Page 48 of Bearly Bewitched

When the darkness finally cleared, Ledger’s illusion had vanished. But the corruption remained, spreading through the academy’s magical foundations like a cancer. And somewhere out there, the real threat waited, gathering power for the celestial event in less than an hour.

Vail found Kaine still in bear form, standing guard over the huddled students. His massive head swung toward her, golden eyes fierce with protective fury and something deeper. Something that made her heart race despite the danger surrounding them.

They had until tomorrow’s eclipse to find Ledger’s true location and stop whatever he had planned. And somehow, watching Kaine’s bear form naturally place itself between danger and those he considered his to protect, Vail felt the first stirrings of hope. They were stronger together - all of them. Their bonds might be exactly what they needed to counter Ledger’s corruption.

The crystal’s stolen power pulsed somewhere in the distance. But Vail held onto that hope as she organized their defenses, knowing their connection - all their connections - might be the key to saving everything they loved from Ledger’s twisted vision.

FORTY-SIX

The eclipse’s shadow crept across the sun like spilled ink, each passing moment dragging the temperature lower. Vail’s breath frosted in the unnaturally cold air as she studied the academy’s ward matrix. Corruption spread through the magical lines in geometric patterns that made her eyes ache.

“The energy flow’s all wrong.” Sabine traced her fingers through the air, following invisible currents. Her dual nature—witch and tiger—let her see layers of magic others missed. Ancient power shimmered around her, a reminder of the strength she’d carried through past lives. “It’s like the wards are being... inverted somehow.”

“Not inverted.” Neve’s silver hair stirred in a phantom wind as she wove detection spells. “Redirected. Look how it spirals toward the ritual chamber.”

Thunder cracked overhead as Romi reinforced their magical shields. Lightning illuminated the growing darkness, revealing shadow creatures that writhed at the boundaries of her storm magic. “Whatever Ledger’s planning, he’s certainly not being subtle about it.”

A massive explosion rocked the academy’s foundations. Through the window, Vail glimpsed Ren’s dragon formbreathing streams of golden fire to hold back waves of corruption. His ancient magic blazed against the unnatural dark.

“The students.” Clover pressed her palms against stone that trembled beneath corruption’s assault. Emerald energy pulsed outward, stabilizing crumbling walls. “Their magical cores are resonating with something. Like they’re being tuned to a specific frequency.”

Before Vail could respond, reality... twisted. The air itself seemed to fold, revealing Ledger stepping through tears in space. But something was wrong with his form—it flickered and blurred as if he existed in multiple places simultaneously.

“Very observant.” His voice echoed oddly, each word carrying harmonic undertones. The crystal pulsed in his hands, casting toxic light across features that wouldn’t quite stay solid. “Would you like to see what I’m tuning them for?”

He raised the crystal high. Power exploded outward, darkness so dense, it felt like drowning. Only Sabine’s instantaneous shield, tiger grace flowing into ancient witch strength, kept them from being overwhelmed.

But the assault was just beginning. Shadow creatures poured from every crack in reality, their forms twisted into grotesque shapes by the crystal’s corruption. Romi’s lightning carved burning paths through the darkness while Clover’s earth magic created barriers of living stone.

“The wards.” Madame Zephyrine’s hands glowed with centuries of accumulated power. “He’s trying to reach the original anchor point before the eclipse peaks.”

Vail gathered her magic, fire blazing around her hands. “Then we stop him. Together.”

The battle erupted in earnest. Lightning and dragon fire lit the darkening sky as corruption fought ancient protections. Sabine flowed between forms, tiger strength amplifying spells learned across multiple lifetimes. Her magic wove seamlesslywith Ren’s dragon-enhanced barriers, creating shields of unprecedented power.

But Ledger’s crystal seemed to drink in every attack, growing stronger with each spell it corrupted. Shadow creatures moved with terrible purpose, herding them away from the ritual chamber’s entrance. Time stretched like taffy as the eclipse crept closer to totality.

Then Vail saw it—a pattern in the crystal’s pulses that matched Daisy’s curse exactly. Understanding hit her like lightning. “He’s using the crystal to amplifycursemagic. To corrupt the very foundation of?—“

Darkness exploded around her. Pain lanced her chest as corruption burned through her magical shields. She hit the ground hard, the taste of blood sharp in her mouth. Through blurring vision, she saw Ledger approach, the crystal’s light painting everything in sickly shades.

“I truly am sorry about this, Headmistress.” He raised the crystal, darkness gathering around its faceted surface. “But some prices must be paid for magical purity.”

A roar of primal fury shook the very air.

Kaine feltVail’s pain like a physical blow. His bear surged forward with protective rage as he charged through the academy’s halls, shadow creatures scattering before his fury. The scent of her blood drove him nearly mad with the need to reach her.

But Daisy’s voice cut through his rage: “Uncle Kaine, wait! The patterns—they’re showing us something.”

He forced himself to focus, to see what his niece pointed out. The corruption wasn’t just spreading randomly. It followed routes that resonated with Daisy’s unique magical signature. Almost like...

“It’s trying to balance itself,” she said, watching darkness curl through the air. “The curse isn’t destroying magic. It’s trying to heal something that was broken.”

A child’s understanding, but with ancient wisdom behind it. She reminded him so much of her father in that moment that his chest ached.

More shadow creatures emerged from corrupted walls. But this time Daisy didn’t flinch. Power gathered around her small form as she reached out to touch patterns only she could fully see. The curse magic responded, twisting away from its corrupted purpose.

Xabir’s wolves moved in perfect formation around them, the alpha’s tactical precision creating safe corridors through chaos. “The pack’s reporting similar patterns across the grounds. Like ripples in a pond, spreading from the ritual chamber.”

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