out a roar that sounded like a mix between a velociraptor and an Indoraptor. It echoed through the cave, and everyone shot up, startled by the horrifying noise.
Olsen opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off, "Olsen, you yawned so loud last time that the whole cave shook. Stay silent."
Olsen closed his mouth, and everyone else slowly roused. Angel's owl wings fluttered open, and he pulled out a few red walkie-talkies. He spread them across the ground, and Prince grabbed one, raising an eyebrow. "What's this for?"
Angel gave him a deadpan look. "To contact you guys while you're sneaking in. And before we start, we need to play some Mission Impossible music."
I dug around in my pockets and pulled out my AirPods. "Yeah, I've got it," I said, transforming back into my human form. I handed the AirPods to Angel, who switched the setting to "3," and the familiar intro music started blaring in the background.
With the theme song pumping through the speakers, we moved out. Olsen and I crept quietly from the cave, making our way toward the castle. The others positioned themselves accordingly. The castle loomed ahead, towering above us with its sleek blue, metallic exterior. Black and yellow streaks ran across the surface, and the place was dotted with both tall and short towers.
We exchanged a quick smirk, then I turned toward the door, pulling out my daggers. The entrance was a cybernetic door, made of solid titanium, with a thin line dividing it down the center. Locked, no code. Olsen grinned.
"I got this," he said, cracking his knuckles.
With that, Olsen stepped up and punched the door with enough force to send sparks flying, bits of metal raining down on us. I raised my hand in approval. "Nice one," I said with a grin.
We stepped into the throne room, but things got tricky real fast. The room was massive, bathed in a shimmering electric blue glow. Six towering pillars lined both sides of the room, their surfaces gleaming under the moonlight. At the far end of the room, there was a giant black throne with yellow electric streaks running across it.
"Great, now what?" I muttered, searching for a door with a combination lock.
My walkie-talkie crackled to life, and Angel's voice came through. "Alright, you just need to find it. Got anything that could help?"
"I think I do," I said, my eyes crackling with celestial energy. I activated a power I'd never used before—Overviewing. It's like x-ray vision. Most Celestianites get it once they turn 10, and it lets them see through solid objects. I focused, and the entire room shimmered in shades of celestial purple and blue.
I scanned the area, and then I saw it. The door with the combination lock was on the ceiling. Why the roof?!
I turned to Olsen and deactivated my ability. "Great, it's up there. Now we need to figure out how to get up there."
Olsen tilted his head. "Can't you just fly?"
"Yeah, I can, but how are you gonna get up there?" I asked.
Olsen scratched his chin, thinking hard. Then his eyes lit up. "Wait. Use those Celestial Chains of yours."
"I'M NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO PICK YOU UP! Are you crazy?!" I shouted, exasperated.
"Look, fine. Just try it."
With a huff, I summoned the Celestial Chains. They shot out of my hands and wrapped around Olsen. He grunted, and I lifted him into the air. It was like picking up a pack of water bottles—not too heavy. I flew up, and as we neared the lock, I channeled celestial energy into my finger, touching the lock. The energy crackled like electricity, and within seconds, the lock disengaged.
The door opened. I pulled Olsen up and flung him off the chains. He landed with a thud, groaning as he stood up, rubbing his back.
"You know, next time, don't use those chains. They hurt," Olsen grumbled.
I nodded, but before I could respond, we found ourselves in a long, blue hallway. Fancy lights lined the ceiling, casting a soft glow, but the hall seemed to stretch on forever. At the far end, I could see the glimmer of electrical lasers.
"This is gonna be a long one," I muttered, pulling out my daggers. We began walking slowly, trying to make as little noise as possible. Guards were the only ones awake at this hour, and they were probably watching for intruders.
Minutes felt like hours. Then hours felt like an eternity. Olsen and I passed the time by singing "I Want It That Way" by the Backstreet Boys to keep from losing our sanity.
D: "TELL ME WHY?!"
O: "AIN'T NOTHIN' BUT A HEARTACHE!"
D: "TELL ME WHY?!"
O: "AIN'T NOTHIN' BUT A MISTAKE!"
D: "TELL ME WHY?!"
O: "I NEVER WANNA HEAR YOU SAY!"
In perfect sync: "WOO! I Want It That Way!"
