The five of them stood around the man who had suddenly appeared and collapsed onto the ground.
He lay motionless on the cold pavement beneath the bridge, his breathing shallow and uneven. A deep wound cut across his shoulder, and another stretched along his back. Blood had already soaked through parts of his clothes.
But he didn't look like an ordinary man.
His dark brown hair fell slightly over his forehead, and a short beard framed his jaw, giving him a rugged, battle-worn appearance.
He was dressed in dark leather armor reinforced with faint golden patterns, as if it belonged to another era entirely. A heavy blue cloak hung from his shoulders, its edges torn and scorched from what must have been a recent fight.
Even unconscious, he looked like a warrior who had just stepped out of a battlefield.
Gared stared at him in confusion.
"Who is this?"
Ryan shrugged.
"Who cares? Can't you see he's injured?"
Usher crouched slightly, studying the blood pooling on the ground.
"That's true… but who is he? And what was that thing chasing him?"
Daniel exhaled slowly.
"That creature… it was terrifying."
Austin glanced toward the place where the glowing gate had appeared moments earlier.
"This is the strangest thing I've ever seen."
Gared looked back at the injured man.
"Alright. We should carry him and take him to a hospital… or call an ambulance. He's bleeding."
Usher immediately shook his head.
"No. Absolutely not."
Gared frowned.
"Why?"
"If we take him to the hospital," Usher said, "the police will start asking questions. Lots of them."
Daniel nodded.
"He's right. We'll get dragged into an investigation since we're the ones who found him."
Ryan sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Relax."
Everyone looked at him.
"My parents work at the hospital," he said. "I'll handle it."
Austin raised an eyebrow.
"Seriously?"
Ryan shrugged.
"What? We have to help him. He's losing a lot of blood."
Gared looked at the wounded man again before nodding.
"Alright. Do it."
Ryan pulled out his phone and called his father.
"Dad? Hey… how are you?"
He paused.
"Are you at the hospital right now?"
Another pause.
"Well… we have a problem."
His friends watched him anxiously.
"Can you help us?"
Ryan lowered his voice slightly.
"No, don't send an ambulance. Just come yourself."
Then he added quietly,
"There's a man here… and he's badly injured."
He hung up a moment later and looked at them.
"He's coming."
Then he sighed.
"And I think he's a little angry."
Usher smirked.
"A little?"
Gared glanced down at the unconscious man.
"After he's treated… where will he stay?"
Daniel raised his hand.
"At my place."
Everyone turned toward him.
"My dad is usually away most of the time," Daniel explained. "He probably won't notice."
Austin stared at him.
"Daniel… are you crazy?"
He pointed at the injured man.
"That's a human being, not a stray cat. Even if your dad doesn't notice, this guy is huge."
Usher thought for a moment before nodding.
"Honestly… Daniel's house might be the safest option."
Daniel nodded confidently.
"Exactly."
Gared sighed.
"Fine. We'll take him there first."
A few minutes later a car pulled up near the bridge.
A middle-aged man stepped out, wearing a medical coat.
He looked at Ryan with a serious expression.
"Ryan… what's going on here?"
Ryan pointed toward the injured man.
"We don't know."
Then he added quickly,
"We were walking… and we found him lying here."
The friends exchanged quick glances.
Ryan's father crouched down and examined the wounds quickly.
His expression darkened.
"These injuries are serious. He needs to go to the hospital."
Ryan spoke quickly.
"Dad… can't you treat him yourself?"
The man looked at him.
"I can. But I'll need my equipment."
Ryan nodded.
"I'll get it for you."
Then he added,
"Just help him."
Ryan's father looked at the group carefully.
"Are any of you involved in this?"
Ryan shook his head immediately.
"No."
Gared spoke quickly.
"No sir. We just didn't want to—"
The man raised his hand, stopping him.
"Alright."
He sighed.
"I'll treat him first. Then we'll figure out his story."
Daniel spoke up.
"We'll take him to my house."
Ryan's father nodded.
"Fine."
Then he gestured toward the injured man.
"Help me lift him."
