THE ONE WHO WE COULDN'T SAVE

As Cauis's fingers brushed the relic, a blur of motion shot toward him like a lightning bolt. He barely registered the movement before a powerful kick connected with his chest, sending him flying across the chamber. He crashed into the stone wall with a heavy thud, gasping for breath.

"Cauis!" June shouted, rushing to his side.

Standing before the altar was a new figure tall and humanoid, with a body seemingly carved from black obsidian and glowing veins of blue energy running across its form. Its eyes burned with a fierce, almost intelligent light as it held the relic in one hand and placed it back on the altar.

The guardian turned toward them, its movements unnervingly smooth and precise. Without warning, it dashed toward Axel, faster than any of the previous guardians. Axel barely had time to brace himself as a flurry of strikes forced him on the defensive, each hit heavier and faster than the last.

"Okay… This one's different!" Axel grunted, narrowly ducking a blow aimed at his head. "Way faster and way meaner!"

Alisan raised her staff, firing a bolt of radiant magic, but the humanoid guardian twisted its body, effortlessly dodging the attack before closing the distance between them in a blink.

June tried to freeze it in place, summoning a wall of ice, but the guardian shattered it with a single punch and kept moving.

Cauis pushed himself back to his feet, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. "It's not just a guardian… It's a protector of the relic. It's not going to let us leave with it." His eyes narrowed. "But we're not leaving without a fight."

The group surrounded the guardian, their stances tense.

"We need a plan," Alisan said, her staff glowing as she prepared another spell. "It's fast, but it's focused on defending the relic. If we distract it, someone can grab it."

"I'll distract it," Axel volunteered, cracking his knuckles. "You guys go for the relic."

"Be careful," June warned.

Axel rushed in, throwing a punch at the guardian, who met him with equal force. The impact sent shockwaves through the chamber, but Axel kept its attention locked on him, trading blows in a flurry of speed and strength.

Cauis and June flanked it from opposite sides while Alisan prepared a spell that crackled with golden energy.

"I'm going for it!" Cauis shouted, lunging toward the relic once more.

But the guardian wasn't done yet. It twisted out of Axel's grasp, spinning around to block Cauis's path, its glowing eyes locked onto him again.

It raised its hand to strike

The guardian's speed was unlike anything they had ever faced. Every attack they launched was countered in an instant, and every spell was dodged or blocked with terrifying precision. Axel pushed himself harder, but even his punches seemed to pass through nothing but air as the guardian weaved around him effortlessly.

"Damn it!" Axel grunted, slamming his fist into the ground after missing another strike. "I can't land a single hit on this thing!

June tried freezing the floor beneath the guardian's feet to slow it down, but it leapt into the air and flipped over her, landing gracefully before delivering a devastating kick that sent her sprawling backward. Alisan conjured a barrier just in time to protect June from another blow, but it cracked under the sheer force of the impact.

"It's too fast!" Alisan shouted, her breathing ragged. "I can't keep up with its movements!"

Cauis, his eyes locked on the guardian as it blurred across the chamber, couldn't help but notice how eerily familiar its speed and agility were. He clenched his fists, frustration boiling over as he muttered under his breath.

"This thing… its speed… it's almost like Dylan's." His voice was steady, but his tone carried a weight of realization. "We're completely outmatched."

The guardian seemed to sense their growing desperation. It didn't just defend the relic it began pressing the attack. It moved like a shadow, striking with deadly precision, forcing the group to retreat toward the edges of the chamber.

Axel gritted his teeth, wiping sweat from his brow. "If it's like Dylan, then we're in serious trouble."

Cauis's mind raced. He tried to think of a strategy, but every plan fell apart the moment he remembered the guardian's speed.

June leaned on her staff, struggling to stand. "We can't win like this... It's reading our every move."

The guardian stood before the altar once again, its glowing eyes watching them as if daring them to make another attempt. Its presence was suffocating, a reminder of their powerlessness at that moment.

Cauis exhaled slowly, his fists trembling. "We need to retreat. Regroup. If we keep this up, we won't make it out alive."

Axel hesitated, his pride fighting against the idea of retreat, but even he couldn't deny the truth. They had been completely outclassed.

"We'll come back," Cauis promised, his voice firm. "We're not giving up on that relic. But first, we need to figure out how to counter this thing's speed. We're not ready yet."

Before he could finish, the guardian moved, faster than they could react, cutting off their only exit. Its glowing eyes flared with a menacing light, its posture making it clear there would be no retreat.

Axel clenched his fists, stepping forward. "Looks like it's not giving us a choice. We're fighting our way out!"

The guardian lunged, targeting Axel first. He barely managed to block its attack, the sheer force of the blow sending him skidding backward across the stone floor.

