A magical rainbow bridge stretched across the glacier, its immense magical power threatening to freeze everything in its path permanently. The box trembled continuously, struggling to break free from the grip of withered plants. If this continued, it wasn't just the glacier at risk, but the entirety of Longchang could face destruction.
"Why is there such a dangerous thing in Longchang?" John couldn't help but exclaim, frustration evident in his voice. Words floated out of the box, and upon closer inspection, he recognized them as ancient text. "Frozen Box?" he read aloud, disbelief coloring his tone. The legendary treasure of the kingdom of giants, an artifact capable of freezing everything in its vicinity, was now a reality in the wizarding world. Even for someone like John, this revelation required time to fully comprehend.
Aiming his wand at the Ice Box, John channeled his magic, determined to destroy the artifact. "Bones to dust! (Reducto)" A white light shot from his wand, powerful enough to shatter magical spells binding buildings, yet it failed to inflict any damage on the Ice Box. Undeterred, John launched a series of spells at the box, but to no avail. The Ice Box continued its relentless operation, freezing everything in its wake.
Feeling helpless, John wondered if Heimdall had been mistaken in sending him here, directly leading to the potential destruction of Longchang. Just then, a silver thread caught his eye. Upon closer examination, he noticed it was a soul fragment, which flew towards the frozen man, attempting to penetrate the ice and enter the sculpture.
"That can't possibly be the soul of the ice sculpture, can it?" John mused, observing the soul fragment's behavior. Despite the powerful ice currents, the soul fragment remained unharmed. "Cold currents only affect physical entities," he realized, a spark of understanding in his eyes.
The soul fragment approached John, seemingly pleading for help. "You want me to melt the ice sculpture?" John inquired. The soul fragment bobbed up and down, as if nodding in agreement.
Taking a deep breath, John underwent a transformation. Dragon horns sprouted from his head, wings unfurled from his back, and his body rapidly grew in size until he assumed the form of a dragon. He aimed at the ice sculpture and opened his mouth wide. "Fire! (Incendio)" A jet of flame erupted, engulfing the ice sculpture in red flames hot enough to melt rock, yet the ice sculpture only melted slowly.
"Not enough firepower," John concluded. The scales on his neck glowed as he unleashed another breath of dragon fire, this time a more fearsome flame. Eventually, the ice sculpture melted away.
Reverting to his human form, John was about to allow the soul fragment to proceed when he witnessed the thawed man being swept away by the torrent, crashing against the wall and shattering. John stood in silence, questioning the effort he had just expended.
The soul fragment, equally surprised by the outcome, halted in mid-air. "Forget it, relying on others is worse than relying on oneself," John thought, realizing he couldn't depend on external help.
Waving his wand, John's eyes transformed into dragon pupils. Flames erupted from the wand's tip, converging into a giant crimson dragon. "Fiendfyre!" he declared, summoning the formidable fire.
The Fiendfyre momentarily halted the relentless torrent. The room was engulfed in flames as John directed the Fiendfyre towards the Ice Box. Under the Fiendfyre's intense heat, the ice crystals encasing the Ice Box began to melt. The torrent clashed with the Fiendfyre, both forces of magic—absolute cold and all-consuming fire—locked in a fierce battle.
John released his control over the Fiendfyre, allowing it to swell in size. Trapped under the Ice Box's torrent, the Fiendfyre could not escape. "Soul Eater Curse," John intoned, raising his right hand. Black silk threads emerged from his gloved hand, gradually turning his silver arm black. His right eye also darkened as the threads reached towards the Ice Box, signaling the beginning of a new confrontation. With a solemn expression etched on his face, John watched as the Soul-eating Curse enveloped the Ice Box, wrapping it entirely in its chilling embrace. In an instant, a cold so intense it seemed to freeze his very soul enveloped him. His body began to stiffen, his eyes widening in disbelief. It shouldn't be happening—why was his soul freezing? It was too late to retreat, and all John could do was watch as ice crystals began to encase him. Just as he was on the brink of losing consciousness, he saw fragments of a soul rushing towards him. Without a moment's hesitation, John reached out to catch the soul fragment. In the next second, his mind went numb.
Frozen in place, with his hand still outstretched, the Soul Eater Curse continued its relentless assault on the Ice Box. The Fiendfire, which had been raging fiercely, began to falter under the onslaught of the curse, with ice crystals forming atop the flames. Then, a miraculous balance was struck between the two forces, temporarily halting the destructive torrent. However, this precarious equilibrium was doomed to collapse as the Fiendfire weakened, threatening to transform the scene into a frozen wasteland.
