The air was quiet and still, the secluded base nestled deep in a forgotten valley, far from the chaos of the world. Arata, Butter, Cheese, and The Queen moved carefully around the dimly lit space, their movements a mixture of caution and exhaustion. In the center of the room, the rescued woman lay on a makeshift bed, her breathing shallow but steady.

The Queen, her hands glowing with a soft light, hovered over the woman, whispering words of healing. Every now and then, the Queen’s brow furrowed in concentration as she worked tirelessly to mend the broken spirit before her. Arata stood at the entrance, his eyes scanning the perimeter, his mind half here, half elsewhere.

Butter quietly paced beside Cheese, her eyes flickering between the unconscious woman and Arata, who seemed more distant than ever. Cheese, ever curious, sat with his legs crossed, observing the Queen’s magic with wide, fascinated eyes. But even his usual enthusiasm was tempered by the weight of their current situation.

"She’s stable," the Queen finally said, breaking the silence, her voice tired but firm. "But she’ll need more time."

Arata nodded without turning, his gaze still focused on the horizon. The atmosphere was tense—this was a rare moment of peace, but it was fragile, like the calm before a storm.

Arata's mind wandered, pulled by a familiar dread. His hand reached for a nearby tablet, flipping it on to catch the latest news. His heart sank as the headlines flashed across the screen. Newzland in Ruins – Entire City Destroyed by Elio’s Rampage.

His fingers clenched the edges of the tablet, his knuckles turning white. The images of smoke and fire, of entire buildings reduced to rubble, filled the screen. The devastation was absolute.

“We’ll get to him,” Arata muttered under his breath. “Eventually, we’ll face Elio.”

Butter, always perceptive, glanced at Arata. “But not like this, right?”

Arata shook his head. "No, not like this. We're nowhere near ready."

It was then that a soft glow emanated from Arata’s hand—the Angel Ring. A voice echoed in his mind, calm yet full of authority. Angela, who resided within the ring, spoke, her words filling the room though only Arata and the others could hear her.

"Arata is right. Facing Elio now would be suicide."

Cheese perked up, his usual lighthearted demeanor overshadowed by concern. "Why? Isn’t he just... another enemy?"

Angela's voice softened as if explaining to a child, but the gravity of her words was undeniable. "Elio isn’t just any enemy. He has fully embraced the power of the Dark Dragon. His strength is beyond what you’ve faced so far."

The Queen glanced at the ring in Arata's hand. "What makes him so different?"

"The Dark Dragon is not just a transformation; it's a binding of will and elemental force. Elio’s power has grown exponentially since he bonded with it. Every time he uses that power, it consumes him more, making him stronger... and less human."

Angela paused before continuing. "He is no longer driven by human desires or weaknesses. His goals are now tied to something far darker. Facing him now would require a strength you do not possess."

Arata’s jaw tightened. "Then what do we do?"

"For now, you need to focus on building your own strength. You cannot hope to face Elio until you are prepared for the magnitude of his power."

Arata's mind wandered, pulled by a familiar dread. His hand reached for a nearby tablet, flipping it on to catch the latest news. His heart sank as the headlines flashed across the screen. Newzland in Ruins – Entire City Destroyed by Elio’s Rampage.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

His fingers clenched the edges of the tablet, his knuckles turning white. The images of smoke and fire, of entire buildings reduced to rubble, filled the screen. The devastation was absolute.

“We’ll get to him,” Arata muttered under his breath. “Eventually, we’ll face Elio.”

Butter, always perceptive, glanced at Arata. “But not like this, right?”

Arata shook his head. "No, not like this. We're nowhere near ready."

It was then that a soft glow emanated from Arata’s hand—the Angel Ring. A voice echoed in his mind, calm yet full of authority. Angela, who resided within the ring, spoke, her words filling the room though only Arata and the others could hear her.

"Arata is right. Facing Elio now would be suicide."

Cheese perked up, his usual lighthearted demeanor overshadowed by concern. "Why? Isn’t he just... another enemy?"

Angela's voice softened as if explaining to a child, but the gravity of her words was undeniable. "Elio isn’t just any enemy. He has fully embraced the power of the Dark Dragon. His strength is beyond what you’ve faced so far."

The Queen glanced at the ring in Arata's hand. "What makes him so different?"

"The Dark Dragon is not just a transformation; it's a binding of will and elemental force. Elio’s power has grown exponentially since he bonded with it. Every time he uses that power, it consumes him more, making him stronger... and less human."

Angela paused before continuing. "He is no longer driven by human desires or weaknesses. His goals are now tied to something far darker. Facing him now would require a strength you do not possess."

Arata’s jaw tightened. "Then what do we do?"

"For now, you need to focus on building your own strength. You cannot hope to face Elio until you are prepared for the magnitude of his power."

"These rings are more than just tools. Each one holds a fraction of elemental power, a key to unlocking the potential you’ll need."

Arata glanced at the rings again. He could feel the energy radiating from them, calling to him in a way that felt both foreign and familiar. With a deep breath, he slid the Whale Ring onto his left hand and the Snow Leopard Ring onto his right. Immediately, a surge of power coursed through him, sharp and overwhelming, like the sea colliding with a frozen tundra.

Angela’s voice was calm. "These will help you control what comes next."

The quiet hum of the base allowed for a rare moment of reflection. Arata found himself beside The Queen, who had taken a break from tending to the rescued woman. She looked weary, her regal demeanor softened by fatigue.

Arata spoke first, his voice uncharacteristically gentle. "Rui..."

The Queen looked up sharply, startled by the name. It had been years since anyone had called her that, especially Arata. She hadn't heard it since Arata was a child.

"Why did you hide from us, Arata?" Her voice wasn’t angry, just filled with a quiet pain. "Why did you hide from me?"

Arata let out a slow breath. "I thought it was the only way. I needed to protect all of you. And you, especially."

"Protect us by distancing yourself? That doesn’t make sense."

He turned to face her fully, his expression raw with emotion. "It wasn’t supposed to make sense, Rui. I didn’t want anyone getting hurt because of me. And if you knew... if you knew what I had to become, you might have tried to stop me."

The Queen searched his face, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "We were always here for you, Arata. You didn’t have to go through it alone."

"I had to. It was the only way I could keep those precious to me safe." His voice dropped to a whisper. "And that includes you, Rui."

The Queen’s lip trembled, but she kept her composure. She hadn’t realized how much Arata had been carrying, how much he had been willing to sacrifice for the people he loved.

"I’m sorry, Arata," she said softly. "For not seeing it sooner."

Arata gave a faint smile. "There’s nothing to apologize for. We’re all just trying to survive."

The somber air in the base shifted when the sound of footsteps echoed from the corridor. Butter’s ears perked up, and she sprinted to the entrance, her face lighting up. The others followed suit, and soon Lance, Uriel, Dan, and Jennifer appeared, weary but alive.

In Lance’s hand was the Ring of Wolf, its dark surface reflecting the light of the base. "We found it," Lance said, holding it out to Arata. "The Wolf’s power... it’s yours now."

For the first time in days, hope stirred among the group. They were not defeated yet.

But far away, in the ruins of Newzland, a new nightmare unfolded. Elio sat atop a throne made of debris, the shattered remains of the city beneath him. His dark, massive dragon wing stretched out behind him, casting a shadow over the smoldering landscape. Before him stood Warrier, a lone figure with a determined gaze, ready to fight against the darkness.

The battle was far from over.