Page 163 of Court of Aether and Shadows

Time seemed to slow as I watched the corrupted tendril race toward Liam. My body moved before my mind could process what I was doing, hand thrust forward through the protective cube my wolves had created around me. The barrier parted like water at my touch, recognizing me as its master rather than its ward.

"No!" The word tore from my throat as power surged through me. Shadows – not the corrupted darkness attacking us, but true shadow magic – poured from my fingertips, wrapping around Liam in a protective cocoon mere seconds before the tendril struck.

The impact made reality shiver, and suddenly I wasbetween.

Just like when I'd fallen through the rift, the world shifted into something more real than reality itself. But this was different from my first transition. Here in the academy, where magic saturated every crystal and stone, the spirit realm blazed with unprecedented clarity.

Everything existed in stark contrasts – deep blacks and brilliant whites, blood reds and ethereal teals. Regular students appeared as simple white silhouettes with cores of varying colors denoting their court affiliations. The academy's walls pulsed with teal lines of protective magic, creating a lattice of power that reminded me of computer circuit boards.

My wolves, though... they took my breath away.

Liam blazed like a dark star, shadow magic coating him in layers of deepest black shot through with silver. Nyx's form rippled with void energy that bent light itself around her, creating patches of absolute nothing that somehow still managed to glow. Solaris burned so brightly he was almost painful to look at, pure light radiating from his core in waves of gold and white. Cypress was a symphony of colors, each element within him moving in perfect harmony with the others.

But more importantly, I could see the attack for what it truly was – not just corruption, but manipulation. The dark tendrils weren't random chaos; they were puppets, all connected to a single source by threads of tainted magic.

My eyes followed these threads, tracking them through walls and floors, watching them wind through the academy's magical infrastructure like parasitic vines. They all led to a single point, a nexus of power that pulsed with malevolent purpose.

"It's coming from the Advanced Realm Walking classroom," I said, my voice echoing strangely in this between-space. "Everything connects there. Someone's using the natural thinness between realms in that location to channel this power."

My wolves' heads snapped toward me, their magical signatures flaring with surprise. In this state, I could see their energy responding to my voice, reaching for me instinctively through our pack bonds.

"Sparrow?" Nyx's galaxy eyes had become literal galaxies in this view, swirling with cosmic power. "How are you doing this?"

"More importantly," Solaris added, his form barely contained by physical boundaries, "how are you seeing the magical pathways? That's high-level Aether Court magic."

"Questions later," I said, noting how the threads of power were beginning to pulse more rapidly. "We need to get to that classroom. Now."

"But your barrier—" Cypress started.

"Was never meant to contain me," I finished, stepping fully out of their protective cube. In this spirit-sight view, I could see how their different magics had woven together, creating something beautiful but ultimately unnecessary. "I'm not the one who needs protection right now."

Liam, still encased in my shadow shield, stared at me with an expression I couldn't quite read. His magical signature reached for mine, shadow calling to shadow, but there was something else there too – a recognition that went beyond court magic.

"You can see it all, can't you?" he asked softly. "The paths between realms, the flow of power..."

I nodded, already moving toward our destination. The corrupted threads were pulling tighter, suggesting whatever was controlling them was preparing for something big.

"Then lead the way," Nyx said, void energy coiling around her like excited serpents. "We'll follow."

"Three minutes past class time," I noted with grim amusement as we began to move. "Think Lord Helios will accept 'fighting corrupted magic' as an excuse for tardiness?"

"Only one way to find out," Cypress replied, his elemental powers leaving trails of harmonious energy in our wake.

We raced through the academy's halls, following the dark threads that only I could see. Regular students appeared as bright blurs in my spirit-sight, scattering out of our path as we ran. The academy's magic responded to our presence, crystal walls pulsing with recognition as we passed.

The closer we got to the classroom, the more concentrated the threads became. They twisted together into thick ropes of power that made my skin crawl just looking at them. Whatever waited for us in that room, it was old. Ancient. And very, very angry.

"Ready?" I asked as we reached the classroom door, beyond which I could see a nexus of power that blazed like a dark sun.

My wolves moved into formation around me, their magical signatures blazing with determination and protective fury.

"Born ready," Nyx grinned, her void energy creating patterns that hurt to look at directly.

"Just try not to get us expelled," Solaris added, light gathering around his hands.

"Or killed," Cypress suggested helpfully, his tattoos shifting into battle configurations.

Liam said nothing, but his shadows reached for mine, twining together in a display of unity that went beyond words.

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