My alarm did not go off.
Of course it didn't.
I launched outta bed like I was late for saving the universe. Spoiler: I was just late for middle school. Equally dangerous, honestly.
Red hoodie? Crumpled on the floor like a defeated Pokémon.
Jeans? Halfway inside out.
Hair? Looking like I lost a fight with a ceiling fan.
Me? Glorious disaster.
I slapped on my clothes, shoved a half-eaten granola bar in my mouth, and bolted out the door like I was being chased by regret.
The sky was doing its golden-purple glow thing—sun barely up, air all crisp and perfect. And for once? No evil portals. No sky lasers. No dramatic boss music. Just… peace.
I hit the sidewalk and jogged toward school—well, tried to.
"YO, DON! THAT YOU?"
I looked over and saw Old Man Vek chilling on his porch, squinting over his daily newspaper, which had absolutely nothing to do with me, by the way. Looked like it had a huge headline about some squirrels taking over a bird feeder.
"Morning, Mr. Vek!" I called out, already speed-walking like my life depended on it.
"You're runnin' late again, huh?" he said, sipping a mug of something suspiciously green. "You know what happened the last time you skipped breakfast—you tried to fight a fire hydrant."
"ONE TIME, Mr. Vek! ONE TIME!" I shouted back, wheezing.
He cackled so hard he nearly dropped his mug.
"Watch out for those hydrants, kid!" he called after me. "They've got teeth!"
I waved as I turned the corner, smiling even though I was already feeling the panic start to bubble.
As I passed the playground, chaos erupted.
A bunch of little kids spotted me from behind the fence like they were spotting Bigfoot in sneakers.
"IT'S DON!"
"THE GUY WHO ACCIDENTALLY FLEW INTO A TREE LAST MONTH!"
"HE'S GOT POWERS!!!"
I spun around, grinning, and struck a superhero pose. "Still just Don. My only superpower is being fashionably late."
"CAN YOU FLY?!"
"Nope! But I can trip with dramatic flair!"
They cracked up like it was the funniest thing they'd ever heard. Honestly? I was kinda proud of that one.
Then came the rest of the walk. I passed Mrs. Lenu, sweeping outside her corner shop like she was about to start breakdancing with the broom.
"Morning, Don," she said, not even looking up. "You're running."
"Gotta hustle or I'll be toast!"
She smirked. "Well, don't burn yourself."
I gave her a little salute, then promptly tripped on a pebble. Smooth.
By now, people were peeking out their windows, giving me little nods, waves, and "there goes that boy again" kind of looks. Cars honked—not in an angry way, but in that "you got this!" way.
Mr. Nibbs, the ice cream guy, tossed me a frozen pop. I caught it without stopping.
"You're gonna need the energy, hero boy!" he laughed.
I turned down another block—and that's when I saw Jax the mailman absolutely getting wrecked by two rogue delivery bots going full Terminator. One was flailing around with a barcode scanner like it was a sword. The other looked like it was about to explode over a misdelivered envelope.
"JAX!" I yelled, already channeling a soft purple glow into my hands.
In five seconds flat, I zapped one bot into standby mode, then tripped the other one with a banana peel I'd completely forgotten was in my pocket. Don't ask why. It's Don logic.
"You good?" I asked as I helped Jax up.
He blinked. "Did you just throw a fruit-based projectile?"
"Strategic potassium-based takedown. Totally intentional."
"...You're late for school again, aren't you?"
I checked the time on my phone—and my heart dropped.
"8:27?! BRO I'M GONNA GET DETENTION FOR ETERNITY."
And then I screamed.
Like, loud. Birds flew out of trees. Someone across the street dropped a smoothie. I was full Gremlin Mode.
I booked it. Hard. Backpack flapping, sneakers skidding, frozen pop still in my mouth like a champion.
As I darted across town, Old Man Vek shouted from three blocks back:
"RUN LIKE THE WIND, YOU LITTLE ELEMENTAL WEIRDO!"
