There was once a team called Emberwood, composed of legendary heroes like Orion, the Hammer of Emberwood, known for his incredible durability and ability to withstand powerful attacks while delivering devastating blows. Another was Diana, one of the main frontline forces of Emberwood, along with many others.
All of them were led by one man named Elian, the true strength of the entire team. His power, called God Hand, was a versatile ability that could change the flow of battle, whether for attack or defense. The team, and even the people who witnessed him, respected him deeply.
Like many legendary heroes, they did not meet a good end. They faced a great shadow dragon that had broken free, released by a man in a black cloak, at least according to those who once guarded its seal. Every one of them was injured. Orion could barely stand, his hammer trembling in his hand.
"Damn it… Gorvathra isn't going down. It's not even weakened by our attacks. If only the heroes who once sealed it were still alive."
Orion spoke through pain, struggling to lift his hammer and charge forward, but Elian held him back. The entire team looked at Elian with worry. He was the most injured of them all.
"I'll hold Gorvathra back. Just stay behind me and charge your abilities. We're getting out of this alive."
Diana placed her hand on Elian's shoulder, trying to stop him from going forward alone, but he simply smiled at her. She paused, then nodded. Without a word, she understood his plan and stepped back.
Elian rushed toward the dragon, his fist charged with the power of God Hand. His plan was to stun it long enough for the team to unleash a full attack.
But when his fist struck Gorvathra's chest, its very core…
…it didn't move at all.
Shocked, Elian was hit by a blast powerful enough to destroy mountains, sending him flying and slowly losing consciousness as he struggled to lift his hands.
When he finally opened his eyes, everything around him burned with Gorvathra's magic. His eyes widened as he saw the entire Emberwood fallen. He rushed to them one by one, finding them unresponsive. His heart raced with each passing second until he reached Diana, her shield still raised, protecting her.
Elian's eyes began to water as he collapsed to his knees, lifting Diana in his arms and crying over her. Suddenly, he felt a soft hand on his cheek—it was Diana. Elian gripped her hand tightly.
"I-I am sorry, captain… my abilities failed to protect them in the end…"
"N-no… stay with me, please! Don't die in my arms, Diana, I beg of you!"
Elian's tears fell freely as Diana wiped them away. She tried to speak.
"I-I love you, Elian… don't blame yourself for our deaths. You're the greatest captain, strong and versatile in every way…"
"P-please don't go… Diana—"
Diana smiled and drew her last breath in his arms. Elian held her tightly, haunted by all the words he had left unsaid.
Gorvathra roared in the distance as Elian stood, his eyes burning with a new, terrifying resolve. He charged at the dragon, fist glowing with God Hand energy, as the beast began to unleash a deathly beam.
"DAMN YOU, GORVATHRA!"
His fist struck the dragon's head just as a portal opened beneath it. Chains wrapped around Gorvathra's neck, dragging it down into the void. Elian landed among the fallen Emberwood, carrying each of his friends to a grave he dug himself.
"Rest now, my friends…"
A blazing flower rose above the dirt where Diana and the others were buried, their names etched in stone. Elian then sealed his powers in a dark mountain and walked away, carrying a guilt he knew would never leave him.
.
.
.
Many decades later, a traveller named Iscarn Vale, carrying a book of legends passed down through his family, stumbled upon a blacksmith's shop. The weight of the old stories rested on him now, waiting to be discovered.