Orion fumbled with the locket watch inside his gloved hand, catching a glimpse of his despondent expression on its reflective surface. This watch, it was a tiny little thing made of a metal that was silver in color but shared not the same name, originating farther than Ekenthall, Rymevar, and even the mysterious Urista, in lands he still knew very little about.

But despite it all, Orion ascertained that the watch was always with him. It wasn't that the item was imbued with magical properties, nor was it in any way, shape, or fashion an arcanetech device. In fact, Orion was more than positive that it didn't even function anymore, its two pairs of hands—one shorter than the other three—ticking around and around in a sequence that failed to align with the natural flow of time.

Orion's fingers turned stiff as he held it tightly in his grasp, and the characterless ambiance of his office accentuated the ancient contraption's frequent ticking. As a child, he'd watch his father spend hours and hours and hours on end trapped within his study room, his head buried in his books, and the mounds of crumpled papers littered at his feet were so tall that they easily reached to his calves.

Back then, he would have done anything to escape such an utterly boring fate. He would be a sorcerer! Ironically, however, chasing that fascination landed him right here, doing exactly what his father had done day after day: sitting behind a desk, too tired to fall asleep.

He was widely recognized as one of the most capable Professional Sorcerers in the entire nation, possessing remarkable mystical abilities that few could match. Yet, it had been a while since he had felt compelled to utilize his wand for anything beyond mere entertainment or minor conjuring tricks.

Orion was a sorcerer of great skill and prestige. He had spent decades mastering the art of magic and acquiring knowledge that spanned centuries. Yet in spite of his mastery, Orion still felt a spark of excitement whenever he encountered a new magical spell. It reminded him of that reckless child he'd once been in his younger days, when the world was filled with wonder and possibility. Now look at him.

The older he became, the stronger that tinge of jealousy stung when a swarm of novices flocked to his academy, eager to learn the secrets of magic. He had worked hard to reach his level of expertise, and it was difficult to watch others chase that same dream.

Contrary to these conflicting emotions, Orion would continue to guide his students with fairness and patience, hoping to inspire a new generation of sorcerers to carry on Faye Theodora's ideals of honor. For now, though, what was he to do to combat his creeping boredom?

A distraction! He needed a distraction! And not just any kind, one that would work. One that he could use to camouflage his dissatisfaction and trick an outsider's gaze, causing them to judge that he was indeed acting on an urge of responsibility or obligation. Surely, a sorcerer like him could pull something like that off. Surely...

No, there was no point, he reckoned. A swift glance to his right revealed the figure dressed in his pitch-black cloak appraising a textbook with narrowed, lifeless eyes. Raze would see through his deception in a matter of seconds. "Does it have to be me?" Orion inquired solemnly. He sat straight in his seat and dispelled a sigh out his nostrils, loud enough to pull Raze's scowl off his book.

"Yes, yes, it does, sir." Raze's yellowish eyes scrolled from one side of his head to the next as he continued reading the text. "This isn't just your run-of-the-mill meeting or a simple school assembly. It's an official audience with the Sorcery High Commission. Your attendance is expected, as is the Sorceress Supereme's demands."

Orion rolled his eyes. "But they all start and end the exact same way. Every. Single. Time. It's exhausting!" he grunted, more annoyed than angry. "There's so much more I could be doing right now. Like, I don't know, running Glyph Academy."

"That's what you have me and the Gray Cloaks for, sir," Raze said disinterestedly, turning a page of his text. "To make your life, your job, just a little easier."

"Boy, do you ever."

"This conversation is one we've had before. Does it not sound familiar to your ears?" Orion flinched as Raze tilted his head, beaming his pair of sickly-looking eyes directly at him, and suddenly, Orion felt the weight of invisible anvils keeping him in that chair. "You complain about your distaste for these arrangements, the High Commission appears, you shut your mouth and behave as you're supposed to for the meeting's duration, and then we all move on with our lives. You did so last week, you did so yesterday, and, to utterly nobody's surprise, here you are, parroting nonsense."

"And how could you blame me?" Orion sighed, slumping forward, lacing gloved fingers. "This is an academy dedicated to teaching magic. When was the last time I got to see any of it, huh? The enchanted evolution. I can tell you: Yesterday afternoon when I snuck out the window while you weren't paying attention. I managed to observe a portion of Professor Grace's class. Oh, how the students' eyes lit up as they saw him cast one of his incredible charms. That's what I want to see, the transformation taking place in person...yet, I'm rarely afforded that luxury on account of me always being cooped up in this empty little room of mine."