After what felt like years of singing the same song over and over again, we finally reached the lasers.
I smirked. "At least it passed the time."
Angel's voice crackled through the walkie-talkie again. "Alright, it's Prince and Demaurion's turn. Do you see the knights standing shoulder to shoulder on either side of the hallway?"
I looked around and saw the knights, standing still in their blue and black armor. Electricity pulsed through their suits, like veins of power, and some had blackened arms while others had only one.
"Yeah, I see them," I responded.
"Good. Demaurion will take care of any knights that wake up, and Prince will help you get through the lasers," Angel explained.
Suddenly, Prince shot through the hallway, his Lightning Bird form blazing with energy. He was faster than I expected. Demaurion appeared next, morphing into his sea serpent Leviathan form and zooming toward us.
He shifted back into his human form and caught his trident. "Alright, let's get to work," he said, smirking.
Prince crackled with lightning. "Yeah, let's do this."
Prince dashed effortlessly through the labyrinth of lasers, his movements sharp and fluid. Without hesitation, he pressed the red button beside the gleaming blue titanium door, and it slid open with a slow hiss. As it did, the lasers vanished. Luckily, the guards hadn't heard a thing, so Demaurion refrained from launching an attack on them. We were fortunate, really—this spot seemed to be a network of ten caves, positioned at every conceivable angle and direction. The ceilings were covered in a deadly forest of jagged electrical spikes, each one crackling with lightning. If anything fell, it would be fried instantly.
The caves themselves were dark and damp, their interiors stretching into eerie blackness that seemed endless. The air was thick with moisture, the kind of dampness that made every surface feel cold and uncomfortable. But then, a voice crackled through the walkie-talkie. It was Power, steady as ever. "Alright, Don, you should be in the room with the ten caves. Don't panic, the one you want is the lightest one."
I looked around, trying to find a source of light in the pitch black. "Which one's the lightest one?" I asked, feeling a bit lost.
"Go through the middle one, cave number 5," Power replied.
I turned to the cave directly in front of me, and sure enough, it glowed with a soft pink hue, just enough to make it stand out in the otherwise bleak landscape. I nodded, signaling the others to follow. We moved quickly, entering the cave, though it didn't exactly get any brighter as we ventured deeper. The faint pink glow cast eerie shadows on the black rocks, and the constant sound of water dripping from above echoed around us. It was the kind of place that could go on forever, but it was too damp and claustrophobic for my liking.
I could feel my patience wearing thin. "Alright, time to put these wings to use," I muttered to myself, and with a deep breath, I spread my wings wide. They flickered with a few colors, and the others watched in confused silence. A moment later, my crystallized wings started to glow a bright purple, casting a radiant light across the cave. The gloom was chased away like the night at sunrise.
"Woah… How'd you do that?" Olsen asked, his voice full of awe.
I flashed him a grin. "Just a little Celestianite perk."
We continued forward, but the cave suddenly trembled beneath our feet. "Did you guys feel that?" I asked, halting in my tracks. Olsen looked around, clearly hearing nothing.
"No, I don't hear any—"
The cave shook again, a deep rumble that cut him off.
"Okay, WE GOTTA GET OUTTA HERE!" Prince shouted, his wings flapping rapidly as he soared ahead. Without another word, we all bolted toward the exit. But the cave had other plans. Rocks began to fall, crashing down from the ceiling in a cacophony of noise, and the ground shook with a force that threatened to swallow us whole.
"MOVE!" I yelled, charging up with celestial energy, my wings flapping furiously to keep pace with Prince. Olsen, now in his Rockslide Ankylosaurus form, and Demaurion, in his Dragonic Leviathan form, followed behind, but the cave was falling apart around us. The sound of crumbling stone filled the air, punctuated by the sharp cracks of jagged spikes breaking loose.
I darted between falling rocks and debris, my heart racing, but the cave was relentless. It was as if it wanted to trap us here. I ducked, dodging a falling spike just in time, but then the tremors escalated. The entire cave seemed to come alive, shaking violently as rocks and debris began to block the exit.
"DON! WATCH OUT!" Olsen shouted, his voice laced with panic.
I looked up just as a jagged, earth-shattering spike came hurtling down. It pierced through my shimmering wing with terrifying force, embedding deep into the crystalized structure. I gasped in pain as I was slammed to the ground, the weight of the spike pinning me down. Blood began to spill from the wound, staining the stone floor beneath me.
