My alarm did not go off.
Of course it didn't.
I launched outta bed like I was late for saving the universe. Spoiler: I was just late for middle school. Equally dangerous, honestly.
Red hoodie? Crumpled on the floor like a defeated Pokémon.
Jeans? Halfway inside out.
Hair? Looking like I lost a fight with a ceiling fan.
Me? Glorious disaster.
I slapped on my clothes, shoved a half-eaten granola bar in my mouth, and bolted out the door like I was being chased by regret.
The sky was doing its golden-purple glow thing—sun barely up, air all crisp and perfect. And for once? No evil portals. No sky lasers. No dramatic boss music. Just… peace.
I hit the sidewalk and jogged toward school—well, tried to.
"YO, DON! THAT YOU?"
I looked over and saw Old Man Vek chilling on his porch, squinting over his daily newspaper, which had absolutely nothing to do with me, by the way. Looked like it had a huge headline about some squirrels taking over a bird feeder.
"Morning, Mr. Vek!" I called out, already speed-walking like my life depended on it.
"You're runnin' late again, huh?" he said, sipping a mug of something suspiciously green. "You know what happened the last time you skipped breakfast—you tried to fight a fire hydrant."
"ONE TIME, Mr. Vek! ONE TIME!" I shouted back, wheezing.
He cackled so hard he nearly dropped his mug.
"Watch out for those hydrants, kid!" he called after me. "They've got teeth!"
I waved as I turned the corner, smiling even though I was already feeling the panic start to bubble.
As I passed the playground, chaos erupted.
A bunch of little kids spotted me from behind the fence like they were spotting Bigfoot in sneakers.
"IT'S DON!"
"THE GUY WHO ACCIDENTALLY FLEW INTO A TREE LAST MONTH!"
"HE'S GOT POWERS!!!"
I spun around, grinning, and struck a superhero pose. "Still just Don. My only superpower is being fashionably late."
"CAN YOU FLY?!"
"Nope! But I can trip with dramatic flair!"
They cracked up like it was the funniest thing they'd ever heard. Honestly? I was kinda proud of that one.
Then came the rest of the walk. I passed Mrs. Lenu, sweeping outside her corner shop like she was about to start breakdancing with the broom.
"Morning, Don," she said, not even looking up. "You're running."
"Gotta hustle or I'll be toast!"
She smirked. "Well, don't burn yourself."
I gave her a little salute, then promptly tripped on a pebble. Smooth.
By now, people were peeking out their windows, giving me little nods, waves, and "there goes that boy again" kind of looks. Cars honked—not in an angry way, but in that "you got this!" way.
Mr. Nibbs, the ice cream guy, tossed me a frozen pop. I caught it without stopping.
"You're gonna need the energy, hero boy!" he laughed.
I turned down another block—and that's when I saw Jax the mailman absolutely getting wrecked by two rogue delivery bots going full Terminator. One was flailing around with a barcode scanner like it was a sword. The other looked like it was about to explode over a misdelivered envelope.
"JAX!" I yelled, already channeling a soft purple glow into my hands.
In five seconds flat, I zapped one bot into standby mode, then tripped the other one with a banana peel I'd completely forgotten was in my pocket. Don't ask why. It's Don logic.
"You good?" I asked as I helped Jax up.
He blinked. "Did you just throw a fruit-based projectile?"
"Strategic potassium-based takedown. Totally intentional."
"…You're late for school again, aren't you?"
I checked the time on my phone—and my heart dropped.
"8:27?! BRO I'M GONNA GET DETENTION FOR ETERNITY."
And then I screamed.
Like, loud. Birds flew out of trees. Someone across the street dropped a smoothie. I was full Gremlin Mode.
I booked it. Hard. Backpack flapping, sneakers skidding, frozen pop still in my mouth like a champion.
As I darted across town, Old Man Vek shouted from three blocks back:
"RUN LIKE THE WIND, YOU LITTLE ELEMENTAL WEIRDO!"
And that, my friend, is how my morning started. No prophecies. No shadowy figures. No ancient secrets.
Just a red hoodie, a late kid, and a whole town that somehow still loved me even when I tripped over my own shoelace.
A Few Minutes Later
I was sprinting through the school hallways like my life depended on it. Because honestly? It kinda did.
