The storm was no longer just outside—it was everywhere. The Academy grounds trembled under the roar of thunder. Lightning tore the sky apart in jagged streaks, illuminating the swirling vortex centered over the East Tower.
Rose stood in the heart of the ritual circle, feeling the wild magic pulse beneath her feet. Her breath came in shallow bursts. The air thickened, heavy with power and the scent of ozone.
Nimbus hovered anxiously at the edge of the circle. "You sure you want to do this? We might all end up toasted."
Rose smiled wryly. "No chance I'm backing down now."
Belladoma appeared beside her, steady and silent, her eyes reflecting the electric chaos overhead. "Remember, I'll be your anchor. If you lose control, I'll bring you back."
Rose nodded, heart pounding. The wind tugged at her cloak, but she stood firm.
The storm above began to spiral faster, the roar growing deafening. A deep, otherworldly voice echoed in her mind, a language older than time itself—whispers of fire and fury, freedom and destruction.
It was the other half of the Brimstone storm, reaching out to reunite.
Rose lifted her arms. The magic surged through her veins, wild and untamed. Her body felt weightless, suspended between worlds.
A bolt of lightning struck her chest, searing but strangely warm. The storm poured in, filling every fiber of her being.
Memories not her own flickered—her mother's sacrifice, Belladoma's silent grief, a life forged in fire and shadow.
She screamed—not in pain, but in release.
The storm answered, wrapping around her like a cloak. Her eyes glowed with fierce light, her hair whipped like a tempest.
Suddenly, everything stilled. The thunder hushed, the lightning faded, and the swirling clouds parted to reveal a calm eye.
Rose stood alone, transformed.
She was no longer fractured—no longer a vessel.
She was whole.
Belladoma stepped forward, reaching out. "You did it."
Rose smiled, magic crackling at her fingertips. "We did it."
Nimbus flapped around her, a triumphant squawk. "Officially the most powerful witch I know."
As the storm calmed, Rose felt the weight of destiny shift—not as a burden, but as a promise.