It was a freezing, blistering night as we pushed up the mountain through an ice storm. Icicles rained from the sky like daggers, snapping and shattering on impact. The sky loomed dark and stormy, thick with gray clouds.
I was draped over Olsen's back, my body still encased in a shell of blackened coal. Jocabed led the way, hauling a bag packed with the 9 Power Gems. Ella carried Kai close to her chest.
The storm pelted us with ice so fast it seemed to fall at the speed of light. Every step up the steep, snowy slope was a battle. The cold was too intense for Angel to open a portal to the summit.
The ice cracked as it hit my coal-hardened skin, turning to water and slipping away. Thunder rolled across the sky, followed by bursts of lightning that stabbed the earth. Somehow, no one was hurt—yet.
Then Angel glanced back—and froze mid-flap.
"WAIT—IS THAT ELI?!" he screeched, lightning crackling off his wings in shock.
"WHAT?!" Sophia whipped around, headphones nearly flying off. "NOPE. NO WAY. HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE—"
"BANNED FROM AVANGARD!" Jocabed finished, voice cracking like a whip. "DON, WHY IS HE HERE?!" Demaurion yelled, water sloshing from his shoes in rage. "NOMANITES AREN'T ALLOWED PAST THE BORDER!"
"IF THE FOUNDING FATHERS SENSE HIM, WE'RE ALL DEAD!" Prince shouted, wings flaring in panic.
"DON, WHEN HE WAS HERE I THOUGHT HE WAS JUST 'HELPING FOR A SECOND'!" Ella snapped, clutching Kai tighter. "NOT CLIMBING THE MOUNTAIN WITH US!"
Eli, trailing us like a silent green shadow, raised an eyebrow—unbothered, wordless, time-sparks flicking off his hoodie like neon snowflakes.
"HE'S STILL HERE!" Archie pointed, flames sputtering in disbelief. "THAT'S A WHOLE FORBIDDEN PERSON IN OUR PARTY!"
"WE'RE GONNA GET BANNED—OR TURNED TO STONE—OR BOTH!" Prince panicked, zipping in tight circles.
"LESS SCREAMING, MORE CLIMBING!" Power barked, but even he shot me a look that said we're talking about this later.
"HURRY!" he shouted over the storm. "WE JUST NEED TO REACH THE CAVE AT THE TOP—THEN WE'RE AT MECHAMIO FOR GOOD!"
But the Lunaranites weren't the only thing chasing us anymore—guilt and panic were gaining speed.
"DON, WHEN WE GET TO THAT CAVE, YOU'RE EXPLAINING EVERYTHING!" Sophia yelled, voice slicing through the wind like a sonic warrant.
We pressed forward through the blinding snow and bitter wind until we reached a shallow cave in the mountainside. Jagged barbs jutted from the walls, and a large circular stone blocked the far end.
Olsen set me down. Emely stepped forward, conjuring icicles and slamming them into my coal-covered body. Blow after blow—until the coal cracked. While Power stared out into the sky, watching the Lunaranites fly towards them.
Finally, I burst free, stretching out my arms. "About time! Thought I'd be coal forever."
"Start talking, Don!" Sophia snapped, arms crossed so tight her headphones squeaked. "Why is forbidden boy still on our heels?"
Eli stood just inside the mouth of the cave, silent, green time-sparks crackling around his boots like he'd stepped out of a glitching video game.
Every pair of eyes ping-ponged between him and me.
I raised my coal-crusted hands. "Okay—OKAY—full context, thirty seconds, no detours! When the mountain split and we all got flung like confetti, I crash-landed on the Leviathan's iceberg—with Kai, don't ask how the fur-ball survived. Out of nowhere—bam—Eli phases in, sword drawn, time-energy sizzling. He one-shots the Leviathan's tentacle that was about to squash me, rewinds the ice shards so they miss my face, then teleports us both here while you guys were still sliding downhill. He saved my scaly butt. That's it."
Prince jabbed a lightning-charged finger at the air. "That doesn't explain why he's climbing the border mountain with us! Nomanites past the ridge equals Founding-Father fireworks—we get vaporized too!"
Eli lifted a single sheet of paper—already wet from melted snow—and scribbled:
I'm not crossing into Mechamio. I leave at the ridge.
He folded the note, tucked it into Prince's wing pouch, and tapped the paper twice—like, promise.
Demaurion exhaled a steam cloud of relief. "Fine. But if a sky-beam turns us into statues, I'm haunting you, Don."
"Get in line," I muttered.
Power snapped. "Get that rock out of the way!"
"Got it!" I nodded.
But just as we turned to leave, I heard the sound of wings slicing through the storm. I looked up.
An army of Lunaranites soared through the sky.
I froze. "What in the discombobulation….?" Then whipped around. "STELLAR'S BUNS! WE GOTTA MOVE—NOW!"
A massive Lunaranite spotted us and dove with a roar.
"SHIT!" Archie yelled. "OLSEN, MOVE!"
More followed, firing shadow beams down from the sky. One hit the mountaintop, rocking the earth. Ice and stone shattered and flew in all directions.
"OLSEN, FASTER!" Javier shouted.
"I'M TRYING!" Olsen grunted, straining against the boulder.
A beam blasted the cave, hurling everyone back. Prince slammed into the wall with a loud THUMP and crumpled to the ground.
The Lunaranites closed in.
"I'LL TAKE THEM ON!" Archie roared, eyes blazing with red and orange flames.