They carefully lifted the man together.
Austin groaned as they struggled to move him.
"Good grief… this guy is heavy!"
They finally placed him inside the car.
Moments later the car slowly drove away from beneath the bridge and through the quiet streets of the city.
None of them realized it yet…
but this night was the beginning of everything.
They finally arrived at Daniel's house.
The street was quiet, and most of the houses were already dark. The only light came from the porch lamp near the door.
Ryan's father stepped out of the car first.
"Careful," he said.
The five of them helped lift the unconscious man out of the car. Even with all of them carrying him, his weight made the task difficult.
Austin groaned.
"I swear this guy weighs as much as a truck."
They carried him inside the house and laid him carefully on a large wooden table in the living room.
Ryan's father immediately began examining the wounds again.
Then he turned to the others.
"Alright," he said firmly.
"Out."
The five of them looked at each other.
"Now."
None of them argued.
They slowly stepped outside the house and closed the door behind them.
Silence settled over the porch.
Minutes passed.
Then more.
An hour later the door finally opened.
Ryan's father stepped outside, wiping the sweat from his forehead with a cloth.
"Well," he said slowly.
"His condition has improved."
Gared stepped forward.
"Is he still unconscious?"
Ryan's father nodded.
"Yes. But he should wake up soon."
Gared let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
"That's good."
Ryan's father leaned against the doorframe for a moment.
"Let him rest."
Then his gaze moved across the five of them.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Now," he said calmly,
"tell me the story."
Ryan sighed.
"As I told you before… we don't know who he is."
Ryan's father folded his arms.
"Then I suppose we'll have to wait…"
He glanced back toward the room where the wounded man lay.
"…and hear it from him."
A few hours later the man finally opened his eyes.
The room fell silent as everyone watched him.
Ryan's father stepped closer, observing him carefully.
"Good," he said. "You're awake."
The man looked around slowly, his gaze sharp despite the pain.
Ryan's father checked the bandages again.
"The wounds were serious," he said calmly. "You were lucky. Another hour and you might not have survived."
The man said nothing.
His eyes moved across the room.
Ryan.
Austin.
Daniel.
Usher.
And finally—
Gared.
Something flickered in his expression.
Ryan's father straightened up.
"Well," he said, wiping his hands with a cloth, "he's stable now."
He looked toward the group.
"I still have a night shift waiting for me at the hospital."
Ryan frowned.
"You're leaving already?"
Ryan's father nodded.
"He needs rest more than anything right now. Just make sure he doesn't move too much."
Then he looked at the wounded man again.
"And you… try not to reopen those wounds."
The man continued watching them silently.
Ryan's father picked up his coat.
"If anything happens, call me."
He glanced at Ryan.
"And try not to get into trouble tonight."
Ryan raised his hands.
"No promises."
His father sighed and shook his head before leaving.
A moment later the door closed behind him.
Silence returned to the room.
Ryan let out a breath.
"Well…"
He turned toward the injured man.
"…now we can talk."
The man slowly pushed himself up, ignoring the pain in his shoulder.
His eyes moved across the five of them again, slowly and carefully.
Then he spoke.
His voice was low but steady.
"Where is the gate?"
Austin frowned.
"It disappeared."
The man nodded slowly.
"Good."
Gared stepped forward slightly.
"Who are you?"
He paused.
"And where did you come from?"
The man looked at him for a few seconds.
Then he answered calmly.
"My name is Roger."
"I came through that gate… from another world."
The room fell silent.
Ryan blinked.
"Another world?"
Roger ignored the reaction.
His eyes moved across the five of them again.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Until they stopped on Gared.
"You."
Gared frowned.
"Me?"
Roger lifted his hand weakly and pointed toward Gared's wrist.
"Come closer."
The others exchanged confused looks.
Gared hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward.
Roger grabbed his wrist and turned it slightly toward the light.
His expression changed.
"So it's true."
Ryan crossed his arms.
"What is?"
Roger ignored him.
He looked directly at Gared.
"Say it."
Gared blinked.
"Say what?"
