Chapter 29: Time difference

The girls were still walking, the morning sun barely breaking through the thick canopy when Winter suddenly turned to Ynah.

"Can you try connecting with someone?" Winter asked. "Anyone from the academy we need help."

Ynah nodded, placing two fingers on her temple. Her eyes shut as she focused deeply. The air shifted, a light hum vibrating around her.

But after several long seconds, her eyes opened frustrated and confused.

"Why… why can't I connect with anyone?" she muttered. "I've done this before, even from over a thousand kilometers away. The academy is barely fifty why is it not working now?"

Winter frowned, then slowly lifted her hand. "Void," she whispered.

Her form shimmered turning nearly translucent, invisible to the eye. She took a step forward, testing something but suddenly flinched and stumbled back like she'd hit a barrier.

She reappeared, breathing heavily. "I knew it…"

"What happened?" Khierra asked, stepping beside her, alert.

"We're in a zone," Winter said grimly. "Some kind of Void Cage."

She dusted her hands, thinking fast. "When I activated Void, I should've phased through anything but I couldn't. I hit something."

She looked at them seriously. "Whatever we're in… it's like an invisible wall. Magic-based. It cancels out or repels similar energy my Void couldn't bypass it because we're made of the same essence. Void repels void."

"So we're trapped?" Ynah asked, stunned.

"No," Khierra said with a determined tone, "We're contained. Someone or something doesn't want us to leave this part of the forest."

"We need to find the heart of this cage," Winter added. "Every magic zone has a source. If we destroy or disrupt it, we might be able to break through."

Ayra's voice came soft behind them. "Then let's find it. Before it finds us."

The girls exchanged looks.

They had no idea what was waiting for them deeper in the forest but one thing was clear, they were not alone, and someone was pulling the strings.

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At the Alpha House, 3 Days have passed

To Winter, Khierra, Ayra and Ynah, only a single night had passed inside the forest.

But back at the Academy, it had been three long days and still, there was no sign of them.

The once-lively dorm was now quieter, weighed down by unease. Everyone tried to carry on with their routines, but the absence of the three girls hung heavy in the air.

Micko stood by the window, his paintbrush idle in hand, eyes fixed on the forest edge. "Three days…" he whispered. "It's not like Winter to disappear without a trace."

Jeremiah leaned on the wall, arms crossed, his brows furrowed. "We shouldn't have let them go alone, just why did you follow into the woods khierra!!."

Axel sat at the edge of the couch, foot tapping restlessly. "I hate this. We're stuck here, guarded like prisoners, while they're out there, somewhere."

Rey Vien, usually calm, had a storm in his gaze. "The professors said they've been searching, but nothing's come up. It's like they vanished into thin air."

Keisha paced back and forth, her fingers twitching with nervous energy. "I felt something that night… when Ella was taken. Whatever's out there, it's still active. What if they're caught in it?"

Celsy sat curled on one of the armchairs, arms hugging a pillow. "What if it's like what happened to us? That shadows… What if they're been held hostage or trapped in the forest?"

Aella, standing in the kitchen, glanced at the food she had cooked earlier, untouched. "They haven't even eaten in days… Are they even okay?"

The room fell silent for a moment, until Jeremiah finally said, "We need to find a way to help them."

"But how?" Micko asked, exasperated. "The guards won't let us step outside the main door."

A knock echoed from the hall a soft, hesitant sound.

A messenger student peeked in. "Professors are holding a meeting in the grand hall… they want all Alphas present."

Everyone exchanged looks hope, dread, and questions swimming in their eyes.

Without a word, they stood and moved, one after another, toward the hall hearts heavy and minds racing.

Something had changed.

And the academy was finally ready to talk about it.