SCHOOL OF MAGIC 2

The Plan to Save Alexa

There was no escape for Ariella, Valerina, Sarah, and the others. The air had been thick with orange smoke, suffocating and relentless. They choked until their strength waned, collapsing to the floor, gasping for breath.

A heavy dorra shimmered open. Mr Richardson appeared first, lifting Ariella gently into his arms. Mrs Richardson followed, carrying Sarah, while the others gathered the rest.

“Hold on! We’re getting you out of here!” Daniel said, his voice firm.

The world blurred as they were whisked away, finally stopping at the safety of Mr Richardson’s house. Tyler sat in his room, eyes wide. His father’s voice came from the doorway: “Stay here. No wandering off, understood?”

“Yes, Dad,” Tyler murmured, gripping the edge of his desk.

In the living room, the adults and older students convened. Principal Elowen’s voice carried calm authority. “We prevented the academy from collapsing. The orange smoky creatures attacked with devastating speed, but Arcadia remains intact. Everyone is safe—for now.”

Ariella clenched her fists. “Okay. This has to stop. I’m getting my sister back.”

Seraphine stepped forward. “We’ve completed the preparations, thanks to Mr Richardson. We raised Isolde using Ariella and Alexa’s blood. She gave us the knowledge to remove the ITE from Alexa.”

“She told us exactly what to do,” Mr Richardson confirmed, nodding.

Sarah’s voice was low but tense. “If there’s one thing the ITE did right… it killed the most powerful woman alive. If we can remove it from Alexa, she could come back—but the danger… she’ll be unstoppable. And who knows what the ITE wants next. It may take Ariella, too. Right now it only has one twin, and look what happened—our school nearly collapsed in minutes. Imagine if it has both.”

Ariella’s mouth opened, then closed. She didn’t know what to say.

Mrs Richardson placed a trembling hand on Ariella’s shoulder. “After we got the information, we destroyed the source. She won’t trouble us again.we killed her back”

Valerina let out a sigh of relief. “Thank God.”

Sarah leaned forward, eyes sharp. “So, what’s the plan?”

Mr Richardson held up a crystal that gleamed faintly in the lamplight. “We’ll use this to summon the ITE out of Alexa and trap it inside. But for this to work, Alexa has to be in control—her true self.”

Tedros ran a hand through his hair. “The thing has her… how do we know we can reach the real Alexa?”

Ariella’s voice was steady. “Alexa tried to come out herself. Everything turned orange. I saw it with my own eyes.”

Mrs Richardson’s eyes filled with tears. “The sooner we do this… the sooner we get our daughter back.”

Daniel stepped closer, placing a hand on her shoulder. “It’s going to be okay, olivia.”

Elowen’s gaze swept over the group. “How will we reach her inner self?”

Ariella’s lips curved in determination. “Leave that to me.”

Sarah blinked. “How?”

Seylah interjected. “They’re twins. If Alexa and Ariella share the dragon mark, they may be connected in a way that lets her reach the other’s mind.”

Mr Richardson’s brow lifted. “Seylah, that’s… incredibly insightful.”

Ariella smiled faintly. “I’ll enter Alexa’s mind. But we need to be close, and I must hold her hand.”

Tedros nodded. “I’ll make sure you can do that.”

Mrs Richardson swallowed hard. “Be careful, Ariella. I want Alexa back—but I don’t want to lose you too.”

Ariella looked at her, eyes wide. “I love you, Mom.”

Even Ariella’s birth mother had never said that. The room softened, a rare, warm moment in the tension-filled night.

Mrs Richardson pulled Ariella into a hug. “It’s okay. I’m your mum, always.”

Ariella wiped her tears, drawing a deep breath. “Alright. Let’s get my sister back.”

Seylah’s eyes lit up. “Excuse me… our sister.”

Ariella laughed, and the others chuckled too. “Yes. Let’s get our sister back.”

The crystal shimmered on the table, and the team began the meticulous preparations. Every heartbeat, every whispered instruction carried weight—this was the moment that could finally bring Alexa home.