Though it wasn't surprising, Hannah and I appeared in the middle of a virgin jungle.
"Is that it?" she asked, looking around. "I thought we were traveling to the past."
"We are in the past," I explained. "It's just that we're still in the jungle… but the jungle of several centuries ago."
Some things never changed. Perhaps the species, perhaps the balance of the ecosystem, but the feeling was almost the same. There were places where time seemed to move in circles.
We had officially entered the campaign. It wasn't unusual to appear in an environment like this, though one important detail had to be kept in mind: we were many centuries back, a time when large human settlements were scarce and difficult to find.
"We should start moving," I said, drawing my Jaráchas wands to clear a path.
However, something felt off.
The wands trembled slightly in my hands, as if they were confused. It wasn't fear. It was… bewilderment. As if they perceived something they couldn't even begin to understand.
That was something I would have to investigate later.
Of course, I hadn't arrived in this world alone.
The others remained inside the Fiefdom. I had brought Tonks so she could give birth in peace, without her pregnancy taking up time in the real world. This was something we had discussed before… though I must admit, I probably should have given her more details before doing it.
I also brought Elise. I wanted her divinization process to continue here and for her to learn to use her avatar in a more practical way. Although she had participated in several adventures, she still lacked a certain grasp on reality. She needed to experience the use of divine power without me having to constantly worry about the consequences.
In previous adventures, I had held her back, fearing I might affect her evolution if I overstrained her avatar. But here, it was different.
If she did well, perfect.
If not… the advantages of Quick Campaigns allowed everything to return as if nothing had happened once we went back. Granted, any concrete progress in divinization made during the campaign would be lost. But the experience gained was, in the long run, much more valuable.
Besides them, I also brought additional support: Andra and a few other girls, both to back me up and to ensure Hannah didn't feel lonely if I decided to send her to the Fiefd at some point while I finished the campaign.
...
Hannah and I wandered through the jungle for quite some time—perhaps more lost than I'd like to admit.
My [Map] was completely empty due to the time difference, though at least I had a built-in compass and some additional data after leveling up the skill.
"This… doesn't feel that different from before," Hannah commented. "It's like when we got lost yesterday."
That seemed to reassure her.
Suddenly, with a quick flick of my wand, a magic projectile pierced a spider nearly 40 cm wide that had jumped from the bushes.
"Well," I added, "the fauna is significantly more aggressive than in our time." There were more beasts, more magical creatures…
We walked for hours, moving more or less in the direction where Castelobruxo should be located. In truth, we had no clear references or concrete directions. This jungle was immense. At times, I felt the world of the campaign was even vaster than the one I knew.
We wandered until we finally stopped to eat. I improvised a small camp with a campfire and some minor protective spells. Using logs as seats, we began to eat quietly.
"Where are we going?" Hannah asked with her mouth full.
"I don't know," I replied truthfully. "I know this all has to do with a temple… or something like it. But I have no idea where it is. For now, we're just exploring."
"So… we just keep walking?" she asked, a bit worried.
If we truly had traveled back in time, there was no one to turn to. No known person, no prior contact.
"For now, yes," I said. "My plan is to find a human settlement and ask there." Seeing her uneasy, I tried to calm her down. "Come on, think of it as a very, very extraordinary field trip. Besides, I already saw you collecting rare plants."
Hannah blushed and clutched the pocket where she had stored leaves, seeds, and roots she found interesting.
"Don't be embarrassed," I smiled. "Your curiosity will take you far. Of course… as long as you don't get into something dangerous out of curiosity. But don't worry, I've got your back. You can be as curious as you want."
...
We traveled for days. We probably went in circles more than once.
I stopped using the [Map]; following a straight line might help… or lead me completely away from the campaign objective. So, I chose to explore aimlessly. Perhaps that was why the estimated time varied between months and years.
As the days passed, we became a sort of semi-feral children.
At first, Hannah was uncomfortable and worried, but little by little, she adapted. She had no other choice.
I could have sent her to the Fiefdom at any moment. But, to be honest, I was having fun with this "Tarzan" experiment. Besides, spending time with her and hardening her up a bit wasn't a bad idea.
Magic helped in many ways, so we didn't have to go completely primitive. The jungle provided food in abundance: I hunted, and Hannah identified edible plants. And in the worst-case scenario, the Fiefdom was still producing food.
As for the bathroom… well, that was the most uncomfortable part for her.
Still, she was brave. And adorable.
Especially because she didn't understand why she never saw me go to the bathroom.
...
Days... then weeks.
Yes, I was definitely walking in circles at various points… though I won't say it was entirely accidental.
I watched Hannah go through different stages in this place. Life in the jungle changes anyone, and even more so a twelve-year-old girl. I saw her move from initial curiosity and nervousness to a deeper, more silent sadness.
Slowly, she began to understand how far she was from home. And how impossible it would be to return, even if she wanted to.
