*****
Unknown when, unknown at what time. Room of Requirement. Ancient Hogwarts Castle.
The darkness enveloped, gave peace, solitude. In its embrace you forget about everything: problems, people, dreams, ideas, urgent matters - all this goes into the background, even into the third plan. Because now, at this very moment, there is something much more important, all-encompassing, in front of you. True Darkness.
Thoughts froze, stopping their flow of time. It seemed that nothing could make them complete their course. However, nothing is eternal, as is this downtime. Slowly, in the depths of my soul, a "spark ignited." Its appearance marked the beginning of my awakening.
Slowly, as if reluctantly (although this is true) my mind, soul, the very essence, began to awaken from the "age-long" sleep. A slight impulse from the depths of the Mind made the "frozen" thoughts begin to move, generating new ones, destroying the old ones. Behind them, as if in a routine manner, the body began to awaken. The flow of prana began to pick up its usual speed, perhaps even exceeding its previous "normal" limits. As if by a click, the body woke up, and with this, self-consciousness again took its former place.
Feeling. What are my feelings? An unprecedented lightness took over my body, mind, and soul. There was no otherworldly heaviness that had previously weighed on me. It was as if she had evaporated, freeing me from my shackles.
The mind worked with its usual speed and fluidity, generating more and more ideas. However, not forgetting to implement the old ones.
However, only one thought was beating in my head: What happened to me? I clearly remembered how the body had crossed its limits, and with it the rest of the soul's shells. For the sake of survival, I had not just squeezed all the juices out of myself, I had stepped over the forbidden line, pushing myself into the depths of the abyss called Death. It was closer than ever, if not from the hungry jaws of a breach into the void, then from the banal "burning" of my soul.
Gradually, I began to feel the jitters of what I had experienced. Wave after wave of emotion, going beyond the bounds of what was permitted, engulfed my mind. You never know, they would completely drown me under them. However, right at that moment, a temporarily forgotten emotion came to the rescue of my mental state - a chilling rage. Its "streams" immediately cooled my head, once again giving me unforgettable clarity of thought.
My subconscious helpfully threw up images of what almost made me leave this world. The spirit of the room, who had received much more power than he should have, driven by motives known only to him. Whatever moved him, even "bright ideas," there is no forgiveness for this. He will pay. Not now, he doesn't have the strength yet, but later… I will make him suffer.
Slowly opening my eye and turning over onto my back (and up until that moment I was lying on my stomach, apparently, as my strength left me, I fell face down), I stared at the distant ceiling. Multi-colored runes, like stars, sparkled brightly in the "heavens". A beautiful and mesmerizing place. The best place to think about everything that happened to me. And also to analyze the consequences of what happened.
What do we have? First, the metaphysical shackles that fell off me were actually such. A brief meditation showed that the anomaly had stopped drawing energy from the mer. Now all three types of energy were going strictly to the needs of my soul.
Speaking of the anomaly, its appearance had changed again. Now it reminded me even more of the "schematic" image of the "unknown" gift. Now it even more resembled a fog, dark in color, that was absorbing itself. So, the anomaly was actually my gift. Now all that was left was to find out what it represented?
Second, I didn't notice any harmful effects on my body. Although I clearly remembered how my body had aged under the influence of "Equal Exchange". True, I haven't tried to touch mana and prana yet. Something bothers me, but what?
Third, the Spirit's action. It is as clear as daylight that he will not stop harming me and trying to kill me. It is good that he can do this only within certain limits. But this does not make it any easier. I can only gain knowledge here, which means I will have to confront him again (and more than once).
Of course, the most "logical" and "correct" thing would be to forget about the library. However, I cannot do this. There is so much knowledge here, knowledge about Magic, that my whole nature is against forgetting about it. I need this knowledge, there is no other way.