And that, my friend, is how my morning started. No prophecies. No shadowy figures. No ancient secrets.
Just a red hoodie, a late kid, and a whole town that somehow still loved me even when I tripped over my own shoelace.
I was sprinting through the school hallways like my life depended on it. Because honestly? It kinda did.
Name's Lens Don the Celestianite. I'm 12, I've got dragon traits, and I'm part of the Celestianite Race—which totally explains the horns, wings, and all that sparkle. But before we dive into the wildness that happened today, lemme give you the lowdown on me.
So yeah. Twelve. I've got crystallized purple horns, shiny crystal wings with weirdly fluffy scales, and a long violet tail with white stripes and jagged spikes. Thanks to Cosmonimbous (don't ask me to spell that twice), my scales are crystal-y but soft. Kinda like armored marshmallows. The rest of me? Just your average Black kid with a buzz cut, rockin' a red hoodie, blue jeans, and black-and-red Nike Skechers.
I live in Avangard—this crazy fantasy world that happened after the continents mashed together and the planet went full RPG mode. Now we've got Elements. Everyone's born with one. Mine? Celestial. A rare light-purple energy that basically lets me do anime-level nonsense. If I collect all nine Power Gems, I get even more cracked.
My dream? Be a hero. A real Hero of Avangard. I wanna be famous. I used to be the background NPC—awkward, loud, confident for no reason. Still kinda am. That "confidence" backfires a lot. Like, embarrassing-volleyball-game levels of backfire. Life = certified wreck.
People clown me all the time. Say I'm weak, say I can't fight. It sucks. I don't even want attention anymore—but I do. You feel me? I wanna be more. Not just loud. Not just weird. I wanna be worthy.
Anyway. Back to the chaos.
The school was lit—literally. Sunlight blazed through the windows, lighting up cream-colored walls and white ceilings. No lights on. Still buzzing with Elemental madness.
I booked it through packed hallways. I had to leap over Emely's icy hallway river. "Watch it, Ice Bird!"
"Sorry!" she shouted, already melting it. (Love that girl. Ice Element. Hyper as hell.)
Then—fireballs. Great. Archie again. I flared my wings, dodged hard, and smacked one with my tail.
"Fifth time this week!" Archie yelled.
"Just shut it, hot pot!" I snapped. Dude thrives on chaos.
Vines next. Lonnie Mae was just vibing, chucking forest magic for fun. I ninja'd over thorns and slid under branches.
Then—PRINCE. Zoomed by in lightning form.
"PRINCE! NO RUNNING IN THE HALLS!" the principal roared.
What did he do? Flew.
"NO FLYING EITHER!"
Classic.
I ducked Olsen's rock pillars, dodged Keyler's sticky webs, and passed Ella being totally unbothered. Room 101 ahead—I SLID in like an action hero.
Everyone. Was. Already. There.
EVERY KID I RAN PAST.
I froze. Brain: error 404.
Mr. Bassi, (the 24 year old man who wore a white shirt and green pants rocking a crew cut) gave me that disappointed teacher smirk. "You're late."
"Uhm, technically I got here in one second so I'm not that—"
"You're lucky it wasn't two or that would've been detention. Sit."
I dropped into my front-row seat. He was the teacher that was half man, half bull, he had two bull horns on the top of his head, poking out from his hair. This was supposed to be history class. Keyword: supposed.
Mr. Bassi turned to the board and just... stood there. Awkward silence.
"Sooo… aren't you gonna teach us?" Mason asked.
Bassi blinked. "Wait. This is history?"
Whole class: Facepalm.
"DUDE. You're the teacher. Just do your job!"
He sighed. "Look, I'm a math teacher, okay? History ain't my thing. Should we talk about the Civil War or—"
"THE HISTORY OF AVANGARD!" we all yelled.
"Right! That! Totally knew that." He scrambled to his desk, grabbed a chunky book, and flipped it open.
"Alright. Let's talk about the CL War."
