The Protectors: Rising from Ashes [Progression Fantasy | Action-Packed | Epic Battles]

The moment cracked open as Thorne's voice rang out behind them, light and unmistakably smug.
"Well, mate," he called, stepping forward with a breathless chuckle. He ran a hand through his damp, unruly hair, grin flashing as he took in Elias and the glowing Gate. "Congrats. You're officially our personal teleportation service now. Try not to charge us per trip, yeah?"

Elias turned at the sound, the tension in his shoulders easing just a little. His brow smoothed, lips parting in a quiet breath as he met Thorne's teasing eyes. Some of the weight pressing on him slipped away, even if only for a moment.

Lyric let out a soft laugh, a hand brushing over her chest like she was trying to catch her breath. Her gaze lingered on the Gate's glow before shifting to Elias, eyes wide with quiet awe. "Out of all five of us," she said, her voice light but sincere, "you're the first to really connect with the Eclipse Heart." Her smile tilted, playful despite the wonder behind it. "We're... a little jealous, you know."

Alice gave a soft scoff, folding her arms. She tilted her head, eyes narrowing slightly as she looked Elias up and down. "So that's it then?" she said, but the edge in her tone didn't hold.

"The Eclipse Heart's picked its favorite?" Her smirk warmed, and the pride flickering in her eyes made the words feel more like a nudge than a jab.

Sentinel stood still beside Elias, unmoving except for the subtle turn of his head as he looked over each of them. His voice, when it came, was calm and deliberate.
"In time," he said, "each of you will forge your own bond with the Eclipse Heart. And when that day comes, it will guide you... help you stand against anything that tries to break you."

The Gate's hum deepened, low and constant, like a breath holding steady between them.

The group exchanged brief looks, not dramatic, but real. Aiden's jaw tightened. Lyric's brows drew together for a heartbeat. Even Thorne's smile faded slightly as uncertainty flickered behind it. Alice's arms remained crossed, but her gaze dipped for a moment, unreadable. No one spoke. The silence hung like a thread, stretched taut with doubt.

Elias stepped forward, his movements slow but sure. The light of the Gate caught in the strands of his hair and brushed along his fingertips.
"If I can do it," he said, glancing at each of them in turn, "then I know all of you can too." His voice wasn't loud, but it carried, steady, grounded. "Just a little more work, and you'll be right here with me. Maybe even ahead."

He wasn't trying to sound like a leader. But somehow, it landed that way.

Thorne straightened, mouth quirking into a smaller, more genuine smile. Lyric's arms loosened at her sides. Aiden let out a quiet breath, his shoulders dropping slightly as some unseen tension eased. Alice didn't say anything, but her posture shifted, less guarded, more open. The doubt hadn't vanished, but it didn't feel so heavy anymore.

Sentinel's stance eased, his gaze resting on Elias with something unreadable, a flicker of recognition, maybe. Approval.

In the quiet of his mind, Vaelthar's voice echoed in his thoughts, low and wry. The boy speaks like a leader already, he murmured. But remind him... the first spark is not the fire. It still needs forging.

Sentinel exhaled slowly, the faintest trace of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"You've touched the connection today, Elias," he said, voice firm. "But remember, it's only the first step. You still have a long road ahead to strengthen that bond. The real work is just beginning."

Elias met his gaze and gave a small nod. "I will," he said simply.
The quiet determination in his eyes mirrored by the team around him. For the first time, it truly felt like they were standing on the same path, together.

Cassandra shifted her weight onto one hip, her arms folding with casual precision. The corner of her mouth tugged upward, not quite a smile, but close. A glint of dry amusement passed through her eyes before her tone sobered, clipped and firm.

"Alright, enough," she said, calm laced with quiet steel. "We need to move. You all need rest, proper food, and more than a little first aid. We've got no idea when the next attack will come, and I'd rather you weren't held together by duct tape and stubbornness when it does."

Aiden groaned theatrically, his head rolling back as he flung his arms out like a tragic actor on a stage. "Oh, come on, can't they at least schedule these attacks? Maybe toss us a calendar, pencil in a few free days?"

