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

Eddy stared down at the tiled floor. A drop of water clung to the faucet, hanging like the pause stretching between them. He didn't look up.

"I… can't explain it."

Noah huffed. "You know I've known you since our first year," he said, straightening. "From day one. Don't lie to me. I can tell when you are. So stop going in circles and just tell me the truth."

Eddy sucked in a breath and let it out like it hurt. The tension in his arms drained, toothbrush sagging in his grip. He leaned forward, bracing both hands on the edge of the sink, head bowed.

"They're connected to my dreams somehow," he said at last, voice low. "That's all I know. If I want answers, I have to go with them."

Noah blinked, caught off guard. "Wait... dreams? You mean those dreams? The ones you always told me about—witches, wolves, vampires and all that weird stuff?"

Eddy lifted his head, nodded slowly. "Yeah. Those exact ones. I used to think they were just... dreams. But they're not. I've tried to figure them out, but nothing ever made sense. And somehow, they're all... part of this."

Noah studied his face like he was trying to see the cracks beneath the surface. "Eddy..."

"I don't know how to explain it," Eddy said, shaking his head, eyes darting toward the mirror but not really seeing it. "But it's like… I feel it. Deep down. As much as I need them, they need me too."

Silence fell between them, thick with uncertainty. Noah's arms dropped to his sides as he took a careful step closer.

"Do you trust them? I mean really trust them? That they won't hurt you?"

Eddy hesitated, his brows pulling together. "Honestly? I'm not sure. But… something tells me they won't. Not in that way."

Noah's expression softened. His voice dipped. "Just promise me you'll be careful. You don't have to face everything alone, okay? You've got me."

Eddy's throat worked around a lump. He managed a small nod, eyes fixed on the ground.
"I know. And that means everything."
He looked up, voice quieter now. "But I have to go. It's the only way I'll ever understand what's been happening to me… since I was a kid."

Without a word, Noah stepped forward and pulled him into a quick, firm hug, the kind that said I'm here, no matter what. Eddy froze for half a second before letting himself lean into it, his face pressing into his friend's shoulder. Just for a moment, the wall he'd been holding up cracked. His shoulders sagged slightly. His grip eased.

The moment didn't last long.

"Hey, are you done with your packing things or—"

Thorne's voice cut through the doorway, then stopped short. His boots squeaked faintly against the tile. One eyebrow arched high as he took in the sight of the two still mid-hug.

"Well, well. Should I give you two a moment?"

Eddy jolted back like Noah had zapped him. "It's not what you're thinking!"

Thorne's smirk deepened. "Didn't say it was."

Before Eddy could respond again, Noah rolled his eyes. "We were just talking. Thanks for the interruption."

Thorne held up both hands, his grin wide and wicked. "Right. Totally innocent. Carry on, bros."

"Noah," Eddy groaned, dragging a hand down his face as his ears went red.

Noah just laughed, slapping him on the back. "Come on. Let's finish packing before he starts drawing posters of us."

Thorne was already sauntering away, whistling as he headed to the room. "Too late!"

A few minutes later, Eddy reached for his bag and zipped it shut. The soft snick cut through the stillness, louder than it had any right to be. His fingers tightened around the strap as he stood motionless, eyes drifting across the room.

The crooked stack of books on the desk. The mug crammed with pens, one missing its cap. The faded poster near the bed, edges curling from time and tape. Each detail sank deep into his memory, as if his brain was trying to preserve it all, because once he stepped out, it might be gone for good.

At the doorway, Noah hadn't moved. Arms folded tightly across his chest, he looked more like a wall than a person. His eyes tracked Thorne and Elias as they headed for the hallway, sharp, protective, unblinking.

"Wait," he said, lifting one hand.

The others stopped mid-step, backs still turned.

Noah stepped forward. Slow. Deliberate. His jaw locked, brows drawn low. "I don't know what you are. Or what you've pulled him into. But whatever it is…" His voice lowered, steady and brittle like a wire pulled too tight. "He's already been through enough. Don't drag him deeper into it unless you're damn sure you won't break him."