Raze breathed out of his clasped lips, and finally, he shut the textbook, leaning against a wall with a hand in his cloak's pocket. "I thought you were fond of this room, sir," Raze said humorously, though his expression betrayed his jovial tone. "You yourself helped design it."

"Eh, the magic's gone."

"So it seems," Raze sighed. "Do you regret it, sir? Being made headmaster?"

"A little," Orion said, and he surprised himself when he admitted it. "There's a lot of things I want to do that I just...can't anymore. Studying magic. Traveling the country. Helping people in need. What a life that was." Orion sat back in his chair and stared at the ceiling, feeling the strain of a smile he'd kept. "What a beautiful dream I've had."

"If that's the case, sir, then why not just—"

"I won't," Orion said firmly. "I'm committed to my goal. You know I am, and the High Commission does as well. If they didn't, well, do you honestly think I'd still be sitting in this chair? They would have given me the boot a long time ago." Orion formed fists against his will, and he had to remind himself that he was still holding onto his coveted locket watch before he crushed it to pieces. "My opinions are...irrelevant. Nothing is gained without sacrifice."

"And that's one of the reasons, sir, that I hold so much respect for you." It wasn't common that Raze smiled—especially not these days—but when he did, Orion would never forget the elusive occasion. "So it is again that I find myself asking, why, pray tell, do you feel the need to complain about every time we—"

"I need to vent to someone, dammit! If I don't, I just might go insane!" Orion shouted. "I could lose my mind and turn into a mad mage. Is that what you want of me, Raze? And here I thought we were best friends."

"Look, sir," Raze sighed, wiping a hand over his face, "all I'm saying is that—"

The office door burst open and collided against the wall in a thunderous, wooden bang! that would have made Orion flinch had he not detected her Essence Signature minutes ago. There, standing in the doorway was Professor Altair, out of breath and equipped with an urgent expression cloaked by beads of sweat. "Headmaster! Raze! There's...there's been a..."

"Ah! If it isn't one of my favorite professors in the flesh. The best Summoner on this side of Althea!" Orion exclaimed, rising out of his chair, gleaming a smile with his hands raised above him. "To what do I owe the pleasure? Wait, don't tell me. There's something that demands my attention, is there not?" Orion aimed a mischievous leer at Raze. "Well, I did have a meeting with the High Commission in five minutes, but no problem is too small for the headmaster of Glyph Academy! I'm sure they'll understand if I skip out on it."

Raze grimaced. "You're insufferable."

"Sir! This is important!" Sydney screamed with a bit more force. "There's been a breach! In the barrier!"

As Orion gazed at her, he felt an inexplicable tightness in his throat and an intense surge of astonishment that pierced his chest. Though he maintained a smile on his face, his eyes widened to the size of saucers. Struggling to procure the appropriate words, Orion managed to stutter out a single question, "Wh...What?"

"The academy protective barrier," Sydney repeated in a shuddering breath. "Someone's broken through it!"

"But how?! How could that be possible?!" Raze gasped. When last was it that Orion had heard the hollow man raise his voice so loudly? "Faye...the Founder, she created that barrier herself. And every year, it's thoroughly inspected and reinforced by Professional Sorcerers, not to mention maintained by the Heart. There's no way someone would be able to..."

"I'm just telling you the facts." The woman tried straightening her whole stance—she hated looking weak or improper in front of her superiors—though she couldn't erase the tiredness in her voice as successfully. "A Gray Cloak patrol spotted it just under an hour ago. The breach wasn't big, but a human could slip between it well enough. And if that is the case, then it would mean..."

"An intruder is somewhere on campus," Raze said harshly. "A sorcerer powerful enough to bypass one of the strongest protective barriers in Incante. Or even worse, a warlock." Raze muttered the word with so much vitriol, so much venom that Sydney recoiled where she stood, staggering an anxious step away from him. "We must not take this matter lightly. The rest of the staff should be alerted at once."

"They already have, sir," Sydney said carefully. "Not long after I was notified of the breach. The Gray Cloaks are conducting an investigation as we speak. Gervas is fairly confident that he'll catch our intruder before nightfall...but they haven't made much headway as of yet."

