Edward POV

My eyes shot open and I scanned the room to find a few blurry figures standing before me. I blinked repetitively until my vision finally cleared. It felt odd, looking through my own eyes again after being trapped in my own mind for so long. I quickly noticed I was bound to a chair with a thick circle of salt surrounding me. I tried to budge but my restraints seemed to get tighter with each movement.

I looked back up to find a dark haired boy with green eyes standing directly in front of me, body tense and ready to attack. His clenched fist and anger brewing in his eyes, I was able to place him easily as Zion, my daughter's mate. I looked around slowly, taking everyone in. Tom. Star. Joel. Jeremy. They were exactly as she had described them. There was one woman, however, I did not recognize.

"Edward?" the older lady with blue eyes asked me, cautiously.

"Yes. Who am I speaking to?"

With a sigh of relief, she stepped forward, breaking the barrier of salt with a swift kick.

"Zion, untie him," she ordered, glancing at Zion.

"What did you do to Saron?!" he roared, grabbing me by the collar and lifting me up in the air with the chair still attached to me.

"ZION, THAT'S ENOUGH!" reprimanded the woman.

He reluctantly released me as I sucked in large gulps of air that was withheld from me by his crushing grip.

"I am the Headmaster. You may call me Snow. I must say, I never thought your daughter could do it. I was wrong to doubt her. It's a pleasure."

Nodding in understanding, I gestured towards the chains that was cutting into my skin.

"Of course," she replied, waving her hand as she murmured a spell.

The chains broke, falling to the ground with a clash. I slowly stood, shaking as I got reaccustomed to my body. Feeling sets of eyes boring into me from every direction, I looked up to see everyone's face looking up at me, the same question on the tip of their lips neither of them dared give breath to.

"Is she-" Tom asked, tears in his eyes as his voice broke, unable to finish the sentence. I eyed him curiously before turning back to Zion, finding his eyes staring back at me burning with rage.

I glanced over to find Saron at the edge of the room, body lifeless. She laid there staring blankly at the ceiling, her head rested in Star's lap as she stroked her hair tenderly. I clenched my teeth at the sight, tearing my eyes away to look away.

"I'm not sure," I said coolly, unwilling to show a fraction of emotion as my mind began churning with ideas.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE NOT SURE?!" screamed Zion, eyes blood red as he began trembling with anger.

"What happened?" asked Joel, forehead creasing with worry lines.

"The dark magic took on a bodily form in my mind. She was fighting the dark magic but I wasn't aware of her arrival until the end of the battle. I was hiding in a cave from the dark magic. It was searching for me, trying to kill me. I promised Saron I'd hold on. I felt the ground shaking and tried to get to the heart of it. Everything was crumbling around me. I heard her screaming and I tried to call out to her but she was in some sort of hallucination. She combined her powers to defeat the dark magic. It was an immense amount of power, like nothing I had ever seen before. It destroyed everything in sight. The last thing I remember seeing is her falling from the sky. I tried to catch her but she was too far away."

"You bastard," Zion yelled, a tear trickling down his face as he surged towards me, throwing me against the wall.

I sat there for a few seconds, wedged into the cracked wall as I stared at him, sympathetically. I understood how he felt and that understanding was the only thing stopping me from attacking him. Losing one's mate is a pain beyond all other, one I had already experienced previously. Tears stung my eyes at the thought of losing my daughter. I blinked them away quickly, unable to accept it. I stood up, dusting myself off as I straightened up. I was not going to lose my daughter again.

"Zion," Jeremy said, putting a hand on Zion's shoulder in comfort.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO," he roared, shaking his hand off as he launched himself into the air, transforming into to his wolf form before crashing down onto the ground, teeth baring. He dug his claws into the ground before pouncing towards me, howling loudly. I stepped out of his way effortlessly, which angered him further as his howling grew louder.

"Arefer sentamos," Snow chanted, pointing her hands towards Zion, who froze where he was shifting back into his human form.

"Zion, I won't tell you again. Control yourself. We still haven't figured out what happened to her and we're wasting time," she said to Zion as he glared back at her in contempt.

"But, she's not breathing," Star said sniffling, her eyes bloodshot and face wet with tears.

"That may not mean she's dead. This is more complicated than a normal battle. She may be trapped in her own mind," Snow answered, hopefully.

"If she's trapped in her own mind, how will we get her out?" Tom questioned.

