(Blue Bay Harbor)
A yellow truck moved slowly along an unobstructed road, devoid of any other vehicles. Shane, Dustin, and Tori sat quietly inside. Tori maneuvered the steering wheel, her expression calm yet tinged with natural beauty. Shane leaned against the opposite window, staring at the passing buildings and incoming trees, while Dustin held a comic book in his hands, reading with a serious expression.
"So, how's Ninja training going?" Tori broke the silence.
"Hard," Shane replied without hesitation, sighing at the difficulty—and his lack of talent for it.
Dustin, still reading his comic, heard the question and chimed in. "Guys, you know we just started Ninja training, right?"
The moment those words fell, it was as if a fuse blew inside Shane's head.
He shot up from his resting position and spoke with anger. "Yeah, we just fucking started training, and Sensei gives us workouts ten times harder than the rest. And when we ask him why, he's always saying some bullshit like, 'Time will tell.' If something doesn't change soon, I'm sure we'll get hospitalized before becoming official Ninjas."
Tori and Dustin were stunned by his outburst, never expecting him to have kept so much pressure bottled up inside. He was usually composed, laughing through most hard situations—though not as much as the clown named Dustin.
Thinking about it, they both understood his grievance. Imagine graduating college, ready to challenge life itself, only to suddenly be dragged into a secret Ninja Academy that claimed they were chosen because their parents were once Ninjas.
Normally, anyone would be ecstatic. Who wouldn't want to be strong? The world was teeming with danger—it was all over the news. But because they were "new"—which they now knew was somewhat fishy—their training was far more brutal than the rest of their peers. They were normal human beings before this, for crying out loud.
Tori placed a hand on Shane's shoulder, intending to calm his turbulent emotions.
"We understand, Shane. This is too much for young adults like us. But according to Sensei, we need this. The world is getting more unpredictable—the news from different cities says it all. As for why we get pushed so hard… maybe it's time we asked Sensei directly. He never rejects our questions."
Dustin nodded, smiling at Shane in agreement, also trying to ease his worries. They both knew he needed this reassurance. He was the only orphan among them, and the weight of life he carried was twice as heavy as theirs. He deserved some peace.
Shane's face relaxed, his frown easing. He shrugged off Tori's hand and muttered, "Thanks. I'll sleep. Wake me up when we get there."
Tori wasn't annoyed by his behavior—if anything, she felt relieved. At least he wouldn't be frowning all day like the world owed him money. As for Dustin, he chuckled and went back to reading his comic.
"Tch. Tsundere."
Shane opened one eye and glared at him. Dustin continued reading as if nothing happened, though he laughed inwardly.
Tori refocused on driving, ignoring the two. She was already used to their skirmishes. One moment they argued, the next they were inseparable.
The ride fell silent after that—but not for long.
"Guys… do you think we could also become Power Rangers?" Dustin asked, half-daydreaming yet full of expectation.
Tori—and the half-asleep Shane—looked at him and shook their heads helplessly at how unrealistic their friend could be.
Slightly embarrassed but thick-skinned as ever, Dustin pressed on. "What if Sensei is training us to become Rangers? Then we could become heroes too and protect the planet."
As those words left his mouth, Dustin raised his chin, striking what he thought was a heroic pose.
"Lay off the comic books, Dustin," Tori chuckled, offering gentle advice. She couldn't help it—her friend was drifting deeper into delusion.
Shane responded by knocking Dustin lightly on the head, hoping for some kind of reset. How could they become Rangers? They didn't have the qualities for it. Risking their lives to protect the world? They couldn't even pass basic Ninja assessments. They'd probably get killed on their first day as Rangers.
"Ow!" Dustin grimaced, clutching his head as he turned to Tori with a pitiful look.
Shane glanced at Tori, his lips curling into an amused smile. "Tori, you're the responsible one. How about you talk some sense into this doofus?"
"Hey! I'm not a doofus!" Dustin shot back instantly, trying to avoid adding yet another nickname to the ever-growing list they'd given him.
Tori rolled her eyes. "He's kind of right, Dustin. Being heroes is far beyond us. Even if—by some miracle—we became Rangers, we'd probably fail. We're at the bottom of the Ninja school. We don't have the strength to be Rangers… or any kind of heroes."