Name's Lens Don the Celestianite. I'm 12, I've got dragon traits, and I'm part of the Celestianite Race—which totally explains the horns, wings, and all that sparkle. But before we dive into the wildness that happened today, lemme give you the lowdown on me.
So yeah. Twelve. I've got crystallized purple horns, shiny crystal wings with weirdly fluffy scales, and a long violet tail with white stripes and jagged spikes. Thanks to Cosmonimbous (don't ask me to spell that twice), my scales are crystal-y but soft. Kinda like armored marshmallows. The rest of me? Just your average Black kid with a buzz cut, rockin' a red hoodie, blue jeans, and black-and-red Nike Skechers.
I live in Avangard—this crazy fantasy world that happened after the continents mashed together and the planet went full RPG mode. Now we've got Elements. Everyone's born with one. Mine? Celestial. A rare light-purple energy that basically lets me do anime-level nonsense. If I collect all nine Power Gems, I get even more cracked.
My dream? Be a hero. A real Hero of Avangard. I wanna be famous. I used to be the background NPC—awkward, loud, confident for no reason. Still kinda am. That "confidence" backfires a lot. Like, embarrassing-volleyball-game levels of backfire. Life = certified wreck.
People clown me all the time. Say I'm weak, say I can't fight. It sucks. I don't even want attention anymore—but I do. You feel me? I wanna be more. Not just loud. Not just weird. I wanna be worthy.
Anyway. Back to the chaos.
The school was lit—literally. Sunlight blazed through the windows, lighting up cream-colored walls and white ceilings. No lights on. Still buzzing with Elemental madness.
I booked it through packed hallways. I had to leap over Emely's icy hallway river. "Watch it, Ice Bird!"
"Sorry!" she shouted, already melting it. (Love that girl. Ice Element. Hyper as hell.)
Then—fireballs. Great. Archie again. I flared my wings, dodged hard, and smacked one with my tail.
"Fifth time this week!" Archie yelled.
"Just shut it, hot pot!" I snapped. Dude thrives on chaos.
Vines next. Lonnie Mae was just vibing, chucking forest magic for fun. I ninja'd over thorns and slid under branches.
Then—PRINCE. Zoomed by in lightning form.
"PRINCE! NO RUNNING IN THE HALLS!" the principal roared.
What did he do? Flew.
"NO FLYING EITHER!"
Classic.
I ducked Olsen's rock pillars, dodged Keyler's sticky webs, and passed Ella being totally unbothered. Room 101 ahead—I SLID in like an action hero.
Everyone. Was. Already. There.
EVERY KID I RAN PAST.
I froze. Brain: error 404.
Mr. Bassi, (the 24 year old man who wore a white shirt and green pants rocking a crew cut) gave me that disappointed teacher smirk. "You're late."
"Uhm, technically I got here in one second so I'm not that—"
"You're lucky it wasn't two or that would've been detention. Sit."
I dropped into my front-row seat. He was the teacher that was half man, half bull, he had two bull horns on the top of his head, poking out from his hair. This was supposed to be history class. Keyword: supposed.
Mr. Bassi turned to the board and just… stood there. Awkward silence.
"Sooo… aren't you gonna teach us?" Mason asked.
Bassi blinked. "Wait. This is history?"
Whole class: Facepalm.
"DUDE. You're the teacher. Just do your job!"
He sighed. "Look, I'm a math teacher, okay? History ain't my thing. Should we talk about the Civil War or—"
"THE HISTORY OF AVANGARD!" we all yelled.
"Right! That! Totally knew that." He scrambled to his desk, grabbed a chunky book, and flipped it open.
"Alright. Let's talk about the CL War."
He cleared his throat. "Year 17,975 B.C., the CL War began. It all started with an ancient artifact called the Lost Key, hidden by a Celestianite to keep it away from the Lunaranites—an evil tribe that wanted to conquer Avangard. Their leader, Dreadixz, declared war, hungry for total control.
The Celestianites and Lunaranites battled for years. The Lunaranites were stronger, had more troops, and crushed us in most fights. Celestianites—dragon-like beings with Elemental powers—had Light, Astral, and Celestial Elements. Vigilzante had Celestial. Most looked feathered or scaly, but they were all powerful… Most of them had hard scales, and many of them looked feathered, even though that was just an appearance. Their horns were circular, feathered halos, and they were primarily white, gold, and yellow. These dragons fought for peace and freedom.
