Ian felt like a balloon, overfilled with something foreign and overwhelming.
"I'm… not clean anymore!"
The surge of killing intent, as vast as the ocean, roiled within his young mind. His reason was all but submerged, and the boundless malice seemed like a flood desperate for an outlet.
Perhaps it was guided by Mara, his teacher.
Or maybe it was simple instinct.
The moment her voice echoed in his ears, instructing him, Ian instinctively followed the command.
"Avada Kedavra!"
He nearly roared the incantation.
Ian had never imagined he would utter such a curse, let alone in such a state.
As the incantation resonated, his magic and the unrelenting malice Mara had instilled within him intertwined and surged to his fingertips. The energy funneled into the mysterious wand Mara had conjured, and a brilliant green light erupted, illuminating the vast hall as though a comet had blazed into being.
Dazzling. Mesmerizing. Terrifying.
The sheer power was evident.
However, Ian had aimed at nothing but an ancient, weathered stone wall. No living being, no soul stood in the path of the lethal curse. As such, the wall remained unscathed. Yet the green light crawled across its surface like a web, flickering for several moments before finally dissipating.
As the killing intent drained away, Ian's clarity returned. Mara, his teacher, looked on with satisfaction.
"It seems your foolishness is confined to certain areas. When it comes to magic, you possess a talent far surpassing many." Her praise, though unexpected, carried an undeniable weight.
"Merlin's beard…"
Ian stared, wide-eyed, at the faint traces of green that lingered on the wall before fading entirely. His mind reeled.
He. An eleven-year-old boy.
Not yet a Hogwarts student.
Had cast the Killing Curse—one of the Unforgivable Curses.
The Killing Curse. The pinnacle of dark magic, capable of ending life with a mere utterance. A spell that sent shivers through even the bravest wizards.
And he had done it with such shocking ease.
Ian's gaze turned inward, examining the undeniable proof on his status panel:
[Name: Ian Prince
Class: Bloodline Sorcerer
Magic: Level 4
Skills:
Lumos (Level 1): 76/100
Levitation Charm (Level 1): 11/100
Killing Curse (Level 1): 7/100]
The status panel never lied.
With just one guided casting, Ian had not only mastered the basic use of the Killing Curse but had also gained a startling seven points of proficiency.
Level 1 proficiency!
This wasn't just theoretical understanding. He could now cast the curse independently, without Mara's intervention. The insights and knowledge about the curse were firmly embedded in his mind.
"An Unforgivable Curse… Professor Mara, you called this a 'simple' spell?" Ian's voice trembled with a mixture of disbelief and unease. His mind had yet to catch up with the enormity of what he had just achieved.
"In my era, such labels didn't exist," Mara replied, her fingers brushing the wall where traces of green light still shimmered faintly before vanishing. "A wizard who couldn't wield the Killing Curse was simply prey—a lamb to the slaughter."
Her explanation, chilling as it was, carried a certain brutal logic.
Ian could only nod slowly, trying to process the gulf between his current world and the ancient one Mara described.
"Remember this moment," Mara instructed, her tone unusually serious as she turned to face him. "This curse requires powerful killing intent. While you may grow to embody such darkness, as you are now, it will not come easily. I suggest you start small—hunt animals. It's a good way to grow the intent necessary to wield the spell effectively."
She paused, her lips curling into a dark smile.
"Of course, nothing compares to taking a human life. If you truly wish to master the Killing Curse, you'll need to kill someone with your own hands."
Ian's heart skipped a beat.
The way she spoke of it, so casually, so matter-of-factly, sent a shiver down his spine. For a moment, he questioned whether she truly understood the boy she was teaching. Surely she didn't expect him to follow such a path.
"Uh… maybe I'll stick to hunting animals," Ian replied, forcing an awkward smile.
He had no intention of going down that road. He was no Voldemort, no dark lord in the making.
Still, Ian felt it prudent not to reveal that he had already mastered the Killing Curse to a functional level. For now, he would let Mara believe he was still a struggling novice. After all, his teacher's opinion of him was already grim enough. She didn't need further evidence to reinforce her 'you'll never be a good wizard' outlook.
"If only my progress with other spells could be this fast…" Ian thought wistfully, glancing at the meager numbers on his status panel.
He couldn't help but marvel at how quickly he had grasped the Killing Curse. The discrepancy was staggering. A part of him wondered if he was…
gifted. In dark magic.
"Proffesor, could you teach me another spell? Something… less evil?" Ian asked, eager to learn but wary of delving further into forbbiden curses.
"Greedy little thing, aren't you?" Mara's voice carried a sharp edge, though it softened as she added, "Still, a hunger for knowledge is never unwelcome."
Her expression turned playful as she glanced at Ian.
"But tell me… do you even have the time to learn another spell?"
Ian blinked, confused. Before he could respond, a strange sensation began to wash over him. The edges of the room blurred, and a faint pulling force tugged at his very being.
"Wait… what's happening?"
His voice wavered as his surroundings grew increasingly distorted. The ethereal world of the Limbo realm was fading, pulling him back to reality.
Mara stood unmoving, her dark eyes watching as Ian's form became translucent. With a wave of her hand, she tore a strip of fabric from her gown, inscribing ancient runes onto it with a flick of her finger.
"Consider this your homework," she said, her voice steady and authoritative. She placed the strip in Ian's hand, the fabric glowing faintly as it settled into his palm.
"Do not disappoint me, my dear apprentice," she whispered as Ian's vision faded entirely.
***
When Ian awoke in his room, the words of his enigmatic teacher lingered in his mind. He sat up, the moonlight streaming through his window illuminating the strip of fabric in his hand. The runes etched upon it shimmered softly, an undeniable reminder of the strange and powerful bond he now shared with Mara.
"What have I gotten myself into?" Ian murmured, staring at the fabric with equal parts awe and apprehension.
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