Chapter 11: The Morning After

Lena and Jasmin slowly open their eyes, feeling the warmth of the morning sun on their faces. They had slept soundly after the adrenaline rush of winning their first duel the day before. Lena stretches and sits up, looking around the room. The enchanted roof above them shows a beautiful blue sky with a few fluffy clouds drifting by. She turns to Jasmin, who is still lying down.

"Hey, Jasmin," Lena whispers, nudging her friend. "Wake up, it's a beautiful day."

Jasmin groans, still half-asleep. "Do we have to get up? Can't we just sleep in today?"

Lena laughs. "Come on, we need to get ready for the Finals. Plus, I want to know if Amber and Lucas won their match."

Jasmin finally sits up, rubbing her eyes. "Oh yeah, you are right. I hope they did. I really want to see them go against us in the Finals."

They got dressed and left the dormitory, heading down the round wooden staircase to the common room of the Mist house. As they arrived downstairs, they saw Lucas sitting on a couch, looking relaxed and happy.

"Good morning, Lucas," Lena said, smiling at him.

"Good morning, Lena, Jasmin," Lucas replied, waving at them. "Congratulations on your win yesterday. You both did great."

"Thank you," Jasmin said, blushing a little. "Did Amber and you win your match?"

Lucas grinned. "Yes, we did. It was a tough one, but we managed to pull through."

Lena and Jasmin exchanged a look, now sure that they would be facing each other in the finals. It was an exciting prospect, and they were both looking forward to it.

"Good luck to both of you," Lucas said, getting up from the couch. "I have to go and check with Amber. See you later in the Infinity Field."

"Bye, Lucas," Lena and Jasmin said in unison, watching him leave.

As they sat down on the couch, they talked about their strategy for the finals. They knew that they had a tough opponent in Amber and Lucas, but they were determined to do their best and win the tournament.

"Let’s grab breakfast and see then further?" Jasmin asks and Lena nods in agreement. As they arrived at the dining Hall they saw Daniel wave at them from the Storm side of the room, with free space to his left. He's already dressed in his duelling robes, ready for practice. They greet him and sit down to eat a quick breakfast. Daniel suggests a friendly two versus one duel to help them practice for the upcoming competition to which they agree.

Once they finish their breakfast, the three of them leave the Great Hall and head outside the castle to make their practise duel. The sun is shining and the cool breeze carries the scent of freshly cut grass. Lena and Jasmin take their positions on one side of the field while Daniel stands opposite them.

Daniel starts the match with a series of defensive spells, blocking every attack from Lena and Jasmin. Lena manages to land a few hits on him, but he quickly regains his footing and counters with a powerful stun, "Arresto Momento." he says and Lena suddenly can't move faster than slow motion and it feels like time is passing extremely slow for her while she watches Daniel easily handle Jasmin as he can focus only on her.

"You see, now my full focus is on you and there's no way you can surprise me." Daniel explains and displays it by lifting Jasmin up and sending her backwards a fair bit but careful not to drop her as he knows they have a big fight ahead. Lena comes back to normal speed as she feels the spell wear off but knows Jasmin would by now be out of the duel meaning he won't even need another stun.

"This is insane!" Lena says while they wait for Jasmin to walk back to them. "It's like you are completely out of the fight." She adds looking at Daniel who nods. "And when you finally can fight back its already too late." He replies with a grin, proud to have highlighted it so perfectly.

"I'm not going to lie, you two pack a punch but separated, seems to be you biggest weakness." He says as Jasmin arrives next to them.

"Can you teach us this spell?" Lena asks and he pauses for a moment before agreeing. He shows them the wand movement and how to say it correctly, "Arresto Momento." He says and the girls practise until noon when Daniel informs them about their Duel starting soon.

The three head over the path and the small wooden bridge to the Infinity Field and enter the tent like last time.