Roger's voice lowered.
"The name."
Gared frowned.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Roger tightened his grip slightly.
"Zendara."
The word hung in the air.
Gared stared at him.
"Zendara?"
Suddenly a pulse of green light burst from his wrist.
Thin glowing lines spread across his skin like living energy.
At the center of the symbol a small green shard appeared.
Pulsing.
Alive.
The room froze.
Usher stepped forward in shock.
"That symbol…!"
Ryan stared at the light.
"What the hell is that?"
Gared looked at his wrist in disbelief.
"I didn't do anything!"
Roger slowly released his arm.
"The shard has awakened."
Austin frowned.
"Shard?"
Roger looked at all five of them.
"You five…"
He paused, studying their faces carefully.
"…are the new Guardians."
Silence filled the room.
Ryan blinked.
"Guardians?"
Austin scoffed.
"Guardians of what?"
Roger studied their faces calmly.
"You don't understand yet."
"There are worlds beyond this one. Six worlds that keep the balance of the cosmos."
He slowly raised his hand and pointed toward them one by one.
"Each of you is connected to one of those worlds."
Ryan frowned.
"What do you mean… connected?"
Roger ignored the question.
He looked at Usher.
"You. Water. Aquilia."
Then Austin.
"Fire. Inferno."
Then Ryan.
"Earth. Terranium."
Then Daniel.
"Air. Skyon."
Finally he looked at Gared.
"And you…"
He paused.
"Energy."
"The heart that binds them all."
"You are the Guardian of Anigra."
His eyes moved to the glowing shard.
"And the bearer of Zendara."
Silence filled the room.
Ryan shook his head slowly.
"Okay… I'm pretty sure we're missing something here."
Roger continued quietly.
"There are forces moving in the dark."
His eyes moved to the shard again.
"And they are already searching for this."
Usher crossed his arms.
"You mean that thing on his wrist?"
Roger nodded.
"Yes."
Austin frowned.
"So what does that make us exactly?"
Roger looked at them one by one.
"Targets."
The word landed heavily in the room.
Gared looked down at the glowing shard again.
"Why us?"
Roger's voice became quieter.
"Because the balance has begun to break."
Ryan raised an eyebrow.
"And you expect us to believe that?"
Roger met his gaze calmly.
"You will."
He paused.
"Soon."
Suddenly Roger's body shifted slightly.
The green light on Gared's wrist slowly faded.
Roger opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something more, but no words came out.
Then his eyes closed.
And he lost consciousness again.
The five of them exchanged uneasy glances.
Gared stepped forward and checked his breathing.
"He's exhausted. Let him rest."
They quietly left the room and closed the door behind them.
They sat down in the living room, the tension still visible on their faces.
After a long silence Austin rubbed his face.
"I can't understand a single thing that guy just said."
Ryan responded immediately.
"Because there's nothing to understand."
He shook his head.
"Sorry, but that man is crazy."
Gared slowly raised his wrist.
"But what he said… is real."
Ryan frowned.
"What?"
Gared showed them the faint green mark.
"The symbol."
"The same one we saw."
"I don't think he's lying."
Daniel smiled slightly.
"I think you're just a little scared, Ryan."
Ryan stood up suddenly.
"I'm going home."
He walked toward the door.
"I'll see you later."
He left the house.
Usher leaned back slightly.
"Don't worry about him."
"He'll come back."
Gared looked again at the faint glow on his wrist.
"Guys… what's happening is strange."
"But it's real."
"And the biggest proof is this… Zendara."
Austin stared at the mark.
"If we really are some kind of super team… we should have costumes."
Daniel laughed.
"And a name."
They both looked at Gared.
Gared shook his head slowly.
"I still have no idea what's going on."
Suddenly the front door opened.
A middle-aged man walked into the room.
He looked at them with mild surprise.
"Well… hello."
He smiled slightly.
"I see we have guests today."
Everyone stood up quickly.
"How are you, boys?"
They replied together,
"Good."
Daniel stepped forward slowly.
"Dad…"
He hesitated.
"I need to tell you something."