June quickly conjured a wall of ice, trying to slow it down, but the guardian shattered it with a single punch, fragments flying through the air.

Alisan raised her staff, casting a protective barrier around the group. "We have to break through somehow! If we stay here, we're finished!"

The guardian struck the barrier with relentless speed, each blow causing cracks to spiderweb across its surface. With every hit, the pressure mounted.

Cauis's mind raced as he analyzed the creature's movements. He glanced at Axel and Alisan. "We'll create an opening. When I give the signal, run for it!"

Axel nodded, determination burning in his eyes. "Got it. Just don't get yourself killed."

Cauis charged, drawing the guardian's attention. He dodged its first strike, then another, barely keeping up with its lightning-fast movements. "June! Now!"

June released a burst of frost magic, coating the floor beneath the guardian in ice. The guardian slipped for a brief moment, its movements faltering just enough.

"Go!" Cauis yelled.

The group sprinted toward the entrance, their hearts pounding as they made a break for it. The guardian recovered almost instantly, giving chase, but Axel turned and delivered a powerful punch to the ground, sending up a cloud of debris and sand that temporarily obscured its vision.

The group sprinted toward the entrance, their hearts pounding as they made a break for it. The guardian recovered almost instantly, giving chase, its glowing eyes locked onto them.

Axel skidded to a stop and turned, slamming his fist into the ground with all his might. A shockwave of debris and sand shot upward, briefly obscuring the guardian's vision. "Go, I'll buy you some time!"

But before they could gain any distance, the air around them shimmered with a strange pulse of energy. Symbols lit up along the floor as a translucent dome expanded outward, encasing the room in a suffocating aura. The group's movements instantly slowed to a crawl.

"W-What… is this?" Cauis gritted his teeth, struggling to move as if an invisible force dragged him down. His eyes widened in realization. "This… this ability it feels just like Dylan's. The way time bends around him."

June's eyes flickered with shock, her breath catching. "You're right… It's like time itself is slowing around us just like when Dylan used his magic!"

The guardian's footsteps echoed ominously, moving toward them without haste because it didn't need to hurry. With every second, the dome's magic grew heavier, and the distance between them and the exit felt like miles.

"I can barely move!" Alisan gasped, gripping her staff tightly. "This magic… it's suppressing everything our speed, our strength, even our magic flow."

Cauis clenched his fists, forcing himself to take a few steps. His gaze locked onto the guardian, who raised its weapon, its glowing eyes narrowing as it prepared to strike. "We're sitting ducks at this rate!"

The guardian lunged, its weapon humming with energy. Axel barely raised his arms in time to block the attack, skidding back under the force. "We have to break this dome's effect, or we're done for!"

The guardian showed no mercy, its speed and strength overwhelming. It struck with surgical precision, each blow leaving cracks in their defenses.

Axel flew back, slamming into a stone pillar and coughing hard, his arms trembling. "Damn it… This thing's unstoppable!"

June hit the ground hard, struggling to breathe. She tried to conjure ice magic, but the dome's oppressive aura snuffed it out before it could form. "I can't… even use my magic…"

Cauis gritted his teeth, blood dripping from a cut on his forehead. He lunged at the guardian, swinging his weapon, but it sidestepped effortlessly and countered with a devastating kick to his ribs, sending him crashing to the ground.

Alisan tried to cast a protection spell, her staff glowing faintly, but the guardian was already there. Its weapon struck her hard in the chest, launching her into the wall. She slumped to the ground, gasping for air.

The group lay scattered across the floor, their bodies battered and bruised, struggling to get up. The guardian loomed over them, its eyes glowing brighter as it prepared to finish the job.

Cauis forced himself to his knees, his vision blurred. "We can't… let it end like this…"

The guardian raised its weapon, the dome pulsing with energy. This was it the final blow.

The guardian flew back, crashing into a wall with a deafening thud. Standing between the group and their relentless enemy was a towering man with wild red hair, his muscular frame radiating strength and confidence. His fists crackled with energy as he glanced back at them, a cocky smirk on his face.

"You guys alright?" the man asked, raising an eyebrow. His eyes swept over their battered forms. "Oh wait, no... You guys are dying. Galland, do your thing and heal them up, will you?"

A calm, silver haired man stepped out from the shadows, his staff glowing with a warm, golden light. "On it," Galland said smoothly. He knelt beside June first, placing his hand over her wounds as golden light enveloped her. One by one, he moved to the others, his magic mending their injuries with practiced ease.

Cauis blinked, his breath coming easier as the pain faded. "Baskar... Galland... how are you guys... here?" His voice was strained but filled with relief.

