Twilight melted over the lattice window like liquid gold, casting soft, blurred light across Adam's face. The lingering warmth on his cheeks stirred him, and his eyelids fluttered as he slowly woke.
In the corner of his vision, a streak of gold and red flashed across the distant horizon, leaving behind a faint crimson glow.
"You're finally awake," said Ariana, a girl in a pale blue dress, crouching beside him. Her golden eyes shimmered with worry.
Seeing Adam open his eyes, her tense shoulders relaxed, and she let out a soft sigh. The silver bells woven into her hair jingled faintly with her movement.
"Ariana? How did I end up here?" Adam frowned, trying to sit up, but a strange sensation stopped him.
Looking down, he saw his arm cloaked in a translucent shimmer, the ground beneath faintly visible.
His entire body felt as light as if he were floating on delicate clouds, unreal and weightless, like standing on air.
"Because you're dead," a ghostly voice murmured in his ear.
Lady Elena, dressed in a flowing white robe, stood behind him, her hem brushing the ground silently without picking up a speck of dust. She reached out to pinch his cheek.
Adam instinctively tried to dodge, but her slender hand passed right through him, a sight both startling and eerie.
"I don't know what you went through in that other world," Elena said with a hint of exasperation, "but you've drained your magic and even overdrawn your soul. Now you're stuck as a ghost."
Ariana's eyes welled with misty tears. She covered her face with her hands, sobbing softly.
Her shoulders trembled with each breath, the ribbon in her hair swaying gently.
"Oh, come on, I'm young, but you can't treat me like I'm that naive," Adam said, rolling his eyes at the two "drama queens."
If he hadn't noticed the faint smirk tugging at Elena's lips or the barely concealed laughter peeking through Ariana's fingers, he might've actually believed them.
"I knew we couldn't fool little Adam," Ariana said, dropping her hands. Her feigned grief and sadness vanished, replaced by a bored expression as she turned to complain to Elena.
"Can't you play along a bit?" Elena said, frowning in mock irritation and pointing at Adam.
Ignoring the annoyance in her cool gaze, Adam walked to the edge of the garden lake, studying his reflection.
The twilight draped the shore in a veil of soft light, his figure in the calm water blurred, as if hovering on the boundary between light and shadow.
"What's happening to me?" Adam muttered to himself.
Elena's playful expression faded, her face turning serious as she gazed at him.
"This is your soul state. I was joking earlier, but you've really overtaxed your magic, and it's affected your soul to some extent."
She paused, then continued, "You used some dangerous magic out there. Fire elements have nearly fused with your magic. I always thought you were in a safe environment…"
Adam sighed, covering his face with his hands and interrupting her.
"Everything was safe out there until I started messing with that noseless freak," he said.
He recounted what had happened, earning two pairs of resentful eyes sizing him up.
"I'm starting to regret teaching you magic," Elena muttered, rubbing her brow.
Still, she calmly explained the key principles of the spell, her brow furrowing slightly toward the end.
A light rain of fire drifted above the lake, and she stared at the torrent of fire elements roiling in the air, her voice low.
"This spell is indeed powerful."
Her gaze, reflecting the orange-red glow, lingered on Adam's ethereal form for a moment.
"But with your current magical strength and soul resilience, forcing this spell is like…"
She drew a warning red line in the air, and the roaring sea of fire exploded into countless pale red sparks.
"…blindly embracing natural elements. If there's even a hint of backlash, it'd be like dozens of trolls tap-dancing on your magic until it affects your soul."
"You can try constructing runic patterns in your mind and lowering your magical output to gain better control over the spell. Remember, a true wizard guides their magic, not the other way around."
Adam nodded obediently, then asked softly, "But when I build the magical circuit, the fire elements gather around me. They help smooth out the magical turbulence and even form the diamond patterns needed for the runes."
Elena nodded approvingly, a silver arc of light flashing before her as she sketched half a runic cycle in the air, a faint smile on her lips.
"Exactly. Natural elements can amplify spells, and the caster's emotions can indirectly affect them too."
"Some spells require malice or killing intent to work properly, like the Unforgivable Curses—take the Killing Curse, Avada Kedavra. Wizards using such dark magic might even find their minds warped by it."
Adam's eyes lit up, but before he could speak, Elena pressed a hand over his mouth.
To his surprise, the warmth of her palm registered clearly on his soul-state self, the tangible sensation startling him.
"Quiet. Don't ask. I won't teach you," she said, her tone a mix of exasperation and resolve. After a pause, she added, "I don't want to be branded a villain in the wizarding world after I've passed on."
She tapped his forehead lightly, and a sudden wave of rejection surged through him.
It felt like being swept into a raging torrent of magic, the blurred line between worlds trembling again. Countless realms seemed to overlap and split before his eyes.
"Alright, my little apprentice," Elena said with a playful wink, her smile carrying deep anticipation and a trace of mischievous delight. "I'm looking forward to seeing how you do at Hogwarts—especially at the Sorting."
When Adam came to, he was back in reality, as if everything had been a vivid dream, with faint echoes lingering in the air.
A girl with wine-red hair lay asleep by his bedside, her soft cheeks squished into a cute curve, her brow slightly furrowed. She mumbled unconsciously, drool slipping from her lips to leave a small wet spot on the sheets.
"Adam… don't steal my chocolate cake…"
He lowered his head, feeling the delicate texture of the sheets under his palm, and finally exhaled in relief.
Amy the cat, curled up under the bed, let out a soft meow at the noise, rousing Fawkes from a feigned nap. The phoenix opened its eyes briefly before vanishing in a burst of flames.
"You're recovering well," Dumbledore said, appearing suddenly by the bookshelf, dressed in moon-white pajamas and a lopsided nightcap, as if freshly woken from a dream. He smiled warmly at Adam.
The scent of baking bread and melting butter wafted up from the kitchen below.
Hearing the commotion, rapid footsteps echoed on the wooden stairs. Tina and Newt burst in, Tina's apron strings still swaying, her fingers clutching the hem, creasing it deeply.
Seeing Adam awake, the worry and fear on their faces melted into smiles.
"Little Adam, you're finally awake!" Tina said. "We were so worried you'd miss tonight's Sorting Ceremony."
"Huh…?"
Shirley, still groggy with a tuft of hair sticking up, lifted her head in confusion.
Realizing everyone was staring at her, her cheeks flushed red, her ears turning as bright as ripe gooseberries. Without hesitation, she dove toward Adam.
"I thought you were going to turn into a ghost…"
Adam gently pushed her away, her "emotional" hug suspiciously doubling as a chance to wipe her drool on his clothes.
"How long was I out?" he asked.
Dumbledore gestured to the ticking copper clock on the wall, a warm smile glinting behind his half-moon glasses.
"You've got less than three hours before the Hogwarts Express leaves. If you pack now, you might just make it."