"I'm so glad it’s not raining anymore." Jasmin says and Lena smiles. "Are you good if I join Rachel upstairs?" Daniel asks and Lena and Jasmin exchange a short glance before nodding. I think we're good thank you. "Lena says and he waves smiling as he leaves to join Rachel in order to watch them from a better view at the top of the tent where the rest of the audience is sitting.

Lena sits down looking at Jasmin who couldn't stand still and was walking up and down in the tent her wand in her right hand ready to start the duel. As Lena watches Jasmin pace back and forth, she takes a deep breath and focuses on the upcoming duel. She feels the excitement and nerves building up inside her as she knows this match will be a big challenge for them.

She looks around the tent, noticing the posters of previous duelling champions hanging on the walls and the noise of the audience in the seating area above them. Lena feels a rush of adrenaline as she realizes that all eyes will be on them during the upcoming match.

As the time draws near, Lena stands up and walks to the exit of the tent and right as she reaches for the cloth to peak outside the loud horn signalling the start of the duel sounds through the air.

Jasmin walks up to Lena and slides her left hand into Lena's right. "Let's do this." She says and a confident look of determination shows on her face as she presses Lena's hand the two girls step outside. As Lena and Jasmin make their way towards the right infinity loop, there is a palpable tension in the air. Memories of their previous victory on this very spot flood back to them, but this time the atmosphere is different. There is no rainstorm to contend with, yet the anticipation is still just as high.

Lena and Jasmin share a nervous look as they approach their designated starting positions. They both know that this match will be more challenging than their previous one, and the absence of the rainstorm only serves to heighten the pressure they feel.

The field is quiet now, except for the sound of their footsteps on the soft grass. When they look across the infinity field, they can see Lucas and Amber in the distance walking to their positions when the voice of Professor Ravenwood once again fills the area.

"Welcome, welcome the Finals of the 1st year will be concluded right here, right now between Lena Everdale and Jasmin Lunaris who will face off against Amber Jade and Lucas Smithson." He starts and the crowd cheers and Jasmin can see Rachel and Daniel sitting up there with the other students and Professors.

"We want to see a fair and clean Duel, a Showcase of skill and determination. And with this make yourself ready." He says and looks at both sides of the infinity field.

Lena presses Jasmin's hand and they nod at each other.

"Bow." Professor Ravenwood says and all duellists bow down in respect for their opponent.

Lucas and Amber seem prepared and determined just like Lena and Jasmin do.

"Go!" he yelled, and the field was immediately alive with spells of different colours flying across it. The air crackled with energy as each spell was dodged and blocked from both sides. The wizards moved quickly, their wands a blur as they cast their spells.

Lena gritted her teeth as she tried to aim her spell at Amber, all the while avoiding Lucas's offensive spells. She muttered "Arresto Momentum" under her breath and watched as her spell hit Amber, causing her to freeze temporarily.

Jasmin saw the opportunity and joined Lena in casting the Levicorpus spell on Lucas. He managed to block one of them, but the second one caught him off guard, lifting him up into the air and leaving him exposed to another strike from the girls.

Lucas unable to free himself quickly muttered "Finite Incantatem," pointing his wand at Amber. The spell freed her from Lena's Time-Slowing Charm, and she wasted no time in launching an orange beam towards Jasmin.

Jasmin managed to block the spell in the nick of time, but the force of the impact sent her tumbling back to the ground. Lena seized the opportunity and cast a Depulso spell at Lucas, sending him flying out of their infinity loop.

The girls knew they had the upper hand, and they moved closer to each other to plan their next attack. They quickly discussed their Defense and offense combos, remembering the tactics that had worked so well for them in their last duel.

Amber, watching from the side-lines, knew that she was in trouble. She had seen their strategy in their last duel and realized that she didn't stand a chance in this one-versus-two situation. With a smile, she held her hands up in the air, conceding to the girls. She knew that she wouldn't be able to make a comeback.