From all this it follows that the next exam will have to be prepared much more strictly. After all, on the agenda is a five-star apprentice (of course, first the previous stages, but I do not believe that the spirit will not "combine" several exams at once. And therefore the next step is five stars) in Metamorphism and Healing, and a little later in Mind Magic. Perhaps, for now, all efforts should be directed to one school, and only then to another. And something tells me that I should take up Mind magic. It will be able to strengthen my mental abilities, which will have a favorable effect on my "strengthening" in other schools.
*Sigh* Okay, I've been putting this off for a long time, but perhaps it's time to get to the most important part.
Closing my eyes again, I opened them again, but this time "inside" myself. The first thing to do is to thoroughly examine the soul. Maybe she can tell me what exactly is eating me?
Over the next half hour I was able to figure out the following. The first - the seventh shell, as well as the second, received an incredible boost to their development. The highways of mana channels, its branching, the speed of production, the density of energies, their purity, all of these became thirty percent (actually a difference. For example, the density is fifteen percent. The branching of the magical body is all fifty) stronger than before the test. Moreover, I clearly felt how my whole body "gave off" the taste of space. Apparently the surge of mana that seeped from the torn magical body into the physical could not help but affect him. It was as if my two "bodies" had undergone a kind of baptism, after which they "became akin" to space itself. It is unknown what this will affect in the future. However, I hope there will be no complications.
Despite all this, I understood that nothing is taken for free. Equivalent Exchange is relevant as never before, I know this firsthand. Why such changes? According to all predictions, after this epic, I should have woken up as an old man at the very least, and at the most, burned out my magical gift. Why such generosity, what influenced all this? Where is the Equivalent Exchange? What will it entail? What and to whom should I pay? Is it connected with the "gift" (and judging by its change, then so it is. Well, at least I think so)?
Questions, questions, questions. More questions. I like to solve riddles, puzzle over their solution, and then get the result. However, this is relevant to any cases, except those that are directly related to me.
Slowly getting to my feet, I looked at myself critically. The clothes were irreparably ruined, even Reparo couldn't help here, nor could his "older" version. The body had received many new scars, in those places where the magic channels exploded from the tension, as did the aura. Well, all this can be easily fixed by metamorphism.
Sighing again, I mentally reached out to my mana, which was currently circulating in the magical body at the usual pace, although probably still a little faster. Well, it was at that moment that I realized that not everything was as rosy as it might seem.
As if in Java, I saw how a lightning bolt ran through my entire soul. It was like a spider's web that wove around my entire being, reaching every part of my soul.
- Khaa-a-A! "At first I still tried to hold back the scream, but I realized that it was a mistake.
With a dull thud I fell to the ground, curled up in a fetal position. My soul was on fire, every part of it was burning in agony. I don't know how long, I don't even remember, I screamed from this pain. It seemed to come in waves, then hide again somewhere deep inside. There was no escape from it.
Vampire's torture? Ha, it didn't affect me half as much as this pain. And even if that artifact also brought pain, it couldn't beat this one. Then I "tempered" my mind. Here I was afraid that I would destroy it, not even leaving a foundation.
Finally, after an unknown amount of time, she decided to retreat. However, I clearly realized that I cannot use magic yet, as well as prana. The only thing I can do now is Psi.
When I tried to get up, I felt like my hands had fallen somewhere. Looking at them, I noticed neat recesses in the floor, which were overgrown right at that moment.
Damn, what's happening to me? ...
But you can't activate magical vision either…
Mordred.
*****
Guided by my internal clock, I walked around for an hour. I didn't see any point in being in the rescue room anymore. Moreover, now is the best time to return to the living room (do not forget about the curfew). The time before dawn is the darkest. Now all the patrolmen want to sleep more than ever, which means their attention is much worse than it should be.
Standing up on my feet (for the umpteenth time today?) I headed for the exit. Since mana and prana are temporarily (I hope it is like this) unavailable, then one must rely only on Reason, with all that entails.
Plunging headlong into empathy, I carefully headed towards the faculty tower. Now I acted as an incredibly strong receiver that I felt all the emotions within a radius of half a hundred meters. This was quite enough to bypass unnecessary patrols. And, despite the time, there were plenty of them.
