The moment their barrier shattered under the force of the intruder's attack, a shockwave rippled through the academy's catacombs — a rush of magic, a thunderclap that made the stones tremble. Ezra fell backwards, Callista bracing him just in time to keep him from striking his head against a fallen column.
The masked intruder pressed forward, purple-black magic coalescing into a shimmering blade. "Harper's notes… the Eye… you do not appreciate their true power." The intruder's voice was a chorus — a legion — a chorus forged by countless stolen magic users. "Hand them over… or suffer eternal oblivion."
Callista tightened her grip on Ezra. "He's… much more powerful… We can't match him directly."
She turned inward, wrestling with something within herself — a magic Felton Harper had kept hidden. "We need help… We need someone who knew Felton… someone who can guide us…"
Before Ezra could protest, Callista pressed her magic forward, sending a shimmering rune into the tome in his hands. The rune glowed gold — a beacon — a call across worlds. The moment the rune connected, something stirred in the magic aether — something that had been resting quietly, suspended in time.
Across the barrier, the intruder faltered — just for a moment — as the magic grew thick in the air. The stones began to tremble, a shimmering silhouette slowly materializing in a circle of gold and purple. A ghost-like form coalesced, slowly becoming the visage of Felton Harper — the Phantom Professor — the man whose notes had gotten them into this mess.
"Who dares threaten my students… and my magic?" Felton Harper's voice, calm yet firm, filled the chamber. His form glimmered faintly, shimmering with a magic forged from knowledge, regret, and eternal vigilance.
The intruder faltered, turning its mask toward Felton Harper's manifestation. "Harper… you're… supposed to be gone… destroyed…"
Harper raised a shimmering rune in his left hand, a rune forged from pure magic. "Some knowledge cannot be destroyed… nor silenced. Ezra Vale… Callista Valeheart… I'm proud you kept up the fight."
He turned his piercing gaze upon the intruder. "Your era of control ends here."
In a blinding flash, Felton Harper's magic rushed forward, battling against the intruder's growing power — a showdown forged by two opposing forces. The shockwave forced Ezra and Callista back against a wall, their magic barely keeping them unharmed. The chamber began to collapse, stones falling and magic faltering.
"It's up to you now, Ezra." Felton Harper's voice seemed to fade. "Save magic… redeem it… or let it destroy everything…"