The air twisted, and Hermione, Daisy, and Stephanie appeared on the lawn one after another.
The moment they landed, they looked up. But Avalon Castle's reflection in the sky had vanished, replaced by a dark region like miasma.
It should have been early morning, yet even the distant sunlight seemed unable to penetrate the thick, blackened clouds. It was a terrifying scene, like a storm was about to break, as though demons in the sky were slowly awakening.
The three exchanged glances, but none of them knew what to say.
Stephanie silently looked up at the sky once more, then carefully inspected the Avalon Lake Water they had just brought out.
The once-clear spring water had turned a pure crimson after being mixed with the Guardian Fairy's blood. Moreover, although it had only just been taken out, the liquid inside the crystal bottle was already beginning to thicken.
Stephanie had never seen the real thing before, and the various secret medieval records contained no detailed descriptions of it either, so she had no idea whether this was normal.
Still, her task had been to retrieve the spring water and make sure none of it was lost. After checking that the crystal bottle would not be damaged by any external force, Stephanie put it away and looked toward the grim-faced Hermione and Daisy.
"We should go back," she said.
Hermione pressed her lips together as she looked over, worry and confusion in her eyes. "W-we're not waiting for Sean?"
"There's no point. Avalon's lake water is important. We need to keep it safe. Once we return to Hogwarts, I can use my access to the Room of Requirement to make sure no one else gets in. Staying outside isn't safe."
"But Sean..." Hermione could not continue. Her eyes had already begun