Alice snorted under her breath, shifting her weight and giving Aiden a sideways glance. She shook her head, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. "Sure, Aiden, maybe next time they'll send a handwritten invitation with a RSVP."

Lyric let out a quiet giggle, her shoulders easing as she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, the tension slipping from her posture. "Don't forget the formal dress code. We wouldn't want to show up underdressed for the apocalypse."

Thorne's laugh burst out like a bark, and he swung an arm around Aiden's shoulders, clapping him hard on the back. His grin was lopsided, tired but sharp. "I'll pack the snacks, yeah? Nothing screams 'world-ending chaos' like a good picnic spread."

Even Elias, silent in their midst, felt the rigid line of his shoulders relax. A quiet breath slipped from him, part sigh, part laugh, barely loud enough to catch. The glow of the Eclipse Gate bathed them in silver-blue light, shadows softening at the edges as they stood close, battered but together. Already, their feet began to shift toward movement, toward the path ahead.

Then—
A scrape echoed from below. Sharp, gritty, like boots dragging across tile. Voices followed, hushed and low, rising through the cavernous hollow of the shattered mall.

The group halted mid-step. Heads turned in unison. Every body tensed.

Thorne stepped forward first, gripping the railing as he leaned over to peer downward. His fingers flexed once on the cold metal before he sighed, loud and theatrical.
"Oh, don't tell me the next attack's already here," he said, his voice rich with mock misery. "I'm literally starving, can I at least get a snack first before we're all running for our lives again?"

Lyric shot him a flat look, arms crossing as she arched a brow. "If you think you can fight on an empty stomach, be my guest. Otherwise, I suggest you keep moving before you become part of the problem."

Below, figures emerged from the shadows, cautious and deliberate steps echoing beneath the fractured skylight. Their dark uniforms caught the glow from broken light fixtures, each marked with unfamiliar sigils. The five stiffened as confusion slid across their expressions, uncertainty coiling between them like smoke.

Lyric's breath caught slightly, her chest rising and falling with lingering tension. Her eyes narrowed as she peered down at the figures below, shadows flickering in the pale light.

"Who... are they?" she murmured, the question barely louder than the hush hanging in the air.

Sentinel didn't hesitate. His voice, low and steady, slipped through the tension like a blade through silk.
"Nightfall Vanguard," he said, eyes fixed on the group moving cautiously through the debris-strewn floor. "They're the rescue unit. Here to secure the site."

Elias didn't move. His gaze swept across the collapsed mezzanine, the broken storefronts, the shattered glass still glittering like spilled stars. Smoke curled from the ruptured walls, carrying the sharp tang of scorched stone and blood. Bodies lay scattered beneath the wreckage, some still, some barely stirring. The Nightfall Vanguard, was already moving with swift, practiced precision, sifting through the rubble to find whoever might still be alive.

The scale of the wreckage went far beyond broken stone and steel. This wasn't just destruction. It was devastation, raw, visible, and heavy with the weight of lives torn apart.

"This is going to echo," he said quietly, his voice threaded with a grim clarity. "Duskveil Plaza isn't just territory, it's the bloodstream of the clans. Every deal, every oath, every whispered alliance... it all pulses through here. And this mall?" His gaze swept the wreckage. "It's one of the biggest structures in the plaza. A demon tearing through it like paper, that's not just destruction. That's a message. The clans won't overlook this."

The others turned to look at him, their expressions darkening with the weight of his words.

Sentinel finally spoke, his gaze unwavering.
"You're right. And it will only make your path harder," he said, each word clipped but calm. "People already question your readiness, your control. This will give them more ammunition."

His gaze lingered on the wreckage, watching as the rescue team worked swiftly to help the injured. "The vampire elders won't let this slide. Not quietly. A breach like this in a place like Duskveil… it's a direct insult to their power."

Thorne folded his arms, brows furrowed.
"But we stopped it. We killed the demon. Doesn't that count for something?"

