TRISTAN

Red lights streaked the night sky, hovering above The Academy. A foretelling of what was to come—which meant Synto had not arrived yet.

The four of us stood in the middle of the Garden in peace, as The Academy always was in. Some of the spellcast trainees stuck their heads out their dorm windows to witness the red strings of light in the sky.

Jesse and Voltaire headed to the office while I cast the spell of Elemento Electricus, a spell that electrified the gates and fences of The Academy and encircled the school with the ring of fire. The cosmic energy was descended as Wynona cast the spell of Elemento Cosmos, a spell that would strengthen every spellcaster when churning up their pure energies.

“Keep that up,” Wynona said with a smile, “and you might just be a stronger spellcaster than your grandfather.”

I teleported to my office and retrieved a new red coat and cuffed my ruby on it. My old one was still back in the makeshift Lair, shredded and singed from the explosions. Jesse managed to retrieve my ruby and wand from my old coat right before he and Wynona were attacked by Ingram.

I put on the coat and adjusted its collar. I fastened the ruby and let its energy flow through me. In the mirror I adjusted my hair and watched as my olive-green irises turned to an orange hue and deepened into red.

“Ready?” I asked Wynona as I teleported back to the entrance of The Academy. She smiled and nodded with a mischievous spark in her eyes.

We held up our hands, palms facing the gates and shut our eyes. In mere seconds, a portal tore through the dimension and crowds of Vampires spilled through it. Another portal also opened and other Spellcasters from the Worldly Realm arrived.

Synto had his army, we have ours.

After the last Vampire and Spellcaster had entered our realm, we shut the portals as soon as we could. We feared that Synto was awaiting the unlocking of the portals—

—and our fear came true.

A couple of djinns slid through the portals and started attacking the Vampires. Wynona immediately cast Strangify

, a spell that made the target confused as being in a strange place. Then a spellcaster finished them off with Arsonion.

“She’s not far behind,” Wynona said as she gathered the others at The Academy.

She. My heart sank a little.

As Wynona ushered them away, I locked the realms to stall Synto and his—or her army.

“Wynona, alert Jesse and Voltaire. I can feel her dark energy.”

“I feel it too.”

Wynona left as the spellcasters and Vampires took their place behind me. I shut my eyes and let the cosmic energy flow through me.

“Uh, Tristan,” A Spellcaster nudged. His voice sounded tight and unsure.

I opened my eyes. His gaze was fixated at the gates. I turned to see.

There she planted her feet on the other side of the gates, all five feet and two inches tall. Her irises of golden yellow eyed me. She wore a black robe that ended at her feet, her thin lips curled skywards. Her dark hair parted in the middle and fell straight on the sides of her face, slighting brushing her cheekbones.

It was at that moment that I began to feel angered while the energy bubbling in me started to swirl. I put in all my energy to tame it but not for long.

“Thou dareth taint this realm with thy presence,” Lord Voltaire spoke from behind me. He walked to my side in full shadow form—just as I thought I had forgotten it.

Heidi, or Synto, stood still. The smile never left her face. Her army roared behind her.

Lord Voltaire stood in front of his loyal Vampires, his aura black as the Void. He snarled, “Thou hath no place here. By crossing the Realms which thou hath been forbidden to enter, thou hath sealed thy fate.”

“That’s Heidi,” I muttered involuntarily. Jesse, who joined my side, turned to me.

“We will do our best to save her,” he said.

The electricity from the gates began to increase in voltage as Synto stood closer to it. It backed away and growled at me.

“Thou magic is weak! Thou art but a lowly mortal, made out of dirt!”

“Nice to see you again too, Synto,” I retorted dryly. Lord Voltaire raised an eyebrow at me.

“The love thou possesseth for this vessel will be the end of thee,” it let out a maniacal laugh at the end of its sentence.

Jesse stood forward. “Enough of this foolishness!” He cast the first spell, “Duplicato!” and there were several duplicates of Jesse materialising in front of us, forming a wall of Jesses.