During my wandering, I had to change my route of movement seven times, and twice I was lucky enough to come face to face with a patrol. Glory to telekinesis and my incredible reactions. I flew up to the ceiling, clinging to one of the columns, and waited for them to pass by me.
I never thought that without mana and prana I would be so helpless. I should spend more time practicing the School of Reason, because it seems I have fallen behind in it. And quite significantly.
And here, finally, is the finish line. Just a couple of turns, and I'll be at the familiar statue. I've done it...
I was not allowed to finish my thought by the sudden appearance of a source of emotions right behind me. Five meters away! I had not felt it before!
But they were not the friendliest: anger, anticipation and a slight lust for murder. And I even found out who it was: Harriet Potter herself, covered with an invisibility cloak.
A slight impulse - a telekinetic shield appeared around me. A moment later, the spell detonated against it. Without thinking for long, I rushed away with all the agility available to me at the moment. However, Harriet was a capable girl.
A moment and a wall of flame appears in front of me, through which I run without even noticing. After a turn, another wall appears in front of me, but this time from an eerie, so familiar, black flame. All my instincts screamed directly about danger. If I touch you, it will be unpleasant.
Stopping at the wall, I began to wait for my pursuer. Well, a fight cannot be avoided.
A second later, a bright scarlet beam rushes towards me, from which I dodge without even turning to the girl. (I am now in my true form. The handsome thirteen-year-old (in appearance) boy is no longer there. Now Harriet is faced with an adult guy, seventeen years old (in appearance). And my physiognomy, although similar, is different for the better.) It started battle.
The rays flew with mind-blowing speed. I simply dodged them. He tore apart familiar ravens with a telekinetic vice. My blows using psi were perfectly received by the shield that appeared around the girl. Damn, another artifact.
Jump, dodge. With a wave of your hand, send out a wave of compressed air. Fly up to the ceiling, passing three bright green lightning bolts underneath you. Having landed on the ground, I immediately jump to the side. Stone stakes break out from under a light layer of dust (not from the floor of the castle, the strength is not enough yet, but from the dust itself.
We could "dance" like this for a long time, but soon the teachers will rush here. It's time to finish. A slight mental effort and I rush like a bullet to the girl hidden by the robe (though now she's a guy, but oh well.). Flying up to the girl who didn't expect such a feint, I grabbed her hand (I still remember very well how the robe works as a shield) and pulled it out from under the robe.
The hood came off, revealing a female version of Potter. Her eyes, burning with a green flame, looked at me in surprise. After a second, realization dawned on them.
"You…" she said with some shock, waving her wand. Late.
In an instant, my eyes lit up with purple light, from all the power that had gathered in them. Catching the gaze of green eyes (and I was taller than her, about two heads taller) I sent Psi into the girl's mind with a single impulse.
- The palaces of the mind! - two words escaped my lips.
The purple stone in the girl's hairpin shattered with a ringing sound. Finally I was able to get into her mind.
I found myself in some family mansion. Everything was done in dark tones, shadows were dancing everywhere. I found myself in the living room. A fireplace, two chairs, a sofa (all dark tones), a table…
So, there is no time to admire. It is worth finding her self-awareness and putting her to sleep.
There were two doors in the wall opposite me. One was like the house itself - beautiful, ancient, made of dark types of wood. The other resembled the lid of a sarcophagus. Around it lay dark, torn chains. Could it be...
A sharp blow pushed me out of the girl's sea of consciousness. Finding myself in reality, I saw the familiar chains of agony that Harriet used in the duel, although I felt almost no pain (she couldn't compare to my past suffering). Why was I thrown out?
Trying to gather the psi for the next blow, I realized that it did not obey me. Blocking?
A sharp movement from the side made me pay attention. Turning around, I managed to notice only two green eyes and a scarlet beam that was directed towards me from the wand.
I needed to train more.
Consciousness was swallowed up by darkness.
*****