Kapitel 17: A Vanguard's Oath
Serephira slowly stood over Kaelen's motionless body, with her ragged and uneven breath. The once fierce fighter now lay still on the ground, his face marked by the remnants of a twisted smile that had unnerved her moments ago. The air around them was thick with the scent of burnt earth and the lingering echoes of their clash.
All of a sudden, Master Cronos materialized beside them, his presence was as calm and collected as always. His slowly scanned the scene around with a hint of amusement
"That was certainly fun"
he remarked with his light tone, as if discussing a mere training session
Hearing her master's word, Serephira eyes filled with anger and confusion. She turned sharply to face him with her fist clenched. Her voice quivering
"What the hell happened to him just now? Did you anticipate this, Master?"
Master Cronos tilted his head, his gaze shifted from Kaelen's still form to her
"Anticipate? Perhaps... But there is much you still don't understand"
Master Cronos glanced at Serephira, his eyes narrowing slightly as if weighing the gravity of his next words.
"Serephira, this boy is a Starborne,"
Her eyes widened, with her expression shifting from anger into shock. A Starborne? Her thoughts raced, trying to piece together the implications of such a revelation, but before she could voice her confusion, Master Cronos continued:
"When I first met the boy in his world, I could sense a faint Aether energy residing within him,"
He paused, but then continued with his gaze darkening
"But... there is also a mysterious, dark, ominous presence inside him."
His words hung heavily in the air, the unspoken truth of Kaelen's condition now laid bare between them.
Serephira stared at Kaelen, as her mind struggling to reconcile the boy she fought with the entity that Master Cronos described.
Master Cronos spoke with a rare edge of vulnerability in his voice
"This boy... I am terrified of the thing he'll become if this foreign presence consumes him entirely."
He looked down at Kaelen's still form
"Left unchecked, that darkness could eclipse the boy's true nature, turning him into something unrecognizable… something far more dangerous."
Serephira initial anger is now mixed with a sense of urgency and concern. She glanced at Kaelen, lying there helpless. She had seen the potential within him—the fire, the stubbornness, the fight—but now she understood the fragility that came with it.
Master Cronos turned his gaze back to her, with his eyes softened
"That is why he needs you, Serephira. You are the closest thing he has to a beacon of light, to a touch of humanity. You can guide him, be the anchor that keeps him tethered to his humanity. Protect him from losing himself to that foreign threat"
He paused, letting his words sink in before continuing.
"In return, Kaelen's presence may do something for you as well. You always carry the weight of your duties alone, shunning the support of others, convinced that you can bear every burden on your own. But perhaps, through guiding him, you'll find a way to deal with your own loneliness. He can be the mirror that reflects what you try so hard to hide: that even the strongest among us need someone by their side."
Serephira's breath hitched as the truth of Master Cronos's words struck a chord within her. Her mind flashed with memories of solitary battles, of standing on the precipice of despair with no one to lean on.
"You don't have to face everything alone, Serephira. And neither does he."
***
Kaelen jolted awake, gasping as he shot up from his bed. His chest heaved as if he had just surfaced from the depths of a turbulent sea. He blinked rapidly, disoriented by the sudden transition from darkness to light, until the familiar surroundings of his room in the lab came into focus.
He rubbed his eyes, trying to shake off the lingering haze from whatever dream or nightmare that he had. As his vision cleared, his gaze fell upon the figure of a girl slumped in a chair beside his bed. Serephira was there, dozing lightly, her head was tilted to the side in an awkward angle, suggested that she had been there for some time. Her armor bore fresh scars from their recent battle, marking traces of the intense fight they had endured just recently.
With his mind mix of conflicting emotions, Kaelen stares at her. Despite the evidence of their fierce clash still etched into her armor, there was something undeniably serene about her in this moment. The lines of tension that usually marred her expression were softened in sleep, and he couldn't help but think that the sight before him was unexpectedly… pretty.
As he continued to stare, he felt a strange warmth in his chest, a feeling he couldn't quite place. When all of a sudden, Serephira stirred, her eyes fluttering open as she slowly woke from her slumber. Kaelen quickly averted his gaze, pretending to be interested in anything else in the room.
Serephira stretched, rubbing the sleep from her eyes before glancing over at Kaelen. For a moment, there was an awkward silence between them, but Kaelen kept his eyes fixed elsewhere, unwilling to acknowledge the vulnerable moment they had just shared
Serephira watched Kaelen as her eyes studying his every movement. She then sat up straighter, her expression shifting from grogginess to a steely resolve as she looked directly at him.
"What are you doing here, Kaelen? What purpose do you have in this world?
Kaelen frozed upon hearing her question. He avoided her gaze, as the truth was something he rarely spoke of, a private burden he carried with him ever since he left his world. He clenched his fists, struggling with the urge to brush off her question with a dismissive answer. But as Serephira's unwavering gaze bore into him, he realized there was no easy escape.
For a moment, he remained silent, feeling conflicted inside. The memories of his ill mother flashed through his mind—with her frail form lying in the bed of the hospital room.
Serephira waited patiently, her demeanor was calm but unyielding. Kaelen exhaled, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly as he finally allowed himself to speak.
"It's… my mother," Kaelen said quietly. He glanced at Serephira, gauging her reaction before he continue
"She's… sick. Really sick. Nothing in my world can help her anymore. I came here hoping that maybe… just maybe… there'd be something, some way to save her."
He fell silent again, his gaze dropping to the floor. It was the first time he had spoken those words aloud to anyone in this world with the exception of Master Cronos, and he felt a strange mix of relief and vulnerability in sharing them with Serephira.
Serephira's expression softened, the sharpness in her eyes was replaced by a flicker of understanding. She nodded slowly, processing his words. Though she still had questions, she knew the weight of carrying such a burden alone.
For the first time, the silence between them didn't feel so suffocating.
His resolve, his pain—it all resonated with her in a way she hadn't expected. She knew the feeling of carrying burdens that felt too heavy to bear alone, of pushing forward even when the odds seemed impossible. For a brief moment, she saw a reflection of herself in him, and it sparked an idea she hadn't anticipated.
She leaned forward slightly, with her voice firm
"Kaelen, i want you to be my vanguard"
Kaelen's head snapped up, with his eyes widened in suprise
"Your... Vanguard?"
Serephira nodded, unwavering.
""You have strength, Kaelen. A drive that goes beyond the intention of just fighting for yourself. You're fighting for something—someone—important. And I need that kind of dedication by my side. I need someone who understands what it means to have something to protect."
She paused, letting her words sink in before continuing.
"In battle, a Vanguard leads the charge, protecting those behind them. They face danger head-on, not because they're fearless, but because they believe in what they're fighting for."
He hesitated, as his still trying to wrap his mind around the idea. It was a recognition he hadn't sought, but now that it was before him, it stirred something within him.
"Are you sure? I mean… I'm not exactly—"
"I'm sure," Serephira interrupted him
"You don't have to be perfect, Kaelen. You just have to be willing."
Kaelen looked at her, what he saw is someone who can maybe understand the weight of his journey.
"Alright... i'll... be your vanguard. But, can i ask for a small favor?"
Seraphira raised her eyebrows as her curiosity piqued
"What is it?"
Kaelen's gaze faltered slightly as he shifted his weight, trying to mask his nervousness.
"Can you teach me how to hold a sword?"
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein