The light in Eric's living room dimmed as a radiant glow took over. Seraphine materialized before them, her form shimmering with ethereal energy. This time, however, a pair of radiant butterfly wings unfurled from her back, glowing with soft pink light.
Eric raised an eyebrow. "Okay… that's new."
The six girls stared in awe as Seraphine fully materialized.
"Whoa, what is that?" Riley asked, her eyes wide with wonder.
"I am Seraphine, Aether Guardian of Love," Seraphine declared. Her voice carried both warmth and authority. She turned her gaze toward the six girls. "And you… you have been chosen by the Aether Gems to become Guardians."
"What gems?" Akari questioned, folding her arms skeptically.
Suddenly, their backpacks glowed with an unearthly radiance. Six luminous gemstones floated out and hovered above their heads, casting vibrant colors across the room.
Each gem was distinct:
A deep crimson ruby sparkled with flickering flames.
A sapphire shimmered with waves of water.
A bright Celestite crackled with electric sparks.
An emerald radiated with lush, vibrant energy.
A Diamond gleamed with icy frost.
A swirling Selenite shone with gusts of wind.
Seraphine's voice rang with certainty. "Ruby Harper, Akari Saito, Nia Brooks, Serena Carter, Riley Sparks, and Hazel Rivers… you have been chosen to protect the Aether."
Hazel furrowed her brows. "What do you mean, protect the Aether?"
"Yeah, and what even is that?" Ruby added, still skeptical.
Seraphine's expression grew serious. "The Aether is the infinite source of magic that flows through my realm—Luminara. A place where magic exists freely, both light and dark. But as time passed, the darkness grew restless, wanting more power for itself. A war began, one that raged for years, until seven powerful Guardians stood against the growing threat."
With a wave of her hand, shimmering illusions filled the air. Black silhouettes of warriors emerged—each wielding incredible elemental powers:
A warrior with fiery wings unleashed a blaze upon monstrous figures.
A centaur with a staff conjured a massive tornado.
A mermaid-like being sent forth monstrous tidal waves.
A snow queen raised glaciers to impale her foes.
A feline humanoid dashed at lightning speed, slashing through enemies.
A treant summoned colossal vines to entangle shadowy creatures.
A pink-winged fairy unleashed a dazzling flurry of butterflies, her magic washing over the battlefield.
Seraphine's voice softened. "The battle lasted for countless days. When the darkness prepared for one final strike, the Guardians poured every last ounce of their magic into their final defense. In doing so, they created an alternate dimension to imprison the darkness forever. But the enemy was powerful. As the seal took hold, the dark forces unleashed one final attack—a surge of dark energy and black lightning that struck the Guardians as they held their ground.
"They screamed in agony, yet they did not falter. With their last breath, they infused their very essence into six magical crystals—The Aether Gems. One by one, their bodies faded, leaving behind only their magic. I alone remained."
The girls sat in stunned silence as Seraphine continued, her voice filled with sorrow.
"But before I could take the gems to safety, I noticed a crack in the seal. And then… she emerged."
A new silhouette appeared—a haunting figure cloaked in green flames.
"Noctyra," Seraphine said darkly. "She pursued me, knowing the gems were the key to regaining control. I fled across dimensions, searching for a place where magic did not exist, where the gems could remain hidden. But Noctyra followed me here, to this dimension. We fought for days before crashing into the earth, but I knew I could not protect them forever. So, I used the last of my power to take out the middle piece of each gem "the keys" and scattered the gems across this world, allowing them to find those worthy of their power."
Seraphine's gaze met theirs. "And now, they have chosen you."
"Whoa," Ruby and Riley whispered in unison. The others remained silent, processing the weight of Seraphine's words.
Then, Akari let out a sudden laugh. "Are you serious? What is this, some kind of role-playing game?"
Nia crossed her arms. "If you wanted us to join your fantasy campaign, you could've at least given us a heads-up."
Serena scoffed, shaking her head. "I knew this was a waste of time."
"Oh, and nice holograms, by the way," Akari added with a smirk. "Magic and gems? Yeah, okay."
"I assure you, this is the truth," Seraphine said calmly.
"Then prove it," Ruby challenged. "If you really have magic, make me fly."
