MIA’S POV

The air buzzed with tension, the metallic scent of magic thick around us. I clung to Sylvia, my heart racing, trying to find some semblance of safety amidst the chaos. But Kalazar wasn’t done. His fury radiated off him in waves, and with a guttural snarl, he raised his hands toward the ground. 

Before any of us could react, he slammed his hands down, casting a dark, twisted spell. The ground beneath us trembled violently, then split open with a deafening crack, as if the earth itself had been torn in two. The force was so intense that I felt myself being lifted off my feet, thrown violently...