He cleared his throat. "Ten thousand years ago, the CL War began. It all started with an ancient artifact called the Lost Key, hidden by a Celestianite to keep it away from the Lunaranites—an evil tribe that wanted to conquer Avangard. Their leader, Dreadixz, declared war, hungry for total control.
The Celestianites and Lunaranites battled for years. The Lunaranites were stronger, had more troops, and crushed us in most fights. Celestianites—dragon-like beings with Elemental powers—had Light, Astral, and Celestial Elements. Vigilzante had Celestial. Most looked feathered or scaly, but they were all powerful... Most of them had hard scales, and many of them looked feathered, even though that was just an appearance. Their horns were circular, feathered halos, and they were primarily white, gold, and yellow. These dragons fought for peace and freedom.
The Lunaranites, on the other hand, were mostly black and purple—that was the extent of their color. They had long, curved horns that were either violet or black, and their scales were sharp and dangerous. They were the kind of dragons that sought power and destruction, craving control over the land. They viewed those around them as mere pawns, using everyone as slaves.
They became an army when Dreadix declared his speech:
"YOU WANT POWER? YOU WANT FULL CONTROL?! DO YOU WANT REVENGE ON YOUR ENEMIES?! DO YOU WANT THE WORLD TO CHANGE?! WELL, FOLLOW ME! AS YOUR NEW LEADER, DREADIXZ THE SHADOW LORD! AND IF YOU DO, YOU WILL GAIN THE FREE WILL TO TAKE THIS WRETCHED NATION!"
After their final war, their leader, Vigilzante, fell to Dreadixz. Before his death, however, he wrote a poem, which was passed on as a prophecy:
"Five must find the Lost Key, then the one who defeats at least 11 beasts, including Dreadixz, shall be the chosen Celestianite Leader."
There's a hidden message in the first part of the prophecy for all five of the chosen ones, and they must fulfill it as they go in search of the Lost Key. Then, suddenly, a voice echoed, "ATTENTION STUDENTS! SOME DARK SHADOW-LIKE BALL IS FLYING AT US AT MAX SPEED! MAKE SURE YOU EVACUATE THE SCHOOL QUICKLY!"
I jolted up from my desk. "What the heck?! What's going on?!"
Everybody scrambled to get out of their desks, looking around frantically. Mr. Bassi rushed to the left side of the classroom to peer through the windows. The blinding yellow light of the sun began to fade, and everything slowly grew dark and cloudy. The skies turned a deep, swirling purple, filled with thunderclouds. The wind began to pick up, howling through Iris Town.
Mr. Bassi's eyes widened in disbelief. "Oh, crap."
He quickly pulled down the shutters and ran out of the classroom, shouting, "EVERYBODY GET OUT NOW!" Everyone bolted, pushing and shoving to get to the door. Mr. Bassi was doing his best to clear the path for us to escape.
"HOLD UP!" I cried, following them.
That's when something CRASHED through the roof, creating a shockwave that sent me flying back toward the desks. I slid across the floor, smashing desks in my path, the dust settling around me. I heard Drake shout, "DON!" as he rushed toward me.
Still disoriented, I shook my head, trying to process what had just happened. Slowly, I got to my feet, clutching my arm. My eyes were squinted as I tried to focus. When I finally opened them fully, I saw the source of the crash.
There was a guy, about my height, age, and skin color. He had long dark purple hair that spiked from the back of his head. His hoodie was purple, and his jeans were dark blue—just like mine. But his eyes were sharp and menacing, and he had a single scar on his face. His wings were completely white, and his tail was also white with purple scales underneath. His eyes glowed purple, and he wore a vicious smirk.
He pointed at me. "You… one of the five Chosen Ones for this prophecy. I see why you've been chosen to be the next leader. You're assertive, someone who never gives up on what he wants to achieve. Well… I'm about to change that."
"WHO ARE YOU?!" I shouted, celestial energy crackling around me.
