And so... stepping onto a path with no return.
The battle erupted swiftly and ended just as quickly.
After the crushing fight in the living room, Bellatrix piled the silent Lavinia Bones, her already-dead husband, and two unconscious elderly people in the corner.
Lys watched the black-robed Death Eaters begin using spells to torture the survivors for information. She slipped into the crowd and started searching the house, hoping to avoid such scenes.
Lys instinctively ducked into the kitchen, standing behind the wall and forcing herself to relax her clenched left hand. She warned herself not to think about those three doomed people—if she couldn't pay the price, she shouldn't attempt any reckless moves. But suddenly, in the reflection of the china cabinet glass, she spotted something amiss.
She fired spells to overturn several irrelevant cabinets, creating the illusion that this area had already been searched.
She shook her head at the Death Eater who came investigating the noise. Seeing this, he didn't enter the kitchen but cautiously headed upstairs with his wand raised.
Lys glanced outside. Apart from the Death Eater at the corner with his back to her, no one else could see her actions.
She quickly tore a cufflink from her shirt sleeve, then hastily made a "shush" gesture at her mask.
Just as she was about to toss the cufflink into an overturned cupboard, a suspicious voice came from behind: "What are you doing?"
Lys's hand moved without pause, reaching up to open the liquor cabinet and pulling out a bottle of vodka with gold foil sealing.
"Good stuff—Nordic vodka. You rarely see such high-proof alcohol on the market now. It'll be a shame when this place burns down."
Though the person was suspicious and disdainful, he said nothing more. After all, everyone wore masks—no one knew anyone else's identity or nature. What if this person caused trouble on the next mission?
It was just slacking off and taking some small items—he'd pretend not to see. He muttered, "Don't delay the real work. Mrs. Lestrange is still waiting for our search report."
Lys nodded perfunctorily and cast a Shrinking Charm on another good bottle, tucking it into her cloak pocket.
Seeing the Death Eater turn and leave, Lys quickly lifted the door of the overturned cupboard.
The door had magic attached, but not enough.
She stuffed the cufflink into the hands of the two children who'd been petrified, then simply wound the amber pendant she'd changed into before leaving around the fingers of the child blocking the outside.
She cast two spells, then completely sealed the cupboard door against the wall.
Lys looked around and left the ransacked kitchen. She went upstairs to find a study-like room and began searching, then searched three more rooms without finding what she wanted. Lys started to panic.
The Death Eaters searched quickly, and people from the third floor began gradually returning to gather on the first floor.
When searching a small bedroom, Lys finally found what she was looking for.
The two children's names, and blank parchment with the same treatment as the study.
Lys watched the door warily to prevent anyone from seeing her actions while struggling to imitate the handwriting from the study letters. In less than half a minute, sweat beaded on her forehead.
Fortunately, Lys's own handwriting was sharp and slender, about sixty percent similar to the original. With her previously trained skill in copying anatomical drawings, she managed to trace out a letter ninety percent similar to the original.
But the newly written text was too fresh, easily leaving evidence. Lys hesitated, then flicked her willow wand and cast a Drying Charm on the parchment.
Tucking the parchment into her sleeve, Lys hurried downstairs to assemble. The sound of wand-tapping was already echoing from the staircase.
Lys saw that the Death Eater behind her was even carrying two wizard journals, stuffing them into his robes as he walked.
Lys breathed quietly, steadied her breathing, and stood at the edge of the crowd, glancing at the kitchen—good, no one seemed to have entered afterward.
"All useless! If I find them, I'll definitely report to the Lord that you all deserve punishment!" Bellatrix stepped one foot into the spreading blood, extremely dissatisfied that so many people couldn't find two children.
But the intelligence hadn't been that clear—it only said there was a high possibility of two children being present.
Seeing Bellatrix raise her wand and begin rapidly checking and using detection spells, Lys gripped her left hand. Under the pain, Lys even regretted her earlier actions, but she still leaned against the sofa during this time. Seeing no one paying attention to her, she stuffed the forged parchment into the gap between the sofa cushions.
She was only watching the Death Eaters' reactions and failed to notice Lavinia Bones lying on the ground, who saw this scene through blood-covered eyes.
The violent sounds of Bellatrix's search made Lys grip her wand tighter, vaguely regretting her actions.
When Bellatrix returned to the first floor with a gloomy expression, Lys couldn't control a shiver—her hands were trembling and cold.
When Bellatrix pointed at her, this trembling reached maximum intensity, even pushing the sofa she was leaning against a short distance.
A piece of parchment fell to the ground from the other side of the sofa as the pressure disappeared.
The Death Eater behind Lys picked it up, glanced at it, and said to the displeased Bellatrix: "Mrs. Lestrange, those two children weren't here tonight—they were sent to someone else's house!"
He stepped past Lys and handed the parchment to Bellatrix.
Bellatrix suspiciously examined the parchment twice and snorted: "Hmph, knowing their actions would displease the Lord, yet foolishly making such decisions. Tonight those two children are lucky!"
"You, and you two, come here."
Bellatrix threw down the parchment and precisely pointed her wand at Lys and two other new faces among the Death Eaters.
"I trust the Killing Curse incantation doesn't need me to teach you. Here's an opportunity to prove your attitude toward the Lord's cause." Bellatrix crossed her arms, looking critically at Lys and the other two.
The leftmost person responded in a soft voice: "Of course, for the freedom and knowledge the Lord can bring, I naturally don't mind paying some price." The familiar voice made Lys's hair stand on end.
He was first to fire a sickly green light from his wand: "Avada Kedavra." The pain in the old man's eyes stopped abruptly.
Lavinia Bones nearby had tears mixed with blood streaming down her face.
