A soft breeze drifted through the half-repaired windows of their home, bringing with it the scent of wild herbs and dew-covered earth. The faint warmth of morning light crept across the walls, blending with the golden glow of the fire pit that crackled gently at the heart of their home.
Evon stood with a hand on his hip, a relaxed smile spreading across his face as he took in the scene.
Lyria, flushed from her recent transformation, was humming softly as she stirred a pot over the open flame. The scent of sweet root vegetables, lightly caramelized, mixed with the savory aroma of herb-baked meat.
Naia was near the wooden counter, gracefully slicing a bundle of fresh starfruit with a precision that matched her water-crafted elegance. Her icy blue aura had faded, but the inner calm that radiated from her was unmistakable.
Sythara, lounging at the far end of the room, had her wings lightly folded and one leg dangling over the arm of a chair. She popped a toasted nut-fruit into her mouth and smirked. "You know, we should awaken ancient powers more often if this is the breakfast it gets us."
"Noted," Evon said with a chuckle as he carried over a carved wooden tray holding honey-glazed bread rolls and a pot of citrus tea.
Veyra appeared from the far side, her cyber-enhanced fingers gleaming faintly as she carried a plate of freshly roasted sky-chicken, garnished with salt petals and sun herbs. "All systems optimized," she said with a wink, setting the plate down. "Also, it smells divine."
Lyria turned, her amber-gold eyes lighting up. "Okay, breakfast is ready! Come on, everyone—let's sit and eat while everything is still warm!"
They all gathered around a low wooden table lined with plates of steaming food, vibrant fruits, and spiced tea. Cushions and furs were arranged around it, making it feel like a cozy feast in a sacred grove.
Naia sat beside Evon, resting her hand gently on his arm for a moment before passing him a bowl of floral stew. "You've done so much for all of us, Evon… Please, eat your fill."
"I will," he said softly, returning her look with a smile that made her cheeks flush pink.
Lyria passed him a cup of tea and leaned in close. "You're the reason I can chase my dream of becoming the True Fire Goddess," she whispered. "Let's celebrate like we deserve to."
Evon looked around the table. Sythara was already biting into a huge chicken leg with primal glee. Veyra neatly plated pieces for herself, adjusting the food perfectly with almost mechanical grace. Naia lifted a ladle of clear broth with floating ice petals, her every move serene.
"This... this is perfect," Evon said. "Not because of the food—though it's amazing—but because you're all here. Stronger, more alive… more yourselves than ever."
They raised their cups in a toast.
"To the True Fire," Lyria said, raising hers high.
"To the Immortal Water," Naia followed, her voice calm and warm.
"To the Divine Dragon," Sythara added, puffing a small flame from her nose in pride.
Veyra clinked her cup against theirs. "To what comes next."
And Evon—he simply looked at them all, eyes shining.
"To us."
They ate slowly, savoring each bite. The sweet root stew had a buttery finish. The sky-chicken was crisp on the outside and juicy within, lightly peppered with volcanic salt. Starfruit slices sparkled with natural sugar crystals. The citrus tea left a bright, lingering heat in their throats—refreshing and comforting.
As they ate, the conversation turned playful.
"I almost set the stew on fire," Lyria confessed, laughing.
"I would've frozen the pot and started over," Naia teased.
"You would've frozen the entire room!" Veyra grinned. "That chill nearly made my circuits stutter."
"I was very gentle," Naia said, with a playful smile. "Unlike *some* dragons who destroy roofs when transforming."
"Hey!" Sythara puffed her cheeks. "That was majestic, thank you very much."
Evon grinned, leaning back. "It was also terrifying."
"And sexy," Lyria added with a mischievous smirk, causing Sythara to flick a piece of bread at her.
They laughed together—genuine, loud, and free.
There were no monsters lurking at their gates. No trials or awakenings looming over them.
Just warmth, food, and friendship.
As the meal wound down, Evon stood and gently began gathering plates. Naia rose to help him, brushing her hand against his with a quiet smile.
"I want to show you something later," she said softly, only for him to hear.
Evon raised an eyebrow. "Another awakening?"
"Something quieter," she replied. "Just… something personal."
He nodded, curious and touched.
The morning was bright, and the warmth of the fire lingered.
And the bonds between them had never felt stronger.
---
After finishing their hearty breakfast and tidying up the dining space, the group stepped outside into the open courtyard that had just recently been rebuilt. The sun bathed the area in gentle gold, and the scent of dew still lingered on the grass.
"Alright," Sythara said, stretching her arms wide, "I say it's time to see who can make the coolest—or hottest—move with their new powers."
