Amidst the tumultuous vortex, Evan's body remained protected by the golden-red magic barrier, which vibrated violently. He hadn't called upon the Philosopher's Stone for strength but relied solely on his magical power to withstand the surrounding turbulence. Although it was a struggle, he clenched his teeth and persisted, believing he could, too, if great wizards could endure such ordeals. The formidable strength around him, a blend of natural forces and strange magical energies, roared mercilessly. Evan followed the whirlpool's descent, not reaching the seabed but crossing through a passage into a new world.
Even though he had seen images of this place in Ravenclaw's memory, Evan found the current scene astonishing and awe-inspiring. Above him was the structure of the great whirlpool's entrance, while to the side was a massive dike made of brown rock, resembling an underground cavity.
However, it was far from ordinary. His attention was drawn to a gap in the distant dike, and to his disbelief, he saw not rocks or soil beyond it but the universe itself. A ribbon-like structure, constructed of pale blue and deep purple magical energies, extended into the distance, resembling two Milky Ways. At the gap, the aurora shifted continuously, creating a mesmerizing display. Beyond that, countless stars twinkled in the background, their radiant light filling the space.
In this strange and surreal space, the seawater and crushed stones that had entered with Evan seemed to lose their gravitational pull. They floated gently in the air, drifting toward the gap in the dike and into the bizarre universe. Evan's vision followed the ever-changing scene.
Among the debris, Evan noticed what appeared to be ancient, ruined structures resembling buildings from the Northern European region of Denmark from a millennium ago. Then, he witnessed a massive star soaring through the void.
The spectacle was beyond imagination, and Evan's eyes fixed on the scene as he descended slowly. Beneath him, the ground was composed of fine silver sand with small, exquisite grains that felt soft and comfortable.
After a few minutes, Evan reluctantly lowered his gaze and continued to descend. Beneath the gap, at the end of the underground cavern, he saw an ancient relic—an enormous stone door. It resembled the temple front door he had seen in the sunken city, carved with depictions of celestial bodies and time. However, it was intact.
Filled with a sense of reverence, Evan stepped forward. This was the Temple of Time, and its grandeur in its prime could be inferred from its current scale. Passing through the massive stone door and a winding corridor, Evan followed the high and deep path until he reached a large, arched hall. A gaping hole in the ceiling allowed the ever-changing aurora from above to filter in, illuminating a semicircular alcove giving Evan a surreal sense of timelessness.
The idol that once stood in the alcove was now absent, replaced by a complex and finely crafted hourglass. This hourglass was exceptionally large, standing five times Evan's height. Inside it, the silver sand continuously fell, accumulating at the bottom. By the hourglass, the Ministry of Magic had placed inscriptions and protective enchantments on the giant stone flagstone. The inscriptions were in both Italian and English, explaining the origin of the hourglass.
Evan approached and examined it, learning that this hourglass was known as the "Zero Hour Confounder." It was designed to make time vanish at zero hour, and each grain of sand represented one second. When all the sand had fallen, it signified the conclusion of the day. At zero hour, it automatically reset, signifying the start of a new day.
In history, the Italian Ministry of Magic had relocated the hourglass to study its magical properties and operation, but when they left this place, it lost its magical function, becoming an ordinary hourglass with inaccuracies in keeping time. Reluctantly, they had to return it to this cavern. This magical artifact accurately measured time and held the secret of this magical space. However, Evan was not the only one intrigued by this enigmatic magic.
As the cavern contained no other valuable objects, fewer and fewer wizards ventured here in recent years. Like many ancient magical relics, everything of value had been removed, leaving only the awe-inspiring natural landscape behind. Evan explored the entire cavern but found no clues to the secrets hidden within.
He returned to the hourglass, knowing the entire vestige would change when it reached zero hours, revealing secrets a simple magic circle could not explain. The countdown lasted for twenty-four minutes, and Evan observed the sand grains steadily falling during that time. As the last grain fell, the hourglass emitted a dazzling golden-yellow light.
Two complex and overlapping magical runes appeared, causing all the sand to levitate and return to the top. In an instant, the reset was complete. Simultaneously, the dim light in the cavern grew brighter.
Evan raised his head, and just as the written materials had described, he saw the sun appearing at the gap in the dike. The sun rose rapidly, and its brilliance increased. Over the next twenty-four minutes, the entire cavern would undergo a simulated day-night cycle, representing a full twenty-four hours.
When Evan finally lowered his gaze, he realized he was no longer in the ruins of towering stone structures but had been transported to an impressive temple.
Time continued to flow, and around Evan, the remnants of the ruined buildings were gradually restored to their former glory. Before him stood a circular hall with jade steps, grand columns, sloping eaves, and intricate relief decorations. This was the Temple of Time during its prosperous era.
