Far away from Earth, in the heart of Sentera, six figures stood in silence inside the grand hall of the sages.
The chamber was vast and ancient, built from luminous white stone. Tall pillars stretched toward a ceiling that shimmered like a night sky filled with distant stars.
At the center of the hall lay the Sacred Pool.
Its calm surface glowed with a soft silver light, reflecting events unfolding across distant worlds.
Within the water, an image slowly formed.
Five young humans stood inside a small house on Earth, surrounding a wounded warrior.
Roger.
Watching them quietly was Orifan, the eldest of the sages of Sentera.
He stepped closer to the Sacred Pool, his long robe flowing behind him as he studied the vision.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Excellent," Orifan said softly.
"The waiting is finally over."
The other sages remained silent, their eyes fixed on the image of Roger and the five chosen ones.
Orifan folded his hands behind his back.
"The shard has awakened."
He looked at the glowing image of Zendara on Gared's wrist.
"Now… we can begin."
For a brief moment, the chamber fell completely silent.
Then Orifan spoke once more.
"Roger will do an excellent job."
Two days had passed since the wounded stranger had appeared.
Inside Daniel's house, the atmosphere was tense.
Daniel's father was still uneasy about the whole situation. A strange man had suddenly appeared in his home, badly injured, and Daniel had barely explained anything that night. It made him suspicious and uncomfortable.
Inside the guest room, Roger sat on the edge of the bed.
Daniel tossed a set of clothes beside him.
"Alright," Daniel said. "Take these. They might not be your size, but they'll do."
Roger picked them up.
"Thank you, Guardian."
Daniel immediately looked toward the door and lowered his voice.
"Hey. Stop saying that. I don't want my dad hearing you."
Roger tilted his head slightly, confused.
Daniel sighed.
"Listen carefully. Don't mention Sentera, our powers, or anything like that in front of him. If he asks how you got injured, just say you fought a gang or something like that. Anything. Just don't tell him the truth."
Roger stared at him blankly, clearly not understanding half of what Daniel was saying.
Daniel frowned.
"What's with that look? Come on, get dressed."
Roger stood and put on the clothes.
After a moment, he looked down at himself.
"They are… a little tight."
Daniel crossed his arms and examined him.
"Man… if you were at our university, the girls would be all over you."
Roger looked at him seriously.
"The girls… would attack me?"
Daniel blinked.
"No. Wait, that's not what I meant—"
Before he could finish, the door opened.
Daniel's father entered the room.
He pulled a chair forward and sat down slowly, taking a deep breath as if trying to calm himself.
"Alright," he said calmly. "Let's start with something simple."
He looked at Roger.
"My friend… who are you?"
"Roger."
Daniel's father nodded.
"And where are you from?"
"Far away."
The man leaned forward slightly.
"How did you get these injuries? They were severe. You almost died."
Roger answered calmly,
"A gang… or something like that."
Daniel quietly placed a hand over his face.
Oh God… this is getting worse.
Daniel's father continued.
"Are you involved with this gang?"
"No."
"Did they rob you?"
"No."
"Did you steal from them?"
Roger looked slightly offended.
"I am not a thief."
"Then why did they attack you?"
"I could not escape."
"You fought them alone?"
"Yes."
Daniel's father studied him carefully.
"That's strange. Your body suggests you're a fighter."
"I am."
"Are you feeling better now?"
Roger paused for a moment.
"The pain is still there… but I feel better."
Daniel's father nodded.
"Gabriel will arrive soon. Ryan's father. He'll change your bandages."
Roger shook his head calmly.
"No need. I have already healed."
Daniel's father raised an eyebrow.
"You healed… in two days?"
"Yes."
Then Roger looked toward Daniel with a faintly amused smile.
"Would you help me remove the bandages?"
Daniel hesitated.
"Sure… but Mr. Gabriel will be here soon—"
"Remove them."
Daniel slowly began unwrapping the bandages.
As the cloth fell away, both Daniel and his father froze.
The wounds…
were gone.
Only faint scars remained.
Daniel's father stared in disbelief.
"But… how is that possible?"
Daniel stepped closer.
"That's impossible… those wounds were deep."
Roger simply smiled.
"Thank you for taking care of me."
Daniel's father crossed his arms again.
"How many attacked you?"
Roger replied calmly,
"One."
Daniel's father blinked.
"One person did that to you?"
"Yes."
"And who exactly was he?"
Roger's expression darkened slightly.
"Someone… stronger than me."
Daniel's father looked Roger up and down again.
"And you look like this?"
Roger said nothing.
After a moment, he stood up.
"Well… I believe this investigation is over."
He walked toward the door.
"Thank you for your hospitality."
Daniel frowned.
"Wait… where are you going?"
Roger opened the front door.
He turned his head slightly toward Daniel.
"I will see you soon… Guardian."
Then he left.
Daniel's father looked at him slowly.
"Guardian?"
Daniel laughed awkwardly.
"He's joking. He means we guarded him while he was injured."
