Chapters 73 and 74

By: Asa Montreaux

Chapter 73: The Buzzing Tension

The aftermath of the battle hung in the air like a thick fog. The courtyard, still littered with the remnants of spells and debris, had grown quiet. The students of The Andrews School, many of whom had fought valiantly, gathered inside the great hall, a sense of relief mingling with the lingering fear of what was to come. But there was little time to rest; they knew Crimson Dawn wouldn’t be down for long.

Hugh stood at the far end of the hall, surrounded by his friends—Eliza, Mish, and Sam. Their faces were streaked with dirt and sweat, but they had survived. He could still feel the buzz of adrenaline coursing through him, the memory of the battle playing over in his mind like a reel. His thoughts kept drifting back to the moment Eliza had been cornered, the fear in her eyes, and the surge of power that had burst from him in an instinctual wave. He hadn’t known he could do that. None of them had.

“Are you okay?” Eliza’s voice broke through his thoughts.

Hugh glanced at her, still feeling the tension between them. “Yeah,” he said, offering a small, tired smile. “Just…thinking about what’s next.”

She sighed, her fingers brushing lightly against his hand. “We’ve only just begun, haven’t we?”

Before Hugh could respond, the grand doors to the hall opened, and the sound of footsteps echoed through the room. The Dean, a tall and stoic figure in her formal robes, strode in, followed closely by Agent Macomb. A hush fell over the crowd as they approached the front of the hall, their expressions grim.

The Dean surveyed the students, her eyes lingering on the younger ones, still shaken from the night’s events. “We have defended the school, for now,” she began, her voice steady but cold. “But make no mistake—Crimson Dawn has made their intentions clear. They will not stop until their goals are met. And we…must be prepared.”

Agent Macomb stepped forward, his eyes scanning the room. He seemed different tonight—less of the mysterious agent they had come to know, and more of a battle-hardened strategist. “The attacks are not just isolated to our school,” he said, his voice low but commanding. “Crimson Dawn’s reach extends far beyond what we originally thought. Their influence is global, and they are escalating their efforts.”

A murmur rippled through the crowd, students exchanging worried glances.

“The most concerning reports,” Macomb continued, “involve their attempts to seize control of critical infrastructure—specifically, airplane guidance systems. We’ve been tracking an increase in hacking activity across several cities. It’s only a matter of time before they try again.”

Hugh felt a chill run down his spine. He had known the stakes were high, but hearing it laid out like this made it feel even more real.

“We cannot afford to wait,” the Dean said firmly. “Starting tomorrow, the elder wizards will be recruiting students to join the defense efforts. This is not mandatory, but we will need every capable witch and wizard to help stop Crimson Dawn from furthering their plans.”

Hugh’s eyes locked with Eliza’s. He could see the fear in her eyes, but also the determination. They both knew there was no turning back now.

“We have to do this,” Hugh whispered, more to himself than anyone else.

The next day, the school was buzzing with tension. Groups of students gathered in hushed circles, discussing the battle and the new threat. Everyone had their own theories about Crimson Dawn’s next move, but one thing was certain—they couldn’t afford to be caught off guard again.

Hugh, Eliza, Mish, and Sam were sitting in one of the smaller study rooms, their textbooks and notes spread out before them. But none of them were paying attention to the work. Their minds were elsewhere.

“You think they’ll really try to control planes?” Sam asked, his voice tinged with disbelief. “That’s… insane.”

“They’re desperate,” Hugh replied, his tone more serious than usual. “If they can create enough chaos, governments won’t know how to respond. It’s a smart move.”

Mish shook her head, her expression dark. “It’s reckless. People will die.”

“That’s what they want,” Eliza said quietly, glancing down at her notes. “They want the world in fear, and they’re willing to sacrifice anything to get it.”

The room fell silent as the weight of her words sank in.

Hugh leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. “There’s got to be a way to stop them. We just need to figure it out before it’s too late.”

“Macomb mentioned something about advanced magic,” Mish said, her eyes narrowing as she recalled the conversation. “Something most wizards don’t know about. Could that be what we need?”

“I’ve heard rumors,” Eliza added, her brow furrowed in thought. “Spells that allow you to manipulate large-scale events—telekinesis on a whole new level. But it’s been kept secret for centuries.”

Sam leaned forward, his eyes bright with curiosity. “What if we could learn it? If Crimson Dawn is using that kind of magic, we’ll need something to match it.”

Hugh nodded slowly. “We’ll need more than just spells. We’ll need to outthink them. Use our powers in ways they won’t expect.”

The group exchanged glances, a new sense of resolve forming between them. They weren’t just students anymore. They were on the front lines of a war that was far bigger than any of them could have imagined.

Later that evening, Hugh found himself wandering the halls alone, lost in thought. The conversation with his friends had stirred something inside him—a sense of urgency, a need to push beyond the limits of what they knew. They couldn’t just react to Crimson Dawn anymore; they needed to take control of the situation.

As he walked, his mind drifted to Eliza. The fear he’d felt when she had been in danger still clung to him. He couldn’t shake it, the thought of losing her. He stopped in front of one of the large windows that overlooked the grounds, watching as the last rays of sunlight disappeared behind the horizon.

“We’ll figure this out,” he whispered to himself. “We have to.”

But even as he said the words, a part of him couldn’t help but wonder—what if they were too late? What if the next attack was the one they couldn’t stop?

Chapter 74: Mid-Air

The tension in the school had reached a boiling point. Everywhere Hugh looked, students and teachers were bracing for what felt like an inevitable catastrophe. The buzz of magic hung in the air, not just in the classrooms or training grounds, but in the hallways, the dormitories—magic was on the tip of everyone’s tongue, pulsing in every gesture, every whispered word.

