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

As the two faced each other in the open training ground, a hush settled over the space. Gravel crunched softly as Elias positioned himself with blades drawn. Aiden held Shardtail at the ready, the segmented weapon coiled like a striking serpent in his hand.
All eyes were locked on them, on the tension between Aiden and Elias, the quiet storm about to break.

No one noticed the silent figure standing at the edge of the training ground.

Sentinel was already there, wrapped in stillness. His presence lingered like a shadow, unnoticed and unmoving. His cloak stirred faintly in the breeze, and his piercing gaze remained fixed on the pair. He said nothing, but his presence pressed down like a weight. His face was unreadable , until his eyes narrowed slightly, catching something the others could not.

Everyone else, Cassandra included, remained focused on the duel.

Aiden was the first to move.

Shardtail lashed outward in a blur, slicing the air. Elias parried with a quick upward arc of his blade. The metal rang out, crisp and sharp. His form was clean, almost elegant, on the surface.

But something was off.

The sword didn't sit right in his grip. His fingers shifted slightly on the hilt, as if the weapon were unfamiliar, too light in some places, too heavy in others. His strike lacked the grounding to drive it home. It slipped, not from skill, but from rhythm.

Aiden saw it instantly.

He ducked under the misaligned strike and spun behind him, whip-blade snapping low. Elias pivoted, bringing his second blade up in time to block, but the timing was off by a fraction. Just enough to break the flow.

They circled again.

Elias moved in first this time. Twin blades darted out in a flurry of motion, measured cuts, meant to press Aiden back. But the edge was missing. One blade sliced too wide. The other hesitated just before contact. He was thinking too much. Adjusting too much.

Like he was trying to wield something that didn't belong to him.

He shifted his stance, trying to force the flow back into his control. But his back foot skidded slightly on the gravel. Aiden didn't hesitate. Shardtail cracked forward like a living thing, all speed and bite.

Elias blocked high.

The impact rang out, solid, but too much force met too little grounding. One of the swords flew from his grip, hitting the dirt with a dull, unimpressive clatter.

A moment of stillness followed, subtle but heavy, like the air had paused.

Elias stepped back quickly, retrieving the fallen blade. His jaw clenched as he gripped the hilt again, tighter this time. But his eyes—sharp, cold—flicked once to the sword.

It wasn't fear.

It was frustration.

Like something inside him refused to match what was in his hands.

This isn't right, came the low, grating voice in the Sentinel's mind. Vaelthar. Ancient. Watchful. Coiled with unease.

He's not moving as he should. He's uncertain with those blades, but he shouldn't be. He was trained to be flawless with them. Kael would have never slipped like this.

Sentinel's gaze remained steady, unreadable as stone.

Elias isn't Kael, he answered quietly. He fights with his own rhythm. He's still trying to find it.

And yet he should already have it. Discipline. Precision. The edge. He's supposed to be the sharpest among them, even if he doesn't know what role he carries.

He carries it, Sentinel said. But the burden is reshaping him. That takes time.

Time you may not have, Vaelthar growled. He's meant to be more, not just a blade, but the one who holds the line when it all collapses. If he stumbles now…

He won't, Sentinel cut in, firm but quiet. He's faltering. Not falling. He needs to break away from expectation before he can rise beyond it.

A pause. Then Vaelthar's tone lowered, almost like a growl in a deep cave.

He was meant to lead them.

And he will. Sentinel replied. But not yet. Not by force. Let him earn it, not wear it like a borrowed name.

Sentinel's gaze never left the ground. And though no one else had noticed, something old and watchful stirred behind his eyes, a storm that saw more than steel.

Elias was back on his feet, blades in hand, jaw clenched tight. But the hesitation lingered.
Not gone. Just buried deeper.

Aiden stepped back slightly, catching his breath, then tilted his head. "You alright?" he asked, brows pulling together. "You're usually... sharper."

Elias looked down at the swords in his hand, his expression tightening. "They're not right," he muttered. "The balance is off. They don't feel like mine."

The group stirred behind them.

