Chapter 323: The Four Founders, A Dialogue Across Millennia
Kyle wandered around the Chamber of Secrets. Not only had Riddle vanished, but even the Sectumsempra mark on the pillar to his left was gone. Everything that had happened felt like a strangely vivid dream. Yet, the sting on his thigh and the weight of the diary in his hands reminded him it was all real.
He finally turned his gaze to the Slytherin statue towering above him. Unsure of what had occurred, he decided to deal with the diary first—and hoped the Basilisk might still be under his control.
"Speak to me..." Kyle commanded in Parseltongue. But unlike before, the statue's mouth remained sealed. Instead, the snake-shaped carvings on the nearby pillars started to move. They slithered down, winding around each other and closing in on him like real serpents.
The scene gave Kyle an unsettling sense of déjà vu. Surely, this had to be a dream. Maybe I just didn't pinch myself hard enough to wake up last time, he thought, gritting his teeth and preparing to try again.
But then a deep, resonant voice echoed from above the chamber.
"Yes? What do you wish to say?"
"Who's there?" Kyle looked up sharply.
As the voice resounded, the animated snake statues began intertwining, forming a massive circular archway above him. A shimmering, soap-bubble-like curtain appeared within the arch, rippling gently. And through it, a figure emerged—a middle-aged wizard in a green robe, looking down at Kyle with a neutral expression.
"Weren't you just about to speak to me?" he asked.
"You... me..." Kyle stammered, too stunned to form a coherent response. A name hovered in his mind, but it seemed too absurd to be real.
"Salazar, I think you should offer a bit more guidance. The poor child looks thoroughly lost," came another voice.