Chapter 226
Ten Minutes Ago
Albert stood in the heart of the battle, his breath coming in short gasps, and his eyes darting between his two opponents: Viktor Krum and Fleur Delacour. The situation was extremely tense, and the air around him was blazing with unceasing magical energy.
Krum, with his physical strength, was directing a series of powerful magical attacks towards Albert, who deftly countered them. Every movement from both of them was calculated, and every spell cast seemed to carry a fateful decision.
In a crucial moment, Albert exploited a small opportunity when Krum mistimed one of his spells. Albert raised his wand and shouted:
"Expelliarmus!"
A strong red beam shot out from his magic wand, heading directly towards Krum. The impact was deafening; Krum's magic wand flew out of his hand and fell to the ground several meters away, while Krum was forcefully pushed backward, falling hard to the ground.
His body hit the ground forcefully, and for a moment, it seemed he would not be able to get up quickly.
Albert realized this was his chance. He now had to focus all his energy on Fleur, who was preparing to attack. He quickly turned towards her and raised his wand, ready to block any spell she might cast at him. But Fleur was fast. With a swift movement, she pointed her wand at him and launched a powerful spell, its bright beam advancing quickly towards him.
Albert could have dodged or blocked the attack with a counter-spell, but the moment he raised his wand to prepare his defense, he felt a sudden pain shoot through his body like an arrow. The pain was so agonizing that his wand nearly fell from his hand. He stumbled backward, then fell to his knees, screaming from the intensity of the pain. He held his head with both hands, as if it were about to explode.
The pain inside him was different from anything he had ever felt. It was not just physical pain; it was as if a strange force was attacking his soul from within. His body trembled, and he felt every muscle tense intensely. He was breathing heavily, and his eyes were blurring, as if the world around him was starting to fade.
Albert was lying on the ground, his body trembling, and a terrible pain sweeping through every particle of his being. The pain was not only physical; it was an internal feeling, akin to his soul slowly being torn apart.
He felt as if his mind would leave its place, as if a mysterious dark force was trying to control him from within. His empty white eyes could not see anything around him, and all he could hear was the sound of his ragged breathing and the echo of his muffled screams.
But amidst this overwhelming darkness, he began to hear a faint voice, like a gentle but strong whisper. It was a woman's voice, soft and strangely warm, as if she knew him well.
The voice was not ordinary; it seemed to emanate from within him, echoing in his mind clearly despite the pain covering all his senses.
The voice said calmly and reassuringly:
"Albert... please, hold on a little longer. Don't surrender to this pain. You are stronger than you think."
Albert tried to focus on the voice, even though his body refused to respond. He tried to remember who the owner of this voice was, but his mind was submerged in fog. The voice repeated itself:
"Albert, you must use a healing spell. It will help you overcome this pain. Trust me."
Albert tried to raise his magic wand, to gather what strength he had left to cast a healing spell, but his hands were shaking intensely. The pain was stronger than he could bear, and every muscle in his body refused to respond. He whispered inwardly: "Who are you? Why does your voice sound familiar?" But he did not get an answer, and the voice continued to guide him with insistence.
In that moment, while Albert was drowning in his attempt to control the pain, Fleur seized the opportunity. Her eyes were still white, and the dark control energy was tightening its grip on her. She raised her magic wand and launched a powerful spell toward Albert.
The magical beam struck him directly, pushing him away from his spot. His body hit the ground forcefully, and blood began to flow from his wounds. Wounds appeared on his hands and face, as if he had been scratched with sharp knives. The new pain added to his previous suffering, making it seem as if he had reached his end.
For a few moments, it seemed as if everything was over. Albert was lying motionless, his body drenched in blood, and his breaths were barely audible. But suddenly, his consciousness began to return gradually. He slowly opened his eyes, and the feeling of his surroundings returned to him.
His body groaned with pain, but he managed to slowly get up, leaning on his wand. Blood was flowing from his forehead, but he did not care.
He said in a hoarse voice, yet full of defiance:
"This pain... is nothing compared to what I felt before I lost consciousness."
