The strands of hair floated quietly in Nolan's palm, suspended by an invisible force, rising and falling slightly as though trapped by some mysterious power.
"Now, you should guide us down the mountain," Nolan said with his usual calm elegance. "I will use your soul's essence to find your parents—unless, of course, their souls have already dissipated into the world."
Lex stared blankly at the strands of his own hair, momentarily lost in thought. But as soon as Nolan's words registered, he snapped out of his daze and nodded firmly.
The descent was relatively smooth—until they reached the foot of the mountain. There, an invisible yet palpable force halted them in their tracks. A barrier shimmered faintly in the air, almost imperceptible to the eye, but undeniably real when touched.
"What the hell is this?" Harry frowned, pressing a cautious hand against the barrier. It didn't yield in the slightest.
"Could this be the same force that's been keeping Lex trapped all this time?" Hermione's voice was laced with worry. "If that's the case… does that mean we're stuck here too?"
A heavy silence fell over the group.
Nolan's expression grew serious. He carefully examined the barrier, running his fingertips along its surface as though trying to decipher its structure. But after a long period of observation, he sighed.
"We'll need to locate the source of this barrier," he finally said. Then, with great focus, he pressed his palm firmly against it, closing his eyes to concentrate.
All magic relied on energy. And where there was energy, there was a flow—a pattern to be traced.
Nolan allowed his consciousness to extend outward, weaving into the intricate layers of the barrier, following its threads like an invisible spider spinning a web. Eventually, he found it—deep within the heart of the mountain.
When he opened his eyes, a flicker of confusion passed through them.
"There's something sealed inside this mountain," he said grimly. "This isn't just a barrier—it's a containment spell. It doesn't just trap us and Lex inside; it locks something else in as well."
He turned his gaze toward Mirror Moon Spring.
"The reason this spring exists… it's connected to whatever is inside. The source of its magical purity lies within the mountain, and because of that, the water is trapped within the barrier as well."
His voice was heavy with unspoken implications.
Hermione looked horrified.
"If that's the case… what about Ron?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "If we leave the water here, then… then how is he supposed to…"
She couldn't finish the sentence.
"We can't just abandon Ron," Harry said firmly. "I say we go inside the mountain. If we find the source of the barrier, we might find a way to break it."
He spoke without hesitation, as if completely unconcerned about what might be lurking within.
At the mention of the mountain's depths, Lex suddenly hesitated.
"Maybe… you should wait," he said carefully.
Everyone turned to look at him.
"I remember something from ten years ago," he explained. "There was a thunderstorm. A massive one. The animals—every single one of them—fled the mountain that day. At the time, I thought they were just trying to escape the storm, but now that I think about it… maybe it was something else."
He paused, looking at the barrier thoughtfully.
"Maybe it was the storm's magnetic field that disrupted the barrier. If that's true, then perhaps another thunderstorm could damage it again. If you wait for a storm, you might be able to escape without going inside."
Harry and Hermione exchanged uncertain glances.
"But a thunderstorm is an act of nature," Hermione said hesitantly. "How do we know when the next one will come? It could be weeks… months…"
"And Ron doesn't have that long," Harry added, his expression hardening.
Nolan's golden eyes narrowed.
"Are you certain the storm weakened the barrier?" he asked, his tone grave.
"If what you say is true, then I can summon a storm myself. But if this barrier is truly a seal… then summoning a storm might not just break it—it might break whatever's inside as well."
The weight of his words settled over them like a suffocating fog.
"If there's something dangerous sealed inside, and we break the barrier without knowing what it is… we could be responsible for unleashing something catastrophic."
The silence that followed was deafening.
Hermione's fingers curled into fists.
"So you're saying that if there's something evil in there, you'd rather let us be trapped here forever? Let Ron die?!"
"There was already a storm before, and nothing happened!" she argued, her voice growing desperate.
Nolan didn't answer immediately. He simply met her gaze, unflinching, his expression unreadable.
Finally, he spoke.
"Lex already said it. Whatever is inside is terrifying. If we shatter the barrier carelessly, we might not live to regret it."
Harry, who had been leaning toward investigating the mountain, now hesitated. He wasn't afraid to take risks—but there was a difference between bravery and recklessness.
Nolan made a decision.
"Lex, take us inside."
His voice was final.
Hermione stiffened. "You—"
"If we go inside and find a way to remove the barrier safely, we won't have to risk breaking something we don't understand."
Without waiting for further argument, he turned and handed the crystal flasks of Mirror Moon Spring water to Hermione.
"If you don't want to follow, stay here."
His meaning was clear: if she disagreed, she was free to part ways.
Lex hesitated, looking between Nolan and Hermione. His lips pressed into a thin line, but eventually, he sighed and began leading the way.
The entrance to the mountain was narrow and treacherous. The ground was slick with frost, and the path forced them to squeeze between jagged rock formations.
As they moved deeper, the icy walls around them grew higher, and stalactites of glistening ice hung from the ceiling, swaying ever so slightly.
One wrong step, and those deadly icicles could come crashing down—impaling anyone unlucky enough to be beneath them.
They had entered the unknown.