"DON!" Prince cried out, his wings flaring as he darted toward me, desperation in his eyes. He landed beside me, trying to lift the spike with his wings, but it was too heavy.
Suddenly, Olsen came charging from behind, his tail-club swinging down with ferocious force. The spike shattered into pieces, scattering across the cave floor. I gritted my teeth and tried to push myself up, but the pain in my wing was unbearable. I couldn't fly, and moving in my dragon form was a struggle. The weight of the rocks falling around me felt like a hundred tons, and my limbs were too weak to carry me much further.
"I got you, bro!" Olsen shouted, his voice filled with determination.
More rocks rained down, blocking our path, but Olsen didn't hesitate. He transformed into his human form and wrapped an arm around me, helping me to my feet. I was limping, barely able to stay conscious as we pushed forward. My vision blurred with every step, the cave's collapse ringing in my ears.
"I don't think we can… make it," I murmured weakly, my voice barely audible.
"We're gonna make it!" Olsen reassured me, though his voice sounded strained as the rocks crashed down around us.
I stumbled, exhaustion weighing down on me with every step. I could hear muffled voices, but I couldn't make them out clearly. My body was slowing, my movements sluggish, and the next thing I knew, I was falling to the ground, unable to keep my eyes open.
I felt the rocks close in around me as everything went dark.
My eyes fluttered open slowly, voices muffled in the distance like echoes in water. I sat up, blinking a few times, trying to figure out where I was. It hit me—I was still in the Thunderstark Kingdom. Inside the cave. The one where we all crashed to rest.
I looked around.
There they were—Olsen, Prince, Demaurion, Archie, Ella, Angel... and Power.
My gaze dropped to my injured wing. A bandage was wrapped around the secondary mainsail of my dragon wing, still shimmering in that signature bright violet hue, with white flecks glinting like stars. At least that part of me hadn't dimmed.
Sunlight spilled in through the mouth of the cave. Morning. Which meant... everyone was awake.
I turned to Angel. "Did you guys get the Power Gem?"
Angel smirked like he just won a video game on hard mode. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a shiny, cyan, hexagonal gem, glowing with a faint aura and humming with energy like a choir of ghosts.
He handed it to me. I held it in my hand, watching the cyan light swirl inside like a mini galaxy.
I turned to the group, then locked eyes with Power. "What happened?"
"You got hit by something called ozz," Power said casually.
I squinted. "Ozz? Like... that thing we studied in Insane Middle School? The fusion of rocks and lightning? Venomous static electricity or whatever?"
Power nodded. "Yeah. That exact ozz. I forgot to warn you. It won't kill you, but it can knock you out or mess you up pretty bad."
I groaned. "Well, I'm standing now—so that's something. But what was that earthquake?"
Angel's face darkened. He looked down and muttered, "It's the Thunderstark Dragon Turtle... Liren."
"Liren? Who the heck is Liren?!"
"LIREN. THE. DRAGON. TURTLE." Angel shouted, hands flying like he was on a game show timer. "He lives under the Thunderstark Castle. Some myths say he's the reason the castle moves from place to place every day. BECAUSE. HE. MOVES. IT!"
My heart skipped a beat. "So… you're saying we've been chilling on top of a literal monster this whole time?"
Before he could answer, I heard it—screams echoing through the kingdom. Then the ground shook, hard. Thunder boomed.
We all rushed outside. I slid to a stop in the dirt, looked up...
And froze.
A colossal Dragon Turtle towered over us—twice the size of the Leviathan. Do you even realize how big the Leviathan is? 1,625 feet tall. This beast? 3,250 feet. We were looking at a Titan.
Its body was jet-black, striped with streaks of glowing yellow lightning. Its shell was jagged and spiked, shining with light blue energy. Its eyes—pure electric blue—glared down at us, and its mouth was massive, shaped like a hooked yellow beak. Electricity surged through its shell like lightning rivers. It roared—a sound that was part Godzilla, part velociraptor, part T-Rex, part dragon. It made birds evacuate the sky.
Its mouth lit up—charged with electricity. Then...
BOOM.
A massive lightning beam blasted toward us.
"GET DOWN!" I yelled.
