There is no safe place. The ground opens up with Merlin's spell, but it's less like rock and more like sand at this point and it quickly fills back in, sucking them further down with it. The ringing of an emergency broadcast signal echoes all around them, not unlike the cry of a cicada.

And then—

There's a flicker of light. There's a grunt.

There's a one-winged magimagicicada dragging himself out of the throat of the party entrance.

"Don't think this one's too stable!" Pouch calls out and holds one hand out to the pair of students. "Had to come in the back way."

His face dares them to ask what the back way looked like.