Radiance - The Alight Archives Book #1

92. Might of the Next Generation

Orion Valerian stood at the edge of the plateau, the wind tousling his hair and clothing. With his wand firmly gripped in his fist, he concentrated his magical energy into the spell. Gazing skyward, he watched as more of his creations ignited to life, their diverse colors appearing foreign against the azure expanse above.

He could detect their Essence Signatures well enough, but, thankfully, with the barrier destroyed, Jared's magiscreens were now functioning as they should have. Clear images appeared within the floating, rectangular screens—twenty-three in total, one for each student in Homeroom Class 7. Among them, Orion took particular interest in those students currently situated at a forest clearing in the far distance. Strong as they were, he could recognize that they were well spent, and he would give them credit for having lasted this long without any support from their professors.

But they would no longer need to fight this pointless battle by themselves. As his professors and Gray Cloaks vanished from within the veil of turquoise energy that had discharged from the magic circle, Orion watched as they reappeared in Glyph Forest. Specifically, they had chosen to reappear where a large sum of Serpent Fang's forces were collected. The students there would need their help most of all, and as for the others, well, they had Professor Maske's puppets to depend on. Once this madness was tended to, Orion fully intended to have the entire forest swept over by his Gray Cloaks. At times like these, they needed to be especially thorough.

Observing the flickering magiscreen in the second row—the one he believed corresponded to Jack Durge—Orion noted that the chaos of battle had begun to ebb. The cacophony of clashing spells and the cries of combatants had diminished to a weary hush. He surmised that Serpent Fang was now painfully aware that their defenses had crumbled under the onslaught of his magic. If the enemy had any shred of wisdom left among their ranks, they would choose to surrender now, while they still drew breath, rather than face the dire consequences of their hubris.

Professional Sorcerers were bound by an unwavering moral code that forbade them from taking a life. Such grave decisions fell squarely within the jurisdiction of Incante's judicial system, which was designed to uphold justice with fairness and due process. For the sorcerers, their sacred duty was to protect their students from harm and to apprehend any wrongdoers, ensuring they faced the full weight of the law in the capital's grand court.

Orion felt the heavy weight of shame settle on his shoulders as he reflected on the time it had taken to uncover the sinister truths lurking within the walls of his own academy. The shadows of negligence haunted him; he had been slow to respond to the escalating threats and to recognize the danger that had crept into the haven meant to nurture young minds. Every passing second of delay weighed heavily on his conscience, as he worried not just for his own reputation but, more importantly, for the safety of his students who had placed their trust in his protection.

None of that mattered now, though. He was well aware that he couldn't change the past but only alter the present. From what he could sense, all of his students' Essence Signatures were accounted for, praise be to Aeris, meaning that Serpent Fang hadn't managed to transport any of them to a separate location. That was all well and good, but the tension pounding in his heart wouldn't so easily be quelled. Not until Orion knew for a fact that each and every one of his students was out of harm's reach.

None of that mattered now, though. He stilled his nerves, calmed his emotions, and in the pitch of his mind they appeared, Essence Signatures flickering like a match's spark. Every one represented a student, and as he traced the familiar patterns, a wave of relief washed over him—praise be to Aeris, all of his students were accounted for. This meant that Serpent Fang hadn't succeeded in whisking any of them away to some separate location. 

Yet, despite this small victory, a gnawing tension gripped his heart, thrumming with the urgency of a distant comet. Orion knew from experience that safety was never guaranteed in his line of work. He needed to feel, with absolute certainty, that each and every one of his students was truly beyond the reach of danger. Only then could he quell the turmoil within him and breathe deeply without fear,