Silence settled over the garden, broken only by the distant sound of the sea crashing against the cliffs. The dark creatures were gone, the fissure sealed, but the damage was done. The once beautiful garden was a ruin, the marble dance floor shattered, tables overturned, and debris scattered everywhere.

Zara knelt beside Jaxon’s limp body, her hands trembling as she checked for a pulse. It was faint, but it was there. He was alive—barely.

She looked up at Helena and Phelan, both of them pale and exhausted, their sigils still faintly glowing beneath their robes. "We did it," she whispered, though the victory felt hollow. Jaxon was alive, broken, his body a mere shadow of the powerful wizard he had been just hours ago. The sigil on his arm was a ruin, charred and blackened, no longer the vibrant mark of power it once was. Whatever magic had consumed him had left a scar deeper than anything Zara had ever seen.

"We barely did it," Phelan muttered, sinking to the ground, his hand still trembling from the exertion. "If that had gone on any longer…"

Zara nodded, unable to shake the feeling of dread still gnawing at the pit of her stomach. "We need to get him to the infirmary. Whatever he tapped into, it’s not going to leave quietly."

Helena looked around at the devastation, her eyes glassy with shock. "How could he have done this? Jaxon’s always been a bit reckless, but this... he knew better."

Zara didn’t have an answer. She knew Jaxon better than anyone, and yet, even she couldn’t understand what had driven him to such a dangerous spell. He had been pushing himself for years, always wanting to be the best, but this was something else. This was an obsession. Desperation.

"We can’t stay here," Zara said finally, struggling to her feet. Her whole body felt like lead, her muscles aching from the sheer force of the magic she had channeled. "We need to get back to the academy and let the professors know what happened. They’ll be able to help Jaxon."

Helena and Phelan nodded in agreement, and together, they carefully lifted Jaxon’s unconscious body between them, making their way through the wrecked garden and back toward the towering spires of Silverhollow. As they walked, Zara glanced back at the garden, now eerily still, the remnants of the party scattered like broken dreams.

Something had been awakened tonight—something dark and old buried deep beneath the earth—and she knew in her heart that it wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

---