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

"Ready?"

"Ready."

She lunged.

He moved.

Sort of.

The pivot was too wide.

The push, too high.

Thud.

His legs caught each other, momentum tipping forward then sideways. The dirt didn't hesitate.

Eddy hit the ground hard, a sharp grunt leaving his chest as he landed squarely on his backside. Arms flailed out like a startled bird, legs splayed, dust puffing up in a lazy cloud around him.

A beat of silence followed.

Everyone froze.

Even Thorne froze mid-swing, blade halted inches from Aiden's guard. Aiden glanced over, brows raised in disbelief. Elias blinked once, his attention pulling from the rack instinctively.

Then, all at once—

Laughter.

Alice cracked first, giggling into her palm. Lyric followed, nearly doubling over. Thorne's deep laugh rumbled from his chest while Aiden let out a wheezing snort that quickly devolved into full-bodied cackling. Even Elias chuckled softly, quiet but unmistakably real, the tension in his face giving way to lightness.

Cassandra stood still for a moment, then allowed a smile to break through, genuine and unguarded, as she watched the human still seated in a cloud of dust, blinking like he couldn't quite process what just happened.

Eddy lifted his head, hair flopped over one eye, cheeks flushed a deep shade of red. He looked between them all with mock betrayal.

"Well," he panted, grinning despite himself, "I think the ground is winning today."

Alice peeked through her fingers. "You looked like a pancake mid-flip."

Lyric nearly collapsed. "He made the most dramatic fall I've ever seen."

Thorne crossed his arms, flashing teeth. "Ten points for flair, zero for technique."

Aiden clapped twice, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. "At least you didn't shift and fall naked. Small victories, my man."

Cassandra walked toward Eddy and extended a hand without a word. He took it with a groan, letting her pull him upright.

"You're getting there. You didn't fall on your face this time."

"Thanks, Coach Patience," he huffed, brushing off his pants.

"Anytime, Rookie Gravity," she replied without missing a beat.

He puffed out a tired breath, strands of hair sticking to his forehead. "Alright, round two. Unless the ground needs a rematch."

Another burst of laughter erupted, louder than before. It bounced between the training ground walls, unburdened and full. Even Cassandra didn't cut it short. She let it rise, let it settle.

A few more rounds came and went.

And so did Eddy's balance.

With a muffled thump, he met the ground, again. Dust puffed up, curling around him as he sprawled in all directions, limbs stretched wide like a marionette cut loose. His chest rose and fell fast, breath catching in short bursts.

Eyes narrowed against the sun's glare, Eddy stared upward like the sky had betrayed him personally.

"That's it," he groaned, voice barely holding up. "It's enough for today. My limbs are aching now."

Nearby, Cassandra stood still, arms folded, boot heel lightly dug into the dirt. Her shadow stretched long over the ground, cast in sharp lines. One brow lifted as the corners of her mouth tugged subtly, the faintest amusement flickering behind her composed gaze.

"Okay. You can rest now."

With a wheeze, Eddy rolled onto his side, pushing up with effort. His elbows buckled briefly before he managed to stumble upright, wobbling slightly as he staggered toward the bench. His steps dragged across the ground in half limps, half swings, like each joint had declared independence.

"Bless you," he mumbled, dropping onto the bench with the weight of a man twice his age, one hand flopping across his brow in dramatic surrender, chest heaving with every breath.

Lyric tilted her head, arms folded across her ribs, watching him with a faint smirk. "Human body strength doesn't match with our kinds."

Alice nudged her gently. "He gave it a solid five out of ten."

Thorne, wiping a line of sweat from his brow with the back of his wrist, threw a glance over his shoulder. "I'd say three, points for effort, though."

Aiden, still catching his breath, raised one hand like a solemn salute. "He falls like a champ. Ten on the landing."

From the bench, Eddy's arm lifted without lifting his head, fingers twitching in exaggerated exhaustion.

