The Forgotten Hero's Rise

The impact of Ren's celestial energy against Malakar's dark chains sent a shockwave rippling through the sanctuary. The ancient structure groaned under the force of their clash, the air thick with the tension of battle.

Ren gritted his teeth as his blade clashed against the chains, the sheer force pushing him back. Malakar's power was unlike anything he had faced before it felt endless, like a void that devoured all light.

Vaelin didn't hesitate. He stepped forward, the shadows around him reacting to Malakar's presence. With a flick of his wrist, tendrils of darkness shot toward their masked enemy.

Malakar merely raised a hand. Boom! A pulse of dark energy erupted from his body, shattering Vaelin's attack like it was nothing.

"You're still far too weak," Malakar said, his voice filled with quiet amusement. "You may have awakened… but you are not yet warriors."

Lyra, her eyes blazing with lightning, lunged forward. "Then we'll just have to prove you wrong!"

Electricity crackled through the air as she unleashed a lightning strike, the raw power tearing through the sanctuary toward Malakar. The moment it made contact, the entire room was engulfed in a brilliant flash of light.

For a brief second, it looked as if Lyra's attack had landed but as the light faded, Malakar stood unscathed, a dark barrier surrounding him.

Sylph's eyes widened. "He blocked it so easily…"

Before they could react, Malakar vanished and in an instant, he reappeared behind Lyra.

"Too slow."

His hand shot forward, a wave of dark energy crashing toward her.

Ren moved on instinct. He pushed off the ground, his speed amplified by his celestial energy, and swung his blade between Malakar and Lyra. The energy clashed, sending sparks flying.

Malakar tilted his head, as if analyzing Ren. "Interesting… you reacted."

But before Ren could counter, Malakar lifted his other hand.

A crushing force slammed into Ren's chest.

"Gah!" Ren coughed, the impact sending him hurtling across the sanctuary. He crashed into a stone pillar, his body aching from the sheer weight of Malakar's power.

"Ren!" Lyra shouted, her hands sparking with electricity.

Sylph and Vaelin rushed forward, their combined powers surging. Vaelin launched another shadow strike while Sylph summoned a barrier of light, hoping to push Malakar back.

Malakar remained unfazed.

He snapped his fingers and both their attacks were instantly erased.

"Pathetic."

A wave of dark energy blasted outward, knocking all four heroes off their feet.

Elric slammed his staff into the ground, summoning golden runes that tried to contain Malakar's power. "You have no business here, Shadow of Oblivion!"

Malakar sighed, his mask gleaming under the dim light. "I've seen enough." His gaze lingered on Ren for a moment longer. "You have potential… but potential alone will not save you."

The shadows around Malakar expanded, swallowing him whole.

And just like that he was gone.

The sanctuary fell into an eerie silence. The four heroes lay on the ground, battered and shaken.

Ren coughed, struggling to his feet. His grip tightened around his sword. "That… was insane."

Vaelin clenched his fists, his pride wounded. "We couldn't even scratch him."

Lyra punched the ground. "Damn it! If we're this weak, how are we supposed to stop what's coming?"

Elric's voice was heavy with urgency. "That… was a warning. Malakar was testing you." His eyes darkened. "If you do not grow stronger… he will return. And next time, he won't hold back."

Sylph looked at the others, determination burning in her golden eyes. "Then we have to get stronger."

Ren exhaled, feeling the weight of the battle. His celestial energy still coursed through him, but for the first time since awakening, he realized they were nowhere near ready.

But they would be.

They had to be.

Ren pushed himself up, his breathing ragged. His fingers trembled around the hilt of his sword, his mind still reeling from the overwhelming power Malakar had just displayed.

Across the sanctuary, Vaelin gritted his teeth, his knuckles white as he clenched his fists. "We were completely outmatched…"

Sylph placed a hand over her ribs, wincing from the force of Malakar's energy. "It wasn't even a real fight to him. He was toying with us."

Lyra slammed her fist into the ground. "Damn it! How are we supposed to fight something like that?"

Elric, standing near the remnants of his golden barrier, observed them in silence. His expression was unreadable, but his grip on his staff tightened. "Malakar came here for a reason," he finally said. "And I don't think it was just to test your strength."

Ren wiped blood from his lip and forced himself to his feet. "Then why?"

Elric turned toward the ancient walls of the sanctuary, his gaze settling on the inscriptions that lined them writings of the Celestial War, a battle long before their time. "He mentioned something before he left," Elric muttered. "Potential. He sees something in you, Ren."

Ren frowned. "Me?"

Elric nodded. "You reacted to his attack. It may not have seemed like much, but to someone like Malakar, that means something."

Vaelin crossed his arms. "So what? We all fought back."

Elric shook his head. "No… you all attacked. But only Ren defended." He turned to the young warrior. "You didn't just swing your sword you countered his dark energy. And that means something inside you is awakening."

Ren's grip on his blade tightened. Was there really something inside him that even Malakar noticed?

Before he could dwell on it further, a deep rumble shook the sanctuary.

The group snapped to attention. Sylph's eyes glowed faintly as she spread out her hands. "Something's coming…"

Elric's staff pulsed with golden light. "No. Something's already here."

A low, guttural growl echoed through the chamber.

The ancient stone doors at the far end of the sanctuary shattered, and from the darkness beyond, a monstrous figure emerged.

A Demon Warden a hulking, four-armed beast clad in obsidian armor, with glowing red eyes and a burning sigil carved into its chest.

Vaelin exhaled. "Well… that's just great."

The creature let out an earth-shaking roar, its body crackling with dark energy as it charged forward.

Ren raised his blade. "No time to think." His eyes burned with determination. "We fight!"