Sentinel's response wasn't aimed at Thorne alone, it was for all of them.
"Killing the invader won't silence the outrage," he said. "What happened here isn't just destruction, it's disruption. Elias is right. Duskveil isn't a battlefield, it's the heart of the vampire trade network. When a place like this falls, even briefly, it shakes confidence, power balances, everything. And trust me, those in power will make noise."

Alice crossed her arms tighter, her voice edged with frustration.
"We nearly died taking that thing down. And instead of recognition, we'll get blamed?"

Cassandra shifted her weight, arms crossed, her eyes scanning the devastation below. Her tone was sharp, but tinged with a biting honesty.

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"Whoever told you killing monsters came with applause?" she said. "People don't see you as protectors, they see inadequacy. They already think you're not worthy of being the Chosen. And now this—" She gestured toward the shattered mall below, where the Nightfall Vanguard moved through the destruction, carefully retrieving the injured and the dead—"will only give them more reason to point fingers."

Aiden's voice came low, uncertain.
"Then what do we do now?"

Sentinel looked at them all, worn, battered, but unbroken, and his voice cut through the growing dread with quiet authority.
"You keep training," he said. "That's what you do. Get stronger. Smarter. Ready. Let me deal with the elders and the politics. Your focus stays where it belongs, on becoming who you're meant to be."

Before anyone could respond, he cut the silence with a final glance.

"You should all go now. I'll join you in a few minutes."

The five exchanged glances, short and silent, but filled with unspoken understanding. Shoulders eased. Jawlines unclenched. The tight thread of worry loosened, just enough to let breath move again.

Cassandra's boot scuffed lightly against the floor as she stepped forward, posture straightening with practiced command. Her voice cracked the quiet like a whip.
"Alright, you heard him. Let's go before one of you passes out from starvation."

Thorne sagged with dramatic relief, swiping a hand through his sweat-damp hair. His chuckle was dry, worn down by exhaustion but still kicking.
"Finally, someone around here who understands my pain."

Alice rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the faint upward twitch at the corner of her mouth. She nudged past him, her steps brisk but tired.
"Please, Thorne, you survived this long. You'll manage a few more minutes."

Lyric stifled a laugh, her hand rising instinctively to cover her mouth. The tension in her frame melted into a tremble of suppressed giggles.
"Honestly, someone should just carry Thorne before he dramatically collapses on the way through."

Aiden snorted, falling in step beside Thorne with a sideways smirk. His hand clapped down on the other boy's shoulder, mock solemn.
"Don't worry, mate. If you go down, I promise to raid your pockets for snack money. I'm sure you'd want it that way."

Their voices drifted into the open space, carried by the faint hum of the Eclipse Gate behind them. Pale light spilled across their faces as they turned toward it, tired, bruised, but standing. Together.

The Gate shimmered, casting liquid shadows across the floor as its energy pulsed steadily, like the heartbeat of something ancient and watching. Without a word, they moved as one, following Cassandra's lead. The soft ripples of light wrapped around them, and one by one, they vanished.

Elias paused at the threshold. The others had gone ahead, their shapes swallowed by the glow. He turned slightly, his eyes seeking Sentinel again.
There was something unsettled in his expression, a small crease between his brows, a hesitation in the set of his shoulders.

"How will you come through if I go inside?" he asked. His voice was quiet, uncertain. "Will the Gate stay open?"

Sentinel stood firm, framed by the Gate's ethereal glow. His answer came with calm certainty, a quiet thread of reassurance.
"Don't worry about it. I'll be right behind you. The Eclipse Gate will remain open for me."

Elias lingered a beat longer, the light from the Gate dancing across his face. Then he nodded slowly, the lines of doubt softening as he turned. He stepped forward, into the shimmer, with the steady rhythm of the heart thudding quietly in his chest.

Behind him, Sentinel remained still. The glow from the Eclipse Gate shimmered, its folds of light warping gently around his silhouette like a veil of living starlight.

They still have so much to know, to learn, Vaelthar's voice murmured within his mind, an echo that carried more than wisdom; it held a tremor of something quieter, more personal.

Sentinel didn't answer at first. His eyes stayed fixed on the fading trace of Elias's passage through the Gate, the last pulse of light flickering in its wake.

