"This is the sign!"
I intensified the magical flow toward my head and waited for my consciousness to enter my mind.
But it didn't happen…
"Is the magical power not enough?"
"Or is my body too young?"
Once again, I amplified the flow of magical energy toward my head.
I slowly felt my thoughts drifting away. Furthermore fatigue washed over me.
Gradually, my consciousness faded, leaving me powerless to resist.
When I regained awareness, I opened my eyes and saw a surreal landscape.
Silvery-white lines streaked across the sky.
They moved…
intertwined and branched, constantly reshaping themselves.
Magically, I was walking on water that reflected the silver sky.
"Okay, this must be my so-called Inner Mind."
"But shouldn't the inner mental landscape only manifest in the second stage of Occlumency?"
"Whatever, I'll deal with that later. Let's focus on the mind shields first."
I turned and looked for an irregularity in this beautiful landscape.
To my left, about 25 meters away, floated a translucent white sphere. Lines rotated around the dome, separating its interior from the surrounding landscape.
The translucent white dome is the natural and fundamental protection of the wizard.
This so-called dome is called: Naturalis Mentis Tutela.
The Occlumency shields are an extension of the Naturalis Mentis Tutela, with the dome forming the core.
Within the core reside feelings, personality, and emotions.
The so-called soul.
Reaching the silver-white boundary, I stretched out my hand so it passed through.
I stepped inside and was overtaken by a feeling of security, vulnerability, and warmth.
I saw, smelled and heard images, recordings, odours and voices. They belonged to both my previous life and my current one.
"If this is my soul, shouldn't Aurelius Shafiq's soul also be here?"
"Or…"
"My memories were transferred at six years old, and in reality, I am Aurelius Shafiq."
"Either Aurelius Shafiq's soul lies somewhere in my inner landscape."
"No, I have Aurelius Shafiq's memories, which automatically makes me, according to the Book of Mental Arts, Aurelius Shafiq, since his memories reside in my soul."
In shock, I drifted into trance.
"I am Aurelius Shafiq."
"I am Aur…"
"I am…"
"Holy shit."
Still in trance, I looked around and saw Aurelius' memories—no, my memories.
"Whatever, that's not why I'm here."
I turned my attention to the Naturalis Mentis Tutela and envisioned a green shield forming around the dome.
The strength of Occlumency shields can be gauged by their color:
→ Green: Beginner stage
→ Blue: Intermediate stage
→ Violet: Advanced
→ Black: Master
→ Red: Grandmaster
But not only the quality and quantity of the Occlumency shields can be enhanced.
The inner landscape can also be modified, allowing your imagination to create obstacles for the Legilimens.
Obviously, you can't create an infinite number of obstacles, as the authority to alter the inner landscape grows only with your stage.
At the green stage, you can only make minor adjustments to your inner landscape.
Theoretically, I could create a false dome to confuse an attacker. A Legilimens would see two domes. If they touched the false one, they could pass through it, as it's an illusion.
Since my mental energy is limited, I will initially focus solely on the Occlumency shields, as I intend to defend against Legilimens of Dumbledore/Snape caliber, rather than waste effort on basic defenses that a novice Legilimens could bypass.
Slowly but steadily, a green shield formed around the Naturalis Mentis Tutela.
The strategy mentioned in The Mental Arts was to expand the Occlumency shield in volume and compress it at the end of the session. Over time, the shield would change color, advancing it by one stage.
The denser the Occlumency shield → the higher the stage/color.
I felt my mental capacity beginning to wane, so I began compressing the shield.
At this point, the shield had a diameter of 10 meters.
I stretched my arms, brought them together, and pulled the shield closer. It was harder than I anticipated. The more I compressed it, the harder it became.
I wasn't even halfway done...
At about 4–5 meters, my hands began to tremble, my head throbbed, and a light pressure spread throughout my body.
3 meters
2.5 meters
1 meter
0.5 meters
From here, my entire body shook and sweated. It became increasingly difficult to control my hands and maintain the Occlumency shields.
But if I let go now, all my effort would be wasted.
With the last of my strength, I brought my hands together, compressing the shield.
Exhausted, I collapsed to my knees, sweat streaming down my forehead and arms.
"How can one even sweat inside their own mind?"
Shivering, I left my soul and examined my newly formed Occlumency shield.
A bright green aura framed my soul, with a blue shimmer occasionally appearing within the green.
I ran my fingers through my wet hair and sighed.
"I'll have to do this for two hours every day."
"Annoying."
I refocused on my body, specifically the magical flow in my head, and drew it back into my magical core.
"That should return me to the real world."
And it did.
My surroundings shifted. I felt my body again: the soft carpet beneath me, the chirping birds in the garden, and the ticking of the clock in my room.
Quickly, I shook out my stiff limbs and dashed to the bathroom to shower.
I set the water to 30°C and let it cascade over my pale body.
While picking up an artifact equivalent to soap, I examined my pale, childlike fingers, which still felt strange to me.
