Chapters 77 and 78

By: Asa Montreaux

Chapter 77: Disbelief and Relief

The aftermath of the battle left a strange quiet in the air. All across the city, wizards were tending to the wounded, putting out fires both magical and literal, and securing areas where Crimson Dawn operatives had been captured. The war wasn’t over, but they had stopped the worst of it. For now.

Hugh leaned against a cracked pillar, catching his breath. His entire body ached from the intensity of the fight, but there was no time to rest. They had won this battle, but the war was far from finished.

Eliza came to stand beside him, her face smeared with dust and her hair tangled from the chaos. She didn’t say anything at first, just offered him a small, exhausted smile. It was a smile that said more than words could at that moment—they had survived. They had saved lives.

But as her eyes met Hugh’s, the weight of what they’d done settled over them both. The reality of stopping those planes from crashing, of manipulating the telekinetic forces to guide the aircraft to safety—it had changed something in them. This was magic at a level they hadn’t been taught, powers they hadn’t known they could control.

“We did it,” Eliza whispered, a mixture of disbelief and relief in her voice.

“Barely,” Hugh replied, his voice hoarse from exertion. “But yeah…we did.”

Back at The Andrews School, the atmosphere was tense. Even though the immediate threat had been neutralized, the entire magical community had felt the shockwave of the attack. The students who hadn’t been directly involved in the battle were left reeling from the news reports and the whispers in the halls. It was the first time in decades that the magical world had come so close to being exposed.

Rumors were spreading fast about what had happened, and the faculty was struggling to keep control. A sense of fear hung over the school. Some students had family members in cities where the planes had nearly crashed, and others had heard from friends or relatives in the magical resistance groups fighting elsewhere.

In the common areas, clusters of students gathered, talking in hushed tones.

“Did you hear what happened in New York?” one student whispered.

“I heard Crimson Dawn nearly took out the entire magical network in London,” another replied, their voice shaky.

Amid the gossip, the names of Hugh, Eliza, Sam, Mish, and the others who had fought in the frontlines were on everyone’s lips. To most of the students, they were becoming something more than just classmates—they were heroes.

Hugh, however, wasn’t feeling very heroic. Sitting in the infirmary, he watched as a few of the older wizards tended to the wounded students who had been in the fight. Some had burns from spell misfires, others had cuts and bruises from physical combat, and a few were lying unconscious, drained of their magic from overexertion.

The door creaked open, and Hugh looked up to see Sam and Mish walking in. Sam had a bandage wrapped around his arm, and Mish looked exhausted, but otherwise unscathed. They approached Hugh, taking seats beside him.

“You okay?” Sam asked, his voice low.

“Yeah,” Hugh replied. “Just…processing.”

Mish nodded. “Same here. It’s hard to believe it’s over. Or, at least, this part of it.”

“I’m not sure it really is,” Sam muttered. “Crimson Dawn won’t just give up because we stopped one attack. They’re too determined. We’re just seeing the beginning of something bigger.”

Hugh knew he was right. The battle they had just fought felt like a small piece of a much larger, more complex puzzle. The more they uncovered about Crimson Dawn’s plans, the more it became clear that this wasn’t just about hacking planes or causing chaos. There was a deeper goal, a more sinister motive that they hadn’t yet uncovered.

“I think we need to dig deeper,” Hugh said, his eyes narrowing. “There’s more to this. We need to figure out what Crimson Dawn’s endgame really is.”

Mish raised an eyebrow. “You mean…even more than what we already know?”

Hugh nodded. “I’ve been thinking about it. This whole thing—the planes, the control centers, the attacks—they feel like distractions. There’s something bigger happening in the background, something they don’t want us to see.”

Sam frowned. “You think there’s another plan in motion?”

“I don’t just think it,” Hugh said, standing up, his determination returning. “I know it. And I’m not going to wait for them to strike again. We need to go on the offensive.”

