The battlefield unfolds like a nightmare painting—grotesque creatures clawing at the sky, the ground trembling beneath their weight. I'm streaking through the chaos, my heart pounding as if it's trying to outrun the carnage.
"Blue, piercing water wave!"
The magic flows through me instinctively, an extension of my will. The water slices clean through two gargoyle-like monsters diving for Caelum's exposed back. Their shrieks echo, sharp and guttural, before they dissolve into nothing but dark mist.
Caelum spins around, his face pale and slick with sweat. His usual brilliance is muted, like a fire burning low, as though he's been fighting forever.
"Seraphine," he says, his voice raw but tinged with relief. "You made it."
I give him a lopsided grin. "Yeah, well, I'm fashionably late, as always."
He chuckles weakly, but the moment is fleeting. Above us, the sky churns with a fresh wave of horrors—winged monstrosities with glowing red eyes, their jagged forms casting eerie shadows over the battlefield.
Behind Caelum, a group of students fights to hold the line. Tessa leans against a boulder, her arms bloodied but still clutching her staff. The others don't look much better—pale faces, battered bodies, desperation etched into their every move.
"What's the plan?" I ask, my eyes scanning the sky for an opening. "How do we even start dealing with this?"
Before he can respond, three more gargoyles dive toward the injured students.
Tessa raises a trembling hand, summoning a shimmering barrier just in time. Her holy magic repels the creatures, sizzling as it meets their corrupted forms.
"I've got them," I say, lunging forward. My water magic arcs through the air, cutting through the attackers with precision. They disintegrate, but more take their place, their numbers seemingly endless.
"What are these things?" I mutter, a knot of unease tightening in my chest.
"Demons," Tessa says between labored breaths. "Real ones."
Demons. The word alone sends a chill down my spine. This isn't just a rogue monster or a corrupted beast—this is something far worse. Something deliberate.
Caelum wipes the grime from his face, his eyes narrowing as he surveys the battlefield. "The connection to the academy's been cut off," he says grimly. "We can't teleport out."
"What?" I whirl on him. "How is that even possible? The teleportation crystal is inside the academy! Who could—"
"Later," he interrupts. "Right now, we need to focus."
A voice cuts through the chaos. "Caelum!"
Finnian emerges from the haze, his cloak tattered and his gear rattling as he jogs toward us. He's grinning, of course. Finnian always grins, even when the world's falling apart.
"Please tell me you've got good news," Caelum says, his tone almost pleading.
Finnian points to a jagged tear in the sky, pulsating with ominous energy. "That," he says, "is our problem. Rift's pouring out demons like it's got something to prove."
"Great," I mutter. "Just what we needed."
Caelum's gaze flickers to the students behind us. They're barely holding on, and he knows it. We all do. But Tessa steps forward, her legs shaking but her resolve unyielding.
"We'll hold the line," she says firmly. "You three go. Close that rift."
Caelum hesitates, but Tessa's glare leaves no room for argument. With a reluctant nod, he turns to Finnian and me.
"Let's move," he says.
I glance back at Tessa one last time. "Stay alive," I tell her.
"You too," she replies, her voice steady despite everything.
We take off, disappearing into the shadowed forest, the distant cries of demons and the clash of battle fading behind us.
_________
Eclipse
The cave is suffocating. Damp air clings to my skin, and the faint sound of slithering echoes through the darkness.
Valeria lets out a dramatic sigh, collapsing onto the cold stone floor. Her fire magic flickers weakly, casting long, flickering shadows on the walls.
"Why," she groans, "did I have to waste my energy on slimes? We can't even eat them."
I step over the remains of a melting blue slime, barely sparing her a glance. "They were in the way."
She glares at me. "You're insufferable."
Ignoring her, I crouch down to pluck a Shadowbloom from a crevice. The black petals glow faintly, silver veins pulsing like a heartbeat. Rare, delicate, and useful for trials.
"What is that?" Valeria asks, suspicious.
"Herb," I say, tucking it into my bag.
"Can you eat it?"
"No."
She groans again, flopping back dramatically. "Great. Useless plant."
I toss her a small bundle from my bag. "Here."
She catches it, eyeing me warily. "Is this poisoned?"
"It's food," I say, exasperated.
"That's what someone who'd poison me would say."
"Eat it or don't. I don't care."
She takes a cautious bite, then another, before shooting me a begrudging look. "Has to be poison."
We sit in silence, the distant tremors of the queen slime pacing outside the cave a constant reminder of our precarious situation. Valeria shivers, her bravado fading for a moment.
"How are we getting out of here?" she asks quietly.
"We're not," I reply. "Not tonight."
Her face falls. "So we're just… stuck here?"
"For now."
The darkness presses in, heavy and unrelenting. The cave feels alive, the shadows shifting as though they're watching us. I stare into the void, thinking of the corrupted creatures outside.
If we can survive the night, maybe—just maybe—we'll stand a chance tomorrow.