Can't a man dream? Dustin thought inwardly, feeling a bit miserable. His friends always mistook his imagination for childishness. Sure, he acted that way sometimes—but not always.
"Fine, fine… I'll be less delusional," he replied, his voice low but faintly taunting.
Shane and Tori shook their heads in resignation and returned to their previous silence.
What they never knew was that this conversation had sparked the very first step toward a turning point in their destiny.
--- ✦ ---
(Mystic Realm – Rootcore)
Udonna stood at the center of the base, her eyes fixed on the glowing orb that displayed the training session the Mystic Rangers were currently undergoing.
She let out a quiet sigh, feeling both partly worried and relieved. The Rangers were growing stronger with every enemy they faced, maturing rapidly with each battle. Yet that was precisely what troubled her. She feared that the trials awaiting them in the near future would deal a devastating blow to their current confidence—one that might cause them to lose hope in protecting the world.
"No…" she murmured softly to herself. "I have an agreement with the two organizations. They will surely help when the time comes."
She spoke as she analyzed the possible future paths for the Rangers' growth, her mind running through countless scenarios.
After several minutes, she shook her head in lingering worry and spoke once more. "Fate has already become unpredictable. Anything can happen now. I can only place my trust in the Magic Book. Even if I can't fully use it, I can at least check for dangers ahead of time."
But despite her words, a seed of doubt remained firmly rooted in her heart.
The origin of the Ranger who had interfered in the pre-destined battle of the Mystic Rangers was shrouded in mystery. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't uncover anything about him—not even with the Magic Book. Though he had helped them and prevented her powers from being sealed away, her unease never faded.
Udonna had lived for thousands of years. She had witnessed schemes and deceptions that mere humans couldn't even imagine. Because of that, she was naturally paranoid—someone who preferred everything to be perfect, planned, and known before it ever happened. Yet this sudden variable, appearing out of nowhere, had given her a massive fright, nearly dismantling a hundred-year plan she had painstakingly put together.
After a while, Udonna exhaled and shook off her thoughts.
"I'll take it slow and easy," she told herself. "I've faced situations far stranger than this. I should focus on nurturing the Rangers".
Suddenly, a sound snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Meh—"
A white sheep came running toward her, its expression pitiful and teary-eyed.
Seeing this, Udonna felt her stress ease almost instantly. She chuckled softly at the sight of her apprentice and spoke warmly. "Oh, Clare… what have you done again?"
"Udonna, I failed my spell again, wuwuw~" the sheep cried, surprisingly able to speak, tears welling in its round eyes.
"Alright, alright, dear. I'll help you," Udonna said with a gentle chuckle, quickly appeasing her as she promised to fix the situation.
She raised her wand and swung it lightly over the sheep, mumbling an incantation under her breath. The sheep glowed brightly, and moments later, a beautiful young woman appeared in its place.
Clare immediately threw her arms around Udonna, crying her eyes out. "Wuwuw~ Udonna, I'm useless! I failed the spell again!"
Udonna sighed softly at her apprentice's plight. Clare possessed the worst magical talent she had seen in decades, and no matter how much she tried, Udonna couldn't understand why. Still, that didn't mean she would ever stop teaching her. After all, Clare was her sister's daughter.
"Oh, my foolish apprentice," Udonna said gently. "I told you, magic takes time. Rushing it will always lead to failure. Take it slow and easy, and you'll learn it eventually. And no matter how much you ask for my assistance, I'll always be here."
As those words settled in, Clare's sobbing slowly stopped. Her face bloomed into a sheepish smile. "Really, Udonna? Pinky promise?"
Udonna chuckled at her behavior and extended her pinky. "I promise."
"Yay! I'm going back to training!" Clare exclaimed, jumping with excitement before running off to continue her practice.
As Clare disappeared from view, Udonna's smile remained—but her lips moved as she murmured quietly to herself.
"You're an important piece of my plan, after all."
She looked somewhat terrifying.
--- ✦ ---
Yeah, so how was this chapter, guys? I hope you all enjoyed it. The plot is getting more interesting. Zayne would have to find out whether he can go up against the ancients who had planned the fate of the world. Add to your library to never miss updates, guys.
Power Stones for your Author, guys.