The Lunaranites, on the other hand, were mostly black and purple—that was the extent of their color. They had long, curved horns that were either violet or black, and their scales were sharp and dangerous. They were the kind of dragons that sought power and destruction, craving control over the land. They viewed those around them as mere pawns, using everyone as slaves.
They became an army when Dreadix declared his speech:
"YOU WANT POWER? YOU WANT FULL CONTROL?! DO YOU WANT REVENGE ON YOUR ENEMIES?! DO YOU WANT THE WORLD TO CHANGE?! WELL, FOLLOW ME! AS YOUR NEW LEADER, DREADIXZ THE SHADOW LORD! AND IF YOU DO, YOU WILL GAIN THE FREE WILL TO TAKE THIS WRETCHED NATION!"
After their final war, their leader, Vigilzante, fell to Dreadixz. Before his death, however, he wrote a poem, which was passed on as a prophecy:
"Five must find the Lost Key, then the one who defeats at least 11 beasts, including Dreadixz, shall be the chosen Celestianite Leader."
Suddenly, the intercom blasted loud and sharp:
"ATTENTION STUDENTS! SOME DARK SHADOW-LIKE BALL IS FLYING AT US AT MAX SPEED! MAKE SURE YOU EVACUATE THE SCHOOL QUICKLY!"
I jolted up from my desk. "What the heck?! What's going on?!"
Everyone scrambled, full panic mode. Mr. Bassi sprinted to the windows. The yellow sun dimmed. The sky swirled deep purple, thunderclouds crackling. Wind howled so hard it rattled the whole building.
Mr. Bassi's face went white. "Oh, crap."
He slammed the shutters down. "EVERYBODY OUT NOW!"
I ran after the others—
BOOM!
The roof shattered like glass. White lunar energy slammed into me, sending me hurtling across the room like a ragdoll tossed by a storm. Desks exploded beneath me. Dust and debris choked the air.
I scrambled up, vision hazy.
There he was.
Same height. Purple hoodie draped over broad shoulders, white wings slicing through the smoke, glowing sharp like blades. His tail flicked, scales shimmering purple. His eyes locked onto me—no hesitation, no mercy.
He pointed, voice low but razor-sharp.
"You… One of the Five Chosen Ones. Confident. Relentless. That's why I'm here."
Celestial energy surged around me, crackling violet. "Who are you?!"
Calm, cold, he stepped forward.
"Dark Don."
Before I could react, his fist exploded into my face. Pain erupted, and I flew through a bookshelf, splinters tearing at my skin.
But this time, I wasn't just going to take it.
Light violet Celestial energy flared wildly from my arms—lightning lancing through the air.
I shoved off the ground, blocking his next punch mid-air, pushing him back with a violent burst of violet power. My eyes burned fierce light violet.
I swung with everything I had, connecting with his jaw. Dark Don staggered—but only for a heartbeat.
My energy flared bright—I was holding my own.
Five seconds.
Then he vanished in a heartbeat, a blur of lunar grace, and slammed his knee into my gut. Wind knocked out of me, I crumpled. He flung me down the hallway like I was nothing.
Still crackling with violet sparks, I charged.
Our powers collided—Celestial violet crackling against Lunar white in a violent storm of energy and fury.
Then, with brutal precision, he blasted me with a lunar strike that sent me crashing through the wall into the cafeteria.
That's when chaos exploded.
The side doors slammed open—sirens blaring, lights flashing wildly.
Iris Town PD swarmed in, backed by fire trucks roaring down the street, firefighters leaping into action. Sprays of water hissed as hoses trained on broken beams and small fires spreading near the ceiling.
Kids were everywhere—running, screaming, some frozen in terror, others darting between tables like live wires. The cafeteria turned into a frantic storm of flashing blues and reds, urgent voices, and shattered glass crunching beneath boots.
Stone-horned Bull Hero charged ahead, muscles rippling under cracked brick armor.
Sound Panther Hero's claws flashed with sonic fury, black fur bristling.
