Chapter 1: The Arrival

Arthur gripped his mother's hand tightly as their ship cut through the thick mist, revealing the shoreline of a strange and unknown land. His heart pounded, his five-year-old mind struggling to make sense of it all. Around him, the other explorers murmured in hushed voices, their faces filled with a mix of fear and awe. The journey had been long, difficult, and at times, hopeless. But now, they had arrived.

The Lost Continent.

The name had been whispered through generations, an enigma lost to time. Some claimed it was a paradise, untouched by war and ruin. Others believed it was a graveyard of civilizations that had dared to seek its secrets. But as Arthur stepped onto the warm sand, the salty breeze filling his lungs, he knew one thing for certain—this place was alive. And it was watching them.

His best friends—Kyzo, Nexus, and Lyric—stood beside him, their faces mirroring his mix of excitement and unease. Kyzo, always the first to break the silence, scowled at the dense jungle ahead. "So… where is everybody?"

As if answering his question, the foliage rustled. Shadows shifted. Then, emerging from the jungle with a quiet, deliberate grace, figures appeared. Their robes shimmered with intricate symbols that almost seemed to move on their own. Their eyes, glowing faintly like embers in the twilight, regarded the newcomers with an eerie calm.

The Guardians.

Arthur had heard tales of them before, but stories could never compare to standing in their presence. The leader, a towering man with silver hair and piercing golden eyes, stepped forward. His gaze swept over the explorers before settling on the children. His expression was unreadable, but there was something in his eyes—recognition.

"You do not belong here," he said, his voice smooth but firm. "And yet, here you stand."

Arthur's mother pulled him close. "Please… we mean no harm. We only seek knowledge and refuge."

The Guardian held her gaze for a long moment before glancing at Arthur and his friends. He studied them carefully, his expression shifting ever so slightly. Then, he turned to the others. "The storm of destruction looms," he murmured, "but the future is uncertain." He nodded once. "We take them."

Before anyone could react, the Guardians moved with impossible speed. Arthur barely had time to gasp as a rush of energy swallowed him. His vision blurred, his body felt weightless, and then—

Darkness.

Arthur woke up on solid ground, his body heavy, his mind spinning. He blinked at the sky above, now painted in deep shades of violet and gold. Around him, his friends stirred, groaning as they tried to sit up.

A figure approached. A woman, draped in robes darker than the night sky, her eyes filled with something unreadable. "You have been chosen," she said simply. "To train. To learn. To survive."

Arthur's breath hitched. Chosen? For what? A sense of unease curled in his stomach, but beneath it, something else stirred—curiosity.

The Guardians led them through massive stone archways into an ancient temple. Murals covered the walls, depicting warriors and sorcerers locked in battles long forgotten, landscapes untouched by time, and symbols Arthur didn't yet understand. He felt drawn to them, as if they were more than just images—they were warnings.

"You will be tested," the woman continued as they entered a grand chamber illuminated by floating orbs of soft golden light. "Only those who prove themselves worthy may stay."

Kyzo crossed his arms. "And if we don't?"

The woman's lips curled into a small, knowing smile. "Then you will not survive."

A heavy silence fell between them.

That night, the children were taken to their quarters—small stone rooms, bare except for a bed and a wooden chest. As Arthur lay staring at the ceiling, exhaustion tugging at him, his thoughts raced. This wasn't a coincidence. The Guardians had been waiting for them.

And deep down, he had a feeling that whatever was coming… was already set in motion.

The next morning, training began without warning.

Arthur had barely sat up when the door to his quarters swung open, revealing a Guardian waiting silently. The same was happening to the others, each of them ushered into the cold morning air where dozens of warriors and spellcasters already stood, watching.

"Your training begins now," the silver-haired leader announced.

A random explorer, watching from the sidelines, couldn't hold back his concern. "Aren't they way too young? Aren't you pushing them way too hard? They are just kids." The silver-haired leader turned to him, his golden eyes cold and unyielding. "The world does not wait for children to grow up before it decides to end. If they are to survive, they must become more than just kids."

The Guardians pushed them to their limits, forcing them to run across uneven terrain, scale towering rock formations, and spar with weapons too heavy for their small hands. Arthur struggled, falling more than once, his body aching with every movement. But he wasn't alone. Kyzo fought with sheer determination, his face set in a scowl every time he hit the ground. Nexus observed everything, trying to understand the patterns of their instructors' movements. Lyric, despite her quiet nature, refused to give up, pushing forward even when her breath came in ragged gasps.

Magic training was even harder. The Guardians demonstrated feats beyond comprehension—fire bursting from their fingertips, illusions so lifelike they seemed real, weapons forming from pure energy. Arthur watched in awe, his chest tightening with longing. Would he ever be able to do that?

Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and months turned into years.

Eight years later, they are now 13 years old.

And, they changed.

Arthur could feel it, like something within him had been waiting for this. The magic wasn't something to be learned—it was something to be awakened. Each day, they grew stronger, their bodies tougher, their minds sharper. The once-weak explorers' children were no longer helpless.

But beneath the surface, something darker loomed. The Guardians spoke in whispers of a great threat rising. Of shadows moving where none should exist. Of an ancient force that had nearly destroyed civilizations before.

Arthur didn't know what it was. But deep in his heart, he knew one thing.

Their arrival was no accident.

This was only the beginning.