It came out!
The black-robed skeleton from the mysterious tower had actually followed him!
Ian hadn't even bothered to check whether the black sand and other items he'd gathered were "intercepted" in the Twilight Zone. His stiff neck turned, and he saw the figure that sent a cold shiver down his spine.
The black-robed skeleton stood quietly behind him, as still as a ghost, its eye sockets burning with deep-red soul fire, flickering with a hauntingly intense glow in the darkness.
Although the eerie runes covering its skeletal body had faded, its bones appeared much more ordinary. Yet, the oppressive sense of dread in the air only seemed to grow stronger. Ian couldn't tell if it was due to leaving the Twilight Zone or if it was because the chains that had once bound the skeleton had now shattered.
"Expelliarmus!"
Instinctively, Ian tried to blast the black-robed skeleton away, but the red light from his wand strangely dissipated upon contact with the skeleton.
Like scattered starlight slowly fading away.
The black-robed skeleton wasn't affected by the Disarming Charm. It didn't flinch, nor did it lose any of its bones. Ian's increasingly refined spell had no effect at all.
"I don't believe it! Tongue-tying hex, throat-slitting curse! Bah! This is useless!"
"Sectumsempra!"
"Crucio!"
"Imperio!"
"Shove a steel pipe in its front teeth!"
...
Relentlessly, Ian waved his wand with lightning speed, casting four spells in quick succession, but none of them had any effect on the black-robed skeleton.
It was as though, just before his spells reached their target, some invisible force neutralized them, leaving the mysterious skeleton's black robe fluttering in the dim light, like flickering shadows.
"Hmm?"
The black-robed skeleton, with its robe billowing, revealed glimpses of its ribs. It reflexively tightened its robe, almost as though trying to hide them.
"My magic isn't working because of the robe?" Ian's gaze shifted to the black robe adorning the skeleton, noticing the magical runes embroidered on it.
The robe remained almost intact, despite everything else in the tower having decayed over time, meaning it was certainly no ordinary piece of clothing. It was covered with unfamiliar magical symbols whose effects Ian couldn't yet decipher.
Looking closer, Ian thought the structure of the runes resembled those of death magic, though he couldn't tell if they were linked to any specific ancient magic or deity.
"No, it's not the robe," He muttered to himself.
Although Ian couldn't fully understand the magic behind the symbols, he could certainly tell when magic was in effect. His eyes moved to the chains still wrapped around the black-robed skeleton's hands.
Despite the fact that the skeleton had followed him out, having escaped the "imprisonment" of the tower, the skeleton still bore the remnants of many broken chains.
Ian could feel it.
The rusted chains still pulsed with magic.
The chains, aged and corroded, peeked out from the folds of the black robe, like shackles from an ancient time, still restraining this formidable being.
"Is this another form of magical suppression?" Ian wondered, his curiosity piqued. But despite the intrigue, he had already retreated several paces and dared not approach the skeleton recklessly; after all, it was a being whose origins and intentions were shrouded in mystery.
"I don't know, I have no brain," The black-robed skeleton muttered, raising its chain-clinking hand and pointing at its hollow skull, perhaps misunderstanding Ian's mumbles as questions directed at it.
"How can you hear me when I'm speaking so quietly from so far away?" Ian asked, surprised, lowering his voice to almost a whisper.
"I was born to hear the voices of all things."
It was unclear what the black-robed skeleton remembered or had forgotten, but it opened its mouth, now just a hollow cavity, and solemnly made a loud sound that reverberated in the quiet air.
"..."
Ian had a general rule of not enjoying watching others make a fool of themselves, but at this moment, he found his principles somewhat flexible. What could he do against a creature that seemed impervious to magic?
He couldn't even reach its skull by jumping!
"What do you want from me... this is no longer your world," Ian asked, still perplexed as to why the black-robed skeleton had followed him across the boundary between life and death.