Lyric's voice was soft but concerned. "He's not moving like he did in the mall... That speed he used at the mall... it was like a blur. I've never seen anything move like that."

Thorne frowned. "Yeah, it wasn't just fast. It was unreal. Like he was already gone before we even saw him move."

Alice's gaze sharpened, her tone cool but focused.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
"Then why can't he do it now? It's not just the speed. He's not connecting with his weapons either. Like they don't belong to him."

"Because he's fighting like someone else."

All eyes turned toward him.

He stepped forward, quiet but commanding, gaze sharp as glass. His eyes landed on Elias first, then swept across the rest of the group.

"You're not just struggling with your stance or swing. You're chasing a ghost," he said. "Trying to wield tools shaped by someone else's legacy."

His voice sharpened slightly as he fixed Elias with a steady look.

"You chose weapons like Kael's. His exact style. The same form, the same rhythm. You think it's helping you grow, but it's only boxing you in."

Elias's brow furrowed. "No. I'm not chasing anyone. I just... I thought improving my skills—"

"You're not," Sentinel interrupted, firm but not unkind.
"You're imitating. You're trying to measure up to Kael's path, but that was his journey. Not yours. What he faced isn't what you'll face. And what's coming for you... even Kael wouldn't have been ready for it."

Elias stood silent, jaw clenched.

Sentinel turned slightly, addressing them all now.
"You were all chosen by the Eclipse Heart not because you fit a mold, but because you didn't. Because there's something deeper within you. Something you haven't even fully seen yourselves."

He took another step forward.

"Forget the weapons. For now, set them aside. Let's see how well you handle your other abilities, the ones you've kept hidden or feared."

There was a pause. Then discomfort spread through the group like a slow ripple.

Lyric shifted her weight, arms crossing tightly. "My magic has never really worked the way it should," she said softly. "Not since that day."

Thorne let out a breath, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't even know when, or if, I'll transform into Pyrix. Breathing fire isn't something I can do yet."

Alice's fingers touched the rune at her wrist, her gaze focused and wary. "Mine are unstable. One wrong spark and something could go wrong again. Badly."

Elias lowered his gaze to his hands. His jaw was tight, his silence heavier than words.

Aiden didn't speak either. But his throat moved in a slow swallow, and his grip around Shardtail had tensed.

For a moment, no one dared speak.

Then Sentinel's voice came again, calm but filled with quiet command.

"You were not chosen because your abilities were perfect. You were chosen because they belong to you. Flawed or uncertain, they are yours. And you will never learn to use them by pretending they don't exist."

Before the silence could return fully, Cassandra stepped in. She stepped forward, arms folded, eyes scanning the group with a knowing look.

"He's right," she said. "You've spent so long being afraid of what others might see that you forgot to ask what you see in yourselves."

Her voice lowered just a touch, warmer but still steady.

"That ends today."

The words landed and held.

On the sidelines, Eddy stood frozen. His eyes were wide, his mouth slightly open like he had forgotten how to breathe.

He hadn't seen anything like this before. Not just the powers. Not just the talk of destiny and strength. But the raw honesty. The fear mixed with purpose.

His gaze jumped from Elias's quiet frustration, to Thorne's uncertainty, to Aiden standing still like a storm about to break.

What have I gotten myself into? he thought.

And yet, he could not look away

Then Sentinel turned toward Aiden.

"You'll fight Elias. But not as you are. In your wolf form."

Aiden stiffened.

His grip tightened on Shardtail, hesitation flashing in his eyes. "I... I don't think I'm ready."

Then, from deep within, a voice rose in his mind.

Let's do it.

Aiden inhaled sharply. ...Fenrik?

You've changed, the voice said. Since the first attack. And so have I. But it's time you believe in us too.

Aiden's brows furrowed. You're the one who always avoided fighting, he muttered inwardly. And now you want to step into it?

Fenrik's voice held no doubt now. Calm. Grounded. Certain.

Because running never helped us. Not really. Not when we had something to protect.
And after facing that invader... I think we both know it's time we stop holding back.

