In the Middle Ages, the sky was untouched by pollution. On a clear, sparsely clouded night, the stars were dazzlingly numerous.
Large cities were few and far between, so aside from the moon and stars, there were very few light sources in the night sky.
A small, withered old man in a black robe, holding a staff made of withered wood in his left hand, shuffled slowly across the dark wasteland.
He occasionally glanced up at the sky with a look of desolation, then stared blankly at the ground for a moment before continuing his slow, plodding march. His black robe seemed to be woven from dark mist. As he walked, his feet were invisible, making him look like a lonely ghost drifting over the desolate plains.
Desolate and lonely. That was his state. Every so often, a wisp of the black mist forming his robe would detach and dissipate into the night sky. Each time this happened, his figure became slightly more hunched, his aura more aged. It was as if his very life force was evaporating along with the mist.
However, at a certain moment during his endless walk, the entire world seemed to shudder. Or at least, the walking old man felt a distinct tremor.
That single tremor changed everything. The black mist that was about to dissipate suddenly surged back into his body. More black mist from the surrounding night began to gather around him.
Within moments, the mist solidified into a tangible black robe. He seemed to grow slightly taller. Although he was still an old man, he now looked hale and hearty, no longer a wandering spirit on the verge of fading away.
"The southern portal... a crack has opened!"
"Over a thousand years... I never thought I would have another chance to live."
The black-robed elder spoke with trembling excitement. As his voice faded, his entire body transformed into a streak of black smoke that shot into the sky and flew south.
If Rey could see this old man's method of travel, he would have been shocked. It was the same unsupported flight used by Voldemort and his Death Eaters in the movies. Except this old man performed it faster and with more mystery.
South. Toward the great city of London.
While torches blazed in the city's castle, a lonely bonfire burned prominently within the ancient stone circle outside the city limits.
Flying through the sky, the elder immediately spotted Rey sitting by the fire beneath the massive stones.
"It's true. The portal has been partially repaired."
"Incomplete, but sufficient to sustain my existence." The black-robed elder muttered to himself upon seeing Stonehenge, then descended.
He saw the protective charms surrounding the stones. And he saw Rey sitting inside by the fire. But just as he observed the boy, he triggered a flicker of alertness in him.
Sitting by the fire, Rey suddenly touched the hot, hard lump on his neck and looked warily out into the darkness beyond the barrier.
"Sharp little fellow!"
The elder was surprised. He had landed in the shadows, well outside the firelight. Rey shouldn't have been able to see him, yet the boy sensed his presence.
---
Surprises were coming one after another.
A smile spread across the elder's face. To go from a fading ghost to a fully corporeal being in an instant was a stroke of incredible luck.
The ancient Stonehenge portal hadn't been fully restored, but enough dark energy was leaking from it to let him cling to life in this world.
Even luckier, he found a young wizard near the portal who harbored a dormant seed of dark power within him.
"Desire's Lure."
The black-robed elder whispered the incantation in his mind. He pointed his withered staff, and a wisp of black mist drifted from its tip.
The mist gathered, forming a swirling vortex in the air.
The vortex drifted slowly toward the protective barrier. Inside, Rey saw a black unicorn appear.
"Come now. Let me see... what is it that you desire most in this moment?"
The elder watched excitedly as the vortex reached the edge of the barrier. He saw the surprise and delight on Rey's face. He didn't know exactly what Rey was seeing, but it was undoubtedly the thing Rey wanted most.
He could only deduce the nature of the vision from Rey's expressions and words.
If not for the protective barrier, the elder would have simply walked in, grabbed the boy, and used Legilimency to rip the answers from his mind.
But the barrier forced him to be patient.
"A black unicorn!"
Based on Rey's reaction, the elder quickly deduced the vision.
A black unicorn. A very rare creature indeed. The elder stared at the stone circle, lost in memory for a moment.
If that black unicorn had hellfire burning beneath its hooves, it would have had a different name: Yan Ti (Flame Hoof).
Yan Ti was the mount gifted to him by Satan, the Lord of Hell. Over a thousand years ago, he had ridden Yan Ti out of this very stone circle.
"This damn protective charm!"
Snapping out of his reverie, the elder cursed under his breath. Rey had just retreated from the edge of the barrier, realizing someone was there.
---
"Since you won't answer, suit yourself!"
Rey spoke casually, intending to bait the hidden observer into revealing themselves. He wasn't entirely sure anyone was there; it was just a hunch.
However, after Rey's nonchalant remark, someone actually walked out of the darkness.
An energetic old man, about 1.6 meters tall, holding a withered staff in his left hand. A long black robe covered his entire body, dragging on the ground. Only his staff-holding hand and his head were visible.
Rey watched as the man walked up to the "unicorn" and stroked its horn. The unicorn obediently turned and melted back into the night.
"Someone actually took the bait!"
Rey frowned. The old man looked ordinary enough. But anyone appearing here in the middle of the night, commanding a fake unicorn to leave, was definitely bad news.
Moreover, Rey sensed a dark magical signature radiating from the old man—one that felt disturbingly similar to the sealed lump on his neck.
"It's cold out here. May I come in and warm myself by the fire?"
The old man spoke with a slightly stiff smile, his tone polite but eerie.
However, as soon as the words left his mouth, Rey almost burst out laughing. He managed to hold it in, but his face contorted weirdly as he stifled the urge. The line reminded him too much of a cliché movie villain: "It's a long, dark night... won't you invite me in?"
"Who are you?"
Suppressing his laughter, Rey called out. Letting this old ghost in was out of the question. Rey wasn't stupid. But there was no need to refuse immediately. If he could extract some information first, that would be ideal.
"My name is Caractacus Burke. Just a traveling wizard." The black-robed elder nodded, smiling.
"Burke..."
Rey muttered the name. It didn't ring any bells from the books or movies he remembered. But the guy was undoubtedly a Dark Wizard.
Rey looked like an eleven-year-old child. Caractacus Burke clearly underestimated his intelligence, assuming he was just a kid left behind by adults. Burke deduced that the powerful protective charms must have been cast by the adult wizards traveling with the boy. Even with his restored strength, Burke couldn't find a single crack in the barrier, which proved the caster was formidable.
He had to trick the boy into coming out before the adults returned. He needed this child with the trace of dark power. He wanted to mold this boy into a Dark Wizard who would fill the world with darkness.
Caractacus Burke's deductions were mostly correct, but he made one fatal error.
Rey wasn't a child. He was an adult soul. Seeing Burke treating him like a naive kid, Rey decided to play along.
Kids are simple creatures. If you want to lure one away, you have to offer some candy.
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