The Bit Bucket

A Transgender Paranormal Romantasy

From the Paranormal Visitor Universe

Chapter 16: Morgana's Forces

By Sasha Zarya Nexus

Can Meda meet the spirit magic challenges set before her in that phase of the Aislinn's cup competition at Aislinn's College for the Blessed? How will uncovering that Meda is actually the reincarnation of Andromeda through the spirits magic challenge endanger Aislinns College as Morgana's forces attack?

Copyright 2025 by Sasha Zarya Nexus.
All Rights Reserved.

The protective barriers surrounding Aislinn's College had been flickering for days, but this morning brought something far more ominous. Meda woke to the sound of crystalline walls humming with strain, their usual melodic resonance replaced by discordant notes that spoke of immense pressure building beyond the college's reality bubble​.

The Spirits Magic Competition
The Great Hall had been transformed into a mystical amphitheater for the most anticipated event of the year—the Spirits Magic Competition. Floating platforms arranged in concentric circles created viewing areas for students and faculty, while the central arena pulsed with ethereal energy that made the very air shimmer. Despite the recent spiritual attacks from Morgana's corrupted forces, tonight offered a blessed respite as ancient protective wards surrounded the competition space.

The Betting Pool
In the hours leading up to the competition, an underground betting pool had emerged among the older students, with whispered conversations in dormitory corners and hastily scrawled odds passed between classes. Graduate student Lydia Ashworth had become the unofficial bookkeeper, her ward construction expertise lending credibility to her predictions.

"Current odds," she murmured to a cluster of sixteen-year-olds, "Team Yseult's Phoenix Nightshade at three-to-one, Team Molli Rose's Hope Silverstream at four-to-one, and..." she paused dramatically, "Nada Blackthorne at even money."

Seraphina Vale from Team Yseult shook her head in disbelief. "Even money? She's thirteen years old!"

"Have you seen what she can do in practice?" countered Melody Songbird from Team Molli Rose. "Last week she created a defensive ward that made Professor Bronwen's eyes go wide. And Professor Bronwen doesn't get impressed easily."

Wanda approached the group, her expression thoughtful. "I'm putting my money on my sister," she announced quietly. "Not because of family loyalty, but because I've seen her tap into something... ancient. Something that goes beyond normal magical training."

The Competition Begins
As the competitors took their positions on the central platform, President Aislinn's ethereal form materialized above the arena. "Tonight, our three finalists will demonstrate the highest form of magical artistry—the manipulation and communion with spiritual forces. They will be judged on power, control, creativity, and the ability to work in harmony with the spirits that guide our college."

Phoenix Nightshade stepped forward first, her eighteen-year-old confidence evident as she began weaving complex patterns in the air. Spirits of transformation responded to her call, creating a spectacular display of shifting forms and colors that drew gasps from the audience. Her mastery was undeniable, each movement precise and purposeful.

Hope Silverstream followed, her gentle nature evident as she called upon spirits of healing and protection. The arena filled with warm, golden light as benevolent spirits danced around her, creating patterns of comfort and peace that made several younger students sigh with contentment.

Then it was Meda's turn.

Andromeda's Wisdom Awakens
As Meda stepped into the center of the arena, something shifted in her demeanor. The nervous thirteen-year-old seemed to grow taller, more regal, as if ancient memories were stirring within her consciousness. Eva watched from the Team Bronwen section, her heart racing with a mixture of pride and concern.

"She's different tonight," Wanda whispered to their teammates. "Look at her eyes—they're glowing."

Meda raised her hands, and the very air around her began to thrum with power. When she spoke, her voice carried an authority that seemed to echo from centuries past: "Spirits of light, guardians of wisdom, keepers of the ancient ways—I call upon you not as a student, but as one who remembers."

The response was immediate and overwhelming. Spirits materialized throughout the arena—not just the college's familiar guides, but ancient beings of immense power that hadn't been seen for generations. The protective wards around the competition space blazed brighter as these elder spirits recognized something in Meda that transcended her young appearance.

"By the goddess," Dean Bronwen breathed, "she's channeling Andromeda's own spiritual connections."

Meda began to weave magic that was both beautiful and terrifying in its scope. She created not just illusions or displays of power, but actual bridges between the physical and spiritual realms. Students gasped as they could suddenly see and hear spirits that had been invisible before, as if Meda had temporarily lifted the veil between worlds.

The climax came when she summoned a spirit of pure light—a being so radiant that it illuminated every corner of the Great Hall. The spirit spoke in a voice like crystal chimes: "The daughter of light has returned. The ancient compact is renewed."

Victory and Consequences
When the competition concluded, there was no question about the outcome. President Aislinn's announcement was almost anticlimactic: "The winner of this year's Spirits Magic Competition is Nada Blackthorne of Team Bronwen."

The betting pool erupted into chaos. Students who had backed Meda at even money cheered and collected their winnings, while those who had bet against her stared in stunned silence. But the real drama was among the faculty.

