Abyssal Guardian

"Movement," Devon's voice crackled over the comms, breaking the silence. "Dark Stalkers ahead. Ten o'clock. We need to go dark—now."

Abyssal creatures were no joke. Dark Stalkers were known for their lethal speed and their affinity for shadow manipulation. Berserkers, on the other hand, were pure, unbridled force, their bodies rippling with chaotic energy that could tear through armor like paper. Neither would go down easily, especially not in the Abyss's tainted territory.

"Moza, Devon—eyes sharp," Durga ordered. "We don't engage unless we have no choice."

I could picture them moving like shadows themselves, each step precise and deliberate. Moza's fiery aura dimmed to almost nothing, his Leo energy subdued but not extinguished. Devon, silent and focused, scanning the area with his tactical genius. I wasn't there with them physically, but I could imagine their every move as they crept closer to the stronghold. I had trained with them long enough to know their rhythms.

I pressed forward, drawing closer to my own objective. My role in this mission was clear—be the decoy. The Purifiers would sense me, especially once I let a little of my Ophiuchus energy slip. They'd come running, desperate to capture me and make an example out of the so-called "traitor" to their cause. Little did they know that while they were busy with me, Durga's team would be rescuing the students they had taken.

"Keep your head on straight, Avant," I muttered to myself, pushing through the underbrush. "They're counting on you."

Durga's team went radio silent, and for a moment, all I could hear was my own breathing and the distant, haunting wail of something far off in the Abyss. Time seemed to stretch. My fingers twitched over the hilt of my blade, anticipating a fight I wouldn't be there for.

"Status, Durga?" I kept my voice low, though there was no one around me to hear.

Then Durga's voice came back, hushed but clear. "We're clear. No engagement."

I exhaled slowly, relieved. But I knew this wasn't the end of their troubles. The Abyss was notorious for warping reality, making even the simplest tasks dangerous. It was a twisted mirror of the Constellation Realms, a place where nothing was stable—especially not the mind.

I pressed on, following the winding path toward the decoy point. I could sense them now—Purifier scouts nearby, their energy flickering like unstable flames in the distance. They were searching for something. Or someone.

"Durga, I'm approaching my target zone. Get ready for some fireworks."

"Copy that," Durga replied. "Hold the line, Avant. We'll have those students out soon."

I reached a small clearing where the Abyss energy seemed thinner, a temporary reprieve from the overwhelming pressure. I took a deep breath, centering myself. It was time to get to work. Reaching deep into my core, I tapped into the energy of Ophiuchus—the familiar sensation of creation and destruction flooding my veins.

The air around me shifted as I released just enough of my Zodiac energy to draw attention, letting it pulse outward like a beacon. It didn't take long for the Purifiers to notice.

I heard the crack of a branch behind me, followed by the faint sound of footsteps—too quiet for an untrained ear, but not quiet enough to escape mine. They were coming.

"Alright, you bastards," I muttered under my breath. "Time to get beaten."

I whirled around, just in time to deflect the first strike—a Purifier zealot lunging at me with a jagged blade. His eyes were wide with fanatical fervor, his expression twisted with hatred. I parried his attack easily, stepping to the side and channeling my Ophiuchus energy to for a precision strike attack with my fist into his gut. He crumpled to the ground, gasping for air.

The Purifiers circled me like predators, their pale masks gleaming in the scarce light, bodies adorned in shadowy cloaks that swirled unnaturally in the corrupted air. I gritted my teeth, tightening my grip on the Ophiuchus chains, now glowing faintly with a celestial energy I hadn't known I possessed. I could sense the tension in my limbs, my muscles aching from the constant strain of battle. These masked fanatics had been relentless, and each strike I delivered had felt like a desperate bid to stay ahead of an unending tide.

"Give it up, Ophiuchus!" one of the Purifiers hissed from behind his mask, his voice warped by Abyssal corruption. "You cannot fight the will of the Abyss forever. The 13th Zodiac is doomed!"

I ignored his words, even as they pressed against my mind like poison. These Purifiers were zealots, driven by a madness that made them dangerous—but not invincible. They came at me again, two from the left, one from behind. Their movements were precise, calculated. They were trying to wear me down, make me slip.