"Did you mean that literally?" Veyra quipped, arching a brow. "Because if so, I think Naia has that covered."
Naia gave a shy smile, her pale-blue eyes twinkling. "Only if Lyria doesn't burn everything down first."
"I can *control* it now!" Lyria defended, puffing her cheeks. "True Fire is calm. Unlike you, Ice Queen."
Evon chuckled, stepping between them. "Alright, alright—no real fighting. But a friendly challenge sounds good. How about a power demonstration?"
"Yes!" Sythara flapped her wings once, clearly too eager. "Let's set up a few training targets and go wild."
Veyra's cyber-arms spun briefly, and with a mechanical hiss, she deployed four steel dummies she had forged during their previous repair sessions. "Targets ready."
"Wow," Evon blinked. "Do you sleep, Veyra?"
"I sleep when everyone stops exploding roofs," she said, side-eyeing Sythara.
"*One time!*" Sythara groaned.
Naia stepped forward first. Calmly, she lifted her hand, and a swirl of water began to dance around her wrist. "This ability is called Immortal Flow."
She twirled once, and from her feet surged a stream of clear water that turned to gleaming frost mid-air. With a flick of her wrist, she sent a spiral of icy mist toward the first dummy.
CRACK!
A beautiful sculpture of glimmering ice formed instantly around it—encasing it entirely without shattering it.
The others gasped.
"That's… stunning," Lyria whispered. "It looks like art."
Sythara knelt beside the frozen target and tapped it. "Even its *soul* looks frozen."
Naia smiled softly. "Immortal Water doesn't just freeze. It purifies and stops things at their essence. No more, no less."
Evon stepped beside her and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "It's incredible, Naia."
She looked up at him, cheeks flushed with quiet pride.
Lyria stepped forward next, rolling her shoulders. "Alright, time for some heat."
She inhaled slowly, eyes closing. Her aura flickered into a vivid scarlet as her long hair began to rise, transforming into flowing strands of shimmering flame. But there was no heat, no blaze—only a pressure that made the air feel tense and sharp.
She opened her eyes. "True Fire: Stage Eleven."
The moment she pointed, the second dummy's armor began to steam… and then melt—not from any fire, but from pure concentrated heat.
There was no flame—just silent, oppressive pressure.
Ssshhh...
The steel slumped and deformed, glowing red.
"I didn't even see a spark," Evon whispered.
Sythara gave a low whistle. "If that's only stage eleven… what happens at stage one?"
Lyria winked. "World melts."
Everyone laughed—nervously.
Sythara stepped forward last, cracking her neck with a grin. "Alright. You've seen ice and fire. Let's bring the storm."
Without warning, her wings burst open and her aura flared—jet-black with streaks of gold. She leapt into the air, her body glowing as she partially shifted, golden scales rippling across her skin.
"Divine Dragon Form—Condensed Mode!"
Her figure grew slightly, scales forming across her arms, and her eyes glowed a brilliant crimson. She swooped once in the air before descending in a controlled spiral, slamming her clawed fist into the ground just beside the third dummy.
BOOM!
A shockwave of compressed air and light flung the dummy backward, spinning like a ragdoll.
Evon had to shield his eyes. "Holy—!"
"Power, baby!" Sythara landed and flicked her hair, laughing.
"Not fair," Veyra muttered. "You get wings and explosions."
"And I haven't even used my breath attack yet," Sythara winked.
"I hate how cool that is," Lyria grumbled playfully.
Veyra cracked her knuckles. "Alright. My turn now."
She walked to the final target and opened her palm. Her cybernetic fingers shifted and twisted, forming a gleaming blade of plasma. With practiced precision, she struck once, twice, thrice—each time faster than the eye could follow.
The dummy dropped in half, neatly sliced.
Then she flicked her wrist.
BOOM!
A delayed explosion erupted behind her, disintegrating the halves mid-air with a chain of micro-plasma blasts.
"Okay, *that's* cheating," Sythara said.
"Precision," Veyra said, brushing imaginary dust from her shoulder.
Everyone burst into laughter.
Evon stepped forward, arms wide. "Okay, okay—we've clearly got a terrifying amount of power in this group now. How about a game next? Maybe something a little less… explosive?"
"Capture the fruit?" Naia suggested.
"With powers?" Lyria's eyes sparkled.
Sythara grinned. "Yes. I'm *in*."
"Isn't that dangerous?" Evon asked.
Everyone: "YES!"
Then:
Everyone: "Let's do it!"
