(Opening Scene: Headmaster Theron and Xander stand by Astrid and Zane's bedsides in the infirmary, concern etched on their faces. Zane has just asked about the aftermath of their power release.)
Headmaster Theron sighed, running a hand through his silvering hair. "After you both… released that surge of energy, you immediately lost consciousness. The wave itself… it was significant. Every magical ward in the academy flared, absorbing the excess. There were reports of a synchronized pulse felt by everyone within the grounds, a strange resonance."
Xander stepped forward, his gaze thoughtful. "The draining of the storm curse from you, Astrid, was… remarkable. The readings we took afterward confirm a significant reduction in its influence. The purple gem in the Black Crown seems to have stabilized, glowing with a steady light."
Zane frowned. "The Black Crown… it appeared on its own. And Eclipse… his eyes…"
Headmaster Theron nodded grimly. "We observed it all. The crown's manifestation, Eclipse's altered state. We have never witnessed anything quite like it. Eclipse has remained in that… altered state since you both collapsed. He is currently under careful observation by the academy's best creature handlers, though they admit they are at a loss to explain the change."
Xander added, "The energy signature emanating from the crown is unlike anything I've ever encountered. It feels… ancient, powerful, and strangely linked to the void magic, yet different."
Astrid squeezed Zane's hand. "And the voice… in your mind? You felt it too, didn't you?"
Zane nodded, a shiver running down his spine despite the warmth of the infirmary. "It wasn't Eclipse. It was… cold, commanding. It told me to hold you, that the 'joining was necessary,' that 'the balance shifts.'"
Headmaster Theron's expression grew even more serious. "We overheard you both speaking of it. This… voice… and the changes in Eclipse and the crown are deeply concerning. It suggests a level of influence we do not understand."