A faint blue flame ignited at one corner of the diary, then slowly consumed the entire journal. The burning ashes swirled gracefully in the air and gently settled on Sterling's index finger.
A raven tattoo appeared on his finger, and with it, mysterious magical marks began to sprout across his skin.
One of the Thirteen Magics: Stargazing Scholar.
Sterling felt the new magic coursing within his body, and many of his persistent doubts were finally explained.
The magic of the dream world and the waking world were similar yet different because they shared the same fundamental origin. One had developed in the magical world, while the other had evolved in Avalon.
The dream world was Avalon itself. The legendary Promised Land.
Sterling remembered when he received his Hogwarts letter and discovered the Galleon from Maleficent's treasury. According to her, it was payment from a blue-robed wizard from a thousand years ago.
A thousand years ago, a female wizard who favoured blue with magical achievements equivalent to an archmage. That was clearly Ravenclaw herself.
After writing her diary, she had definitely found a way to enter Avalon and somehow obtained one of the Thirteen Magics: Scholar Magic.
This was also the Thirteen Magic that Maleficent believed Sterling was most likely to awaken autonomously.
No wonder Sterling didn't get the equivalent of actual sleep in the "dream world". His talent might be directly projecting his spirit or body to Avalon. Since that was the case, it naturally didn't count as rest.
As for Beedle the Bard, this diary was probably hidden by Ravenclaw herself after returning to Hogwarts, perhaps to provide some answers to future people connected to Avalon.
Beedle the Bard was clearly one of them, quite possibly the only one besides Sterling. His text was likely left after he had gained considerable understanding of Avalon...
Ravenclaw's Chamber. Presumably he had hidden his true legacy there, possibly even with Ravenclaw's personal gifts.
Or perhaps this "Stargazing Scholar" magic was Ravenclaw's gift to future generations?
Sterling channelled his new magic, and a streak of starlight appeared at his fingertips. The light slowly connected to form a constellation, then misty vapours emanated from its centre.
The effect of this magic seemed miraculous to Sterling. It could analyse anything that was "possibly comprehensible".
To put it simply, as long as Sterling had the possibility of analysing something, this magic would let him skip the entire process and get the answer directly, without error.
But if it was something Sterling was completely clueless about, like advanced potions where his knowledge couldn't even touch the basics, Stargazing Scholar couldn't create miracles.
A wonderful magic, and the belief required to learn it was also peculiar. Very different from the hero's "protection" and the dragon's "greed". The scholar needed "arrogance".
The arrogance of firmly believing one could solve everything.
Sterling put away the starlight. He planned to first rest his body. He had been running his magical vision at full capacity while reading the diary, which had put considerable strain on his physical form.
Moreover, so much information needed careful processing.
He walked out from the bookshelves, his mind entirely focused on recalling his experiences in Avalon, not noticing that behind him, a figure slowly emerged from the towering shelves.
It was a short, comically dressed "ghost".
His large face, which usually wore twisted expressions, was unusually emotionless. He watched Sterling leave the bookshelf area, then pulled out a tattered book from his sleeve and stuffed it into a position on the shelf that had recently become empty.
On that book was written in lazy handwriting: "The Tales of Beedle the Bard".
Meanwhile, Sterling, who had returned to his dormitory, couldn't fall asleep.
He tossed and turned restlessly in bed. Learning so much today made it difficult to accept, especially the sense of unease that permeated Ravenclaw's words.
What was Hogwarts protecting? Wizards?
What wanted to harm wizards? It couldn't possibly be Muggles who couldn't perform magic.
And Merlin's reason for sealing Avalon – what exactly was this "mandate"? – these were all unknowns.
He was somewhat afraid.
For the first time, Sterling realised he seemed to bear some burden. Not ordinary responsibilities like fulfilling Andrew's expectations or satisfying readers' appetites, but something far heavier...
Since coming to the magical world, he had repeatedly realised his own specialness.
The most special thing, or rather the source of all his current specialness, was undoubtedly his ability to cross into Avalon.
Going back a thousand years, only Beedle the Bard had this possibility, and Ravenclaw had perhaps briefly achieved it.
That was a span of a thousand years.
Sterling wasn't dim-witted. Being so special, could this possibly be something with all benefits and no harm?
The Four Founders were equally special, and Merlin was even more legendary.
Yet Ravenclaw called them bearers of "mandate".
By extension, Sterling clearly also bore a "mandate" he didn't yet understand.
But he was only a first-year student.
Sterling curled up in bed, missing Andrew far away in London. Their first meeting was on a very quiet night when Andrew found him collapsed in the bushes with a fever and then raised him to the present.
He missed Andrew terribly.
Perhaps he shouldn't have come to the magical world... Everything seemed to start from when he stepped into the magical world, one crisis after another, overwhelming.
Sterling slowly fell asleep, still tightly gripping the milk candy Andrew had given him at their parting at the station.
Falling, falling... when Sterling woke up again, there was no floral fragrance, no birdsong, and behind him wasn't the familiar soil of the Black Forest. A wave of heat slowly spread.
Sterling opened his eyes. The sun hung in the centre of the sky.
Not Maleficent's Black Forest, nor Vivian's fairy garden. He lay on a stone-paved road with a magnificent city in the distance.
He stood up, and familiar magical flames rose around him. Before he could show a joyful smile, the flames died away, leaving only a short note.
"Vivian and I both have to... anyway, for at least a year, we won't be able to meet."
Sterling looked at those words, and his unease grew dramatically.
Now, when he was most panicked and desperately wanted guidance from Maleficent or Vivian, he couldn't contact either of them...
For Sterling, Andrew naturally played the father's role, the strict yet caring Maleficent was his favourite teacher, and Vivian, who indulged all his wilfulness, was like a mother...
Now, he couldn't contact any of them.
Sterling gritted his teeth and left Avalon. It seemed he suddenly couldn't bear it anymore and could only eat the milk candies one by one, as if this could soothe his growing unease.
In Avalon, Vivian and Maleficent emerged from behind a tree, silently watching where Sterling had just been.
Maleficent gripped Vivian's arm tightly.
She spoke with forced acceptance: "The richer the gift received, the greater the mandate to be borne... you know this clearly. Neither you nor I, not even Merlin, can change it."
"But that doesn't mean leaving him completely alone. How old is he now? Maleficent..."
"I was about his age when I was called to the border armies."
Maleficent's voice wasn't as calm as her expression suggested.
"He must let the powers of both hero and dragon flow through him. He must reopen Avalon's gates under the guidance of his mandate. This is prophecy. This is a fixed future."
"From here, from being free of our protection, he must truly understand Avalon's meaning of existence... In the Queen's realm, he will become a hero."
"His story is about to truly begin. The prologue that belonged to you and me is gone forever."
On the other side, Sterling fell into a drowsy sleep.
Outside the window, the wind howled like the opening notes of a grand overture.