Thorne turned with an amused tilt of his head, that crooked smirk playing on his lips. "Break him? Relax, sunshine. He's stronger than he looks."

Elias, calmer and still, met Noah's gaze with quiet resolve. "We're not here to cause harm. We're here because he's part of something bigger. Whether he knows it or not."

Eddy stepped closer to Noah, his smile faint, shaky—more apology than confidence. "It's okay," he said quietly. "I need to know the truth. I have to go."

Noah's shoulders sagged slightly, like the weight of it all finally settled on him. His mouth opened, then closed again. "Then promise me you won't ghost on me the second things get weird. And don't think this gets you out of lectures. I'm emailing you everything. You're not skipping tests just because you joined some secret monster society."

A real laugh bubbled out of Eddy, soft, nervous, but real. The edge softened between them. "Good. I don't want to fall behind. Keep my seat in the back row."

Noah gave a faint smile. His voice dropped to something gentler. "I'll keep it warm. Just... come back, okay? No disappearing into the shadows."

Eddy's smile faltered, just a hair. His voice was barely a breath. "I'll find my way back. I swear."

Without thinking, Noah yanked him into a hug. Eddy stiffened, caught off guard, but the bag thudded to the floor as he gave in. His arms wrapped around Noah, tight. His eyes shut.

"You're the only person who's always had my back," Eddy murmured into his shoulder.

"You better remember that," Noah said, his voice a little rougher than before.

They stood like that for one long moment. Then Eddy stepped back, blinking as if trying to hold himself together. His hand reached down, fingers curling around the strap of his bag, lifting it off the floor.

A look passed between them, equal parts goodbye and don't you dare forget me.

Eddy squared his shoulders and turned, moving to catch up with Thorne and Elias.

Behind him, Noah stayed rooted in place, eyes locked on Eddy's retreating figure. His jaw tightened, and shadows flickered in his gaze, part worry, part quiet hope. When Eddy finally disappeared down the hall, Noah exhaled softly, releasing a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

No one spoke as they three moved through the building's dim corridors. Lights flickered overhead, shadows stretching long behind them. The closer they got to the edge of campus, the quieter it became, like even the world itself was holding its breath.

Eventually, the last building gave way to trees. The forest thickened fast, swallowing up the gravel path. Fallen leaves crunched softly under their boots as they made their way down the narrow trail.

Meanwhile… beneath the forest's veil, the wind curled through the trees like breath, cool, restless. Mist clung low to the ground, coiling around gnarled roots and boots alike. A lone raven called out once in the distance, then silence closed in again, thick as fog.

Cassandra stood stiffly, arms wrapped tight around herself, like she could hold her thoughts in with sheer force. Her boots shifted softly against the damp leaves, the subtle rustle betraying her unease. Her jaw was clenched, a muscle twitching just below her temple, and her breath came through her nose, shallow, held.

She finally spoke, barely above a whisper. "Sir… do you still think this is a good idea? Bringing him with us?"

Sentinel didn't move. His silhouette loomed against the trees, rigid, hands clasped behind his back, shoulders squared like carved stone. His gaze stayed fixed on the shadow-draped path ahead.

"The choice was never mine," he said at last. "It's fate. He's tied to us, our kinds. That's why the dreams began."

Off to the side, Lyric pushed herself off the ancient tree she'd been leaning on. Her arms stayed crossed, but her stance had shifted, alert now, like the question had struck a chord. Her brow furrowed, jaw set tight with tension simmering just under her skin.

"But how's he supposed to survive?" she asked, brows lifting slightly. "He's human. Dropping him into our world is like tossing him to the wolves, literally. We're risking his life."

"He's not just dreaming," Sentinel said, his tone even, unmoved. "He's remembering. Or being called. Either way, he's already crossed the line. There's no going back now."

