daughter of darkness and light

**Chapter: The Cost of Power

The atmosphere was tense in the office as Anastasia entered, noticing the worried expressions of her teachers. One of them hesitantly spoke, "Many students were killed and injured by those from the University of Sky."

Before Anastasia could react, the door burst open, and Gabriel stormed in, fury radiating off him. "I’ll kill him!" he roared, eyes blazing with rage.

Anastasia placed a calming hand on his shoulder. "Stay calm, Gabriel. We’ll handle this together."

Elisa arrived just in time, sensing the tension. Without a word, Anastasia led everyone outside, heading toward the border where both universities met. The scene was horrifying—several of her students lay dead or wounded on the ground. With a wave of her hand, Anastasia channeled her magic, reviving her fallen students. “Return to your classes, all of you,” she ordered.

She then walked forward, standing tall and unafraid as she faced Mr. Charles and Nera. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Nera sneered, “We’re just cleaning up the trash by killing your students and teachers.”

Before Anastasia could respond, Nera’s expression twisted with malice. “And why are you sleeping with someone else’s husband when you have your own?” she spat, pointing accusingly at Draven.

Elisa stepped forward, his voice sharp. “I love Anastasia, not you, Nera. You forced me into marriage. You’re the one who came between us.”

Anastasia’s voice was icy. “You brought this on yourself, Nera. And Mr. Charles, maybe you should focus on teaching your daughter, seeing as you failed to guide your wife.”

Infuriated, Mr. Charles threw his glove to the ground—a declaration of a duel. Elisa moved to stand beside Anastasia, Draven and Gabriel quickly joining him.

On Nera’s side, her two closest allies stepped forward. The battle commenced fiercely, but it didn’t take long for Nera’s friends to be defeated, lying unconscious on the ground. While Elisa and Gabriel handled Mr. Charles, Draven and Anastasia fought together, seamlessly coordinating their attacks.

Within minutes, Mr. Charles was on the ground, defeated. Anastasia stood over him, her gaze unwavering. “I’ll let you live, for the sake of your daughter.”

She turned to leave, but a chilling voice stopped her in her tracks. Nera, desperate and full of spite, began chanting a forbidden spell—a curse meant to kill. Her target was clear: Elisa.

In a heartbeat, Anastasia dashed toward him. Pain shot through her chest as she intercepted the deadly magic, her body crumpling to the ground. Elisa caught her, his eyes wide with tears. “Why did you do this? Don’t leave me!” he cried, holding her close.

Anastasia smiled weakly, her breaths shallow. “Don’t cry. I couldn’t let her take you from me.” Her eyes locked onto Nera’s. “You’ve lost all your powers. You’ll never hurt anyone again.”

Draven and Gabriel rushed to heal her, but Anastasia shook her head. “No… it’s too late.” She reached out, her voice strained. “Gabriel, take care of Bella… Draven, Lily needs you… she looks up to you.”

Her gaze softened as she turned to Elisa. “I love you… don’t ever forget that.”

With those final words, Anastasia’s eyes closed, and her body went still in Elisa’s arms. The air was thick with sorrow, as her life slipped away, leaving behind a silence that was deafening.

The end ??