As the Fiendfire's strength waned, the ice's advance seemed unstoppable. Then, suddenly, a crisp sound pierced the silence. The soul fragments on John's body began to move, slowly making their way to his right hand. The Soul Eater Curse, now linked with the Ice Box, formed a conduit. John's theory was correct—the Ice Box hadn't frozen the soul. The soul fragments, compressing into a needlepoint, pierced towards the Ice Box, creating a small opening that was quickly sealed by the fragments. The other end of the soul fragment transformed into a silver thread connected to John's hand, shimmering with a faint light. As his consciousness, which had been stagnant, began to stir, John realized he was immobile, yet his magic remained active.
Straining his eyes, he saw the silver thread. He attempted to move his finger, but it failed to make contact. At that moment, his consciousness, which had been tightly coiled, surged through the silver thread, expanding suddenly. The golden room vanished, replaced by a place resembling a blurred illusion.
"You're finally here," a voice said, pulling John from his trance. He looked down at his attire, now changed to white, and then up at the source of the voice—a man standing before him, his tone relaxed yet tinged with joy. But what struck John was not the man's demeanor but his face—it was identical to Extis's.
"Shouldn't you explain what's happening?" John asked, his voice steady but curious.
The man scratched his head, a sheepish look on his face. "I intended to resolve the dangers lurking here, but the power was greater than I anticipated. It could only be sealed temporarily," he explained, then suddenly brightened, extending his hand to John. "I forgot to introduce myself. We hail from the same lineage."
"From the same lineage?" John echoed, puzzled.
"Yes, we're from the same school," the man said, puffing out his chest with pride.
John was taken aback. "You were a student at Hogwarts?"
The man's smile widened. "And a Slytherin at that. You can call me Ambrosius, or by my name..." He paused for dramatic effect. "Merlin Ambrosius."
John stood frozen, his mind struggling to process the revelation. After a moment, he exclaimed, "Merlin's beard—"
"Ahem," Ambrosius interjected, touching his white beard. "I'm not sure why my beard always comes up in conversation."
John's surprise gradually gave way to acceptance as he faced the legendary figure before him. Then, remembering his physical body outside this illusionary space, his expression turned quizzical, hesitating.
"Speak," Ambrosius prompted, sensing John's hesitation.
After a moment of contemplation, John ventured, "So, are you... deceased? Or have you lived until now?"
The question hung in the air, a testament to the surreal encounter unfolding between a modern wizard and the most legendary figure in their world's history. John stood in awe, his mind struggling to grasp the reality before him. "Just now, your body was shattered," he stammered, his words a jumble. It wasn't entirely John's fault; after all, anyone who found themselves face-to-face with Merlin, the legendary archmage, would likely be just as disoriented. Ambrosius, however, exhibited remarkable patience and replied, "You could say that, though I'm not entirely sure myself." His response was peculiar, prompting him to elaborate, "To be precise, I'm not the Merlin of legend. Rather, I am a Merlin from Hogwarts."
John, puzzled, asked like a curious student, "What's the difference?"
Ambrosius took a seat, his demeanor calm and collected. "The difference," he began, "is that the legendary Merlin could be me, but I am not necessarily the legendary Merlin." This explanation might have confused most, but John, with his alchemist's insight, sensed a deeper meaning. "Are you suggesting there's a connection between you and the legendary Merlin, akin to that of a creator and their creation?"
"Exactly," Ambrosius replied, his eyes lighting up with approval. "You're familiar with Horcruxes, right? My existence is somewhat similar. I share a connection with that Merlin, yet we are distinct entities."
John, now deeply intrigued, recalled the wizard Heimdall had mentioned. "So, the wizard who taught Heimdall the prophecy—was it you or the other Merlin?"
Ambrosius shrugged, his expression thoughtful. "I believe it was him, though it could have been another Merlin. After all, my arrival here was marred by a failed sealing attempt."
This revelation left John even more bewildered. The Merlin from Hogwarts and the legendary artifact from the kingdom of giants were somehow intertwined. "Are we truly still within the Wizarding World of Harry Potter?" he wondered, his mind racing with questions.
The encounter with Ambrosius, a Merlin distinct yet connected to the legendary figure, opened a realm of possibilities and mysteries that John had never imagined. As he stood there, processing the information, he couldn't help but feel that his understanding of the magical world had just expanded exponentially.
_________
If you are tired of reading I also have this converted to an audio novel on my youtube
https://www.youtube.com/@NovelAudioForge/featured
Direct Link to playlist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_Hg-qsW4rM&list=PLKskshYG-OcPTR4-Nw7IWFEBZm07D8pBV&ab_channel=NovelAudioForge