Struck by the black shockwave, King Sam II instantly lost his confidant and collapsed to the ground. Witnessing this scene, both Will and Jin were left stupefied. They could hardly believe that King Sam II had been brought down in such a manner.
"It seems you are more ruthless than us, Harkin," Cole sneered as he turned to face Harkin.
The man responsible for bringing down the king, Harkin, froze in place. As the magic advisor to the United Nations and the magical instructor to King Sam II, his foremost duty was to protect the king. Yet now, the king's fate hung in the balance because of his failure.
"Why... why must you do this?" Master Harkin's voice trembled with sorrow and anger.
"What? What have we done? It was you who killed the king!" Cole mocked from beside the fallen king.
"You, the so-called Shadow Council, what are your true intentions?" Master Harkin demanded. His voice now carried an unmistakable tone of fury.
"You need not concern yourself with that," Cole retorted, waving his sword. "Since the king is dead, you too shall join him." Slowly, he advanced toward Harkin, with the injured Arno, Merlin, and Marcus following suit.
"Harkin, you have no way out. Accept your fate!" Cole declared, raising his sword and charging at Harkin.
"Harkin Master!" Will and Jin cried out in unison.
"I will not forgive you!" Suddenly, Harkin raised his gaze to meet Cole's. The intensity of his stare seemed capable of ensnaring souls, leaving even the once snarling Cole momentarily stunned.
"Time Stasis!" Master Harkin roared in fury.
"What? Not again!" Will shouted in astonishment.
In the blink of an eye, everyone in the room froze, save for Harkin and Cole.
"Futile. In this state, you cannot cast any spells. Without magic, Harkin, do you think you can defeat me?" Cole taunted as he raised his sword and lunged at Harkin. In response, Harkin, with no one left to protect, surged toward Cole.
"You seek death!" Cole sneered as he observed Harkin charging toward him.
"Ah!" Master Harkin growled, his fist raised as he ran toward Cole.
"Harkin Master intends to fight with his fists? Can he really do it?" Jin shouted in disbelief.
Cole quickly raised his sword and thrust it toward Harkin's chest.
"Harkin Master!" Will and Jin cried out, seeing Cole's sword strike true.
"Harkin, you've lost." After the exchange of blows, Cole stepped back, smirking triumphantly. Harkin's face contorted with pain as he gasped for breath, clutching his side where blood flowed freely. Had he not dodged Cole's lethal attack just in time, the wound would have been far worse.
"Hmph, you think too highly of yourself." Master Harkin, still clutching his wound, slowly walked toward the lifeless form of King Sam II. Kneeling beside him, he placed a hand on the king's body.
"What? So all this time you wanted to get closer to him!" Cole exclaimed in sudden realization. He then raised his sword and rushed toward Harkin.
"It seems you have failed, Cole." A confident smile spread across Harkin's face. A blinding white light suddenly emanated from him and King Sam II, and in an instant, they vanished.
"No!" Cole shouted in frustration, realizing he was a moment too late.
"They seem to be safe now," Will sighed in relief.
Suddenly, the world around Will and Jin began to twist and warp. The images before them began to contort into a swirling mass, and it felt as though they were falling into an endless vortex, spinning uncontrollably.
"Where are we going now?" Will shouted as they spiraled through the vortex.
"I don't know!" Jin shouted back.
A burst of white light enveloped them, and they found themselves in a different place. They appeared to be in a dark cave, with only faint glimmers of light deep within.
"Roar!" A loud, beastly roar echoed through the cave.
"What's making that noise?" Will asked, his eyes scanning the surroundings.
"Maybe it's a beast in the cave. Will, let's move forward and check it out. There seems to be someone near the fire," Jin pointed toward the faint light in the distance.
"Alright!" Will agreed without hesitation, rising swiftly and following Jin toward the cave's depths.
"Roar!" Another mighty roar filled the air.
"Is this just a regular beast? This entire cave feels like it's shaking," Will said with concern.
"Don't worry, we're not in this world. Nothing here can harm us," Jin reassured him.
They slowly approached the source of the light, where two torches stood, casting the only illumination in the cave. There, standing with his back to them, was a man.
"Great Source of Magic, Creator of Sorcerers, Dragon of Magic, Katya. I will take good care of your last descendant. She will grow up in an ordinary family, and no one will ever suspect her true nature," the man spoke, as though to no one in particular.
"Is this man crazy? It sounds like he's talking to himself," Will remarked, confused.
"No, Will, look! Over there!" Jin pointed toward a large black hole in the cave, a place where even the firelight couldn't reach.
"Roar!" Another terrifying roar reverberated through the cave. From the black hole, two massive claws extended, resembling the talons of an eagle covered in blue scales.
Will and Jin both gasped in shock, unsure of what would happen next, and whether this man before them was in danger.
Suddenly, the head of a massive dragon emerged from the darkness, its blue scales glistening. Its yellow eyes shone brightly in the dim cave. The dragon slowly approached the man, as though it recognized him.
The dragon opened its enormous mouth, large enough to swallow the man whole without trouble. Yet, it did not attack.
"What's it doing? Does it intend to eat him?" Will asked, his curiosity piqued.
"No, there's something in the dragon's mouth," Jin observed.
Indeed, as Jin had noted, the dragon's mouth contained something. Slowly, the man reached out, unafraid, and carefully pulled the object from the dragon's mouth. At that moment, a sharp, piercing cry of a baby echoed through the cave.
"Dragon of Magic Katya, I will take good care of her. I've named her Lisa, and I'll make sure no one ever discovers her secret," the man spoke, addressing the dragon.
"What?" Both Will and Jin were stunned.
The dragon seemed to understand, retracting its claws and head back into the black hole. The man nodded at the dragon before turning to leave, holding the infant Lisa in his arms. As he approached Will and Jin, they saw his face clearly. His appearance had not changed much, though his hair was shorter. He was none other than Master Harkin, Lisa's current teacher.