The wind howled through the shattered windows of the castle, carrying a ghostly chill. Overbrawl stepped inside, head bowed, each footstep echoing like a funeral march on the cracked marble floor.
He raised his head slowly—his gaze locking with Dreadixz’s. Eyes dull and exhausted, he stared into the soul of the dark king like a beast that had crawled back from war. His tattered scarf whipped in the wind, the frayed ends fluttering like battle flags.
“I’m back…” he muttered, voice hollow.
On his throne of obsidian and bones, Dreadixz gripped the armrests with clawed fingers and rose with calculated slowness. His eyes narrowed as he studied Overbrawl, who was bloodied, limping, and barely holding himself together, one arm hanging uselessly, nearly severed.
“Ah… finally,” Dreadixz sneered, lacing his fingers behind his back. “My ‘finest’ soldier returns… looking like a chewed-up carcass.”
He descended the stairs of the throne platform with deliberate calm, his voice dripping with venom. Then, in a flash of lunar light, his body expanded and twisted, limbs stretching, scales spreading, horns jutting skyward, as he transformed into his Lunaranite Dragon form.
The roar that erupted from his throat shattered the eerie wind’s whispers and echoed across the entire region of Foreshade like a war drum.
“And to think,” he snarled, walking slowly toward Overbrawl, “you were so confident in killing the Chosen Ones.”
He stopped just inches away, grabbed Overbrawl by the jaw, and yanked his face upward.
“Yet all I see… is failure.”
His voice was quiet, but it rang with a dark, ancient malice. He released Overbrawl, letting the wounded warrior stumble back. Dreadixz slithered away, his jet-black tail sweeping ominously behind him.
“How dare you disrupt my plans—”
Knock knock.
A sudden bang echoed through the chamber. Dreadixz turned toward the massive iron portcullis at the front of the hall, a scowl spreading across his draconic features.
“…Enter.”
The gates groaned open, smoke and shadows billowing in like a living storm. From the fog emerged a new figure, tall, slim, and wrapped in shifting black shadows. He looked eerily similar to Overbrawl, but twisted. His body was cloaked in a deep obsidian hue, with red eyes glowing like twin hells. Dark energy flared around him like crackling black fire.
Dreadixz’s scorn morphed into something closer to satisfaction because of him.
“Well, well,” he said in a smooth, deadly tone. “Took you long enough to show your face.”
The figure clenched his fists. “I’m not here to serve. I’m here to pave my own path.”
His voice was calm, confident, cold.
“I don’t play nice with others, and I sure as hell don’t sign alliances with strangers I barely remember. But you, Dreadixz… King or not, I’m here to challenge the narrative.”
Dreadixz turned away, shifting back into his humanoid form with a flicker of lunar energy. He strolled back to his throne and reclined with the air of a warlord savoring a storm.
“Incarceration…” he said with a wicked smile. “The traitor of the Zeniths. The power-hungry fool who abandoned the Heavenly Spot of Celestia after a ‘minor disagreement’… Tell me, where’s your little pet?”
The pet he referred to was no ordinary beast, it was a nightmare forged in darkness, a creature made to devour hope and burn legends to ash.
Incarceration’s smile was slow and dangerous. Black fire danced along his knuckles as he crossed two fingers and touched them to his forehead.
“Homicide,” he whispered.
His eyes snapped open, flashing crimson.
Dark magic exploded from his arms, spiraling into the air in tendrils of screaming shadow. The energy twisted, coiled, and then, formed. A massive shape emerged: a nine-headed Hydra, black-scaled and scarred with white gashes, eyes glowing a menacing violet. Each of its heads swayed like cobras preparing to strike. Its claws gleamed obsidian-sharp, and a jagged purple sail ran from its spines down its monstrous tail.
Dreadixz chuckled, watching the beast take shape with gleeful approval.
“Ah yes… I nearly forgot you wield the Nightmare Element. Able to summon any creature—real or imagined. Even ones that shouldn’t exist.”
His grin widened.
“I’m impressed.”
He stood, eyes flickering with deadly intent. “Now go. Find the Chosen Ones. I want their bodies at my feet. And one of their heads, gone.”
The Hydra let out a thunderous roar that shook the walls. Incarceration turned to it, his voice low, dark, and loyal.
“Yes… master.”
Meanwhile…
The skies of Avangard were clear and blue, stretching endlessly above us like an infinite canvas. I was in my dragon form, soaring through the clouds with my wings wide open, basking in the freedom of flight.