Baskar cracked a grin, flexing his shoulder. "Lucky for you, we were nearby. Looks like you stirred up some real trouble."

Galland knelt beside Axel, his hands glowing with healing magic. "You're lucky we showed up when we did. Another minute, and that guardian would've crushed you all."

"Anyway, you guys get healed up. I'll handle this," Baskar said, cracking his knuckles with a wide grin.

The guardian rose from the rubble, its eyes glowing fiercely as it locked onto Baskar. Without hesitation, it charged, moving in a blur.

Baskar didn't flinch. Instead, he planted his feet and caught the guardian's weapon mid swing, the ground beneath him cracking from the impact. "That all you've got?" he taunted.

The guardian twisted, trying to break free, but Baskar yanked it forward and slammed his fist into its chest, sending it flying across the chamber.

Cauis watched in awe, still catching his breath. "He's... holding his own against that thing."

Galland chuckled, finishing his healing spell. "That's Baskar for you. He lives for moments like this."

Baskar turned his head slightly toward the group, his grin widening. "Stay back and enjoy the show!"

The air around them shimmered as the guardian raised its hand, a dark aura radiating outward. Time itself seemed to warp and twist, the movement of everything around them slowing to a crawl.

Cauis froze mid-step, his breath barely escaping his lungs. His eyes darted toward Baskar, panic flashing across his face. "Baskar! Be careful! This domain… it's Temporal Dusk magic! It'll slow you down-"

Before Cauis could finish, the guardian's eyes glowed with eerie light, its voice resonating through the distorted air. "Those who trespass… will be lost in time."

Baskar smirked, unfazed. "Slow me down? Not likely." His red hair whipped around as he cracked his knuckles, eyes locked on the guardian. "Nice trick… but you're messing with the wrong guy."

The domain tightened, reality bending under the guardian's control. Time slowed to a near halt for everyone except Baskar, who moved through it with ease, his body seemingly unaffected by the magic. He turned back to the others, his voice calm but intense.

"Hold on, I'll take care of this. Galland, keep them alive. I'll crush this thing before it pulls another stunt."

Baskar charged toward the guardian, his steps reverberating through the unstable time field, ready to end the fight.

As Baskar's fist collided with the guardian, the force sent it crashing into the far wall, cracking the stone on impact. Dust and debris filled the air. His eyes narrowed. "Yeah, yeah, enough with the cryptic speeches."

The guardian staggered to its feet, its voice now distorted and fragmented. "T-Trespasser… must... die… for our Lord Dy-"

Before it could finish, Baskar appeared in front of it in a blur, delivering another devastating punch. "I said shut up! I've heard enough."

The guardian slumped to the ground, flickering for a moment before its body dissolved into fragments of light, the dome around them slowly fading away.

Baskar turned back to the group, dusting his hands off. "Did that thing just mention Dylan?" His brow furrowed, eyes dark with concern.

Cauis's breath caught in his throat, his face paling. "No... That's impossible. Dylan's gone... he's dead."

June shook her head, her voice trembling. "It must be some kind of mistake. Why would the guardian know his name?"

Axel clenched his fists, trying to steady himself. "If there's even a chance it's connected to him... we need to find out the truth."

Alisan's grip tightened on her staff. "We can't ignore this. Not if it's about Dylan."

Baskar raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "Huh? That kid's dead? You mean the purple-haired one? Dylan?" He looked at them in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me. How'd that happen?"

Cauis ran a hand through his hair, his jaw tightening. "It's... a long story. But yeah, Dylan's gone. We saw it happen."

June's eyes flickered with a trace of sadness. "We've been trying to move on, but now... hearing his name like that... it doesn't make sense."

Galland stood, wiping his hands after finishing the last bit of healing. The group slowly regained their strength, the tension still thick in the air.

Cauis walked toward the altar, his eyes locking onto the relic a broken blade with jagged edges, pulsing faintly with ancient energy. As he reached out and grabbed it, a chill ran up his arm.

"So that's it, huh?" Baskar said, stepping closer, his eyes narrowing. "The relic used to seal the Rift long ago. Looks a bit worse for wear now."

Axel frowned, inspecting the blade. "This thing… sealed the Rift? Doesn't seem like much of a weapon anymore."

June leaned in, her voice barely above a whisper. "If it sealed the Rift once, maybe it still holds some of that power. We just need to figure out how to use it."

Baskar chuckled, crossing his arms. "Well, one thing's for sure you'll need more than just a piece of a broken sword if you're planning to close the Rift again. Looks like the real work's just beginning."

Galland nodded gravely. "There are Four more relics out there. This is just one piece of the puzzle."