Yup. Back together.
Speaking of which.
My parents walked over to me, and my dad pulled me into a hug so fierce it knocked the breath from my lungs.
“You did it,” he said, voice thick. “You did it.”
I laughed shakily into his shoulder, clinging to him like the world might tilt again if I let go.
“We all did.”
He pulled back just enough to look at me, eyes shining with pride and something deeper, something that felt like release.
“Your grandmother will be so proud.” He smiled and shook his head. “Grandma Elira knew you could do it.”
“Thank you,” I said, and for the first time, it didn’t ache.
My mom wrapped her arms around both of us, and for the first time, I felt her magic settle over me like a blessing. She cupped my face in her hands and kissed my cheek.
“I always knew,” she said softly. “I think that’s why I tried so hard to hide you…protect you, but you can’t outrun your destiny. You were meant for this.”
The three of us stood there for a long moment, breathing in the quiet, the stars twinkling overhead like they were in on the secret.
And yet, beneath the relief, beneath the warmth, something in me remained unsettled.
I stepped back, scanning the edges of the clearing, the tree line dark and still. The Wilds slept now, their magic folded in on itself, resting. But beyond them, beyond Stonewick, beyond even Shadowick—
She was still out there.
The Priestess.
My grandmother.
Watching. Waiting. Learning.
The thought curled in my chest, with a quiet vigilance. Some endings were not clean, and some victories carried echoes like this one.
Stella followed my gaze, her expression sharpening. “You feel it too.”
“Yes,” I said quietly.
“She won’t interfere here,” Stella said, confidence threaded through her tone. “Not now. Not after this.”
“I know,” I replied. “But she hasn’t stopped wanting.”
Twobble tilted his head. “That seems… unhealthy.”
“It always is,” Stella agreed.
The Academy loomed at the edge of the Wilds, its lights glowing softly through the trees. It felt closer now, more present, as if it were beckoning rather than watching from afar.
Students would be arriving soon. Magic would be taught. Hope would be given.
And I would need to pretend that my grandmother wasn’t the source of all evil.
Nova appeared beside us, her staff dim, her posture tired but steady.
“We should return,” she said. “The Wilds will close themselves soon. And the Academy will want you all inside its walls. It likes to learn through warm bodies.”