"Keep laughing, people. If I don't make it to dinner, tell my story."

Laughter spilled across the training ground, bouncing off stone and metal. Even Cassandra's composed exterior cracked slightly, her shoulders lifting with a soft, private chuckle as she watched Eddy cradling his ribs like a survivor of some great trial.

But her gaze shifted, sharp again. She turned back to the sparring circle, her voice carrying across the space with effortless command.

"Now it's both of your turn. One on one match."

Alice and Lyric exchanged a look, brief, electric. Challenge flickered between them, tension coiled at their shoulders like waiting sparks.

Lyric stepped forward first, twin-bladed tonfa already drawn. She spun one in a loose circle, the motion lazy but clean, her gaze never leaving her opponent.

"Hope you stretched, sparkle staff."

Alice answered with a grin, her double-bladed staff sweeping in an arc above her head before settling firm in her grip.

"Hope you're ready to lose."

As the crowd shifted focus, Aiden and Thorne strolled toward the weapon racks. Elias stood nearby, half turned, fingertips brushing lightly against the pommel of a blade he hadn't yet drawn. His stance was relaxed, but his eyes followed every movement.

Thorne slid his sword back into its sheath with an easy swing, then cracked his knuckles, shoulders loosening.

"Well, that was mildly humiliating," he muttered.

Aiden set his blade onto the rack, movements careful, measured. Then he turned.

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"Hey... your shoulder. Is it okay?"

Elias rolled it slowly, feeling the pull of muscle beneath the bandages. "Healing. Fenrik didn't go too deep."

Aiden's brow furrowed. "Still... I wasn't trying to hurt you, man."

Elias met his eyes briefly, voice steady. "I know. You didn't."

Not far from where they stood, something shimmered.

Near Cassandra, the air wavered, subtle at first, like heat rising off stone. But the temperature hadn't changed. The ripple grew, light curling outward in silver threads, forming soft spirals that shimmered like starlight in daylight.

Then, a flicker of pale glow.

Astraea emerged.

Her feet hovered just above the gravel, never touching it. She glided forward effortlessly, the silvery aura trailing behind her like mist. Though the day was bright, she glowed faintly, undeniably seen. Heads turned.

Cassandra didn't react at first. Only her eyes shifted. One brow rose, sharp and unreadable.

"You show yourself in daylight. That rarely happens."

Astraea floated higher, crossing her arms with a tilt of her chin. Her voice, quiet but clear, laced the air like soft wind.

"I'm here to see my star," she said, gaze drifting across the training ground until it landed on Lyric, who now circled Alice inside the ring. "I wanted to see how much she's improved."

Cassandra followed her line of sight, nodding once, her arms still folded.

"She's holding her own."

Astraea's lips curved faintly, the pride barely veiled.

"She always does."

Her attention slid sideways then, pulled by motion, not grace.

Eddy.

Collapsed like a sack of limbs on the bench, arms dangling, head tipped back as he panted dramatically. One foot twitched. His entire posture screamed defeat… or maybe theatre.

Astraea tilted her head, blinking slowly.

"He looks... like soup."

Cassandra's lips twitched, almost a smile. "He's trying. That's more than most."

Astraea gave a small spin in the air, wings fluttering behind her.
"I hope he doesn't melt. Your sunlight is... aggressive."

Cassandra chuckled once under her breath, eyes never leaving the center of the field.

There, Lyric and Alice were circling each other, each step deliberate, light, feline. Gravel shifted under their boots. The sparring ring had fallen completely silent now, every eye watching.

Lyric's grip tightened on her twin-bladed tonfa. She spun them in her palms, and in one burst of speed, lunged.

A blur.

The tonfa came in low, blades flashing, aiming for Alice's ribs. But Alice ducked, moving in a fluid curve. Her staff dropped in time to block the strike with a solid clang, sparks bursting from the metal-on-metal contact.

