MUSA AND RIVEN
Musa packed the last of their supplies—food, water, and a few enchanted items Damon had left behind.
When she turned to find Riven, he was crouched near the corner of the room, surrounded by a mess of wires, crystal shards, and bits of ancient metal. His blade-boomerang—his Spiral—lay across his lap.
"Riven?" she called. "Let's go."
"Yeah, just a sec," he muttered, eyes glued to what looked like a pile of junk.
Musa frowned. "What are you doing? We don't exactly have time to start a collection."
Riven looked up with that familiar half-smile. "Actually, I think I might've figured out a way to let the others back at the palace know where we are."
Her eyes widened. "Wait—seriously? How?"
He gestured at the pile. "Using this."
Musa crossed her arms. "Explain."
Riven chuckled and held up his Spiral. "This is more than just a weapon. It's linked to the palace through Eraklyon's communication grid— magic resonance, all that high-tech stuff that I never thought would be useful,until now."
"So…?"
"So," he continued, lifting a piece of crystal, "if I can rewire the Spiral's beacon and amplify it with these old magical components, it should send a signal strong enough to reach Eraklyon's scanners. Basically, a magical SOS."
Musa's face lit up. "That's amazing, Riven!"
Then she paused, frowning thoughtfully. "Wait… what if they get the signal, come here, and we've already left?"
Riven shrugged. "Atleast they'll know that we're alive.And If they can track us here once, they can track us anywhere,"he added to try convincing himself as well as her.
"Yeah… you're right.We just can't let the Trix reach the temple first," Musa said, sighing.
"Exactly." His tone was firm, but his expression was tense.
"This shouldn't take long," he added, gathering tools. "Maybe an hour."
"Then let me help," Musa said, dropping her bag beside him. "It'll go faster."
He looked up at her, doubtful. "No offense, Musa, but do you have any idea how to do this?"
She rolled her eyes. "No. But I'm great at following instructions. So tell me what to do."
He snorted. "You? Good at following instructions? That's funny."
Musa put her hands on her hips. "You're one to talk, Mr. 'No one tells me what to do.'"
He raised a brow but smirked. "Touché."
A moment later, he handed her a small crystal shard. "Alright, assistant—hold this. Steady."
Musa grinned. "See? Teamwork."
Despite the teasing, they worked in sync—her steady hands holding pieces in place while he soldered magical circuits and rerouted energy through the Spiral. Their rhythm came easily, their feeling for each other resurfacing between silences and sideways glances.
Half an hour later, Riven leaned back, wiping his brow. "Okay. This is it."
Musa eyed the strange, glowing contraption. "Really? That's what's supposed to send our SOS?"
"Not with that attitude, it's not," he teased.
"I'm just saying—it looks like it's about to fall apart."
He grinned. "I believe in it. Let's see if it works."
Riven flicked a switch and twisted a small dial. The device hummed to life, faint light pulsing through the crystal and into his Spiral. The air around them shimmered faintly, a low whirring sound echoing through the cave.
"It's working," Riven said, a grin spreading across his face.
"I can't believe it," Musa breathed but then - the device started to spark violently.
"Whoa!" she gasped, jumping back as smoke curled from the wires. Riven quickly set it down.
The vibrations and humming stopped.For a moment,all was quiet, only the hiss of cooling metal filling silence.
Riven cursed and slammed his hand against the desk. "I thought that would work!"
Musa stepped closer, laying a hand on his shoulder. "We don't know that it didn't. Maybe the signal went through before it shorted out."
He let out a slow breath. "Yeah… maybe. Though the odds are slim."
She smiled softly. "Slim is all we need."
Riven looked up at her, the frustration in his eyes melting into something gentler. "You're right.There's still hope."
"Exactly," Musa said, picking up her bag. "Now can we get out of here? The longer we stay, the creepier this place gets."
"Yeah," he said, standing.
"Shall we?"
Riven nodded, slinging his weapon across his back. Together, they walked toward the cave's exit, their footsteps echoing faintly behind them.
But just before stepping out into the morning light, Riven sent one last hopeful glance back at the half-broken device.
******
ERAKLYON
The palace was quiet. Too quiet.