With an exasperated sigh, she replied, "I'm not sure. This is unheard of. Children, please return to your Wings. I will do all I can to figure out how to get her back. Right now, I need a moment with Edward."

"There's no way I'm going anywhere without my mate," Zion replied.

"Zion, you will leave or I will have you forcibly removed. There is nothing you can do for her at this point. You can check back in tomorrow once we figure out what has happened. Go." She looked at him sternly, letting him know it wasn't an option.

He turned on his heel and stormed out, quickly followed by the other boys. Star lingered, unwilling to let go of Saron who was still lying in her lap.

"I won't let anything happen to my daughter," I assured her, maintaining eye contact with her to dispel any worries.

She nodded before gently lying her down on the ground and walking out.

With a hand wave, Snow slammed the door shut, leaving us alone at last.

"We have much to discuss," she told me, her eyes narrowing in worry.

"Do you believe she's dead?" I asked her, noticing her hesitation.

"No, I do not. Are you sure she defeated the dark magic?"

"Yes. I watched the darkness disappear right before she crashed."

With a nod, she walked towards Saron, squatting down to brush her thick curls from her face.

I flitted over, lifting her up into my arms.

"We need to get her to the Infirmary. They'll find out what happened to her and if she's alive."

"But you have ideas?" I asked, noticing her holding back.

"I do. But you're not going to like them," she said, snapping her fingers as we traveled through space, landing at the Infirmary.

All the nurses stopped what they were doing immediately, rushing over. A few students who were nearby whispered, recognizing Saron immediately.

"That's the hybrid freak," I heard a young boy hiss.

I turned my head towards him, to his surprise as I glared menacingly, baring my fangs. He shivered in fear as I smiled back, following Snow as she barked orders to doctors, witches, seers, warlocks, and all other supernatural creatures who could be of assistance. We walked into a large, white room with a hospital bed in the middle surrounded by potions, magical objects, spells, etc.

"I need you to do whatever it takes to save her. I want to be alerted the moment you discover something," she ordered before walking out. The team of supernaturals flocked around Saron immediately, getting to work as I followed the Headmaster out.

"My office isn't too far from here. We can speak in private once we arrive there."

I matched her stride for stride as I peered over at her to see her eyebrows furrowed, deep in thought.

"How long have you known she was Arogen?" I asked, curiously.

"The first day she arrived."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

"And you allowed her to stay at the Academy?"

Smirking, she replied, "Not all of us fear power like the Five. I saw myself in her. A little girl all alone. Confused. Helpless. Her heart is pure. I saw it when I first met her. She'd much rather sacrifice herself than hurt anyone. But, I guess you already know that."

Wincing, I grimaced at her remark. I never wanted her to sacrifice herself for me. That was my job as her father.

"We've arrived," she announced, tearing me away from my thoughts. I quickly dashed forward, swinging open the door for her before quickly following behind.

She walked towards her desk, reaching behind it before quickly lighting a candle.

"Ahhh privacy candle," I recognized, smiling. My heart tightened in my chest at the memory of Saron's mother. She used to always light a candle to protect us from prying ears.

Realizing I was lost in a memory, she cleared her throat to redirect my attention.

"Yes. So what were the ideas you spoke of?"

"Battles that occur in the mind are dangerous. Even if they survive, they could be stuck within their own mind for the rest of their supernatural life. Saron, however, is different. She's more powerful than any other supernatural. If she does wake, there's a chance she may not be the same Saron she was."

"What do you mean?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows in confusion.

"Battling dark magic comes at a cost. It takes a toll on her mind and tampers with her magic. It doesn't always happen but, it's always a risk. If she loses control of her magic, we all will pay the price. We won't be able to assess the true damage until she awakes. If she awakes."

"She will," I replied, confidently.

"I hope she does. However, she's not the only threat we face."

I cocked my eyes as I neared Snow, silently pressing for her to continue.

"Liam escaped and as you know, he's the most dangerous of the Five. We had thought we were rid of the threat, with the Five broken. We were wrong."

"What could Liam possibly be capable of on his own?"

"It's just a rumor but it may hold some truth."

"What's the rumor?"

"Liam was very paranoid. He knew a day would come when the Five would be broken. Sengal confessed in custody that he had performed a retraction spell."

My eyes widened in realization.

Nodding, she replied, warily, "If he found a way to get ahold of the dark magic that was in your mind, we are in grave danger."

"I watched the dark magic fade to nothing. Is it even possible?"

"It's a slim possibility but we need to be prepared for him to attack."