Puffy white clouds drifted around us, and birds chirped in the breeze as they flew by. A few Griffins joined us for a bit, then peeled off toward their homes in the mountains.
I twirled mid-air and dove through the fluffiest cloud I could find, feeling it burst around me like cotton candy. The others were flying with me too, Ella, Angel, and Olsen were riding on my back.
Prince zipped beside us in his Lightning Bird form, flapping his wings with little thunder booms and streaks of electricity trailing behind him like party lights. Archie flew through the clouds in his blazing Phoenix form, burning holes through the mist like a tiny meteor on fire. Demaurion, in his Leviathan form, glided through the sky with serious sea serpent energy.
Where were we headed? Across Thunderstark, past Naria and the Sand Dunes—we were making our way to Musicia, a place we’d never been to before.
“I heard it’s just one giant non-stop party!” Prince shouted, his voice crackling with static as he bolted ahead.
“Eh, I doubt it,” Olsen replied. “However I know there’s tons of music there, the name kinda gives it away.”
I glanced down and nearly choked. We were high. Like, “see the curvature of the planet” high. Below us were entire oceans, waves crashing into each other with blue chaos. I could even spot the Land of Hearts from way up here.
The wind was warm against my scales, and the air smelled like pure freedom. Then Prince lightning-dashed above me.
“We’re close!” he said, beak pointing downward. “Musicia’s right there!”
I followed his gaze and caught a shimmer of lights in the distance.
“You’re right! I can see it!” Ella shouted with a grin.
Olsen gave me a playful punch on the back. “Well then, that’s our stop. Ready to become a Hero?”
I smiled wide. “Why the hell not?!”
We dove through the foggy clouds like shooting stars and landed gracefully on the glowing streets of Musicia. Olsen and Ella hopped off my back, and I slowly shifted back into my regular form. Everyone else followed suit, transforming back one by one.
The sight before us was insane. The city shimmered under the sun’s rays in glowing yellows and sparkling pinks. Towering buildings of gold and rose quartz twisted upward in chaotic harmony. Glitter literally erupted from rooftops, drifting lazily through the air. It was like stepping into a living music video.
Crowds of people filled the sidewalks, weaving through the pulsing city. Music echoed from all directions, and the air buzzed with excitement.
“THIS IS INSANE!” Prince shouted, wide-eyed with joy.
“I know right? They’ve got music playing from everywhere! But, it looks like someone with epilepsy could probably die here,” I said, grabbing his wing as he almost took off running through the neon-lit streets.
The sun hovered above us while the sky shifted to soft orange. Cars zoomed by with slick style, and honestly? This place had everything.
Olsen looked like he was about to ascend to a higher plane.
“So… beautiful,” he said.
Ella smiled as the breeze caught her hair. “It’s like nothing in this place could ever go wrong.”
We wandered deeper into the city, until my ears twitched. Hard. Like “danger radar” twitch.
Angel paused and looked at me. “Don? Your ears are doing the weird twitch thing again. Should I be worried? Do you need, a—Celestianite doctor?”
“No, I’m good,” I said, eyes scanning the sky. “It’s just what happens when I hear something coming… or someone flying at full speed ri—OOF!”
I got tackled. Hard. Whatever hit me felt like a tiger with revenge in its heart. I hit the ground with a thud.
“Get up, I didn’t hit you that hard,” a sassy, familiar voice said.
I teleported a few feet away, making whoever-it-was faceplant into the street. I turned to look—and yep, I knew that voice. Sophia.
She looked up from the ground with a frown. “How ya doin’?”
I rolled my eyes, “Hey, tiger. Just casually tackling me out of the sky again?”
She had transformed into her tiger form—a yellow tiger with pink stripes. But she quickly shifted back into her base form, tail swishing. She wore a pink jacket with a white crop-top under, light mixed skin, her hair’s yellow and curly too!
“Forgot that were all about cosmic, shit, my bad,” she grinned,
I smirked. “Anyone else part of your surprise attack?”
That’s when Javier popped out from behind a building, sighing like this was just another Tuesday. He strolled toward us, hands in his pockets. Dark blue skin, a blue coat too big for his size, blue jeans, he had straight black hair and a blue logo of a cube on his forehead. Hundreds of hedgehog quills jutted from his back, poking through the coat from behind. The most innocent being in all of Avangard, and I trust him with my life.
