Chapter 189: The death of Jaegar
Isadora's expertise in the art of ice manipulation allowed her to create an enclosure that was as beautiful as it was impenetrable. Ellamaria's movements became sluggish as the icy cage restricted her, and the werewolf's threats and growls were silenced by the frozen prison.
With the golem vanquished and Ellamaria incapacitated in an ice prison, Ashfield and Isadora turned their attention to Jaegar, who was clearly in distress.
His physical and mental state deteriorated rapidly as the crimson cracks on his body multiplied with each passing moment. He was on the brink of losing himself to the relentless grip of his alter ego.
Agatha, her focus now solely on Jaegar, grasped her staff with determination. With a powerful incantation, she summoned a beam of green, thick light that surged towards Jaegar, who was in a daze.
His blurred state prevented him from reacting in time, and the energy struck him forcefully, sending him plummeting in to the ground.
The impact was brutal, and Jaegar's right shoulder bore the brunt of the attack, causing blood to trickle from the wound.
He staggered to his feet, his body marred with injuries, and the torment of the inner struggle continued to intensify. His alter ego threatened to seize control, pushing him to the brink of despair.
It was then that Angelina's foresight came into play. She had placed a protective runic seal on Jaegar's stomach to act as a safeguard against the dominance of his alter ego.
As the thick red runic symbols manifested, they illuminated his flesh, creating a barrier between Jaegar and the relentless force attempting to consume him.
In the face of excruciating pain and internal turmoil, Jaegar let out an ear-splitting scream. His form quivered as he knelt on the ground, the battle between his inner selves reaching a crescendo.
The crimson cracks on his body began to recede, inch by painfully inch, as the runic characters held the crimson force at bay.
It couldn't have chosen the perfect time as Agatha noticed him.
Agatha seized her opportunity, clutching her staff tightly as a sphere of intense and searing heat formed before her. With deliberate care, she stoked the fireball, increasing its intensity until it blazed like a miniature sun as if its very purpose was to reduce Jaegar to ashes. She unleashed the blazing sphere, sending it hurtling towards the dazed Jaegar.
As the fiery missile closed in on him, Ashfield and Isadora, crying out Jaegar's name, raced towards their beleaguered student.
But Jaegar, lost in his enigmatic struggle, appeared oblivious to the impending catastrophe. His crimson cracks, emblematic of the inner turmoil he faced, began to vanish as the protective runic characters on his stomach held the darkness at bay.
In a moment of critical urgency, Isadora, channelling her formidable ice magic, erected a colossal wall of ice before Jaegar. However, the searing fireball's formidable heat rapidly melted the frigid barricade, leaving Jaegar vulnerable to the impending conflagration.
Ashfield, quick on his wandwork, formed a protective barrier around Jaegar.
He chanted an incantation with unwavering focus, summoning a spiralling serpent of azure flames into existence.
The frosty serpent, ensconced in ethereal blue flames, lunged towards the approaching fireball, swallowing it whole within its insatiable maw.
For a few heart-pounding moments, the fireball and the frost serpent engaged in a furious battle, the clashing elements of scorching heat and frigid cold waging war within the heart of the forest.
The result was a cataclysmic explosion that rippled with both searing heat and biting cold, suffusing the entire woodland with a tumultuous combination of elemental forces.
As the fiery tempest raged and the frost snake devoured the raging inferno, the heavens responded to the tumultuous conflict. The sky, weeping with sorrow and frustration, unleashed a torrential rain that cascaded down upon the battleground.
The fireball and frost serpent, in the midst of their elemental clash, were doused by the relentless downpour. The once-intense flames and frigid chill faded into obscurity as they succumbed to the soothing embrace of the rain.
Yet, amidst this climactic moment, an inconspicuous green orb, resembling a miniature world of its own, continued its unerring trajectory towards Jaegar. It was well concealed within the fireball. It was like a dark green ball of sorts, like some gem stone, moving towards Jaegar at its own pace.
Ashfield, encasing Jaegar within a protective barrier of his own design, watched with growing unease as the radiant sphere drew nearer to its target.
Isadora, equally perturbed, gripped her wand with trembling hands, ready to act in defence of her student.
As the radiant orb finally made contact with Ashfield's protective barrier, an uncanny noise, a shrill and haunting wail, pierced the air.
The red and white light that emanated from the orb seared the senses of all who bore witness, creating a blinding, ethereal spectacle.
The colossal surge of energy, unleashed with a force that defied comprehension, manifested itself in a dazzling display of might.
Invisible shockwaves reverberated through the forest, their fury upending the very earth and rending the air asunder.
The tremors carried far and wide, reached the hallowed halls of the academy, leaving students and faculty alike in a state of astonishment and alarm.
The tempestuous sounds that reverberated through the land were ear-splitting, a haunting chorus of elemental forces clashing with fervent intensity.
The once serene atmosphere was now filled with a cacophony of thunderous booms and crackling energy as if the very fabric of reality had been torn apart. The sheer power on display was both awe-inspiring and terrifying.
The torrential rain, compelled to pause by the unfathomable forces at play, hung suspended in the air for a fleeting moment, an ephemeral respite before the world would once again be set into motion.
The rain stopped, and the clouds gave way to the starry sky, only to be obscured by the sun in a few minutes.
They fought all night, and the sun was about to rise on the horizon.
The first rays of sunlight began to peek over the horizon, casting a golden glow on the forest and the members present in it.
The area of the forest had almost lost all of its previous lustre, leaving nothing but destruction in the wake of the battle between them.
The once vibrant trees now stood charred and broken, their leaves reduced to ashes. The ground was littered with fallen branches and debris, a stark contrast to the lushness it once possessed.
The sun, having dipped below the horizon, now inched closer to the eastern horizon, casting an ethereal glow upon the tumultuous scene below.
The emerging light of the sun illuminated the smoky haze that hung in the air, creating an eerie atmosphere in the desolate forest. The silence was broken only by the occasional crackling of embers as nature mourned the loss of its former beauty.
The place where Jaegar lay within the massive crater was enshrouded in an eerie fog, creating an unusual and surreal atmosphere.
As the rain ceased its descent, the sun's first rays began to pierce the horizon, heralding the imminent arrival of a new day.
With their protective barrier still intact, Ashfield and Isadora moved a safe distance away, careful not to disturb the scene unfolding before them.
Isadora, her heart heavy with concern, approached the edge of the immense crater where Jaegar lay, the disarray of his battered form painfully evident.
His shirtless body, adorned with gashes and bruises, bore testimony to the intense struggle he had endured. Tattered pants clung to his legs, and his once-pristine appearance had been reduced to a dishevelled, pitiable state.
In the dawn's gentle embrace, Isadora hurriedly made her way to Jaegar's side. Her wand remained clutched tightly in her hand, ready to offer assistance or protection as needed. Her voice, laced with deep concern, called out to the fallen young man, her words filled with both hope and trepidation.
"Jaegar."
But there was no response, he lay still, seemingly dead.
Meanwhile, Ashfield, ever the vigilant guardian and headmaster, surveyed the area, searching for any signs of Agatha and her mysterious companion.
The unexpected revelation of the concealed, destructive force unleashed by Agatha had left him astonished and apprehensive.
The headmaster's gaze remained locked on Jaegar's prone figure, and a sense of helplessness washed over him.
With the violent force of the otherworldly energy surge, even Ashfield's protective barrier had faltered.
Now, as he looked upon Jaegar's battered form within the massive crater, he saw Jaegar lay there, unmoving.