"And the students?"

"Most of them are occupied with their Midterms. However, the professors will know before long, and we can depend on them to provide their students with suitable protection. Meanwhile, I've already contacted the Arcanum and received word that a few military officers are on their way here as well."

"State Sorcerers, I reckon? Just what we need," Raze grunted. "Those blasted dogs poking their noses in our affairs."

"Raze." As both Raze and Sydney turned to face him, in an instant, Orion sensed terror rattle their Essence. He hadn't brandished his wand, nor had he cast any spell, but his magical energy, it flew through him like a violent stream winding down the veins of a forest. The magic leaked out of his skin and off his clothing as fiery puffs of turquoise mist. "I think you can conclude," Orion continued in a soft voice, "that this distraction justifies my absence from the High Commission meeting, yes?"

Raze gulped. "Y...Yes, sir."

"Good," Orion nodded, quickly passing his desk and marching for the door. "Take me to the breach. I want to see it for myself. And inform the Founder as well, assuming she hasn't found out already. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" Raze and Sydney barked at the same time.

*

* *

Elaine tensed her muscles as hot, forest air seeped past her lips and down her throat, incubating her lungs with tempered wisps. She used the momentum of her hop to pull herself up a reasonably large mound of grassy earth and root, letting go of a wheeze as she made it to the top, bending over to place both hands on her knees.

Sweat erupted onto Elaine's forehead like watery diamonds, some drizzling down the sides of her face as rivers, sticking strands of her blonde hair to her moist skin. And her feet, why, they had succumbed to a throbbing manner of pain, a pulsing ache that flared whenever she took that next step.

If she could, she would have taken off her boots and gone barefoot the rest of the way, but she didn't imagine that the blemishes and bruises she'd receive from that journey would be any less painful than how her feet already felt.

The inside of Elaine's mouth was hollow and dry as if her tongue hadn't tasted the succulent flavor of cooly water in years. Elaine tried not to think much about it, though, fatigue was slowly winning her over.

After engaging in dozens of Professor Knight's crazy magical exercises during his classes, Elaine had bought into the lie that she was growing stronger physically when, in reality, only her magic was evolving. She, on the other hand, well, it wouldn't hurt to exercise a bit more in place of studying. She needed to be well-balanced, after all.

A snap of a twig came from a person-sized hedge on the right side of the dirt trail spanning before her, causing Elaine to turn her head sharply in the direction of the noise. Then, a distant howl of some unknown animal exploded far in the distance, a roar that resounded through the towering treetops surrounding her like the hordes of people that crowded Page during the Sycamore Festival every year. Once again, Elaine was reminded of what had happened and where she was.

This was Glyph Forest—the largest, perhaps even the most obscure forest Incante had to offer. The high amounts of Natural Essence had literally overhauled the environment's structure from a molecular level. Elaine's Magic Sense was nowhere close to the level Kliff's was, yet if she closed her eyes and concentrated on the Essence that wasn't hers, she could feel it.

Magic flowed in everything that breathed life into these woods. From the grassy hills and plains dotted with white-petaled flowers that swirled and danced with the breeze to the trees that rose to be so big that it was difficult to make out their peaks. The massive canopies of blue and green leaves were dense enough that they formed a natural roof over her head, with only wavering beams of whitish sunlight slipping through the cracks between branches whenever they swayed from the wind.

Some spots were so dark that Elaine had thought in a flurry of panic that the day was nearing its end and the sun had already slid out of the sky. In actuality, only an hour and a half had passed, and the intertwined ceiling of branches and green had completely cut off the sun's radiance, resulting in an out-of-place column of pitch blackness.

The crunch of her boots landing on a sheet of multi-colored leaves had become customary to her, and the familiar pattern would only end whenever the terrain shifted. When discarded, leaves revealed fresh soil and lush grass.

Just a mile back, Elaine had walked past a flat clearing of grassy blades and flowers, with only a single tree at its center. It wasn't as large as the others—perhaps only the size of a common elder oakwood tree—but it seemed far more ancient than the rest.

While there were many fascinating features to take in, one aspect stood out above all the others: the multi-colored crystals that seemed to sprout from the ground at random intervals. These crystals, Elaine had learned about them during one of her Geography lessons. They were a rare and precious mineral known as stellarium; Elaine had seen more than a few of them upon her journey so far.

