The hideout was chaos. Glowing goats bleated in panic, cows floated upside down, and sparks of wild magic shot in every direction. Eiji ran for his life, tripping over a floating loaf of bread that seemed to be screaming in fear.
"Pyra!" he shouted over the noise. "I didn't plan this!"
Pyra zapped past him, her ember eyes glowing. "You never plan anything, Oracle. That's the problem and somehow the solution!"
Behind them, angry voices echoed down the corridor. The Shadow Guild was regaining control. Eiji turned a corner, only to find a massive steel door sealed by glowing runes.
"Locked," he muttered, tugging the handle uselessly. "Of course it's locked! Why wouldn't it be?"
The medallion pulsed again. Eiji sighed. "You want me to use you on this, don't you?"
The medallion pulsed brighter.
He pressed it to the door, and the runes glowed intensely before exploding in a shower of sparks. The door flew off its hinges, slamming into a wall and knocking out two unsuspecting Guild guards.
Eiji blinked. "...Effective."
Pyra smirked. "Destructive, but effective. You're improving."
As they dashed through the newly opened path, a voice called out behind them.
"Hey! Wait up!"
Eiji spun around. From the chaos emerged a girl in a soot-covered alchemist's apron, clutching a half-broken potion bottle. Her silver hair shimmered faintly under the dim light.
"Who are you?" Eiji stammered.
"I'm Lyra, and I've been stuck here for weeks!" she shouted. "I was trying to spy on the Guild, but then I kind of… blew up their lab."
Eiji blinked. "You too?"
Lyra nodded, grinning sheepishly. "Yup! So, what's the plan?"
"The plan," Pyra interrupted, "is to survive the next two minutes without turning into smoke."
Lyra hurled a glowing potion behind them. It exploded into a cloud of pink mist, turning the chasing Guild members into frogs.
"See?" she said proudly. "Works most of the time!"
They ran together through the twisting tunnels, Eiji tripping twice, Lyra giggling, and Pyra muttering something about idiots united by destiny.
At the final exit, a faint light filtered through a crack in the rocks. Eiji shoved the door open and they stumbled out into the night air.
The moon shone bright over the forest. They'd escaped. Barely.
Eiji collapsed on the grass, staring at the sky. "That was awful."
Lyra sat beside him. "You did good, Oracle."
Pyra floated above them, her ember flickering warmly. "For once, I agree."
Eiji looked at the glowing medallion. "If this is just the beginning, I'm doomed, aren't I?"
The medallion pulsed gently, almost comfortingly.
"Every Oracle is doomed, Eiji. But you? You might be doomed in a funny way."
Eiji groaned. "Wonderful."