In the Auroria Dominion, Melanthius stood before the shadowed expanse of the left wing, stifling a yawn. “I’m not that tired anymore,” he murmured, though his fingers fidgeted nervously with the frost-cold necklace around his neck—a gift from Amara. The comforting chill did little to steady his nerves, especially with the darkness pressing in around him.

His gaze shifted toward the empty corridor, his voice barely above a whisper. “Guess Dontai was too tired to come along,” he added, though deep down, he wished he wasn’t facing the eerie stillness alone.

Mel flinched at the sound of a sneeze behind him, spinning around with his heart racing. “Ah!” he yelped, gripping his wooden sword instinctively.

Anita stepped out of the shadows with her hands raised. “Relax! It’s just me,” she said, slightly winded.

Mel sighed, lowering his guard. “Right… I forgot you said you were coming.”

“Not just me,” Anita replied with a small grin as more figures emerged from the darkness. Sera, Caius, and Lumi walked up, their faces illuminated faintly in the moonlight. Shenelle followed closely, hugging herself tightly. “It’s freezing out here,” she muttered, her breath visible in the cold.

Mel frowned, glancing between them. “Why did all of you show up?”

Lumi chewed nervously on her nails before pointing toward Anita. “Because we’re your “cousins” and your freshman decided you’d need the backup,” she said, her tone half-teasing, half-serious.

“The backup was supposed to be here four hours ago!” Anita grumbled, tapping impatiently on her card.

“What was that?” Mel glanced at her, his curiosity piqued.

“Nothing!” Anita quickly hid her phone, flashing an innocent smile.

Up front, the wardens, the headmasters, and King Aldara stood in tense silence.

“Where’s your son?” Aldara asked, his voice sharp.

Aegis sighed, pointing toward the school. “He said he was tired, so he went to sleep in one of the classrooms.”

Draven’s face contorted with anger. “Do you think this is a game? There could be multiple intruders vandalizing the school as we speak!” he bellowed, stepping forward, only to be held back by Jasper.

“Relax,” Jasper said soothingly. “We’ve got everyone we need here—even that lady who fixed the school is present.”

Draven huffed, straightening his shirt. “Fine. But this is the last time something like this is happening!”

Suddenly, a deafening crash echoed through the hall, followed by the twisted groan of metal. Everyone turned sharply toward the source of the noise—the lockers had been blasted and warped into grotesque shapes.

Aegis’s eyes widened in disbelief as he recognized the figure at the end of the hallway. A shadowed form, snoring oddly, stumbled closer.

“It can’t be!” Aegis whispered, his voice trembling.

King Aldara’s tone turned urgent. “Whatever you do, don’t let him destroy anything!”

Aegis, however, shouted, “THAT’S MY SON!” His voice cracked as he took a hesitant step forward.

The others froze in shock, watching as Aegis approached the figure. The closer he got, the more clearly he could see—it was Dontai. His son stood there, eyes closed, snoring softly, but his presence radiated uncontrollable power.

Aegis’s voice softened as he called out. “Dontai… is this because you hate me? You’ve always been socially awkward. People bullied you. You were born into this wizarding family, burdened with that twisted torque magic in your skin. And then I took you away from the place where you were comfortable. I… I made it worse.” His words faltered. “I’m a horrible father.”

The raw confession left everyone stunned. Dontai’s sleeping figure remained motionless for a moment. Then, without warning, he pulled his fist back, summoning a vortex of spinning wind. He launched a powerful punch toward Aegis, who stood still, refusing to dodge.

But before the blow could land, Melanthius leapt into action. He appeared mid-air, pushing Aegis out of harm’s way. At the same moment, Sera and Lumi rushed forward, each grabbing one of Dontai’s arms to hold him back. Caius darted in, delivering a precise kick that pushed Dontai back slightly.

Sera grinned, catching her breath. “A place filled with wizards? I wanna go!”

Aegis stared at them, bewildered. “Who are you?” he demanded.

The group—Mel, Sera, Lumi, Caius, and Shenelle—shifted into an impromptu pose.

“Team Baba Yaga!” Sera announced confidently.

Shenelle’s palm collided with her forehead in exasperation. They weren’t supposed to reveal Shenelle’s identity as Baba Yaga, nor the fact that the group consisted of wizards.

