Crouched on the floor beside Rachel was Teekl, the Wizard Boy's orange cat. Its green eyes flickered with curiosity as it studied her weakened form. The cat lifted a paw, hesitated, then drew it back, uncertain.
"Hey, kitty… how did you get in here?" Rachel whispered.
She tried to shift her body, but the magical restraints held her firmly in place. Frustration flickered across her face before she steadied herself, focusing on the only chance she had.
"Come here," she said softly, her voice coaxing.
Teekl tilted its head, then let out a quiet meow and padded toward her.
"That's it… come on," Rachel murmured, carefully working her fingers against the loosened bindings around her wrists. "You're okay. I won't hurt you."
The cat stepped closer, brushing past one of the lit candles that anchored the spell. Its paw struck the base.
The candle tipped.
With a dull thud, it hit the floor and went out.
At once, the magical circle flickered, its strength weakening.
Rachel reacted instantly. She forced her right hand free just enough to trace a symbol in the air. Under her breath, she began a rapid incantation. Purple energy surged upward, breaking through the dim space like a flare.
Elsewhere in Gotham, inside Madame Xanadu's residence, the atmosphere shifted violently.
Madame Xanadu stood over her crystal ball, channeling magic as she searched for answers. Batman and Constantine remained close, watching her carefully.
Without warning, the air tore open.
A jagged rift split the space before them, spilling out a dense, menacing mist. A violent wind erupted, shaking the room and forcing both men to brace themselves.
From within the rift, something emerged.
A massive, distorted face pushed through, its gaping mouth lined with unnaturally uniform teeth. It lunged forward and seized Madame Xanadu mid-incantation.
Her scream cut through the chaos.
Constantine's expression snapped from focus to alarm. "Bloody hell!"
Batman stepped forward, unable to see the entity clearly. "What is that?"
"Something's got her!" Constantine shouted over the roaring wind.
The pressure in the room intensified, thick and suffocating. Even breathing felt difficult.
Constantine forced his way forward and grabbed Madame Xanadu, pressing her down as her body convulsed. Her eyes glowed with a pale, unnatural light.
"Let her go!" he roared into the void.
She gasped in pain, barely able to form words.
"Tell me what you saw," Constantine demanded. "Now, before it takes you!"
Her voice trembled, but clarity returned for a brief moment.
"The Green will flourish… Hellfire will burn," she said, her tone strained.
"One Deadman will fall… one will rise."
"Souls will be lost… traitors will stand tall."
"The mentor is cast out… Joker returns."
The light in her eyes vanished instantly.
The rift collapsed. The wind died. Silence fell.
Her body went limp, collapsing into Constantine's arms.
Batman narrowed his eyes, processing the prophecy.
"The Green," he repeated quietly. He recalled Zatanna mentioning it, a force tied to nature itself, connected to the being known as Swamp Thing. A creature of immense power, capable of controlling plant life, reshaping his form, and transcending death itself.
Then there was Deadman, Boston Brand. A restless spirit caught between life and death, able to possess the living. The phrase echoed in his mind.
One falls, one rises.
And then the final warning.
"Joker returns."
Batman's expression darkened. That was impossible. Joker was dead.
Constantine steadied Madame Xanadu, his voice softer now. "You're safe."
Suddenly, her eyes snapped open. She clutched his coat tightly.
"You can't win," she said, her voice trembling with urgency. "You will die."
Constantine raised a hand gently. "Easy. You're alright."
He glanced at Batman. "Go make some tea. Chamomile."
Batman hesitated. "What did she mean?"
"It could mean anything," Constantine replied. "Tea helps."
After a moment, Batman turned away.
As he walked, a single Tarot card lay on the floor behind him.
The Fool.
Later, after finishing the tea, Madame Xanadu appeared steadier, though the fear lingered in her pale features. She remained quiet, withdrawn.
Constantine was about to speak when his phone buzzed. A message from the Wizard Boy.
He rose immediately. "I need to go."
Leaving Batman behind, he made his way to the location indicated.
When Constantine arrived, the Wizard Boy was already there, crouched near Rachel's motionless body. Teekl sat beside him, watching intently.
"She's gone?" Constantine asked.
The Wizard Boy nodded. "Her soul left. She's no longer here."
Rachel's body remained, but her essence had slipped free.
Earlier, Teekl knocking over the candle had weakened the spell. Rachel seized the opportunity, using instinctive magic to separate her soul from her body.
Constantine studied her still form. "We keep the body contained. But we move it. This place isn't secure anymore. Homelander could find it."
"And her soul?" the Wizard Boy asked.
"It will find him," Constantine replied.
The Wizard Boy frowned. "You're gambling."
Constantine gave a thin smile. "Without bait, there's no trap."
He lifted Rachel carefully. She felt weightless, like holding something fragile and hollow.
"I'm surprised Batman agreed to this," the Wizard Boy said.
Constantine laughed under his breath. "He didn't. If he knew, we'd be the ones on the ground."
He shook his head. "And if Zatanna found out, she'd kill us both."
The Wizard Boy swallowed, uneasy. "Then why trust me?"
"You control Deadman," Constantine said simply. "You're already playing with things most people avoid."
The Wizard Boy sighed, stroking Teekl's fur. "I'm still a good person."
Constantine smirked. "No such thing among wizards."
High above, Adrian searched relentlessly.
He moved through the sky with precision, scanning the world below with enhanced vision and hearing. Every sound, every movement, every flicker of energy was examined.
Sinestro had already been dispatched to hunt down rogue mages. Clark assisted nearby, his expression tense with concern.
Wonder Woman remained close, her gaze shifting toward the spectral figure accompanying them.
"I don't trust you," she said bluntly.
The Ghost appeared behind her, his form shifting to a more human shape.
"You doubt me," he said.
"Yes," she replied. "And I will continue to watch you. You will not harm Adrian."
The Ghost turned his gaze toward Adrian.
"He has done something extraordinary," he said quietly. "He forced peace upon the world."
Wonder Woman considered his words. "Peace through power is fragile. People resist it. They always do."
"Yet they do not act," the Ghost replied. "They fear him."
"Because they know they are being watched," she said.
The Ghost nodded slowly. "I will stand with him. I will not allow anyone to undo what he has built."
His expression suddenly shifted.
He looked into the distance, his body growing tense.
"Something is coming."
Wonder Woman immediately noticed. "What is it?"
"I don't know," he said. "But it is dangerous."
He turned toward Adrian and Clark.
"Stay back," he instructed. "Do not engage."
His eyes locked onto Adrian. "Stand behind me."
Adrian felt it too, a presence moving toward them with undeniable force. It was unfamiliar, but he did not show fear.
He exchanged a brief glance with Clark, then moved into position behind the Ghost, ready for whatever approached.