Cradles… fire and smoke… voices of men and children. A war? I thought to myself. It didn't seem right. I didn't think I'd been here before, yet something about it felt familiar.
A cloaked shadow entered the room — I couldn't make out the face. Two cradles sat beside the king-sized bed. Tiny cries echoed from within, sharp and desperate. The shadow swiftly approached one cradle and, without hesitation, lifted a baby.
I tried to move closer, to see who it was, but my feet froze. The shadow ignored the baby's cries and vanished into the smoke. Almost heartless… Why save one and leave the other? I was enraged. Was this figure the enemy?
The windows shattered, and demons poured into the room, drawn by the baby's cries. My chest tightened. I tried to shout, to warn the child, but my voice refused to form. I was powerless.
"No… No!! No!!!"
I jolted awake, heart hammering, fists tangled in the sheets. The morning sun filtered pale and weak through the window, but the faint taste of smoke lingered, and the echo of that distant scream haunted my ears.
A dream? No… a memory? I was unsure if it belonged to me — or someone else.
I steadied my breathing and rose from the bed, stretching, and walked to the bathroom to freshen up. Opening my drawer, my eyes fell on the black stone.
A black element. Terrifying power, capable of overwhelming its wielder, capable of destruction on a scale I still struggled to control. I was careful with it, for even a small mistake could harm those I cared about. In terms of mastery… I ranked at the very bottom of the team.
I shoved the stone into my pocket and combed my hair, sighing. Surely, Master Xavier had already been informed of my progress. All I had to do was obey his instructions and train to master my abilities… Shouldn't be a problem… right?
"Hey, breakfast is ready!"
Jace's cheerful voice broke through my thoughts as he barged into my room.
"Good morning to you too, Jace," I replied, trying to sound nonchalant.
"Someone's gloomy… wake up on the wrong side of the bed?" He leaned against the door with a smirk.
"I actually thought I was off to a good start today, but you just had to show up," I muttered, rolling my eyes as I passed him, heading for the dining room.
"Is that how you treat a friend?" He feigned innocence, though we both knew it was a lie.
I noticed he intended to leave the door open and snapped, "Close it." He sighed but complied, tailing behind me.
"Hey… what's got you so worked up?" His curiosity was genuine. He always noticed. Always.
"Nothing… just some weird dreams," I said, dismissing the topic. How could I even explain it?
"I see… If you think you should tell someone about it… talk to Master. He'd understand better. Don't keep it to yourself. In the meantime, let's have breakfast."
The joy in his voice was infectious. He rushed ahead, full of excitement. I couldn't help but wonder… what could he be so thrilled about?
"It's just food. What's so exciting?" I asked, nonchalant.
Jace stopped, turned, and gave me a huge grin. My eyes widened. Pancakes!
"Race you to the dining room!" I yelled.
We bolted, skipping steps and shoving each other playfully.
"Last one in… owes the winner half of his pancakes!" Jace shouted, laughing as we barreled down the stairs.
I knew I had to win even if it costs me my legs...not
The door to the dinning room was just there ahead, I could perceive the aroma of the freshly made pancakes...
We barged into the room, jumping in
"Who got here first?!!!" We both yelled while catching our breaths
Everyone turned to us...not out of shock but out of annoyance
" Isn't it too early for this?" Cody asked clearly not hiding his annoyance while picking up his fork to eat
" You two are completely hopeless, you know that?. Always fighting over pancakes."
Iris muttered shaking her head and pouring her self some juice.
"Speak for yourself" Jace replied sliding into the air next to mine. " I'm just too fast".
" And that's why you are always tripping over your own feet" Cody teased, leaned back in his seat.
Laughing erupted in the hall. This feeling was so nice, I almost forgot about everything... The dream, the uncertainties, the strange voices, the black stone... I just wanted everyday to be like this.