Sophia crossed her arms as she looked at the rest of the crew. “Long time no see! We came for the festival.”
“What festival?” Ella asked.
“The Musicia Festival!” Sophia beamed. “You don’t know? It’s the biggest celebration for all Soundanites. Music, lights, performances, it’s a whole vibe. And it starts in a few hours!”
We all exchanged looks. Glances. Smirks. The classic “are we doing this?” face.
I turned back to her. “We’re in,” I said, shaking her hand.
“WOOP! WOOP! PARTY TIME!” Prince roared.
But Sophia suddenly gagged and covered her nose. “Okay, but y’all gotta change. How long have you been wearing those outfits?”
“Hmm,” I said, counting on my fingers. “One… two… maybe eleven days?”
“ELEVEN?!” she screeched. “Boy, you need to touch soap and fabric softener immediately. Lucky for you, I have gear.”
Power raised an eyebrow. “Where?”
She grinned and pointed ahead. “Follow me.”
We followed her through the chaotic hum of the city until we reached a house that was both small and somehow huge. It was bubblegum pink with warm yellow light glowing from inside, straight out of a fantasy catalog from Iris Town. She opened the door and waved us in.
We finally reached her house, tucked along a quiet street beneath the golden-pink light of the city. The walls were polished yellow with pink shutters, and flowering vines curled up toward the roof. Out front, a small stone fountain splashed water into a basin while a few Harmony Birds chirped from the roof.
“This is it,” Sophia said, opening the door and waving us inside.
The right side of the living room was packed with four separate couches arranged around a red-and-white carpet. The soft lighting made the white walls and wooden paneling look surprisingly fancy. A TV sat on a white stone stand up front, completely surrounded by flower vases. Off to the left sat a heavy wooden door, and right beside it, a spiraling staircase led upstairs.
We all flopped onto the couches, and that was when Sophia dropped the news.
“Who’s ready for their Hero Suits?”
“HERO SUITS?! PARTY TIME!” Prince screamed in a high-pitched squeak, practically bouncing off the cushions.
I stared at the bag, purple sparks flicking across my fingertips. “It’s suiting time.”
We took turns using the upstairs bathroom, though Demaurion hogged the shower forever like he owned the place. At one point Prince accidentally zapped the breaker, knocking out the lights and leaving poor Javier to fix them like an unpaid maintenance guy.
When my turn finally came, I washed up and made sure to lather on “Scale Smoother”—the lotion that keeps dragon scales shiny and sleek. You can’t save the world looking crusty.
Afterward, I hit the training room down the hall to work up a sweat. I practiced my celestial skills until I unlocked a fresh move: the Insane Celestial Flick. By channeling celestial energy straight into my fingers, the flick releases a shockwave strong enough to snap through solid stone. I also worked on wall-bouncing, using the extra speed to turn my momentum into a heavy strike.
Once everyone was showered, geared up, and ready to roll, the real transformation began.
Olsen stepped out first in an earthy green metallic suit with heavy brown shoulder pads. His helmet was shaped like a thick green-and-black beak, paired with stone-reinforced gloves, black leather pants, green-and-black boots, and a green baldric holding his Hammer of Earth.
Prince’s suit was blue with bright yellow lightning streaks along the fabric. He wore yellow pants, a slim-fit blue hoodie, black gloves, and blue cybernetic shoes built for top speed, with a thin electric sail running straight down his spine.
Demaurion showed up in a cyber-oceanic blue suit with shark-inspired plating. He had matching blue gauntlets, dark gloves, and Aqua Jets—knee-high boots fitted with fins and leg-thrusters for swimming or air maneuvers. A water-breathing helmet completed the setup.
Archie looked like a full-on mech phoenix. He wore a red cyber-suit with orange flame streaks across the chest and metallic red-and-orange wings flared across his back. His helmet was styled like a phoenix head with black and yellow accents, while heavy gray armor encased his legs above jet-boots. His gloves were a deep, dark crimson.
Ella wore a sandy-brown jumpsuit with a dust-tinted visor. Tight black pants tucked into dune-colored boots tipped with steel claws, paired with rounded brown gauntlets.
Angel stood out in a vortex-blue mech suit centered around a purple glowing hexagon on his chest.
Sophia kept her setup simple: a jacket, headphones, and a pink boombox-shaped cannon strapped to her right arm.
