Back at the academy, the infirmary was a place of sterile calm compared to the chaos of the garden. Jaxon lay on a cot, his body still and pale, while a team of healers worked over him, casting spell after spell to stabilize his condition. His breathing was shallow, his pulse weak, but he was alive.

Zara stood at the edge of the room, her hands clasped tightly in front of her, watching with bated breath as the healers murmured in low, urgent voices. Helena and Phelan had gone to alert the headmaster and the other professors, leaving Zara alone with her thoughts.

She couldn't get the image of Jaxon out of her mind—the way the dark magic had consumed him, the way his eyes had glowed with that unnatural light. She had never seen him so lost, so out of control. And now, she wondered if he would ever be the same again.

"Miss Avenell," a voice interrupted her thoughts, and she turned to see Headmaster Eldric entering the room, his usually calm expression grave. His long silver beard shimmered in the dim light, and his eyes were heavy with concern.

"How is he?" Zara asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

The headmaster sighed, glancing at Jaxon’s prone form. "He’s stable, for now. But whatever dark magic he was meddling with has done serious damage to his spirit. We’re doing everything we can to heal him, but… it’s unclear if he’ll fully recover."

Zara’s heart sank. She had feared as much. "He was trying to control something ancient, something far beyond what we’ve learned."

Headmaster Eldric nodded gravely. "I suspected as much. The darkness you encountered was not just an accident. It was a force long buried beneath Silverhollow, a force that should have remained untouched."

"Why was it here? Why is something so dangerous beneath our school?" Zara asked, her voice sharp with frustration.

"There are many things about Silverhollow’s history that are not taught in the classrooms," Eldric said quietly. "Ancient magic, dangerous magic, was sealed away here centuries ago. Your friend Jaxon… he found a way to tap into it, perhaps unknowingly, but once the seal was broken, the darkness was free to spread."

Zara’s hands clenched into fists. "What can we do now? How do we stop it from coming back?"

Eldric’s gaze hardened. "We will strengthen the wards around Silverhollow, and the school will remain vigilant. But know this, Zara: the darkness you fought tonight is not easily defeated. It will wait. It will watch. And it will return."

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