The Nexus trembled as the three guardians advanced, their imposing forms drawing the very air into a charged stillness. The ground beneath their feet cracked with each step, and the energy they exuded was enough to make Kai’s heart race in his chest. He could feel the power—overwhelming, ancient, and far beyond anything he had ever encountered.

Kai glanced at Mara. Her face was set in determination, but he could see the hint of concern in her eyes as she surveyed the guardians.

“They won’t go down easy,” she said, her voice tight. “They’re not just warriors. They’re avatars of the Nexus itself, protectors of the most sacred realms.”

The words hung in the air, thick with the weight of what they were about to face. Kai’s mind raced as the energy of the Nexus surged inside him, but even with all that power, he didn’t feel ready. Not for this.

Mara moved into position, every muscle taut. “Stay close to me, Kai. I’ll keep you safe—just try to harness the energy and focus. This is going to be our toughest fight yet.”

But Kai’s gaze was drawn to the horizon, where something—someone—appeared in the distance. It was almost like a ripple in the fabric of the Nexus, a figure stepping from the shadows as if the very space bent to accommodate his presence.

A low hum filled the air. His footsteps were almost imperceptible, but they carried weight, a sense of power that resonated deep within Kai’s chest. The figure stepped forward into the light, and as Kai caught a glimpse of his face, something clicked inside him. His breath caught in his throat.

The figure was tall, broad-shouldered, his frame exuding an aura of control, discipline, and immense strength. His features were sharp, his eyes intense, the kind of eyes that seemed to carry the knowledge of centuries. The energy around him pulsed, crackling with power.

“Who is that?” Kai whispered, unable to take his eyes off him.

Mara stiffened beside him, and for the first time, a flicker of surprise crossed her face. Her lips parted in recognition, but she didn’t speak immediately. She was studying the figure as if she had seen him before, something about him drawing her in with the force of a magnet.

The guardian closest to them—an imposing being with jagged black armor and red glowing eyes—snarled, noticing the newcomer. The three guardians slowed, exchanging uneasy glances. Even they seemed to recognize something.

“You!” The guardian’s voice was full of disbelief. “It can’t be… How did you return?”

The man—the figure—stepped forward, his presence sweeping across the battlefield like a tidal wave. His eyes never left the guardians, but there was a slight pause as if he, too, was acknowledging the significance of the moment. Then, his voice rang out—deep, calm, and full of authority.

“Your time here is over,” he said, his words carrying an undeniable weight that seemed to resonate in the very fabric of the Nexus.

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It was then that Kai realized who he was looking at—the traits, the commanding presence, the energy flowing around him. He knew this figure. Somehow, deep inside, Kai recognized him.

“That... that’s impossible...” Kai whispered under his breath.

Mara’s voice broke through his reverie, her tone filled with awe and a hint of something else—respect, fear, and recognition. “It’s him... The legendary warrior, the one who disappeared. Eli Carter.”

Kai’s mind raced. The legendary warrior? His father?

But that couldn’t be possible. His father—his real father—had been missing for years. Kai had been raised by his mother, who never spoke about the man who vanished without a trace. So how could this person be him? Was this a trick? A false identity?

“Your father,” Mara said softly, almost as if she could hear his thoughts. “He was a guardian of the Nexus. The one they all feared.”

Kai’s heart pounded in his chest, and his mind reeled. The energy inside him seemed to hum louder, responding to the presence of the man before him, as though it recognized the connection between them. His father had been a part of this world, a part of the Nexus. But why hadn’t he returned? And why had he disappeared all those years ago?

The three guardians flinched, as if they were struggling to come to terms with the sheer magnitude of Eli’s presence. The one who had spoken earlier, the black-armored guardian, took a step back, his hands clenched at his sides.

“You don’t belong here,” the guardian growled, his voice trembling with a mix of anger and fear. “You left. You cannot return.”

“I never left,” Eli’s voice was calm, yet held an undeniable edge. “The Nexus was always mine to protect, and I will return whenever I choose.”

The guardians charged, their movements synchronized in a deadly dance. The air grew thick with crackling energy as they launched an assault on Eli. But the man—Eli—was unfazed. He raised his hand, and in the blink of an eye, the world around him shifted.

A massive blade of pure energy materialized from the Nexus itself, crackling with destructive power. Eli’s hand gripped the hilt, and with a single, fluid motion, he slashed forward. The energy blade moved faster than light, slicing through the air with a sound like thunder.

The first guardian—the one with black armor—was the first to attack, his weapon aimed directly at Eli’s head. But Eli moved with inhuman speed, his blade meeting the guardian’s weapon with a deafening clash. The force sent shockwaves through the ground, causing the Nexus itself to tremble.

Eli’s strike was unstoppable, his energy code-infused weapon cleaving through the guardian’s defenses like paper. In an instant, the guardian was thrown back, the sheer force of the blow sending him hurtling across the battlefield.

Kai couldn’t tear his eyes away. He had seen the Energy of Codes before, felt it within himself, but never like this. The blade Eli wielded was made from the very fabric of the Nexus, its power undeniable, and the raw force of it shook the world around them.

Kai’s thoughts were a whirlwind. His father—the legendary Eli Carter—was alive. And now, he was fighting beside them, bringing an unstoppable force to the Nexus.

The other two guardians hesitated, clearly unsure how to handle this new threat. They knew they were outmatched. Eli wasn’t just a warrior—he was a master of the very energy that sustained the Nexus.

And then, with a motion too fast to track, Eli moved again. The remaining two guardians were caught off guard as the energy blade surged forward, cutting through the air in a series of rapid, brutal strikes. One by one, the guardians fell back, their movements slow and predictable compared to Eli’s fluid grace.

The air crackled as Eli raised his hand, and a wave of energy swept outward, knocking the guardians to their knees. The world around them seemed to warp, the energy of the Nexus bending to Eli’s will. For a moment, it seemed as if the very laws of reality had been rewritten.

Eli turned toward Kai, his gaze sharp and unwavering. “Stay focused, Kai. You are stronger than you think.”

And in that moment, as Kai watched his father take down the guardians with effortless power, he knew that his journey had only just begun. But this time, he wasn’t alone.