She blinked away the tears blurring her vision and, looking at Lys, uttered curses she hadn't spoken even under torture.
Her sharp voice pierced Lys's ears: "Kill me, you villains! I'll curse you murderers who scorn life with my soul! Kill me! Kill me! You'll never get what you want through slaughter! Never!" Her eyes stared round at Lys, the bleeding wounds on her face opening and closing with her agitated words.
Bellatrix looked at Lys with displeasure: "Raise your wand!" She squinted slightly, catching sight of a strand of auburn hair peeking from under the hood.
Lys's raised wand trembled so much that the leftmost Death Eater who'd just acted let out a snicker.
Bellatrix grinned wickedly—she knew who this person was: the newcomer who'd displeased the Lord.
Lys wasn't just unwilling to kill—more terrifying than murder itself was the soul damage it would bring. Who knew what would happen to her afterward?
As Lys's lips trembled, a slender, dry hand wrapped around Lys's sweat-covered right hand. A voice muffled by the mask's alteration spoke lowly in Lys's ear:
"First time—it's normal for newcomers to be nervous. Bella, don't rush."
"Say it with me." Lys felt her wand slightly leave her palm, fitting into that equally cold hand.
"Avada Kedavra"
"Avada Kedavra"
A blindingly green curse flashed from the tip of the twisted blackthorn wand, startling two people in the brightly lit living room.
Powerful magic surged out under Lys's emotional instability. Under this curse, Lavinia Bones looked toward the kitchen with a trace of relief and barely perceptible gratitude before losing her life.
The third person couldn't successfully cast the Killing Curse no matter what—he shook even worse than Lys, and no one came forward to help him. Though Bellatrix's gaze was contemptuous, she said nothing. She knew who this was.
Thomas—useless except for Galleons. This brat was even less useful than the waste beside him.
Casually flicking a Killing Curse at the old man on the ground, Bellatrix waved her wand and led the Death Eaters outside.
With Bellatrix's "Morsmordre" spell, a sinister, massive green skull floated above the house, a snake emerging from its slowly opening jaw and looking around arrogantly—
—The Dark Mark.
The Death Eaters' symbol after killing, intimidation and declaration to the Dark Lord's opponents.
Under thunderous explosions and roaring flames, the Bones house atop the hillside was consumed by fire.
Lys's trembling was clearly visible even under her wide black cloak. The Death Eater who'd previously held Lys's hand again placed his hand on Lys's shoulder: "Time to go."
For a moment, Lys didn't even know where "go" meant.
Until half the figures had Disapparated, the wizard with his hand on Lys's shoulder quietly said: "Follow me."
Lys looked at the Death Eater from behind her mask and followed without resistance.
It was Regulus.
Regulus Black.
Lys's expression under the mask was somewhat twisted, standing in this dead Muggle village feeling a sense of absurd irony.
Previously, Walburga had tried to recruit her, attempting to make her Regulus's blade, doing bloody work for him. But today, he'd taken on part of her guilt instead.
But still...
"That night, the people your mother sent also burned down my former home like this—similar night, similar location, even similar house. Regulus Black, don't expect me to thank you!"
The memory once extracted and displayed in the Pensieve was clearly recalled. She angrily shook off Regulus's hand.
But her painfully numb left arm gradually brought Lys back to reason...
"Thank you."
"I'm sorry."
Both voices sounded simultaneously, then fell silent together.
Lys sighed, pulled off her mask, and confusedly surveyed their current environment.
A complete village slaughtered by Dark Magic—terrifyingly disturbing...
"This place is really uncomfortable. If there's nothing else, I'll just—" Lys wanted to leave quickly to check her condition, but remembered something else and changed her words to ask:
"...Can I look at the Black family library?"
Regulus was also somewhat silent: "Wait until Mother goes out. I'll come find you."
Lys nodded, her right hand covering her left arm's brace. Before Disapparating, she earnestly said: "Thank you, Regulus."
Lys didn't mention his surname—she feared she couldn't say her thanks.
Lys found no changes or problems upon returning home.
But Lys's body and spirit gradually weakened, and she could hardly sleep each night.
The corpses on the high platform, Lavinia Bones's face, and the Dark Lord's red eyes always opened to stare at her when Lys was tired and relaxed.
She didn't fear death and remained relatively calm about bringing death to others.
What she feared was having no choice—despite her power exceeding Bellatrix's, she still had to raise her wand under her verbal threats and kill someone unrelated to herself without considering consequences.
Just because of the Dark Lord behind them and the authority possessed by the Death Eaters, they had the right to look down on her.
She really wanted to go mad someday, kill a few people, and then never have troubles find her again.
But this was dreaming—things were always interconnected. If she hadn't gotten involved in Diagon Alley's demonstrations, if Mother hadn't been caught by Walburga, if her Black surname hadn't been mocked at the gathering... if... if...
But there were no ifs. Reality was that she had no backing and couldn't defeat the Dark Lord. Any hint of defiance would bring devastating disaster to her family.
She could only endure. Endure everything brought by being stronger but not strong enough.
She kept thinking—she'd extended her hand to protect those two children petrified in the cupboards, so why hadn't anyone come to help her family back then?
And wondering if those two children really didn't die, would some fool loudly proclaim this matter?
She'd also think about the residual magical fluctuations in that dead Muggle village Regulus had taken her to—overwhelming slaughter, evil slaughter with unclear purpose.
And think about what attitude she should maintain toward the Black family.
That chilling green light and the hand extended toward her...
That curse was so practiced in his mouth—would she become like this in the future?
Sometimes she'd think of the confidence she'd once found when fighting ruthlessly in Knockturn Alley wearing the Lily mask, yet having to bow her head to others outside that masked identity.
Every moment Lys closed her eyes was filled with unwilling self-questioning.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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