More than a day had passed since the explosion.
More than a day since thousands of people died in what should have been a celebration of humanity’s youth.
The Federation remained in shock.
Every screen still showed coverage of the disaster – interviews with survivors, casualty lists growing longer as bodies were identified, morials forming spontaneously in public squares across all five regions.
But beneath the grief, sothing else was building.
The Chairman’s speech had planted seeds that were already growing, spreading through forums and conversations and quiet discussions in hos where families gathered.
"VENGEANCE!"
The word echoed across the Federation like a war drum, repeated in whispers and shouts, in ssages and rallies, in the kind of unified rage that transcended class and region and political affiliation.
The ergency session of the Federation Council would convene soon.
And everyone knew it would change everything.
****
[Capitol City Hospital - Ergency Recovery Wing]
The hospital was overwheld.
Hundreds of injured from the explosion filled every available bed, healers and doctors working in shifts that stretched beyond human endurance, their Auras burning constantly to save lives that were slipping away.
The sounds of dical equipnt mixed with crying, with prayers and with the constant announcents of code alerts that ant soone was dying.
In one of the private ergency rooms, five figures sat in various states of recovery.
Elizabeth Murdock leaned against a wall, her purple eyes showing exhaustion that went beyond physical injury. Her Aura reserves were still recovering from maintaining that barrier and from pushing her abilities past their limits when Ariana had teleported them.
Adrian sat with one arm in a healing cast, the bone having been set and the arm fully healed, but still putting on the cast, just in case. His usually perfect appearance was destroyed – torn clothes, dried blood and bruises covering visible skin.
Fiona Sigurd had bandages wrapped around her head, treating the concussion she’d sustained during their violent landing. Her eyes showed awareness despite the injury, tracking movent with practiced precision.
Victoria White’s hands still glowed faintly green, her healing Aura working on herself even now, trying to recover reserves she’d burned through helping the others.
And Ariana Sterling...
Ariana looked like death.
Her face was pale, almost grey, dark circles under her eyes making her appear years older. Her body trembled slightly despite sitting still, the aftereffects of pushing her spatial manipulation far beyond safe limits.
But all of them were looking at the capsule in the center of the room.
Inside, surrounded by healing fluids and monitoring equipnt, lay Seraphina Vale.
Her elegant clothes had been removed, replaced by a dical gown, tubes and wires connecting her to machines that tracked vitals and administered treatnt.
Her face was peaceful despite the injuries visible on exposed skin – burns, lacerations and the kind of damage that spoke of absorbing trendous force.
The door opened and a doctor entered – middle-aged, wearing the insignia of an A rank healer, his face showing the exhaustion of soone who’d been working non-stop for over thirty hours.
He checked the readings on the capsule’s display, his expression carefully neutral.
"How is she?"
Elizabeth’s question cut through the quiet, her voice carrying command despite her exhaustion.
The doctor turned to face them, his professional mask slipping slightly.
"General Seraphina and the other escorts absorbed most of the explosion’s impact. They positioned themselves between the blast and the civilian sections, using their bodies and Aura to redirect force away from the stands."
He paused, his voice becoming quieter.
"It’s a miracle she survived at all. The other S-rank awakeners who were closer to the epicenter didn’t make it. By all rights, she should have died with them."
Silence fell across the room.
"But she’s currently in a coma," the doctor continued. "Likely from shock as much as physical trauma. Her body is healing, but her mind..." He trailed off, uncertainty clear.
"Will she wake up?" Victoria asked softly.
"The military is sending their best healers. They should arrive within hours. If anyone can help her, it’s them."
The doctor offered what comfort he could, then moved toward the door.
Elizabeth stood and followed him out, closing the door behind them to give the others privacy.
****
The mont the door closed, silence fell again.
Adrian leaned back in his chair, his good hand clenching and unclenching.
"This is fucked," he muttered. "The whole situation is completely fucked."
Fiona nodded slowly, her usual composed deanor cracking.
"Two hundred fifty students. Just... gone."
Victoria’s voice erged soft but steady.
"I called my sister... Isabelle should arrive from Stormhold Academy soon. She’s one of the best healers there – she’ll be able to help Professor Seraphina and the injured students... when they return."
’If they return,’ the unspoken thought hung heavy in the air.
Ariana sat completely still, her hands clenched in her lap, her eyes fixed on nothing.
The door opened again and Elizabeth re-entered, her purple eyes imdiately finding Ariana’s hunched form.
She crossed the room and placed a hand on Ariana’s shoulder, the gesture gentle despite Elizabeth’s usual proud bearing.
"Don’t worry... Damian and the others will survive this."
Ariana’s head snapped up, hope flooding her features.
"Did you have a vision?! Did you see them coming back?!"
Elizabeth shook her head slowly.
Ariana’s face fell, the brief spark of hope extinguishing as quickly as it had appeared.
"I didn’t need a vision," Elizabeth continued quietly. "I know him. He’s too stubborn to die in a portal."
Adrian’s voice cut in, carrying forced confidence.
"It’ll take more than a single portal to kill that bastard. He survived one before when he was weaker and less experienced... He’ll survive this one too."
But Ariana’s expression remained bleak, her voice erging broken.
"But what about the others? He’s not alone, you know. All my friends are inside... Lysa, Ronan, Edrin, Zavier..."
Her voice cracked.
"If anything happened to even one of them..."
She couldn’t finish, tears threatening to spill, her body shaking with suppressed emotion.
The others looked away, unable to offer comfort when they shared the sa fears.
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