The second season of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place dropped on October 8, and the finale is very distressing! And before you judge me for being invested in a Disney Channel show as full-grown adult woman, Selena Gomez and Alex Russo raised me and made me who I am today. So. I think I have every right to care.

The reboot takes place 15 years after the OG series and follows an adult Justin Russo, who gives up magic to be a normal dude — until Alex shows up with a young wizard, Billie, who needs training. Justin mentors Billie while taking care of his own family. (He’s married with kids now.)

The WBWP season 2 finale ends on a pretty major cliffhanger when Alex makes a dangerous, life-altering decision to protect her family and save the world. Casual. Does Alex Russo die in Wizards Beyond Waverly Place? Let’s break down that wild finale.

*Spoilers ahead, obviously.

Does Alex Russo Die? Wizards Beyond Waverly Place Season 2 Finale Ending Explained

What Happens To Alex Russo In Wizards Beyond Waverly Place Season 2?

In the finale, we learn a shocking secret: Alex is actually Billie Russo’s mom. (All this time, we didn’t know Billie’s family history.) It turns out, Alex cast a memory wiping spell in order to protect Billie from her grandfather, the evil wizard Lord Morsus.

When Billie’s kidnapped by Lord Morsus, he forces her to open a portal between the dark magical world and the real world. Alex rushes to the scene with Justin and his wife, Giada, to save her. But before they can intervene, the trio is quickly overpowered and tied up by the wizard. Although Justin’s son, Milo, manages to untie everyone with a spell, the portal is already getting out of control. The only way to stop it? Someone has to go inside, of course.

And so, Alex sacrifices herself to save her daughter (and the world!) by diving into the portal and dragging Lord Morsus in with her. Before disappearing, she promises Billie that they’ll find each other again, but that seems unclear at this point.

Image Credit: Disney Plus

As Billie wonders if Alex is dead, Justin assures his niece that she’ll reunite with her mother “someday.” Hmmm. Naturally, we’re all asking ourselves: Is Alex actually dead, or is she just stuck in ~the dark world~?

Well, in an October 8 tweet, David Henry teased, “Just so you know, Alex Russo is tougher than you think—and there’s a lot more to come. You’re asking all the right questions. Stay tuned, #WizardsBeyond has got some magical surprises up our sleeves.” That sounds promising. (TBH, it would be incredibly bold/rude of the writers to kill off THE Alex Russo.)