Tyra who was sitting at the head of the table gracefully selecting her portion. Her eyes flickered at me with care and curiousity
" Hunter, how are you taking... everything? I told Master about it."
Tyra was Master Xavier's daughter biologically, but we still considered him as a father too. As such... Tyra hardly calls him any father figure names in front of us...not out of pity that we somehow lost our own parents but she was ready to accept us and let us all share her father. That's a huge sacrifice and I admire her for that.
"I'm fine. Just had a weird dream" Everyone paid attention to what I was saying " Not too sure about what it meant though. But I'm sure there's a solution. No need to be too worried Tyra"
I reassured her with a smile and she smiled back as if relieved that I wasn't too harsh on myself.
A brief silence reigned after that...We returned to our breakfast
" We should train today. Explore our Elements." Annabeth suggested before taking another bite of her food.
"Same... I'm in the mood to crush someone today" Zayn was nothing like his twin, Cody.
While Cody was calm, conserved and collected, Zayn was...*sigh* ...Zayn, he was loud, annoying and has an unusual sense of pride but it wasn't over the top... and he had the power to back it up, I guess.
" Yet you got beaten by Tyra last time" Katara teased painful and everyone began snorting at the thought of the memory.
" She was just lucky!" He face was red with embarrassment as he tried defending himself " I only lost once...once! And now y'all rubbing it in my face"
"Yeah yeah, let's hurry up. Master Xavier will be back any moment from now. We have to start training" Jace reminded us our goal
Master Xavier had the ability to communicate with the Dragon's when in perfect solitude.
In this dimension, magic wasn't allowed. It was strictly prohibited and anyone caught would be killed. As expected though, we didn't belong here, Master Xavier warned us against using our powers out in public. He told us that we were the chosen eight to reclaim our dimension... The home our predecessors once lost to the Demon kingdom. There were questions to be asked— a lot of them — but Master Xavier was the one who gave us purpose again, who found us when we were lost. So we trusted him. Maybe even too much.
As if on cue, the dining room doors opened, and Master Xavier entered. His calm presence instantly quieted the chatter. Even Zayn sat upright, trying to look composed.
"Good morning, Guardians," he greeted, his deep voice carrying both warmth and authority. "I trust you've all rested well."
"Mostly," Jace mumbled through a mouthful of pancake.
The Master's lips twitched, barely hiding a smile. "Today marks an important step in your journey. The Dragons have spoken."
At that, everyone straightened. Even I felt my pulse quicken. The Dragons were ancient spirits who took the bodily forms of dragons— the first wielders of the Elements — and their words carried the weight of destiny.
Master Xavier's gaze swept across us. "They sense movement in the rift between realms. The Demon kingdom grows restless. Before long, the veil will thin — and you must be ready."
"Finally," Zayn said under his breath, crackles flickering faintly around his fingertips. "About time we get some action."
"Control those flames, Zayn," the Master warned gently. "Your enthusiasm shouldn't get you beaten twice"
A ripple of laughter went around the room, easing the tension, but I couldn't shake the heaviness building in my chest. The dream… the smoke… the child. Was that the same war the Dragons were sensing?
"Your training today will focus on synergy," the Master continued. "A Guardian alone is strong, but a united circle of Guardians is unstoppable. You'll learn to balance your Elements — and each other."
I glanced around the table. Jace met my gaze with a reassuring grin. Tyra looked thoughtful, Katara had already strategizing. Annabeth cracked her knuckles. Iris smirked. Zayn and Cody were whispering challenges to each other.
The Master's eyes landed on me last. "Hunter," he said, voice lower now. "We'll also be working on your control."
I stiffened, fingers brushing against the stone in my pocket. "Understood," I replied quietly.
He nodded once, satisfied. "Good. I await your presence in the training grounds."
We all instantly rushed our food before rising from the table and following him, the black element pulsed faintly in my pocket — warm, like a heartbeat.
Something inside whispered inside me:
This isn't just training.
It's the beginning.