Naia summoned an orb of glimmering ice and molded it into a glowing fruit-like shape. "Here's the goal. Whoever holds it longest before the sunset wins. No killing. Just fun."
"And no melting my fruit," she added, staring at Lyria.
"No promises," Lyria smirked.
As the sun rose higher, they ran, flew, and laughed—racing each other across the grass. Powers flashed, barriers formed, bursts of flame chased streams of water, and shrieking laughter echoed through the air.
It wasn't training.
It was family.
And it was the best morning they'd had in a long, long time.
---
The sun had begun its golden descent, dipping slowly toward the horizon, casting the courtyard in a glowing haze of amber and soft fire. Long shadows stretched over the stone walls, while the laughter and friendly shouts of the group echoed across the open skies.
Naia's glowing fruit—or *the treasure*, as Sythara had dramatically dubbed it—had become the center of the entire afternoon. The rules were simple: hold the fruit the longest before sunset, and you win. But with five wild and overpowered warriors, "simple" quickly turned into chaos.
"I'VE GOT IT!" Lyria shouted triumphantly, clutching the shimmering orb as flames spun protectively around her.
"Not for long!" Sythara dropped from above, wings slicing the air. "Dragon swoop!"
Evon couldn't help but laugh as Lyria shrieked and leapt aside, narrowly avoiding Sythara's talons. Naia darted between them, her water shield swirling as she summoned a geyser to throw them both off balance.
"You're all reckless," Veyra muttered from the side, calmly watching the chaos unfold as she analyzed everyone's moves with mechanical precision.
"Oh come on, Veyra," Evon called. "You haven't joined in since your first ambush!"
"Because I'm waiting for the perfect moment," she said, eyes glinting mischievously.
Suddenly, vines sprouted from the ground—Veyra's drone having deployed a trap. Lyria yelped as she was caught mid-run, tangled up.
"I should've seen that coming," Lyria muttered, flailing slightly.
Sythara burst out laughing mid-flight. "This is why you never win strategy games!"
"Shut up and help me!"
Evon strolled toward the chaos, pretending not to care, hands in his pockets—until suddenly he lunged forward, snatching the fruit off the ground when Naia fumbled her grip.
"Whoa—Evon's got it!" Naia shouted, laughing in disbelief.
Evon bolted. "No powers! I'm just a guy running for his life!"
The girls collectively shouted. "GET HIM!"
And so began the final stretch—Evon, the unpowered mortal man, sprinting down the pathway as four superpowered women chased after him, laughing and calling out threats and dares.
"You better hold onto it until the sun dips!" Lyria called.
"You're not making it to sunset, mortal!" Sythara boomed playfully.
Evon dashed between stone arches, dove behind the courtyard fountain, and ducked beneath Naia's ice-slick trail. Veyra appeared right in front of him, hand extended, but Evon feinted left, then rolled right.
He stumbled back onto the grass, laughing breathlessly.
And that was when the sun finally touched the horizon, a golden blaze slipping behind the distant hills.
Everyone stopped.
Panting, wide-eyed, and still grinning.
"…Did he actually win?" Lyria asked, hands on her hips.
"Unbelievable," Sythara huffed. "You're not even powered!"
"That," Evon said between breaths, "is called raw endurance."
Naia flopped down beside him in the grass, her long aqua hair fanning around her. "You deserve it. That was impressive."
Veyra crouched nearby, nodding. "Statistically speaking, you had a 3% chance."
"That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me," Evon laughed.
Lyria walked over and dropped beside them, tossing her head back. "Okay, you win. But next time, I'm going all out."
"I thought you already *were* going all out," Naia teased.
Sythara landed beside them and sprawled across the grass with a groan. "My wings are tired. Evon, carry me."
"You're three times my weight in dragon form," he joked.
"Well, carry me emotionally."
"Fair enough."
As the last golden light slipped into twilight, the group lay back in the grass together, looking up at the sky. The stars began to blink into view, one by one, scattered across a slowly deepening blue.
"I forgot how nice it feels," Naia whispered.
"What does?" Lyria asked.
"To just… play. No missions. No danger. Just laughter."
Veyra nodded slowly. "We haven't had that in a long time."
Evon looked around at all of them—Naia's calm warmth, Lyria's soft fire glow, Sythara's draconic pride softened by affection, and Veyra's quiet strength. They were smiling. All of them.
He lay back with them, arms folded behind his head.
"Let's do this again tomorrow," he said.
Everyone, at once, murmured: "Yes."
___________
A/N: Dear Readers, thank you so much for your support. If you are enjoying the story please give some power stones and leave some reviews.