The first light of dawn touched the sky, casting a soft bronze, orange and golden hue over the towering walls of the Citadel of the Eternal Hope.
Protheus stood silently atop the western tower, his cloak fluttering gently in the cool morning breeze.
From this height, he could see the city stretch far into the horizon, broken, abandoned, and filled with danger.
He closed his eyes and extended his senses.
Magic flowed through the walls, the stones, even the very ground itself.
Every rune, every enchantment, every detail he had crafted was perfect, but there was always room for improvement.
He leapt down from the tower, landing softly on the stone courtyard below. His boots barely made a sound.
"Time to make it better," he thought.
Protheus walked along the inner walls, inspecting every structure.
The walls themselves were massive — towering 21 meters high, made of reinforced stone and layered with powerful magic barriers with engraved runes.
It would take an army of monsters days to even leave a scratch on them.
But Protheus was not satisfied with just strong walls.
He summoned his golems with massive features, stone-like beings that moved with surprising grace.
With a wave of his hand, he instructed them to begin reinforcing key points, adding new layers of magic defenses that would trigger automatically if attacked.
He moved to the gates next, double-reinforced with sealing magic that could stop even an evil dragon.
Still, he added new enchantments. Invisible binding circles hidden in the ground that would trap any hostile creature trying to force its way in.
Inside the Citadel, the transformation of the old mall continued.
The main building, once filled with shops and entertainment had now become a stronghold.
Former restaurants were now storerooms for food and supplies.
Clothing stores became armories for weapons and armors crafter by magic.
Huge open space shopping ground, transformed into quarters for future survivors.
Movie theaters were converted into strategy rooms and magical libraries.
He even installed enchanted gardens in the open spaces not just for beauty, but to heal and purify the air.
Everything had a purpose.
Everything was becoming a fortress worthy of surviving this broken world.
As he finished inspecting the western part of the citadel, Protheus suddenly paused while floating in the air.
He turned his gaze far into the distance.
There, several kilometers away, he sensed a battle raging.
He focused deeper.
In his mind's eye, he saw the scene unfold like a video: A group of humans, young and desperate surrounded by monsters. The stench of blood and fear filled the air even across the distance.
A battle was raging and they were losing.
"Children," Protheus thought grimly.
Without a word, he flew to the direction where the children are and soared into the sky.
Flying high above the broken city, Protheus was like a black comet streaking across the sky.
His cloak billowed behind him as he moved faster than the wind.
The ruins below blurred by, broken buildings and collapsed streets becoming little more than a background.
In less than a minute, he reached the battlefield.
He hovered silently high above, unseen by the monsters and the survivors alike.
The situation was grim
Below him, about twenty four teenagers, boys and girls. Most between 15 to 17 years old, stood in a semi-circle, desperately fighting for their lives.
They were better armed than Prothrues anticipated.
Some wielded bows, letting arrows fly at incoming monsters.
Others had swords and shields, forming a shaky front line.
A few boys and girls cast basic magic,casting fireballs, creating small barrier from the incoming attack of monsters.
One girl knelt in the middle, her hands glowing faintly as she healed the wounded.
They fought bravely, but it was clear they were exhausted, bleeding, and running out of options.
Around them, a massive horde of monsters closed in. Black wolves with glowing eyes. Huge insects with blade-like legs.Twisted abominations of flesh and bone.
The teenagers backed closer together, but it was hopeless. The monsters roared and closed in, sensing the exhaustion and fear of their prey.
The teenagers fought bravely — but they were tired, injured, and hopelessly outnumbered.
Protheus' eyes narrowed.
"If I wait, they'll die."
"If I act, I must act completely. "
He stretched out his hand.
Without a chant, without a sound, magic pulsed from his body like a tidal wave. Golden magic circles appeared all across the battlefield.
From them, multiple giant beam of light rained down, annihilating monsters instantly. The first wave of beasts evaporated into smoke and dust. The second wave tried to flee, but chains of explosion erupted from the ground, binding and crushing them without mercy.
The teenagers froze, staring in shock. Their enemies were wiped out in seconds. And from the sky descended a figure calm, powerful and untouchable.
Protheus landed softly in front of them. He said nothing, just stood there. His presence filling the broken street.
The teenagers stared at him.
Weapons lowered, but not dropped.
One boy, holding a sword with trembling hands, stepped forward.
"Who… who are you?" he asked.
Protheus gazed at them.
"I am Protheus," he said simply but powerful
The teenagers flinched at the power in his voice.
Protheus knew what they were thinking 'Is he a monster too? Will he kill us next?'
He needed to be sure about them too.
With a flick of his hand, he cast Ranked 8th spell - Soul Insight.
Invisible to the children, a gentle wave of magic scanned their souls.
His eyes shimmered faintly as he gazed at each teenager.
Through magic, he could see their souls — their true natures.
Those who were have a good heart and brave soul shone with bright, clean colors.
Those who were selfish and evil flickered with darker stains.
Those broken by fear had dim, weak lights.
But none of them were evil.
They were survivors. Scared, wounded, desperate, but still human.
Protheus allowed a rare, small smile to touch his lips.
"They are worth saving," he thought.
"You fought well," he said, his voice steady.
"But you would not have lasted much longer."
The teenagers said nothing.
A small, fierce-looking girl, her arm bleeding from a cut, stepped forward.
"Are you… gonna kill us?" she asked bluntly.
Protheus shook his head.
"No, I am offering you a sanctuary. I have built a stronghold, not far from here. A place safe from monsters. Come with me or stay here and die."
Simple and honest. The teenagers hesitated. Some glanced at each other. A few started to cry softly, the sudden release of terror and exhaustion hitting them all at once.
The small fierce girl wiped her bloody face and nodded.
"We'll come," she said.
"But… if you try anything, we'll fight you."
Protheus chuckled lightly.
"Good," he said. "Keep that spirit. You'll need it in the future."
Protheus raised his hand again.
Golden magical circles floated around his hands.
Without a chant, he cast a Ranked 4th Flight Spell — simple, clean magic, tailored for beginner mage.
Each teenager was lifted gently into the air, surrounded by glowing golden spheres of magic.
They gasped and shouted in surprise, some flailing their arms, but the magic held them steady.
Protheus himself rose higher, floating ahead of them like a guiding star.
"Relax," he said.
"Focus on breathing."
He moved slowly at first, letting them get used to the feeling of flying.
They floated above the broken city, over ruined buildings and shattered streets.
Below them, monsters prowled — but none dared to attack.
Even from a distance, they could sense Protheus' overwhelming power and fled into the shadows.
The teenagers watched in awe as the world unfolded beneath them.
For the first time in what felt like forever, they felt hope.