Smoke Hyena Hero moved like a shadow, teeth gleaming through swirling mists, laughter low and deadly.
Gorilla Bomb Hero's red-glowing fists pulsed with explosive power.
Shark Water Hero's fins sliced the air, teeth bared like a living tsunami.
"FREEZE! HANDS UP!" Bull Cop bellowed, stomping the ground as concrete spikes erupted beneath him.
Dark Don glanced sideways—unruffled, almost bored—sword resting casually by his side. "More pests."
He advanced on me, steady and lethal, then raised his free hand—
Lunar pulse.
Bull Cop charged, horns down, but Dark Don sliced through concrete spikes like paper.
A lunar punch slammed Bull Cop against the wall.
Sound Panther Hero unleashed sonic claws, roaring.
Dark Don flicked his sword, deflecting blasts with flawless precision, then backhanded Panther Hero into a table.
Smoke Hyena tossed a mist bomb. Gorilla Bomb Hero hurled two glowing charges.
Irrelevant.
A blink, a Lunar step teleport—one slash of white lunar energy, bombs detonated mid-air in a violent explosion.
Shark Hero tried to catch him off-guard with a tidal blast. Dark Don sidestepped effortlessly, grabbed her arm mid-swing, and slammed her through the floor—crater forming beneath.
Meanwhile, he still held me by the collar—my punches weak, useless.
He caught a violet jab mid-air, crushing my arm until I gasped for breath.
"You're not ready," he said flatly, dragging me through the carnage as heroes and cops fell around us. "Light violet Celestial energy won't save you."
I coughed up blood, violet sparks sputtering.
He lifted me by the shirt, eyes cold as ice. "You lack strength."
"Who… are you?" I gasped.
His lips curved in a faint, merciless smile. "I'm the reckoning."
Before he could say more—
BOOM!
The room exploded in fire and dust.
We were hurled apart—me smashing into the cafeteria wall, stars exploding behind my eyes, violet energy flickering weakly.
When the dust settled, a voice sliced through the chaos:
"We got 'em, Don."
Archie strode forward, flames crackling, confidence solid. Behind him—Olsen, Prince, Demaurion, Ella, and Mr. Bassi—my crew standing tall.
More heroes and cops poured in—
Cementos, the Bull Hero, cracked but relentless.
Lila, Shark Hero, water swirling like a tsunami's wrath.
Smite, Hyena Hero, smoke curling from sharp claws.
Titus, Gorilla Hero, bombs charging with deadly intent.
Nyx, Panther Hero, claws humming with lethal energy.
They lined up, a fortress of determination.
"Alright, Dark Don," Demaurion called, water spiraling. "Time to end this."
Dark Don rose from rubble, wings unfolding wide, eyes blazing with ruthless menace.
My friends shook, energy flickering, exhaustion clear—but they stood their ground.
Mr. Bassi stepped forward, fists clenched, breath steady. "Let's finish this."
Dark Don's face remained unreadable. No taunts. No laughter.
He raised an arm—and a controlled tsunami of white lunar energy blasted outward, sending everyone flying like ragdolls.
Then—dark purple chains snapped out of thin air, wrapping tight around me, Olsen, Prince, Demaurion, and Archie. Lunar energy crackled over the bindings.
Nyx, Lila, Smite, and the others fought to break free—useless.
I flapped my wings, tail igniting with furious rage. "Let us go."
Dark Don met my eyes, steady, unshaken.
A scroll dropped from above, landing at his feet. He bent, picked it up, and read slowly, deliberately.
"Well," he said softly, "the time has come."
"Let us go!" I shouted, violet sparks flickering weakly.
He nodded once. "You will."
Snap.
His fingers cracked.
A black hole tore open at the cafeteria's center—lunar darkness swirling violently, purple energy whipping through the air.
"Don, no!" Mr. Bassi lunged forward.
The hole roared, shaking the entire building.
I grabbed the stair railing, wings beating desperately, fighting to hold on.
Dark Don walked over—calm, cold, like a predator ready to deliver the final blow.
"You have a job to do," he said, eyes sharp as knives. "Now go."
He flicked his finger.
A shockwave slammed into me square in the chest.
I lost my grip.
"No!" I screamed, reaching out as the darkness swallowed me whole—everything fading into purple and black.