Heidi transformed into Synto’s true form, a shadow mass, and the djinns charged to the fences. One by one they were electrocuted, which gave me time to garner the energy for the cosmos to send lightning to them. Several of them dropped dead like flies while the others took their place.

Synto quaked the ground beneath it which began to tear the gates and fences asunder. When they broke through the outer defence, I raised the ring of fire higher which seemed to stop them.

“I walketh through flames and thou shalt taste death!” Synto cried before striking me backwards.

I was flung and crashed onto the ground, bruising my back. Voltaire, in his supernatural speed, swung his iron dagger and Synto ducked. Jesse and Wynona fought the other djinns whirl I got up off the ground.

I ducked, jumped and swerved from the attacking djinns. My mind was focused on aiding Voltaire. From a distance, I shot some ice on the ground, fighting off other djinns while I made my way to Voltaire’s side. They stumbled over the ice and lost balance. When I got a clear shot, I inhaled and allowed the cosmic energy to flow through me. The lightning current above us gathered and I channelled it into my wand and within me.

Synto turned to me with its golden eyes so full of hate and disgust. Voltaire was hurled to the side before it paid its attention to me.

The wind around us started to pick up. The lightning bolts became stronger and longer. My ruby, the Sage’s gem, glowed its brightest.

“Let her go,” I said, my voice low. “Or I will end you right here.”

“Fool! No mortal can end me!” It bellowed and the ground rumbled.

I wasted no time in striking the pure lightning towards Synto. The bolt travelled in its speed—

—only to have Synto pull itself out of Heidi’s vessel and transported away from my lightning spell.

“Heidi!” I yelled and dropped the wand. I was a little too late—some of the lightning had struck her.

She fell back. I raced to get to her but a djinn tackled me and I was on the ground. Synto was powerful enough to form its own vessel and was no longer a shadowy mass. It was in full solid form.

It took after a humanoid shape—it stood over me, eight feet tall, leathery black skin and gold irises. Its arms were long and they almost reached his knees. It lifted one long leg and pinned me to the ground with its large foot, suffocating me.

It looked down on me with indifference in its eyes. In its ghastly voice it spoke, “Thou hath killed her, I warned thee.”

Voltaire was knocked out cold. Jesse and Wynona were held up in their own battles. Synto pushed its leg up my neck as I struggled to fight it.

“Thy realm will fall, and thou along with it. My djinns art strong, as I am the strongest I have been.” Synto leaned his weight on his foot to crush my neck.

A flame shot at its back. Another flame shot at its head but it ducked, immediately followed by a double shot that got its attention.

“Not kicking any buckets any time soon, buddy,” Heidi said, her stance wide and her hand held high towards Synto.

“Heidi,” I whispered. Its foot was still on my neck.

“Let him go,” she demanded.

Now was my chance. “Elemento Lightningus!” I cried and directed the lightning to Synto. It shrieked and let go of my neck, letting me wriggle away from his pin.

Once I was freed, I pointed my wand and yelled, “Arsonion Oblivion!”. My favourite spell.

An orb of oblivion warped the atmosphere of the Magic Realm and began to consume Synto…

…until Synto reversed my spell.

Its rage glowed in its eyes as it came after me. It raised its hand towards me but I diverted his spell by quickly casting a shield in front of me. exclusive content.

Voltaire, recovered from the knockout, sliced Synto’s black skin with his iron dagger. It shrieked in anger but Voltaire managed to evade every attack Synto had in its arsenal. Voltaire then stabbed right into its spine with his dagger. It knelt in agony and Voltaire nodded at me. I cast my oblivion spell and we watched Synto get consumed by the orb. When it was over, the djinns began retreating and the traitor Vampires followed.

Voltaire and I headed to Heidi who was on the ground, weak and semi-conscious.

“We will heal you,” I assured and carried her in my arms.

The Academy was saved but some parts of the building were destroyed. Cheers for Voltaire and I echoed through the realm but I could not celebrate just yet.

Heidi’s aura was faint.