“I-I mean—” Sera stammered, attempting to recover.

But before she could finish, Dontai, still snoring, abruptly turned and ran off into the darkness, his figure disappearing from sight.

Aegis sniffled, overwhelmed with emotion, as Draven grabbed him by the shirt, shaking him roughly. “What the hell is going on, Aegis?!” he demanded, his frustration boiling over.

Before the situation could escalate, Allynna intervened. Her touch was gentle yet firm as she placed a hand on Draven’s arm, a stark contrast to the brashness of the previous wardens. “Calm down,” she said softly, her voice steady.

Draven hesitated, then let go, allowing Aegis to collapse to the ground in a heap.

Melanthius stepped forward, his expression unusually serious. “Alright, everyone, listen up,” he said, commanding attention. “Dontai is on the loose somewhere in the school. He was sleeping when we saw him, so it’s likely he isn’t in control of himself. That said, he’s caused significant damage to the school. This can’t go unchecked.”

Chandler, leaning lazily against the wall, stuck a finger in his ear with a nonchalant shrug. “That’s my nephew—no relation, of course—but I really don’t feel like killing the kid or anything.”

“Please don’t kill him!” Aegis blurted out desperately, his voice cracking with emotion.

Sera, mimicking Chandler’s casual tone, began picking at her own ear. “So, are we splitting up, or what?” she asked, tilting her head.

King Aldara furrowed his brow, his gaze distant as he thought aloud. “He keeps attacking the school… but why? There has to be a reason.”

Before anyone could respond, Anita jogged up, holding a set of small walkie-talkies. She handed them out to the group, her expression serious. “Here. Everyone needs one. This school is too massive to search effectively without splitting up,” she explained. “But listen—if you see him, don’t try to fight him alone. Wizards without wands are far too powerful to face solo.”

Jasper examined his walkie with a skeptical glance. “How exactly do you know that?” he asked, narrowing his eyes at her.

Anita stammered, her face flushing slightly. “I… uh… I read it somewhere?” she offered weakly, her voice trailing off.

Jasper raised an eyebrow but ultimately shrugged, pocketing the device. “Alright, if you say so.”

Moments later, Melanthius crept along the ceiling, his movements cautious as he scanned the darkened hallway below. A faint shiver ran through him, his ice necklace doing little to ease the chill that crawled up his spine. He clicked his walkie-talkie, the faint beep echoing softly in the silence.

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“Anita,” he whispered, his voice low and trembling, “it’s so dark… I’m scared… and really tired.” He stifled a yawn, his exhaustion evident even as he tried to stay alert.

“Stay awake, don’t fall asleep!” Anita’s voice crackled through the walkie, snapping Melanthius to attention. He nodded to himself, clicking the device off as he moved quietly into a nearby room, drawn by the sound of rummaging.

Inside, a towering dark figure loomed over him, its outline menacing in the faint light. “Dontai?” Mel called out hesitantly, his voice barely above a whisper. The figure let out a low snore, and for a moment, Mel believed it was him—until something felt wrong.

His walkie crackled back to life. “We found him, but he escaped!” Sera’s voice rang out urgently.

Mel’s eyes widened in alarm as realization struck—this wasn’t Dontai. The figure was larger, its aura oppressive and horrifying, a suffocating presence that made Mel’s heart race. Before he could react, the figure’s fist came down like a hammer, slamming him into the ground with overwhelming force. Darkness overtook him as he lost consciousness.

The figure knelt beside Mel’s unconscious body, its features now visible in the dim light. It was none other than the late Renaissance king, Donatello, his regal bearing twisted with an unsettling calmness.

“Sorry, Melanthius,” Donatello said quietly, his tone eerily composed. “I can’t carry out my plan without what I need from this school.” He stood, brushing imaginary dust from his hands.

“It was all too easy,” he continued, almost as if speaking to himself. “Convincing that kid to sell you the fish oil potion—sacred oil, infused with a fish that binds the sleeper’s body to my will. A little trickery, a little chaos. Sneaking in and pretending to fight the staff while snoring, just to throw you off. And here we are.” He sighed, looking down at Mel.

“Why am I even explaining this? You’re unconscious. You won’t remember or understand a thing.” Donatello’s voice dropped into a cold chuckle as he disappeared into the shadows, leaving Mel sprawled on the ground, unmoving.

