Dean Lashley stood behind his desk, staring at the glowing federal decree. The official red stamp of the High Realm Directorate burned into his eyes like hot iron."You have ten seconds, Lashley," Lord Jordan Rockwood whispered, his voice dripping with venomous pleasure. "Sign the paper, or the Federal Marshals waiting outside will march in, chain your staff, and shut down Tuntadel University forever."Lashley’s breath was slow and heavy. His hands trembled slightly, not out of fear, but out of sheer, suffocating rage. He looked at the three luxury folders sitting on his mahogany desk. James, Maya, and Loveth stood watching him like vultures waiting for a corpse.If I refuse... they take the campus by force today under federal law, Lashley thought, his mind racing. If I sign... I let three vipers sleep right inside our home."Tick-tock, Dean," James smirked, adjusting his cuffs. "Our luxury trunks are getting cold outside."With a cold, heavy heart, Dean Lashley picked up his official

Outside the buzzing static barrier, Knox crouched beside Fred on the mossy rock. He tilted his feline head toward Fred’s ear, a faint whisper echoing through their bond. "It's useless, Fred," Knox whispered softly, his black cat eyes staring at the glowing cavern walls. "I tried passing through as a spirit form, a shadow mouse, even a tiny flying beetle. Nothing works. The barrier repels every single creature I change into, and the sound is completely dead." "This is insane," Fred muttered, shaking his head. "They are literally standing thirty feet away from us, talking about the fate of our school, and we can't hear a single syllable." Before they could turn around to retreat back into the forest, the temperature around the clearing plummeted. The air grew suffocatingly thick, heavy with an ancient, terrifying pressure that made Knox’s fur stand on end. Fred grabbed Knox and pulled him deep behind a thick wooden root. "Don't move," Fred breathed, vanishing back into total invisibi

The secluded lawn behind the administrative tower was wrapped in total darkness. The cold midnight wind rustled the leaves of the high trees, but no one moved. Gathered in a tight circle were the core members of the Tradition Faction—Dean Lashley, Baron Colgate, Mike Smith, Bolton, Knox, Fred, Felicia, John, Mrs. Susan, Ayomide, and Tucker, who still had thick white bandages wrapped tightly around his arm and chest. Dean Lashley stepped into the center of the ring. He looked at Knox and Fred, his eyes grave and sharp. "Speak, Knox. Speak, Fred," Dean Lashley commanded softly. "You dragged us out of our beds at three in the morning. What discovery could possibly be so urgent?" "Dean, it's about the Rockwoods," Fred began, his voice trembling with a mix of exhaustion and high-strung panic. "Loveth left her hostel room an hour ago. She snuck through the back gate and headed straight into the forbidden forest!" "We tracked her," Knox cut in, stepping forward. "I shifted into a cat, an

A heavy, mournful silence hung over the dark lawn.Felicia wiped tears from her eyes, her shoulders shaking as the horror of the ancient massacre settled over her heart. Beside her, John stared blankly at the ground, his fists clenched tight, while Tucker leaned against a tree, his jaw set in pure rage."They butchered innocent families..." Ayomide whispered, her voice cracking with emotional grief before turning into cold, sharp anger. "They turned their blood into a battery..."Baron stepped into the center of the lawn. The gentle crimson flame over his heart pulsed steadily, casting a soft red glow across his bruised face."We stand here crying, but those monsters are sitting in that cave right now drinking that dark elixir," Baron said, his deep voice carrying absolute resolve. "I won't let them desecrate that sanctuary for another day. We are going to stop them."He turned directly toward Mrs. Susan. "Seer, tell us how to break through. How do we bypass that anti-magic jammer so

The dark lawn behind Tuntadel’s central tower was filled with suffocating, agonizing tension.The cold midnight wind swept across the grass, but nobody felt the chill. Every single member of the Tradition Faction was sweating, pacing back and forth in pure, high-strung panic. The minutes dragged on like torturous hours.John couldn't take it anymore. He kicked a loose stone across the grass and threw his hands into the air, his blue cosmic sparks flickering erratically over his knuckles."Why are they taking so long?!" John burst out, his voice cracking with intense frustration. "They were supposed to go in, listen for five minutes, and get pulled straight back out by Bolton! It’s been almost half an hour!""John, keep your voice down!" Rose warned, though her own voice was trembling as she wrung her hands tightly together. "If the Rockwood enforcers hear us out here, everything is ruined!""Keep my voice down?!" John shouted back in a harsh whisper, turning to face Rose and Dean Lash