"This changes everything," Dean Yseult murmured to Dean Molli Rose as they watched students surround Meda like she was a conquering hero. "If she truly has access to Andromeda's full legacy..."

"Then Morgana's attacks make perfect sense," Dean Molli Rose replied grimly. "She's not just trying to corrupt random students—she's specifically targeting the one person who could match her power."

The Heroine's Burden
As Meda was lifted onto the shoulders of celebrating students, Eva noticed the exhaustion in her sister's eyes. The connection to Andromeda's wisdom had taken its toll, and the weight of newfound expectations was already settling on Meda's young shoulders.

"Meda! Meda! Meda!" the students chanted, treating her like a legendary figure rather than their thirteen-year-old classmate.

Isabeta materialized beside Eva, her expression unusually serious. "Your sister has just painted a very large target on herself," she warned quietly. "Morgana will have felt that display of power. The attacks will intensify now."

Dean Bronwen approached through the crowd, her face a mixture of pride and concern. "Exceptional work, Meda. But remember—the Aislinn's Cup hasn't been awarded yet. This victory, magnificent as it was, is just one piece of a larger puzzle."

As the celebration continued around them, Wanda joined Eva and Meda in a quiet corner. "So," she said with a wry smile, "no pressure, but I think you just announced to every dark force in the known dimensions that Andromeda is back."

Meda managed a tired laugh. "Well, when you put it that way, it sounds almost ominous."

"Almost?" Eva raised an eyebrow. "Sister, I think we've moved well beyond 'almost' into 'definitely terrifying' territory."

Despite the levity, all three girls understood that tonight had changed everything. Meda's victory in Spirits Magic had been more than a competition win—it had been a declaration of war. And somewhere in the shadows, Morgana's forces were undoubtedly preparing their response.

The Aislinn's Cup competition was far from over, but the stakes had just become infinitely higher.

Dark Magic Spreading
The corruption began subtly—shadows that lingered too long in corners, whispers in languages that predated human speech, moments when the very air seemed to thicken with malevolent intent. During their morning Theoretical Magic class with Professor Ingris, several students complained of nightmares filled with visions of burning libraries and sorceresses locked in eternal combat.

"The wards are holding," Dean Bronwen announced during an emergency assembly, "but Morgana's influence is seeping through the dimensional barriers. She's not trying to break our defenses directly—she's poisoning them from within."

Meda felt the truth of it through Andromeda's memories. This was exactly how Morgana had operated in their ancient conflict—not through brute force, but through insidious corruption that turned strength into weakness, hope into despair. The dark sorceress understood that the most effective way to destroy something was to make it destroy itself.

Eva's empathic abilities were picking up the emotional disturbance throughout the college. "It's like a plague," she said as they walked through corridors where students huddled in groups, their usual confidence replaced by nervous glances at every shadow. "Fear is spreading faster than any physical contagion."

Spiritual Attacks
The first direct assault came during their Advanced Magical Defense class with Dean YseuIt. Meda was practicing matter manipulation when the air around her suddenly turned arctic cold. The practice materials in her hands began to writhe and twist, transforming from simple crystalline structures into grotesque shapes that seemed to mock her efforts at creation.

"Corrupted spirits," Dean YseuIt shouted, throwing up protective barriers as dark forms began materializing around the laboratory. "Everyone to the center of the room!"

The spirits that pressed against the college's defenses were unlike anything in the textbooks. They had once been people—students, perhaps, or young sorceresses full of hope and dreams. Now they were twisted things of shadow and hunger, their eyes burning with the reflected malice of their mistress. They moved through the protective barriers like smoke, their touch leaving frost patterns on the walls and despair in the hearts of everyone they approached.

"They're not trying to harm us physically," Wanda observed, her artifact fragment pulsing with agitated light as she studied the attacking spirits. "They're trying to corrupt our magical signatures, turn our own power against us."

Meda felt one of the spirits brush against her consciousness, and for a moment she experienced the full weight of Morgana's hatred—a thousand years of rage and betrayal focused into a lance of pure malevolence that sought to pierce her heart. Only Eva's immediate empathic support kept her from being overwhelmed by the psychic assault.

Student Conflicts
The spiritual attacks had a cascading effect throughout the college community. Students who had been friends for years began turning on each other, their fears and insecurities amplified by Morgana's corrupting influence. During lunch in the great hall, Meda watched in horror as a group of third-year students nearly came to blows over a perceived slight that would have been laughed off under normal circumstances.

"She's weaponizing our emotions," Eva said, her voice tight with the effort of maintaining her own emotional equilibrium while trying to help others. "Every doubt, every fear, every moment of jealousy—she's feeding on them and making them stronger."

The situation reached a crisis point when two students from different houses began dueling in the gravity-defying gardens, their magic wild and uncontrolled as Morgana's influence stripped away their training and left only raw emotion. It took the combined efforts of three professors to separate them before someone was seriously injured.

