Maera looked at the remains of the shattered hobgoblin and the team around her. Her tired lips curved into a grin.
"Yeah…" she said softly. "We won. Finally."
But their victory was short-lived.
"GUYSSS!!!"
Everyone turned—Lirael came running, panic flooding her voice. She held a floating bag… a bag that was moving on its own.
At first, some students didn't understand, but Ron, Lia, Jax, and Selene immediately froze—recognizing it. It was her bag.
And inside that bag… was the joined crystal.
The moment they realized, the bag started to float higher, jerking violently. The blue crystal that had fallen from the hobgoblin's chest began to glow in response, lifting into the air as if pulled by some unseen force.
"Stop them from merging!" Maera shouted, her voice sharp.
She and Aurelian rushed toward the floating blue crystal, grabbing hold and trying to pull it back. At the same time, Ron, Lia, and Selene caught the bag, each pulling with all their strength.
