Elias squinted through the blinding light, the roar still echoing in his ears as the obelisk's transformation completed. The shimmering glow coalesced into a colossal humanoid figure of glowing white stone and pulsing golden veins. The Guardian stood towering over them, its every movement exuding raw power as it flexed hands large enough to crush any one of them in a single blow.
The hopefuls stared in stunned silence for a moment, the sheer magnitude of their foe freezing them in place. Then, breaking through the paralysis, Elias's voice rang out, brimming with determination: "ATTACK!"
Without hesitation, he hurled a massive fireball directly at the Guardian's chest, the blazing orb streaking through the air like a comet. The explosion on impact sent a wave of heat radiating across the platform, briefly illuminating the stunned expressions on the faces of his companions.
The Guardian staggered slightly, its chest glowing faintly from the blast, but it remained upright and unyielding. Its glowing eyes locked onto Elias, and with a roar that shook the platform, it raised a gargantuan arm to retaliate.
Aeryn sprang into action, vines erupting from the ground beneath the Guardian, latching onto its limbs in an attempt to slow its movements. "Don't let up!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos as Sylra hovered nearby, directing the vines with delicate precision.
Kiran darted forward, raising his wand to summon a swirling barrier of sand that intercepted the Guardian's descending fist. The sheer force of the impact sent a shockwave rippling outward, but Kiran held his ground, his teeth clenched as he absorbed the blow. "Go, now!" he yelled, creating a brief opening.
Elias and Aeryn wasted no time. With a fiery roar, Elias conjured a spiraling lance of flame, charging forward and aiming for the Guardian's leg. Aeryn, meanwhile, summoned thorned roots that coiled around the Guardian's other leg, attempting to bind it in place. Their combined efforts caused the towering figure to falter, dropping to one knee.
Hush, who had been hanging back, darted to the side, his movements almost unnaturally silent. He raised a hand, and a concentrated pulse of sound struck the Guardian's head, forcing it to reel backward. The momentary disorientation gave the others precious seconds to reposition.
Martice crouched near the edge of the platform, meticulously inscribing glowing sigils onto the ground. "Lead it here!" he called out, pointing to the intricate array of symbols forming beneath his hands. "This trap will slow it down!"
The Guardian roared again, its movements growing more aggressive as it adapted to their tactics. It swung its massive arm in a sweeping arc, forcing everyone to scatter. The platform trembled under the force of the blow, pieces of stone breaking off and falling into the void below.
Elias rolled to the side, barely dodging the attack, and retaliated with a barrage of smaller fireballs aimed at the Guardian's face. The flames scorched its features but did little to deter its relentless advance. "It's like this thing doesn't even feel pain!" he shouted, frustration evident in his voice.
"That's because it doesn't!" Aeryn shot back, vines snaking toward the Guardian's arm to redirect its next strike. "It's a construct—it's not alive!"
The Guardian broke free of Aeryn's vines with a sharp tug, swinging its arm down toward Kiran, who once again raised his sandy barrier to absorb the blow. This time, however, the force was too much; the barrier cracked and dissolved, and Kiran was knocked backward, landing hard on the platform.
Hush seized the moment to launch another sound pulse, aiming at the Guardian's joints. The attack caused the construct's movements to stutter momentarily, buying Kiran enough time to get back on his feet. "We need to pin it down!" Kiran yelled, his voice strained.
Martice's trap was ready. The sigils on the ground flared brightly as he activated them, creating a glowing net that ensnared the Guardian's legs. "Now!" he shouted, his face slick with sweat.
Elias and Aeryn coordinated their attacks, targeting the trapped Guardian with unrelenting precision. Flames and thorned vines struck in unison, chipping away at its glowing exterior. The Guardian roared in defiance, breaking free of the net with a burst of raw energy that sent everyone sprawling.
Even with their combined efforts, the Guardian barely seemed weakened. Its golden veins pulsed more intensely, and its attacks became faster, its adaptive nature making their strategies increasingly ineffective.