"Amber Jade is conceding, I don't think anyone can blame her," Professor Ravenwood declares, his voice booming across the field. "The duels are normally over once one duellist is eliminated, and with this, our 1st champions are crowned."

The crowd erupts into cheers, clapping and hollering as Lena and Jasmin exchange a look of mutual pride and joy. Lena's eyes glisten with tears as she steps forward, clasping Jasmin's hand tightly in hers.

"Thank you, thank you so much!" Lena exclaims, her voice shaking with emotion. "I couldn't have done it without you, Jasmin. We make a great team!"

Jasmin grins, squeezing Lena's hand back. "You were amazing out there, Lena. I couldn't have asked for a better partner."

Professor Ravenwood smiles indulgently, watching the girls with a warm gaze. "Congratulations, Lena Everdale and Jasmin Lunaris," he says, nodding his head in approval. "You've proven yourselves to be skilled and formidable duellists. I have no doubt that you'll make your house proud in the upcoming inter-house tournament."

The girls beam with pride and excitement, basking in the glory of their victory as the crowd continues to cheer and applaud. They can hardly believe that they've won their first duelling tournament. Excited and proud of themselves.

Rachel and Daniel walk up to Lena and Jasmin as they were about to leave the infinity field after their victory. "Hey, congrats on your win! We were hoping that you two might stick around for a bit and watch our final too. It's still a couple of hours before it starts, as there are a few other finals that need to be concluded before ours, so you would have enough time to rest until then." Rachel said, smiling at the two girls.

Jasmin nodded in agreement, "Sure, we would love to watch you guys compete. Since we have some time to rest before then, we'll be back in a few hours."

"Great, thanks! It means a lot to us," Daniel said, beaming.

Lena turned to Jasmin, "We have some time to kill, what do you want to do?"

Jasmin thought for a moment, "Let's grab some food and find a good spot to rest in the castle." Lena agrees and they walked back to the castle.

They quickly make their way through the castle corridors, taking a shortcut through a hidden passageway that Lena had discovered when Jasmin was doing her punishment in the library. "Woah that’s cool." Jasmin gasps and follows Lena and they quickly reach the Mist common room entrance.

As they enter their dormitory, Jasmin heads to her bed while Lena takes a seat on her own. She rubs her temples, feeling the exhaustion from the duel settling in. Jasmin notices Lena's fatigue and suggests that they take a nap for a few hours to recharge before returning to the infinity field.

Lena agrees, and they both lie down on their beds, drifting off into a deep sleep. A few hours later, they wake up feeling refreshed and energized. They quickly get ready and make their way back to the infinity field, arriving just in time to catch the last few minutes of the final before Rachel and Daniel's match. As they settled down to watch the 5th year final, Lena's eyes widened in recognition. "Isn't that Amaia?" she asked, pointing towards a confident-looking girl with straight brown hair in the left infinity loop.

Jasmin nodded in agreement as they observed the intense duel. Amaia's partner cast a powerful spell that sent one of their opponents flying out of the infinity loop, leading the other to concede defeat. Professor Ravenwood's announcement soon followed. "Congratulations to Eirlys Faewyn and Amaia Hazel on winning the 5th year final," he declared, as Lena and Jasmin applauded along with the rest of the spectators.

"Attention students, it's now time for the final match of the day. I want to remind everyone that the seventh-year tournament will take place after the holidays due to the high intensity and danger it poses. We don't want anyone to be seriously injured before the break. Now, for the final match of the day, let's welcome our two last competing teams of the day." Professor Ravenwood pauses for a brief moment to let the crowd build up hype. "You all know one team, everyone knows them. They haven't lost a single duel in two consecutive years, our unbeaten, fearless duo, Rachel Meaddow and Daniel Ryder!" He really makes it sound dramatic the way he slowly says their names, stretching every vocal possible. "But this year we have strong competitors, some might say, too strong." He pauses again for a dramatic effect and continues, "The fierce Danthe Grimstone and one of the most determined witches I've ever talked to, Bella Rosethorn!" The crowd cheered, way louder than during any of Lena and Jasmin's duels, but that didn't stop the two girls from cheering loud for Rachel and Daniel as they saw Dante on the field, hoping for him to be the one flying across the field.

