Sebastian, Victor, and Reed sprawled wearily on the lab floor, their faces alight with exhaustion and triumph.

The machine before them, rebuilt from the ground up over five grueling days, hummed with potential.

Its sleek frame pulsed with magical and technological harmony.

"Done," Reed groaned, rubbing his eyes. "I'm sleeping for two days straight."

Sebastian grinned, sweat beading on his brow. "Not sticking around for the big moment, Reed?"

Reed snorted. "Why do you think I'm still here?"

Five days of relentless work had curb the tension between Reed and Victor, their rivalry giving way to grudging respect. Sebastian, too, had bonded with Reed, their shared effort laying the groundwork for friendship.

Victor rose, his eyes fixed on the machine, urgency overriding fatigue. Sebastian handed him a shimmering potion, flicking his wand to cast a cleaning charm that swept away Victor's disheveled state. "This'll perk you up," Sebastian said.

Victor nodded, downing the potion in one gulp. Without a backward glance, he stepped into the machine's chamber, sealed the door, and activated it. The lab's lights flickered wildly, power surging to alarming levels. Magical circuits glowed, electricity and mysticism merging into a torrent of energy. A blinding flash erupted, then silence fell.

Sebastian glanced at Reed, voice tight. "How long until he's back?"

"Half a minute," Reed replied, checking his watch. "Time flows differently in Hell. The machine should make it quick."

Sebastian counted silently, but as thirty seconds passed, the machine remained still. Reed stood, unease mirroring Sebastian's. They approached the chamber, hands hovering over the controls, when the hatch exploded outward. Victor hurtled out, wreathed in black-and-red Hellfire, crashing into the wall with a sickening thud.

"Hellfire!" Sebastian hissed, rushing forward. The mark of Hellfire Authority on his forehead flared, and he thrust out his palm, drawing the flames into himself.

Victor lay half-charred, barely conscious. Sebastian poured a healing potion down his throat, steadying him. As he prepared to Apparate to a hospital, Reed's voice trembled behind him. "Sebastian, something followed him."

Sebastian spun, shoving Reed behind him. Black smoke and Hellfire swirled within the machine's hatch, obscuring a portal that pulsed with infernal energy. A massive black-and-red claw gripped the hatch's edge, followed by a glowing eye glaring at Victor's prone form.

"Weak mortals," a voice boomed, dripping with malice. "You dared steal a soul from Hell. Now, you pay."

Another claw seized the hatch's opposite side, tearing it apart with a screech. Flames and smoke billowed, the portal widening into a gateway to Hell. Sebastian's heart raced—Mephisto himself, or one of his lieutenants, sought vengeance.

"Back!" Sebastian roared, wand materializing in his hand. A dark green bolt shot from its tip, piercing the portal. A shriek echoed from the other side, and the claws recoiled. Seizing the moment, Sebastian waved his wand, unleashing a blast that obliterated the machine, collapsing the nascent Hell portal.

Panting, he scanned the wreckage, wand raised to ensure the breach was sealed. Satisfied, he turned to Reed, voice firm. "Not a word of this to anyone. Tell campus security it was an experiment gone wrong. Nothing more."

Reed nodded, pale but resolute. "Got it. Let's get Victor to the hospital."

"Right," Sebastian agreed, lifting Victor with a levitation charm.

With the school security team's swift arrival, Victor was rushed to the hospital. Sebastian's Hellfire Authority had absorbed the infernal flames, leaving Victor's injuries to pass as burns from the blast. To outsiders, it was a tragic lab accident, nothing more. But Sebastian knew better—Victor's academic future hung by a thread. An explosion this severe, far beyond a mere mishap, would likely see him expelled.

If it comes to it, I'll pull strings, Sebastian thought, jaw tight. Tony's connections, or mine—there's always a way to get Victor into another school.

He sat by Victor's hospital bed, the sterile hum of machines underscoring his unease. Victor, fresh from surgery, lay wrapped in bandages across half his body, his face partially obscured. Sebastian's frown deepened, a sigh escaping him. Guilt gnawed—had his help with the machine pushed Victor toward this catastrophe? Without his magic, the device might've failed harmlessly, sparing this pain.

Victor's injuries weren't just physical. Hellfire's touch defied conventional medicine and even standard healing spells. Sebastian's expertise lay in combat magic, not white healing arts; he could do little to mend the scars that would likely mar Victor's body. The weight of his limitations pressed heavy.

After a tense wait, Victor stirred, his left eye cracking open, the right side of his face swathed in bandages. His voice rasped, fragile yet sharp. "Is my left eye… blind?"

Sebastian shot to his feet, relief mingling with worry. "No, Victor, your eyes are fine. Just bandaged. I'll get the doctor—hang on."

"Wait," Victor croaked, halting him.

Sebastian turned, concern etching his face. "What is it?"

"A mirror," Victor said, voice low. "Please."

Sebastian hesitated, glancing at Reed, who stood quietly nearby, his expression somber. "Victor, you're covered in bandages. Wait until you're stronger."

"Please, Sebastian."

The plea cut deep. With a heavy sigh, Sebastian flicked his wand, levitating a ward mirror to hover before Victor. It caught his reflection—bandages stark against bruised skin, a glimpse of the man he'd been now fractured.

Victor stared into the hovering mirror, his bandaged reflection stark against the hospital's sterile chill. Silence stretched, then a wry smile broke through. "Not as bad as I feared," he murmured.

Sebastian flicked his wand, guiding the mirror back to its place. He met Victor's gaze, voice heavy with concern. "Victor, Hellfire did this. Hospitals can't help much, and even white magic's healing is limited. Don't rush—give me time. I'll find a way to fix it."

Victor shook his head, easing himself up with a grimace. "No, Sebastian. It's just skin. These scars… they remind me how weak I am in this world." His voice hardened, edged with bitter clarity. "I thought the machine would let me save my mother's soul from Hell. I was naive. Strength is what matters. If I'd had your power, I wouldn't have come back broken, without her soul."

He paused, eye glinting with resolve. "I'm dropping out. This easy routine at school—it'll dull me. I need to truly master magic and science, to become strong enough to fulfill my wish."

Sebastian leaned forward, searching Victor's face. "Have you thought this through? Really?"

Reed, who'd stayed quiet, spoke up, his tone measured. "Victor, we're not friends, but I respect your mind. You blend science and magic in ways I can't match. Stay in school—access cutting-edge science. Studying alone… you'll fall behind."

Victor's jaw tightened. "Sebastian, Reed—thank you. You're not wrong, but my mind's made up. Strength is everything."

Reed glanced at Sebastian, urgency in his eyes. "Sebastian, talk to him. He listens to you."

Sebastian nodded, turning to Victor. "You're sure?"

"Absolutely," Victor said, unwavering.

Sebastian exhaled, a mix of pride and worry in his chest. "Then I wish you luck. But promise me—take care of yourself, stick to your plan. If you don't, I won't let you go so easily."

Victor's lips curved into a rare, genuine smile, warmed by Sebastian's faith. His closest friend, the one who truly understood him, hadn't failed him. "I promise," he said softly.

Reed fell silent, respecting Victor's choice despite his doubts. The trio shifted to lighter topics—school, the lab, their brief collaboration—easing the room's tension. As Victor's strength waned, Sebastian and Reed bid him farewell, leaving him to rest.