After sending Fudge away, Oliver finally found a rare moment of peace.
But the more one seeks quiet, the more likely trouble is to come knocking.
They'd barely begun to enjoy the stillness of the Director's office when a knock sounded at the door. An Unspeakable entered, carrying a report.
"Acting Director, the Hall of Prophecy has detected lingering traces of Aldred's corruption," the Unspeakable announced, handing the report to Oliver before departing.
"Acting Director?" Aiden raised an eyebrow at Oliver.
"What? Is that a problem?" Oliver replied, feigning nonchalance.
"No, it's fine. You're impressive," Aiden said, at a loss for words.
"If you were willing to join, we probably wouldn't even need the word 'acting' anymore," Oliver teased, a faint smile on his lips.
Aiden cleared his throat, changing the subject. "Anyway, let's see where Aldred has run off to."
Oliver opened the report. The location was clear—Ethan's hometown, Hull.
"He's gone back there again. What's so special about that place?" Aiden frowned.
"I don't know," Oliver said, drawing his wand, "but I do know my wand is itching for action."
He looked at Aiden, his eyes cold. "Cover me. I want to finish this myself."
"Alright," Aiden agreed without hesitation.
With a flash of Apparition, they followed the residual traces of the Deep Realm King's power to Hull.
The unassuming house before them was Ethan's home.
Oliver's eyes flashed red as he rushed in, nearly colliding with Ethan, who was just coming out.
"Ow! Who's so rude?" Ethan grumbled, picking himself up off the floor.
"Ethan, are you alright?" Oliver asked, concern breaking through his intensity.
"I'm fine. Wait—aren't you the Unspeakable who came to my house with Aiden last time?" Ethan blinked in surprise.
Aiden stepped in to help Oliver recover his composure. "Ethan, we're chasing a dangerous person. The report says he's in your house."
"Huh? A dangerous person? No way. The only visitor today was a friend of my dad's," Ethan replied, still skeptical.
"It's alright, Ethan. Just let us check. If we're wrong, we'll leave quietly," Aiden assured him.
"Alright, come in," Ethan said, opening the door.
Inside, the house was neat, with no sign of a struggle. Ethan led them upstairs to a room at the back.
There, Ethan's father, Bowen Beckett, was tending to a frail, middle-aged man.
Aiden and Oliver instantly recognized him: Aldred Cassius Locke.
Oliver's wand was out in a flash, pressing against Aldred's neck. Bowen recoiled, startled by the sudden aggression.
"Hey! This is trespassing. I have every right to throw you out," Bowen protested.
"Mr. Beckett, you should know your friend is a wanted criminal," Aiden said, trying to keep things calm.
"But Locke's a good man! He's always helped the children here in the Rust Belt. There must be some mistake," Bowen insisted, though his voice trembled.
"A good man?" Oliver's voice was raw. "The kind who sacrificed two thousand people in Kingsport? Or the kind who led others to ruin?"
Aldred coughed, the wand at his throat forcing him awake. "Don't worry about me, Bowen. This is something I have to face," he said weakly, stopping Bowen from intervening.
"So, Aldred, do you have any last words?" Oliver asked, offering a final courtesy out of respect for Ethan's father.
Aldred struggled to sit up, grabbing Oliver's collar. "I don't regret what I've done. It's you—wizards like you—who shouldn't exist in this world," he spat.
Aiden's voice turned hypnotic, gentle but insistent. "Let's talk, Mr. Locke. How did you end up like this?"
He wanted to give Oliver time to calm down—and perhaps, let Aldred's story serve as a warning to them all.
Aldred's eyes glazed over as the hypnosis took hold. "I grew up here, orphaned. The Rust Belt raised me—I was its hope. I got into Oxford, became an MP, fought for my people. What did I do wrong?" His voice started small, but grew louder, more desperate.
"So you turned to monsters for power?" Oliver sneered.
"You wizards, born with everything, could never understand our suffering!" Aldred's voice shook with anger.
"What was your plan?" Aiden pressed, deepening the hypnosis.
"To use the Lord's power to plunge everyone into foolishness. To re-regulate and redistribute society's resources," Aldred answered, his tone flat.
"But if everyone is foolish, wouldn't civilization stagnate?" Aiden asked, genuinely curious.
"No. The Lord's power is infinite. If we reach for infinity, the world will be absolutely fair," Aldred replied, his face full of hope.
Aiden snapped his fingers, breaking the trance. "You fool. You've been brainwashed by those things below. No wonder your actions never matched your past," he said, shaking his head.
"I can't be brainwashed. This is my ideal, this is—this is—" Aldred's voice faltered.
As the Deep Realm King's core was contained by the Department of Mysteries, its power faded. Around the world, those who had been under its influence began to return to themselves.
Aldred's eyes cleared. "What have I done… what have I done…"
Finally, he broke free from the Deep Realm King's control, clarity and horror dawning on his face.
"Don't pretend to repent just to escape punishment, you piece of trash," Oliver said, his anger rising again.
"No. This is my sin. I won't run from it," Aldred replied, voice steady for the first time.
"Oliver, it's real. Let him have a moment to repent," Aiden said quietly.
"Thank you. And… I hid the Deep Realm King's fragment in the home of my old financial backer. You should have already found it. The Attendant Council still has hidden branches—be careful," Aldred said, his voice fading.
He struggled to his feet, knelt, and made the sign of the cross.
He looked at Oliver, pleading for release.
Seeing Aldred's wish for death, Oliver's anger finally ebbed. He looked at Aldred with a complicated expression.
"Petrificus Totalus. Reducto."
Two spells flashed. Aldred Cassius Locke vanished from the world.
Oliver collapsed to the floor, all strength gone, his eyes empty.
Aiden quietly sent a message to the Department of Mysteries to collect their Acting Director.
He warned Ethan and Bowen Beckett one last time: "Stay away from strange cults."
Then, with a heavy heart, he turned to his final tasks.
[Chapter Complete]
***
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