For a moment, Aiden stood frozen. Then he exhaled, slow and steady. The tension in his shoulders eased, resolve anchoring in his chest.

"Alright," he said aloud. "We are ready."

The words echoed across the training ground like a spark catching dry air.

The others turned sharply, surprise flashing across their faces. It wasn't just the words that struck them, but the voice that came with them, steady, united, and unlike anything they had heard from Aiden before.

A faint shift passed over Sentinel's face. His usually unreadable expression eased slightly, a flicker of approval resting in his eyes. He gave the smallest nod, as if silently acknowledging a step long awaited.

Cassandra's gaze moved from Aiden to Elias. Her arms remained folded, but her posture straightened. A slow, satisfied breath escaped her lips before she stepped forward.

"Elias," she said, her voice firm but not forceful, "you should try focusing on your abilities now. In the mall, you saw it yourself. What came out of you wasn't just vampire speed or strength. It was something more. Something different."

Elias didn't move.

Then Sentinel spoke, voice low, certain.

"And if you fight with that in mind, if you stop forcing yourself into someone else's shape, your true self might finally surface."

Elias's eyes lowered to the ground, expression unreadable. The silence around him deepened. Then his gaze lifted toward Aiden.

He gave a slow nod. "Fine. I'll fight him."

Aiden's brow lifted, a slow grin forming.

"Fenrik's been waiting for this," he said. "Guess it's time he did something other than pace in my head."

He paused, voice lowering with quiet amusement. "He's actually eager for a real fight."

Lyric blinked, eyes widening. "Wait... Fenrik wants to fight?"

Thorne turned toward Aiden, brows raised, his tone caught between disbelief and alarm. "You mean that Fenrik? The one who ran off when we were fighting that demon?"

A low growl rumbled from Aiden's throat, sharp and unmistakable.

Lyric startled slightly, then let out a small laugh, half in surprise and half in disbelief. "Okay... that's new."

Alice's gaze stayed on him, her voice barely above a murmur. "He's never done this before. Not willingly."

Aiden didn't reply. Instead, he dropped his weapon to the ground, stepped forward, and stopped just a few feet away from Elias.

The others instinctively stepped back, boots scuffing against the gravel as they widened the space.

The air thickened like something unseen had settled over the ground.

Aiden's eyes briefly met Elias's. He gave a nod, subtle but sure. Then he closed his eyes and let out a slow breath.

Silver shimmered across his skin.

Muscles tensed. Bones shifted beneath the surface. Shadows curled tightly around his limbs. A sharp snap rang out, and fur rolled forward over his arms and back like smoke rising from within.

The shape of him twisted, changed.

And in a blink, Aiden was gone.

Something else stood in his place.

No one spoke.

Eddy's breath hitched. He stumbled back a step, the color draining from his face.

"What… what just happened?" His voice came out thin, barely above a whisper. "He changed. He actually..."

He didn't finish the sentence.

Thorne's eyes stayed locked ahead, his mouth slightly open. "That's not what I was expecting," he said under his breath.

Lyric let her arms drop to her sides. Her lips parted, stunned. "He never used to be like that… not even close."

Elias didn't shift.

He stood rooted in place, eyes locked on the figure before him. His lips parted slightly. One hand curled tightly at his side. He didn't speak, but something flickered behind his gaze — disbelief. Recognition. Unease.

Across the training ground, Cassandra had stopped beside the edge of the weapons rack.

Her usual cool expression faltered, ever so slightly. She tilted her head, watching the form before her with focused eyes. One hand rested lightly on her hip, the other curled near her chest. She didn't smile. Not yet. She was trying to understand what she was seeing.

Beside her, Sentinel remained still, arms behind his back. But his jaw was tight, and the lines around his eyes had deepened. His gaze was sharp as a blade, locked not on the form itself but on Elias.

He leaned forward slightly, just enough to show intent. His voice didn't speak, but the silence around him was louder than words.

The wind rustled across the training grounds and fell still.

The figure at the center hadn't moved.

And what they saw in that moment left all of them breathless, hearts thudding in stunned rhythm.