Then I stepped out.
I wore a full-body purple jumpsuit with a bold black X across the chest. Gold rings shimmered around my wrists above white gloves with green line patterns. My purple boots matched my dragon-head mask. A yellow metallic belt sat at my waist above black pants with yellow knee-pads, and a long black scarf trailed behind my shoulders.
After the glam-up, we all crashed back onto the couches feeling like the baddest crew in town. Sophia sat nearby, casually brushing her hair with a pink brush, completely unfazed.
“So,” I asked, turning toward her, “when are we heading out? And where’s this festival happening?”
Sophia didn’t miss a beat. “Still got a few hours. You idiots can just chill for now.”
“Thanks,” I muttered, rolling my eyes at the blank TV screen.
Out the window, shades of blue, orange, and gold faded over the city as evening set in. Hover cars hummed past, and the golden skyscrapers caught the last rays of sunlight through the glass.
I leaned back against the cushions. Being chosen for a prophecy sounds cool until you actually have to pull it off. I wanted to be a warrior, but the closer we got to the action, the less I knew what that actually meant.
“Hey Don, you alright? You look like you’ve been staring into space,” Sophia said.
“I’m fine,” I replied. “Just thinking. I want to become a Hero to prove something, but I feel like I’m missing the real point of all this.”
Sophia set down her brush with a sigh. “Look, I want to be a Hero too, mostly for the fame! I wanted to be like my idol, Power.”
“POWER IS YOUR IDOL?!” I yelled.
Sophia laughed. “Why wouldn’t he be?! I have like a million pictures of the guy in my room. Don’t tell anyone, though.” She leaned in, her voice dropping. “Don, maybe it’s not that complicated. Just be a Hero—protect people, save them from danger, do the usual stuff.”
I looked back at the dark TV screen, considering it. Protect people. Stop evil. Simple enough.
I stayed on the couch, eventually drifting off to sleep. When my eyes finally opened, the whole crew was standing over me in full gear.
“What the—we’re already leaving?” I asked, rubbing my eyes.
Olsen smirked. “Don didn’t hear the timer.”
“I DID—OLSEN!”
“Saying ‘I did’ isn’t accurate after sleeping through three alarms,” Olsen deadpanned.
“THINGS CAN BE ACCURATE AND NOT—OKAY! OKAY, I’M GETTING UP! SEE?! I’M COMING!” I scrambled off the couch, and we bolted out the front door.
Night in the city hit all at once. Neon lights ran up the sides of skyscrapers, holographic ads flickered midair, and the bright moon cut through the dark above the skyline. We threaded through the crowded streets past buzzing hover-bikes and shouting vendors until we pulled up in front of our stop.
It was a massive pink casino packed with holographic playing cards, spinning dice the size of billboards, and blinking lights pulsing in rhythm with the bass leaking out the front doors.
“Okay, so THIS is where we’re going?!” Prince yelled, practically vibrating in place.
“You’re gonna love it,” Sophia said, grinning like she’d planned this for weeks.
“PARTY TIME!” Prince squeaked, his voice cracking on the high note.
We shoved through the glossy pink doors and stepped straight into a full-blown festival.
Confetti cannons blasted gold streamers from the ceiling as a live band mixed trumpets, electric guitars, and synths loud enough to vibrate the floorboards. Pink, blue, and red lights flashed over the crowd while the air filled with the smell of sugar and fog machine smoke.
Then someone screamed near the entrance.
“WAIT—IS THAT—”
“NO WAY!”
“POWER?!”
Every screen in the casino glitched as Power walked through the main doors.
The room exploded. Music stopped mid-song, poker chips spilled across tables, and a crowd chant erupted from nowhere: “POW-ER! POW-ER! POW-ER!”
Spotlights snapped onto him, indoor fireworks went off, and festival banners dropped from the rafters while DJs remixed his theme song on the spot. Power froze on the welcome mat right before the mob swarmed him—fans pushing forward for autographs, selfies, and high fives. Someone tried crowning him with glow sticks, and another person grabbed his ankle and refused to let go.
“I CAN’T BREATHE,” Power said, completely trapped in the middle of the lobby.
Olsen watched from the side. “Bro… he’s cooked.”
Power tried waving, which only made the crowd scream louder. “ABORT, ABORT,” he muttered, scanning the walls for an emergency exit.
Demaurion crossed his arms, looking around at the packed floor. “This place is huge. I hate it.”