For Hugh, the weight of it all was suffocating. He sat with Eliza, Sam, and Mish in one of the common rooms, the fire crackling softly behind them. No one was speaking, just staring blankly at the books and scrolls spread out before them. They had done everything they could to prepare, but the coming storm felt larger than anything they could control.

Eliza broke the silence, her voice low. “We need to start thinking bigger. I’ve been reading more about the ancient spells—there’s one that allows you to track a moving object from miles away. If we can adapt that, we could find the planes.”

Hugh nodded. “But it’s not enough to find them—we have to control them, and from a distance. Telekinesis at this level…it’s risky.”

Mish leaned forward, her eyes sharp. “We don’t have a choice. We can’t sit here and hope the elders handle it all. They’ll need us out there.”

Sam, quieter than usual, finally spoke up. “And what if we fail?”

“We won’t,” Eliza said, her voice stronger now, more certain. “We can’t.”

As the evening wore on, students from all over the school were called to the Great Hall for a briefing. The elder wizards had received new intelligence: Crimson Dawn had accelerated their plans. They were moments away from gaining full control of plane guidance systems across multiple cities. The consequences were unthinkable.

Dean Cauldwell stood at the center of the hall, her voice echoing with authority as she addressed the students.

“The time has come for us to act,” she said, her eyes scanning the crowd. “Crimson Dawn is planning an attack that could devastate not only the magical community but the entire world. They’ve developed methods to take control of technology and weaponize it. They are hacking into systems that guide planes, power grids, and more. This is not just a magical battle—it’s a fight for the survival of everyone.”

The hall was silent, tension rippling through the crowd as the gravity of her words sank in.

“I know many of you are scared,” she continued, “but we have trained for this. We have the skills, the knowledge, and the power to fight back. The elders will be coordinating efforts to disrupt Crimson Dawn’s operations, but we will need every capable witch and wizard on our side.”

Hugh’s heart raced. This was it. No more preparation, no more talking—they were being thrown into the fight.

An hour later, the halls of the school were a whirlwind of activity. Teams were being organized, students were being equipped with magical artifacts and instructions, and the air buzzed with spells being cast in quick succession.

Hugh, Eliza, Mish, and Sam were grouped together with several other students who had proven themselves in earlier battles. They were tasked with something almost impossible—locating and stopping the hackers controlling the planes remotely. But there was another layer to their mission: they needed to protect the control centers across various cities from being compromised.

As they walked through the courtyard toward their rendezvous point, Hugh felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Eliza, her eyes filled with worry.

“We’ll get through this, right?” she asked softly.

Hugh took a deep breath. “We have to.”

They stood there for a moment, just the two of them, amidst the chaos. Hugh wanted to say more, to promise her they’d be okay, but the words wouldn’t come. Instead, he squeezed her hand, and together they joined the others.

The group found themselves in a vast, open field, miles away from the school. Their task was to intercept the planes before they could be used as weapons. Teleportation circles had brought them here, a city on the brink of disaster. The glow of the distant skyline cast an eerie light on their faces as they prepared to act.

“We can’t let them take control of the planes,” Mish said, her voice urgent. “We’ll have to stop them mid-air.”

Hugh felt the surge of magic in his veins, his telepathy amplifying. He could hear the thoughts of those around him, the fear and determination mingling in a storm of emotion. He pushed it aside, focusing on the task at hand.

Sam closed his eyes, reaching out with his own telepathic abilities. “I can sense the hackers—there are four control points. We’ll need to divide up.”

They split into two teams, Hugh and Eliza in one, Mish and Sam in the other. Hugh’s heart pounded as he and Eliza ran toward their target. The city stretched out before them, and above, the planes hovered like deadly birds of prey, waiting to strike.

They reached the control center just in time to see a group of Crimson Dawn operatives surrounding it. Hugh raised his hand, casting a shield spell as Eliza conjured up a binding curse to immobilize them. But it was only a temporary solution—the real threat was inside the building.

“We have to get in there,” Hugh muttered, pushing forward.

Inside the control room, the tension was palpable. Technicians and wizards alike were scrambling to regain control of the system, but the Crimson Dawn hackers had already locked them out. Alarms blared, and the screens flickered with chaotic lines of code.

Eliza scanned the room, her eyes locking onto a terminal. “I think I can shut it down,” she said, rushing toward it. “But I need time.”

Hugh nodded, stepping in front of her to provide cover. His mind raced, reaching out with his telepathy to detect any incoming threats. He could feel the hackers’ presence, their thoughts focused and cold.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and a wave of dark energy filled the room. Crimson Dawn operatives stormed in, their wands raised. Hugh reacted instinctively, sending a blast of telekinetic force toward them, but there were too many.

“Eliza, hurry!” he shouted, his voice strained as he fought to keep the attackers at bay.

“I’m almost there,” she muttered, her fingers flying across the keys.

One of the operatives broke through Hugh’s defenses, launching a curse directly at him. Hugh barely had time to react before the curse struck, sending him crashing into the wall. Pain shot through his body, and for a moment, everything went black.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Eliza standing over him, her face pale. “Hugh, are you okay?”

He groaned, struggling to sit up. “I’ll be fine. Did you…?”

Eliza smiled weakly. “I did it. The planes are safe, for now.”

But as they stood there, the distant sound of planes roaring overhead reminded them that the battle was far from over. They had won this round, but Crimson Dawn wasn’t finished yet.

And neither were they.