Chapter 14 A New Path

• The Grand Hall was eerily quiet now. The last traces of elemental energy dissipated into the air as students and professors gathered their bearings in the aftermath of the battle. The fractured orb of balance had healed, glowing softly in the center of the room. Ava stood beneath its calming light, the weight of everything she had just unleashed still coursing through her veins.
• Her friends—Lia, Cael, and Finn—gathered around her, their expressions ranging from awe to relief. They had survived. The Void had been held back, but the battle left Ava with more questions than answers. Darian had been subdued, but his cryptic words and the magnitude of the conspiracy still haunted her.
• Lia, ever fiery and bold, was the first to speak. “Well, that was insane. You saved us, Ava. I’ve never seen anything like that. What… what exactly was that power?”