Page 512 of Axis of Fire

A chill ran through me.

"What are they doing?" I asked. "And who are they?"

"Healers," Stacia explained. "One from each of the Twelve Houses."

She followed my gaze toward them.

"While everyone celebrates, their task is to help Seris's soul leave his body and seal away his magic."

She paused.

"And the louder the celebration becomes... the easier that journey is for him."

"So this is where the two of you disappeared to."

Tarven's slightly breathless voice came from behind us.

He gestured toward the ever-growing circle of dancers, which seemed to swallow a new participant every few seconds.

"How did you manage to escape all that?"

"The same way you did." Stacia smiled. "I was just explaining our funeral traditions to Ria."

She glanced at him with playful curiosity.

"Did you know that in Vuduarus everyone cries and mourns the dead in silence?"

Tarven raised an eyebrow, folding his arms across his chest.

"Of course I did." Tarven arched an eyebrow. "I'm Vuduarus's representative, remember?"

"Oh, really?" Stacia shot back. "You're still not tired of reminding everyone?"

Tarven only broke into a wide smile.

"I'm just glad you're alive."

As it turned out, only our two groups had encountered demons that, from what I understood, had somehow broken free from their confinement.

Which was strange.

It also explained why every other student had completed the trials long before we had.

Apparently, only some of the strongest participants had been unfortunate enough to face something far worse.

My gaze drifted back to the healers in crimson robes.

Beneath the snow-white shroud, Seris's body was slowly dissolving.

Tiny blue flames rose from it one by one, drifting upward before fading into the air.

So this...

This was his farewell to the world.

I closed my eyes, trying to stop the traitorous tears gathering behind my eyelids.

My hand came to rest over my heart.