Without pause, Alice twisted and countered. Her double blade whipped through the air in a wide arc toward Lyric's head.

Lyric dropped to a crouch and rolled forward, dirt scattering in her wake. Her leg shot out, sweeping toward Alice's feet.

Alice jumped, mid-spin, her body flipping clean over the sweep. She came down with a powerful strike aimed for Lyric's shoulder.

Lyric crossed her tonfa just in time, catching the strike with a grunt. Her boots skidded back, gravel scattering beneath her.

They didn't speak.

They moved.

Lyric shot forward with a flurry of slashes. Left. Right. Feint. Then a sudden uppercut with the blunt edge of a tonfa.

Alice twisted sideways, dodging with inches to spare. Her staff flipped behind her in one practiced move, and she hooked it hard behind Lyric's wrist.

The impact jolted her.

One tonfa spun free and clattered across the dirt.

Alice advanced fast, staff aimed squarely at Lyric's chest.

But then

A flash.

Blinding, instinctive, wild.

Light surged from Lyric's open palms, raw and bright, with no warning, no spell, no focus.

Alice was caught mid-charge. Her body flung back as if yanked by a giant's hand. She hit the air sideways, limbs flailing, and landed hard on her back with a muffled thud. Her staff bounced once and rolled out of reach.

The ground went still.

No one moved.

A cloud of dust floated up around Alice's fallen form.

Lyric stood in the center, unmoving. Her hands, now slightly trembling, glowed faintly. Her eyes were wide, chest rising and falling too fast.

"I... I didn't mean to..." Her voice was barely there.

Around them, silence held like glass.

Thorne blinked, eyebrows raised. "Well... that escalated."

Aiden squinted. "Was that magic?"

Elias took a step forward, gaze sharp and searching, lips slightly parted but saying nothing.

Lyric lowered her hands slowly. The glow faded from her skin. Her fingers curled into her palms, unsure. But the magic that had burst from her hadn't felt like anything she'd ever studied. It had been... wild. Untamed. Alive.

Cassandra was already moving, her boots crunching softly in the dust as she approached. There was surprise in her face, but no panic. Just thought. Calculation. Concern.

Astraea's eyes were wide as silver coins. "Did she just blast her with fairy sparkle death?"

Cassandra glanced around at the others, voice measured but firm.
"No one move. Lyric, are you okay?"

"I—I think so," Lyric whispered, still staring down at her hands, fingers trembling ever so slightly.

But before Cassandra could speak again, Alice's voice cut in, sharp and groaning from the ground.
"You should ask me instead of her."

She dragged herself into a sit, brushing dust from her clothes, wincing slightly.

"Next time... remind me not to piss you off."

A beat.

Then someone snorted.

And laughter broke across the field like sunlight after rain, sudden, bright, a little startled. Even Cassandra cracked the faintest smirk. Thorne bent slightly, hands on knees, shaking with quiet amusement. Aiden whistled, low and impressed. Eddy, still flopped dramatically on the bench, raised both arms like Lyric had just won an Olympic medal.

But Lyric didn't laugh.

She stood frozen in the center, hands still faintly raised, eyes wide and dazed. Her lips were slightly parted, but no sound came out. The laughter echoed around her, yet it felt distant, like it belonged in another world. One she wasn't sure she was part of right now.

A gentle light drifted to her side, quiet as a breath.

Astraea hovered close, her glow softening as she looked up at Lyric with warmth in her eyes.
"I told you," she said, voice just for her. "Your magic is still inside you. You just need to believe it... and wake it."

Lyric turned to her slowly, her expression still unreadable, half shock, half fear, all confusion.
"I didn't even try," she whispered. "I didn't think. I just..."

The others had begun to gather around now. Even Alice came close, shaking off the dust, her playful smirk dimmed by concern.

Cassandra stepped nearer, gaze steady.
"Could you do it again?" she asked, her tone gentle but firm. "You just did it now. Try again."