The dazzling minerals were undoubtedly a sight to behold, reflecting every hue of the rainbow on their smooth surfaces. Stellarium possessed a remarkable quality that allowed them to absorb the mystical glow of the moon and stars, capturing their celestial radiance within their very being. Some of the crystals were small, barely rising to her waist, while others towered above her, stretching well over her head, commanding a sense of awe.

Elaine had learned that stellarium was a precious resource in Ekenthall, known to be found only at the summits of mountains. However, clusters of the valuable crystals were emerging from the ground or taking root at the base of galbora trees. Did this anomaly have any connection to the concentration of Natural Essence in the area?

She pondered the question as she stared blankly at her reflection upon the kaleidoscopic, jagged crystal situated on the side of the path but hurriedly discarded it. She knew that it was not the right time to let irrelevant inquiries distract her. She had to stay focused on her goal.

Up ahead, Elaine found a boulder the size of two carriages, and she wasted no time settling onto a flattish section at its foot. The strain aching on her feet and shooting up to her calves paled slightly as she leaned back on the hard surface, resting both hands on either side of her.

Another gust of wind—not so strong as to billow her hair, but it did have enough force to scatter the leaves on the ground—spread over her, and Elaine immediately tasted the thick scent of wood sprinkled with the sharp and sweet fragrances of flowers inside of her nose. Much like Custas, she wasn't the best regarding directions, but at the very least, she knew how to find east and west.

When she first materialized in the forest and realized she could only depend on herself to get where she needed to be, Elaine remembered an old trick her father had taught her and Ellend when they were both kids. "Point your shoulder towards the direction the sun is rising, and you would have found east," his gruff words rang in her mind. "North would be on your right, and south would be on your left. And I needn't have to tell you where the west is, do I?"

She'd done exactly that, pivoting her shoulder opposite where the sun was now falling, and she'd been following that direction ever since. She could now only hope she hadn't made a mistake along the trek; losing your way within this deceptive forest was easy. It made her worry about how her friends were faring. Hopefully, better than herself.

Elaine exhaled as she climbed off the boulder, stretching her arms overhead. She didn't think she needed to worry about Fearne. According to her, the girl was practically raised in the forest, and she seemed to have some...strange connection with nature that Elaine couldn't explain.

She would have been worried for Custas, given his abysmal aptitude for navigation, but he had his spirits to count on, and the position Professor Knight had assigned him wouldn't require him to locate the Butt Rock anyway.

Then what about Kliff? Unlike her or Fearne, he belonged to the Griffin Team, which meant that he was technically her opponent—her enemy—or rather, she had to perceive him as such. If they both wanted to perform well, he would have to use all the means at his disposal to overpower her, and she would have to use every tactic to outmaneuver him. Yes, the outcome of this exam very much hinged on their respective abilities to outsmart the other.

Elaine couldn't help but feel a wave of dread wash over her at the mere thought of facing Kliff in a duel. His incredible Fire Magic made him a formidable opponent, capable of effortlessly defeating anyone who dared to stand in his way. Among all the people in her class, he was someone she had to be particularly cautious around, and the question of how long she would fare in a confrontation with him plagued her thoughts, causing her to cringe at that frightening hypothetical.

A snapping twig made Elaine dart to the right, where a sizable hedge obscured her view of whatever was on the other side. Another snap shattered the silence that followed, and in a split second, a dark blur of fur leaped from over the hedge. Elaine's reflexes kicked in as she bolted out of the way, causing a ripple in her hair. If she hadn't reacted as quickly, the creature could have collided with her, which would have been, if nothing else, unfavorable.

Four legs, a pair of horns, darkish eyes behind a round nose at the tip of its head. Although deer were a common sight where she lived, Elaine knew that even a seemingly harmless prey animal could become dangerous when startled or frightened. However, before she could properly take in the image of the horned beast, it vanished into the shadows of the foliage, its departure as sudden as its appearance.

Elaine frowned in confusion. Wonder what has him so spooked.

A subsequent snapping of branches and timber croaked in her ears, and as Elaine turned around, anticipating to see another deer, where once existed only a leaf-covered trail now stood an even larger animal. It was covered completely in white-colored fur patterned by coal-black stripes running from its round head down to the end of its long, rope-like tail dragging on the ground behind it.