Kaelen, standing slightly apart from the group, clenched his fists. His well of magic was nearly depleted, but he could see the writing on the wall. They weren't going to win like this. Not as they were now. Closing his eyes, he focused on the thread of time winding through the battlefield.
The Guardian raised both arms, preparing for a devastating strike that would engulf the entire platform. As its fists descended, Kaelen whispered under his breath, "Reverse."
The battlefield shimmered, the scene rewinding in an instant. The fiery destruction reset, and the six hopefuls found themselves staring in stunned silence for a moment at the sheer magnitude of their foe. The Guardian stood pristine, its glowing eyes watching them with eerie calm.
Everyone froze, their breaths catching as the Guardian loomed over them, its glowing eyes unreadable.
Elias opened his mouth, already drawing in a breath to shout, "Attack!" when Kaelen's voice cut through the tense air like a blade.
"Wait!" Kaelen shouted, his tone sharp and commanding enough to stop everyone in their tracks. His chest heaved with exertion, his energy visibly waning, but the urgency in his voice made them pause. "We need a new strategy."
Elias frowned, his flames dimming slightly as he hesitated. "A new strategy? What are you talking about? We were just getting started!"
Kaelen staggered a step forward, forcing himself upright. "No, we weren't. Trust me on this—if we rush in again like that, we'll lose. We can't just throw ourselves at it and hope for the best. This thing is adapting faster than we can react."
Aeryn and Sylra exchanged a quick glance, the spirit's soft glow brushing against Aeryn's shoulder as if in silent communication. "What are you saying, Kaelen?" Aeryn asked, her tone cautious but curious.
"I'm saying we need to be smarter," Kaelen replied, his voice steady despite the tremor in his legs. "It's not just about attacking—this thing is learning from everything we do. We have to outthink it, not just outfight it."
Hush tilted his head slightly, his sharp eyes narrowing as he studied Kaelen. "You sound awfully certain about this," he said, his voice calm but probing.
Kaelen exhaled, forcing himself to meet Hush's gaze. "Let's just say I have a sense for these things," he said vaguely, unwilling to reveal the truth. "I'm not asking you to trust me completely—just enough to listen."
Martice, who had been silent until now, crossed his arms and glanced at the Guardian. "Fine," he said, his tone begrudging. "You've got our attention. So, what's the plan?"
Kaelen straightened, his mind racing. "We need to focus on controlling the battlefield. This thing's strength lies in its adaptability and overwhelming power. We can't match it blow for blow, so we have to control the pace of the fight."
Elias's flames flared back to life, his frustration simmering beneath the surface. "Control the battlefield? You make it sound so easy. What do you expect us to do—ask it nicely to stay still?"
Aeryn placed a hand on Elias's shoulder, her vines subtly curling around his arm in a grounding gesture. "He's right, Elias," she said, her tone firm but gentle. "If we keep charging in without a plan, we're just going to exhaust ourselves."
Elias let out a slow breath, his flames dimming again. "Fine," he muttered. "But we'd better come up with something fast."
Sylra floated closer to Kaelen, her ethereal glow flickering like candlelight. "We'll follow your lead," she said softly, her voice carrying an unspoken trust that seemed to steady Kaelen.
Kaelen nodded, relief flickering across his face. "Alright," he said. "Martice, can you set up some traps? We'll need them to slow it down."
Martice rolled his eyes but crouched to begin inscribing sigils. "Yeah. Just keep it busy long enough for me to work."
Kaelen turned to Hush, who was already moving toward a position on the Guardian's flank. "Hush, you're our best shot at distraction. Keep it guessing—make it look in every direction except where the real attacks are coming from."
Hush gave a small nod, his expression unreadable. "Consider it done."
Kaelen's gaze shifted to Aeryn and Elias. "You two are our heavy hitters. Work together to focus its attention. Aeryn, try to root it down when you see an opening. Elias, don't overcommit—you need to keep some energy in reserve."
Elias's lips curled into a small grin. "Got it, boss."
With their roles set, the group readied themselves. Kaelen took one last steadying breath, his fingers twitching faintly at his sides. They had one more chance to make this work. He only hoped it would be enough.