Location: City of Elements – One Day Later
Southwest of the Empress's Palace lies a city surrounded by glowing purple crystals. Each crystal holds an element tied to someone's power. Everyone here wields at least one element—some command two, others even three. But only one wields them all.
Emma Rose, the first daughter and child of the Black Rose, is that one. She's known for her abilities on the battlefield, having led her people to victory in over twenty multi-realm wars—all by the age of sixteen. And just like her father, she returned from every war without a single scar. This city is home only to warriors... or those with the potential to become one.
"So wait, you're telling me all three of you have the same mom, different dads, and your own cities?" Tristan asked, baffled—for at least the tenth time.
"I get it, you're confused," Daran muttered, "but can you stop asking? It's getting really annoying."
Rose giggled at the back-and-forth, while Emma chimed in, "Is it really that surprising? Being a child of the Black Rose isn't exactly simple." What she didn't know was that, in their world, people could only wish for that kind of power. "We're almost at my aunt's place—get ready for the hardest training of your life."
As they walked through the city, people came out to greet the two daughters of the Black Rose. The crowd's admiration leaned more toward Emma—likely because of their blood ties to her. But there was something more beneath it all. Something Tristan and Daran would eventually have to uncover.
They finally reached a large house. Emma knocked once—
—and instantly, a flaming blur shot toward the group. Emma moved faster, countering the surprise attack before it could harm anyone.
"Damn it, Auntie Fray! You trying to hurt someone?!" she shouted.
Standing in the doorway was a woman wrapped in a flame-patterned robe. Her hair was as blue as the open sky, her crimson eyes rimmed with a burning hue. She looked to be around six feet tall, with a light tan complexion. She leaned against the doorframe, eyeing her niece with sharp curiosity.
"Sorry, thought you were your bum of an uncle," she said casually, then looked past Emma to the others. "So... what brings the Roses here? And who are those two?"
Emma sighed. "That's Daran and Tristan. They're lost—don't know how to get home. Our brother created a monster causing havoc, and we need their abilities to help stop it."
Fray raised a brow. "And you're keeping them here to help instead of sending them home? That's a little cruel, don't you think?"
"Ma'am," Daran stepped forward, trying not to sound nervous, "we know we're weak. But we're here to get stronger. And there's something tied to my family here that I need to find. Please don't think badly of your niece because of us."
Fray studied him for a moment, then let out a warm sigh. With a snap of her fingers, she lit a blunt and took a drag as she slowly walked toward Daran, towering over him. She blew a stream of smoke in his face, causing him to cough as he covered his mouth.
"So tense," she said with a smirk. "You'll never strengthen your body like that."
Then she glanced back at Emma. "He's cute. Don't scar him up too bad." She pointed toward the house. "Training dungeon's downstairs. Your cousin's down there too. Have fun."
Fray disappeared into the backyard while Emma led the group into the house and down the stairs. Blue flames lit the walls as they descended deeper into the basement.
"Daran, you okay? Auntie Fray can be a handful," Len asked as their footsteps echoed.
"Yeah. It was just smoke—I'll be fine," Daran replied, trying to shrug it off.
"Your aunt looked tough. How strong is she, exactly?" Tristan asked.
Len answered casually, "Emma said once that ten mountains were thrown at her—and she didn't even budge."
"Damn, that's insane," Tristan muttered, awe creeping into his voice. "Even a B-Rank Patroller couldn't recover from that. And speaking of healing... thanks, Rose. Your ability is insane."
"It's nothing special," she said quietly.
"But you mentioned Patrollers—are they fro—"
BOOM!!!
"We're here," Emma said, completely calm.
The dungeon was enormous.
Above them, the ceiling shimmered like a night sky filled with stars. Mountains surrounded them, each whipped by strong currents of wind. A ring of fire held a pit of lava, with a lone pillar rising from its center. Nearby was a frozen plain scattered with jagged icebergs—and in front of one shattered iceberg stood a boy.
His long, ocean-blue hair flowed behind him, eyes gleaming like stars with flecks of gold. He was shirtless, wearing only shorts, his body lean and powerful, his skin a light tan.
"Cousin Sirius!" Rose yelled, sprinting toward him and wrapping him in a tight hug.
"Been a while, huh, Len?" he said, returning the embrace. "Emma too, huh? Come give me a hu—"
"Let's skip the theatrics," Emma interrupted, walking past him. "We're here for training."
She turned to Tristan and Daran. "Tristan, you'll go through the Mountain Maze. Daran, you're heading into the Sea of Stars."