Elaine's heart started racing as she gawked in disbelief. The thin layer of sweat on her forehead trickled down her face as she struggled to process what she was seeing. The creature's piercing light blue eyes fixed on her, confirming that it was no figment of her imagination.

The creature possessed four massive paws, each resembling the size of a cinder block. Its paws featured razor-sharp claws, measuring as long as eleven inches, which could slice through any object with ease. However, the most striking feature of the animal was its two long, curved canines that protruded from its upper jaw and extended beyond its chin. These teeth resembled sabers that could easily rip apart a fully-grown land dragon and claim a man's life in a single bite.

The creature's imposing physique was a testament to its speed and strength, evident in the bulging muscles that rippled beneath its fur. It towered over Elaine, its height exceeding two meters, forcing her to lift her gaze to meet its stare. Its predatory instincts were honed to perfection, and it could easily outrun and capture its target, even with its massive size. In the face of this formidable predator, what hope did Elaine have to escape its grasp?

The cat stood glaring with a hunched back, cold and emotionless, about fourteen feet away from her. Although the creature didn't display any signs of aggression, Elaine knew she had to act fast to save herself, and without a second thought, she started running with all her might abandoning the forest trail for condensed foliage.

As she sprinted away, the roar of the beast echoed behind her, sounding like booming thunder. She could feel the ground shaking with each heavy, rapid paw step the creature took, getting closer and closer to her.

It was hunting her.

Elaine was acutely aware of the danger that pursued her. She knew that her chances of outrunning the fearsome, top predator were slim to none, yet she couldn't help but wonder what had brought a saber-toothed white tiger to this sweltering environment. Despite the scorching heat, the tiger's eyes glinted with a menacing hunger, and Elaine shuddered at the thought of becoming nothing more than a lifeless carcass for the beast to feed on.

However, Professor Knight must have taken some safety precautions. Discounting that it was a Magic Domain, Glyph Forest was known for housing deadly flora and fauna. You wouldn't send a group of inexperienced students into such a death trap unless you were confident that no serious harm would befall them, much like the safeguards Professor Marsh had set in place when he had sent them inside of his insane pocket prison. However, Professor Marsh and Professor Knight were two different people, and it was well within his nature for Professor Knight to do something so...so reckless.

Amidst her retreat, Elaine heard the sound of snapping branches behind her, followed by the heavy breathing of a predator. She dared not turn back, knowing that the white tiger was chasing her relentlessly. The bushes were so thick that they almost seemed to be reaching out to grab her, while the vines that hung from the trees were like snakes with thorny fangs, slashing at her arms and face. With each step, she struggled to push through the waist-high foliage, feeling as though the jungle itself was trying to ensnare and trap her.

Elaine felt her lungs flaring as she ducked into a full sprint and hopped over a decently sized ditch ahead of her, sliding over slippery grass as she landed. She was giving it her all, running as fast as she humanly could to escape the formidable predator, but as she ventured a peek over her shoulder, she could see it, the pair of light blue eyes peering out of the forest's darkness, shooting right for her with claws and teeth and fervor.

If Knight's really left us to fend for ourselves, I'm dead meat unless I think of something quick! Elaine's Essence reminded her of who she now was, and her commoner's wand reflected in her eyes from where it sat inside its holster. She didn't know how much time she'd have, nor how quickly the tiger would use this prime opportunity to finish its kill, but she had no other option!

With her next step, Elaine's hand shot for her wand, and she nearly stumbled to the ground as she spun on her feet to face the tiger that charging for her like a ram with fangs. With a firm grip on the wand's handle, she squared her shoulders and slid one foot behind her for balance. Her anxious breaths rattled her lungs as she shouted, "Icto Lumen!"

As Elaine raised the wand upwards, a warm golden light emanated from its tip, casting an intense glow on her face. Despite the brightness, she didn't need to shield her eyes from it. She aimed the wand at her target and released a glimmering projectile that soared through the air.

The javelin of light moved with such speed that it was almost impossible to follow its trajectory. In an instant, it struck the trunk of the tree, sending a shower of light and wood splinters in all directions, including toward the white tiger, who was only a few steps away. The big cat was momentarily blinded by the sudden discharge of light, and for a brief moment, it was unclear whether the tiger would attack or retreat.

Elaine had no intention of causing harm to the creature. She only wanted to delay it momentarily, just long enough to make a safe escape. However, her control over her Essence powers was evidently lacking, as the energy blast that she had directed toward the tree resulted in a blackened scar that seared through the bark and caused the massive pillar of wood to collapse to the ground.