Donatello tilted Melanthius’s head back and poured the potion into his mouth, the liquid sliding down effortlessly. Without another word, the shadowy king melted into the darkness, disappearing as if he had never been there.

Moments later, Dontai stumbled into the room, his snores echoing eerily. His half-closed eyes locked onto Mel’s unconscious form, and without hesitation, he lunged forward, his torque magic swirling around his fist. The spinning punch connected, sending Mel skidding across the room.

But Mel wasn’t down for long. With instinctive precision, he countered, using his Rain Aikido to redirect Dontai’s momentum. He threw Dontai over his shoulder, slamming him face-first into the ground. The impact left Dontai’s nose bloodied, but it didn’t stop him. He spun back to his feet, his legs becoming a blur as he launched a whirlwind kick. The blow caught Mel square in the face, staggering him.

Gritting his teeth, Mel recovered quickly. He unleashed a Hidden Cloud Kick, the force of the strike propelling Dontai across the room and into the wall with a thunderous crash.

Meanwhile, Anita wandered the dim hallways, her mind racing. Suddenly, her foot caught on something, and she tumbled to the ground. “Ow!” she yelped, rubbing her knee. Her irritation turned to alarm as her eyes fell on the small bottle that had tripped her. Picking it up, she studied the label, and her stomach dropped.

“This is it… this is what Mel drank!” she whispered, her voice trembling. Turning the bottle over in her hands, she read the faint inscription. “Fish oil… a potion that induces deep sleep, even for wizards. But—wait—this stuff doesn’t just make you sleep… it controls you in your dreams!”

Her thoughts raced as realization hit her like a lightning bolt. “Dontai must’ve had this too! That’s why he’s acting like this! Damn it, who would’ve sold this to Mel?”

Her heart pounded as she stood, gripping the bottle tightly. “No time to figure that out now… if Mel and Dontai are fighting, I have to stop them before this gets worse!” Anita took off down the hallway, her footsteps echoing in the stillness as she sprinted toward the sound of distant crashes.

“Everyone, to the third floor, now!” Anita shouted into her walkie, her voice urgent and commanding.

As she arrived, she froze momentarily at the scene. Donatello lay unconscious on the ground, while Sera, Lumi, and Caius struggled to restrain Mel, who thrashed violently against their combined grip. The tension in the room was palpable.

Aegis knelt beside Dontai, wrapping his arms tightly around his son in relief. “What the hell is happening here?!” Draven’s booming voice filled the room as he stormed in.

Before anyone could answer, Anita slid into the room in a less-than-graceful fashion, nearly falling over. “Wait! I know what’s going on!” she blurted out, holding up the bottle of fish oil. “They drank this—it’s controlling them! Someone needs to get it out of their system now! Shenelle!” She turned and pointed directly at her. “You need to reach into his mouth and make him throw it up!”

Shenelle recoiled, folding her arms tightly. “I am not sticking my hand in his mouth!”

“Oh yes, you are!” King Aldara snapped, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Shenelle’s gaze hardened. “No, I’m not!”

“Yes. You. Are!” Aldara’s voice thundered back.

“Bull. Shit.” Shenelle enunciated slowly, her defiance unwavering.

Before their shouting match could escalate, Dontai groaned and sat up. He doubled over, retching violently, and a grotesque worm wriggled out from his vomit. The creature writhed for only a moment before it disintegrated in the air.

Everyone stared in stunned silence as Dontai wiped his mouth and staggered to his feet. He turned toward Mel, still thrashing under the trio’s grip, and pressed a hand to his own stomach. “I’ll get it out of him,” he said grimly. “I’ll use my torque magic to churn his stomach. It’s gonna get messy.”

Without waiting for approval, Dontai poked Mel’s stomach with two fingers, his torque magic sparking to life. Mel’s body stiffened before he lurched forward violently, collapsing onto the ground. He vomited so forcefully that it splattered across the floor, leaving everyone frozen in mild horror.

Somewhere in the mess, a second worm wriggled free, only to dissolve before anyone could get a good look. Dontai stepped back, rubbing his neck. “There. That should do it.”

