Page 190 of Court of Aether and Shadows

The wall rushed up to meet us, solid yet somehow permeable, and we leaped into whatever destiny awaited on the other side.

The moment we passed through the wall, reality fractured into something both beautiful and terrible. Elements whirled around us in chaotic patterns - fire that burned with void-touched darkness, water that flowed upward in defiance of natural law, air that carried whispers of ancient pain, and earth that seemed to pulse with corrupted life.

The magic felt heavy, pressing against us like a physical force. But beneath the natural elements, I sensed something else - a tainted energy that moved with deliberate malice. It reached for us with tendrils of pure corruption, each one seeking to tear us apart at our very essence.

"Aurora!" I cried as her hand began slipping from mine. The taint was trying to separate us, recognizing our combined strength as a threat.

Her response wasn't words but sounds that shouldn't exist - screeching harmonics that spoke of soul-deep terror. In this altered state of perception, where everything existed in stark contrasts of red, black, teal, and white, I could see the fear etched into her glowing form like cracks in perfect marble.

Instinct told me that if I lost her here, in this space between realities, I'd never see her again. The taint wouldn't just corrupt her - it would unmake her entirely. My grip tightened with desperate determination, power surging through me as I fought to keep her anchored.

Something cool and smooth wrapped around our joined wrists. Echo, my serpentine companion, had manifested from whatever realm it called home. Its molten red eyes blazed with ancient purpose as it wound between us, creating a living bond that fought against the corruption trying to tear us apart.

"Hold on!" I commanded, pulling Aurora forward as our mixed energies - her pure Aether and my shadow-touched light - created a shield against the chaos. Echo hissed encouragement, its scales pulsing with power that seemed to strengthen our connection.

The further we moved into this bubble of corrupted reality, the more I could hear them - whispers of pain and fear from countless students caught in this tainted space. Their suffering pressed against my consciousness like physical wounds:

"Never good enough..."

"They'll see through me eventually..."

"Don't deserve to be here..."

"Should just give up..."

But worse than the anonymous voices were the thoughts I recognized - my wolves, each one trapped in their own personal nightmare:

Solaris's usually bright energy dimmed with self-doubt:"Can't control it properly... never as strong as they need... would only hurt Liam if I got closer to her..."

Cypress's elemental harmony fractured with fear:"Everything changes... can't hold onto anything... will lose Nyx like I lose everything..."

Nyx's galaxy eyes clouded with pain:"Love her so much it hurts... but they'll never accept all of me... never be enough just as I am..."

And Liam... his thoughts were the most distorted, fighting against something that wasn't him:"Worthless... failure... end it all... make them see... finish this game of student and destiny..."

I stopped moving, overwhelmed by the onslaught of pain and fear. The corrupted energy sensed my vulnerability, coalescing into a spiral of pure malice that aimed to strike us from all sides. Aurora's grip on my hand tightened as Echo hissed defiance at the approaching darkness.

Rage began building in my chest - not the hot fury of battle but something colder, deeper. This was supposed to be neutral ground, a place where everyone could find hope regardless of their court or circumstance. The academy had given us all a chance to be more than what our worlds told us we could be.

And something dared to corrupt that?

"No," I whispered as power began building within me. "This is our sanctuary."

The corruption pressed closer, trying to drown us in waves of doubt and fear.

"This is our home!" My voice rose as Aether magic surged through me, turning my hair pure white as ancient incantations appeared on my skin. The marks blazed with celestial fire, each one a rune of protection and purification.

Light exploded from me in a wave of pure power, pushing back the corrupted walls. But I wasn't done. Shadows poured from my very being, taking physical form in a cape that mirrored Aetheron's power. It spread out like wings of living darkness, each tendril finding and pinning a piece of the taint trying to destroy us.

Reality shattered like glass, revealing the true auditorium. Students lay scattered near the walls, some unconscious, others struggling against invisible bonds. Only Aurora and I remained standing in the center, our hands still clasped, Echo still binding us together.

Through the settling dust of shattered reality, I saw her first - Nyx, my proud void wolf, looking more vulnerable than I'd ever seen her. Her usually impeccable appearance was marred by cuts that leaked void energy instead of blood, each wound seeming to bend light around its edges. Her galaxy eyes met mine with a mixture of relief and warning.

Not far from her, Solaris slumped against a crystalline pillar. His right arm hung uselessly at his side, the limb seeming to flicker between solid form and pure light as if his control over physicality itself was wavering. Blood - actual golden blood that sparkled with celestial energy - trickled from a wound at his temple, each drop creating tiny auroras where it fell.

They were breathing hard, exhausted but alive - which was more than I could say for many others in the auditorium. Students lay scattered like broken dolls, some barely conscious enough to groan, others... others so still that the very air around them seemed to hold its breath in mourning.

Please don't be dead, I thought desperately, feeling Aurora's hand tighten in mine as she too took in the carnage. Echo remained wrapped around our wrists, its scales shifting between ruby and void-black as it monitored the lingering traces of corruption.

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