Page 47 of Whispers of the Magical Forest

Bas grabbed my arm as my legs threatened to give out. The backlash from corrupting Marcus's network was hitting me hard. "Time to go. This whole place is about to collapse."

"Right then," Violet said as she moved toward what looked like a safer passage. "Let's postpone the end of the world for another day. Thanos, clear us a path. Fi, can you walk?"

"Define 'walk'," I managed through gritted teeth. "If you mean 'stumble about like a fresher after last orders', then yes. Anything more coordinated is going to be a bit dodgy."

The chamber was coming apart around us, reality trying to stitch itself back together even as the lingering corruption ate away at the foundations. Through the shrinking gaps, I could still feel the First Ones watching and waiting. Their presence made the very air vibrate with their unique frequencies.

Argies held an unconscious but breathing Aislinn in his arms. The relief on his face was painful to see. "She's alive," he reported. His voice was rough with emotion. "The corruption's gone, but..."

"But Marcus got what he wanted anyway," Gadross finished grimly as another quake shook the tunnels. Hisartifacts were still spinning and trying to track something we couldn't see.

"The network was mapping our abilities to bridge magical disciplines while we made our way through," I explained as we navigated the crumbling passages. "He had what he needed from Aislinn long ago. The tunnels continued until he got what he needed from us."

"Your essences became a key," Thanos said as we rounded another corner. "One that could unlock the barriers between magical types permanently."

"I don't suppose anyone knows where he might have gone?" I asked, wanting to look ahead. No reason to worry about what had already happened. "Or should we just follow the trail of reality-breaking horror and hope for the best?"

"We'll find him," Violet promised, her phoenix fire lighting the way ahead. "We always do. Though next time, let's try to stop him before he gets his hands on the metaphysical equivalent of a skeleton key."

Purple light flared ahead of us as another section of tunnel collapsed. The corruption was spreading faster now, eating through stone and magic alike. Somewhere in the complex above, Marcus was gathering power for something much worse than what we'd already seen. The First Ones were still waiting. And this time, they'd be ready for us.

CHAPTER 18

VIOLET

“Why isn't she waking up?” Argies barked. “Is she alright?” He held Aislinn close to his chest as his face crumpled with anguish.

Fiona and I scrambled to his side and stumbled when the old stone cavern shuddered violently. Debris rained down from the ceiling as the corrupted magic made everything twist and buckle. Gadross's copper artifacts spun frantically. His brow furrowed with worry as he tracked the spreading energy surges. My heart hammered against my ribcage as we checked on our best friend.

Fiona moved quickly, pressing a finger to Aislinn's wrist and checking her over with the practiced motions of a seasoned nurse. "She's alive," Fiona reported. Her brow furrowed with worry. "She's sustained a lot of injuries, but none that seem immediately life-threatening. We need to get her to Zreegy as soon as possible."

I used my own magical senses to assess Aislinn's condition. I felt the faint flicker of her essence. There was no trace of the corrupted Dark energy that Marcus had tried to useagainst her. However, she was dangerously drained. That was not good.

"The barriers are failing," Gadross called out. His voice barely cut through the groan of tortured stone. "Do what you can for Aislinn for now. We can’t afford to wait. Marcus is forcing open a new rift, drawing the First Ones through. We have to find him and stop the ritual before he completes the connection!”

Thanos moved to Gadross's side. His demigod power crackled around us like summer lightning. "Can you trace the source of the disturbance? If we can pinpoint his location, we may be able to disrupt the ritual before it's too late."

Gadross tilted his head from side to side as his artifacts hummed with increasing urgency. "The ley line nexus complicates matters. The power flows are being redirected and the corruption is making it difficult to get a clear reading. We need to shore up the damaged areas first, or the entire town of Hambledon could come crashing down on top of us."

I cursed under my breath and opened my magical senses. I could feel the First Ones' alien presence pressing against the boundaries of our reality. Their inhuman consciousness made my magical core shudder with primal fear. "Fiona, we need to focus on stabilizing the tunnels. Thanos, Gadross. You two work on tracking down Marcus. We have to find the source of the corruption and cut it off at the root."

Argies' gaze flickered between Aislinn and the chaotic scene unfolding around us, his dragon fire flickering between his clenched teeth. "What about our girl? I should be the one to put an end to that bastard Marcus after what he's done to her."

I placed a steadying hand on Argies' arm and met his gaze with resolve. "I know, but we need you to focuson keeping Aislinn safe. Fiona and I will handle the tunnels. You and Bas focus on guarding her until we can sort this out."

Argies nodded reluctantly. His expression was torn as he tightened his grip on Aislinn protectively. "Fine. But the moment you lot find that wanker, we’re making sure he pays for what he's done."

As Thanos and Gadross pressed forward, Fiona and I turned our attention to the chamber where Marcus had performed his twisted ritual. The air was thick with the stench of corrupted magic. The stones were completely infected and crumbling as a result.

Fiona's magic flared to life. Our power blended together, and we wove an intricate pattern of cleansing energy. We focused our intent on purging the chamber of the lingering taint. The corrupted essence writhed and hissed as it was burned away by our combined magic. It took significant effort to restore the natural balance of the room.

With the corruption driven back, we turned our attention to reinforcing the chamber's structure. Fiona's magic flowed like water. I added mine to the mix, and together, we sealed cracks and reinforced the ancient stonework.

The groaning of the chamber subsided as our efforts stabilized the area. The threat of immediate collapse in that room was averted. Exchanging a resolute nod with Fiona, we hurried to rejoin the others. We needed to heal the rest of the tunnel system and find Marcus to put an end to his machinations once and for all.

"The nexus point is just ahead," Gadross shouted. His artifact whirred and spun as he tracked the shifting energy flows. "But the ley lines are in chaos. Marcus is twisting them to fuel his ritual. The strain is tearing the tunnels apart!"

As if in response, the floor suddenly buckled beneath our feet. It sent us staggering. Massive cracks spiderwebbed across the ancient stone. Purple energy pulsed from thewidening fissures. "Can you guys shore up the damaged areas before we get smashed?" Thanos asked. Fiona and I nodded.

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