Shadow Cast (The Zyearth Chronicles)

Some risk it all to save a friend. They must risk it all to save an enemy.

All Matt ever wanted was to become a Golden Guardian, like his father before him. With decades of experience in battle and his powerful wind magic, Matt excels in every task given to him. Well, almost everything - Matt struggles to follow orders. But sometimes following the Guardian Oath means violating those orders when it's important. However, Matt isn't a Guardian yet - and he may never be if the Master Guardian has a say in it.

Izzy Gildspine, Matt's partner, is also bidding for Guardianship, but she understands the Master Guardian's worries. After all, how could Izzy be a proper Guardian anyway? Her healing powers can't hold a candle to Matt's wind powers. It didn't matter how good she might be in battle - Making her a Guardian would just be a disgrace to the position if she didn't have elemental magic.

But when their world is invaded, Matt and Izzy have one last chance to prove they deserve the Guardianship. Only their enemy is not what he seems...

Now they have a choice to make - save themselves, their home, and their final chance at Guardianship, or risk it all for the life of an enemy.

Content Warnings: Mental abuse, body horror, blood and gore, death.