Authour here: I´ve been out for some time, I´m quite busy right know I will have to reduce the number of chapter for a bit, but dont worry guys, i wont leave the story hanging :)
The forest was unnaturally still. The air felt thick, as if all the nocturnal sounds had been absorbed by an invisible force. Neither the hooting of owls nor the buzzing of insects broke the silence. Suddenly, the roar of a car tore through the calm. A vehicle was speeding down the road, and the driver, with a sharp swerve, narrowly avoided colliding with a figure that appeared in his path.
—Damn kids! What the hell are they doing in the woods at this hour? —the driver shouted, cursing as the car sped away, its taillights fading into the darkness.
Maximus watched the vehicle disappear, a cold glint in his lifeless eyes. The Inferius child had almost been run over. That incident could not happen again. "We're too exposed," Maximus thought as his eyes slid toward the distant lights of civilization. They needed to remain unnoticed at all costs.
—We're closer to civilization than I thought —he said, his tone almost casual but loaded with dark determination. His companions, Rachel, the child, and the adult, watched him with a mix of respect and expectation. Maximus could not afford to fail. He had already lost too much.
—We need to become invisible, especially you —he said, looking at the small child, whose youthful appearance contrasted with his macabre state. Maximus searched through his memories for something that could help them. Then he remembered: the Notice-Me-Not Charm.
With the wand he had taken from Regulus still in his left hand, he muttered the spell, casting it first on the child. "Forgive me if it doesn't work," he thought to himself, fearing that his control over magic wasn't as strong as he hoped.
A sigh of relief escaped his lifeless throat as the child's body began to blend with the surroundings, fading like a chameleon. "Perfect," he thought. He turned to the others and repeated the spell, watching as Rachel, the adult, and he himself blended into the darkness of the forest.
—It will work for now, but we can't rely on it too much. It won't protect us during the day. —Maximus gave a final glance toward the empty road and then, without wasting time, ordered:— I need your names. I can't keep calling you "child" and "man." If we're going to be companions, we need something more personal.
The child spoke first, his voice a shadow of what it once was. —Thomas.
Then the man responded, his tone low, almost grave: —Arthur.
Maximus nodded. "Common names," he thought, but that was fine. They would be useful for blending into both the Muggle and magical worlds if necessary.
—Alright then, listen. We need a safe place, a base from which to operate. Something far enough to be safe, but not so far that it prevents us from returning if we need to recover something. —Maximus looked up toward the distant lights. That place looked like a typical coastal village in the English countryside, with its low houses and the dim light of a pub still glowing. It seemed peaceful, too peaceful, as if all the inhabitants were asleep, unaware of the presence of these undead beings walking nearby.
As they moved forward, a silhouette atop a hill caught his attention. An old church, shrouded in shadows, with twisted willows surrounding it, almost as if nature had reclaimed it long ago. The undergrowth grew wild, and the dark stones of the building seemed soaked in centuries of forgotten stories.
Maximus smiled to himself. That place reminded him of the cave. The solitude, the darkness. "It will be perfect," he thought, finding some comfort in its eerie appearance.
When they reached the entrance, they encountered a large gate locked with a rusty padlock. Maximus quickly recalled the right spell. —Alohomora —he pronounced, but nothing happened. He frowned, feeling a surge of frustration. He knew his control over magic with this new wand was still uncertain.
He tried several more times, his frustration growing with each failed attempt. Finally, when he was about to give up, a click echoed in the night. —Alohomora —he said once more, and the padlock gave way.
—Get in quickly —he ordered as he pushed the rusty gate. A sense of danger overwhelmed him. He knew the camouflage spell wouldn't last long, especially at dawn, and their cadaverous faces would attract unwanted attention. They had to move fast.
The interior of the church was dark and silent, but Maximus preferred it that way. The air smelled of mold and abandonment, but there was something familiar in that desolation. He could almost imagine himself back in the cave, though without the cursed lake waters or the devouring fire that had nearly destroyed them.
He turned to his group, his empty eyes passing over each one. It was time to plan. He sat on one of the old church pews, the sound of the wood creaking under his weight.
—What should we do? —he asked, breaking the silence.
Rachel was the first to speak. —We need to get stronger. If we want to survive in this world, we'll need power —her tone was firm, filled with conviction.
Arthur and Thomas nodded silently, as if that decision was as obvious as the need to breathe.
Maximus watched them for a moment, then let his thoughts wander. The First Wizarding War was still in full swing. Chaos was everywhere. This was their opportunity. They could take advantage of the fear and confusion to grow stronger, to carve out a place in the new order.
But they would need a plan. A calculated move. They had to find the weak points and exploit them. The shadow of Voldemort still hung over the wizarding world, but Maximus knew that even the most powerful had weaknesses.
—Yes —he said finally, his voice barely a whisper—. We will get stronger. But first, we must find a way to harness the chaos. If we do it right, no one will be able to stop us.
Rachel's eyes gleamed with approval. Arthur and Thomas looked at him, awaiting his orders.
The abandoned church, wrapped in shadows, would be their sanctuary, the place where their rise would begin.
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Author notes
I´ve opened a p4treo n so if you like my works you can support me there!, I wont have new chapters or somenthing earlier but I´ve put polls there to vote for new arcs and storys :) anyways it´s only to support me if you like what I write.
patreon.com/Hujikiongyu