I can say for sure that, in some corner of her mind, there was resentment toward me for bringing her here. But that part was constantly fighting another, stronger part that clung to me as if I were her only lifeline in the danger we were in.
That's why we didn't advance much. I wasn't following a specific direction.
I wanted her to adapt.
Perhaps it was cruel. But I knew that once she overcame that depression, she would come out stronger. Of course, that would take time… so I decided to speed it up using my skills.
[Aura of Valor] [Blood Control] [Occlumency Training]
It was all a little push to toughen her up, to keep her mind from succumbing to fear, to loneliness, to the jungle. Truth be told, it was quite simple, mostly because it brought us much closer.
I had many skills that boosted her growth, and as for Occlumency… well, from my point of view, I was a much better teacher than Snape.
I taught her by invading her mind at minimal levels—almost useless at first—waiting for her to repel me. Each time she succeeded, I increased the difficulty just a bit. Step by step. No rush.
Of course, I didn't forget to jokingly threaten her with looking through her most embarrassing memories. That helped quite a bit at the time.
In the end, this trip through the jungle turned into a long training session for Hannah: Occlumency, Herbology, survival… it was all making her grow.
Or at least, that was the excuse I gave myself for putting her through all this.
...
In time, we grew close.
Even as Hannah grew stronger, she understood that I was her pillar. She needed me. And we were alone in the middle of an immense jungle, so gradually, certain inhibitions began to fade.
At night, lying down to chat became a routine. Every day she opened up more, telling me things she wouldn't have said before. Not like before where she lost her modesty, but rather she stopped holding back on certain topics she previously thought were inappropriate to discuss.
That night was one of those moments.
After eating, in the clearing I had cleared for rest, we both lay in our sleeping bags with the campfire crackling behind us.
"So…" she finally said, "don't you feel bad about cheating on Hermione or any of the others? Don't you feel guilt?"
She was still tense bringing up the subject, but her curiosity was stronger.
"Not at all," I replied. "Well… maybe a little. But it's not guilt. It's more like a fear of something going wrong."
"And what would happen if something went wrong?"
"I wouldn't allow it," I said calmly. "And even if you consider me a monster… I won't let anything ruin what I have. I'm happy with all my women, and I don't intend to let that end."
She propped herself up on one arm to look at me.
"And what if one of them doesn't want that anymore? If she demands you end it with the others… or if she leaves?"
I laughed softly, closing my eyes before turning to face her, letting my red eyes glow in the dim light.
"It's cute that you're so innocent," I said. "You should think worse of me. Do you think I'd let that happen? Even if they don't like it… I wouldn't let them leave."
Hannah went still. My tone was calm, almost casual, but what I was saying didn't compute in her head.
"How…?" she finally asked.
"Just like you're imagining," I replied. "I would hold them by force. I wouldn't let them go. They would stay with me forever, even if I had to compel them."
I sighed.
Saying this to someone who wasn't yet part of my inner circle was strange. I never exposed myself like this. Perhaps this trip was also a way to relax my own mind.
"Would you use Amortentia?" she asked, horrified. "Something to make them love you? That's not love…"
"I wouldn't use potions," I replied, laughing. "Maybe aphrodisiacs, so they become nymphomaniac sluts and only I can satisfy them. Though that would be more dependency than love… Locking them up is also an option, until they love me again. I don't know. I usually improvise. If it works, I file the method away for later." I smiled at her. "I don't know if that's love. To me, it is. I'm happy… and I want to make them happy. Even if it hurts a little at first."
Hannah didn't respond. She turned slowly, giving me her back, as if trying to sleep.
She knew I was "bad." But not this bad.
The image forming in her mind made her shiver. Now she was tense, wondering if being by my side truly kept her safe.
"Are you afraid of me?" I asked, looking back at the starry sky.
There was silence.
But after so many days together, anxiety finally won out.
"Yes…" she said in a trembling voice. "Would you… really do that? They'd send you to Azkaban… and I know you're not a bad person. You wouldn't… right?"
I looked at her. She didn't return my gaze. Her body was shaking.
I sighed.
"Who knows," I replied. "I usually try to make my girls love me by doing everything I can for them. Maybe sometimes I've been bad… or good with bad intentions."
I reached out and stroked her body innocently through the sleeping bag.
"But you don't have to worry. I won't hurt you. I brought you here to protect you, not to scare you. I promise to get you back safe and sound. My private life doesn't have to concern you. Although I like you… I won't force you into anything if you don't want to."
Silence returned.
I felt her slowly relax, so I thought the conversation was over.
Then she spoke.
"And if I became one of your girlfriends… and I wanted to leave you?"
"Well," I replied without hesitation, "I would make you love me so much… that the thought of leaving me would never even cross your mind."
🎁—/——/🎁/———/🎄🎁🎄/———/🎁/——/—🎁
✨🎄✨ Merry Christmas to all my readers! ✨🎄✨