The chamber trembled. Runes shifted, their golden glow intensifying until they merged into a singular, radiant light. Ignotus Peverell raised his hand, and the space around them bent, folding in on itself. The walls stretched impossibly far, the air thick with ancient magic.
Hadrian steadied himself as the world around him transformed. The stone floor beneath his feet melted away, replaced by rough, uneven ground. The walls of the chamber were gone, replaced by a dark forest with towering trees, their gnarled roots twisting through the mist that clung to the ground.
"The First Trial begins," Ignotus declared, standing at the center of it all, unaffected by the shifting reality.
Hadrian clenched his fists. "Trial? What am I supposed to do?"
Ignotus' gaze darkened. "Survive."
A bone-chilling growl echoed from the mist.
Hadrian turned sharply, wand raised. Red eyes glowed in the darkness, several pairs at once. From the shadows, creatures began to emerge—large, hunched figures covered in dark, matted fur. Their elongated limbs twitched unnaturally, their claws gleaming like obsidian. Werewolves.
But something was wrong.
These weren't ordinary werewolves. Their bodies were thinner, almost skeletal, their movements jerky like puppets on tangled strings. Their eyes burned with an eerie, unnatural light.
"They are cursed," Ignotus spoke, watching without interference. "Once men, now creatures bound to this place by dark magic. Mindless, relentless… and hungry."
One of them lunged.
Hadrian moved.
He dodged by instinct, spinning away just as razor-sharp claws sliced through the air where he had been standing. Without hesitation, he raised his wand.
"Expulso!"
A burst of raw, explosive magic erupted from his wand, striking the werewolf in the chest. The creature was blasted backward, slamming into a tree with a sickening crunch. But the moment its body hit the ground, it twitched, then stood back up. The wound on its chest sealed itself shut.
Hadrian's stomach dropped.
"They do not die easily," Ignotus said, unimpressed. "Find another way."
Another werewolf lunged at Hadrian from the side. He barely managed to cast a Shield Charm in time, the impact of the attack sending him skidding back. His mind raced. Killing them wasn't an option.
Then what was?
His eyes flicked toward the mist rolling around them. The magic in this space was alive, shifting. If these creatures were cursed to this place, maybe the environment itself was the key.
He took a deep breath and reached out with his magic.
The mist responded.
It thickened, swirling at his feet before rushing forward. It coiled around the nearest werewolf like living tendrils, dragging the creature back into the depths of the forest. The werewolf thrashed violently, but the moment its body disappeared into the mist, there was nothing. No sound. No movement. Just silence.
Hadrian's pulse hammered in his ears.
"Good," Ignotus mused. "You are learning."
The remaining werewolves snarled but hesitated now, their glowing eyes flickering with something close to fear. Hadrian narrowed his gaze, summoning the mist once more. It rushed toward them, swallowing them whole.
Then, suddenly, the world shifted again.
The forest vanished.
Hadrian gasped as he found himself back in the chamber, the ancient stone walls solid once more. Ignotus stood in front of him, arms crossed.
"The First Trial is complete," he said.
Hadrian exhaled sharply, his body still tense from the fight. "What's next?"
Ignotus smirked.
"The real training begins."
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