Cassandra let out a short breath through her nose, sharp, frustrated. Her arms dropped, hands falling to her sides as if the weight of her words was too much to hold. She glanced toward the dark trail weaving into the trees, then back to him.

"He doesn't have fangs. No magic. No idea what's waiting for him on the other side of this. One wrong step and he's gone."

At that, Sentinel finally turned. The motion was slow, measured, his cloak brushing against the mist as he faced them. The set of his shoulders stayed taut, but his voice dipped low, quiet steel.

"The Eclipse Heart chose him. That kind of sign doesn't come without meaning. Whether we understand it or not, he matters."

Lyric shifted her weight, leaves crunching beneath her boots. Her eyes narrowed, expression taut with a quiet storm barely held back.

"Chosen by fate... right. That's comforting. Because fate's never killed anyone before."

Cassandra scoffed under her breath, brushing a hand across her mouth like she might choke on her own thoughts. "He's going to stick out like neon in a blackout. Someone will notice. And if the wrong eyes find him—"

"They won't," Sentinel cut in, his gaze locking with hers like a command. "You'll make sure of it."

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Cassandra blinked. Her spine straightened. "Me?"

"You'll mask him," he said. "His scent, his aura. No one can know what he is. Not yet."

Cassandra's lips parted, but no sound came out at first. Then she dragged a hand through her hair, fingers trembling slightly as they snagged on a knot. "I can do that. But it won't hold forever. One slip, one powerful sniff in the wrong direction—"

"Then we deal with it," Sentinel said firmly, the steel back in his voice. "But until then, he stays hidden. He stays protected."

Cassandra looked away, her eyes tracing the shadowed trees. The chill in the air made the branches seem to shiver. Then she turned back with a tight nod. "Fine. I'll do it. But if this goes sideways… I hope you're ready for what comes next."

Sentinel didn't flinch. His voice was low, steady. "I've been ready since the day his name appeared."

Vaelthar's voice echoed clearly. We knew that day would come from the moment we started searching for him.

Sentinel's thoughts responded, steady and resolute. Then we must have a strong reason when his identity is revealed before our kind.

Mist clung to the earth like silk, shifting around boots and bark as if listening. The hush was total. Even the wind had stilled, as though the forest itself leaned in.

Then, a crisp snap. A twig, deliberate, crushed beneath a step.

All three stiffened at once.

Cassandra straightened, her spine rigid, eyes locked onto the path. Every inch of her buzzed with silent readiness. Beside her, Lyric leaned in, the muscles along her arms tightening as her gaze zeroed in, focused and razor-sharp. Sentinel shifted his weight, just barely, his head angling toward the sound, measured, deliberate, like a predator recognizing motion in the brush.

No one spoke.

Then the footsteps came again. Unhurried. Confident. The crackle of leaf and twig under boots didn't creep, it announced.

Figures emerged from the treeline one by one.

First Elias, his pace composed, as if he'd walked this path a hundred times before. Then Thorne, with one hand buried in his pocket, his stride loose, mouth already pulling into a crooked grin. And trailing just behind, Eddy. A worn backpack slung over one shoulder, hair tousled by the breeze, cheeks touched pink with nerves. His gaze flicked around the clearing, shoulders tight, but there was something else in his eyes too, a choice already made.

Lyric let out a sharp breath, her body easing as she dropped her back to the bark again, arms slack. "You guys took long enough."

Thorne's smirk stretched wider as he stepped forward. "Well, someone had to stay behind and take all those dramatic apologies from a bunch of idiots. Looks like Eddy's got himself a fan club. Or maybe even a cult."

Eddy's ears tinged red. He didn't argue. He just kept his eyes forward, flicking over the gathered group and the shadows hugging the forest.

Cassandra's gaze dropped to the bag on his shoulder. Her tone clipped. "That all you went back for?"

"Yeah," Eddy nodded. "Just the essentials—some clothes, my notes, a couple of books I can't live without."

Sentinel offered a single nod, no more than a shift of his chin. "Good. We're moving."