He began to approach, his own lunar energy sparking to life. "I'm a warrior, a valor, a scarrist, and a bounty hunter. Second in command of the Lunaranites. I've got 100,000 kills in total. A better version of you from another universe. More power in every way, shape, or form. I'm your clone… or maybe I'm just real. Who knows? But for now, I'm your worst enemy. Dark Don."
With that, he launched a punch at my face, sending me flying through the bookshelf. As I crashed through it, he boosted toward me, throwing another punch. I dodged just in time, but he used his rocket shoes to catch up and grab my neck. He shot through the class, then out into the hallway.
He punched me in the face. I tried to punch back, but he slammed me to the floor and tossed me around like a ragdoll. He threw me across the hall, and I landed with a thud. Then he fired lunar beams at me, quick and precise. I jumped over them, slid under others, and charged toward him, gathering celestial energy in my fists.
I threw a punch, but he teleported behind me and drop-kicked me straight back into the classroom. I crashed through the doors, and when I turned around, he was already right on me.
He began firing rapid lunar blasts, and I threw desks at him while dodging his attacks. I jumped on one table, then leaped off it to tackle him. But he charged up his fists with lunar energy and punched me in the chest, creating a shockwave of lunar air pressure that destroyed the entire classroom.
I crashed through a white-brick wall, landing near the cafeteria. He charged toward me, throwing a right hook and an uppercut. He grabbed my leg and slammed me down before spinning me around and tossing me across the cafeteria. I crashed through tables, finally coming to a stop.
I got up, only for Dark Don to throw a final lunar punch that created another shockwave. It sent me sprawling back, and I crashed through the green curtains of the stage. The lights flickered and went out, the entire cafeteria now a wreck, surrounded by purple lunar mist. The roof had been destroyed, and all that remained was fog.
Laying on the ground, defeated, I coughed up some blood. Dark Don slowly approached, holding a black and purple outlined Lunar Sword. Lunar energy crackled around the blade as he smirked. "It seems like you're not strong enough."
"Who are you?" I groaned.
Dark Don smiled cruelly. "Well, I-"
Before he could finish, a massive explosion rocked the room, sending both of us flying away from each other. As the dust settled, I heard Archie's voice. "WE GOT 'EM, DON!" He was walking toward me, with everyone behind him.
"ALRIGHT, DARK DON! TIME TO SURRENDER, BECAUSE WE CAUGHT YOUR ASS LACKING!" Demaurion shouted.
Dark Don slowly got up, turning to face my friends, all of them charged up and ready, despite not knowing how to fully use their powers. But they were brave. Mr. Bassi stood in front of them, breathing heavily. "Time to kick some lunar butt…"
Dark Don laughed hysterically. "HAHAHAHAHAHA! All of you, against me? ISN'T THIS PHENOMENAL!? HAH! I'd love to see you little fatuous citizens even TRY to compete with ME!"
He swiped his arm dramatically, releasing a wave of lunar energy that sent everyone flying. With a snap of his fingers, chains appeared, restraining me, Olsen, Prince, Demaurion, and Archie. The others were still trying to break free, but it was no use. I even tried, but it was pointless.
That's when a scroll fell from the sky and landed in front of Dark Don. He picked it up, opened it, and a smirk tugged at his lips. "Well, well, well… Guess now's the time… You better get started, little hero."
"LET US GO!" I shouted, flapping my wings, my tail turning red with anger.
"Oh, I will," Dark Don said, his sly smirk growing. He snapped his fingers, and a dark purple lunar black hole appeared, swirling with shadowy energy and strong winds.
"DON, NO!" Mr. Bassi shouted, reaching out to me.
The hole grew larger, pulling everything in its path. As it got bigger, I clung to one of the cafeteria's stair handrails, yelling through the gusts of wind.
Dark Don walked toward me, a bored expression on his face. "You've got a job to do, buddy. Now GO!" He flicked his finger, and the shockwave sent me flying into the black hole.
I reached out, shouting desperately, "NOOO!"