Professor Ravenwood made the regular introduction with Ready, bow, Go, and Jasmin saw Dante not really bow and more nod at the Rachel and Daniel. "I hate this guy" Jasmin whispers and Lena hold her hand comforting her. "Hopefully he gets his ass beaten!" she replies and the Duel starts.

Rachel and Daniel stare at their opponents, the dynamic duo of Bella and Dante, both looking like they were born to battle. Bella's jet-black hair flowed down her back as she scanned the area, her piercing grey eyes focused on Rachel and Daniel. Dante, with his sharp features and piercing brown eyes, exuded an air of confidence that made him appear almost untouchable.

The duel started with a burst of spells, the air filled with colourful sparks and loud bangs as the two teams fought fiercely. Bella and Dante proved to be a formidable team, working seamlessly together and never leaving an opening for Rachel and Daniel to take advantage of. Spells flew back and forth at a dizzying pace, with neither side gaining a clear advantage.

But then Dante's demeanor changed. He seemed to have lost his cool, and with a cold determination in his eyes, he began casting spells with increasing force and intensity. The spells he cast were dark and dangerous, meant to harm rather than disarm.

Rachel and Daniel, sensing the danger, changed their approach. They stopped trying to fight Dante and Bella head-on and instead began using defensive spells to protect themselves from Dante's onslaught. Bella, seeing this, took the opportunity to attack, casting spells meant to trap and incapacitate.

The battlefield was filled with chaos as the four wizards hurled spells back and forth, each one more powerful than the last. Dante, in particular, was relentless in his attacks, his eyes blazing with an intense fire.

In the end, it was Rachel and Daniel's quick thinking and superior strategy that won them the day. With Bella subdued by Daniel's clever use of a binding spell, Dante was forced to fight alone. Rachel and Daniel were able to hold their own against him, using their combined strength and skill to whittle down his defenses slowly but surely.

Finally, after what seemed like an hour of intense fighting, Dante fell to the ground, defeated. Rachel and Daniel stood victorious, panting and sweating but elated at their hard-won victory. The spectators cheered as Professor Ravenwood declared them the winners, but Rachel and Daniel could hardly hear them. They were too busy catching their breath and basking in the glory of their hard-fought victory.

"Who had ever any doubts?" Professor Ravenwood's voice slowly fills the area again. "Three consecutive victories in a row for Daniel Ryder and Rachel Meaddow, perhaps the most talented duelling team at Castlehaven." He says proudly and everyone applauds before he dismisses the Duelling competition for the day, saying again that the 7th Year Final will be after the holidays.

Lena and Jasmin went back to the castle after congratulating Daniel and Rachel, as they used Lena's secret passageway again to quickly get back to their common room and dormitory. As they reached the dormitory Jasmin started to mumble about Dante, how powerful he looked and how they faced him cluelessly that one day. She almost started shaking and Lena had to comfort her, telling her that they used to be clueless, and could now properly defend themselves.

"Are you sure Lena?" Jasmin asks her and looks Lena in the eyes as Lena leads them to her bed where they sit on.

"I don't think his spells where allowed and Rachel and Daniel had to react quickly. Besides, I think if we keep practising with the books we got, she points at the Spells and how to form them as well as on the Book of Arcane convergence. We could even beat him and fully explore freely without worrying about him." She says and Jasmin rest her head comforting on Lena's shoulder.

"You're right, we can't rest on this victory. We have to keep practising." Jasmin says and Lena nods.

"Any plans for the holidays?" She asks Jasmin as they lay backwards into the bed and discuss their plans for the holidays until night fully sets in and only the Moonshine illuminates their cosy room and they closed their eyes and fell asleep.