The Guardian’s Judgment
723 Words
The water rose fast.
Cold. Heavy. Unforgiving.
Within seconds, it reached their knees—then higher, swirling with unnatural force. It wasn’t just water.
It was controlled.
Alive.
Mira stood unmoving before the massive gate, her glowing blue eyes fixed on Kael.
“You were warned,” she said calmly.
Then she raised her hand—
And the water attacked.
Blades of compressed current shot forward, slicing through the air with terrifying speed.
Kael reacted instantly.
“Crimson Guard!”
Flames erupted around him, forming a shield that clashed violently with the incoming strikes. Steam exploded on impact, filling the chamber.
Lyra stepped in beside him.
“Let’s push her back!”
Her fire surged outward, cutting through the water and forcing Mira to shift slightly.
But only slightly.
Mira’s expression didn’t change.
“You’re not strong enough.”
She clenched her hand.
The water beneath them twisted suddenly, spiraling upward into a massive vortex that dragged at their legs.
Kim lost her footing.
“Ahh—!”
Kael reached out instantly, grabbing her arm before she was pulled under.
“Stay close!”
Seraphine moved quickly, freezing the water around them into solid ground.
“Ice Dominion!”
The spreading ice slowed the current, giving them a moment to breathe.
But Mira stepped forward.
And with one motion—
She shattered it.
The ice cracked and broke apart like glass, sending sharp fragments flying.
Seraphine’s eyes narrowed. “…She overpowered my ice that easily…”
Kael stepped forward again, flames rising higher.
This time—
Controlled.
Focused.
“I don’t want to fight you,” he said, voice steady. “But we’re not leaving.”
Mira tilted her head slightly.
“…You don’t understand what you’re standing in front of.”
Her eyes flickered briefly toward the gate behind her.
“For centuries, this seal has held back what should never exist.”
The chains around the gate pulsed violently, reacting to her words.
Something behind it shifted.
A low, distant sound echoed through the chamber.
Like a heartbeat.
Kael felt it.
Deep in his chest.
“…What is it?” he asked.
Mira looked back at him.
And for the first time—
There was a hint of something else in her eyes.
Not anger.
Not fear.
Burden.
“…A king,” she said quietly.
Silence fell.
Lyra’s voice dropped. “A… king?”
Mira nodded slowly.
“The one who started the war your world tried to forget.”
Kim’s pendant flared violently.
Memories surged again—fragments of fire, screams, rivers turning red—
She clutched her head.
“I… I remember… destruction… so much destruction…”
Kael looked at her, alarmed. “Kim—”
But Mira stepped forward again.
“You carry his blood,” she said, staring directly at Kael.
The words hit like a shockwave.
“…What?” Lyra whispered.
Seraphine’s eyes widened slightly.
Kael froze.
“My… what?”
Mira’s voice remained calm.
“The river did not choose you by chance.”
The flames around Kael flickered.
Unstable.
“You are connected to what lies behind this gate.”
The chamber trembled again.
The chains tightened.
The heartbeat grew louder.
“No,” Kael said, stepping back slightly. “That’s not true.”
But even as he spoke—
The sword in his hand burned hotter.
Reacting.
Answering.
Mira raised her hand once more.
“If you stay,” she said, “you will awaken him.”
Water surged violently around them again.
“So I will end this now.”
“Kael!” Lyra shouted.
He snapped back to focus.
His grip tightened.
His eyes hardened.
“Then we stop her first.”
Flames exploded around him—stronger than before, but this time steady.
Not consuming him.
Listening to him.
Seraphine stepped into position. “We need to break her control over the water.”
Lyra nodded. “I’ll create an opening.”
Kim stepped forward, her pendant glowing brighter than ever.
“I’ll support you… no matter what.”
Kael took a deep breath.
“…Together.”
They moved again.
Faster.
Sharper.
More determined than before.
But as they charged—
The gate behind Mira pulsed again.
Harder.
Stronger.
And this time—
A c***k appeared.
Mira’s eyes widened.
“…No…”
From behind the gate—
Something moved.
- Writer
