A deathly silence fell over the living room. It felt as though even the old grandfather clock on the wall had stopped ticking. Adele and Perenelle, their eyes wide, stared at Victor in absolute shock. Even Nicolas raised his head from the floor and gaped at him in astonishment.
In that oppressive silence, a single tear rolled down Adele's cheek. The girl quickly wiped it away and, trying with all her might to maintain a calm expression, asked... though her trembling voice betrayed that she was on the verge of bursting into tears:
— Why?..
— Because you get in my way. Or rather... not just you. Everyone. Everyone I've managed to grow attached to. I wanted to reform myself a bit, but I didn't plan on taking it this far! When I remember how soft I've become, it makes me sick. And it's all because of you. I didn't want you to see this dark side of me, even if you're well aware of it.
Seeing tears stream down his sister's cheeks once more, Victor pulled her close along with her chair and wrapped his arms tightly around her trembling body.
— So you want us to disappear from your life forever? — Perenelle asked with deceptive calm. At that question, Adele trembled even harder and literally dug her fingers into Victor's clothes, as if deathly afraid he would vanish into thin air.
— No, — Victor answered with a warm smile, which left Perenelle utterly baffled.
Seeing her bewildered expression, Victor burst out laughing:
— Ha-ha-ha! Yeah, I know, I don't even fully understand myself lately! My emotions and feelings are total chaos. But one thing I know for sure now: without you guys, it might be easier for me... but at the same time, it would suck completely. Being a loner sucks, and I know that firsthand. I'm used to doing whatever I want. And what I want is to come back here. I like just being a spoiled kid, — he looked at Perenelle fondly. — And I also unbelievably like my cute yandere sister, — Victor tilted Adele's chin up and pecked her cheek, then pressed her against him once more: — Really, really like her!
Adele instantly flushed to the tip of her ears at such a bubbling display of affection and buried her face into his chest. Her body stopped shivering, but her grip didn't loosen for a single second. The girl finally calmed down, though tears still trickled: Victor wasn't going to abandon her. She didn't give a damn that in a moment of madness he had wanted to kill her—if it would genuinely help him, she would have accepted even that fate without hesitation. All that mattered was that he wouldn't leave her behind.
— So I don't need to worry about you strangling us in our sleep one day just because we're in your way? — Perenelle asked with a smile, gently stroking his head.
— Ha-ha-ha, who knows! Like I said, I've been terribly unstable lately. And I think that very realization was the key factor behind my changes...
Nicolas instantly scrambled off the floor, flicked his wand to mend the broken chair in a flash, and sat back down, listening intently. Perenelle merely rolled her eyes in exasperation at her husband's reaction.
Victor continued:
— When my mind, through a hallucination, helped me realize just how much I value your company, and that you don't actually get in my way but make my life sweeter, I felt so relieved... I don't know how to explain it, but it was like waking up from a long sleep. I don't need to force myself to break and change—that only pisses me off. I just need to be honest with you guys and be who I am. And as soon as I felt that relief... something happened to my eyes and my magic.
— What, that's it?.. — Nicolas was clearly disappointed. However, feeling his wife's heavy glare on him, he cleared his throat dryly and forced a fake smile: — I mean... thanks for sharing with us, Victor! But are you sure you didn't miss anything? This is really important, after all, we're so worried about you and your problems with magic! This won't do, so try to remember at least something else.
Everyone present stared at him in silence—even Adele, who was still tenderly rubbing her cheek against Victor's shoulder. Although Nicolas tried to convince everyone that he was immensely worried about Victor's health, every single person in that room knew full well: the alchemist was itching to know only one thing—why the artificial Sharingan had suddenly come alive.
Still, even though Perenelle was fed up with her husband's behavior, he was right about one thing—Victor's problems with casting spells needed an immediate fix.
— No, seriously, that's all. I have no clue myself why it happened, — Victor replied with a shrug.
— May Missy say something? — a squeaky voice prompted everyone to turn toward the house-elf who had suddenly popped in.
— Missy, do you know something? — Perenelle asked gently.
— Well... Missy doesn't know how important it is, but Master Moss has become very powerful! — Perenelle and Victor frowned simultaneously.
— What are you on about? No, I'm flattered by your assessment, of course, but it's not like I was weak before, — Victor chuckled.
Missy shook her head frantically:
— When Master Moss returned, Missy barely recognized him! The flow of magic inside you has multiplied many times over!
— Oh, right! Magic! Where is all the magic?! — Nicolas leapt up from his chair. — Those eyes were forged from the exact same material as the Philosopher's Stone! Where is all the energy that was inside them?!
— Uh-h-h... — Victor ostentatiously inspected his clothes, patted his empty pockets, and gave the alchemist an innocent look: — Looks like I lost it.
Nicolas's left eye twitched nervously. However, he quickly pulled himself together, his scientific mind racing at top speed.
Even though Victor was joking, he decided to tune into his own senses as well. Thanks to months of meditation, he could now sink into the depths of his body with ease.
