Is It Enough?

"FELIX!" Jace screamed, standing up, his eyes wide, knuckles turning white as he gripped the seat in front of him.. 

The rest of the team's focus snapped toward Felix's collapsed form.

"What the hell? Is he okay?" Orion shouted, also jumping to his feet, his gaze locked onto the screen.

"More importantly! Why is no one helping him?" Selene's voice was laced with worry.

"They can't," Lyra said, her usual composure cracking. Her fingers dug into her leg, tension radiating through her frame. "The contest is still going on."

"So they're just going to let him lay there?" Astra's fists clenched tightly at her sides, her voice sharp with frustration.

Jace's jaw tightened. "They have to. If they interrupt the match, we lose, and Felix wouldn't want that."

All they could do was wait and watch. It was up to Aurora and Lucian now.

Inside the arena, Aurora felt Felix's mana flicker, then fade. Her hands stilled over the magic circle. Reaching a stopping point in the sequence, she turned away from her work to check on him.

"Felix!" Lucian was already at his side, pressing two fingers to his neck. A second passed before he let out a relieved breath. "He's alive, but out cold," he called over to Aurora. 

She exhaled, the tension in her shoulders easing just slightly. "Good. Now focus on the challenge. I'll try to finish the leg once I'm done with the magic circle."

Closing her eyes, she pushed everything else away. The best thing they could do for him was win.

She had to complete this. Felix had given everything just to get them this far. She had to take them to the end.

A familiar pressure coiled in her chest, heavy and suffocating. She couldn't lost, she couldn't fail

Her family wouldn't allow it.

Aurora grit her teeth, steadying her breathing. She refocused on the magic circle, using her golem to begin carving again, but it wasn't fast enough.

Her mind burned through possibilities. At this rate, their opponents would finish before them. A Rank 3 team wouldn't be weak. They couldn't afford to slow down.

"It's not enough," she murmured, frustration creeping in. "I need to go further."

If she could cast multiple spells at once, control multiple streams of magic simultaneously…

Then why couldn't she write multiple parts of a magic circle at the same time?

A reckless thought, but when had that ever stopped her before?

Aurora took a deep breath, centering herself. Her magic surging as she split her focus, her mind branching in multiple directions at once.

The first symbol began to form. Even through her golem, her movements were incredibly precise. Then, at the same time, the second symbol began to carve its way into the colossal golem.

She pressed harder, pushing her focus to its absolute limit.

The third line began to form. Then the fourth line. 

The magic circle coming together at an impossible speed, her magic surging out of her in rapid pulses.

Faster… She had to go faster.

She couldn't lose, not with her sister watching. She had to win, to prove that she was strong

She was Aurora Dusk.

And she would not lose.

With a final pulse, Aurora completed the magic circle, releasing a slow, steady breath. The glow in her hair faded, returning to its usual silver.

Looking up, she saw Lucian still focused on carving the colossal golem's shoulder, his tendril moving with precise, deliberate strokes.

She nodded to herself, shifting her attention to the unfinished leg joint. Fortunately, Felix had gotten close to finishing it before collapsing, leaving only the final touches.

Wasting no time, she dove straight in, channeling the last of her mana to shape the stone into its proper form.

While she worked, Lucian finished his own task. Rather than interrupting Aurora, he moved to check on Felix, kneeling beside him.

Felix's condition hadn't worsened, which was a small relief. Carefully, Lucian lifted him, preparing to leave as soon as Aurora was done.

With a final, precise shave of stone, the leg joint was complete. Aurora exhaled, opening her eyes before turning to Lucian. "Let me check the golem to make sure everything is correct."

Sending her golem back to the colossal golems core, she placed its hand against the massive construct, reaching out with her magic.

A pulse. Faint, but steady. The telltale hum of activation.

They had completed the objective.

"It looks like we're good to go," Aurora said as her golem moved toward the exit.

As it passed through, the transparent glass beneath them darkened, shifting into a solid floor.

Lucian let out a breath. "I really hope that means we're done." Adjusting his grip on Felix, he turned toward the arena's exit.

"Honestly… me too," Aurora admitted, her voice heavy with exhaustion.

Following Lucian out of the arena, the first thing she noticed was the worried expressions of her teammates. A faculty member stood nearby, arms outstretched, ready to take Felix to the medical building.

Lucian handed him over without hesitation. "I'm going with them," he said, turning to the rest of the group. Not waiting for a response.

Aurora watched them leave, then turned to Jace.

He met her gaze, shaking his head once.

They had finished second.