We all dove to the ground. The moment the beam hit, a shockwave exploded outward, launching us miles away like ragdolls.
I tumbled across the dirt like a human tumbleweed. When I stopped rolling, I looked up—and saw its monstrous claw coming down on me like a falling skyscraper.
"NOPE."
I teleported just in time, reappearing in a crouch a few feet away. My eyes locked with Liren's, now glowing with rage. I bared my teeth and unsheathed my daggers, celestial energy crackling through them.
I bolted forward.
I slashed at its leg mid-air—blood sprayed, but the turtle didn't even flinch. It just kept stomping like I was an annoying bug. I landed and backed off, gripping my weapons tighter as sweat slid down my face.
"This is gonna be one hell of a boss fight," I muttered.
I spun around. "Guys?! GUYS WHERE ARE YOU?!"
"WE'RE RIGHT HERE!" Angel called from behind Liren's massive foot.
My eyes widened. The beast was about to stomp them.
Celestial energy flared in my eyes. I clenched my daggers, smirked, and whispered, "Alright then..."
I sprinted. Celestial trails followed me as I ran straight up Liren's scaly leg—gravity? Never heard of her.
Slash after slash, I carved glowing lines into its leg. Scales rained down like deadly confetti.
I jumped back, flung out celestial chains, and hooked them onto its snout. I yanked myself forward, flipping over its head.
As I dove downward, the beast opened its mouth and charged another beam.
"WHOA!"
I twisted mid-air just in time to dodge the laser blast. The sky lit up around me.
Wind howled in my ears as I fell, faster and faster. I grit my teeth and focused, landing on Liren's massive shell.
Jagged spikes jutted out around me like obsidian towers. Liren shook his body like a wet dog, and I was sent tumbling across the shell, bouncing off barbs and spikes.
"Don't move, don't move, don't move—"
He moved. Obviously.
I was flung to the edge—and then...
I fell.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
I was plummeting from skyscraper height, my wings too injured to fly. The ground raced toward me like a punchline I wasn't ready for.
"This is it. I'm toast. I'm so toast—wait."
I remembered.
The Power Gem.
I yanked it from my pocket, dropping a dagger as I gripped the gem tight.
"Come on, come on, please—"
Nothing.
I clenched harder.
Still nothing.
"DO SOMETHING!" I shouted. "GIVE ME A POWER GEM TRANSFORMATION!"
And just like that—BOOM.
A blast of cyan energy EXPLODED from my body, shooting up into the sky like a rocket. Energy surged through my veins. My heart pounded like a war drum.
I wasn't falling anymore.
I was ascending. I hovered in place for a moment, my body surging with raw, crackling energy—cyan lightning dancing through my veins in powerful waves. The sheer force of the transformation left me breathless, my chest heaving as my heart pounded in sync with the pulsing energy. I was completely engulfed in the blinding glow of Speed Energy.
Then, slowly, I turned my head toward Liren, locking eyes with him. My grip tightened around the dagger, my teeth clenched—yet a confident smirk tugged at my lips.
In a flash, I launched forward—light-speed fast.
One devastating punch. Right to the face.
Boom.
The creature's skull shattered on impact, unleashing a massive shockwave that rippled across the entire Thunderstark Kingdom. The ground trembled beneath us, the shockwave splitting through the terrain like an aftershock from the gods.
The beast stumbled back, letting out a final, furious roar as it tilted its head to the sky. Then—it collapsed. Slow, heavy, earth-shaking. A mountain of a body crashing into the ground with a colossal wham, kicking up a blizzard of dust that clouded the sky.
I descended slowly, the energy fading from my body as I dropped out of the transformation. The Power Gem tumbled from the air, landing by my feet. I bent down and picked it up.
Nearby, the dagger lay in the dirt—bloodied.
I scooped it up carefully. Behind me, the sound of cheering echoed—my friends. I turned around and smirked.
"Three beasts down," I said, sliding the dagger back into its sheath. "A few more to go. Where to next, Angel?"
Angel snatched the map from Archie's hands, pushing his glasses up as he studied it. His eyes widened.
"Musicia…" he whispered.
I grinned and stepped onto the fallen beast's corpse, raising my gaze to the sky.
"Then let's get started on the real adventure."
And just like that—the story began.