— Oh... — opening his eyes, Victor looked at Nicolas with complete seriousness. — It seems my soul, which was damaged when the Sharingan was implanted, has fully healed. And... I'm not entirely sure, but I think...
A long, sharp claw suddenly grew out of his index finger. Without hesitation, Victor brought it down on his own palm and slowly sliced a deep gash into it. Blood gushed from the wound, but before it could even hit the floor, the edges of the cut snapped right back together, leaving behind not even the slightest scar.
Perenelle, Adele, and Nicolas froze in absolute astonishment, unable to tear their eyes away from his palm.
— Victor, don't you want to sleep for a bit down in my workshop? You must be tired... Come on, there's a wonderful, very comfy table down there, — Nicolas said with a gentle smile, though his eyes darkened dangerously with scientific excitement.
— Don't you dare even think about dissecting my grandson! — Perenelle warned in an icy tone.
Nicolas clicked his tongue in disappointment. Victor had already been unique due to absorbing an Obscurus in his childhood, yet he had still remained human—albeit with a phenomenally strong body and soul. Now, though, the alchemist didn't understand what he had become at all. A true representative of a new, unknown race! He was wildly intrigued by how many secrets his physiology held. After all, the piece he had crafted the Philosopher's Stone from possessed enough energy to extend his and his wife's lives for six hundred years. And even if the fragments used for the eyes were significantly smaller, it was still a colossal volume of magic that Victor had managed to absorb completely!
— So that's why it's so hard for me to cast spells now... — Victor finally pieced it together. — I'm just not used to controlling this much energy. Usually, a wizard's reserves grow gradually and they barely notice it, whereas mine just shot straight to the sky. Grandma, please calm your husband down.
Perenelle listened closely to Victor, then shifted her gaze to her spouse. Nicolas had somehow already managed to don a thick leather apron. He was whistling a cheerful tune under his breath while arranging surgical knives and scalpels on the table. Right now he looked less like a grand alchemist and more like a butcher... or rather, a lunatic exhilarated by the prospect of fresh meat.
— Sweetheart... what do you think you're doing? — Perenelle asked with a sweet squint.
Nicolas instantly snapped out of his trance:
— Hm? Ah! Oh, well I... I was just about to prep some meat for dinner! Victor, want to lend a hand? Let's head to the kitchen!
Victor rolled his eyes:
— Forget it, manic-man. You'll touch my body over my dead body.
Nicolas pondered for a moment, then nodded with a genuine, bright smile:
— Fine, deal. I'll wait.
A cold sweat broke out on Victor's forehead at those words. Nicolas was well over six hundred years old, so he could very well outlive him. A vivid image popped into Victor's head: pitch-black night, a graveyard, and Nicolas digging up his grave with a villainous laugh...
— Alright, stop fooling around! — Perenelle cut off the absurdity. — It's great that this whole situation ended up benefiting Victor, but we still have the issue of his mental state. We need to do everything possible to ensure a breakdown like that never happens again.
Nicolas nodded, then caught the intent stares of Victor and Perenelle on him.
— What? Don't look at me like that! I'm an alchemist, I haven't got the foggiest idea how to fix head problems. I mean, sure, we could bring in someone with extraordinary Legilimency skills to poke around in Victor's brain... But you'd have to cooperate completely, because even Dumbledore admitted he couldn't break through your mental blocks when you were just a kid.
— No, that option is off the table immediately, — Perenelle refused point-blank; she couldn't bear the thought of a stranger intruding into her grandson's mind. Turning to Victor, she noticed a furrowed, deeply thoughtful look on his face: — Victor, don't even think about it! Even if you have absolutely nothing to hide, never let anyone get inside your head.
Victor looked at her and nodded calmly:
— I know, Grandma, I'm not that stupid. I was just thinking... I mean, it sounds completely insane, but still... I think there's a person capable of getting into my head, and she's actually done it already.
Perenelle and Nicolas gaped at him in surprise.
— You know a wizard who is stronger at Legilimency than Albus himself?! — Nicolas asked, stunned.
Victor shook his head:
— No. Not a wizard. She's a Muggle.
— A Muggle?.. — Nicolas narrowed his eyes skeptically at the boy.
Perenelle, however, immediately guessed who he meant—Victor had mentioned that woman to her more than once. His former therapist.
— Abigail Taylor... My dear psychologist, — Victor sighed wistfully. — Hm, looks like I'll have to visit that place after all. Ha-a-ah... I really don't want to go back there.
— What "place"? — Nicolas asked, picking up on Victor's obvious reluctance to go anywhere.
Victor smirked and looked at him:
— My home sweet home. Bethlem Psychiatric Hospital.
— You think she still works there? — Adele chimed in, which made Victor burst out laughing.
— Ha-ha-ha! Oh no, sweetie, she hasn't worked there for a long time... She's a patient there.
— Well now, why am I not in the least bit surprised that your psychologist ended up losing her mind? — Nicolas snorted sardonically, earning a roll of the eyes from Victor.