The Starstruck Gala was everything money could buy and greed could amplify. Held on the top floor of the city's tallest skyscraper, the ballroom glittered with crystal chandeliers, expensive silks, and a relentless parade of the wealthy elite. The air, thick with power and competition, hummed with a dark, low-frequency magical current that made Booma's locket pulse with alarm.
Booma, dressed in an elegant, borrowed evening gown (courtesy of Maya's extensive contacts), felt utterly out of place. Her dress, a simple but striking emerald green, subtly concealed the Locket of Whispered Wishes beneath her décolletage. She looked like a quiet, stylish guest, but beneath the composure was the fierce power of the Guardian.
"This place is a nightmare, Booma. The emotional resonance is off the charts. The Shadow King must be thrilled," Bujji telepathized, perfectly hidden inside a small, stylish clutch purse that Booma carried.
Their infiltration team was flawless. Rishi, miles away in his basement fortress, had hacked the venue's security and comms, granting Booma and Chinnappa temporary digital identities. Chinnappa, looking impossibly handsome in a dark suit, served as Booma's date and covert lookout.
"Remember the plan," Chinnappa murmured, his hand lightly on Booma's back as they navigated the crowded room. "Rishi will alert us the moment the dark energy spikes. I secure the exit. You find the artifact and use the Sealing Spell technique."
Booma nodded, her focus absolute. The tension between them was palpable—not the anxiety of their feigned breakup, but the electric current of their shared purpose and unspoken friendship.
They scanned the room, the source of the dark energy pulling them inevitably toward the center of the ballroom. There, on a velvet pedestal, displayed like a crown jewel, was the artifact: a magnificent, antique telescope. Its brass fittings were polished to a mirror sheen, but its lens pulsed with a cold, blue light.
"The Telescope of Vain Ambition," Bujji hissed. "It projects a false future, showing people what they wish they could have—wealth, fame, one-sided love fulfilled—and then steals the disappointment when the wish inevitably fails."
The ultimate mechanism for generating hurting and corruption.
And standing right beside the pedestal, holding court with a group of mesmerized guests, was Leena. She looked breathtaking in a shimmering, silver dress, her beauty acting as a perfect, distracting veil for the malice beneath.
Booma needed to draw Leena out, away from the crowd, to launch her attack.
"Chinnappa, keep the crowd focused on the telescope. I need a clear shot."
Chinnappa immediately took action, using his natural charisma. He approached the pedestal, pretending to admire the telescope, while engaging the guests in a debate about its authenticity. His quick thinking created the necessary distraction.
Booma slipped into the crowd, channeling a small amount of Wind energy to increase her speed and agility. Just as she reached the edge of the central gathering, Leena spotted her. The sophisticated smile vanished, replaced by the sharp, cold fury Booma remembered from the Fashion Show.
"You shouldn't have come back, Booma," Leena whispered, her voice laced with venom. "You destroyed the mirror, but the Shadow King knew you would. This artifact is stronger. It will expose your ultimate vulnerability—your pathetic, hidden desire for the boy."
Leena raised her hand, not to attack Booma, but to perform a devastating act of betrayal against the room. She channeled the telescope's power, aiming it at the crowd. The air filled with whispers of jealousy, ruin, and despair. People began to turn on each other, their faces contorted with sudden, intense rage over minor slights. The chaos was immediate and catastrophic.
"She's overloading the greed! The psychic fallout will trigger a real disaster!" Bujji yelled mentally.
Booma didn't hesitate. She couldn't fight the chaos; she had to stabilize it. She focused on the pure, resilient friendship that had brought her here. She channeled the power of the locket into a powerful, stabilizing wave.
"Aethel Field: Harmony and Truth!"
A powerful, visible wave of warm, calming light pulsed outwards from Booma, neutralizing the dark energy and instantly settling the crowd. The guests blinked, looking around confused, their sudden fury vanished, replaced by an embarrassing confusion over why they had just yelled at a waiter.
Leena was furious. She focused the telescope directly on Booma, her eyes burning. "Let's see if your humanity can protect you from your own deepest broken wish!"
The Telescope of Vain Ambition fired a concentrated beam of dark, seductive light at Booma, specifically targeting the latent one-sided love she still harbored for Chinnappa.
Booma felt the magical beam hit her, and her mind was instantly flooded with a powerful illusion: Chinnappa turning to her, his face filled with passion, declaring his undying love and abandoning everything else for her. It was the fulfillment of her most powerful, secret wish.
For a moment, she was paralyzed, lost in the sweetness of the fiction.
"Booma! It's a lie! You chose the truth on the mountain! Remember the Sealing Spell!" Bujji's urgent warning ripped through the illusion.
Booma broke free. She looked past the illusion, past the perfect dream, and saw the truth: the real Chinnappa was risking his life to protect her and the innocent guests. I don't need a forced wish.
She channeled the pure, stable Earth and Nature magic into her locket.
"Guardian Strike: Reality Restored!"
A brilliant, focusing beam of golden-green light shot from the locket, slamming into the Telescope of Vain Ambition. The obsidian artifact exploded instantly, showering the ballroom floor with harmless shards of glass.
Leena shrieked, clutching her arm where the backlash of magic had struck her. "This is not over, Guardian! The Shadow King has a master plan, and it begins at your school!"
Before the chaos could resurface, Leena vanished, leaving behind only the sound of high-heeled shoes clicking rapidly towards the service exit.
Booma, utterly exhausted, leaned heavily on the pedestal, the locket pulsing weakly but safely. The artifact was gone, but the enemy was retreating—and heading straight for her weakest point.