His father stared at him for a moment.
"Stay away from trouble… and from strange people like him."
"Okay, Dad."
"And don't bring strangers into my house again."
He stood up and walked toward the stairs.
"I'm going to sleep. I have a night shift later."
The house finally became quiet.
Daniel took out his phone.
He opened the group chat.
Then typed quickly.
Roger just left the house. I don't know where he went.
About an hour later, the five friends gathered in the university garden.
Students walked past them, chatting and laughing, completely unaware of the strange events surrounding the group.
Austin suddenly slammed his hand on the table and shouted at Daniel.
"How could you let him leave? He was injured. And we need him to explain what's happening to us."
Daniel frowned, clearly irritated.
"I know that, Austin. What did you want me to do? Tie him to the bed? He just got up, said he'd see me soon, and left. And like I told you… his wounds were gone. Completely gone."
Usher, sitting beside Gared while slowly sipping his coffee, shook his head.
"That's impossible. Two days? No one heals like that."
Ryan leaned back in his chair.
"Maybe the whole thing was just some stupid act. Maybe he wanted us to believe him."
Gared immediately replied, his voice calm but firm.
"It wasn't an act, Ryan. My father treated him. The wounds were real, and they were serious. Roger was telling the truth. End of story."
Ryan sighed.
"Fine. Then where is he now? How are we supposed to find him?"
Austin turned sharply toward Daniel again.
"Yeah, that question is for you, Daniel. Where exactly are we supposed to find him now?"
Daniel raised his hands defensively.
"I don't know. But we can try looking for him. He can't have gone too far."
Gared let out a short laugh.
"Are you serious? Veradin is huge. You want us to search an entire city? I still get lost here myself."
Usher nodded.
"He's right. Say something more logical."
Daniel thought for a moment.
"Alright… then we start where he first appeared. Under the bridge."
Gared slowly stood up.
"Fine. After the lecture, we'll go there and start looking. Maybe we'll find something… or someone who saw him."
Everyone agreed.
A moment later, the five of them headed toward their lecture hall.
None of them noticed that, from the other side of the garden, someone was quietly watching them.
The five of them stood beneath the old bridge once again.
The river flowed quietly beside them, reflecting the gray sky above. The sound of water moving against the stones echoed softly through the empty place.
They searched the area carefully.
Every corner.
Every shadow.
Every step near the riverbank.
But there was nothing.
No sign of Roger.
Gared finally stopped and looked around.
"He's not here."
Daniel sighed.
"I know."
Austin crossed his arms impatiently.
"Then where do we go next?"
Usher leaned against the metal railing near the river.
"Maybe he went to a restaurant or something."
Daniel immediately shook his head.
"He barely understands anything about this world. You think he knows what a restaurant is?"
Ryan looked around the empty bridge.
"Maybe we should just wait here. He might come back."
Everyone turned toward him.
Gared thought for a moment.
Then he nodded.
"Fine. If we're going to wait…"
He slowly raised his arm and revealed the mark on his wrist.
A strange symbol faintly glowed beneath his skin.
"Let's try something."
Austin raised an eyebrow.
"What now?"
Gared's eyes sharpened.
He raised his hand toward the sky and shouted,
"Zendara!"
The symbol on his wrist ignited with light.
A glowing green shard appeared above the mark, spinning slowly as energy radiated outward.
Then Gared shouted again, power filling his voice.
"Zendara… Unite!"
Suddenly four beams of energy burst from the shard.
They shot through the air and struck Usher, Austin, Ryan, and Daniel.
Energy spiraled around their bodies like living light.
Their clothes dissolved into glowing particles.
Then their Guardian Forms awakened.
Green light exploded around Gared.
Electric threads of energy wrapped around his body before forming his armor.
A long white coat with a deep violet inner lining appeared around him. The coat was engraved with elegant silver patterns that looked like ancient runes of power.
A dark belt wrapped around his waist, fastening the armor into place.
His shoulders were protected by sharp metallic plates glowing with faint emerald energy.
Behind him, circles of crackling green energy spun like rings of lightning.
His eyes glowed faintly with power.
Gared no longer looked like a student.
He looked like the leader of warriors.
Blue energy flowed around Usher like an awakening ocean.
Water spiraled around his body before solidifying into armor.
His outfit became a white and blue ceremonial robe, decorated with silver wave patterns flowing across the fabric.
A long blue sash floated behind him like water moving in slow motion.
Streams of glowing water circled his arms and hands.
The air around him felt cool and calm.
Every drop of water obeyed his will.
Usher looked like the prince of a lost ocean kingdom.
A sudden explosion of fire erupted around Austin.
Flames spiraled upward like a phoenix rising.
His armor formed from burning embers.
A white battle coat with crimson edges appeared around him, tightened with a powerful red belt across his waist.
Flame-like patterns burned along the edges of his armor.
Behind him, fiery wings of energy flickered like a blazing storm.
His eyes burned with fierce determination.
