Page 36 of Witchful Thinking

Diana's medical training immediately supplied horrifying possibilities."Sacrificial magic.Soul binding.Forced transformations."

"We need to stop him before he completes the bypass," Alarick said, already planning a counter-spell."If we disrupt the crystal network—"

Before they could act, Edgar swooped silently into the chamber through a high window, circled once, and flew back out—clearly reporting to Raven.Seconds later, the temperature in the corridor dropped dramatically as Headmistress Raven materialized from the shadows.

"Adelweiss," her voice sliced through the air like a blade."Step away from the control stone immediately."

Adelweiss straightened slowly, turning to face them with a smile that never reached his cold eyes."Headmistress.How kind of you to join us."His gaze flicked to Diana and Alarick."And you've brought your pet lovebirds.How charming."

"Your diplomatic immunity doesn't extend to sabotage and illegal magic," Raven stated, power resonating in her voice."The Federation has been notified."

Adelweiss laughed, the sound echoing unnaturally in the chamber."Do you really think I came here without precautions?"He gestured to the crystal network, now pulsing with green light."The siphon system is already active, drawing ambient magic.Touch it, and the backlash will devastate this entire wing."

Diana felt Alarick's magic tense through their fusion, assessing, calculating.His thoughts brushed hers:If we combine our power, we might be able to contain the backlash while Raven neutralizes him.

She sent back agreement, their fusion brightening slightly as they prepared to act.But Adelweiss noticed the golden shimmer between them, his expression changing from smug to calculating.

"Fascinating," he said, studying them intently."A natural magical fusion.How rare and...useful."Without warning, he slammed his hand against the central crystal."Let's see how it handles disruption."

The crystal network flared with sickly green light, sending a wave of corrupted magic directly at Diana and Alarick.Acting on instinct, they raised their joined hands, their fusion creating a golden shield that intercepted the blast.

For a moment, it held—their combined power forming a perfect barrier against the corruption.Then the green energy began to warp, tendrils of it slithering around the edges of their shield, seeking weaknesses.

"It's targeting our fusion specifically," Alarick gritted out, sweat beading on his forehead as he strengthened their shield."The corruption is drawn to natural magical bonds."

Diana felt it too—the malevolent energy probing their connection, searching for a way in.Through their fusion, she sensed Alarick channeling more power into their defense, drawing deeply from his magical core.

"Raven!"Diana called, seeing the Headmistress locked in magical combat with Adelweiss."The crystals are attuned to magical fusion!"

Understanding flashed across Raven's face.With a complex gesture, she sent Edgar diving toward the crystal network, the raven's talons grazing the central stone.

The momentary distraction was enough.Adelweiss's concentration broke, and Raven seized the opportunity to blast him with a binding spell that wrapped him in bands of midnight blue energy.

But the crystal network, now destabilized by Edgar's interference, began to pulse erratically.The green energy attacking Diana and Alarick's shield intensified, pressing harder against their fusion.

"It's going to overload," Alarick warned, his face pale with strain."When it does, the corrupted energy will explode outward."

"What can we do?"Diana asked, adding her own healing magic to their shield, trying to counteract the corruption's effects.

"Create a containment field," he said, his eyes meeting hers with grim determination."If we redirect our fusion to surround the network instead of shielding ourselves—"

"We'd be exposed to the corruption directly," she realized, horror dawning."It would hit our fusion with nothing in between."

"Yes," he confirmed, his voice steady despite the fear she felt through their connection."But it might save everyone in the arena above."

The tournament.Hundreds of students and faculty.The choice was no choice at all.

"Together, then," Diana said, reaching for his free hand.

Their fingers interlaced, golden light flaring between them as they redirected their fusion, extending it outward to envelop the crystal network.The shield protecting them thinned, then vanished entirely as they poured all their power into containment.

The moment their protective barrier dropped, Diana felt the corruption slam into their fusion like acid on bare skin.Pain lanced through her magical core as the malevolent energy sought to dissolve the golden threads connecting her to Alarick.

Through watering eyes, she saw Raven dragging a bound Adelweiss from the chamber while Edgar circled the corrupted crystals, searching for a way to disable them.But Diana's focus quickly narrowed to the fusion itself, fighting desperately to maintain the containment field even as their connection frayed under the assault.

"It's working," Alarick gasped, his face contorted with the same pain she felt."The field is holding."

Indeed, the crystal network was now completely encased in a golden bubble of their fused magic, preventing the corruption from spreading outward.But the cost was devastating—their fusion was deteriorating rapidly, the malevolent energy eating away at the magical bonds between them.

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