The scorching dust left behind by Ashell's escape slowly began to settle under the control of the kingdom's protectors, yet the panic within the Colosseum of Caelora still left behind deep trauma.
The smell of sulfur and distorted mana lingered heavily in the air, making every breath feel painfully heavy.
Amid the chaos, the Sages and Wizards moved immediately to secure the thousands of lives placed in danger.
Sage Helmir, the Sage of Mind, stepped forward into the ruined arena.
He drove his wooden staff into the shattered ground, summoning gigantic roots that burst through the marble floor and formed a massive magical tree whose glowing green branches radiated a calming light.
The tree acted as a filter, absorbing Ashell's poisonous dust while releasing waves of mental soothing energy toward the frightened audience.
On the other side of the arena, Sage Izhari used control over the Forbidden Flame to absorb the remaining heat in the air.
Sage Thamuz Ironvein and Wizard Darak Stoneclad reinforced the foundations of the Colosseum to prevent collapse, while Wizard Seraphiel Lux raised the Celestial Blade of Dawn to purify the mana contaminating the atmosphere.
Medical teams rushed Elara away after she collapsed from complete mana exhaustion.
Kael Bereneth and Drestan, both suffering severe fractures, were also carried toward emergency treatment.
Gorion and Sylveras accompanied Elara's stretcher with worried expressions as they headed toward the special medical ward.
Medical Wing of the Colosseum
Inside one of the treatment rooms, Rossie Thayne lay weakly upon her bed.
Brant sat beside her, tightly holding his older sister's hand.
He remembered the story his father once told him—that Rossie had suffered from a terrible fever during childhood which damaged her growth hormones.
That was why, despite being thirty years old, she still possessed the appearance of a small child.
Not long afterward, the door opened.
Elara's stretcher was brought into the room and placed beside Rossie's bed.
Sylveras introduced his mentor, Sage Gorion, to Brant.
Brant froze briefly before immediately bowing respectfully toward Ardan's old friend.
Gorion merely gave a small nod, remaining alert as he silently observed the surroundings around them.
Emergency Meeting Chamber of the Magic Council
At the highest level of the Colosseum, an emergency meeting was being held under strict security.
The atmosphere, once filled with panic and despair, slowly calmed as Vaelion Elaris, Chairman of the Magic Council, took control of the discussion.
As a High Elf, Vaelion radiated extraordinary wisdom and composure.
With unwavering authority, he led the cooperation between the Earth Elves and humanity alike.
"Please remain calm, everyone," Vaelion said, his voice clear and soothing as it eased the fury of the King of Sisilia, who was devastated by Lurk's disappearance.
"We are facing an organized threat. Based on the reports we have gathered, Ashell was never the nobleman we believed him to be. He was a demon spy who infiltrated us under a false identity in order to gain access to the heart of our defenses."
Fenrath Moongrim confirmed the statement, adding that Ashell's demonic scent had been overwhelmingly strong.
The attention of the council soon shifted toward Neravos, the Sage of Time.
"Neravos," Vaelion asked calmly, "what exactly did you sense within your time domain?"
Neravos inhaled deeply before answering.
"The dragon within my soul experienced overwhelming fear. It kept screaming that the creature we saw does not belong to any dragon lineage known in the current age. It was an ancient entity that had somehow returned."
He explained that the mysterious dragon seemed to exist outside the flow of his time magic itself.
The ancient creature had remained completely silent while carrying Ashell and Lurk into the black portal.
Vaelion listened carefully.
The eyes connected to the heavens themselves now shone with rare seriousness.
"If that dragon is capable of ignoring time magic," Vaelion said slowly, "then we are not dealing with an ordinary demonic rebellion."
His voice deepened.
"We must act quickly before this darkness consumes the entire kingdom."
The emergency meeting continued as the Sages and Wizards coordinated plans to strengthen border security throughout the realm.
Yet even among the greatest magic users in the kingdom—
the shadow of the mysterious dragon remained an unsolved terror lingering behind every thought.