Chương 3: Episode 1: (2 Year Timeskip) - Leaving the Nest: Part Two

The red carpet stretched before the throne—long, straight, and merciless, leading to the portcullis like a path designed for judgment. I stood beside the throne with my eyes closed, the spike in my hair glowing with sharp white lunar highlights. My boots clicked softly against the stone while my lunar cybernetics hummed beneath my feet, steady and disciplined, pretending I was calm. The Lunar Lance rested at my side, angled close enough to my face to remind me it existed like a threat and a promise all at once.

I inhaled as energy crawled through my veins, alive, restless, and impatient. Crossing my arms, the Lance lifted slightly as I exhaled through my nose, a low grunt slipping out before I could stop it. Memories tried to claw their way back in. The throne room was massive, way too big for how empty it felt. Windows were blown wide open with moonlight flooding in and dust drifting like ash after a fire.

Banners thrashed in the draft as if trying to escape their own history, and somewhere across the hall, a dented metal can skittered across the floor, pushed by the wind like a bad omen that refused to stay still. Outside, Foreshade was silent. The whole kingdom was silent. I was silent too, but my mind definitely wasn't. The portcullis rattled, and I opened my eyes as white lunar energy flared from them. The wind surged inward, and then he emerged.

King Dreadixz dragged himself out from beneath the portcullis with his armor cracked and scorched, every step heavy and uneven. His wings sagged, scraping against the stone before he slowly folded them against his back. He looked like a war machine that had lost every reason to shut down. Moonlight hit his chest, revealing the Lunaranite insignia. It was a masterclass beast etched into his armor—feral, regal, and eternal. Its eyes were carved sharp and cruel, formed from a fusion of fang, claw, and lunar geometry.

It wasn't decorative; it was declarative—a symbol of conquest, survival, and a people who refused to kneel. Even damaged, it commanded the whole room. I glanced him over, frowning despite myself.

"What kind of conflict rattled you this badly?" My voice came out low and controlled, almost concerned against my better judgment. Dreadixz stopped, then forced his broken posture upright through nothing but pure spite. His gaze locked onto mine with cold lunar fury burning beneath his exhaustion.

"Battle with the Celestianites," he growled.

"They dragged in the Officials… and Blightscaw." He limped forward again, clutching his chest as moonlight washed over him and glinted off the beast insignia. His shadow stretched across the walls, twisted, enormous, and alive. When he reached the throne, he turned and fell into it with a heavy metallic slam that shook the room. He exhaled a long, reverent breath, rubbing the armrests like they might vanish if he stopped touching them.

"Oh," he muttered, almost lovingly, "how I missed this throne…" I scoffed and closed my eyes.

"You're the king. Aren't you supposed to wipe out the Celestianites in one clean strike?" Dreadixz snapped his head toward me, snarling as he leaned forward, his wings flaring just enough to remind me what he was.

"You're a kid, Dark Don. A Lunaranite kid with a lance."

"I'm your second-in-command," I replied quietly, opening one eye to stare at the dust-streaked floor.

"Without me… I don't even know what you'd be." He grunted and slammed his back against the throne.

"Teenagers these days…"

"I'm not a teen yet."

"WHO ASKED YOU?!" The shout detonated through the chamber, then vanished into dead silence. I didn't move. Distant footsteps echoed as Lunaranites filtered back into the castle, their shadows reclaiming their places. Dreadixz sighed, calmer now, and finally looked at me—really looked at me.

"You still mourn for her?" I didn't hesitate.

"She's dead, King. No kidding." My wings stretched wide, feathers scraping against the stone. Dreadixz rose slowly, his voice rougher and heavy with history.

"Those were our darkest moments. Worse than the war itself. The Celestianites…" His jaw tightened.

"They humanized us. Treated us like debris under a donkey's hoof." I stared at the floor.

"What am I supposed to do with that?" I whispered.

"I can't even remember her promise. That's all I care about." Dust floated between us, suspended in the moonlight, until Dreadixz broke the silence.

"Find out who the Chosen Ones are, and kill the leader." I looked up.

"They seek the Lost Key," he continued.

"The artifact matters, and I need it to take Avangard. Zeriath can wait." His gaze hardened beneath the beast insignia.

"And when necessary… take breaks. Fulfill your personal quest." He was right. I had another mission: find Silicia's last words so I never forget them again. Ever. AT INSANE MIDDLE SCHOOL — MORNING I was sprinting through the school hallway at full send. If I stopped, I died. That part was not a metaphor. Lockers streaked by in metallic blurs while sneakers slapped tile and footsteps hammered behind me. Someone screamed my name, maybe. Name's Lens Don. Twelve. Celestianite.

Dragon traits, horns, wings, tail: the whole mythical starter pack. I didn't wake up today planning to almost die before first period, but here we were. Corner, too sharp. I skidded, claws scraping tile as my wings flared on instinct, catching air just long enough to keep me upright. Sunlight flashed off my purple crystal horns. My wings, crystal feathers layered with soft scales, beat once, barely under control. My violet tail snapped behind me, white stripes blurring as I ran. For the record, I look sick.

