The familiar rush of energy hit like a sudden drop, the world folding in on itself before snapping back into place. The transition was disorienting—a split-second of weightlessness followed by the jarring solidity of reality reasserting itself. Victor blinked against the faint glow of the room as his senses adjusted. Moments ago, he, Lyra, Sylvia, and Nakia had activated their return stones, the enchanted artifacts flaring bright as they transported the group back to Andosa College. The chaotic chill of the fortress's shadows was replaced by the calm warmth of their shared dorm room, a jarring but welcome contrast.
Now, all four of them lay sprawled across the large bed in Victor and Lyra's shared dorm room, limbs tangled and breaths coming in varying degrees of exhaustion.