In the royal chamber, the air smelled faintly of healing herbs and candle wax. Sky lay motionless on the bed, his skin pale against the golden sheets. Beside him, Bloom sat holding his hand, her thumb brushing over his knuckles. The steady rhythm of his breathing was the only thing keeping her together.
"Is he better now, Nabu?" she asked softly.
The wizard's expression was grim but gentle. "He made it through the night. That's a good sign. But…" He hesitated. "He's not out of danger yet. I'm sorry."
Bloom swallowed hard and nodded, blinking back tears.
Next to her, Sky's mother finally letting out a choked sob, her composure breaking. Bloom instinctively reached out and embraced her.
"I've already lost his father," the former queen whispered brokenly. "I can't lose Sky too."
Bloom tightened her hold. "He is going to be fine,"she said firmly though her voice trembled."You oknow how strong Sky is."
The older woman pulled back slightly, studying Bloom through tear-filled eyes. "You were supposed to be on your honeymoon in Solaria, Bloom. How can you be so brave right now? Aren't you scared?"
Bloom's gaze fell on Sky's face—so still, so quiet. "Of course I'm scared," she whispered. "But Im choosing not to give up hope."
Sky's mother gave a faint, uncertain nod. Then her expression turned fierce.
"This is happening because of that so called nephew of mine."
The woman turned to her daughter in law.
"Promise me, Bloom," she said, voice shaking. "Promise you'll find that fiend—Damon—and make him pay for what he did to my son."
At the sound of Damon's name, Bloom's entire body tensed. Her hands balled into fists of fury. Rage rose through her like fire through oil.
"I promise," she said darkly. "He's going to suffer for what he's done."
Bloom left the room reluctantly, glancing back one last time before closing the door behind her. She didnt want to leave Sky.But the echo of her promise to Sky's mom and herself burned in her chest.
But how was she supposed to make good on it? They still hadn't located Damon… or Riven and Musa, for that matter.
Her communicator buzzed.
It was Aisha.
"Hey—it's me," Aisha said quickly. "Are you okay?" A pause. "Dont answer that.That's a stupid question. Just tell me how Sky is?"
"Stable," Bloom answered quietly. "But not out of the woods. Please tell me you have news."
"Actually, yeah," Aisha said. "Timmy and Tecna found something. You should come here. We'll explain everything."
Minutes later, Bloom entered the tech room, still wearing her torn, ash-streaked wedding dress. The rest of the Winx and the Specialists were already gathered around a holo-table.
They all turned to her at the same time,expressing their concern.
"Im grateful for everything guys but I just want Damon.Let's just focus on that."
"Yeah,sure,"Helia says.
"What did you find?" she asked without preamble.
"A signal," Timmy said, his fingers flying across the console. "It came from Riven's weapon—his Spiral. We only got it for a few seconds before it vanished."
Bloom's heart leapt. "Then they're alive."
"That's what we think," Timmy said.
Tecna projected the faint data trace above the table. "The signal is weak, but it's was enough to find a location. The signal originated somewhere in the northern region—not far from here."
"But,again,the signal was brief. We couldn't lock down an exact position."
Brandon straightened. "If Riven's sending signals, he and Musa must be on the move—and if they are, Damon must not be too far behind."
"Then we need to move fast," Bloom said firmly. "Gather your gear."
"Whoa, Bloom," Stella interjected. "Are you sure you should come?"
"Yeah," Flora added softly. "Maybe you should stay with Sky."
For a moment, Bloom hesitated. Their words cut deep, echoing her own fears. Her gaze drifted toward the direction of Sky's room. Then she remembered his mother's tearful plea—and her own vow.
"Catching Damon and finding Musa and Riven is important," she said, her voice steady now. "Sky would understand."
The determination in her eyes silenced the room.
Everyone exchanged uneasy glances, but no one argued.
Brandon nodded. "Then it's settled. We'll board the jet within the hour."
Bloom managed a faint smile. "I'm going to change out of this." She glanced down at her wedding gown—once white, now streaked with dirt and grief.
She ignored the pitiful glances from all the others.
Her blue eyes flashed red in rage and anticipation,as Bloom turned to leave.
She was going to make Damon wished he'd never even breathed in Sly's direction.