The floor was split into different game zones. Over at the Fireball Game, floating targets hovered over lava holograms while Archie lit his hands on fire. Near the Knockout Arena, padded rings flashed countdown timers. Down at the Aquarium Lounge, a massive glass tank held a shark and a giant eel circling each other. Demaurion stared into the water. “I’ll hang with the fish.”
Meanwhile, Ella vanished toward the Ball of Yarn Spot, which looked as cursed as it sounded.
I stood next to Sophia near the main walkway. “Got any suggestions? These games look kinda buns,” I muttered.
She pointed toward the main stage. “Sing.”
I backed up immediately. “WOAH—SINGING ON STAGE?! I’ve got stage fright!”
She smirked. “You’re trying to be a Hero. Do it because I said so.”
“No way, remember LAST TIME?” I asked.
“Yeah,” she grinned. “At least you didn’t slip on a banana peel.”
My face went completely blank. “I slipped on a banana peel… and landed on a seventeen-year-old’s chest.”
In the background, Power vaulted over a slot machine trying to escape a horde of selfie sticks.
“You’ll be fine, just get on stage!” Sophia said.
I stared at her, and she stared back until I slowly turned toward the glowing backstage door near the Fireball Game. I hesitated for a second. She was right. If I wanted to be a Hero, I had to deal with it. I swallowed loudly and started walking.
I pushed through the crowd—“Sorry, my bad, excuse me, why are you wet?”—when a voice shouted right behind me.
“DANCE! I WANT TO SEE YOU DANCE!”
I stopped and turned around slowly. Standing there was an old man in a beanie, scarf, and worn-out jacket, with a brown bird sitting on his shoulder glaring at me. Before I could say anything, he pulled out a Valorent gun and aimed it at my chest.
“DANCE OR DIE!” he screamed.
The bird nodded on his shoulder.
“I’VE NEVER SEEN SOMEONE FROM THE PROPHECY DANCE! I GET MY ENTERTAINMENT OR YOU GET YOUR LIFE TAKEN!”
I stood there staring at the barrel. Threatening a prophecy kid with a gun at a casino festival felt wildly illegal, but I wasn’t trying to find out if he was joking.
“So—uh—” I swallowed again. “You want me to dance? I can… show you one?”
The old man and the bird stared at me without blinking.
I took two awkward sidesteps to the beat of the background music, then slid back. He kept staring.
I let out a defeatist sigh. “Fine. You asked for this.”
I busted out the slick-back toward the backstage door, throwing my shoulders into it. The old man lost his mind.
“THAT’S WHAT I LIKE TO SEE!” he yelled, waving the gun around like a glow stick while the bird flapped its wings.
I slick-backed faster, reached the backstage handle, yanked it open, and threw myself inside, slamming the door shut behind me.
A single yellow bulb lit a narrow spiral staircase leading upward. I caught my breath, headed up the steps, and pushed through the top door into the backstage area.
A mic stand sat under a spotlight near the front curtains. I grabbed the mic, keeping the switch off so I wouldn’t broadcast my heavy breathing to the whole casino.
Behind me, the door burst open as the rest of the crew tumbled in with Sophia right behind them.
“Oh, you’re doing this too?” Archie asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yup,” I muttered.
Olsen stepped up to the curtain line. “It simply can’t be that hard.”
Prince held up a hand. “Olsen, don’t hit that high note again.”
“I don’t have stage fright,” Demaurion said, wiping water off his gauntlets. “I just don’t feel like going on stage.”
“Cap,” Archie whispered.
Demaurion raised a hand like he was about to splash him, but Sophia clapped her hands together.
“Alright guys, get out there and show them who you are!”
Before any of us could answer, she shoved all five of us straight through the curtains and out onto the main stage in front of the entire casino.
I stood there with my hands shaking, praying no one would spot us. For a second, nobody did—until the announcer ruined everything through the house speakers.
“Alright uh, are those people the Chosen Ones?”
Every head in the casino turned toward the stage. The music cut out, and the whole room went dead quiet.
Sweat started dripping down my neck while my heart hammered against my ribs. Think, Don, think. What could I even sing right now?
Before I could come up with an answer, the announcer leaned in with a grin.
“Alright Don, get us started with ‘I Want It That Way’ by the Backstreet Boys!”
“Out of all the songs—”
“SING IT.”
