152 TURNING DREAMS INTO NIGHTMARE
The air grew thick with unease as the sky began to crack and thunder roared above. Fiery meteors rained down from the heavens, crashing into the already desolate land.
"What the hell is happening now?" Leo asked, his voice edged with urgency.
Yun-Yun steadied herself as the boat rocked and explained, "The Heaven's Cage was already weakened. When Bael forced his Destiny Retribution through it, it caused even more damage. What we're seeing now is its complete collapse."
"And what happens when it collapses?" Petunia asked, her worry evident.
"This entire realm will unravel," Yun-Yun said grimly.
Leo tightened his grip on the boat's controls. "Then we leave. Now."
In the distance, the shimmering outline of the magical portal to Sodom came into view. Their boat surged forward, cutting through the swamp as the realm disintegrated around them.
Just as they reached the portal, the tremors intensified, and the sky began to tear apart completely. They passed through the portal in the nick of time, the magic rippling around them as they crossed into safety.
The moment they were on the other side, the portal shattered, its fragments fading into the void. Behind them, the Sodom ruins were lost forever, consumed by the collapse of the Heaven's Cage.
Leo and his companions exchanged glances, their faces reflecting both relief and exhaustion.
"Good riddance," Leo said with a faint smile, his tone carrying a hint of satisfaction.
For now, they were safe, and the realm that had tested them so harshly was finally behind them.
-----
[At the Gates of Heaven's Cage]
"You're early, Faschae," Dean Hammond remarked, his brow furrowed as he glanced at the shimmering, unstable gate before them.
"You too, Hammond," replied Dean Faschae with a weary smile, though his eyes betrayed his unease.
"The gate isn't supposed to close for another week," Hammond continued, crossing his arms. "I came early to welcome back any students who might return ahead of schedule."
Dean Faschae nodded, his expression grim. "I couldn't rest. Felt... restless. I figured I'd rather be restless here, waiting for them."
Suddenly, the gate to Heaven's Cage began to tremble violently. The shimmering light framing it flickered and dimmed, casting eerie shadows across the courtyard.
"What's happening?" someone in the gathering crowd exclaimed as a ripple of panic swept through the onlookers.
"The gate—it's closing early!" Hammond's voice was sharp, carrying over the rising commotion at the magic portal. "Why is it shutting now?"
"I don't know," Faschae said, worriedly. "Most of our students aren't out yet!"
The two deans rushed toward the gate, their robes swirling behind them as they called for the mages managing its operations. The portal began to shrink rapidly, the magic at its core folding inward like a collapsing star.
Then, just as it seemed the gate would close completely, several figures burst through the flickering light—mud-splattered, gasping for breath, and alive.
Leo and his companions tumbled onto the ground, their exhaustion palpable.
"What's going on?" Faschae demanded, his gaze fixed on the battered group. "Why is the gate closing so fast?"
The mages responsible for the gate's maintenance hurried forward, their faces pale with dread. "What happened on the other side?" one of them asked, their voice shaking.
Leo straightened, still catching his breath. "The Heaven's Cage collapsed," he said grimly. "We barely made it out alive."
"Who else got through?" Faschae asked, his voice laced with urgency.
The two deans exchanged a dark look before Hammond replied, "A few expeditioners returned early when the signs of instability began, but... you're the last ones to escape before the gate sealed."
"And the others still inside?" Faschae pressed, his tone edged with dread.
Leo's expression hardened. "That realm is a graveyard now."
As the last remnants of the portal's light flickered and died, the gate solidified into a cold, lifeless monolith. A heavy silence hung in the air.
"What about the consequences of what we did in there?" Petunia asked Leo hesitantly, glancing back at the now-sealed gate.
Leo didn't answer immediately. He'd made many enemies inside the Heaven's Cage and killed many. If news got out, their allies would seek retribution against him and his troubles would be far from over.
As they moved away, Leo noticed a small cluster of mages sitting nearby—those who had returned earlier. Their expressions were a mix of exhaustion and frustration.
Among them, Leo spotted a familiar face: Kazan.
"C.I.A.," Leo muttered under his breath, a smirk tugging at his lips as he passed by.
Kazan stiffened immediately, his jaw tightening. His fist clenched at his side as he muttered, "Thief."
"Stop," whispered Li-Jung, placing a calming hand on Kazan's arm. "We're not supposed to be here. We'll deal with him another time."
Kazan's eyes burned with fury as he watched Leo walk away, the smirk still lingering on his face.
-----
"Lilleo Gullee, I'm relieved you made it out alive from the ruins of Sodom," Dean Faschae said with a sly smile, his tone light but his eyes calculating.
The two stood in the quiet confines of his private study at the academy, away from prying eyes.
Leo nodded, his expression unreadable. "I delivered on what you asked, Dean Faschae."
From his storage ring, Leo brought out a dozen jars, neatly arranged on the dean's ornate desk.
"What are these?" Faschae asked, his brow furrowing as he adjusted his glasses and leaned in for a closer look.
The dean recoiled sharply, his face paling. "What the—" he stammered, realizing the jars contained severed heads, preserved with magic.
Before the expedition, Dean Faschae had entrusted Leo with a covert mission: to quietly eliminate the most promising students from rival academies within the ruins of Sodom. It was a calculated, ruthless plan to ensure his academy's dominance by removing the competition entirely.
Leo's voice was calm, almost casual. "The most talented student mages from Sodom's top academies. Rest assured, our academy will have the highest average scores this year."
Faschae almost dropped down in shock. This was his request, his mission but it was more of wishful thinking than reality. Leo made his dream a reality and also a nightmare.