"No—ARCHIE, WAIT!" Power shouted, but he was already gone, a fiery trail streaking behind him.
He slammed into Dreadixz, gripping the creature's horns, trying to steer it. But Dreadixz roared, caught Archie in his jaws, and hurled him from the mountain.
"ARCHIE!!!" I screamed, racing to the edge.
Then, like a bolt to my skull—Incarceration's voice pierced my mind.
JOIN ME.
I snapped my head to the side, resisting the call. Celestial energy flared in my arms. I glared at Dreadixz, fury burning through my chest.
"COME AT ME, DREADIXZ!" I bellowed, louder than the storm.
I launched into the sky, fists glowing with celestial power. I slammed into Dreadixz with a punch so hard it echoed across the peaks.
The shockwave threw me back into the cave. I crashed beside Olsen and the rock—just in time.
Dreadixz shrieked in pain, a purple burn glowing along his jaw.
Before he could recover, Archie came out of nowhere—engulfed in flame.
"TAKE THIS, YOU PIECE OF MONSTROSITY!" he roared, punching Dreadixz square in the cheek.
The blast sent the beast spiraling through the storm like a flaming comet. His fall scattered the remaining Lunaranites like leaves in a whirlwind.
The explosion's shockwave cracked the boulder clean in half.
"Why didn't I think of that?" Olsen muttered.
Behind the broken stone—an exit. Mechamio awaited.
Blue skies. Calm winds. Peace.
"MOVE!" Demaurion shouted.
We rushed through the opening—and dropped.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Wind roared past our ears as we plummeted. We crashed onto cold metal just as the gates slammed shut above us.
***
I stirred, blinking at my surroundings.
We made it.
The air was thick with ticking gears and grinding metal. That old oil-and-rust smell clung to everything. Mechamio sprawled out before us—a mechanical metropolis of chrome bones and copper veins.
The sky was blue. Everything beneath it was not.
Gears the size of houses turned slowly. Pipes hissed. Pistons slammed in endless rhythm. Clock towers clawed upward over jagged buildings—some polished silver, others coughing rust like they were dying slowly.
I realized I was standing on top of everyone else—still unconscious from the fall. I hopped down, boots clanging against a metal bridge.
Kai landed beside me with a soft thud.
Red eyes. Too sharp. Too aware.
The Hric's nose twitched as he sniffed the air, ears tilting forward. Carnivore instincts kicking in. Not scared. Curious. His claws scraped the metal once—scrrrk—like he was testing whether it could bleed.
"Easy," I muttered.
Kai sat. Still watching. Always watching.
"So…" I said, adjusting my gloves. "Time to fight the next beast."
But something itched at the back of my mind.
According to Lunaranite legend, only one could evolve into a Crystallized Lunaranite Dragon.
That one was him.
So why me?
Why target me for the final battle?
And Incarceration… why whisper for me to kill my friends?
Back in Eclitsic, I didn't just think about it—I felt it. Not some random intrusive thought. Something heavier. Colder. Like it was waiting for permission.
What if it was all a trick?
What if those memories—those nightmares—weren't even real?
A hand rested on my shoulder. I turned. Power.
"Finally woke up?" he said.
I smiled, forcing it. "Guess so. Everyone good?"
"Yeah. You and Archie versus Dreadixz?" Angel said, brushing dust from his suit. "That was insane."
"We're just built different," I shrugged. "Next beast, then Grolian Forest. Rufty Mountains. Celestia. Foreshade."
Kai's ears flicked at the word beast.
Javier's back spikes flared. "Let's do this!"
One by one, everyone got moving. We crossed a long silver bridge into the heart of the city.
Steam hissed. Metal clanged. Mechamio didn't sleep—it worked.
As we walked, a massive rusted sign loomed overhead:
AVANGARD BATTLES CHAMPIONSHIP
CELESTIANITES VS MECHANITES
STARTS 9:00 AM – ENDS 5:30 PM
I stopped.
Kai followed my gaze, teeth flashing briefly before he settled again.
"What if," I said, turning back to the group, "our next beast is hiding in that arena?"
Prince zipped over, arms crossed. "Pointless."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, 'POINTLESS'?" I snapped.
"Obvious. Celestianites dominate Mechanites."
"We're not here to spectate," I shot back. "We're here to fight, you feather-brained idiot!"
Olsen perked up. "If we are watching, though, we should grab some of that 'bada bap ba baa'—I'm lovin' it."
"Olsen," Archie groaned, "you already ate rocks for breakfast."
Kai stared at Olsen. Slowly. Like he was reconsidering his diet.
Then—
The bridge shuddered.
"What was that?!" I grabbed the railing.
The vibration deepened. Heavier. Angry.
And then it emerged.
A titan of stone and moss, massive beyond reason. Jagged rock horns. Blocky limbs. Glowing white eyes carved into a face that didn't care if we lived. A spiked tail dragged behind it, carving sparks from the metal.
The bridge groaned.
"HOLD ON!" I yelled.
The titan roared—and stomped.
The bridge split.
SNAP.
My grip slipped.
"DON!" everyone shouted as we dropped.
Citizens below screamed.
I fired celestial chains from my hands, anchoring them into the shattered edge. The crowd erupted in cheers as I hung there, suspended—
But the problem stayed the same.
How do we get down?
The titan leaned over the edge, looming, victorious.
Kai crouched beside me on the broken bridge, red eyes locked on the monster, teeth bared.
The titan opened its mouth and roared:
"ME KAYSON!!!"