More and more tendrils emerge, quickly surrounding us on all sides, the tip of each of them glimmering as though it were made of some sort of rock. Rosa is soon engulfed by them, screaming as the hair tears away at her shield. I feel her magic get weaker, like a light does after being submerged in water, and then her screams die out.When the hair retreats, it reveals her fallen form, alive but unconsciousMaria looks at her, then screams, sending three heat rays forward at the same time. Choronzon's hair goes out to meet them, taking the hits for him, getting burned into dust.A blade of wind follows, circling around to hit the god directly. He raises his hand to defend himself, his full attention on Diana, and I seize my chance.Slamming both of my hands down on the ground, I fill it with as much heat as I can, spreading it all around us. Circular waves start rippling across the land as though it were water, the air getting hotter and hotter as the grass turns to black char Orange s
I take his hand, and we face the barrier together. Without saying a word, we both throw a spell forward. Green light meets yellow, the two becoming storm and sun, respectively. Total opposites, unlike fire and wind, but they still start to swirl together, joining into a single spell. Sunny skies, full of warmth and peace, and stormy seas, full of danger and rage.I feel Mac right now feel the way he usually is. Insecure, child-like, not nearly as happy as he often seems. I feel him. inside as well, right down to the hateful part of me that killed all those men. He recoils, gritting his teeth, our spells beginning to break apart."Mac, no! You have to trust mel" He didn't say anything about it. He was the only one I thought wouldn't judge me for itI don't know. You were so cold-so terrifying. It's the same as him." Nodding toward the god on the ground, he closes his eyes, struggling to focus as our spells drift further a
Nen doesn't move an inch as he speaks, still as a statue, apart form his lips. "He's already been retrieved and is resting in the recovery room. Do any of you need emergency care?"Mac raises his hand, putting even more weight on me. "I've got a broken legPutting two fingers into his mouth, Nen lets out an eardrum shattering whistle, scaring Maria enough to make her hop like a rabbit, once. A moment later, Kol descends from the sky, his black eyes examining each of us."I don't appreciate being summoned like a dog""Bathe a bit more frequently and you won't smell like one"The two teachers exchange looks of contempt, their magics swelling up inside them. It's so much easier to feel them now that I've spent a bit of time looking at the void inside Choronzon.Kol joins the fingertips of his two hands, his hands forming a sort of pyramid. Closing his eyes, he starts releasing his magic power into the air around us. The grass grows taller, the air tums hotter, and a good chunk of sunligh
Lies. All lies. I saw him there. Yes, he feels empty, but he's no animal. There's definitely something human in there. And he has a long-term plan, which isn't something mindless creatures do."Was our whole mission for nothing?" Diana's the one to ask, surprisingly. She was doing this just for Erik. I don't see how it can be considered a failure to her. "The world was never in danger?""Oh, the ritual to enter our world was real. He just happened to pull off another one on top of it" Of course he did. "You did best him, which he'll remember. From here on out, he knows your names and faces, and considers you proper obstacles. Don't think of him as some giant who squashes people beneath his big boots. Jonah remembers, and schemes, and attacks personally. I suspect your dreams won't be pleasant for a while, Well, which is it? Is he just a creature, or does he think? Nen is seriously losing it. Are they all really this scared of one being? I find it hard to imagine the teachers having tr
But Pedro gets between us before the situation can escalate. Even though I remember what a useless fool he used to be, it's still a bit hard not to blush when he gets close. The Silent One actually bothered giving him a makeover! He gave him a firmer jawline, better hair, and much sharper features, getting rid of the baby fat that seerned to plague him. Right now, there isn't a single imperfect on Pedro's chiselled body no moles, freckles or scars. He's also taken to wearing leather, which certainly helps.But that is not what I am after. The True Path takes precedence over all. Anybody who follows the Master for any other reason is a fool. The goal has never once changed. The true believers strive for it-yearn for it. The fools who expect their new lives to remain that way forever are in for a big disappointment."Can you two not go at it for a single day?"Artemisia narrows her golden eyes the eyes of a witch who chose Dark. "That depends. Can she not be a bitch for a single day?"I
"Thank you.""I didn't.... Oh, nevermind. So, what have you been up to?"I shrug. "It's only been a few days, you realize." It's the tenth of January, the first school day official starting tomorrow.There's something I have to ask, though. That's the one big thing that's on my mind"Maya, have you been having strange dreams?" Such as seeing all these people from school inside some strange garden you've never visited before, per chance?"Oh, uh" Blushing, she starts rubbing her knees together. Wow, she's got it bad. "They've mostly been about Erik" Oh, that is just so lame. "I know it's pathetic, but I can't seem to think about anything else."Neither can he, apparently, walking over and throwing his arm around her, pulling her in. "Hey, babe."She smiles up at him, their lips mere inches apart. "Hi, baby"Right here in front of everyone, they start making out. Even Antoine, usually stoic, calm, unwavering, looks uncomfortable"Should we give them some privacy?""I have a better idea"
"Count me in," Antoine adds with a small smile, directing it at me. "Promise you're gonna wear that to class?"I walk up to him, resting a hand on his chest. "I only put this one on to not make a big splash on the first day back. Wait til you see the other ones""Y'know, my mom's a model. If fashion is your thing, I can score some outfits for you."Oh, where have you been all my life?Well, this past week. Before that, I wasn't all that into fashion. All I cared about was looking good. That and glorious vengeance, of course, but that urge has been sated."One small problem, lan starts. "Rosa isn't here."Right. That might be a problem. "Any of you hear from her?" Since we went on a brave quest to save the world, I mean.Nobody offers a response, predictably. With no signal or internet, we don't exactly have a habit of exchanging phone info, since we never get to use it while we're here. Figures nobody bothered to get hers."We could talk to a teacher about it?" suggests Maya. "I don't
The news covered that? How? With what footage? There's no chance any chopper could have withstood the magic being sent around that place. An illusionary jungle was created for miles around it, too. Did they just use words?The lack of an image is very likely to have the common masses just as fearful as the students are.Quinn, shoulders slumped, sits down on her chair. "I think you deserve to know. Really, I do. It's just not that simple. There are things you can never know about him things you aren't physically able to know. I'm sorry you're scared, and I'm sorry some of you will have to leave, but my decision is final. I'm not saying another word."She tries to make us focus on more nonsense with our guardianshaving them manifest into our world and such- but I'm pretty sure the mood is too dead for anyone to focus.Levitation is a welcome relief, as always. We simply practice some of our moves. Now that Rosa is gone, only Diana and I are actually capable of flight.Roger is here, to