In front of Evan, a green jade path extended outward, bathed in a gentle magical light. To his left, all the buildings and reliefs were crafted from obsidian, symbolizing the dark night. To his right, the main structures were white marble, representing daytime and light.
The hall walls featured hollow niches every few steps, each housing towering statues, more than fifty feet tall, displaying various poses and expressions. On the right, Evan examined the relief closest to him, depicting a young girl in armor. She appeared to be around ten years old, with lifelike features. Her pure white skin resembled ivory, and her garments seemed to be made of gold. She held a slender, fiery blade, emitting a red glow as if it were aflame. Her hair and eyes matched the color of her weapon—crimson.
The girl possessed an aura of guarding and solemnity as if she were the protector of this temple and its sacred legacy. This relief alone was a priceless work of art, to say nothing of the other impressive decorations. To have one's statue carved in this place was the greatest honor, and each statue had an accompanying legendary tale.
As Evan continued to explore the hall, he noticed a winding corridor surrounded by dozens of massive stone columns. Within this corridor was a rectangular fountain. The water reflected the sunlight from the entrance, casting a golden glow illuminating the main hall.
Suddenly, what had just been parallel to Evan—the hourglass—reappeared.
Under the influence of magical power, the sand inside the hourglass moved from left to right, with one grain falling for each second, just as it had when it stood inverted.
Above the hourglass, the vaulted sky depicted celestial bodies arranged around the crack in the peak of the dike.
Evan turned around, and instead of the hourglass, he now faced a massive pedestal. He expected to find a sculpted idol or some other object atop it, but there was nothing—except for one thing.
Evan blinked in surprise. On the pedestal was a pale blue Time-Turner, undoubtedly the same one he had found in Ravenclaw's secret room. It had brought him back to this place, to the time of the past, thousands of years ago.
Evan reached out to grasp it, but his hand passed through it effortlessly. Everything here was an apparition—nothing existed in the real world. Evan stared at the Time-Turner, his breath quickening. He knew he had used this Time-Turner before, but the mystery of how it had ended up here in this temple and how Ravenclaw had obtained it remained unsolved.
Evan had many questions but no one to provide answers. He attempted to use the flagstone and Ravenclaw's royal Diadem he had brought from the sunken city to communicate with this magic, but there was no response. He couldn't decipher the secret hidden here.
Evan even wondered if everything he saw was merely an illusion created by the temple, allowing future generations to glimpse the grandeur of the temple's past.
As Evan continued to inspect the detailed sculptures around him, time in the cavern passed swiftly. Twelve minutes elapsed, and in the crack of the dike, the sun completed its cycle from sunrise to sunset. Countless stars appeared above the temple.
When the ethereal starlight reached the Ravenclaw royal Diadem, the Diadem itself made a sudden change. The raven at the center of the Diadem came to life, holding the Diadem in its beak, spreading its wings, and placing the Diadem upon Evan's head. The Diadem and the raven merged, and as they did, Evan stumbled back under the impact.
"Can you wear the royal Diadem now?" a voice asked.
Evan looked up and saw a silver-haired youth smiling. He wore a simple Vine Wood necklace and loose Ancient Greek attire, appearing around thirteen or fourteen years old. What shocked Evan most was that this youth bore an uncanny resemblance to himself.
Evan carefully studied the boy, feeling like he was looking into a mirror.
"It's been a while, Evan Mason," the youth said gently. "Under the arrangement of destiny, we meet again. I tried to communicate with you earlier, but you seemed lost in time. I couldn't catch your attention with my current abilities. Luckily, Rowena Ravenclaw was wise enough to leave behind a real-time demonstration of magic in her royal Diadem. She was truly an intelligent witch."
"Who are you?" Evan asked, still bewildered. "Do we know each other? How do you know my name, and why do you look exactly like me?"
Everything about this encounter was perplexing. The youth before him bore his appearance down to the finest detail, and his speaking was unsettling.
"Sorry, I got ahead of myself. This is actually our first meeting," the youth replied. "As for my name, in the long history of your kind, I have had many names. The Oynyan wizards called me the God of Time, Saturn, but I prefer when magic calls me by my true name—Titan Kronos."
The youth paused before continuing, "As for your other questions—why I look like you and how I know your name—those are easier to explain. I have a fixed form, or perhaps it's an appearance that humans can comprehend. I thought this form would facilitate better communication with you. But if it's unfamiliar to you, I can change into something else..."
With that, the youth's body began to transform rapidly, like someone taking Polyjuice Potion, melting and reshaping. In an instant, he took on the appearance of Hermione...