My chains lashed out like vipers, binding the legs of one attacker while the other two dove in with darkened blades, their weapons almost invisible against the murky backdrop of the Abyss. I twisted, using the weight of the chain-bound Purifier to drag him into his comrades' path. Their blades found their mark, but instead of slicing into me, they embedded deep into their fallen ally's torso. A sickening crunch followed as the two crumpled together in a heap.

Three more Purifiers rushed forward, seemingly undeterred by their fallen comrades. They were puppets driven by something darker than just loyalty to the Abyss. It was as if they fed on the very essence of the Abyss itself, like parasites gnawing at the rotting corpse of a once-great realm.

I felt the familiar tug of my energy reserves slipping away, each clash draining my power faster than it should. I had to finish this before I was too weak to fight. But even as I focused on the immediate threat, a deep rumbling sensation gnawed at the edges of my consciousness. It wasn't just the Purifiers or the Abyssal creatures lurking in the shadows that unnerved me. Something bigger, more ancient, stirred beneath the surface—an ominous presence that made the hairs on my arms stand on end.

Through the static in my comm, I caught Durga's voice, her words crackling with urgency. "Aiden! We're in trouble down here! It's… it's some kind of Abyssal guardian, a relic of the old times. We can't hold it off much longer—there are students here, we need backup!"

The world seemed to tilt as I heard her words. I slammed a Purifier to the ground, his cloak whipping through the air as my chains constricted around him, suffocating his corrupted essence. The call was an unmistakable summons—a call to protect those who could not protect themselves. My friends were down there, facing something far more terrifying than these masked pawns. And the students—they were innocent, their lives hanging by a thread.

Aiden's voice crackled urgently through my comms. "Avant, get out of there now! The CAF team is moving in. Reinforcements are already en route to the students. Leave—return to the Starfleet, now!"

For a moment, doubt tried to claw its way into my mind. Could I leave this battlefield with the Purifiers still standing? Could I turn my back on them, knowing they could strike again?

"Dammit, Aiden! We need backup now!" Durga's voice burst through, strained with the chaos erupting around him.

The answer was clear: I didn't have a choice. Durga, the students—they came first.

I let out a sharp breath, calling upon the energy that I had kept at bay for so long. I felt the familiar surge of Ophiuchus power swirl inside me, but this time, it wasn't just the usual tug of dark and light, creation and destruction. Something deeper resonated with me—a spark of celestial energy that flickered in my veins, merging with the chains that had become an extension of myself.

The chains erupted into a radiant glow, brighter than before. They felt lighter now, stronger, their essence infused with a celestial aura that shimmered against the oppressive Abyssal darkness.

With a flick of my wrist, I cast them out in every direction, ensnaring the remaining Purifiers. Their shrieks echoed as the chains tightened, absorbing their energy and restoring a small fraction of my own. The Abyss recoiled, its grip on them weakening as their life forces were drained away.

One by one, the Purifiers collapsed into the dirt, their bodies disintegrating into black ash that was swallowed by the Abyss. I didn't stay to watch them vanish completely. My mind was already racing ahead, toward Durga and the others, toward the danger lurking in the depths.

As I sprinted through the Abyss, the ground beneath me shifted, turning uneven, as if the earth itself was protesting my passage. The dark mist swirled more aggressively, tendrils of shadow reaching out to grasp at my limbs, pulling at my clothes. But the celestial glow of my chains kept them at bay, creating a narrow path through the choking fog.

And then the visions began.

They were brief, fragmented, but powerful—images of my mother, Sophelia, her eyes glowing with the same celestial light that now coursed through me. She stood before a vast constellation, her hand outstretched as if guiding me toward some distant horizon. Other figures appeared beside her—nobles of the Vaelus House, their faces indistinct but their presence unmistakable. They spoke in whispers, their words just out of reach, like secrets locked behind a door I didn't yet have the key to open.

But the visions weren't just of my past. I saw flashes of the future—of my potential. Power, beyond anything I had imagined, coursed through my veins. My chains weren't just weapons; they were extensions of myself, tools of both creation and destruction. I saw glimpses of myself standing on the brink of something grand, something far greater than the petty conflicts of the Constellation Realms.

The visions ended as abruptly as they began, leaving me breathless and reeling.