After Aiden disappeared, the people in the assembly hall looked at each other in bewilderment. An Asian witch couldn't contain herself any longer and spoke up.
"Mr. Scamander, which of your creatures should be held responsible for this tragedy?"
"Merlin's beard, this is an Obscurus," Newt said, his voice distant and shocked.
"Your accusation is outrageous, Mr. Scamander. MACUSA has no Obscurus at all," Picquery rebuked loudly. "Arrest them, Graves."
The man called 'Graves' sitting in a nearby chair reached out to seize Newt's case while binding both him and Jacob with magical restraints.
The assembly ended under everyone's mocking gazes toward MACUSA's apparent incompetence.
Meanwhile, Aiden, who had slipped out of the MACUSA assembly hall, watched Aurors desperately searching for him throughout the building.
The visiting dragon wandered freely through the solemn office building, occasionally flipping through their confidential files with casual interest.
Just then, Aiden felt powerful waves from the collective unconscious sea surrounding him like ripples in still water.
He turned around to see a man already standing before him, his eyes blazing as he surveyed the entire room with calculating intensity.
At this moment, Aiden finally understood what Dumbledore had meant when he spoke to him in the Chamber of Secrets.
"Merlin's beard, I hate prophecies," Aiden frowned with genuine irritation.
"But without this wonderful power, how would we have met here, my wizard brother?" 'Graves' spoke, his enormous magical power connecting to the collective unconscious sea, waves continuously surging toward Aiden.
"Although I don't know how you made yourself invisible to me, the power of prophecy has locked onto you. You cannot escape. As long as we fight, Aurors will quickly arrive. So, in order not to harm our mutual friendship, could you listen to my ideals?"
'Graves' looked like he had everything under control, while Aiden emerged from his invisible state with resigned acceptance.
"Gellert Grindelwald," Aiden said, narrowing his eyes at the disguised Dark Lord.
At the same time, he sent his virtual personality toward Grindelwald's consciousness island, attempting to manipulate him. But Aiden encountered the most powerful mental barrier he'd ever felt.
"Ah, although I don't know what to call you, addressing you as Mr. Prewett would certainly be correct," 'Graves' bowed gracefully, paying no attention to Aiden's mental intrusion.
"You see, my friend, we are wizards. We possess miracles that only a precious few can obtain, yet now we live like rats drinking dirty water in sewers."
'Graves' gaze locked tightly onto Aiden, seductive words flowing around him like honey.
"Join us, Mr. Prewett. You are a dragon-man, a natural leader, a weapon of war. Your powerful strength will make people fear you. But if you use this strength on the correct path of liberating wizards and fighting for wizard rights, you will become a hero. Think about it, child. What a path filled with flowers and praise that would be... for the greater good."
'Graves' spread his arms as if the entire world rested in his embrace.
"Mr. Grindelwald, I cannot agree with your philosophy. Those of us who understand prophecy should know that wizards cannot obtain everything through violence," Aiden replied, frowning deeply. In truth, Grindelwald's rhetoric was dangerously attractive.
"A wizard indulging in false peace? It doesn't matter, child. You're still young, still capable of being shaped. That's why he and I both prefer young people."
'Graves' drew the Elder Wand, and conflict seemed inevitable.
He raised his wand and fired a Stunning Spell toward Aiden with lightning speed.
So fast. Aiden's body bent at a ninety-degree angle, barely avoiding the crimson bolt.
"Look at that agile body," 'Graves' said admiringly, casually waving his wand. More Stunning Spells roared toward Aiden in rapid succession.
The surrounding walls transformed into rushing water, flowing toward Aiden and trying to envelop him completely.
Aiden gripped the air, and a silver-white staff materialized in his hand. Multiple hexagonal crystal barriers appeared around him like floating shields.
The Stunning Spells dissipated upon hitting the crystal barriers, and the rushing water was diverted harmlessly around them.
"You're also proficient in alchemy. Were you trained by that old man in Paris?" 'Graves' exclaimed in genuine amazement.
"Perhaps," Aiden smiled and fired four piercing light spells in response.
'Graves' hooked his wand, and stones on the ground twisted into water curtains, blocking two of the light beams. He used Apparition to dodge the remaining two, which collided with the walls in explosive bursts.
The huge commotion attracted other Aurors, and soon over a dozen rushed into the room with wands drawn.
"Surrender, child. Given your young age, we'll treat you with leniency," 'Graves' said, putting on a righteous appearance now that others were present.
"Outnumbered? But that's what I fear least."
The Manipulator stood straight, transforming painful thoughts into a mental storm and spreading it through the collective unconscious sea.
Within that psychic realm, the weather around dozens of consciousness islands began to change. Heavy snow fell on the mental landscapes, destroying the Aurors' mental barriers with brutal efficiency.
The Aurors' raised wands fell to the ground as they knelt, trembling and embracing themselves against the psychological assault.
"You... have this kind of ability too?" 'Graves' also felt the invasion of cold and mental pain.
But he ignited the flame of idealistic fervor in his heart, his mental barriers forcibly withstanding the storm Aiden had unleashed.
Using the consciousness islands gathered from the Aurors, the storm Aiden raised successfully interfered with the prophecy's lock on his location.
"Thank you very much for your assistance. Until we meet again, Mr. Grindelwald." Aiden nodded respectfully to him, then disappeared in a spatial flash.
"He did it deliberately, and this method of breaking through Anti-Apparition... Dumbledore's teaching."
'Graves' stood alone, unsure whether he was annoyed at his own oversight or feeling genuine jealousy.
After escaping from MACUSA, Aiden walked invisibly down the busy street when suddenly a familiar, beautiful woman entered his field of vision.
"Miss Goldstein," Aiden reached out and pulled Queenie Goldstein into a blind spot of consciousness.
"Oh hey, cute little guy, what do you want with me? Sister has to go to work now. I can play with you later," Queenie said, tapping Aiden's nose affectionately.
"Your sister has been arrested. The Auror supervisor at MACUSA is Gellert Grindelwald in disguise. They've imposed martial law now. I need your help to sneak back inside," Aiden said with deadly seriousness.
"Teenie..." Queenie covered her mouth, her voice seeming to come from her nasal cavity.
"What do we need to do?" Queenie looked at Aiden with growing anxiety.
"Like this: you enter MACUSA first, then find a safe place to take a nap," Aiden explained.
"Take a nap?!"
Queenie put her hands on her hips and ruffled Aiden's silver hair in exasperation.
"My sister is now captured and facing punishment, and you still have the heart to joke around with me here?"
"Stop, stop," Aiden escaped Queenie's affectionate clutches and smoothed his hair back into place.
"I have the ability to travel through dreams. MACUSA has strengthened its lockdown now, and they've detected my previous teleportation escape. Other methods of entry would definitely be discovered, so I need to use your dream as a springboard to enter MACUSA undetected."
Aiden explained with great effort, finally finishing his plan under Queenie's intensely suspicious and worried gaze.