Meanwhile, on the other side of the portal, dark magic was still rising from Cael's body. Slower now—thinner, weaker—but it hadn't stopped. The four of them remained locked in focus, their magic streaming into him with unbroken discipline.
Nova flicked her hand, and a window portal snapped open in the air.
Elias jumped, nearly dropping the jar in his hands.
"Gods, Nova!" he gasped, clutching his chest. "One of these days you're going to portal me straight into a heart attack."
He muttered something about needing an enchanted rotating chair chart for who was swapping mates, who was glowing, and who was dying on any given day.
It might have been funny—probably was funny—but none of them laughed. Every eye was still on Cael. Every hand still glowing.
Nova didn't even glance away. Her eyes stayed on Cael's chest as she spoke. "Elias. I need Vireleaf, Ashthorn Bloom, and Soulmint."
"I have Vireleaf and Ashthorn," he replied instantly. "But not Soulmint"
"Do you have Lunara Moss and Starpetal?"
"Yes," he said, hesitating. "Yes, but those aren't supposed to be mixed with the ingredients you just listed—"
"In seven minutes, I'll need them ground into a health tonic," Nova said, cutting him off. "Whatever Starpetal you have, use all of it. I'll replace it. A tablespoon each of the other two."
He opened his mouth again. "Starpetal's supposed to simmer overnight—"
"Raw," she cut in. "I need it raw. Seven minutes."
And without waiting for further protest, the portal snapped shut.
The dark smoke finally began to fade from Cael's body—slowly, then all at once—until it vanished completely, leaving only steam curling off his skin.
"Don't touch him yet, Elle. Channel healing into him," Nova instructed, her tone as steady and formal as ever.
Elle didn't know how.
But her body did.
Her instincts took over, and light flowed from her hands before she even understood how she was doing it. It matched Nova's energy almost perfectly—subtle at first, then steadily strengthening. Nova's lips twitched. Almost a smile. Elle was going to be very powerful. There was no doubt about it.
Now, the four of them were channeling into Cael. Every drop of energy. Every thread of will. None of them moved. None of them spoke. They were no longer in control—only passengers in their own bodies. Like their souls remembered this—etched into a forgotten lifetime, resurfacing without warning, without thought.
Nova felt it first.
A burning sensation deep in her core—like something ancient had been lit on fire. Like a memory clawing its way up from the dark.
Fin and Jax felt it too. Both turned their heads at the same moment, eyes snapping to her. Just for a second.
Nova spoke then—in a language none of them recognized.
The words rang out like a spell never meant to be uttered.
White light erupted from one of her hands, layered atop silver pouring from the other. It hit Cael's chest with a violent flash. He arched upward, groaning through clenched teeth, the force of it shaking the water.
Nova opened a portal window to Marra.
Marra didn't flinch. She was waiting for it. Her eyes were still on Aeron..
"I need a knife," was all Nova said.
Marra nodded, breaking her gaze from Aeron. Without hesitation, she retrieved one from a tray nearby. Nova reached through, took it, and shut the portal in the same motion.
In a blur of alpha speed, she was at Cael's side.
Without pause, she sliced open both of his palms.
"Nova, wait!" Jax called out, but it was too late.
Dark blood poured from the wounds—thick, black, and unnatural. It hit the water and dissolved instantly where Elle's green magic was already working through him, hissing like acid on contact.
Jax moved on instinct, reaching to pull her away from the dark energy. His hand stopped short—an inch from her skin. He couldn't touch her. Couldn't get to her. Something invisible and immovable held him back.
His eyes flared brighter, sapphire burning, his frustration building until his aura cracked through the air around him like lightning.
"Nova, come away from that," he commanded, voice sharp, filled with power. His alpha aura blasted out with force—strong enough to drop most people to their knees.
Everyone felt it. Everyone except Nova. She didn't react. Didn't blink. She only muttered something in a language none of them understood.
Another surge of silver light burst from her hand, followed by a flash of white that lit the entire spring.
Fin's eyes flared white, matching Jax's fury. He lunged toward her. His alpha aura unleashed as well.
Nova's voice cut through the air—flat, cold, and final.
"If you want him to live, you will direct your focus to him for two more minutes."
And just like that, their bodies obeyed.
Jax and Fin both stopped. Their hands moved, unwilling but certain. Their power surged. The magic pouring into Cael intensified, lighting up the spring in gold and sapphire.
Sure enough, two minutes passed. Nova's silver magic continued to pour into Cael, unwavering. The black blood spilling from his palms shifted—slowly at first, then all at once—turning red as the corruption burned away. The bleeding stopped. The wounds sealed over. The skin on his palms knit itself back together.
The burns along his chest began to fade.
The bone that had once been jutting from his arm was gone, replaced by raw, exposed muscle.
Another minute.
New skin formed—pink, irritated, but whole—covering what had been open and brutal moments before. The mangled damage was now something alive. Healing.