I just don't feel sick. Red hoodie, blue jeans, black-and-red sneakers, and a buzz cut. Just an average black kid tearing through a very un-average school while elemental chaos broke every safety regulation written. Everyone's born with an Element here. Fire, Ice, Earth, Lightning, Plant, weird stuff, normal. Mine is Celestial. Light-purple energy, rare, dangerous, anime-level power waiting to ruin my schedule. And if I ever collect all nine Power Gems, reality starts wobbling.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. We live in a world called Avangard. Technically it's planet Earth, reformatted with two large continents, the bigger one being Avangard. Everyone born here is an Elementanite or an Avangardian. Same thing. I wanna be a hero, a real one, a Hero of Avangard. Not just the loud kid with too much confidence and not enough chill. I wanna be worthy. Right now, I was late for class and hurdling an ice river.

I vaulted Emely's frozen hallway disaster.

"Watch it, Ice Bird!"

"Sorry!" she yelled, already melting it down. Ice Element, hyper, absolute menace. Heat spiked: fireballs. Archie. I flared my wings and tail-whipped a flaming orb into a locker, which crumpled paper-thin.

"Fifth time this week!" he shouted, laughing.

"Hush it, hair fryer!" The walls exploded with green vines, thorns, and branches. Lonnie Mae, Plant Element, vibing like this was recess. I vaulted high and slid low, barely avoiding a thorny branch. Lightning tore past me. Prince.

"NO RUNNING IN THE HALLS!" the principal screamed. Prince didn't stop, he flew.

"NO FLYING EITHER!" Classic Prince. I ducked Olsen's rock pillars, sidestepped Keyler's sticky webs, and passed Ella, who stood there completely unbothered. Room 101. I slid in with an action movie move and immediately took a hit to my pride. Everyone was seated. Every kid watched as I froze in the doorway, my confidence completely gone. Mr. Bassi looked up. Twenty-four, half man, half bull, with massive curled horns, a white shirt, green pants, and a clean crew cut.

"You're late."

"Technically I arrived in one second so I'm not that—""Sit." He smirked. I dropped into the front row. Bassi turned to the board and didn't move.

"So… aren't you gonna teach?" Mason asked. Bassi blinked.

"Wait. This is history?" Everyone sighed at once.

"I'm a math teacher," Bassi said.

"History's not my thing. Civil War or—""THE HISTORY OF AVANGARD!"

"…Right. That. Knew that." He hauled out a massive ancient book and cracked it open.

"Year 8000 B. C. E., Before the Celestial Era. The CL War began with an artifact, the Lost Key, hidden by a Celestianite to keep it from Lunaranite hands." The room leaned in.

"The Lunaranites were evil, conquest-obsessed, led by Dreadixz." Pages flipped.

"The Celestianites fought back. Dragon-like beings of Light, Astral, and Celestial power. White and gold scales, halo horns, feathered and scaled." Another page.

"The Lunaranites were black and purple, with sharp scales and curved horns." He read the speech aloud:'YOU WANT POWER? CONTROL? REVENGE? FOLLOW ME, DREADIXZ, SHADOW LORD!' Even Bassi paused. It went hard.

"In the final clash," he continued, "Vigilzante, the Celestianite leader, fell. Before dying, he wrote a prophecy." He read it aloud. Silence followed. Then the intercom blared: "ATTENTION STUDENTS! A BRIGHT LUNAR-LIKE OBJECT IS APPROACHING AT MAX SPEED! EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY!" I shot up.

"WE JUST GOT TO CLASS!" The sun dimmed, the sky turned white, and thunder cracked over the building. Wind slammed the walls as Bassi went pale.

"EVERYBODY OUT!" I ran, but the roof exploded first. White lunar energy tore through the room and launched me across the floor. Desks shattered, dust filled my lungs, and pain hit my back. I groaned and pushed myself up through the ringing in my ears. The smoke thinned, and there he was. My height, which was the first thing my brain registered, because everything else about him was wrong. Black hair slashed with jagged white streaks, eyes glowing silver, flat and merciless.

Sleek silver dragon wings sliced the haze behind him as his tail snapped once, sharp and metallic. Layered white-and-black cybernetic armor fused to dark skin, lunar-blue veins glowing beneath the plating. The Lunaranite insignia burned across his chest. Black cybernetics reinforced his arms, silver plates covered his legs, and white gloves gripped a towering Lunar Lance that hummed softly in the ruined classroom. His white cyber-shoes cracked against the floor, laced with silver plates and black energy veins.

"You," he said, his voice low and clean, slicing through the alarms.

"One of the Five Chosen Ones. Confident. Relentless." Celestial energy flared around me, violet sparks snapping in the air.

"Who are you?!" He stepped closer through the debris.

