Compared to Lakaylas anxiety, Wentworth appeared far more composed. As he stepped up to the doorway and casually glanced outside, a smile tugged at his lips.
"They should be arriving right about now," he said with quiet certainty.
Lakayla, who moments before had been nearly pacing with worry, gradually calmed at the sight of Wentworth's serenity. A thoughtful expression crossed her face.
"So," she said slowly, "you were expecting this all along, weren't you, Wentworth?"
Wentworth gave her a knowing look, the corners of his mouth curling slightly.
"'Expecting' might be too strong a word," he replied. "Let's just say I had a feeling this moment would come, so I wrote a few letters in advance. If the timing's right, our wizards in the Alliance should be arriving just about now."
At that, Lakayla's brow furrowed. Something seemed to click in her mind as she turned toward Nala, who stood nearby. A moment later, her eyes widened in realization.
"The Alliance wizards? If they've truly made it in time, if we can unite now, then there shouldn't be any trouble. The world may doubt the Alliance's actions, but no one questions its strength." She paused, then added, "Wait, did you use Nala's Dream Messenger token?"
Wentworth stiffened slightly, caught off guard. Nala shook her head and retrieved a small, glowing stone from within her robes.
"I didn't lend it," she said firmly. "I've kept my token with me this entire time."
Only then did Wentworth realize what he had forgotten.
Lakayla's gaze narrowed with confusion.
"If it wasn't Nala's, then… you have another Dream Messenger token? Could it be Jabari's?"
Wentworth scratched his head awkwardly.
"Uh… no, not that either. I had Jabari's stone with me when I returned from Uagadou, he lent it to me. But… it seems I forgot you need a Dreamb Messenger token to enter Uagadou in the first place."
A heavy silence fell over the room.
After a beat, Wentworth coughed awkwardly.
"It's fine," he said, forcing a chuckle. "I trust my people. One measly defensive charm isn't going to stop them. Ha… ha…"
Lakayla, however, responded in a cool, steady voice.
"Uagadou's defensive spell is renewed every year by the combined efforts of every student and professor. Even Albus Dumbledore himself would struggle to break through it quickly. That's why I sent Babajide to greet you and the Headmaster upon arrival."
Her words struck Wentworth like a Stunning Spell. He blinked, stunned, unable to speak.
At that moment, a voice called from outside the door—Juma Kalembo's.
"Wentworth," he said calmly, "I know you're in there. Come out and face me. You released Malika, didn't you? All to lure me here? Well, here I am."
As his words rang out, the rest of the Kalembo Tribe's wizards unleashed their spells simultaneously. In an instant, ripples of magic shimmered around the headmaster's office.
Inside, Lakayla's face tightened with worry.
"At this rate, the protections around the office will only last another ten minutes or so," she warned.
As she spoke, she pressed something unseen. Gears clicked and whirred behind them. Wentworth turned to see a bookshelf shift away, revealing a dark tunnel in the wall behind it.
"This leads to the base of Mount Moon," Lakayla explained, pointing toward the passage. "Go. I'll hold them off here. Once you've joined the Alliance's forces, circle back for me."
"I'm not leaving!" Nala blurted out, shaking her head. "Headmistress, let me stay and help you!"
Lakayla's expression softened. She placed a gentle hand on Nala's head and smiled.
"Thank you, Nala. But if you stay, I'll have to protect you too. Do as I say. I'm still Uagadou's Headmistress. The spells those rebels are using, they learned them from me. I'll be fine."
Nala hesitated, but before she could protest again, Wentworth spoke.
"Nala, go. I'll stay. The Alliance doesn't run from a fight, and neither do I."
"My people should be here by now. Lead them inside Uagadou. They'll take care of the rest."
Nala bit her lip, clearly torn, but finally nodded. She turned abruptly and ran toward the hidden passage.
"Wait a second!" Wentworth called after her.
She paused mid-step.
Wentworth brushed off his sleeve, and a small, green creature slithered out, it was Greenbud, his pet bowtruckle.
He gestured to Nala. Greenbud gave him a long-suffering look, but obediently hopped onto Nala's shoulder.
"She can't see you," Wentworth said softly, "but Greenbud can prove your identity."
Nala sniffed slightly, as though recognizing the scent, and nodded in understanding.
As she disappeared into the tunnel, Wentworth turned back to Lakayla. Outside, the protective wards around the office were visibly flickering.
"Well then, Headmistress Lakayla," he said, eyes steely, "let's go greet this student of Uagadou who dares challenge his elders."
Meanwhile, two black-robed wizards joined Juma Kalembo.
"Is everything ready?" Juma asked evenly.
One of the wizards nodded. "Yes, young master. While our Concealment Charm can't match Uagadou's wards in strength, it's potent enough. From the outside, it'll look calm and undisturbed, no matter how fierce things get in here. No one will know a thing."
Juma gave a curt nod, then pointed toward the Headmaster's office.
"Then go. Find Wentworth, and do it quickly!"
The wizards were just about to move when the office doors creaked open.
Wentworth and Lakayla stepped out together.
"No need to look," Wentworth said with a wide, confident smile. "I'm right here."
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TN: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon —— patreon(.)com/PrimalDemon [remove the parentheses ( )]