I cleared my throat like I was about to drop the greatest vocal performance of my life. “You are… my fire…”
I shot Olsen a look, and he didn’t need a second cue. He opened his mouth like destiny called.
“The one… desire…”
The announcer whipped his head around. “Prince!”
“Believe when I saaay…”
The announcer threw his hands in the air like a mad conductor. “Come on, Demaurion!”
“I want it THAT WAY—”
The announcer yelled into his mic, “TELL ME WHY!”
“Ain’t nothin’ but a heart-ache!”
“TELL ME WHY!”
“Ain’t nothin’ but a mis-take!”
“TELL ME WHY!”
Archie stepped up. “I never wanna hear you saaay—”
“COME ON!” the announcer screamed for the finale.
All five of us hit the note together in total harmony: “I WANT IT THAT WAY!”
Complete silence followed. Dead, pin-drop silence while we stood there, convinced we’d just ruined our entire reputations.
Then came a single slow clap from the floor, and the room blew up.
Cheering, screaming, people throwing roses onto the stage—someone near the front actually passed out. I was starting to feel like a legitimate pop star when a mic came flying toward my head. I snatched it out of the air, dropped the broken one onto the stage floor, and heard a guy from the front row yell:
“SING US ANOTHER ONE!”
I let out a heavy sigh. “Oh boy…”
I was two seconds away from belting out “Bye Bye Bye” like a 2000s boyband reunion tour when—
BANG.
I stopped mid-thought. Something slammed onto the roof. Hard.
“Probably nothing,” I told myself. Famous last words.
Then it hit again.
Louder, heavier, and right on top of us.
The floor shook, and the crowd froze as the casino doors blew off their hinges. Screams erupted as chairs flipped and drinks went airborne.
Out of the smoke stepped a Hydra. Nine heads dripping with static energy, snapping in every direction while rain poured through the shattered entrance. Thunder rattled the roof, lighting up the beast in jagged flashes.
People scattered everywhere, diving under poker tables or sprinting toward the side exits as the lobby dissolved into chaos.
One of the heads reared back, its throat glowing yellow right before a beam of fire ripped across the room. It carved through slot machines and gaming tables in a single sweep, setting off a chain reaction of explosions that brought half the ceiling down.
The Hydra went feral, lashing out at the support pillars and tearing through the remaining walls. Then all nine heads stopped moving, turning their glowing eyes straight toward the stage.
Toward me.
I rolled my shoulders as purple energy burst around my body. Scales spread across my skin, wings ripped out from my back, and my Celestianite Dragon Form took over, shattering the rest of the windows from the pressure wave alone.
I sprinted, launching off the stage as the Hydra lunged. We crossed paths midair, and I landed square on its back.
The beast went berserk, crashing through pillars and sliding across the wet floor while all nine heads twisted around to throw me off. I dug my claws into its hide and ran along its spine, dodging snapping jaws while leaving glowing purple slashes across its scales.
One head whipped around, but I vaulted over it. Another lunged from above, and I ducked under, driving my elbow into its jaw hard enough to snap its neck back.
The Hydra shrieked, all nine mouths screaming at once.
“THAT GOT YOUR ATTENTION? GOOD!” I yelled.
A head snuck around from behind and clamped its jaws around my tail. It whipped me through the air, sending me flying through the main stage.
Speakers exploded, light rigs collapsed, and pyrotechnics accidentally went off, launching indoor fireworks into the rafters as chunks of concrete rained down.
I pushed myself out of the wreckage, purple energy crackling off my scales as I popped my neck. The Hydra stared from across the ruined floor, and I grinned right back.
“Round two.”
I charged, tackling the beast across the room. One of its heads snapped down, hooked my horn, and slammed me through three poker tables. I flipped back to my feet, wiped blood off my jaw, and leaped right back into its space, biting down on one of its necks while raking my claws across its eye.
The head screeched and whipped its body, throwing me straight into a bank of slot machines. Coins rained everywhere. I sprinted through the shower of metal, swung my tail like a bat, and caught a second head across the jaw, smashing it through a roulette table.
The Hydra turned and barrelled straight through the exterior wall, tearing a hole into the street outside.
I followed, latching onto its neck mid-air as we both hit the asphalt and rolled into the dark rain. I scrambled up first, ducked a blast of fire from a second head, and leaped onto its back, sinking my teeth into its neck scales.
I dropped off before it could crush me against the concrete and went straight for its front leg, biting down hard. The Hydra roared in pain and backhanded me clean across the street.