Could it possess such an ability on its own, or had it simply tagged along with Ian? If it were the latter, he might be able to understand, but if it were the former, that would be quite frightening.
The thought of such power was terrifying.
Fortunately, the black-robed skeleton didn't appear violent; it remained calm and composed. Despite being hit by several of Ian's spells, it showed no signs of attacking or ambushing the young wizard.
"I need to be loved."
When Ian had questioned it, the black-robed skeleton finally stopped repeating itself and spoke in a deep, hoarse voice, revealing its own desires.
"..."
Ian was once again at a loss for words.
He had no idea how to respond. If only the wizarding world had a help forum, he might have posted a plea for assistance on how to deal with a skeleton that craved love.
A tall, purebred skeleton needing love?
"Is there any chance that I'm just a young wizard who couldn't possibly give you the love you seek?" Ian emphasized his age, carefully avoiding any mention of his gender.
He was afraid the mysterious black-robed skeleton would take him for a little boy.
"I need to be loved." The black-robed skeleton began to repeat its hollow words again.
"I could introduce you to other people? How about a Centaur? After all, interspecies relationships are a thing, and Centaurs are definitely more interesting than a human little wizard like me."
Ian noticed that no matter which direction he moved, the black-robed skeleton would follow closely behind. The small wizard, barely taller than someone's knees, couldn't seem to shake this being.
"Calm down! Calm down!"
He wished for the help of a Phoenix at that moment, longing for the black bird to Apparate to him, but the Phoenix did not respond.
"It's not reliable at all!"
Deep within the ancient, dense Forbidden Forest of Hogwarts, the night was as dark as ink, and the sparse moonlight barely illuminated the winding path ahead. Ian hurriedly stepped on the carpet of fallen leaves and twigs, beginning to jog, but he still couldn't shake the black-robed skeleton, which moved at a leisurely pace.
Soon.
Ian discovered the reason.
Forget about invisibility; it seemed the black-robed skeleton wasn't fooled by such tricks. Even when he deliberately used magic to knock down some trees to block its path, the skeleton would always appear just behind him, as if it knew exactly where to find him.
"Is he apparating!?"
When Ian turned around again, he saw the space distort, and in a flash of red light, the black-robed skeleton appeared just a few meters behind him.
No matter how far Ian tried to distance himself, the black-robed skeleton always seemed to pinpoint his location, appearing by his side after a brief delay when any obstruction appeared.
"This is truly cheating..."
Finally, Ian gave up the exhausting thought of running. He collapsed onto a large rock, panting heavily, his breath forming a fine mist in the cold air.
He blended into the mist that enveloped the silent forest. A long-nosed monkey peeked from the treetops, its eyes filled with caution, before it quickly darted to a higher branch with a whoosh.
Some dangerous magical creatures, foraging in the night, revealed their eyes from the underbrush. After a brief moment of hesitation, they immediately fled back into the thick forest.
Regardless of the creature, all of them possessed a sensitivity far beyond that of ordinary animals. It was clear that these magical beings sensed a deep and unnatural danger, choosing to abandon their hunt or escape in haste.
The magical creatures weren't afraid of Ian; they were terrified of the black-robed skeleton that followed him like a shadow. Its robe fluttered gently in the night wind, resembling the wings of a ghost, blending into the darkness while giving off an indescribable sense of eeriness and mystery.
The oppressive feeling was palpable.
As if it could be touched.
This was why Ian was so cautious.
"How about I introduce you to some other humans? Don't worry, even though England's population isn't large, we definitely have a wealth of talent in the different love department!"
Ian considered whether the few reliable seniors at Hogwarts might gain the black-robed skeleton's favor. He was growing desperate to shake off this menacing presence.
Better them than him.
He even wondered if Grindelwald or Dumbledore could handle this trouble. Ian weighed his options, attempting to find a way to reduce the black-robed skeleton's focus on him.
(To Be Continued…)
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