Mish’s eyes gleamed with excitement. “I’m in. Whatever you’re planning, count me in.”

Sam hesitated for a moment, then sighed. “I’ve come this far with you. I’m not backing out now.”

Over the next few days, the school returned to a semblance of normalcy. Classes resumed, though there was still an air of tension lingering in the hallways. Students tried to focus on their studies, but the weight of what had happened was impossible to ignore.

In Advanced Spellcasting, Professor Aldridge gave a lecture on energy manipulation, a lesson that felt oddly relevant after the battle. He spoke about the power of magic and the responsibility that came with wielding it. Hugh listened intently, absorbing every word.

Later that day, in the common room, Hugh sat with Eliza, Sam, and Mish, poring over magical texts and maps. They were looking for any clues, any trace of Crimson Dawn’s next move. Hugh’s mind raced with possibilities, trying to connect the dots.

“You’re overthinking it,” Eliza said gently, placing a hand on his arm. “Sometimes the answer isn’t in the books. It’s in what we already know.”

Hugh glanced at her, appreciating her calm presence. “Maybe you’re right.”

They had all come so far in such a short amount of time. They had gone from students learning the basics of magic to being on the frontlines of a war against a dangerous terrorist organization. But there was still so much they didn’t understand, so many questions left unanswered.

As the sun set outside the large common room windows, casting a golden glow across the room, Hugh made a decision. They couldn’t wait for the next attack to come to them. They had to find Crimson Dawn first, expose their true plans, and stop them before they could cause more devastation.

“We’re going to find them,” Hugh said quietly, his voice steady. “And we’re going to end this.”

The others nodded in agreement, determination etched on their faces. This wasn’t just about protecting the magical world anymore. It was about ensuring the safety of everyone—magical and non-magical alike.

As night fell, they continued their research, their minds focused on the mission ahead. There would be no rest until Crimson Dawn was defeated.

Chapter 78: Before It’s Too Late

The days leading up to the final confrontation with Crimson Dawn felt like the calm before a storm. Despite the undercurrent of tension, the school continued to function as usual. Students attended their classes, practiced spells, and prepared for the upcoming exams. But for Hugh and his friends, the fight was far from over.

Hugh sat at the back of his magical theory class, his mind elsewhere. Professor Aldridge was going over advanced wandless magic, but Hugh's thoughts were consumed by the plans they had uncovered. Crimson Dawn’s aim was more terrifying than they had first realized—this wasn’t just about planes or hacking systems. It was about destabilizing the entire infrastructure of both the magical and non-magical worlds.

Later that evening, the group gathered in the hidden study room that had become their unofficial base of operations. Eliza spread out a map on the large wooden table, her eyes scanning the locations they had marked.

"These are all the control centers they targeted," she said, pointing to various cities. "New York, London, Toronto, Los Angeles... they're not just focusing on one area anymore."

Mish leaned over the map, her brow furrowed. "They’ve moved their efforts globally. It’s like they’re testing the limits of how much chaos they can create before we figure out what they’re really after."

Hugh nodded. "Exactly. And that’s what scares me. We’ve been reacting to their attacks, but we need to get ahead of them."

Sam, who had been unusually quiet, finally spoke. "There’s something I’ve been thinking about. I overheard some of the older wizards talking. They think Crimson Dawn is after something ancient—something tied to old magic."

"Old magic?" Hugh’s eyes narrowed. "Like pre-modern wizardry?"

"Yeah, the kind that’s barely been documented. There’s a theory they’re after artifacts that can amplify magical power on a global scale," Sam explained, his voice tense. "If they get their hands on one of these artifacts, we’re looking at more than just planes falling out of the sky."

The room went silent as the implications of Sam’s words sank in. Hugh stood up, pacing as he processed the information. "If they’re trying to find these artifacts, we need to find them first."

"But how?" Eliza asked. "We don’t even know where to start."

