Macy's wand was inches from Ryan’s forehead, the violet light pulsing brighter, her power humming through the air.
“You have five seconds to talk,” she hissed, her eyes burning. “Five. Four—”
But as she spoke the next number, her spell surged forward.
The magical energy slammed directly into the Chronivac—
—and the device absorbed it.
Not reflected. Not deflected.
Absorbed.
The glowing spell light twisted like smoke into the device’s core. The lights on the Chronivac turned from green to deep red, flickering violently. Warning beeps blared. The screen glitched with streams of corrupted data and unreadable symbols.
Jess’s ears flattened. “Macy—step back! That’s not a magic item! That thing’s way more dangerous!”
But it was too late.
With a shrieking whir and a crackling pulse, the Chronivac went haywire.
It launched a shockwave that knocked all four of them to the ground. The air around them shimmered and folded—like light bending underwater. A warped hum pulsed from the device, distorting the mall courtyard.
Time glitched.
Reality twisted.
People nearby flickered—changing clothes, genders, even species—for brief, terrifying seconds before snapping back to their previous forms… or new ones.
Jess clutched her head. Her tail fluffed out, pupils darting around. “It’s rewriting the world!”
Macy crawled over and slammed her hand on the ground to steady herself. Her witch hat blew off as gravity twisted for a moment. “What the HELL did you bring near me?!”
Billy screamed, holding the Chronivac. “It’s never reacted like this before! We never put magic into it! It’s— It’s fusing with it—like it’s evolving!”
Jess’s voice broke with dread. “Magic wasn’t supposed to exist. That’s why. The Chronivac just absorbed proof that the rules are gone.”
Suddenly, a red light shot out from the device into the sky, marking a point in space.
Then:
[REWRITING SEQUENCE IN PROGRESS...]
The air grew still.
Macy clutched Jess’s arm, eyes wide. “What does it mean?”
Jess looked up, trembling. “It’s not changing you or me. It’s changing everything. It’s building a world where witches and catgirls like us were always real.”
And then—
[NEW BASELINE ACCEPTED]
WITCHCRAFT — FACT
FAMILIARS — BOND REQUIRED
MAGICAL YOUTH CULTURE — INTEGRATED
MAGIC MONITORING BUREAU — INSTALLED
A sudden pop of displaced air echoed as the surroundings settled.
The mall now looked subtly altered—gothic accents on stores, rune-inscribed advertisements, wands displayed behind glass like iPhones, potion kiosks… and a security guard with glowing red eyes calmly drinking a bubble tea labeled “Hexberry.”
Jess’s jaw dropped. “It... changed the world.”
Macy looked down at her wand. It glowed with purpose now—as if it had always been real.
Then, the Chronivac’s voice spoke one last line:
“World stabilized. Authority enabled. Magical anchors bonded. Further tampering will require override clearance from the Arcane Custodian.”
Jess turned to Ryan and Billy, eyes narrow.
“You did this. You started this. You don’t get to run anymore.”
Macy stepped beside her, wand raised again — this time not out of fury, but control.
“Guess that makes us witches of this world now,” she smirked, “and you two? You're in our domain.”