You saw their faces, Vaelthar continued. The way they looked at him when he called the Eclipse Gate first. There was wonder... yes. Even joy. But also...

Sadness, Sentinel finished silently, his thoughts brushing against the truth. I saw it.

The memory was vivid: Elias, hand on his infinity pendant, its glow responding like a flame finding its match. The others had looked him in that instant, relieved and awestruck, but a flicker passed through their eyes, a crack beneath the surface of their wonder. Admiration tangled with hesitation. A question held behind their silence. A fear that hadn't yet found words.

They still don't see each other as one, Sentinel said aloud, voice low. Not truly. Not as team.

Vaelthar's presence stirred again. What about when they do? When they learn he is meant to lead them, Will they accept it? Will they follow him willingly... or will doubt fracture what's only just begun to form?

Sentinel's jaw tightened. His silence said more than any answer could. The air around him stilled, the Gate's soft hum becoming the only sound in the space.

You're worried too, Vaelthar said gently.

Sentinel inhaled slowly, then exhaled, his gaze fixed on the spot where Elias had stood just moments ago. When that day comes... we will see it.

A pause.

But we have to tell them, Vaelthar pressed. If not today, then tomorrow. They need to know what he is to them.

Yes, Sentinel replied, his gaze still fixed ahead. We have to. But first, they need to trust each other... to stand together. To see one another not as fragment, but as a team. As one.

His voice lowered, edged with quiet certainty. Only then... maybe then, they'll accept Elias as their leader.

His gaze lingered on the flickering light of the Gate. But one thing is clear, Elias will have to face far more than what he already has. His path won't get easier... only darker.

The silence that followed was not empty, but full of what was yet to come.

Beyond the Gate, the world unraveled beneath their feet. The floor dissolved into nothingness, and a vast, chilling void yawned open around them, dark and formless, endless. It dragged at their bodies like a silent undertow, the air itself seeming to vanish. Stomachs twisted, balance slipped, and the sudden weightlessness felt less like flying and more like falling through shadows.

Then, one by one, they were thrown out, as if the very Gate had spat them out into the harsh unknown. The ground came rushing up too fast, and they all hit the dirt with an unceremonious thud.

Cassandra was the first to hit the ground, landing hard on her backside with a loud grunt, followed by a curse. She scrambled for purchase, but she slid a little, her back and elbows hitting the cold, unforgiving floor.

"I swear, I didn't sign up for a rollercoaster ride," she muttered, still winded and disoriented from her first experience. "What happened to just walking through? This wasn't supposed to be the hard part."

The others followed, one by one, landing much more gracefully than Cassandra. It was their second time through, after all.

Alice stumbled slightly as she stood, her face showing the faintest trace of a bruise above her eyebrow. She straightened up, frowning as she took in her torn sleeves. "Second time's still not the charm," she said dryly, rubbing her arm where a bruise was already forming.

Lyric followed, stumbling but catching herself quickly. Her clothes were frayed, and there was a slight cut on her arm, but she was more irritated than anything. "Well, that was... thrilling," she remarked, shaking her head as she straightened her clothes.

Aiden came next, his landing more controlled but still rough. His shirt was torn, and there was a slight cut on his neck, though it didn't seem to bother him much. "Couldn't we get a smoother version of this Gate for next time?" he asked, trying to sound lighthearted, but his tone was a little off.

Thorne, as usual, made the most dramatic entrance, hitting the ground with a heavy thud, his shirt torn along the shoulder and a deep gash across his cheek. He groaned as he rolled to his feet, laughing despite the pain. "Well, at least we know we weren't refusing to come through this Gate just like that!" he called out with a grin, turning to Cassandra. "But really, Cass, you okay there?"

Cassandra shot him a glare, brushing a speck of dust off her shoulder with deliberate calm. Her stance was steady, unbothered, but her eyes burned with sharp defiance. "I'm never doing that again. Ever." She grimaced as she straightened, clearly aching from the landing. Her face was smudged with dirt. "I thought it was supposed to be smoother. This was just... pure chaos."