The impact of the fall was so intense that it shook the earth underneath her feet, producing a low grumble that echoed through the surrounding area. The once towering galbora tree now lay in a scattered heap of multi-colored leaves and broken branches.

Ignoring the chaos around it, the white tiger focused solely on its own pain. It relentlessly clawed at its face, specifically its eyes, in a desperate attempt to alleviate the agony. Frustrated, it charged at a nearby tree, colliding with it hard, before standing up on its hind legs and letting out a heart-wrenching howl. Elaine couldn't help but feel sorry for it, hoping that she hadn't caused any permanent damage.

However, her compassion was short-lived when she saw the tiger's nostrils flaring repeatedly, indicating that it was now using its sense of smell to track her down. With its vision compromised, the tiger's other senses were heightened, and she knew that she couldn't let her guard down for even a moment. After all, sabertooth white tigers were renowned for their unparalleled tracking abilities, and she was in the middle of its territory.

Elaine felt a sudden tightening sensation in her chest as she locked eyes with the menacing creature. "Fritz," she muttered, swiftly turning her back on the beast and running in the opposite direction. It took a few moments before she heard the sound of heavy footsteps approaching, but they were not as frenzied as before, likely due to the injury she had inflicted on the creature's vision.

Crossing her arms in front of her, Elaine broke through a dense wall of spiky vines, wincing at the sharp pricks of pain that erupted all over her skin. The rays of sunlight that had been absent for so long now beat down on her as she emerged from the forest's depths, causing her eyes to squint as she struggled to adjust to the sudden brightness. When her surroundings finally came into focus, immediately her heart sank. Ten feet of grass led to an earthen shelf with a steep drop-off, and slowly, it dawned on her that she was trapped in a dead end.

The silence of the forest was suddenly broken by the sound of wood and vine cracking under the weight of a powerful beast. The white tiger leaped into the clearing, landing with an arched back and razor-sharp claws that dug into the soft earth. Gulping she began taking slow and deliberate steps backward, that was until her foot met the edge of the earthen shelf.

With her wand held tightly in her fist, she felt the hopelessness of being trapped creeping up on her. Now that she had nowhere to go, her only option was to...was to...wait, there was something she could try.

Cautiously, Elaine peered over the edge of the cliff, taking in the steep, rocky slope that led down to the dense thicket of trees below. Though it was a daunting prospect, she realized that this could be her only chance. With a deep breath, she steeled herself for her horrible bright idea, clamping her eyelids closed as she thought, I have to be insane! But what other way is there?!

The advancing white tiger opened its mouth wide and let out a deafening roar that made her insides rumble. As it did, its left eye slowly creaked open, revealing a light blue pupil glaring straight at her. The tiger's fur stood on end, and drool dripped from its mouth as it launched itself high into the air, its front legs stretched out in front of it like a deadly weapon.

Elaine knew she had to act fast. She took a deep breath and held her wand tightly, ready to defend herself. With a fierce cry, she shouted out the incantation for her spell, "Icto Lumen!" A shimmering ray of light darted out of the wand and soared toward the tiger like some golden needle.

Elaine winced in pain as she felt the Essence draining out of her body. She had used too much of it this time, and the consequence was devastating. Unlike her previous attempts at tempering her Essence flow, she had allowed her magical energy to surge through her body in an uncontrolled burst of power.

The result? A blinding explosion of light and earth that shot several feet skyward. The shockwaves that followed were so strong that they pushed her back into the dirt, rattling her clothing and pulling her hair behind her scalp.

As the winds continued to pick up, the dusty and smoggy air enveloped the tiger entirely, and Elaine watched as the roaring animal was flung backward into the dense treeline, disappearing from view.

Unfortunately for Elaine, the violent gusts showed little mercy or prejudice. She was thrown off her feet with such force that she barely registered that she was no longer standing on solid ground. Before she knew it, she was hurtling through the air, plummeting to the ground with terrifying speed.

With her own spell, with her own magic, she had blasted herself off the cliff. Her wand still in her hand, she felt gravity's tug as it yanked her to the earth, and so astonished was she that she couldn't even muster the will to scream. With lodged eyes and an open mouth, Elaine could only gaze emptily at the Eternal Gardens behind the clouds.