Austin looked like a warrior born for battle.
The fire of Inferno flowed through him.
Green vines burst from the ground around Ryan.
Plants spiraled upward, wrapping around his body before transforming into armor.
His outfit became a white and emerald guardian cloak, decorated with living vines and leaf patterns.
A green hood rested behind his neck.
Small glowing leaves floated gently around him.
The ground beneath his feet cracked slightly as roots spread through the soil.
Ryan looked like a guardian of ancient forests.
Nature itself responded to his presence.
A sudden gust of wind exploded around Daniel.
Dust and air spiraled violently before forming his armor.
His clothing became a silver-white wind robe, long and flowing, designed like the robes of ancient sky warriors.
Thin layers of fabric floated behind him, moving even without wind.
Air currents spun around his body like invisible serpents.
The atmosphere itself bent around his movements.
Daniel looked like a spirit of the sky.
The five of them stood beneath the bridge.
No longer just students.
They had become something else.
Something greater.
The Guardians of Sentera.
For a moment, none of them spoke.
They simply stared at each other.
The glowing armor, the flowing energy, the strange power surrounding their bodies… it all felt unreal.
Daniel looked down at his new clothes, moving his arms slightly.
"This outfit… it's actually light," he said in surprise. "And comfortable."
Austin smirked as flames flickered softly around his shoulders.
"Well, of course it is," he said confidently. "This is the armor of the Guardians. Honestly… I expected it to look even cooler."
Ryan looked at his hands, watching small glowing leaves drift around his fingers.
"Okay," he said slowly. "Now I can finally say it."
"I'm starting to believe that man."
Gared crossed his arms, studying the energy flowing around all of them.
"Alright, guys," he said. "I think it's time we try our powers."
Daniel's eyes lit up immediately.
"Oh, I'm definitely trying first."
He stepped forward excitedly.
Then he extended his hand toward the ground.
A sudden gust of wind burst from his palm.
The air beneath him spiraled violently and lifted him off the ground.
Everyone looked up in shock.
Daniel floated several meters above them.
He stared down wide-eyed, then burst into laughter.
"I can fly!"
And suddenly he shot forward through the air.
"WHOOO!"
He flew toward the city, soaring above the bridge like a child who had just discovered magic.
Ryan watched him disappear into the distance.
"Well," he said calmly, "apparently one of us can fly."
Then he turned toward Austin.
"Alright, your turn. Let's see what you can do."
Austin shrugged.
"I don't know… but let's find out."
He stretched out his hand.
A moment later, a ball of fire ignited in his palm.
"Whoa—"
The flaming sphere shot forward uncontrollably and landed on the grass nearby.
The ground immediately caught fire.
Ryan jumped back.
"Hey! You're burning the park!"
"Usher! Quick!"
Usher reacted instantly.
He raised his hand toward the flames.
A powerful stream of water blasted from his palm like a cannon.
The fire disappeared immediately.
But the water sprayed everywhere, completely soaking all of them.
Ryan wiped water from his face.
"Usher…"
Usher raised both hands apologetically.
"Sorry. I'm still figuring it out."
Ryan sighed.
"Well, you'd better figure it out fast. Otherwise, we're all going to end up swimming every time you use your powers."
Gared chuckled softly.
"Alright, Ryan. Your turn."
Ryan looked at everyone staring at him.
He scratched the back of his head.
"I honestly don't think I can do anything."
Everyone continued staring.
Ryan sighed.
"Fine… I'll try."
He knelt down and placed his hand on the ground.
For a moment nothing happened.
Then suddenly the earth trembled.
A large tree burst from the soil beside them, growing rapidly until its branches spread above the bridge.
Everyone stared at it.
Ryan looked at the tree.
Then shrugged.
"…Did anyone order a gardener?"
Gared laughed.
"That's actually impressive."
Usher nodded.
"Seriously impressive."
Then Usher looked at Gared.
"What about you?"
Gared frowned slightly.
"I'm… not sure."
He extended his hand.
Energy flickered around his wrist.
But nothing happened.
Austin grinned.
"Come on, leader. Show us your power."
Gared tried again.
Still nothing.
"Yeah," he sighed. "I got nothing."
Ryan shrugged.
"Maybe it takes time."
Gared nodded slowly.
"Maybe."
Then he raised his wrist again.
The shard flashed once more.
A pulse of light spread across the group.
Their armor dissolved into glowing particles, and their normal clothes returned.
Gared looked around to make sure everyone was there.
Then suddenly he frowned.
"Wait."
"Where's Daniel?"
Before anyone could answer, something fell from the sky.
CRASH!
Daniel dropped straight down onto a pile of old cardboard boxes near the bridge.
Usher pointed at him calmly.
"There he is."
Daniel groaned as he sat up.
"You guys couldn't wait a little longer?"
Gared shook his head with a smile.
"Come on."
"Let's go find Roger."
The five of them began walking again beneath the bridge, completely unaware that their real test was about to begin.