Magic circles etched with unknown glyphs appeared all around Solwyn. Space itself froze solid, making it nearly impossible for them to move an inch. As they slowly began to force their way out of the circle's grip, the runes glowed brightly, then suddenly, purple chains burst forth from them, latching onto their limbs and pulling them taut in every direction.
"What… is… this?!"
Solwyn struggled, attempting to break free through brute strength, but it was no use. Without hesitation, they called upon every skill available to them.
[Descent of White Lightning], [Gigantify], [Swift End], [Terra Manipulation], [Polychromatism], [Mana Burst], [Umbral Domain], [Telekinesis], [Ethereal Traversal]...
Some of his skills shattered a few of the chains, but for every one broken, two more took its place. Even when they invoked [Overpower], filling his body with immense strength, it was futile. More chains erupted, coiling around them until he was completely immobilized.
'How is this spell so strong?!'
Solwyn couldn't believe it. Even in their fused state that could slap away advanced magic, they were unable to put up much resistance to this spell. This wasn't just advanced magic, it was something beyond, something that defied the fundamental logic of all magic they knew.
Unwilling to give up, Solwyn used [Lesser Channel Control], sealing off Reena's space magic. It worked as she noticed she was unable to recall any of her spells and even forgot the very fundamentals of magic, but instead of panic, she laughed.
"It's already been cast. It's too late to stop it now!"
As if on cue, a black portal slowly opened beneath Solwyn. The only thing keeping them from falling in was the tangle of chains anchoring him in place.
"Wait! You don't have to do this!" Solwyn shouted, realizing brute force wouldn't save them.
Even Jendar cried out in alarm. "Reena, stop!"
But Reena misunderstood his panic. With a proud smile, she reassured him, "Don't worry! The spell is working perfectly!"
With no further input, the spell continued on its own, steadily lowering Solwyn into the expanding portal. They even attempted to unfuse, hoping one of them could escape separately, but the magic somehow prevented even that.
"Goodbye, human!" Reena called triumphantly as Solwyn was swallowed completely by the portal.
Jendar finally reached them, just in time to watch the portal devour Solwyn. He stared at the black portal in disbelief. As he turned to Reena, he was met by her beaming face.
"See? I told you I could do it!" she said, eyes sparkling with pride. "Did I do well?"
Inside Jendar, a storm of emotions erupted. The human was gone, defeated. That was what he wanted, wasn't it?
"Y-yes… you did great." He muttered, barely managing to respond. But Reena was too wrapped up in her victory to notice the hollow tone.
"Yay!" She cheered, pumping her fist in the air. Then she turned back toward the portal, which was now closing in on itself. "All that's left is for the spell to finish on its own and—Agh!"
A force slammed into her from behind.
It was Amber.
She appeared from thin air, tackling Reena in a flash of motion. Neither Reena nor Jendar had noticed her approach, one too focused on her victory, the other lost in emotional chaos.
The two women tumbled forward, right toward the black portal.
"Reena!" Jendar yelled, lunging forward to catch her. But he was too slow. He could only watch as both Reena and Amber disappeared into the darkness.
Jendar's eyes widened in horror.
'No.'
He saw Reena's hand vanish into the portal, her expression shifting from triumph to shock in a heartbeat. Amber's arms were locked tightly around her waist, their bodies spinning together through the collapsing gate.
'No…!'
Jendar sprinted forward, pushing himself beyond his limits.
"REEENA!"
The portal pulsed one last time, then began to shrink rapidly. With a final, eerie hum, like glass cracking, it collapsed into nothingness.
Jendar leapt.
But there was nothing to catch.
He landed hard on his knees and hands, right where the portal had stood. His fingers dug into the dirt, clutching at empty earth.
"No… no… no no no no no!"
His voice cracked with each repetition, heavy with desperation. He clawed wildly at the ground, as if raw determination and torn fingers could reopen the portal.
Dirt and stone scattered everywhere. But the only thing he unearthed was despair.
He dug for nearly a minute before his hands finally stopped. Exhausted and trembling, he looked up at the sky, tears brimming in his eyes.
Jendar, proud Guardian of Sylmasera, had failed. Not in battle. Not in his duty to Sylmasera. But in something far more personal.
He had failed as a parent.
Reena was gone. Taken by her own magic. Taken to who knew where… along with a human he no longer knew if he still hated.
As he knelt in silence, the ground beneath him began to rumble gently. The trees swayed and parted as an enormous root rose from the earth, thicker than any tree trunk, and carried upon it an elderly sky elf.
The root lowered as it neared Jendar. The elf stepped off gracefully and approached him.
Still staring blankly at the sky, Jendar whispered, "Is this… my fault, Speaker?"
The Speaker, head of the Elven Council, placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"Only now do you realize how blinded you were by rage. So vengeful toward humans that you were willing to die for it. You didn't just carry that anger, you even passed it to the next generation."
Jendar flinched. His head dropped. He had no words to argue.
But the Speaker's voice softened.
"No… I don't believe the blame lies solely with you. You were a victim, used and manipulated. But it was still your choice to return hate with hate. And now… this is where that path has led."
Tears streamed down Jendar's face. "Why… why didn't you stop me? Why didn't you say something before—"
"As much as it pained me to watch, I am the Speaker. I listen to the will of the Yggtree… and this is its will." He turned toward the massive tree.
"The Yggtree supports all life. It helps us grow. Not just us elves, but all living things. And part of growing is making mistakes, failing, and learning from that failure. Do you understand?"
Jendar did. But he couldn't help snapping back.
"But what about Reena?! She was innocent! And now she's gone! The spell YOU gave her—!"
"The divine spell was a gift from the Yggtree itself." the Speaker corrected gently. "You've guided her all her life. But now she must walk a path without you. She must learn for herself, and see the world with her own eyes."
Jendar's breath caught. His eyes widened. "You mean… she's alive?"
The Speaker nodded. "For now, yes. But her path is uncertain. There will be danger. But if she does not walk this road… she will never truly grow."
"I see… Thank you, Speaker." Jendar wiped at his face, still shaken, but steadier now. All he could do was wait… and hope.
"I'm glad you understand." The Speaker smiled, then gently tapped his foot against the ground.
From the soil beneath him, lush green grass burst forth, spreading rapidly in all directions. The battlefield, baren because of their battle, began to rapidly heal. Trees regrew, flowers bloomed, and life returned. Not as it once was… but stronger, more beautiful.
Around them, the unconscious and wounded elves stirred. Their wounds vanished. As they awoke and saw the Speaker standing among them, they quickly dropped to on one knee in respect.
The Speaker looked upon them all with a warm smile.
"Come. Let us return."