Eddy dug into his pocket, phone appearing in his palm with practiced ease. "Alright, I'll just book us a cab, shouldn't take more than ten minutes—"

Elias blinked. "A what?"

Eddy hesitated. "It's… a car. You pay someone to drive you places."

Sentinel turned, his expression unreadable. "We know what it is. But do you really believe a car can take you thousands of miles through restricted, heavily guarded territories?"

Eddy's thumb froze mid-swipe. "Wait, thousands? As in… plural?"

Lyric ran a hand down her face, dragging her fingers over her temple like she could physically wipe the disbelief away. "You seriously thought we were just going to the edge of town?"

"Well, yeah!" Eddy threw his hands up, voice pitching higher. "I thought this was like, a field trip. Maybe a secret mansion. Not, whatever this is!"

Thorne grinned, the picture of smug chaos. "Plot twist—it's classified."

Eddy turned to the group, eyes wide. "Wait, so that Luminary…"

"Luminaries' Sanctum," Lyric corrected, arms folding again.

"Yeah, that place," Eddy said, glancing between them. "That's actually that far?"

Thorne let out a slow whistle, shaking his head. "What, did you think we were headed to the next city over for a weekend spa retreat?"

Eddy gave a helpless shrug. "Then how are we getting there?"

Cassandra, who had stayed silent through the back-and-forth, stepped forward. Her boots pressed into the moss with purpose. One hand slipped into her coat, fingers moving with precision. When it reemerged, daylight caught the edge of a small metallic ring etched with fine runes. The grooves pulsed faintly, like they remembered being awake once before.

Eddy's eyes locked on it.

"That's how you got here…" he murmured, realization dawning slowly.

Cass gave a faint nod but didn't speak. Instead, she turned toward Sentinel. A nod passed between them, barely a tilt of his head, but enough.

Then she moved toward Eddy.

He instinctively stepped back half a pace, hands lifting. "Wait, what're you gonna do?"

She didn't answer. Not with words.

Her steps were measured as she closed the distance, stopping just in front of him. One hand still held the ring. The other hovered near his chest, fingers trailing the air like she was sketching invisible runes. Cold gathered where she stood, not biting, but deep, quiet, and alert, like the hush before a storm.

Sentinel spoke, voice even. "She's going to mask your scent. Dampen your aura. You'll pass unnoticed. What you are will stay hidden."

Eddy's shoulders tightened, his voice jumping an octave. "Wait, hold on. Is this gonna hurt? Am I about to grow wings? Or explode? Or turn into, like… a frog?"

Thorne leaned in with a grin full of teeth and trouble. "Now that would make our lives more interesting."

Elias's lips twitched at the corner, though his eyes remained fixed on Cass's hand.

She met Eddy's eyes, calm and certain. "It won't hurt. But it might feel... strange."

Her fingers stilled, and then she began to chant, low, steady, each word pulled from the air like thread from a loom:

"Shadow veil, fold and weave,
Let his truth the world not perceive.
Wrap his soul in hidden thread,
So what he is remains unsaid."

The air quivered. The space around Eddy shimmered as if someone had thrown stones into a still pond. He flinched slightly as something unseen passed over his skin, cool and feather-light like the breath of fog. Light rippled around him in threads of silver before fading into the mist.

He blinked, sniffed the air, then awkwardly sniffed his own shirt. "I don't feel any different. Or smell different. Did it even work?"

Cass tilted her head, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "You're human. You wouldn't notice. Your kind's sense of smell is… let's just say, not exactly impressive."

Lyric stepped in close, tilted her head, and inhaled once. Her brow rose. "Huh. You don't smell like anything at all."

Cass gave a small nod. "That's the point. No one will be able to place you. Not your scent, not your aura. You're invisible, in all the right ways."

Elias took a step forward, eyes narrowed. "It's convincing. Even I can't sense a trace."

Eddy looked down at himself, wiggling his fingers. "So I'm just… a human-shaped blank space now?"

