The Students Moved Toward the Hole in the Wall
Coralina's sword struck the ground right at the threshold of the hole, announcing her return.
"I'm alive, in case anyone was wondering," she said, letting the sword fall to the floor with a dull thud.
"Oh my God!" one of the students exclaimed.
"That was… that was brutal," Thomas said, equal parts shocked and impressed.
"Your spell, professor… A true marvel. A direct blow to my pride. Even my mother would've praised it."
Carter, still leaning on her staff, nodded, though a flicker of concern crossed her face. "And you, Coralina? Are you all right?"
"I'll be fine. The shadows always take care of me. I didn't expect Black Star Álvarez to be so effective. That was a move worthy of my mother."
"And you all? What did you learn from this?"
The students exchanged nervous glances until Peter spoke up first. "That no matter how strong you are… there's always someone who can take you down."
"Exactly," Coralina said, smiling with satisfaction. "And when you get knocked down, what do you do?"
"You get back up?" another student asked timidly.
"You get back up stronger," Coralina corrected, lifting her sword and pointing it at them. "No matter how many cubes, portals, or armies they throw at you, you always find a way to return to the front. And when you do, make sure everyone knows it's you."
Coralina turned to Carter and gave a slight nod.
"Thank you for the lesson, professor. But next time, I'll try not to crash through a forest to learn it."
Carter chuckled softly. "If you want, we can continue another day, child. Though by then, I hope you won't make me use all my energy."
Still leaning on her staff, Carter pulled something from her coat pocket: a bronze badge engraved with the detailed emblem of the magical academy.
"Miss Álvarez," Carter began, her voice calm but heavy with solemnity. "I've spent over forty years teaching at this academy. It's time to leave this in someone else's hands."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm retiring. My husband is waiting for me in a small cabin by the beach, where I plan to spend the rest of my days. I no longer have the energy to train the next generation of mages. That will be your job now. Your era has just begun."
"I have great expectations for you. Your mother was an incredible protector. She gave everything for her students, even standing against me. She never killed anyone."
"I can see a sea of bodies in you, Coralina. If your mother were here, I think she'd be saddened to see how you walk this path of darkness. She used antimagic to protect, not to destroy."
Striking the badge with her palm, Coralina let it fall to the floor. "I'm not like my mother. Her idealism blinded her. I don't care if that disappoints you, but don't interfere in my affairs."
Carter showed no surprise, only a faint sadness. She bent slightly, picked up the badge from the floor, and extended it toward Coralina again. Before she could react, Peter stepped forward and picked it up for her.
"If you don't want it, I'll keep it," he said.
"Do whatever you want, bookworm."
Without another word, she talks to Porter. "I need a shower. Take me to my room."
The Team's Respite
The rest of the Sixth Regiment arrived shortly after, entering the wing assigned to them in the academy. Coralina didn't say much as she climbed the stairs to her room.
Once inside the bathroom, Coralina shut the door with a sigh, letting her sword and her shredded uniform fall to the floor. The shower began to run, and she leaned against the wall, allowing the hot water to wash away the blood and sweat from her body.
Her thoughts returned to Professor Carter, though not because of what she had said about her. Instead, her mind conjured the image of her mother, known as the "User of Darkness," the most powerful mage of her generation. A woman who, despite her power, had been everything Coralina was not.
Her mother had been extraordinarily kind, compassionate, and sensitive. She laughed and cried over everything. When Coralina was a child, her mother always had time to comfort her, tell her stories, and teach her that magic should be used to protect, not harm.
"I can't be mad at you, Mom," letting the water flow over her face. "You were the mother anyone would've wanted. But I can't be you."
The memory of her mother was always accompanied by the absence of her father. Coralina didn't know much about him, only that he lived in Spain and that her mother rarely spoke of him. Whenever she did, her tone changed, as if there was something painful in her past.
Sinking into the tub, Coralina let her thoughts drift away for a moment. She closed her eyes and allowed the warmth of the water to ease the tension in her body. But even in that brief reprieve, Carter's image and her words about her mother lingered.
When she finally emerged from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her body, she found Claire Bennett—the girl who had fought with Thomas—standing at the door, clearly waiting for her.
"What do you want now?"
"Professor Carter always told us stories about your mother. I want to show you something."
"Give me a moment to get dressed, and then show me whatever you have in mind."
Claire led Coralina to a smaller, more secluded room in the academy, a space filled with relics and historical memories. In the center of the main wall hung a portrait, illuminated by the soft glow of a magical lamp.
It was a portrait of her mother, dressed in the black cloak of the Mexican War Shield and holding her sword. The painting perfectly captured the intensity of her gaze.
"Your mother is a legend here. The professor always said she was the embodiment of what it means to be a mage. We all dream of being like her someday."
"A legend. That sounds like something far away. But let me tell you something, girl: legends often end in tragedy."
Claire seemed taken aback by her response but said nothing. Coralina turned, her hands in her pockets. "Thanks for showing me this. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."