Incase you haven't managed to find a fix for this, I believe the source of the problem may be the new rift you input. The path runs across Akili's path and across the Scholar's path. Neither of which have a valid mastery for the collection of magic. Something most people got a long time ago. Sadly for the Scholar and for Akili, unless you give it to them, they can't ever collect Volatile Magic, lol. I imagine this would manifest into what you're seeing. The scholar being knocked back and super healing as nobody can attack it to staunch regeneration. The mob isn't agro'd so it can't be killed. Akili looks like he's entering into a loop, probably because at this stage in the quest he probably doesn't have a health bar to speak of. I also imagine that the volatile magic would always exist to them once it's been spawned in. Collection only removes the node for the player from his or her field of view. Suggested fix might be to change the course of the volatile magic so it doesn't intersect Akili's route any more, maybe take the trail north on a winding path, instead. And, of course, to adjust the Scholar's path so it no long strays across the volatile magic anymore. Or maybe add some code so that neither of them acknowledges the Volatile Magic at all. You can actually see the point where Akili clashes with the rift course. Under the arch. The next steps he takes after clashing are him phsaing back to the last safe checkpoint he made. The 3rd node from the end of the rift course is the one that's wiping the scholar out. If you activate the rift and let it run its course, then analyse it, you can actually see it happening. Hope this helps, Odd.