Dean Molli Rose worked tirelessly to provide counseling and emotional support, but even her expertise in child welfare was being tested by the scope of the corruption. "I've never seen anything like this," she confided to Meda and Eva during one of their sessions. "It's as if something is actively working to tear apart the bonds of trust and friendship that hold our community together."

Protective Measures
Aislinn herself took charge of organizing the college's defenses, her ancient wisdom finally revealing the full extent of her power. She moved through the crystalline corridors like a force of nature, weaving protective enchantments that shimmered in the air like aurora borealis.

"The barriers between dimensions are thinning," she explained to the assembled faculty and senior students. "Morgana is using the same cosmic forces that allowed Meda and Eva's transformation to create pathways for her influence. We must strengthen our defenses not just against physical assault, but against spiritual and emotional corruption."

New protocols were established: students were required to travel in groups, protective amulets were distributed to those most vulnerable to psychic attack, and meditation sessions were scheduled throughout the day to help maintain mental clarity. The college's reality bubble was reinforced with additional layers of protection, each one attuned to a different aspect of Morgana's dark magic.

Meda found herself at the center of these efforts, her connection to Andromeda's legacy making her both a target and a crucial defender. "Your very presence here is what's keeping Morgana from breaking through completely," Aislinn told her during a private meeting. "She remembers your power, fears it, but also craves it. That internal conflict is creating hesitation in her attacks."

Escalating Danger
But even as the college's defenses strengthened, Morgana's assaults grew more sophisticated and dangerous. The corrupted spirits began working in coordinated groups, probing for weaknesses in the protective barriers while simultaneously launching psychological attacks on the defenders.

During one particularly intense assault, the spirits managed to breach the outer perimeter of the college's reality bubble. For terrifying minutes, sections of the crystalline spires were plunged into a darkness that seemed to devour light itself. Students trapped in those areas reported visions of their worst fears made manifest—failure, abandonment, the destruction of everything they held dear.

"She's learning," Wanda said grimly as they surveyed the damage after the attack was repelled. "Each assault teaches her more about our defenses, our weaknesses. We can't keep this up indefinitely."

The attacks were becoming more frequent and more targeted. Morgana's forces seemed to know exactly when and where to strike for maximum psychological impact. They disrupted classes during crucial examinations, attacked the dormitories during sleep cycles, and corrupted the college's communication systems to spread false rumors and misinformation.

Alliance Building
In response to the escalating threat, unlikely alliances began forming throughout the college. Students from different houses and academic tracks found themselves working together, their shared danger overcoming traditional rivalries and social barriers.

Meda and Eva took the lead in organizing these defensive efforts, their unique combination of cosmic power and empathic healing making them natural leaders in the crisis. They established safe zones throughout the college where students could gather for mutual protection, and created communication networks that bypassed the corrupted official channels.

"We're stronger together," Eva told a gathering of frightened first-year students. "Morgana's power feeds on isolation and despair. When we support each other, when we refuse to let fear divide us, we become something she can't corrupt or control."

Even some of the faculty began looking to the sisters for guidance, recognizing that their connection to the ancient conflict gave them insights that traditional magical education couldn't provide. Professor Ingris worked closely with them to research historical precedents for Morgana's tactics, while Dean Bronwen helped them understand the technical aspects of the college's defensive systems.

Wanda's role in these alliances proved crucial, her years of artifact study providing practical knowledge about the magical matrices involved in the attacks. "Morgana isn't just sending random spirits," she explained during one of their strategy sessions. "She's using them to map our defenses, to understand how the college's reality bubble is constructed. She's preparing for something bigger."

As the chapter drew to a close, the three sisters stood together on the observatory balcony, watching the corrupted spirits circle the college like cosmic vultures. The protective barriers held firm for now, but everyone could feel the pressure building beyond them—a storm of ancient hatred and dark magic that would soon test every alliance they'd built and every defense they'd prepared.

"She's almost ready," Meda said quietly, Andromeda's memories providing glimpses of the tactical brilliance that had made Morgana such a formidable enemy. "All of this—the probing attacks, the corruption, the psychological warfare—it's been preparation for her real assault."

Eva's hand found hers, their sisterly bond providing comfort against the growing darkness. "Then we need to be ready too. Whatever she's planning, whatever form her final attack takes, we'll face it together."

The wind that swept across the balcony carried with it the scent of ozone and distant fire, the promise of a confrontation that would determine not just their own fates, but the future of all magical realms. Morgana's forces were gathering strength, and soon the real battle would begin—a conflict that would test everything they'd learned about love, power, and the bonds that held their newfound family together.

As they stood united beneath the cosmic sky, each sister felt the weight of destiny settling more firmly on her shoulders. The real battle for the future of all magical realms was approaching, and their success would depend not just on individual power, but on the strength of the family bonds that had been forged in transformation and tempered by love.

The next phase of their journey would test everything they'd learned about themselves, about each other, and about the true nature of the power they carried. But for now, in this moment of perfect understanding and unity, they were ready to face whatever came next—together.