Hugh stopped pacing and looked at her. "We start by tracking them. We know where they’ve hit, and we know where they haven’t. They’re trying to cover their tracks, but they’re leaving patterns. If we can predict their next move…"

Mish cracked her knuckles, her eyes alight with determination. "Then we can stop them before they get what they’re after."

The next morning, as the group prepared for their classes, the tension at the school was palpable. Despite the outward appearance of normalcy, the students were on edge. The attacks had rattled even the most seasoned wizards, and rumors swirled about how close the magical world had come to being exposed to the non-magical one.

As they walked to their classes, Hugh noticed the posters pinned up in the hallways. They were warnings from the faculty about security and safety protocols, reminding students to remain vigilant. The faculty had also started recruiting students for various defense initiatives, and while most were eager to help, there was an underlying fear in the air.

During lunch, the group gathered at their usual spot in the courtyard. The weather had turned colder, a chill sweeping through the air as they discussed their next steps.

“Everyone’s scared,” Mish said, glancing at the clusters of students nearby. “You can feel it. They’re all waiting for the next attack.”

Hugh nodded, his mind already racing with ideas. “Which is why we can’t wait. We need to act.”

Before they could continue the conversation, a commotion broke out at the entrance to the courtyard. A group of older students, some of whom were on the defensive recruitment list, were speaking in hushed, urgent tones. Hugh recognized one of them—Lucas, a senior student who was well-connected in the magical community.

“We should talk to him,” Sam suggested, nodding towards Lucas. “He might know more about what the faculty’s planning.”

Hugh agreed, and they made their way over to the group.

Lucas looked up as they approached, his face grim. “I figured you lot would come sooner or later,” he said. “I’ve heard about what you’ve been up to.”

“We’re just trying to help,” Hugh said cautiously. “And we need information.”

Lucas glanced around, then lowered his voice. “I don’t know how much you’ve heard, but things are worse than the faculty is letting on. There’s talk of a full-scale attack on magical control centers all over the world. If they succeed, the entire magical network could collapse.”

Hugh’s stomach dropped. “Do they know when?”

Lucas shook his head. “Not exactly. But we’ve been getting reports that Crimson Dawn is mobilizing again. They’ve gone dark in most places, but we’re hearing whispers. They’re planning something big, and soon.”

Mish clenched her fists. “Then we need to move faster.”

Lucas hesitated for a moment before speaking again. “There’s more. The faculty is divided on what to do. Some want to bring in outside help, but others are worried it will expose too much of our world. The older wizards… they’re scared.”

Hugh exchanged a glance with Eliza, who looked just as concerned as he felt. If the older wizards were frightened, that meant they were dealing with something beyond their control.

“We need to get ahead of this,” Hugh said firmly. “Before it’s too late.”

That evening, as the group reconvened in the study room, the weight of their mission pressed heavily on them. They worked late into the night, combing through the data they had gathered, piecing together clues from Crimson Dawn’s movements.

Hugh couldn’t shake the feeling that they were running out of time. Every minute they spent planning, Crimson Dawn was getting closer to whatever devastating goal they had in mind.

“We’re going to need more than just us,” Sam said at one point, his voice serious. “If we’re going to stop them, we’ll need the older wizards on our side.”

Hugh nodded. “I know. But we also need to be prepared for the possibility that they won’t act in time. If it comes down to it, we might have to face them on our own.”

Eliza placed a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll be ready.”

The room was quiet for a moment, the gravity of their situation settling over them. They were students—barely trained, still learning the depths of their powers—and yet they were about to take on an organization that had already crippled the magical world.

But Hugh felt something else stirring inside him. A determination, a fire that burned brighter with every moment. This wasn’t just about stopping Crimson Dawn anymore. It was about protecting the world they had all worked so hard to defend.

“We’ll stop them,” Hugh said quietly, his voice filled with resolve. “No matter what.”

As the group nodded in agreement, the reality of what lay ahead loomed over them. The final battle was coming, and they would be ready to face it—together.