The room was silent for a moment before Anita groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I told you it was going to be gross…”

Moments later, Mel stepped out of his shower, dressed in fresh clothes and towel-drying his hair. “Being mind-controlled… that was weird,” he said with a faint grimace, shaking his head as if trying to shake off the lingering discomfort.

Jake, Clyde, and Lance were seated on his bed, waiting for him to finish. “Still crazy that you ended up vandalizing the school, though,” Jake remarked, leaning back against the headboard.

Mel settled into his rolling chair across from them, spinning it slightly as he sat. “That’s the thing,” he said thoughtfully. “The first break-in happened before I even drank that potion. And then there’s what Draven said—someone stepped on him. That doesn’t make sense. Neither Donatello nor I have anything in our abilities that could explain that. Plus, neither of us had any injuries or marks from what supposedly went down.”

Clyde frowned. “So, what does that mean?”

Mel leaned back, running a hand through his damp hair. “I don’t know… It feels like there might’ve been someone else. Another intruder we missed entirely.” He paused, letting the idea sink in before shaking his head. “Or maybe I’m just reading too much into it.”

Lance tilted his head, his tone calm but curious. “Could be worth thinking about. Doesn’t hurt to check.”

Mel gave him a small nod and tossed his towel onto the bed. “Yeah, maybe. But for now, I’m just glad it’s over.”

Meanwhile, in Arid’s therapy session, the lady held up a glass mirror, her expression calm and focused. Arid sighed, eyeing the glass skeptically. “How does punching glass make my mind tougher? You’re supposed to be my trainer or something?” he asked, his voice laced with frustration.

The lady didn’t answer immediately. She simply nodded toward the glass, urging him to strike it. “You can’t truly grow if you avoid discomfort,” she replied, her tone neutral but insistent.

Arid clenched his fists, glancing at the glass before finally giving in. He swung his arm forward, landing a solid punch on the surface. The glass cracked but didn’t shatter completely. It gave way under the force, fracturing into several sharp pieces. The therapist, unfazed, calmly vacuumed up the glass shards as Arid shook his hand, wincing from the sting.

“How does that feel?” she asked, her eyes not leaving the glass as it was swiftly cleared away.

“Painful,” Arid muttered, wiping the glass fragments out of his hand, his jaw tight. “But I don’t see how this is helping me.”

The therapist met his gaze, her expression unchanged. “Pain is a part of growth, Arid. You’ll have to get used to the discomfort if you want to keep moving forward. It’s not just about the physical—it’s about pushing past limits you’ve set in your mind.”

Arid didn’t respond, his mind racing with thoughts of his own struggles, but there was a lingering, unspoken understanding in her words. Even if he didn’t like it, there was something to be said for breaking through barriers—whether internal or external.

Meanwhile, Dontai and Aegis sat across from each other in a small, bustling diner. The faint clatter of dishes and murmur of conversations filled the air.

“They’ve got a breakfast sale. You like scrambled eggs, right?” Aegis asked, scanning the menu.

Dontai folded his arms and slouched in his seat. “I was supposed to hang out with my friends today,” he muttered, his voice tinged with frustration.

Aegis’s smile faltered for a moment before he forced it back into place. “Hang out with your old man instead. It’ll help you grow big and strong,” he said cheerfully, trying to lighten the mood.

Their food arrived a few moments later. Dontai frowned as he eyed the plate, his expression darkening. With a soft whimper, he began picking at his food, his hands trembling slightly.

Aegis noticed and immediately sat up straighter. “Ah, sorry. I forgot—you don’t like your food touching.” He grabbed a fork and carefully began separating the food groups on Dontai’s plate.

For a brief moment, a small smile flickered across Dontai’s face, but it quickly faded. He looked down at his plate and mumbled, “I don’t hate you enough to kill you.”

Aegis froze, his fork hovering over the plate. He let out a quiet sigh. “You heard me crying, didn’t you?” he asked softly. “To be honest, the way you’ve been ignoring me, I thought… maybe you did. Moving hasn’t been easy. You’re not… you’re not getting bullied, are you?”

Dontai shook his head firmly. “No. My friends are the best,” he said, his voice steady.

Aegis’s face softened, and a genuine smile spread across his lips. The two began eating in silence, the tension gradually dissolving. Though no words were spoken, a quiet bond hung in the air between them—a fragile yet undeniable connection.