He looked at Fleur, who was preparing to deliver another blow, but he was no longer the same person. Something inside him had changed. This was the turning point where he realized that the pain he had felt had awakened a new power within him. He slowly raised his wand and gathered all his magical energy. The power he felt was like a small storm gathering inside him, waiting for the right moment to explode.
Albert shouted in a powerful voice:
"Enough, Fleur! If you are under the control of this darkness, I will free you from it now!"
With a fraction of his strength, he launched a very powerful spell, one he had never cast before. The magical beam emitted from his wand was incredibly radiant with energy, as if carrying the strength and will that had awakened within him. The beam pierced the air, heading towards Fleur at lightning speed.
Fleur tried to defend herself, but she could not match Albert's strength. The magical shield she had formed to protect herself shattered in an instant, and the beam struck her directly. The blow pushed her backward, violently knocking her to the ground.
Her eyes gradually began to return to their normal state, while the effect of the dark control that governed her broke.
Albert stood firmly, despite the wounds covering his body and the pain that still ravaged him. He looked at Fleur, who was lying on the ground, her face expressing shock at what had happened.
Then he looked at Krum, who had been hit in the same way, lying motionless. He realized that his battle was not only with his friends but with the darkness that controlled them.
He said in a calm voice, yet full of determination:
"Return to the school..."
Albert stood between Fleur and Krum, his body heavy with wounds recounting an unforgettable battle. He looked at them with eyes full of resolve and determination, and said in a firm voice:
"Fleur, Krum... what happened was not your fault. You were under the influence of a dark force, and I do not blame you. But now you must return to the school immediately. This place... is not your place. What awaits you here is a dark fate that may lead to your death. I want you to get out of this maze and return safely."
Fleur, whose tears were streaming down her face, looked at Albert with eyes full of regret and said in a broken voice:
"I am very sorry, Albert. I could not control myself... I did not even know what was happening. Suddenly, I found myself attacking you... I am sorry."
Albert approached her, placed his hand on her shoulder, and looked at her with a warm gaze despite his pain:
"Don't worry, Fleur. What happened was beyond your control. The important thing now is to take care of your safety. You and Krum must leave. This place is not safe for any of us, but I must continue the path."
Krum, who was sitting on the ground, holding his head due to the pain he felt as a result of the control he had been subjected to, raised his head with difficulty and looked at Albert. His face expressed a mixture of exhaustion and regret, but he could not speak. All he did was nod his head, as if agreeing to Albert's words without having the strength to express it.
After Albert told them what they had to do, he turned his back on them and began to walk steadily towards the long path that led to the Cup.
He looked behind him one last time to make sure they were alright, then ran with all his strength, his magic wand glowing in his hand, and blood flowing from his wounds, dropping onto his face and the ground as he ran. He knew that time was short, and that he had to reach the Cup before anything else happened.
Fleur, who was still crying, went towards Krum and helped him stand up. She held his arm carefully and said:
"We must return, as Albert said. We cannot leave him, but... we have no other choice."
As for Albert, he continued his run towards the Triwizard Cup. The blue beam emanating from it lit the way before him in the darkness of the maze, but he felt that this light was hiding something greater than just the end of the challenge. A strange feeling controlled him, as if the Cup itself was trying to warn him of what was to come.
When he finally reached the Cup, he stood before it for a moment, contemplating the blue light emanating from it. This Cup represented everything he had gone through so far, but it was also a key to what was coming. He slowly reached out his hand and touched the Cup, and then the world around him began to disappear.
He felt his body being strongly pulled towards something unknown. The transition was fast and violent, as if a dark force was tearing the air around him. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a gloomy and dark place. The atmosphere was filled with the smell of blood and fear. The ground under his feet was covered with dark ash, and the sky above him was dark as if hiding an unspeakable evil.
The Triwizard Cup fell from his hand, hitting the ground with a sharp sound. Albert tightly gripped his wand, looking right and left, trying to comprehend the place he found himself in.
He began to walk with cautious steps, and with every step he took, the feeling of fear and mystery increased. Suddenly, he stopped when he saw something in front of him that made him freeze in place.
The scene in front of him was like a living nightmare. What he saw made him suffer the shock of his life, as if all the questions that had been swirling in his mind about this challenge had now found their answer. But this answer was more terrifying than he expected.
To be continued...