Suddenly, my head throbbed painfully.
I slowly massaged my temples, easing the pain.
"Oh yes, the side effects…"
They were supposed to appear only if I practiced Occlumency for more than two hours.
I left the bathroom, dressed, and checked the time.
3:45 p.m.
Time seems to pass faster in the inner mind…
At the edge of my consciousness, I could sense my Occlumency shields—always ready to protect my inner thoughts.
What lingered in my mind was why my inner landscape had already manifested.
It's supposed to manifest only at the advanced stage, when the Occlumency shields turns violet.
"Maybe I'll find more in the book The Mental Arts."
I opened the table of contents to find a chapter relevant to my situation.
With my finger, I scanned the chapters:
"Possible Side Effects of Emotion Suppression"
"Possible Side Effects of Splitting the Mind"
"Occlumency Over Time"
"Blessing and Curse: Natural Occlumens"
"Natural Occlumens?"
This must be it.
My pale fingers flipped to the chapter: Blessing and Curse: Natural Occlumens.
Magic is a wondrous gift. I can still remember the first time I held a wand. The feeling can only be described as euphoric. The feats I could perform as a fourth maturated wizard were incredible, terrifying, but above all, beautiful.
However, one must not forget the means required to cast powerful spells.
Since first year, we learned that intention, imagination, magical power, and emotions play a critical role in spellcasting.
The more mature a wizard, the more emotions contribute to casting powerful spells.
Many wizards are unaware and take it for granted that emotions can be channeled to enhance magic.
However, a small portion of wizards lack this ability. They are called "Natural Occlumens."
Centuries ago, mental scientists created the concept of the inner landscape to remain focused in battle.
By suppressing their emotions, wizards can make rational and objective decisions without being overwhelmed by feelings that could cloud their judgement. While they can still sense emotions and channel them into spells, they no longer control them; they simply become tools for enhancing magic.
Wizards who suppressed their emotions too often could barely access them afterwards, relying solely on rationality. It would take decades of refraining from using the inner landscape to suppress emotions before they could gradually regain normal emotional perception.
Alas! A very small proportion of their descendants suffered consequences...
Today, they are called: Natural Occlumens.
Their inner landscape manifests at birth, preventing them from generating emotions spontaneously. This doesn't mean they feel nothing, only that they cannot produce emotions from nothing—they require a strong natural reaction.
Natural Occlumens are cursed: they cannot channel spells through emotions, relying instead on intention, imagination, and magical power. Since advanced spells often require emotions to reach full potential (e.g., the Patronus, a fourth maturation spell), Natural Occlumens can never achieve their full potential.
On the other hand, they are extremely talented in mental sciences and possess incredible intellect.
In summary, natural Occlumens are both cursed and blessed. When one appears, they often provide new insights into magical theory and revolutionize our understanding of magic. Despite their revolutionary contributions, they are often misunderstood as "emotionless."
This is false: Natural Occlumens can feel love and compassion for close family. Though their emotions for other matters may be muted, they are still feeling wizards. Nevertheless, they are more likely to delve into dark arts, and should be treated with careful respect.
".."
"So I can never reach my full potential as a wizard?"
Annoyed, I slammed the book shut and placed it on my desk.
Frustrated, I ran my hands through my silver hair and paced the room.
"So emotions are denied to me in this world too."
"Why, why, WHY?!"
I laughed ironically at the fate—or whoever brought me here—cursing me again.
I tried to feel anything other than emptiness in my chest, but it was futile…
Suddenly, an unfamiliar feeling arose…
My pulse quickened, and I felt… anger?
As quickly as it appeared, it vanished.
I took a deep breath to calm my racing thoughts.
I sat at my desk, interlaced my fingers, and closed my eyes.
"According to Orion Black, four aspects are important for magic:"
"Intention, imagination, emotions, and magical power."
For me, the aspect of emotions is gone.
That leaves three aspects: intention, imagination, and magical power.
Therefore, I must maximize these three or find an alternative solution to my handicap.
I took a sheet of parchment and a quill and wrote down my ideas to circumvent my limitation.
First possible solution:
Maximize the three remaining aspects. By exploiting them in detail, the loss of the fourth could be compensated.
Magical control and reserves can be improved, reducing the need to channel emotions, as magical power compensates.
Focus additionally on precise imagination and intention. With this body's enhanced intelligence and improved cognitive abilities through Occlumency, it should be possible…
Though insufficient for spells like the Patronus, which rely heavily on emotion.
Second possible solution:
Through progress in mental sciences, it may be possible to heal my condition. Research into the inner landscape could reveal the cause.
Disadvantage: Only feasible in the distant future due to time required.
Third possible solution:
Use artifacts to compensate for weaknesses. Research alchemy, runes, and rituals. Avoid dark magic for now, due to lack of information.
I set aside my quill, rolled up the parchment, and stood.
The first two solutions are my preference.
