The Ascendant Guard moved like clockwork. Their movements were sharp, deliberate, and synchronized, each step calculated with the precision of a machine. The dark room seemed to grow colder as they advanced, their glowing red visors reflecting the emergency lights, and Kael's pulse quickened. The Ascendant Guard were the elite forces of Luminalis—trained to perfection, equipped with advanced weaponry. But these weren't the same soldiers Kael had seen in drills.
Kael's grip tightened on the plasma blade, its blue glow cutting through the shadows. His breath was steady, but the fear gnawing at his gut was undeniable. He wasn't prepared for this. He wasn't ready to face the Ascendant Guard—especially not when something was off about them, something he couldn't quite place.
One soldier raised his rifle, aimed directly at Kael, and the red glow of its targeting system flickered ominously.
"Kael, you need to move!" Maris's voice broke through his thoughts, sharp and urgent.
He didn't need to be told twice. Kael twisted on his heels and darted for cover behind a nearby console, his heart thundering in his chest. The plasma blade hummed in his grip, an energy that promised protection, but even Kael knew he couldn't rely on it forever. The soldiers were closing in too quickly.
---
The First Assault
Kael crouched low, trying to stay out of the line of sight as the Ascendant Guard spread out, their rifles raised. The air seemed to shimmer with the energy pulsing from their weapons.
A soldier lunged forward, the weapon in its hands charging with deadly intent. Kael barely managed to sidestep, feeling the heat of the blast brush against his skin. The energy pulse scorched the air, and he could feel the intensity of it deep in his bones. With a grunt, Kael swung the plasma blade with all his strength, aiming for the soldier's chest. The blade struck the guard's armor with a crackling sound, but the soldier barely flinched. The armor had been reinforced, built to withstand more than just plasma blades.
Kael's stomach sank. This wasn't a standard confrontation. These soldiers were no longer just soldiers—they were something else, something more dangerous.
The soldier with the glowing eyes lunged again, this time faster than Kael had anticipated. It was as if the guard had predicted his move. Kael twisted, his blade slicing through the air, but the soldier was already gone, vanishing into the shadows.
Before Kael could react, another soldier appeared behind him, swinging its rifle like a staff, aiming for his head.
He barely had time to duck, the rifle grazing the top of his head as Kael rolled to the side. His body slammed into a metal panel, knocking the air out of him. His vision blurred, but he pushed himself to his feet, just in time to see the glowing eyes of the Ascendant Guard closing in.
Kael had to think fast. The odds were stacked against him. He couldn't keep dodging forever.
---
The Battle Escalates
The soldiers were closing in, the sound of their boots on the metal floor growing louder as they advanced. Kael's hand found another object on the floor—a thick metal pipe that had fallen from the wreckage during the initial blast. He grabbed it, using it as an improvised weapon.
The first soldier lunged again, and this time, Kael swung the metal pipe with all his might, knocking the soldier's rifle away. The guard staggered back, but not enough to lose its composure. The soldier's helmet flickered briefly as if studying him, and then it lunged again, but with greater force.
Kael swung again, but this time the soldier blocked the pipe with a swift movement, grabbing it and twisting it from his hands. Before Kael could react, a burst of heat flooded his vision—an energy blast from one of the other soldiers.
He barely managed to dive out of the way, the blast scorching the floor where he had been standing. Pain surged through his side, a sharp, burning sensation as his body collided with the cold metal. Blood trickled from a shallow wound, but Kael gritted his teeth and fought through it.
"Kael, we need to get out of here!" Maris shouted from behind the cover, her voice full of fear.
Kael didn't respond. He knew she was right, but running wasn't an option. Not yet. He couldn't abandon this fight, not when so much was at stake.
---
The Stranger's Arrival
The fight was starting to feel endless. Kael's muscles burned, his vision blurred from the pain, but he refused to back down. He had to protect Maris. He had to survive.
Just when it seemed like the Ascendant Guard would overwhelm him, a new figure appeared at the far end of the room. Tall, imposing, and clad in dark armor, the figure moved with a fluid grace that was almost unnatural. He stepped through the shadows, and with each movement, the air seemed to hum with energy.
The Ascendant Guard halted, as though recognizing the figure immediately. Their synchronized movements faltered for the briefest moment, a flicker of hesitation.
Without a word, the newcomer drew a massive blade from his back—a blade that seemed to glow with a deep, radiant energy. He moved with shocking speed, cutting down the Ascendant Guard one by one with flawless precision. The guards tried to retaliate, but the stranger was faster. With each strike, he dismantled them, leaving their shattered bodies on the floor in moments.
Kael stared in awe, watching as the soldier who had been closing in on him fell in a heap, its glowing visor flickering for the last time before shutting off entirely.
The room fell silent.
Maris stood frozen, her eyes wide with disbelief. Kael slowly made his way to his feet, his gaze fixed on the stranger, who was now walking toward them. The sound of his heavy boots on the floor echoed through the room, but it wasn't threatening—there was an authority in his every step, an air of experience that Kael couldn't ignore.
The stranger stopped before them, his helmet reflecting the dim emergency lights. The blade was still humming in his grip, the energy still crackling with raw power.
"Who are you?" Kael demanded, struggling to regain his composure. "What do you want?"
The stranger's voice was deep, calm, and unwavering as he spoke, as if he had said these words countless times before.
"I am Ardin," he said, his gaze sweeping over the wreckage of the soldiers. "And I've come to prepare you."
Kael stared at him, confusion clouding his thoughts. "Prepare us? For what?"
Ardin's helmet flickered once, as though considering the answer. His tone was low, almost mournful.
"For the coming war."
Kael's heart raced. He had hoped for answers, but the only thing Ardin had offered was a darker question: What was coming and how could they possibly be ready for it?.