Thorne raised an eyebrow, still grinning despite the cut on his cheek. "Oh, come on, Cass. You've faced worse than this. A little rough entry never hurt anyone."

Lyric sighed and adjusted her pack, which had shifted during the chaotic landing, her face also bruised. "We definitely need a better way to travel."

Alice shook her head, a small, tired smile forming on her lips as she wiped away the dirt from her forehead. "I thought we were supposed to be elite protectors... and here we are, barely landing on our feet."

Even Elias, the last to emerge, steadied himself after the rough landing. His clothes were scuffed, a faint trail of dried blood marked his cheek, the shallow cut already beginning to seal. He let out a quiet, wry chuckle. "Well, at least we're all in the same mess now," he muttered, brushing dust from his sleeves.

Thorne slapped Elias on the back, his hand leaving a mark on Elias' torn shirt. "Look at that, Elias. We're all in this together now."

The group stood, bruised, battered, and dust-covered, but they were together, each one finding their balance as they regrouped. Despite their injuries, they stood ready, still a little unsteady, but united and prepared for what came next.

"Thank the stars, you all came through in one piece!" a voice called out, bright with relief. "Was starting to wonder if that thing made you its parting gift."

They turned to see Maris standing just beyond the entrance, half-lit by the pulsing glow of the Eclipse Heart. Its deep-blue light spilled across the chamber floor like rippling water, catching on the silver threading of her robe and the worry etched into her expression.

Alice stepped forward, brushing dust from her sleeve, a half-smile tugging at her lips. "You didn't need to worry about us," she said. "You should've been worrying about that invader instead."

Aiden cracked his knuckles with a crooked grin. "Yeah, well... he won't be invading anything ever again."

Lyric adjusted her torn clothes and offered a lopsided smile. "He made one wrong move and ended up a very dramatic example."

Thorne leaned against a nearby column, arms crossed and still panting slightly. "Truly poetic. We turned his last stand into his last breath."

Cassandra, still dusting off her cloak with theatrical exaggeration, let out a sigh loud enough to be heard over the settling dust.
"Truly breathtaking, the way you all handled that demon," she drawled, a glint of mischief in her eyes. "Like five seasoned warriors in a perfectly choreographed retreat. Honestly, it was art, chaotic, flailing art. I've seen alley cats scatter with more dignity."

Aiden raised an eyebrow. "It was a tactical repositioning."

Lyric snorted. "Tactical? You nearly took me down trying to 'reposition' through a pile of rubble."

Thorne laughed and added, "To be fair, watching all of us panic in unison might be the most teamwork we've ever shown."

Laughter spilled out, ragged and real. Thorne wiped soot from his jaw with a crooked grin, Lyric leaned against a cracked pillar, shaking her head as Cassandra mimed their earlier scramble in exaggerated slow motion. Aiden, battered and scowling, gave in to a reluctant smirk. Even Alice, her braid coming loose and boots scuffed, let out a quiet snort and shook her head, lips twitching in spite of herself.

Maris laughed too, soft and brief. For a moment, they weren't bruised. Weren't burdened. Just five kids who'd survived something far too big for them.

Then her gaze slipped past them.

Elias hadn't joined in.

He stood a few feet away, half-lit by the pulsing glow of the Eclipse Heart, his frame still as stone. His clothes were streaked with dust, a faded cut barely visible on his cheek, already healing. But his eyes—dark, locked forward—hadn't moved since they stepped into the chamber.

Maris's laughter caught behind her teeth.

She turned.

The Heart hovered in silence. Spinning slow, patient, ageless. Ribbons of light curled in and out of its crystal core, breathing in rhythms that didn't belong to this world. Shadows bent oddly near it, like they were being pulled inward.

Elias didn't flinch.

Not at the light. Not at the soundless hum that pressed against the air.

He stood like a man listening to something no one else could hear.

Maris's smile faded, breath hitching in her throat. Around her, the others were still catching their breath, still riding the thrill of survival.

But she saw it.

The distance in him.

The silence around him.

And the way the Eclipse Heart seemed to pulse with him.