I crashed through the adjacent building, smashing through exterior walls and light fixtures before jaws clamped hard around my neck.
The Hydra shot into the night sky, dragging me up through rooftops until heavy clouds swallowed us whole. The moment it let go, I dropped into a freefall, but I caught the wind with my wings before I could hit the skyline.
Celestial energy flared through my scales as I rocketed back upward, blitzing past the Hydra to rake my teeth across its flesh. I spun mid-air, slicing with my claws and following up with a tail swipe that bent one of its necks at an ugly angle.
Thunder boomed as lightning split the sky, illuminating blood and flashing claws above the city. I whacked the beast with my tail, sending it spiraling toward the ground. I dove after it, biting down hard on its neck to finish it, but the monster thrashed violently and threw me off.
I twisted through the air as energy spiraled around me, then slammed into the earth below. The shockwave blew the Hydra backward, but it retaliated instantly, dragging me through the street wreckage. Claws tore across my chest, jaws seized my neck, and it hammered me into the pavement.
I staggered upright, taking a tail whip across the face that popped my neck. I lunged back, clamping my jaws onto one neck while another head bit into my shoulder. We locked together in a mess of teeth and claws until it flung me off, another head colliding with my skull mid-flight.
I flew straight through the wall of a museum. Glass shattered, fossilized skeletons towered overhead, and display cases exploded around me. The Hydra burst through right after, its eyes glowing as a beam of fire erupted toward my face.
I dove right, hit all fours, and leaped. I landed squarely on its main head, but the Hydra thrashed, slamming me backward into a T. Rex skeleton. Bones shattered everywhere. Before I could recover, another head plucked me out of the air and body-slammed me into a structural wall.
I scrambled back onto its spine, sprinted across its back, and bit down again. The beast thrashed through the museum halls, smashing displays until I slashed one of its eyes. It bucked violently, throwing me straight into a triceratops display.
Pain shot through my ribs as I growled, charged, and hit its side. The monster staggered, grabbed my tail, and whipped me across the gallery, sending me skidding through shattered glass.
Slowly, I stood up, bruised, bleeding, and furious. The Hydra stalked toward me, covered in dust and shattered bone fragments embedded in its hide.
It roared, and I charged right back. Purple blasts erupted from its mouths, but I juked left and right as the attacks scorched the floor. I launched at its face, spinning mid-air to crack my tail against its skull, sending the monster through a rack of ancient armor.
A head snapped forward, grabbing my neck and throwing me through a glass partition. I rebounded off the floor, claws flashing as sparks flew. Opening my jaws, I unleashed a point-blank celestial beam that launched the Hydra through the back wall.
I pressed the attack, firing beam after beam as the museum lit up. Walls shook and displays toppled while the Hydra stumbled through the wreckage. I curled into a tight sphere, energy crackling around me, then launched forward like a comet. Mid-air, I broke formation and unleashed one final blast that consumed the chamber in radiant light.
Silence settled over the hall.
The Hydra rose slowly from the rubble, bleeding heavily with broken scales and glass glittered across its hide. It was dying, but still standing.
Out of nowhere, Ella pounced from the ceiling in her oversized Desert Cat form, tearing into its back with claws and fangs. “I GOT IT!” she shouted.
Olsen dropped in next as a heavy Rockslide Ankylosaurus, biting down on a neck and slamming the beast to the floor. Sophia joined in her Musical Tiger form, double-teaming with a barrage of slashes, while Prince struck the monster with a blinding bolt of lightning. Archie, Angel in her Warping Owl form, and Javier firing plasma blasts all piled on, beating the beast into the dirt while Power watched from the edge of the room.
This was our window. With a final surge of strength, I dashed forward, jaws glowing with celestial energy. I bit down on the center neck and ripped it clean off.
Blood sprayed across the floor, and the head didn’t regenerate.
I dropped it as the body collapsed.
I shifted back to my regular form, panting and trembling as the others morphed back beside me.
I stared at the dead monster. “What was that?”
Prince, still sparking with static, shook his head. “I don’t know, but look at the armor—it’s definitely from the Lunaranites.”
A heavy beat of wings sounded from above. I looked up through the shattered ceiling to see a full Lunaranite army soaring through the storm clouds, spears raised as they scanned the city below.
I pulled my daggers free. “This isn’t a safe zone anymore.”