Relying on borrowed artifacts feels distasteful.
But if no other choice exists, so be it.
I had two options: go to the library or practice wandless magic.
Obviously, I chose the latter—it was more enjoyable and relieved my oppressive thoughts.
I stood in the center of my room, raised my hand, focused on the magical core in my chest, and let the flow run to my hand. My hand warmed, and the pillow I pointed at began to levitate.
I pulled the pillow toward me, letting it orbit around me.
"Can I make a second object float?"
I raised my right hand, opened my palm, and directed magical flow into it.
It worked…
I was completely lost in the moment.
The two pillows circled around me.
I was so absorbed that I didn't notice dizziness or the darkness creeping into my vision.
"Magic is truly fascinating," I thought.
Suddenly, I fell to my knees.
Red liquid streamed down my face.
*Drip* *Drip*
It flowed onto the carpet, staining the floor red.
"Blood? I must have overexerted myself."
Distracted, I wiped my eyes and held my left hand to my nose.
"Hm?"
"My eyes are bleeding?"
I sighed and leaned back to the bathroom.
In the mirror, a 6–7-year-old boy with silver hair and sky-blue eyes stared back.
Blood flowed from both sides of his sky-blue eyes, giving him a macabre appearance. Not to mention… blood streamed from his nose…
"Oh God… or should I say Merlin now?"
Quickly, I grabbed towels I usually used for my face and held them to my face.
10 minutes later
Finally, the last drops of blood were cleaned in the bathroom.
In my previous life, I often had nosebleeds. Always in the shower, starting when washing my face and stopping only after ten minutes.
I threw the third blood-red towel in the laundry, the last one.
In the mirror, I looked again. No blood-red tears streamed from my eyes. Except that my eyes had a faint red shimmer, as if from too much crying, I appeared normal.
As I left the bathroom, I noticed blood on the carpet by the bed.
"This can't be solved with a towel."
I had no choice.
"Billy!" I called.
With a *plop*, the house-elf appeared, thoroughly brainwashed.
"How can Billy help you, Young Master?"
"I slipped on the floor and hit my nose. Got a brief nosebleed."
I pointed at the red spot on the carpet, and Billy's eyes widened.
"Oh, are you alright, Young Master? Should Billy fetch a healing potion? Lady Shafiq will be angry. Billy should call her immediately."
"No, no, Billy, that won't be necessary."
"Since you insist, I will fetch a healing potion for you."
Hesitantly, he nodded and muttered: "Yes, Young Master is right, Billy should not visit Lady Shafiq, she would be angry."
Before Billy could Apparate away, I asked, "Could you clean the red stain on the carpet? I would've done it myself, but… no wand yet."
"Of course, Young Master, Billy will handle it immediately."
Billy approached the stain and traced it with his long finger. The red slowly faded to a golden beige.
With a loud plop, he vanished.
"What a pitiable, naive creature," I muttered.
I accepted the potion, as the effects of magical overexertion were unfamiliar. Consuming it would heal all potential harmful effects.
But, that wasn't the only reason.
I mean, who wouldn't want a healing potion in hand? This opportunity would likely only occur in potion class, in five years…
Also, Billy probably wouldn't accept it if I refused.
Worst case, he calls my mother, escalating the situation.
*Sigh* "The pros and cons of impulsive emotions."
Billy reappeared with a pale-green potion, the so-called "healing potion."
"Here, Young Master, a blood-restoring potion. It should compensate for your blood loss and has a minor sanctifying effect."
I replied with a forced smile: "Thank you, that's very kind of you, Billy."
Billy blushed bright red and stammered: "O-of course, y-young m-master, it's an h-honor for Billy."
He disappeared quickly, the *plop* sounding almost like *bam*.
As he vanished, my smile faded back to neutral.
I examined the blood-restoring potion.
Inside was a pale green liquid, swirling clockwise. Bright white particles shimmered within. A tiny vortex in the center pulled from top to bottom.
"Is this a natural magical phenomenon… or was it magically added to keep the potion fresh?"
I shook my head and carried the potion back to the bathroom.
I opened the silver cap.
Pale green smoke rose, filling the bathroom. Small white particles tickled my cheeks, floating randomly.
A strong aroma filled my nose.
Powerful herbs and a… a faint metallic taste.
"Metallic taste? Could that be blood?"
"No one actually put blood in it… right?"
"Whatever, let's finish this."
I inhaled and brought the potion to my lips.
An herbal flavor exploded in my mouth, suspiciously tasting more like blood with each sip. I drank until empty.
A metallic taste lingered.
I rinsed my mouth quickly, dulling the metallic taste.
Looking in the mirror, I noticed a difference.
My blood-red eyes, veined with red, were gone.
Crystal blue eyes emerged.
My pale, lifeless skin regained its normal complexion, ...although to be honest it was still very pale.
The mental exhaustion from Occlumency was gone.
"The wonders of magic."
An excited smile spread across my face…