The group instinctively gave Lyric space. They stepped back, forming a wide ring around her. The ground quieted again.

Lyric looked at her hands, then closed her eyes briefly. She drew in a breath, steadying herself. Then she lifted her arms in front of her, fingers spread, palms outward, trying to feel that same spark, that same energy she'd unleashed moments ago.

Silence.

A breeze fluttered her hair. Dust shifted gently beneath her boots.

But nothing happened.

No light. No flicker. No warmth. Just her own heartbeat thudding behind her ribs.

Her hands lowered slowly.

The disappointment on her face wasn't dramatic, but it was deep. Like something slipping just out of reach. Her shoulders drooped.

Cassandra watched her a moment longer, then nodded once.
"It was a point in time release. Something triggered it, instinct, emotion, danger. Your magic came forward."

Lyric glanced at her, eyes dimming.

Cassandra's voice remained calm.
"That's not failure. That's proof it's still there. You need to keep pushing forward. Keep focusing. And it'll start listening to you."

Astraea landed softly on Lyric's shoulder, wings folding in.
"You've cracked open the door," she said, her tiny voice full of quiet certainty. "Now it's just a matter of walking through."

The others didn't speak, no teasing this time, no laughter.

Only a shared look between them all.

Respect.

Wonder.

And something else that hadn't been there before.

Hope.

High above the field, behind the wide glass window of his office, Sentinel stood motionless. One hand rested lightly on the windowsill, the other hanging at his side. The soft hum of the overhead lights filled the room, daylight still poured through the glass, but his attention was entirely fixed on what lay below.

In the center of the training ground, the chosen five now stood together.

Lyric, her expression still laced with disbelief, spoke quietly with Cassandra. Alice stood beside her, brushing dust from her uniform, while Aiden leaned slightly on Thorne, his usual cocky grin softened. Elias stood apart by only a step, arms loosely crossed, but his gaze rested on Lyric.

They looked like any other group of young warriors.

But they weren't.

Sentinel's eyes lingered on Elias.

That calm face. The quiet demeanor. And yet... today, he had affected the weather. The thunder, the shifting clouds, the sudden pressure in the air, it hadn't been chance. It had come from Elias. No incantation. No weapon. Just power.

Something old.

Something unheard of for a vampire.

His gaze slid next to Aiden. The boy looked unchanged at first glance, same shaggy hair, same sharp smile. But the wolf inside him, Fenrik, had bared its fangs today. There was more control. More force. He was growing stronger. And not just physically. The shame was being peeled away, slowly, but surely.

And Lyric...

Her hands had unleashed something that couldn't be explained by standard fae magic. That light, wild, instinctive, had knocked Alice off her feet with no preparation at all.

Sentinel narrowed his eyes, watching as Astraea now floated beside her.

Then, in his mind, Vaelthar's voice rumbled with quiet certainty.

They are finally awakening their true selves.
Now it's only a matter of time... they will be the ones to hold the legacy of the Protectors.

Sentinel's expression didn't shift, but his voice was low, responding within.

"They're close. Closer than even I expected."

His eyes returned to the center, where the five stood, together now, unified by uncertainty, struggle... and something beginning to spark.

"But they have much to learn. Power like this doesn't whisper, it roars. If they can't find balance... if they can't control it," his jaw clenched slightly, "then someone else will."

He looked toward Elias again.

"And their enemies will be waiting for that moment."

He leaned slightly closer to the glass, light brushing across the lines of his face, sharp, contemplative.

"These powers... they never rise without consequence."

A long silence followed.

Below, the chosen ones were slowly gathering together. Cassandra was speaking calmly. Lyric nodded slowly, still shaken but listening. Eddy sprawled out dramatically on the bench, and the others laughed at something he said.

Up in the office, Sentinel remained still.

But within his thoughts, a quiet certainty stirred.

The spark had been struck.
And whether they were ready or not—
The fire had already begun to spread.