Chapter 144 143: Ancient, Alive & Attack

Chapter 144 143: Ancient, Alive & Attack

The sphere of annihilation grew brighter.

Dark energy twisted violently in the Aetherstar's raised hand, swelling into a mass powerful enough to erase everything in its path.

The courtyard had fallen silent.

Students huddled near the sanctuary entrance. Some had collapsed from exhaustion.

Others waited for the end.

Vice Principal Nyx Thorneveil stood frozen near the stairwell, her magic shields already stretched beyond their limit.

Even the ancient Headmaster, Virelkan Duskrend Kamina, looked grimly toward the sky.

The attack was too powerful.

Too close.

Too unstoppable.

The four boys stood at the front of the courtyard.

Alaric's crimson eyes burned with fury.

Kade's claws glowed with wild wolf energy.

Damien's dragon fire flickered weakly around his hands.

Lucien's silver magic trembled in the air.

But even they knew the truth.

They were not strong enough.

The Aetherstar lowered its hand.

The sphere fired.

Dark annihilation tore through the air like a falling star.

Someone screamed.

Then-

Everything stopped.

The attack froze mid-air.

The massive sphere of destruction trembled, as if it had struck an invisible wall.

Wind rippled outward across the courtyard.

Dust swirled.

But the blast did not move.

For several seconds, no one understood what had happened.

Students slowly lifted their heads.

Teachers blinked in confusion.

Nyx frowned, scanning the sky.

Then someone whispered-

"Look..."

Dozens of eyes turned upward.

And there she was.

Floating high above the battlefield.

Seraphine.

Her body glowed with radiant blue light, magic pouring from her like living flame. Her long hair moved gently in the storm of energy surrounding her.

But it was her eyes that stole the breath from everyone below.

They burned like twin stars.

Fearless.

Ancient.

Unbreakable.

The Aetherborn had returned.

Gasps spread through the courtyard.

"She's alive..."

"Seraphine!"

The four boys froze.

For a moment none of them could move.

Damien was the first to whisper her name.

"Seraphine..."

Relief crashed through them like a tidal wave.

Kade let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

Lucien laughed softly in disbelief.

Alaric simply stared at her, something fierce and proud blazing in his eyes.

Above them, Seraphine slowly raised one hand.

The frozen attack trembled violently.

Then-

with a sharp motion-

She turned her hand.

The entire sphere reversed direction.

The energy screamed back across the battlefield and slammed directly into the Aetherstar.

BOOM.

The impact exploded like thunder.

The creature staggered backward three massive steps, dark energy rippling across its form.

Shock rippled through the courtyard.

The Aetherstar had never been pushed back before.

Seraphine lowered slowly from the sky, landing between the creature and the academy.

Her feet touched the ground softly.

But the power radiating from her felt like standing near a rising sun.

The Aetherstar growled, gathering energy again.

Seraphine did not move.

Inside her mind, she heard her mother's voice.

Fear is the only thing that weakens the Aetherborn.

Let it go.

Seraphine breathed slowly.

And for the first time since this battle began-

She felt no fear.

Only clarity.

"I know who I am now," she said quietly.

Blue energy erupted around her body.

The ground beneath her feet began glowing with ancient sigils as the AetherCurrent answered her call.

The Aetherstar attacked.

Dark spears shot toward her like falling meteors.

Seraphine lifted her hand.

The AetherCurrent bent instantly.

The spears dissolved into harmless sparks before they could even reach her.

The courtyard gasped.

She moved.

Not with desperation.

Not with panic.

But with perfect control.

Seraphine shot forward like lightning, blue fire trailing behind her as she struck the Aetherstar with a wave of raw creation magic.

The impact sent shockwaves tearing across the battlefield.

The creature roared.

It retaliated instantly, unleashing a storm of dark energy.

Seraphine spun through the attack gracefully, weaving through the destruction as if she could see the future itself.

She struck again.

And again.

Each blow carried the full force of the AetherCurrent.

The Aetherstar staggered backward under the assault.

The ground cracked.

The sky roared.

The battle became a storm of light and darkness colliding across the academy ruins.

Seraphine rose into the air once more.

The Aetherstar charged a massive blast of annihilation.

Seraphine lifted both hands.

Blue energy surged from the ground, from the sky, from the currents beneath reality itself.

The power gathered around her like a rising ocean.

Her voice echoed across the battlefield.

"I am the Aetherborn."

The Aetherstar fired.

Seraphine answered.

Light collided with darkness in a catastrophic explosion that shook the entire academy.

For a moment-

No one could see anything.

Then the light faded.

The Aetherstar stood trembling.

Cracks of glowing energy spread across its massive form.

Seraphine descended slowly in front of it.

Her eyes burned brighter than ever.

"You were born from the AetherCurrent," she said calmly. "So return to it."

She thrust her hand forward.

The Current answered instantly.

Massive chains of pure creation erupted from the air itself, wrapping around the Aetherstar's body and dragging it downward.

The creature roared violently as its form began collapsing.

Dark energy shattered.

Light consumed it.

The Aetherstar exploded into a storm of fading cosmic fragments that dissolved into the wind.

And then-

Silence fell over the ruined courtyard.

The Aetherstar was gone.

Only drifting sparks of fading magic remained in the air where the creature had once stood.

For a moment, no one moved.

Then Seraphine swayed.

The blue light around her body flickered weakly. Her eyes slowly lost their glow. And she collapsed.

"Seraphine!"

Four voices shouted at once.

Kade reached her first, sliding across the broken stone and catching her before her body hit the ground completely. He pulled her into his arms, panic already rising in his chest.

"She's breathing," he said quickly, though his voice shook.

Alaric knelt beside them immediately, pressing two fingers gently against her neck.

Her pulse was faint.

Too faint.

Damien dropped beside them, dragon fire still flickering weakly along his hands as if his power was responding to his fear.

"Seraphine," he whispered, brushing hair away from her face.

Lucien arrived a second later, his usual composure gone entirely.

For once, the incubus had nothing clever to say.

Students and teachers slowly gathered around them.

Hope had returned when Seraphine defeated the Aetherstar but now a new fear crept through the crowd.

Something was wrong.

The Headmaster stepped forward.

Virelkan Duskrend looked down at Seraphine's still body, ancient knowledge weighing heavily in his eyes.

He placed his hand gently above her chest.

Soft runes glowed in the air.

A moment later, his expression darkened.

Nyx moved closer beside him.

Nyx Thorneveil studied the fading magic around Seraphine and immediately understood.

"She used too much," Nyx said quietly.

The Headmaster nodded grimly.

"Yes."

The four boys looked up at him instantly.

"What do you mean?" Kade demanded.

The Headmaster's voice was calm, but heavy.

"She did what no Aetherborn should ever attempt alone. She poured nearly all of her life essence into the AetherCurrent to defeat the Aetherstar."

Damien felt the words like a physical blow.

"She saved everyone," he said hoarsely.

"Yes," the Headmaster replied. His gaze fell back to Seraphine. "But now the price must be paid."

Lucien's voice sharpened. "What price?"

The Headmaster finally looked at the four boys.

And what he said next made the air turn cold.