Chapter 18
A United Front
Randy, Zoe, the twins, and even Katelyn, now respecting his power, prepare to face Valerius. The school unites against the looming dark force.
The air in the grand hall crackled, not with the usual hum of a thousand students practicing their spells, but with a different kind of energy—a tense, unified resolve. Sunlight, usually a gentle warmth filtering through the stained-glass windows depicting ancient magical battles, now seemed to sharpen the edges of the worried faces gathered below. My own heart hammered against my ribs, a frantic drumbeat against the growing silence. This was it. The calm before the storm.
Zoe stood beside me, her usual confident posture a little more rigid, her gaze fixed on the massive oak doors at the far end of the hall. Her hand, I noticed, was resting lightly on the hilt of her staff, a silent promise of protection. Even Katelyn, who had spent so many weeks sneering at me, stood a few paces away, her arms crossed, a scowl etched onto her face, but her eyes held a flicker of something I’d never seen before: grudging respect. The arrogance was still there, a thick layer of it, but beneath it, a grudging acknowledgment of my worth.
“He’s coming, isn’t he?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper, the words feeling flimsy against the weight of the impending darkness.
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