"Dark Don. Bounty hunter. Scarrist." His silver eyes locked onto mine.

"The version of you that's better in every way." I didn't even blink. His fist hit my face, launching my body backward through a bookshelf. Wood splintered and shelves collapsed on impact. My vision swam, but I got back up. Violet energy sparked from my arms, jagged and wild. I shoved off the ground, caught his next punch mid-air, and blasted him back with a burst as my eyes glowed violet. I swung everything I had and connected with his jaw. He staggered. Five seconds of hope. Then he vanished in a blur.

His knee slammed into my gut, knocking the air clean out of my lungs as he flung me down the hallway. The cafeteria doors exploded. Kids screamed while teachers shouted over each other.

"EVERYONE TO THE EXITS!"

"NO, NOT NEAR THE—WHAT IS HAPPENING?!"

"IS THAT LUNAR ENERGY?! CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE POLICE, AND A DRAGON OR TWO!" Sirens wailed outside as fire trucks arrived, hoses blasting water while glass shattered. Cementos the Bull charged, horns lowered.

"FREEZE! HANDS UP!"

"Or you're lunch!" someone yelled. Dark Don glanced sideways.

"More pests." He raised a hand and sent a lunar pulse tearing through the room. Cementos smashed forward as concrete spikes erupted from the floor, but Dark Don sliced through them. A single strike sent the bull-man skidding across the cafeteria floor. Nyx the Panther leapt, claws carving air.

"YOU LUNARANITE—" She got backhanded straight into a table. Smite hurled a mist bomb while Titus launched red-glowing fists. Dark Don stepped past the chaos and released a wave of white lunar energy, knocking all three back mid-air. Lila blasted a stream of water, shouting, "WHY WERE YOU SENT HERE?!" Dark Don sidestepped, grabbed her arm, and slammed her into the floor. Through all of it, he still held me by the collar while my punches did nothing.

"You're not ready," he said, dragging me through the wreckage.

"Celestial energy won't save you." I coughed, sparks flickering weakly.

"WHO INVITED YOU?!" A thin smile touched his lips.

"I'm the reckoning." My friends moved in next. Archie rocketed forward with roaring flames.

"YOU'RE NOT TOYING WITH HIM!" Olsen planted his feet as the ground buckled.

"Uh, let's NOT die today!" Prince ran in with lightning crackling around his feathers.

"This guy's insane!" Demaurion called up a wall of water.

"FOCUS! DON'T GET OBLITERATED!" Cafeteria staff panicked behind the counters.

"MOVE!"

"FIRE EXTINGUISHER!"

"MY MEATLOAF!" Dark Don kept moving without breaking rhythm. He flicked his wrist, and silver chains snapped into existence, locking around me, Olsen, Prince, Archie, and Demaurion. Prince struggled against the bindings.

"YOU SERIOUS?!"

"Why did you have to ask that," Dark Don muttered. A scroll drifted down from above, old, frayed, and glowing softly. He caught it midair and read it slowly.

"Oh," he said, voice flat.

"So it's already written." Demaurion growled, stepping forward as water boiled off his scales.

"GET US OUT. NOW." Dark Don didn't answer. His eyes stayed on the prophecy. He raised one hand and clenched his fist. The scroll shuddered as lunar energy flared around his fingers, silver lightning crawling up his arm as he pulled. The parchment bent, the written words flickering in the light. He gritted his teeth and pulled harder. Nothing happened. The prophecy refused to rip. Dark Don stopped.

"…No," he whispered. He tried again, putting everything into it. The room shook, tables lifted off the ground, trays slammed into walls, and the air roared with lunar power. Still nothing. The prophecy held. His breathing shifted. He dropped the scroll, which hovered for a second before snapping back into place, floating calmly in midair. His eyes turned pure white as he looked at me.

"This was supposed to end here," he said quietly. He walked toward me, each footstep heavy on the floor. Mr. Bassi lunged forward.

"Hey—HEY—!" Dark Don ignored him completely.

"Great," Mr. Bassi muttered.

"How am I explaining THIS to the principal—" I grabbed the stair railing, wings flaring as Dark Don stopped right in front of me. He raised his hand, lunar light condensing around his fingers. I braced for the hit. His hand twitched. His jaw set, and a sudden look of frustration crossed his face. He lowered his hand, letting the energy disperse. He looked away, eyes narrowing.

"You're in the way," he said, sounding irritated with himself. Demaurion stared.

"What?" Dark Don snapped his fingers. A white portal tore open in the cafeteria, folding space in on itself. Wind howled as tables ripped free, sending trays and chairs spiraling toward the opening.

"You'll be out," Dark Don said.

"All of you." I stared at him.

"Why?"

"Because finishing this here feels wrong." He turned back to me, his tone cold again.

"You have a job to do. Now go." He flicked his finger, and the shockwave hit us full force.

"DAMN IT—!" White light swallowed everything.