The Demon Warden lunged forward with terrifying speed, despite its massive size. Its claws, wreathed in dark flames, slashed through the air toward Ren.

Ren barely managed to dodge, rolling to the side as the creature's attack shattered the stone floor where he had just stood. The impact sent shockwaves through the sanctuary, forcing the others to brace themselves.

"That thing's fast!" Vaelin cursed as he leaped backward, drawing his twin daggers.

Sylph extended her hands, her wind magic surging, forming protective currents around the team. "We have to be careful! One wrong move, and that thing will tear us apart!"

Elric planted his staff into the ground, golden runes glowing along its length. "Celestial Chains!"

From the sanctuary walls, golden chains of light shot forth, wrapping around the Demon Warden's massive arms and pulling it back. The creature roared in fury, straining against the bindings.

"Now's our chance!" Lyra shouted. She leaped high into the air, her greatsword crackling with blue energy. "Thunder Fang!"

Her blade slammed into the demon's shoulder, sparks flying on impact. The beast screeched, but the attack wasn't enough to fully break through its armor.

"Not enough? Then let's break it!" Vaelin flashed forward, his daggers coated in a shimmering, dark-blue aura. He spun midair, slashing at the demon's legs, aiming for the joints.

Ren saw an opening. Gritting his teeth, he rushed forward, gripping his sword with both hands. The power within him stirred the same force he had unknowingly used against Malakar earlier.

As the Warden thrashed, it snapped the golden chains binding it. With a mighty roar, it swiped at Lyra, knocking her out of the air.

"Lyra!" Ren yelled.

She crashed to the ground but rolled to her feet, wincing. "I'm fine! Just hit that thing already!"

Ren's blade flashed with a strange light not the usual silver glow, but something deeper, more primal. His instincts screamed at him to let it flow.

He leaped forward, his blade swinging in an arc. "Celestial Rend!"

The energy around his sword exploded, forming a crescent-shaped slash of pure force. The attack tore through the Demon Warden's left arm, severing it in a burst of black mist.

The beast howled, staggering back.

Elric's eyes widened. "That power…!"

Vaelin smirked. "Alright, Ren, I see you!"

Sylph's winds surged around them. "Finish it before it recovers!"

Ren didn't hesitate. He gripped his sword tightly and charged forward, channeling the last of his strength into a single, decisive strike.

The Demon Warden let out a final roar and lunged toward him.

Ren drove his sword forward and his blade pierced through the burning sigil on the demon's chest.

The sanctuary shook as the Demon Warden let out a final, deafening shriek before its body dissolved into mist, the sigil shattering in the process.

Silence followed.

The group stood motionless, panting.

Ren slowly lowered his sword, his breathing ragged. His arms trembled, his entire body screaming in exhaustion.

"We… won?" Sylph whispered.

Elric let out a slow breath, tapping his staff. "Yes. But that was only the beginning."

Ren looked down at his sword the strange power still faintly pulsing within it. His grip tightened.

What was this power?

And more importantly…

Why did Malakar seem to expect him to have it?

Ren's sword pulsed with power, the strange energy within it slowly fading, but the weight of the battle still hung in the air. The remnants of the Demon Warden's dark mist swirled before vanishing completely, leaving only the eerie silence of the ruined sanctuary.

The team stood still, their breaths heavy, their bodies aching from the intense fight.

Sylph, gripping her staff for support, wiped sweat from her forehead. "That was… insane."

Vaelin stretched his arms, rolling his shoulders with a smirk. "Not bad, Ren. Didn't know you had that kind of move in you."

Ren looked down at his sword, his fingers tightening around the hilt. He felt… different. The energy he unleashed wasn't just some ordinary attack. It was something deeper, something he didn't fully understand.

Elric took a step closer, his sharp gaze analyzing Ren's weapon. "That power…" He reached out but hesitated. "It wasn't just your usual magic. It felt… ancient."

Ren frowned. "Ancient?"

Elric nodded. "The way the energy flowed, the sheer force it carried… It wasn't ordinary mana. It was something beyond that. Where did you"

Before Elric could finish his sentence, the sanctuary trembled, a faint glow emerging from the shattered sigil where the Demon Warden had fallen.

Everyone tensed.

"Don't tell me there's more," Lyra muttered, gripping her greatsword.

From the broken sigil, a small, floating crystal emerged, pulsating with golden light. It hovered in the air, its glow flickering as if responding to something.

Ren's eyes locked onto it. Without thinking, he reached out.

"Wait—" Elric started, but it was too late.

The moment Ren's fingers touched the crystal, a wave of energy shot through his body.

Visions images of a forgotten past flashed before his eyes. He saw warriors in golden armor, wielding weapons bathed in divine light. He saw massive beasts, locked in battle with figures cloaked in shadows. He saw… himself or someone like him standing atop a battlefield, their sword radiating the same power he had just used.

And then darkness.

Ren's knees buckled as he gasped for air.

"Ren!" Sylph rushed to his side, steadying him.

Elric looked at the crystal, his face unreadable. "That crystal holds memories… echoes of something ancient."

Ren swallowed, his mind still spinning. "I saw… something. Warriors. Battles. And" He hesitated, looking at his sword. "That same power."

Vaelin crossed his arms. "So, what? You're saying you've been chosen or something?"

Lyra smirked, resting her greatsword on her shoulder. "Would explain why he's pulling out moves we've never seen before."

Elric's expression darkened. "This isn't just about new abilities. If Ren is somehow connected to this power… then there's more at play here than we realized."

Sylph looked at the now-dormant crystal floating in Ren's palm. "And we need to figure out what it means."

Ren clenched his fist around the crystal, determination settling in his chest.

Whatever this power was…

Whatever his role in all of this was...

He was going to find out.