Thorne snorted. "Congratulations. You're officially uninteresting."

Eddy raised an eyebrow. "Guess that's the first time I've ever been glad about that."

Sentinel's tone stayed even, but his gaze sharpened. "It will hold as long as you don't use power of your own, assuming you even have any. But if the illusion cracks, people will notice. And if the wrong people notice, we won't be able to protect you."

Eddy's breath escaped in a quiet stream. "No pressure, then."

Thorne clapped a hand on his shoulder, the sound brisk against the quiet. "Welcome to the freak show, my dude."

Cass stepped back. She took a breath that barely reached her chest, then rolled her shoulders back and adjusted her coat.

"Alright," she said, voice steady as she turned to the others. "Time to get back to Luminaries Sanctum."

Thorne gave an exaggerated sigh, dragging his hand through his hair. "Great. Maybe now I can stop smelling like bug spray and existential dread."

Lyric gave a low laugh, almost hidden behind her breath. Elias's mouth curved in a small but undeniable grin. Even Sentinel's usually impassive expression eased, the corner of his mouth ticking upward before vanishing again like a ghost.

The group shifted into place, boots scuffing across damp earth. The mist crept closer, curling at their feet like it had been waiting for this moment.

Eddy lingered just outside the forming circle, glancing around uncertainly. His eyes dropped to the mossy floor, as though hoping it might offer a set of instructions.

"Uh… what exactly are we doing?" he asked.

Lyric turned toward him, her expression softer now. "You're joining the circle. Right here, next to me."

He hesitated, one foot half-lifted. Then, with a breath, he stepped forward. When Lyric extended her hand, he took it. His grip was unsure, but her fingers were cool and steady.

Thorne raised his hand too, casual and confident. Eddy reached for it more slowly this time.

"You sure this won't explode or anything?" he muttered.

Thorne flashed a grin. "No promises. But hey, if your eyebrows catch fire, I'll draw you new ones."

Eddy blinked. "Comforting."

Sentinel stepped forward then, beside Cass, his posture straight, gaze steady. He did not reach for anyone's hand, but his presence alone anchored the space.

Cass moved to the center of the circle. The ring sat in her cupped palms like a captured shard of starlight. Its glow pulsed once, then again, syncing with the rhythm of her breath as she spoke.

"Gate of thread, gate of flame,
Open wide and call our name.
Bend the veil, let stars align,
Bring us home across the spine."

The ring rose from her hands, drifting upward like it weighed nothing. It turned in slow, silent rotation, runes flickering to life. Sapphire and silver light spilled from its edges, weaving around the group like ribbons of firelight.

As the ring reached the space above their heads, spinning brighter and faster, Cass stepped back from the center. Without hesitation, she took her place in the circle once more, slipping one hand into Lyric's and the other into Sentinel's.

Sentinel, quiet and composed, closed his free hand around Elias's. Their circle was complete now, linked by hands and surrounded by light that pulsed like a heartbeat.

Eddy's mouth parted slightly. The ring hovered above them all, spinning faster still, until sparks leapt into the air, curling like tiny comets.

Eddy's mouth parted slightly. The ring hovered above them now, spinning faster, light brightening until sparks leapt into the air, curling like tiny comets.

"Okay, this is… a lot cooler than the movies," he murmured.

The air shifted.

The trees leaned inward, almost too subtly to notice. Leaves spiraled upward, caught in something deeper than wind. On the ground, faint lines lit beneath their feet, glyphs drawn in old geometry, glowing brighter with each breath.

Behind them, the old tree groaned. It was a low, resonant sound, like the woods remembering something it had tried to forget.

Eddy's grip on Lyric's hand tightened.

The space ahead began to bend. Sound warped around them, stretched and thin like heated glass. A sharp hum bloomed behind their ears, steady and unnatural, rising.

Cass vanished first. Her body dissolved into a flash of blue and white, swept away in a flare that melted into mist.

