Lola Sabel moved to stand beside Miguel's grandfather and Master Kael, her face calm despite the chaos around her. "We cannot win this fight," she said quietly. "But we can buy the boy time."
"Elder, no—" Amihan started, but Lola Sabel placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Take the younger villagers and run," she commanded. "Find safety in the southern mountains. Miguel is our only hope—he must survive."
Amihan shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "I won't leave you."
"Then help us create an opening," Master Kael said, his eyes scanning the battlefield. "The leader is focusing all his power on absorbing energy—we can use that against him."
Lola Sabel raised her staff high, and all the remaining Babaylan gathered around her, their hands joined. "We will unite our cultivation," she declared. "One final act of balance—to give Miguel the strength to escape."
Their combined energy blazed into a pillar of light so bright it forced the evil cultivators back. Miguel felt the power wash over him, making his nodes hum with intensity.
"Now, Miguel!" his grandfather roared, striking the ground with his fist to create a crater. "Run for the cliff path! Don't look back!"
Miguel stumbled backward, his eyes fixed on the circle of his teachers and friends as the evil leader charged them, his form growing larger and more twisted with each moment.