Geoffrey and others looked at Principal Sophia with eyes full of hope and anxiety.
"Principal, what should we do next?"
Alastair was dead, meaning the entire magic array had lost its power source.
What awaited them next was the task of breaking the magic array completely.
However, their energies alone were not sufficient to break the entire array.
Thus, the only one who could shatter this barrier was Principal Sophia alone.
Those who had been quite dissatisfied with Principal Sophia were now pinning their hopes on her.
The children were just one step away from safety, and nothing could go wrong now.
Principal Sophia wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and slowly stood up.
Her petite figure seemed especially towering at this moment.
"Attack the focal point of the formation with all your might!"
"Yes!"
Everyone stood to the side, exerting their utmost strength to attack the magic array.
They knew that the more power they used, the greater the children's chances of escaping safely.
This was the only way they could ensure the children's safe return.
They all hoped to bring the children home.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Despite the tremendous power of their abilities, when they struck the magic array, it seemed as if their energy was completely absorbed.
There was no leakage of energy, and there were no excessive fluctuations in power throughout the process.
Anxiety began to grow in everyone's hearts.
What was happening? Was their power still not enough?
Some clenched their teeth, using every last bit of their energy to unleash their skills.
During this critical moment, Principal Sophia was far from idle; she knelt on the ground, using all her mind power to connect with the secret realm.
Being the former master of the secret realm, she understood exactly what it was enduring.
Therefore, to break the magic array, she needed to coordinate efforts from both inside and out.
Soon, the glow around the magic array flickered continuously, as if a barrier was being shattered.
The people around her felt a surge of hope and released their skills even more rapidly.
It was working!
Principal Sophia had not misled them.
Just a bit more effort, and they might be able to rescue the children!
Everyone gave their all, attacking the magic array with renewed vigor.
If such an event were to happen again, they might not be so lucky to come back alive.
Don't wait until you've lost something to realize its value.
Some parents were crying out in agony, their children having perished in this unforeseen tragedy.
"Give me back my son!"
"Star Cluster Academy and Dusk Sect colluded and caused my son's death; you must give me an explanation!"
"Why did everyone else come out safely? Why did my son have to die inside?"
"If my son can't live, then you all must die, all of you must die!"
While some parents were deeply grieved, they recognized the incident as an accident and managed to somewhat control their emotions.
However, others were beyond consolation.
All they knew was that they had lost their children, and they could not stand seeing others happily reunited with their families.
Some even lashed out, throwing several spells into the crowd, causing injuries.
Geoffrey quickly responded, immediately arranging for security to restrain those who were out of control.
The children had barely made it out; if they were to die not in the secret realm but at the hands of these people outside, that would truly be senseless.
Isabella noticed that her companions had all been taken away by the white light.
She felt a slight relief in her heart, at least now it was proven they could still get out.
But the situation with John seemed somewhat different.
John's body was incredibly heavy, so heavy it didn't seem human at all.
It was as if he were a massive boulder, one that they simply could not move.
Lavinia, too, was anxiously watching John, about to say something, but in the next second, she was enveloped in white light and completely disappeared within the secret realm.
Isabella's eyes held a trace of worry as she looked at John still lying on the ground, his eyelashes and eyebrows turned snow white.
The next moment, he too was completely enveloped by the white light and vanished from this world.
One by one, people inside the secret realm disappeared.
Those outside, after carefully checking, realized that everyone had come out except for John!
Leopold and the others were horrified.
"Why hasn't John come out? What exactly is happening?" they demanded.
"Principal Sophia, why hasn't John come out yet?"
"Where exactly has John gone?"
Several people gathered around Principal Sophia, eager to find out what was happening.
Why had everyone else come out, but John was still left in that part of the secret realm?
Could it be... John couldn't come out?
Benedict also looked anxiously at Principal Sophia, awaiting a response.
After all... this was the child Victor had asked him to keep a special eye on.