Elias followed without pause, his form vanishing like a reflection swallowed by water. Lyric turned slightly to give Eddy a quick wink, then shimmered away like a sigh.

Thorne gave a lopsided grin, just as his fingers began to glow. "Hold on tight, newbie. And whatever happens, don't puke in the void."

He flicked two fingers in a half-salute. Then he too was gone.

Sentinel turned to Eddy, the last one left. "Steady your mind. Let the magic carry you."

Then his form blurred and vanished like a dropped veil.

Eddy looked down.

Color traced his arms, weaving through his skin like living thread. His breath caught. A storm of butterflies beat wildly against his ribs.

He clenched his jaw and squeezed his eyes shut just as the light swallowed him.

It surged through his body all at once, crashing inward like a tidal wave. There was no sense of movement, only pressure from every side. Sound fractured and ricocheted through his skull, thunder blooming behind his eyes. For a breathless moment, he spun through a space that had no direction. Falling, floating, flying—he could not tell which.

And then, the feeling vanished.

The ring spiraled above the moss one final time, its silver edges catching a jolt of lightning, and vanished in a burst of brilliance.

Stillness blanketed the clearing.

Branches stilled. Leaves settled. The tree, ancient and unmoved, watched in silence. The moss showed no footprints. No mark of their presence lingered. The circle had dissolved. The air no longer held voices. The boy, the magic, the moment, gone as if the forest had only imagined it.

A faint, sharp trace of ozone lingered in the quiet. A whisper of power still hummed beneath the bark. But the place that had been his secret, was now only a clearing again.

Then the world returned.

It didn't creep back. It struck.

Light burst inward. Sound unraveled and reformed. Space knit itself back together like thread sliding into a needle. And they reappeared, one after another, in the Alchemical Chamber.

Thorne landed with a grunt, knees bent to absorb the impact. Sparks skittered off his fingertips as he shook out the remnants of magic. "Well, that was a ride," he muttered.

Lyric stood with perfect balance, boots aligned like she had never moved at all. She flicked a lock of hair from her eyes, the motion casual but crisp.

Elias stumbled. His breath caught sharply as he leaned against a nearby column, steadying himself with both hands, gaze darting as he reoriented.

Then came Eddy.

He arrived in mid-step, eyes wide, feet off-kilter. A yelp escaped him as his momentum nearly hurled him forward, but he managed to catch himself against Thorne's shoulder. "Holy crap—did I just survive interdimensional spaghetti?"

Thorne blinked, then tilted his head. "That's... not a term I've heard. But yes."

Behind them, the chamber stirred again.

Light rippled near the outer rim, and Cassandra appeared from its edge. Her boots struck the floor harder than the others'. She staggered, not quite falling, but her arms trembled with strain. Her skin looked drawn, the color leached from her face, but she stayed upright.

No one turned.

No one saw her.

Her fingers opened and closed at her side, curling into a tight fist to keep steady.

Then a voice, soft and strange, broke the silence. It echoed like a memory sliding back into place.

"Love of stars, you finally returned."

The words floated in, cool as nightfall.

From behind the towering columns of crystal stepped Maris, robes flowing like stitched constellations, her presence both serene and unmissable. Her gaze swept across them, eyes glowing faintly, catching reflections of light that didn't come from the chamber alone.

Sentinel stood straighter, his arms shifting to his sides. "We made no detours."

Maris gave a soft chuckle. The corners of her eyes crinkled with something that could have been fondness. Her gaze drifted past the others until it settled on Elias. The warmth in her tone dropped, replaced by something heavier.

Her voice, when it came, was quieter. Steadier. "The Elders are already at the Luminaries' Sanctum."

She held Elias's gaze a beat longer before adding, "But they're not the only ones who came."

Elias stopped breathing.

His chest constricted, a tremor flickering through his limbs like static. Color bled from his face, leaving him still as stone.

Inside, something twisted deep and sharp.

She didn't need to say the name.

He already knew.