As the blast finally faded, the world settled into silence.
Both Elizabeth and Arina were gone—erased at the same instant. The vines that had bound Elizabeth turned to ash midair. The magma cooled into a cracked, black crust.
One by one, the elemental spirits that had answered Jasmine's call winked out, their tiny bodies burning up in the aftershock of the explosion.
The clearing was ruined.
Trees were charred to skeletal husks. The ground was scorched black, split by deep fractures where the force had torn the earth apart. Heat still shimmered faintly above the ground.
Jasmine lay on her side, coughing.
Her whole body ached. Her ears rang. For a few moments, she could not hear anything except the thundering of her own heartbeat.
She pushed herself up onto her hands and knees.
Her fingers dug into the burned soil.
Slowly, Jasmine lifted her head and looked toward the center of the devastation, where Elizabeth had been swallowed by magma and light.