<~~><~~><~~>
Training Zones
Mountain Maze: Jagged cliffs surrounded by tornado-strength wind. The deeper you go, the denser and more brutal the pressure—like being hit by twenty hurricanes.
Sea of Stars: A dense body of cold, flowing water. The "stars" floating inside aren't hot—they're chilling, but stable enough to stand on. Movement requires precision and calm.
<~~><~~><~~>
"Wait—how the hell are we supposed to train in these conditions?!" Tristan shouted, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple. "Also—how the fuck is this in your aunt's basement?!"
Emma sighed. "First, watch your tone," she said sternly. "You're too weak to talk to me that way. Second—the entrance had a Mirror Door. It reflects dungeons from other realms. Once we passed through, the basement reshaped into one."
<~~><~~><~~>
Mirror Doors
Mirror Doors are used all over the Mirror Realm. They can teleport users to resource zones, battlefields, and training grounds by replicating the environments.
<~~><~~><~~>
"Each section is meant to improve your abilities," Emma continued. "We'll build up your strength, speed, and agility, Tristan. And Daran—we're focusing on your intelligence, strength, and especially agility. As an archer, you need to be agile—and right now, you're anything but."
Without warning, she grabbed Daran by the collar and flung him straight into the Sea of Stars. Tristan stared, stunned, watching his friend disappear into the glowing waters like a tossed football.
"Now," she said, turning to Tristan, "are you going into the Mountain Maze willingly... or should I throw you too?"
"I'll go!" he yelped, bolting toward the maze.
As both boys vanished into their training zones, far away in Haven, others were worrying about them.
{—}{—}{—}{—}
Headquarters of the Patrollers – Haven
Inside a high-security meeting room, ten S-Rank Patrollers sat around a long table.
"So you're telling me we've got seven teens missing—Tristan, Daran, Malissa, Troy, Jason, Kiara, and Raymond—and only one came back?!" Don KC shouted, slamming his fist down. He was the number one S-Rank, and clearly furious.
The others at the table included Rank Two Kai Daymond, Rank Three Iris Steel, Rank Four Dillan Marg, Rank Five Stellar Smith, Rank Six Uriel Barnes, Rank Eight Steve Randell, Rank Nine Hayley Mars, Rank Ten Cayden Barnes, and Rank Eleven Olivia Lopez.
"Calm down, Don," Olivia said. "At least one returned—and she might have answers."
Cayden nodded. "From what we've gathered, she has a way to access these other realms. That could be the key to finding the rest."
"She's still just a kid," Uriel muttered. "We don't know anything about those realms. Stepping into one blindly could endanger all of Haven."
"She's right," Stellar added. "Kiara returned with powers she never had—and her DNA has changed. We can't even be sure she's still human."
"Oh, come on, sweetheart," Steve said, waving it off. "The girl's still got skin and bones—same as us."
"Tell that to the bullet you almost put in her!" Stellar snapped.
"Enough," Kai said, his voice cutting through the tension. "We don't know much. But the girl wants to help. And honestly, I hope we find this Tristan kid first. Don's student hasn't been stable since his disappearance. How's Rank Seven doing, Don?"
"Kira's powers were unstable before," Don admitted, "but now... they're spiraling. We're getting nowhere like this."
"I'll go check on Kiara," Hayley said, standing. She had long, curly red hair draped over her shoulders, skin like desert sand, a white fur coat, torn black jeans, and crimson eyes that looked ready to burn the room down.
"Sit down," Don ordered. "I get that she's your sister, but—"
"Shut up, Number One," Hayley snapped, her voice calm, but her eyes filled with warning. "You may be our ace, but I'm still the strongest here. My sister's going through hell, and I'm all she's got. If you want me to sit down and tolerate any more of this crap, you better try and make me."
The room fell silent. No one challenged her.
Don looked away as Hayley walked out without another word.
{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}
Back at home, she found her sister sitting quietly. Kiara wore a black hoodie and tight jeans. Her hair was straight, just like Hayley's, and her eyes glowed the same shade of purple as the gemstone on her necklace.
"How are things with your abilities?" Hayley asked gently. She knew how much pressure Kiara was under.
"I keep seeing the others from the incident," Kiara muttered. "But I still can't locate the realms they're in." She exhaled. "This is all so stressful. I see why you hate being bothered after work."
Hayley sat beside her, sympathy in her eyes. "Don't worry too much. You only just got back."
"Easier said than done, sis. I'm the only one who can see what's happening. It's too much."
Kiara wasn't the social type, but she had always cared for others. Seeing people suffer like she had only made it worse. And knowing she was their only hope—it weighed on her constantly.
Hayley could only wish she could take some of that weight away...