Erwin whipped his head around, his pupils contracting in shock. Ravenclaw caught the shift in his expression and followed his stare. She froze too.
"What... what is that?"
The Isle of Avalon drifted toward a massive whirlpool. As the waters churned, a gleaming blue pyramid emerged from the depths, catching the sunlight in an otherworldly glow. At its base, two gaping holes spewed thick white mist—the same fog that shrouded the isle, stifling magic like a smothering veil.
Ravenclaw, for all her vast wisdom, had never encountered anything like it. Her own power flowed sluggishly, as if wading through treacle. Before she could process it, beams of azure light lanced from the pyramid, weaving like ribbons to ensnare a chunk of the isle.
To their horror, that fragment tore free like a jigsaw piece, shrinking as it hurtled toward one of the holes. It fused seamlessly into the void, crystallizing into a blue shard that sealed the breach. The mist thinned slightly in response.
Ravenclaw's eyes widened. "So the Isle of Avalon is just a fragment of this pyramid? It assembles itself like a puzzle!"
Erwin nodded grimly, his mind racing along the same lines. But before they could react, another surge of blue light erupted.
"Erwin, we have to go—now!" Ravenclaw urged. "If we're right, the whole isle will shatter. We'll be trapped!"
No time for debate. Erwin leaped from the edge into the churning sea. A cocoon of starlight enveloped him, Ravenclaw's magic stabilizing his form amid the vortex. She grimaced. "My power's draining too fast. We can only hope the mist clears before it runs out completely. Then you can Apparate!"
Erwin's face hardened as he nodded. The isle fragmented around them, each piece drawn inexorably to the pyramid, dissolving the fog bit by bit. Magic stirred faintly in the air, but not enough for escape. In the sky, Ravenclaw's ethereal figure flickered, her starlight shield dimming.
"Erwin, I'm fading," she warned. "I'll retreat to the diadem for a deep rest. Use your magic the instant I let go—shield yourself!"
"Thank you," he replied solemnly. "You've done more than enough, Founder Ravenclaw."
With a final shake of her head, she poured out her remaining essence. Starlight armor clad Erwin, radiant and unyielding. Then her form dissolved into motes of light, vanishing into his forehead and the hidden diadem.
Erwin exhaled, sensing her slumber within. "One of the Four Founders, aiding me like this... I'll never forget it."
He raised a hand, summoning threads of celestial charm from the heavens to reinforce the armor—nearly mastering the founder's gift already. If Ravenclaw could see, she'd be stunned. Buoyed by the power, Erwin rose from the waves, hovering above the pyramid.
He pondered for a beat, then dismissed the starlight. The vortex's pull resumed, yanking at him. Rather than fight, he surrendered to it, hurtling toward the structure.
The Isle of Avalon had fully disintegrated now, sealing the pyramid's holes. The whirlpool weakened, seawater rushing back to fill the void. Erwin landed beside it, pressing a palm to its frigid surface. It felt alien—not glass, not stone, but akin to the magic crystals he'd forged, though devoid of any inner energy. No hue like this, either, even when drained.
Eyes closing, he probed deeper. A pulse of blue light answered from within.
Erwin's eyes snapped open. "There you are. My hunch was spot on. Clever lot, aren't you? Even a forgery's terrifying when it's this elaborate."
He rapped the surface. Blue energy flared, repelling him like a warning shove.
Erwin smirked. "Time's worn you down. Forgotten your real role, have you? Fancy yourself a lapdog now?"
His fingers scored his palm, drawing blood. He slammed the wound against the pyramid. It shuddered violently, resisting. Erwin held firm, unyielding. Gradually, the tremors eased.
Wiping the cut clean, he reached out. A swirl opened at his touch, his hand plunging through. Fingers closed around something solid. "Gotcha."
But retaliation came swift—a torrent of raw energy exploded from within.
"As expected," Erwin growled. "Contingencies on contingencies. What a web they've spun!"
A golden barrier snapped up before him, Protego shimmering into existence. The blast hammered it, fissures spiderwebbing across. Erwin barely had time to tuck his prize into his enchanted ring before the shield shattered, hurling him backward.
A phoenix cry pierced the air. Ebony materialized, talons gripping Erwin's shoulder, wings blazing as she hauled him skyward. The energy beam trailed them, relentless.
"Up, Ebony—fly!"
...
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