Seraphine raised her hand. Suddenly, not only Ruby but all six girls—and even some of Eric's furniture—began floating midair.
"What the—?!" Riley yelped.
"Okay, okay, put us down!" Hazel panicked.
Once they landed safely, Seraphine folded her arms. "Now do you believe me?"
"I mean… it's hard not to after that," Nia admitted. "But what do you mean we have to fight?"
"You six were chosen to protect the Aether from the forces of darkness," Seraphine said.
Akari sighed. "Look, do we look like warriors to you?"
She gestured to Riley. "She's always one step ahead of herself."
Then to Serena. "She's too stubborn."
Then Hazel. "She's a total coward."
"And I am not the type to put myself in danger."
"I-Is that how you talk about your friends?" Ruby asked, frowning.
"I mean… it's all kinda true," Nia muttered, and the others reluctantly nodded in agreement.
Ruby narrowed her eyes. "You sure sound like a great friend."
Akari raised an eyebrow. "And you are?"
"Ruby Harper. New student. And you are?"
"Akari Saito," she replied.
Riley leaned in. "She's, like, super famous on BipBop. She does makeup vids and everything."
"Oh," Ruby said, unimpressed. "I must've missed her. I don't really care about that stuff."
Akari smirked. "Well, maybe you should. Looks like you need it."
Ruby bristled. "Excuse me?!"
Before things could escalate, Nia stepped between them. "Alright, enough. But Akari's got a point—we're not exactly warrior material."
"Yeah," Serena added. "Why don't you head over to A.E.G.I.S HQ? I'm sure they have someone qualified."
She placed her gem on the table and walked out. One by one, the others followed, leaving their gems behind. Riley hesitated, glancing at Eric before sighing and exiting with the rest.
"No, wait—!" Eric called after them, but the door shut behind them.
Seraphine watched the gems glow faintly. "It's alright. The gems have chosen them."
As she spoke, the Aether Gems disappeared.
The Next Morning…
Each of the six girls woke up feeling… different. They couldn't quite explain it, but something felt off—like an invisible current of energy pulsed beneath their skin.
Ruby – The Flame Awakens
Ruby groggily stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. The smell of coffee and pancakes filled the air as Ryan flipped a pancake onto a plate.
"Morning, sleepyhead," he greeted.
"Morning," she mumbled, grabbing two mugs and pouring coffee.
She slid one toward Ryan, but the moment his fingers brushed the ceramic—
"OW!" He yanked his hand back. "What the hell? That's burning!"
Ruby frowned, touching her own cup. It was warm, but not scorching.
"What are you talking about? It's fine."
Ryan ran his hand under the sink. "No way, that thing's way too hot."
Ruby picked up her cup again—this time, focusing. The moment she did, the liquid inside bubbled unnaturally, steam rising rapidly.
Her heart pounded.
"What was that?"
Riley – Lightning in Her Veins
Riley groaned, rolling over in bed and reaching for her phone.
Dead battery.
She huffed. "Ugh, seriously?"
Grumbling, she pressed the power button a few more times, but the screen stayed black.
Then—ZZZT!
A light blue spark leapt from her fingertips, surging into the phone. The screen flickered to life—100% charged.
She stared at it, wide-eyed.
"…Huh?"
Slowly, she touched the phone again. Another tiny spark jumped between her fingers and the glass.
"Okay, what?"
She sat up quickly, heart racing. Her hair stood on end, static crackling in the air.
"Am I—electric?!"
Nia – Whispers of the Wind
The sound of her alarm startled Nia awake. She reached out groggily for her phone—only for a sudden gust of wind to push it into her palm.
Her eyes snapped open.
"…What the hell?"
She sat up, blinking at the phone in her hand. She could've sworn it was on the nightstand, not floating through the air.
Maybe she imagined it.
Shaking it off, she swung her legs over the bed and reached for her slippers. But before she could grab them, another breeze swept through the room—shoving them neatly into place at her feet.
Her breath hitched.
Slowly, she reached for the door handle.
The moment she touched it—
WHAM!
A sudden, powerful gust slammed the door open so hard it broke off its hinges.
Nia jumped back, staring.
"…What just happened?!"
Serena – A Torrent of Power
Serena was brushing her teeth when she noticed something strange.
The faucet wasn't working. No matter how much she turned the knob, nothing came out.
