Chapter 171 CHAPTER 171

Chapter 171 CHAPTER 171
The moment Elara stepped toward the circle, the air changed. It thickened around her, resisting her presence as though the magic itself sensed what she carried and what she intended to do. The flare still pulsed violently around Talia, its light flickering in jagged bursts that distorted the air and cast fractured shadows across the stone. The containment Raven, Saphira, and the witch Elder had woven held together only by sheer force of will. Every surge from the seed strained against it, threatening to tear it apart.

Heat radiated from Talia’s body, sinking into Elara’s skin until it felt as though her bones were burning. Talia was trembling in her arms, her breath shallow and uneven, her glow flickering with each pulse of the flare. Elara tightened her hold, refusing to let her slip away, even as her own muscles trembled from the effort. It didn’t help that she was still weak from the blast of the flare before.

Raven stood at the centre of the fractured circle, her hands raised, her magic shimmering around her in a halo of light. Sweat clung to her temples, her face pale with exhaustion, but her eyes remained focused. Saphira stood to her right, her hands glowing with warm, golden magic that wrapped around the containment like a second layer of protection. The witch Elder stood to Raven’s left, her power weaving through the others with surprising steadiness.

The wolf and vampire Elders hovered just outside the circle, waiting for Raven’s signal. Kaelan and Darius stood guard at the perimeter, their bodies tense, ready to intervene even though all of them knew that if the seed broke free, there would be nothing they could do to stop it.

Raven’s voice called out, her voice strained. “Everyone, enter the circle, now.”

The witch Elder stepped forward first, her expression tight with determination. The wolf Elder followed, his eyes flicking nervously toward Talia. The vampire Elder moved last.

Elara looked down at Talia. “Are you ready?” she whispered.

Talia shook her head, tears gathering in her still glowing eyes. “No… but I’ll try.”

Elara pressed a kiss to her hair. “That’s all you need to do.”

Kaelan stepped closer. “No matter what happens, we are here.”

Talia met his gaze and gave him a small smile. “I know.”

Then Talia stepped into the circle.

The moment her foot crossed the boundary, the flare reacted. It surged upward, its light flaring so brightly that Elara had to blink against it from where she stood just beyond the edge. The containment flickered violently, the symbols along the ground sparking with unstable energy.

Raven’s voice sharpened. “Hold it steady!”

Saphira braced herself beside Elara, pouring more magic into the outer weave. The witch Elder mirrored her from inside the circle, their powers intertwining, reinforcing the fragile barrier from both sides while Raven started the extraction.

The flare pushed back harder. The ground vibrated beneath them, cracks spreading across the stone. The air grew hotter, thicker, harder to breathe. Talia whimpered, lifting her hands to her face as the magic clawed at her.

“Elara…” she whispered, her voice breaking. “It’s trying to pull me again.”

Elara stepped closer to the boundary, her hands pressed flat against the invisible barrier. “I’m right here, sweetheart. I won’t let anything take you.”

Raven’s voice softened, even as her magic flared brighter. “Talia, listen to me. You’re not alone. We’re all here. We’re going to help you. But you need to let us in.”

Talia lifted her head, her glowing eyes meeting Raven’s. For the first time, Elara could see there was trust there. “Okay,” she whispered.

Raven nodded. “Good. Then we begin.”

She lifted her hands higher, her magic rising in a brilliant surge that illuminated the entire clearing. The Elders stepped closer, forming a tight circle around Talia. The magic within them rose as well, three distinct streams of power.

Raven’s magic wove through them all, binding them together into a single, unified current.

Elara felt the shift the moment the ritual began, even from outside the circle. The air thickened, pressing against her skin. The ground vibrated beneath her feet. The flare surged, fighting back with violent force, its light flaring so brightly she had to squeeze her eyes shut.

Then Talia screamed. The sound tore through Elara’s chest, raw and agonised. She pressed her palms harder against the barrier, whispering soothing words she wasn’t sure Talia could hear.

Raven’s voice rose above the chaos, chanting in a language Elara didn’t recognise. It was old, but incredibly powerful. The Elders joined her, their voices weaving together in a haunting harmony that resonated through the stone.

The flare pushed back harder. The containment flickered, the symbols along the ground cracking further. Saphira stumbled beside Elara, nearly losing her hold on the outer weave. Lyra caught her arm, steadying her.

“Elara!” Raven shouted from inside the circle. “We need you!”

Elara’s heart lurched. “What do I do?”

“Give us your magic,” Raven said, her voice strained. “You’re connected to her. If you channel from the outside, it will stabilise the spell.”

Elara didn’t hesitate; she nodded instantly and pressed both hands to the boundary, closing her eyes, reaching deep into the well of her power. She focused on Talia, on her voice, her fear, her strength, and pushed her magic forward.

Raven reached out from inside the circle, her fingers brushing the barrier where Elara’s hands rested. The moment their magic connected, Elara felt her power surge forward, drawn into the ritual like water pulled into a current.

The flare reacted instantly to her added magic, just as she expected, but Elara didn’t pull back. Instead, she pushed harder.

Her magic flowed into the circle, weaving through Raven’s, through Saphira’s outer support, through the Elders’ combined strength. It wrapped around Talia like a protective shield, softening the flare’s edges, giving the others room to work.

Raven’s eyes widened. “Yes! Keep going!”

The containment brightened, the cracks along the ground glowing with renewed strength. Talia’s screams softened into sobs as her glow flickered, then the flare dimmed.

Raven lifted her hands higher, her voice rising in a final, powerful command.

The magic within the elders and Talia broke as a burst of light exploded outward, blinding and silent, swallowing the circle in a wave of shimmering energy. Elara felt the force of it slam into her chest even from outside, knocking the breath from her lungs. She staggered backward, Kaelan catching her before she fell.

Inside the circle, the Elders collapsed one by one.

The witch Elder fell first, her body crumpling to the stone. The wolf Elder followed, dropping to his knees before falling forward. The vampire Elder staggered, then collapsed beside them. Talia went limp where she stood, her glow extinguished completely as she fell to the floor. Then Raven fell last, her magic flickering out like a dying ember.

The extraction was completed.