"Ugh, seriously?" she groaned, tapping the sink.
Then—out of nowhere—water gushed forward, spraying wildly.
Serena yelped, stumbling back as the stream curved unnaturally, moving almost as if it had a mind of its own.
She tried to turn it off, but the water refused to stop. In a panic, she waved her hands—
And just like that, the stream froze midair.
Not frozen as in ice—frozen in motion.
The water hovered, swirling in slow, controlled ripples.
Serena's breath hitched.
"…Did I just do that?"
Hazel – Nature's Pulse
Hazel stretched as she stepped into her backyard, inhaling the morning air. The garden her grandmother had been tending was already bursting with life, but something about it felt… brighter today.
She bent down to touch one of the daisies. The moment her fingers brushed the petals, the entire flower grew.
Hazel yelped, jerking her hand back.
The daisy, now twice its original size, swayed gently.
She reached for another plant—this time, a small fern. Again, the moment she touched it, it flourished before her eyes, its leaves stretching and unfurling.
Hazel's heart pounded.
"I… I did that?"
Akari – Frozen Touch
Akari sat on the edge of her bed, arms crossed, replaying the events of last night in her head.
"This is ridiculous," she muttered. "Magic isn't real."
Still irritated, she stood up and headed downstairs, where Miss Hana was preparing her usual morning coffee.
"Morning, Miss Hana. Could you get me my coffee?" Akari asked, still half-asleep.
"Of course, Miss Akari," Hana replied, setting a steaming mug in front of her.
Akari absentmindedly scrolled on her phone as she grabbed the cup—
But the moment she touched it, a cold mist spread across the ceramic.
The coffee inside froze solid.
She blinked.
"…What the—?"
Miss Hana gasped. "Miss Akari, what happened?"
Akari stared at the cup, then at her hands. A chill ran up her arms.
Her fingers were glowing with faint, icy energy.
She gulped.
"…No way."
As each of the girls rushed to school, they tried to shake off the strange events from that morning. Maybe they were just imagining things. Maybe it was some bizarre coincidence. Either way, they weren't going to dwell on it now—especially with class starting soon.
The first few hours of school passed uneventfully. But just as the afternoon settled in, a loud alarm blared across campus. The sudden sound made students freeze, looking around in confusion.
Then, an urgent news broadcast appeared on every screen in the school.
"This is Karl Jones, reporting live on the scene as flying creatures are wreaking havoc!" The reporter's voice was filled with panic as the camera panned to the chaos unfolding behind him. Horrifying, decayed creatures with glowing green eyes swooped through the city streets, hurling green energy orbs that exploded on impact. Cars burst into flames, buildings crumbled, and people ran for their lives.
"Wherever you are, stay safe!" Jones shouted—just as an explosion sent him and his cameraman crashing to the ground.
The camera feed wobbled as they scrambled back up. Just then, multiple black-and-blue armored vehicles screeched to a stop, and A.E.G.I.S. soldiers stormed out, opening fire on the creatures.
"It looks like A.E.G.I.S. is on the case!" Jones continued, his voice shaking.
But before anyone could feel relief, the sky above darkened. A thick green mist swirled into ominous storm clouds, pulsing with eerie energy. Then, a face emerged from the swirling fog—a woman with piercing eyes and a sinister smile.
"Your fragile world stands on the edge of ruin. I am Noctyra, and I offer you one chance—deliver the Aether Gems to me, or suffer the consequences." she said, She then showed the Aether Crystals with each of their middle piece missing, "Until the keys have been surrender your world shall know no peace" she said cackling as the green mist vanished
At that moment, the six girls felt something pulse in their bags. A soft glow illuminated from within, each of their Aether Gems reacting to Noctyra's words.
But the attack was far from over. Noctyra's minions shrieked and lunged at the A.E.G.I.S. soldiers, continuing their assault on the city.
Back at Eric's place, Seraphine hovered in the air, her expression tense. "This is bad… Noctyra isn't just after the gems—she's making her move now."
Eric clenched his fists. "What do we do?"
Seraphine turned to him, urgency in her glowing eyes. "You must call them. Now."
Eric hesitated for only a second before grabbing his phone. Calling all the girls.
"Everyone, meet up at my place now. This is serious."
To be continued…